High Queen Layla, It Has a Nice Ring to It

Layla awoke next to Peter and Yvainne. Sitting up she noticed that first of all something was off... Pulling a piece of her hair between her fingers she noticed it wasn’t red anymore, it was... “Blonde?” Layla muttered confused. It was her natural hair color.

She’d worry about what happened later, she decided as she looked around and noticed that, besides herself, there were only 5 people, but there was supposed to be 6.

Lucy.

Layla smiled as she stood and began to head into the forest. She was so close, but stopped to look back, her eyes landing on her sister and then on Peter, thinking of the night before. Then she headed into the forest.

It was a short and easy walk, which confused Layla seeing as just last night she’d been unable to walk thanks to her ankle. She had just seen a dryad when she first saw the golden mane. She smiled, “Aslan.”

With that she approached the lion and then curtsied. “Your majesty.”

“Rise, Future Queen.” Aslan told her with what Layla could only classify as a smile. Layla did as she was told. “Now I expect you have some questions for me.”

“Why are Yvainne and I here?” she blurted out immediately. The look Aslan gave her made her feel stupid for asking such a question.

“I believe you know the answer to that. Even if you don’t know that you do yet.” Aslan told her, Layla looked at the ground and then up at the sky, trying to think of another question.

“I am a witch now?” she asked then.

“You are a sorceress, yes. There is a difference.” Aslan told her. Layla remembered the story of the White Witch and nodded in understanding. Then something clicked.

“You called me future queen?” Layla questioned. Aslan’s face spread into what she could only classify as a smile.

“Yes.” He replied giving her a look that said, ‘Next’. Layla sighed.

“Are Carissa and Jared here? In Narnia?”

“The answer will be revealed in time.” Aslan was starting to sound like one of those stupid ‘Magic 8 Balls’ now. “Layla,” Aslan said to get her attention, “You are a smart girl, all you need to learn is to listen to your heart. You know the answers you just refuse to acknowledge them.”

“I’m going to have to die, aren’t I?” Layla asked suddenly. She didn’t know where the question had come from, it had just come out suddenly.

“All will soon be revealed.” Aslan said with a smile. Then everything disappeared.

When Layla woke up for real, it was almost exactly as it had been in her dream. But now there were 4 people still there, and it was Lucy, and Peter, who were missing. Layla rolled her eyes as she pulled a piece of her hair in front of her. Blonde. With a sigh she pulled her hair back and began to stand up.

It wasn’t a very smart thing to do.

Layla cried out in pain as she fell back to the ground awaking the other 4 who were still asleep.

“What’s wrong?” Edmund mumbled sleepily.

“Where’s the other two?” The dwarf asked.

“Layla?” Yvainne questioned in confusion.

“I have a weapon!” Susan called out as she sat up quickly. The looks she received caused her to blush before she turned around to face Layla who was trying a spell to fix her ankle.

“We should go find Peter before he does something stupid.” Layla said as she finished the spell, the others nodded in agreement.

~*~

The first thing they saw as they approached was Lucy who was watching something. Somehow Susan knew what she was watching because she called out, “Peter!” We all stopped as soon as our eyes fell on the scene before us. There were creatures, centaurs, Minotaurs, and other mystical beings that Layla had always believed existed somewhere. She let out a squeal of excitement as she realized that she had been right all along. They did exist, just in Narnia instead of in their world. When Layla’s eyes met Peter’s all she could see was amusement. She recognized the other man from her dream. Caspian X.

Caspian examined Peter’s sword for a minute before everything seemed to click. “High Kind Peter.” He said almost in disbelief.

“I believe you called.” Peter said wittily. Layla laughed surprised he had actually come up with a good come back.

“Well, yes, but...” He trailed off as he looked over the Pevensies and the two Wynters, “I thought you’d be older.” He concluded. Layla scoffed. She was seventeen! A legal adult in London!

“But we’re not in London, Layla.” Lucy said from beside her. Layla blushed in embarrassment; she hadn’t meant to have said that out loud.

Peter seemed to be insulted by his words as well. “Well, if you like, we could come back in a few years...” Peter said as he began to back away from Caspian towards the group he had been traveling with.

“No!” Caspian exclaimed suddenly. “No, that’s alright. You’re just...” he trailed off once more trying to think of the right words to say, “You’re not exactly what I expected.” He said then as he once again scanned the group, though his eyes lingered on Susan longer than the others. Layla would have to point that out to her later.

“Neither are you.” Edmund said then causing Layla to let a laugh loose.

“A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes.” The badger from Layla’s dream said wisely. Layla smiled and nodded in agreement.

Then a rat pranced forward. “We have anxiously awaited your return, my liege.” He said bowing. Layla chuckled a bit, finding it a funny sight to see a rat of all things bowing. “Our hearts and swords are at your service.” He offered, Peter smiled, probably because his ego was being re-inflated.

“Oh, my gosh, he is so cute.” Lucy muttered.

Drawing his sword the mouse ripped around pointing his sword at the girls. “Who said that?!” He exclaimed, obviously infuriated.

“Sorry.” Lucy mumbled embarrassed, and taken aback by his reaction.

“Oh. Uh...” The rat trailed of realizing it had been a queen who had said it, “Your Majesty, with the greatest respect,” he bowed once more, this time to Lucy, “I do believe ‘courageous’, ‘courteous’, or ‘chivalrous’ might more befit a Knight of Narnia.” Layla let out a snort. The mouse was a Knight? This place never ceased to amaze her.

