Where the Sidewalk Ends
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Kristen, my very own, customize as you wish character.
Chapter Twenty Five: Ok
((It's the end! WAHHHHHH! Soooo sorry for the delay. But with an ending like this, I wanted to take my time. Here it is the end of the end!))
It had been over a month since she'd come back to the real world. She'd made new friends, gotten back into her studies, and even dated a guy or too. But no matter whom she kissed or who she spent time with, it couldn't change her. She wasn't meant for this world and those who were close to her could tell something was wrong. She'd be to doctor after doctor and they had all said the same thing; she was fine. It upset her mother, since she obviously knew something was wrong with her daughter, but Kristen had kept her mouth shut.
"Excellent results Miss Leal! Have a great summer" said her teacher as Kristen collected her final report card on the last day of school. With a smile, Kristen checked over her grades in satisfaction; straight A's. She gave herself a big smile but it faltered like it always did. Her excellent marks didn't mean anything to her anymore. Susan, Edmund, Lucy and Peter meant something to her. And every day for the past 4 weeks, she'd walked on the same concrete step, praying hopelessly for it to consume her as it did before.
But as she walked home, her feet seemed to drag behind her. She rounded corner after corner, and as she unlocked the front door of her house, her stomach was filled with a familiar sense of anxiousness. She threw open the door and walked through it before succumbing to the sensation of falling. She was going back. She was finally going back home.
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy were gathered in the crown room silently. Today would be the day where Isabel was crowned Queen and it would be the beginning of the 'reign of terror' as Susan put it. It too had been a month in Narnia and none of them had even begun to deal with the fact that Kristen was gone. Maybe it was because none of them wanted too. Aslan strode in finally, but the silence remained.
"I expect none of you to interrupt in the proceedings" the lion spoke.
"Of course Aslan" Susan murmured in reply. They all stayed silent, their eyes remaining on the floor.
"You are all to be courteous and honorable to Isabel. She is a part of this family now" Peter added. They all jerked up at this and his words even caused Susan to get up and leave.
"Don't say that" Edmund spat back at Peter. The rumblings from the crowd gathering in the great hall grew louder and Aslan motioned for them all to leave and take their place on their thrones. They walked out and noticed Isabel sitting on Kristen's throne, waving majestically at the crowd. Edmund walked to her and growled in a low voice.
"Get out of that chair"
Her eyes flickered to the youngest king and she let out a cruel, witch-y laugh. The crowd seemed to silence at this.
"Is that a threat, young Edmund?" she replied sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him. He looked around before bending down to her level.
"Yes, yes it is. Now I suggest you move before I make you move" he said quietly before going to his throne and sitting down. Her permanent smile remained as she got out of the throne and sat down on the significantly smaller chair next to Peter. She placed her hand ontop of his and felt him stiffen.
"Oh lighten up. She's been gone for a month now, get over it. She's not coming back" Isabel snipped to him, glaring at him with her green eyes. He shifted his hand out from under her's and sat up.
"You don't know that"
The minute she landed on the soft, mossy earth, she let out a scream of delight. Without even opening her eyes she knew exactly where she was. She was in Narnia, her home. She threw off her school blazer and opened her eyes, letting out another scream that caused the birds in the forest to fly away. She knew exact where she was and where to go. Immediately she stood up, and began running east where she knew she would find the palace. She ran, not letting the sweltering heat get to her, or the fact that the small plants were hitting her legs and causing some scratches. In minutes she was at the edge of the forest, and the palace was in sight. She held in her scream this time, but ran forward. She ran forward, greeting the guards at the side door with a big hug. They were all shocked to see her, but glad none the less.
They directed her towards the front hall and she bounded forward, her kilt hanging raggedly on her hips. She met a crowd of people that parted for her and she pressed forward, the crowd erupting in a cheer for her. She finally found the eyes of Susan, Edmund, and Lucy and they all screamed at the sight of her, jumping up and running forward to greet her. She hugged them all fiercely before looking up at Peter, brushing some blood off her cheek. She knew she looked like a mess but deep down she knew he wouldn't care. He couldn't care. She was back.
