ignite me / p. pevensie

chapter fifty-six

 "She isn't ready yet!" A voice whisper-shouted from behind the door to the infirmary that Rowyn had slept in last night after Peter helped her clean up. Another voice sounded but she couldn't make out what they said as she slowly opened her eyes. "Give her a few days, okay . . ."

More protests from other voices sounded until they died down a few minutes after. Peter then slipped into the room, dressed in black pants and a white tunic, and stopped in his tracks when he saw her sitting up in the bed with a wince.

"Take it easy, Wynne." He rushed to her side and sat down on the covers beside her. Rowyn's hand instantly held her neck as the bruise seeped pain into her body.

"They want to see me, don't they?" Rowyn questioned. Peter didn't answer, he just stared at the bruise on her neck sadly. Rowyn swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat beside Peter. "I'll have to face them eventually . . ."

Peter placed a hand on her leg. "But on your own terms . . . I don't want them all to burst into here when you aren't ready." Rowyn smiled weakly and kissed him softly after she had removed her hand from her neck. "Aslan wants to meet with you but I told him you couldn't so he agreed to meet with the rest of us instead."

Rowyn nodded down at her lap. "When?"

"Right now, I just wanted to check on you first." He told her. Rowyn faked up the best smile she could and turned to him again.

"Go," She told him. "I'm okay."

Peter kissed her temple. "I'll be back before you know it." And then he stood to head towards the door. "I love you, Ro."

Rowyn smiled a bit more genuinely this time. "I love you too." Then, Peter slipped out the door and Rowyn let out a heavy breath before standing and walking towards the bathroom where new, fresh clothes waited for her. Resting against the white marble counter top was a simple, loose forest green silk dress with a wide neck and small straps.

Given the thin straps of the dress, the wraps around her shoulder and chest were still visible but Rowyn didn't care. However, after she decided to keep her hair down, the wraps were less obvious.

Barefoot, Rowyn slipped out of the infirmary with a small limp from her leg injury when a shard of glass had embedded in her upper thigh. Rowyn walked around the building which reminded her heavily of Cair Paravel—with a few differences here and there—until she heard the voices of her family discussing something she couldn't quite understand. Rowyn followed the voices until she came into the throne room. Everything in that room was the same as Cair Paravel expect for the fact that only one throne rested at the end of the room.

All standing with their backs facing Rowyn, her family all stood around listening to Aslan who was in front of them and facing Rowyn. "Fireheart," He spoke with a smile upon his mouth. "You're up and running, I see."

Everyone turned around and looked at the Gifted Queen. Rowyn bit back her nerves and nodded. "You wanted to see me." Peter instantly rushed forward to Rowyn.

"You should be-"

"I'm fine, Pete. I promise, I'm okay." She reassured him as he came over to her. Peter gave her one more look before nodding and walking beside her to stand with their families—his hand remaining glued to the small of her back the whole time. Aslan asked her if she felt good enough to speak about what had happened. Rowyn hesitated for a moment, picking at her thumbs, before speaking again. "I'm okay." She wasn't being entirely honest. She didn't want to think about what she had done, but she couldn't avoid it and she knew that.

Aslan nodded. "She sent you images of Peter being tortured and the Pevensie's, correct?"

Rowyn nodded. "I could see them too . . . I would intervene the moment I noticed and change the dreams to something good, but she must've found a way to prevent me from seeing them as well." Peter explained. Rowyn glanced at Peter at the new information. She smiled slightly at him and thanked him with her eyes. Peter rubbed the small of her back as a response.