“Well, at least we know some of you can handle a blade.” Peter said, his comment obviously meant as a blow to Caspian. Layla gave him a hard look, which he couldn’t see since he was still looking at the rat.

“Yes, indeed. And I have recently put it to good use, securing weapons for your army, sire.” The rat told him proudly.

Good. Because we’re going to need every sword we can get.” He said turning back to Caspian. Layla was surprised how grown up he sounded. This wasn’t the immature, goof-off, egotistical, idiot teenager she had come to know; this was a mature, grown up, military leading, strategizing, smart, serious king.

Talk about culture shock.

“Hmmm?” Yvainne asked from beside Layla confused. Had Layla said that out loud too? Goodness she’d have to get a mouth plug or something for herself if she didn’t learn to keep her thoughts in her head.

“Well, then you will probably be wanting yours back.” Caspian said handing the sword over to Peter. Peter tightlipped, put the sword back in its sheath. He almost began to walk away then before turning around. “One more thing. We have two friends with us. Dame Layla Wynter”—I waved with a tightlipped smile—“and Lady Yvainne Wynter.”

“Hang on. Did you say Wynter?” Caspian asked turning to the two girls. Layla and Yvainne nodded, which in turn caused Caspian to smile widely. “Come. I believe we have something that belongs to you two.”

Layla knew what was coming, but at that moment, all she could think about was how Peter was making her feel.

And how much she wished he wouldn’t make her feel that way.

~*~

Layla had been quiet for the entire walk so far and it was beginning to unnerve her friends. Susan kept glancing over at Layla with a worried expression, Yvainne kept asking if she was alright, and the badger and everyone else kept asking if she needed a break. The truth was she did need a break, but not from walking.

At one point she broke off from the group of girls and fell back, hoping to get some time to just think to herself about her feelings and how she had seemed to somehow start falling for Peter.

“He’s always liked you.”

Layla jumped, surprised by the person since she had not been paying attention. Turning her head she was met with Edmund.

“Oh really? I was unaware that he was serious about liking me, just like he liked Lisa, and Stephanie, and—”

“Layla, you know he wasn’t serious about them. He only went out with them to try and get over you. I’ll tell you right now, that if you went up there and tried snogging him, he wouldn’t object, until he realized that you were snogging him while he was trying to plan a war...” Edmund trailed off with a laugh probably imagining his brothers face if Layla would actually do that.

“He knows damn well that if he would just make the first move... Lord, I’ve even said that before. Yes I’m an independent girl but that doesn’t mean I don’t want some chivalry in my life, I’d prefer to be asked out rather than have to ask a guy.” Layla seethed. She had said that last year when she had told Susan about Will, another boy in Peter’s grade whom she had developed feelings for, and Peter had been eavesdropping on them. He had admitted it when Layla had decided to just suck it up and tell him how she felt only to find out that he believed rumors some idiot was spreading about how she thought she was a vampire. She had never found out who had spread the ridiculous rumor, though she had intended to find out.

“You both are just too stubborn for your own good.” Edmund muttered.

“Damn straight. It’s what makes the world go ‘round dear Eddie!” Layla said cheerily.

Edmund shook his head, “Just go talk to him.” Then he found his way back to Yvainne and threaded his fingers through hers. Layla’d have to ask about that later. Now she sped up so she could go talk to Peter.

“So? What are they like?” She heard the badger ask.

“Malcontents, complainers, stubborn as mules in the morning.” The dwarf replied. Layla was about to object when the other dwarf, the one from the dream with the badger and Caspian, spoke up again.

“Oh. So you like them, then.”

“Well enough.” Was his reply, and Layla couldn’t help but smile at that.

By the time Layla made it up to Peter and Caspian they had reached a clearing that held a ruin looking thing. They approached the ruin and centaurs lined up at the sides, unsheathing swords and holding them out as the Queens and Kings approached. Layla had planned on staying behind them with her sister, but was pulled into the line between Peter and Lucy, while Yvainne was pulled between Susan and Edmund. They both were pulled along with the Pevensies, Layla’s hand in Peter’s though she wasn’t sure why, and Yvainnes in Edmunds as they made their way into the place. Caspian fell behind, which made Layla feel even more out of place.

She was no Queen.

She couldn’t help but smile at the young centaur who’s sword angle had to be corrected.

~*~

It wasn’t a ruin, it was a Howe, a fort built around a ruin, or so Layla was told. Inside, creatures were forging swords, and other weapons. Layla, Yvainne and the other girls walked further into the fort while the boys stayed behind and talked with Caspian. What Susan and Lucy found on the walls a bit further surprised them. Susan backed away from the group, calling out.

“Peter. You may want to see this.” She said calmly. Within a few seconds the boys were joining the girls again.

Peter and Edmund examined the carvings on the walls when they joined.

“It’s us.” Susan breathed as Layla moved forward, there was something on the wall that looked almost like— Layla reached up and gently wiped her fingers along it, dust began falling off of it and Layla gasped in shock.

Yvainne quickly joined her sister as did Peter and the others when they saw what she had uncovered.

“How?” Yvainne whimpered.

“I’ve never been to Narnia before. But then, how come—This doesn’t make any sense!” Layla exclaimed backing away from the wall.

Because quite clearly, the picture on the wall was Layla and Peter, being married on the beach...

Then it all clicked.