Lena was happy, happier than she'd ever been. In the weeks that followed the hand-fasting the sun shone brighter in her eyes, the air felt clearer in her lungs, and sounds resonated more vibrantly in her ears. She felt freer than she ever had before, and she loved Edmund more deeply than she ever thought possible.

"I've been thinking about something a lot recently," Edmund began as he dropped to his knees before her. Sara was nearby gathering wildflowers with a Dryad.

"Oh? I do hope you didn't strain anything," Lena teased, looking up from the book she'd borrowed from the library.

"Ha. Ha. You're funny. No. I've been thinking about us, about our family." He glanced down at her stomach.

"You've been thinking about having another?"

"I have," he admitted. "Is that wrong of me? Please, say it isn't."

Lena smiled. "It isn't wrong of you, and I'll let you in on a little secret." She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "I've been thinking about it too."

"Really?" His eyes went wide with excitement. Lena nodded. "Brilliant! You're brilliant! I love you. Have I told you how much I love you lately?" He kissed her repeatedly on her cheeks, her nose, her lips, anywhere he could find a place.

"When can we start?" he asked. Lena laughed softly at his enthusiasm.

"Well..."

"Eddie! Come look at this one!" Sara called.

"Right now, you have more pressing matters to attend to."

"Actually, I'm thinking it's about time Princess Sara took her nap."

Lena laughed. "Good luck with that one; she hasn't napped since Christmas."

"Eddie!"

"I'll be right there, Topa," Edmund called over his shoulder. "We could always let Peter and Susan have a little quality time with her."

"Eddie, hurry!"

"Perhaps, but right now you better do as the little Princess commands or there'll be no time for anything else," Lena said.

"Don't move. I'll be right back." Edmund kissed her again before running off.

Lena smiled as she watched him go. He showed Sara just as much enthusiasm as he had with her. In the other place, having another child was an impossible dream for them; now, Lena allowed herself to believe in the impossible. Perhaps they could have a son this time. Edmund would teach him to fight; Nalsa would teach him how to hunt. He could be as protective of Sara and Meri as Edmund and Peter were of Susan and Lucy.

Edmund looked over his shoulder at her and smiled as though he knew what she was thinking.

Deep beneath the penetrating happiness and joy, however, Lena knew something was off. The aching of her arms and legs had only gotten worse. It was deeper and more frequent. Oftentimes it was followed by a weak spell where Lena felt faint and short of breath. These moments left her feeling tired, and she found her appetite waning.

She knew what all of this meant, deep down she knew. And she hid it from everyone she could. She smiled through the aches, and she passed off the shortness of breath by saying Edmund had stolen it away. There was always one who saw, one she could not fool.

"You're doing it again, Lady Ileana," Nalsa said quietly.

Lena instantly stopped massaging her hand.

"Have you been to see Lady Willa yet?"

"Yes," she lied. Nalsa stared back at her. "No. There is nothing she could do for me anyway. Many others have tried, and they have failed."

Nalsa moved closer to her and nuzzled her nose into Lena's hand. "You must go see her, Ileana. That was in the other place; Lady Willa may know of something that will help you here. You have more reason to now, if you wish to carry more pups for King Edmund."

Lena smiled and placed her hand on her stomach. "I suppose you are right about that. Very well then, Nalsa. You have worn me down. I will see Lady Willa when we return to the castle."

"You will not regret it, Lady Ileana."

Satisfied, Nalsa returned to her original spot and resumed her watch. With a final glance at Edmund and Sara, and seeing that it was quite clear that Edmund would not be returning soon, she picked up her book once more and began reading where she left off. She didn't get far before she heard someone call her name.

"Hmm? What was that?" Lena asked Nalsa, marking her spot again.

Nalsa blinked back at her. "I didn't say anything, Lady Ileana."

"Oh? Did Ed call for me then?" Lena looked over to where Edmund and Sara were, but they were both clearly absorbed in what they were doing.

"He did not call for you either," Nalsa confirmed.

"Hmm... I was sure I heard..."

Nalsa's ears twitched and she stood up.

"You heard it that time too, didn't you?"

"I did."

Nalsa sniffed the air around them, ears pinned to her head and a snarl on her lips. She circled the quilt Lena was sitting on twice before her demeanor changed drastically. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, her tail wagged enthusiastically, and she pranced in her spot.

