Chapter 1: Blessings

The tide was out, the beach filled with small shells and scattered items. A young girl, about the age of six, walkes with her mother. The mother is a beautiful woman, seeming to shine as the sun beats down on her. The little girl is Elwen, a normal Lone Islander with a not so normal geniology. Her mother, Celeste, is a star, though her father, Caspian, is a wealthy human lord. Elwen thrived on the stories her mother told her, or even sometimes sang. She drank in every word. She had a younger brother, also named Caspian, and though he was only a year and a half younger, she loved to dote on him and smother him with motherly affection. That little girl was me.

I loved the beach when I was small, and still do. I may miss Narnia's beaches the most of all. The beaches here have nothing on the beaches I strolled on quiet, sunny afternoons with my father, or mother, or Caspian, or...well, anyone. My childhood was quite normal until I turned the age of 11. I was just walking into our house after a walk at the beach one afternoon. The house was swarming with people crowded around Father and Mother. The mayor of the Lone Islands was trying to push the crowds back, but it had no effect on the mob. I, being small, pushed through to my parents, and Caspian, who was huddled behind them.

"What's going on?" I shouted above the noise.

"Elwen, go upstairs," The firm reply came from my Father. "Take Caspian with you. I don't want you to be hurt by all the people."

"We'll explain when eveyone leaves. Now go!" Mother ushered Caspian and I out from the mob towards the stairs. I wasn't sure what to make of it all. Caspian was pretty much speechless, but I had questions. I was always curious.

"What do you suppose is going on?" I prodded. "Is Father in trouble? Did someone important get hurt or die?" Caspian's eyes just got wide as he answered my questions.

"I heard some people disappeared." He gulped.

"Disappeared? Who? When? How? How do you know?" I asked eagerly.

"I didn't hear who, when, or how, but everyone was talking about it," He said. I realized it had become much quieter. It sounded like Father was addressing them all.

"Let's listen!" I said, bounding to the stairwell.

"....will accept the offer of.......Narnia......kingdom.......Aslan himself.........the four........" The words were drowned out with applause. Caspian and I sat on the steps, sitting quietly. I was deep in thought. Caspian was playing with a bit of string he'd found earlier. Ten minutes passed. Fifteen. Twenty. Things got quiter than before as one half-hour passed.

"I guess something happened in a kingdom called Narnia. I've heard that name before, and Aslan, too." Caspian stated casually. He had been thinking, too, supposedly.

"You guess?! You guess??!!" I jumped up, accenting my every word with a wide sweep of my small arms. "Narnia is a glorious land across the ocean. The ocean, Caspian! Aslan is a great and terrible lion who's also the most kind, regal being who made everything come to life. By 'the four', I'm guessing he means the four rulers of Narnia. King Edmund the Just, High King Peter the Magnificent, Queen Lucy the Valiant, and Queen Susan the Gentle. You really should read more, Casp. It'll end up teaching you a whole lot. Anyway, I just want to know what offer Father accepted. Can you think of anything?" I ended my rant abruptly. Caspian just shook his head as if amazed that someone could say so much in so little time. Just then, Mother appeared.

"Everyone's finally left. Your father and I need to tell you something very important." She wasn't smiling, but she seemed content. At peace with whatever decision Father made. We trooped downstairs. Father greeted us with open arms, which I readily accepted. Caspian stood off to the side, thinking.

"Father, what's going on? What did you agree to?" Father's face had lines of worry etched into his forehead, but there were the little creases that he had from smiling so much still there, showing that he was not unhappy in the least. Sitting down in his favorite chair, he took a deep breath.

"Children, we are leaving the Lone Islands." (I sat up attentively at this.) "We are going to Narnia. The day after tomorrow, we'll be boarding the lovely ship, Emerald Blade, and we'll arrive in Narnia...later." He hesitated. "We are leaving because the four rulers of Narnia have...gone missing....and...wellll..." He halted.

"You're father has been appointed by Aslan to rule Narnia." Mother finished for him.
I just stood gaping. Never had I been at a loss for words, but now...

"What shall we take with us, Father?" Said Caspian, always sensible.

"Just some clothing and books, whatever pleases you most. There's plenty of furniture and clothing and everything we'll need waiting for us at Cair Paravel already..." Here I jumped in excitedly.

"Cair Paravel!" I squeaked. "The castle?! Cair Paravel! Oh, Father, what luck!" I cried.

"Not luck, blessing, El. You are Princess Elwen of Narnia now. Hold your role well." Father was serious, and I knew it was the time for me to mature a bit. I was a princess now. What would come of it all, I could barely even hope or guess.


END OF CHAPTER ONE...

A bit lame, I think, but it's what happened! PLEASE comment. I think as I go, the writing will get better. It's a short chapter of my life, but I haven't time to write more. I have been flying by the seat of my pants for this one, and it took me a few different tries to get it close to the way I wanted it.

This is Princess Elwen, signing off!