TORN LOVE

This is a story I've had in mind for quite some time, but it wasn't until now that I finally figured out how to apply it properly to paper. Though, at first, this was meant to be a one-shot, I decided to break it down into individual chapters.

Have fun, mates! Review when you are through!

Characters (except Terence) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media

Terence and Story © unicorn-skydancer08

All rights reserved.

PART 1

A rush of cool wind greeted Terence's face as the young man strolled into Cair Paravel's private grounds. Terence closed his eyes and lifted his face to the sun, inhaling the smell of the Eastern Sea, laced with the perfume of apple, magnolia, and lush grass. It felt wonderful to be out in the open, away from the noise and bustle of the palace. But then, being a unicorn at heart, Terence always felt most at ease when outdoors. Opening his eyes once more, Terence drank in deeply the sights that unfurled before him: the glittering blue ocean, the broad white sands, and further on, the sweeping green forests and rolling hills that gave way to majestic mountains. Narnia was a beautiful place, Terence thought—no more than the other lands he'd passed through before, but no less, either. Strangely, though not entirely unexpectedly, along with the young man's feelings of love and admiration for this country came a pang of sorrow.

He was reminded anew of how far he was from home…if that was what he could call it. Being a wanderer, he had never been able to truly settle down anywhere; nevertheless, that did not keep away the cloying feeling of homesickness.

Beyond that, he was reminded of how far he was from Rhiella, the former love of his life, and how much he missed her.

The white-haired youth sighed. Even after all this time, the pain of his loss was as fresh and undimmed as ever. Even now, from this spot, he could see Rhiella's face, clear as anything. Rhiella had meant more to him than anything in the world. Terence had never known anyone like her, and he would never find anyone like her again, not even if he searched for a thousand years. Sure, he had encountered plenty of women in his days as a unicorn, and he'd courted several mares here and there, but he never understood what true, honest love was—neither loss nor regret—until Rhiella came into his life. Now that she was gone, his life had never been the same. He wasn't the same anymore.

She was everything he could have hoped for. What was there to hope for now?

Slowly, Terence made his way down the garden path, until he came to a stop by one of the trees. There, he leaned against the sturdy body of that tree, running a single hand slowly and distraughtly over his handsome face.

As if missing Rhiella wasn't bad enough, now Terence found himself falling for another girl.

That girl was none other than his long-time friend, Lucy Marie Pevensie, also known as Queen Lucy the Valiant, or simply Lucy.

She and Terence had been close friends for many years, since she was but a child. Even today, Terence remembered the day they first met. She was the sweetest, most charming little thing he ever saw, and he loved her like the sister he'd never had. Now that Lucy was a fine young woman, Terence felt his heart reaching out to her in a most peculiar way. He felt the oddest desire to be nearer to her, to take care of her, to be what she had most need of.

Though he'd tried to deny his feelings at first, in the end he was forced to admit it: I love her.

How could this be? How could he have fallen for his old friend? It was absurd, outrageous—downright unnatural.

What would Lucy think of him if she knew? What of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and all the others? Worst of all, what would Tumnus think? The handsome young faun, who was Lucy's other good friend, was like a brother to Terence. They were always there for each other; they trusted each other in everything. How would the faun react if he discovered Terence was in love with Lucy? Just the notion by itself made Terence feel strangely sick.

Terence continued to rub his face a minute or so longer, before he dropped his hand and let his head rest against the rough trunk.

He closed his eyes again, blocking out everything, though his mind continued to swim in a relentless sea of thoughts.

Maybe Lucy would think he had officially gone crazy if she knew. And even if she did reciprocate his love, how was it going to work out? What did he have to offer her? She was a woman of high class, of immense popularity; everyone looked up to her and admired her. He was but a mere boy, not even entirely human, with nothing in the world to call his own. He had no money, no property, no special title, no inheritance of any kind.

He didn't even have a proper home; it was due to the great generosity of Lucy and her siblings that he was able to stay in the Cair in the first place.

On the whole, he was a nobody.

Terence sighed, for the second time in less than ten minutes.

"Why must this be so complicated?" he found himself saying aloud, to no one in particular. "Why must I be so afraid to tell Lucy how I truly feel? Why can't I just come clean with her?"

"Well, why don't you, Terence?" a gravelly voice broke in suddenly.

With a start, Terence opened his eyes and glanced around the area. When he saw nobody, he looked down to find Beaver squatting at his feet, gazing up at him with interest.

"Stars above—did you just hear all of that, Beaver?" Terence gasped, his heart racing, his bright sapphire eyes at least three times their usual size.

"Clear as a bell, mate," Beaver replied unabashedly.

When Terence was reassured there was no one else in the area, he demanded, "What are you doing here?"

"I was following you. I spotted you as you were leaving the castle, and you looked ill at ease, and…well, I wanted to see whether you were all right." When Terence said nothing, Beaver declared, "So, you love Lucy, eh?"

Terence wanted to say no, but instead he found himself saying, "Yes."

"I knew it!" said Beaver triumphantly, his beady black eyes all but aglow. "I always sensed you were feeling something toward the lady."

"How could you tell?"

"Oh, c'mon, mate! You should know by now that you don't hide your true emotions very well. I could see it in your face, just about every time you looked at Lucy. It showed in your very eyes. The way you pay more attention to her than to any other female in the palace, including Susan, along with the way you go out of your way to avoid her at times, the way you get all tongue-tied when speaking to her…on the whole, I'd say it's about as obvious as the fur on me face."

Terence felt an unpleasant feeling in his stomach, as if he'd eaten something that didn't agree with him.

If Beaver was that perceptive of his behavior, what about everyone else at the Cair?

"So, why don't you come out and say it?" Beaver asked. "Why not tell Lucy the truth and have done with it?"

Terence sighed, and kneaded his brow absently with the tips of his fingers. "It's not that easy, Beaver."

"Scared, are ya?"

Knowing it would do no good to try to lie, Terence confessed, "Yes. Yes, I am scared, Beaver—more than you can imagine."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not good enough for her."

"Not good enough?" Beaver furrowed his own bristly brows in an expression of confusion and utter bewilderment. "What in blazes are you saying?"

"What can I possibly give Lucy? What does a boy who has nothing give a girl who has everything?"

"You have your love, mate. Love is something that can never be purchased with all the gold and jewels in the world."

"How should I say it, anyway? How can you tell your best friend whom you've known since she was a child that you want her as your wife? Besides, this isn't something you randomly blurt out. You want to reveal it in a sincere, special way."

"So, come up with something that's sincere and special," insisted Beaver. "Use your imagination, mate! Be spontaneous, be daring! Do something you'd never done before—something Lucy would never have expected you to do!"

Terence stared at his small companion incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"'Course I am! Are you serious about what you feel for Lucy?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then what are you waiting for? Don't hold back!"

"But, Beaver, what if it doesn't work? What if…" Terence hesitated, half-swallowing the words as they came. "What if Lucy turns me down?"

"You'll never know if you never try," was all Beaver said before turning and scampering away.

Terence watched him go, and even after the little lively creature was out of sight, what he'd just told Terence made the youth think. The more Terence thought about it, the more it frightened him, and yet at the same time, it appealed to him immensely. Why should he stave it off any longer? Why should he withhold the truth from Lucy anymore? Why shouldn't he go along with it, to come out of the closet and simply ask her?

True, there was the very likely possibility that her answer would be no…but if it was the opposite…

I suppose it's worth a try, Terence thought to himself. It's like Beaver said; I'll never know for certain if I never give it an honest shot. And now is as good a time as any.