"Nalsa?" Lena had only seen the Wolf wag her tail twice before, and that was at the beginning of the hunt and when she'd learned of Lena's willingness to undergo the Bonding.

"Oh, this is great, Lady Ileana. Wait until you see! But He only wants to see you right now. You must go to Him at once!"

"Go to whom? What's going on? What's gotten into you, Nalsa?"

Nalsa pulled Lena to her feet and nudged her towards the tree line. "Go, go. You will see."

With Nalsa pushing on her back, Lena stumbled as she made her way beyond the trees and out of sight from the others. As confused as Lena was by Nalsa's behavior, she was even more confused by what she found.

"You're a cat," she said. Nalsa had gotten all worked up over a cat. "Or are you a Cat?" She asked. "I'm sorry; I'm still learning to tell the difference."

The orange cat arched its back and mewled.

"So just a cat then. Right." Lena shook her head. "I bet Nalsa would feel pretty embarrassed right now if she saw you. Do Wolves get embarrassed?" Lena wondered aloud as she bent to rub the cat's head.

The cat nuzzled into her hand. Lena continued to pet its soft, silky fur unleashing a sense of peace and contentment for them both. The cat purred and the deep achiness Lena felt began to dissipate. Lena inhaled, breathing in a soft sweet smell and the weariness that was creeping in began to leave.

"It's strange," she said. "I know we only just met, but I feel like I know you. What's this?"

Lena's hand ran across a spot on the cat's back that was rough and scarred. She gently brushed aside a patch of fur to find a thin, faded line of her signature stitch. Her hand fell away and she rocked back on her heels.

"What's this? This doesn't make sense. You can't be..." Lena stared into the cat's golden eyes. "You can't be the same cat. That's impossible."

"Is it?" the cat asked. The cat breathed on her and Lena was taken back to the first time a strange cat came to her.

The orange cat jumped up on the bed next to her after the old Lord left. Lena never liked cats, so she pushed it off. It jumped up at her feet but Lena was too tired to fight it again; she let it lay there as she cried. Their dance continued every night until weeks later Lena finally allowed the cat the curl against her side.

After weeks of being visited by the strange cat, Lena grew to expect its appearance. One night it showed up with blood on its fur and an open wound on its chest. Lena wasted no time in finding her needle kit and sewing the wound closed; the cat had become the closest thing to a companion she had.

~:~:~:~

"I am glad He was with you then."

Lena pulled back and looked at Little King. "It was only a cat, Edmund."

"Are you certain of that?"

"You know me, Ileana, but not as well as I know you," the Cat, who was no longer a cat but a Lion, said.

"You? You're... you're Him, aren't you? You're... Aslan."

"I am."

"And you... you were there all along?"

"I was."

"You could have stopped it. You could have intervened at any moment. You could have helped the Narnians sooner."

The Lion smiled. "You are angry that I did not come to rescue the Narnians. And not that I did not come to rescue you?"

"I..." Lena looked away from Him. "They did not deserve to be treated like that. They did not deserve to be abandoned."

"They were not. Just as I was with you the nights you needed me, I was with those who kept their hearts open to me."

"Blessings in raindrops? Healing through tears? Is that the comfort you offer?"

"Sometimes. And sometimes I am the small cat who comforts a girl in pain, or the wise words of a young King offering solace. There are times when I am even the arms of a woman, aged by years, holding tightly to a young mother weeping in her fear."

Lena couldn't stop the tears. She remembered well the words of Peter that night as she sat on the floor of Miraz's bed chamber, gasping for air and coughing up blood. "When you find the courage to run, then run." She remembered the feel of Caterina's arms around her on countless nights.

"Why? Why me? I was nothing to you."

"No one is nothing to me. I see my children not as they are, but as who they were meant to be. And I have waited a long time for this moment."

"I..." Lena wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

To her surprise, the Lion laughed. "Had you come to me any sooner, you would not be you." Then He nuzzled into her, allowing her to curl up next to Him and take the comfort and peace He offered. Lena stayed at His side breathing in His scent, letting it fill every hole inside her until the achiness of her limbs and the heaviness of her heart washed away,

"This is the end, isn't it? You have come for me."

