Everything Has Changed (A Narnia Fanfiction)

Chapter 1: The Pevenises

The train station in London was horribly crowded. Parents sending their children off to live with strangers so they wouldn't get caught in the war. All the sad faces of the little kids, the brave faces that hid the sadness, which lied just beneath the surface, threatening to overcome the older kids as they tried to look positive for their younger siblings. It was all too horrid for Abigail Kirke, she was used to teary-eyed good-byes at the train station but this? This was just too much sadness and there was nothing she could do about it. "Ticket please." A middle-aged woman in a navy blue uniform requested. Abigail handed the lady her ticket and looked around the station on last time before heading for the train.
The many compartments on the train were already starting to fill up with unaccompanied minors with sullen looks on their faces. Abigail tried as hard as she could to hide her happiness, to tuck it away until she was alone. The reason she was so much happier than they others was that where they were leaving their homes, she was going to her home. Abigail went to a boarding school in London and went home for every holiday. For the past seven years of her life Abigail had taken a train from her home to the boarding school and back. Her parents had died when she was ten year old, forcing her to move into the huge mansion that her grandfather owned. The deal was that she'd still go to school in London so they wouldn't have to worry about transfer papers, but she would live with her grandfather during the times she was not at school. She was excited to go back to the mansion for two reasons, one, because there was a large lake on the property and she loved swimming in it, and two, because the old house had the biggest library she had ever seen in her life; she's been reading the books in that place since she got to her new home and has yet to read half of the amount of books in the library.
She searched for an empty compartment to sit in, as did many of the other children did, leaving the comfort of their parents' arms and boarding the train. It took her a while but she finally found one and took one of the seats that were close to the window. once seated Abigail pulled out her copy of "The Hobbit," and began reading, enjoying the quietness of the locomotive's compartment. She felt at peace with herself and her surroundings, the feeling didn't last very long though. A fit looking handsome golden haired boy opened the compartment door and asked, "Mind if we sit here?" "Be my guest." Abigail sighed, gesturing to the empty bench in front of her without looking up from her book. "Thanks!" A young brunette girl said, taking the seat that was directly across from Abigail.
The young girl was small, only eleven years old and her chocolate brown eyes were full of light as she looked around the compartment. Three more people came into the compartment with her. Two boys and one girl. The first boy was the golden haired block who had asked if they could share the compartment with Abigail. He was tall and looked to be the eldest- seventeen years old. His blue-green eyes were sad and distant, he just stared out the window at he sat down, waiting for the train to pull out of the station. The eldest of the two girls had dark hair, pale skin and dark eyes. Not saying a word as she sat down to the right of her brother. Finally the youngest boy, He had dark hair that ways slightly disheveled, dark eyes and a scowl was plastered across his freckled face.
They sat in science for a couple of hours and Abigail was really grateful for that, since she had, had enough of the hustle and bustle of London. All was well, her book was half read and she thought to herself, Wow, this is getting really good. The four that had joined her sat quietly, occasionally whispering among themselves. "So.. Where are you from?" The young girl had asked Abigail, breaking the blissful silence. She looked up from her book. Damn! She thought as she sighed and said, "Pardon me?" Abigail hated getting attention, she was always the one who sat in the back, out of sight and never talked during class time, or anytime really. "Where are you from?" The youngest boy repeated the question, sounding annoyed from his seat which was farthest from her. "Are you from London?" The little girl questioned me excitedly, before she could answer the first question. "Um... No, actually I just go to school there, but I'm done now, since I graduated a year early." Abigail informed them, noticing the golden haired boy's head jerk upward at the sound of her voice, staring at her with his beautiful blue-green eyes, as if what the red haired girl was saying actually interested him. He gave Abigail a shy smile once he realized that she had seen his reaction to her voice, feeling slightly embarrassed. She smiled back at him, a warm fuzzy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. "Wow! You must be really smart!" The young girl said, smiling brightly up at me. "No Lu, she graduated a year early because she was dumb." The youngest male told his sister, sarcastically. "Ed." The blond warned his younger brother. "Its okay. I suppose I am smart, but that probably because I have my nose stuck in a book most of the time, studying or just reading, depends." I reassured the girl, who's smile had faded slightly. "Hey, that sounds like you Susan" She laughed, looking past her brother to where her older sister sat, who blushed a little. "I'm Lucy Pevensie by, the way. And these are by siblings Edmund, Susan and Peter!" Lucy told me, indicating who was who as she introduced them. "Hi." Was all Abigail said, giving a small wave.