He looked down at her for a few seconds before steely turning his head towards Isabel. She was staring at Kristen with a mixture of disbelief, anger, confusion, and loathing. She looked shocked, like all of them, but something was wrong.
"What's she doing back?" she whispered furiously to Peter, who was now standing up. He walked zombie like over to Kristen and examined her for a few seconds. She looked at him with those brown eyes he had always loved, waiting for him to say something.
"If you ever leave again, I swear I'll kill you" he muttered to her, pulling her into a hug and twirling her around. She laughed and breathed in his musky, manly scent that she'd loved from the very beginning of their friendship. He set her down and looked back at her. The sight of her for the first time in a month made him realize what he had to do. He walked back up to his throne and grabbed Isabel's hand. He yanked off the ring he had given her and pulled the crown off of her head.
"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed at him, standing up with a snap. He glared at her and then spoke to everyone.
"I regret to inform you all that there will no coronation today. And on that note, I regret to say that my marriage to Lady Isabel has now officially ended. Thank you all for coming" he said as the crowd remained silent. He turned to Isabel who was fuming, smoke almost steaming out of her ears. She demanded an explanation from him, which he scoffed at.
"Oh please. I never loved you, you know that. It's over. I'll be making it official at the end of today" he said before walking back down to his family. Although everyone was staring at him in silence, he was only looking at Kristen. When he got to her, he pulled her to the centre of the hall and held her hands, one in each of his.
"This is the lady I love" he declared, the crowd erupting into cheers. She laughed and placed her hands on the sides of his face, rubbing her thumb affectionately over his cheeks.
"I love you too" she muttered back before giving him the biggest kiss she could muster. The crowd cheered again, but silenced as Aslan drew forward. The Pevensies all gathered around the couple protectively.
"I'm sorry Aslan. But what you were asking me to do went against everything you've ever taught me" Peter said, his voice pleading. The lion surveyed them all before nodding.
"I know. This was a test Peter. It was all a test to see whether or not you would trust your heart when it came to decisions made in times of a crisis. Being a king doesn't mean doing what others expect or tell you to do. It means to do what's in your heart, and you haven't been doing that lately. Haven't I always said to do what you believe is right and not follow others?" Aslan asked, walking forward and looking at Peter through his huge, amber eyes. It all made sense now.
"So everything that's been going on…has been a test?" Susan asked slowly, as if to make sure she understood him correctly before fully grasping the concept.
"Yes"
"So I'm not married to Isabel?"
"Yes"
His knees seem to falter at this, but Kristen helped him up, making sure he was steady before letting go. There was an odd silence throughout the hall and with cautious eyes he turned and looked at Kristen. She looked back at him quizzically.
"You know I love you, right?" he said in the form of a question, turning to face her now.
"Of course" she replied.
"And I'd do anything for you?"
"I know that now"
"Will you marry me?"
He dropped to one knee and held her hands tightly. She glanced down at him, her face fixed in a permanent shock.
"Peter…I'm 17…we're so young" she rationalized slowly, her words almost falling over each other. She fell to her knees to get on level with him and her eyes glassed over.
"But we love each other. I don't want to loose you again" he murmered to her, brushing some more hair out of her face. She looked at him for what seemed like minutes. She took in a breath, brushed away her tears and then looked back at him. Her mind was made up.
"So what do you say?" he ventured again.
She looked at him in silence, her eyes flicker to Susan's, Lucy's and Edmund's. They were all looking at her with the dearest hope. Finally, she looked back at Peter.
"Ok. I will marry you"
((Author's Note- IT'S FINALLY OVER! It's been a hell of a run and there's so many of you to thank, I'm just going to make it universal. Big thanks go out to those who've followed this story for its run. It's been an amazing experience writing it and I hope this ending wasn't too clichéd for you all. Other thanks go out to anyone who's ever left a review or even read the story. I'd be no where without you guys. Thanks again, and be on the look out for a sequel!))