An awkward silence fell over the group, soon after the Pevensies concluded that Abigail was done talking since she had returned to her book and continued reading. Though she tried to tune them out, she could still hear them whispering amongst themselves, "Well that was odd." A female voice pointed out. "I know, who does she think she is that she can just turn away from a conversation like that?" This voice I recognized to be the one that belonged to Edmund. "Shut up Ed. You don't know anything about her, how could you judge her like that?" Abigail heard Lucy defending her. "What do you think Pete?" Edmund asked his older brother. "hmm?" Peter sounded as though he was off somewhere else. "What do you think about her?" He said, enlightening his brother and gabbing his thumb in the direction of Abigail. The red-headed girl had to admit she was quite interested in what the blond stranger had to say about her. "I don't know her." Peter answered simply. "Yeah, but she didn't make a great first impression, did she?" Edmund pursued, trying to get his brother on his side. "I don't know, my first impression of her was pleasant enough... She let us sit here, didn't she? But I do have to agree with Lucy, for all you know she could've been orphaned and has been quiet ever since, maybe all the questions are making her feel uncomfortable and pulling away from conversation is her way of dealing with it. And besides what do you care? You are probably never going to see her again, after we get off this train." Peter spoke in a defensive tone, he didn't know if he was defending himself or the girl in question, but he didn't care. He liked her, she looked like a flaming haired angel. How did he know that? Abigail thought, not look up from her book.
Peter stared at Abigail and smile at her beauty. She wore a dark grey dress with tiny black and white leaves that spotted all of the fabric. Her red hair was tied neatly to the right of her angelic face in a braid and her stormy blue eyes look down at the book in her lap. Overall Peter thought, She was beautiful, quite possibly the most stunning creature I have ever laid eyes on. This thought made him smile even more than before, so much so that his sisters took notice to it and what he was smiling at. Its too bad that I'm supposed to marry another girl who I have never met and who is probably an annoying little twit. Peter's thoughts made his smile start to disappear. Abigail looked up and saw that he was staring at her, fondly and smiled at him. It doesn't matter. She thought, It doesn't matter if you like him, you're already promised to someone else and in little over a year's time he will ask for your hand and you will have no choice but to say 'yes' These thoughts saddened her, thinking about how she was forced to marry a bloke who was most likely, arrogant, cruel and unkind made her queasy with uneasiness. Both Peter and Abigail were to marry a stranger and let all hopes of true love go out the window. Or do they?
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By the time the train pulled into the little station, Abigail had finished her book and had started to look over the tour schedule that Miss. Macready had sent her two weeks prior to her departure. She hated all the guided tours, once they had caught her making out with her boyfriend; everyone started to take pictures of them and asked if this was the boy that she was betrothed to. He broke-up with her after that. Shallow son of bitch.
The mansion provided many of these tours to the public, since it was home to many historic artifacts. She let out a heavy sigh, knowing full well what the tours meant. She would have to put on a mask and smile at the visitors and give a the same speech that she's given dozens and dozens of times before, but that was just something that she would have to put up with since it was her duty to do so. Abigail belonged to an organization of Lords and Ladies called, 'The Order of The Rose,' It is a pointless social group that she has had to attend in her mother's stead. They discussed random topics that no one- aside from those who went to the meetings- including Abigail cared about. There was no reason for the Order to exists but it does so she has to go along with it.
Getting up Abigail attempted to retrieve her school trunk from the overhead rack that hung right above her head. Seeing that she was struggling with this particular task Peter helped her, lifting the piece of luggage off the rack and placing it gently on the floor by her feet. "Thanks umm..." She said, momentarily forgetting his name. He gave her a warm smile and filled in the missing pieces, "Peter. My name is Peter and you're welcome ummm..." "Right Peter, well thanks again and good-bye" Abigail thanked him and taking her trunk, she rushed out of the compartment. "Hey! Wait a second! Can I at least know your name?" He called after her. Not that it would make a difference. They thought together, knowing full well that even if he knew her name, it wouldn't change the situation they were in. Neither one of them was aware of the other's predicament. Abigail ignored him and jumped of the train (not literally) and onto the small platform- If you could call it that.
The warm summer breeze blew her the bits of flaming hair that had escaped her braid into her elegant face and she stood there- on the platform- for a while watching the trees rustling in the wind, taking in the beautiful sun shine and letting the rays seep extensively into her pours. Abigail took in a deep breath. "Home." She sighed, thinking no one was around to hear her, but she was wrong. The Pevensie's were standing right behind her, wondering what in the world she was doing. "Home? You live on a dirty old train platform?" Susan questioned, startling Abigail, making her spin on her heel to face them. "Um, no. I live just a little ways over there." Abigail informed them, pointing south of the platform, to where her grandfather's manor was. "Oh well, I suppose that is better than a train platform." The eldest of the Pevensie girls admitted. "Hello again!" Lucy said excitedly, giving a little wave with the hand that wasn't holding her protective older brother's. "Hi Lucy, its nice to see you again. How rude of me, I have neglected to introduce myself. My name is Abigail Kirke, and may I say it is an absolute pleasure to meet you." Abigail held out her hand to Lucy, who shook it lightly. Screw it. Who cares if they know my name? She thought before adding, "All of you." She looked at the rest of them and smiled. Edmund grunted, Susan gave her a weak smile, but it was Peter's reaction that threw her off the most. "Kirke? As in Professor Digory Kirke?" He asked, looking at her as though she had three heads- Which he really wouldn't mind seeing three of her, but it was still strange. "Yup, he's my grandfather. I've lived with him and his housekeeper Miss. Macready for seven years now." Abigail answered, smiling brightly at them. "That's SO cool! We'll the best of friends!" Lucy squealed, happily, jumping up and down. No it was Abigail's turn to be confused. "What do you mean?" She was almost positive that she knew the answer, but she didn't want to assume that these were the people that were going to stay with her and her grandfather, and she most defiantly did not want to assume that the gorgeous blond haired stranger from the train was the boy she was supposed to marry in little over a years time. "We are moving in there for a while, to get out of the war and all." Peter enlightened her and if she hadn't been sitting on her trunk she probably would fell on ass.
They stood there in silence for a while, Peter staring at Abigail- who was looking down at her feet- with admiration, and thought to himself, Maybe this arranged marriage thing wasn't too bad after all. Abigail couldn't believe it, this wonderful boy- well from what she could see anyway- was the man she was to marry. Crazy. She smiled at the knowledge of this. The silence was broken by the sound of a car coming towards the platform. All but Abigail bounded down the tiny rickety steps to see if it was their ride, but were disappointed to witness the car drive right past them. "The Professor knew we were coming and he obviously knew he need to pick up his granddaughter since she's said she's been living here for seven years." Susan said to no one in-particular, looking around at the scene before them. "Maybe we've been incorrectly labeled." Edmund suggested, pulling at his tag and trying to read what was written on it. "You don't have the wrong labels, it just takes Miss. Macready a little longer to get here, since we don't have a car. She will be here soon." I reassured them, trying to lift my heavy trunk down the platform steps. "Here, let me help you with that." Peter jumped at the opportunity to help the flaming haired girl, grabbing the luggage from her arms and bringing it down to his level.
Peter was a strong and broad- shouldered young man, so it wasn't as much of a struggle for him as it was Abigail. "Thank you Peter." He just smiled his bright toothy grin and said, "Anytime Milady." Abigail was a bit taken aback by this. "How do you..." She trailed off. "I just know." He chuckle quietly, as if it was their little secret. So many questions reeled through Abigail's mind. How did he know my rank? Why was he being so nice to me, he surely can't approve of this arranged marriage? and most of all, What was this strange feeling I keep getting in the pit of my stomach whenever he looks at me, smiles at me or talks to me? "And wow. Wow." Miss. Macready's voice brought me back to reality, I shook my head, careful not to let anyone see. "Miss. Macready?" Peter questioned, standing now by Lucy. "I'm afraid so." The old women said in a stern voice. "Is that it then? Haven't you brought anything else?" She inquired, raising one of her eyebrows. "No ma'am. Its just us." Peter answered politely. "We then, Come a long. And you there (she pointed to Peter) Help Lady Abigail with her bags." The housekeeper demanded. "Oh, that's not necessary, Miss. Macready. I can do it myself." Abigail opposed, but it was too late, Peter had already picked up the trunk, his muscles flexing as he did so, and put it in the back of the carriage. "Its alright Milady, I don't mind." He assured me, offering her his hand, to help her into the carriage. "Thank you, and please don't call me Milady. Abigail is fine." She told him, placing her delicate hand in his strong one and letting him help her. "Okay, Abigail." Peter agreed.
Once seated Miss. Macready turned the carriage around and headed for the house. They sat quietly for the majority of the trip, but once the enormous abode came into view Lucy gasped, "You live here? Its so huge! I think I'm going to like it here." We all laughed at her little comment. "Yes, well there are a lot of things to do around here. I have live in that house for seven years and still haven't figured out all the secrets that dwell within its walls." Abigail said, not taking her eyes off Peter. "I'm sure it will be fun." He chuckled, smiling shyly at his red-headed goddess. "Out!" Miss. Macready barked at them. "Come on now! get inside and get unpacked. Dinner will be served in two hours." She continued, walking up towards the house, leaving Abigail and the Pevensies to their own devices.