"I have come for you, but it is not the end. It is the beginning."

Lena nodded. "Might... might I have a bit more time, just to say goodbye? Nalsa might be cross with me if I simply left."

The Lion laughed. "For dear Nalsa's sake, you have until midnight tonight. Now, if you are ready there are two Princesses I am eager to meet."

The Lion stood. Lena rose along with Him and as she did she noticed for the first time that the air around them had been still and quiet but the instant they stood the forest became abuzz with life. Lena could hear the excited voices of many Narnians just beyond the tree line, many more than what had been with them before.

"What's Meri doing here? I thought she was at the castle?"

"Word travels fast in Narnia," the Lion replied.

The noise level intensified as they stepped back through the bushes. The once quiet glade was swarming with woodland Creatures who'd come to see the Lion. Meri was there with Kou and the rest of the Pevensie family. And Sara was no longer interested in gathering wildflowers with Eddie. When the Narnians saw the Lion, there was much baying and cheering and flowers dancing in the wind. The local Naiad had left her stream and she cast a shower of tiny rainbows whenever the light hit her.

"Aslan!"

It was hard to say who said His name with more excitement, Sara or Lucy, but Sara was the first to reach Him. Together they nearly tackled Him. Peter and Susan greeted Him next, followed by Edmund. After he bowed to the Lion, Edmund stood next to Lena and held her hand. Meri was the last of the humans to approach, and though she moved slowly, Lena could see the excitement in her eyes. Meri bowed respectfully as Edmund had before giving in and throwing her arms around the Lion's neck. All the while, the Lion laughed.

The new party brought a hearty amount of food with them. So, after everyone had a chance to greet and praise the Lion, they sat for a picnic lunch. Around the glade, there was singing and dancing. Meri had brought her lute and Lena added her voice. No one quite knew when Aslan took his leave, but the celebration continued long after He had. Lena enjoyed the afternoon spent with her family, an afternoon free of the aches and pains and premature weariness. It was nightfall by the time they all returned to the castle.

"Lady Bea, will you take Sara up to her room and see that she gets a proper wash?"

"Of course, Lady Ileana. It would be my pleasure."

"Mamma, can Eddie come too?"

"I...."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Lena said, cutting across Edmund. He looked at her curiously and Lena held her breath, hoping he wouldn't read the truth in her eyes.

"Go. I'll be up soon,"

Edmund nodded. In one fell swoop, he lifted Sara onto his hip. "Right then! Shall we continue the saga of the Pirate King?" he asked.

"No, Eddie. Pirates are last year," Sara said pointedly.

"Oh? So what should we explore this year?"

Sara wrinkled her nose, tilted her head to one side, and tapped her finger to her lips. "Mermaids!"

"Ah, you mean Merpeople; there are Mermen too," Edmund corrected. Sara's face was aglow with wonder as they left.

"Well that was a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing day," Susan said. "But now I am even further behind on the Seven Isles Trade Agreement. If you'll excuse me, I should at least look at it tonight."

"Sue, come on. You've already missed a day's work; you should take the night off as well," Peter said. "I will sit down with you tomorrow and look over the trade agreement with you," he said.

"You'll sit down with me? Don't you mean you'll make Ed do it?" Susan asked. Lucy laughed.

"Mamma?" Meri said, drawing everyone's attention to Lena who was still facing in the direction that Edmund and Sara had walked.

Lena slowly looked around her, taking in the grandeur of the entrance hall as she turned to face the others. Since arriving in Narnia, she'd never actually taken the time to admire the beauty of Cair Paravel or how different it was from Castle Caspian. She smiled softly to herself.

"Just when I think I might actually begin to like this place."

"Mamma?" Meri said again.

Lena had been thinking out loud and hadn't meant for anyone to hear, but now that they had she couldn't escape their curious looks. She studied each of them carefully. Lucy's smile was as warm and infectious as her friendship had been. Susan's gentle wisdom had been a comfort and an aspiration Lena strived to achieve for herself. Peter's steadfast strength blanketed the family in a protective shroud that had always made Lena feel safe and secure, even when she didn't realize it. Looking at them now, it was like seeing them for the first time as the King and Queens they were.

Then there was Meri who, somehow, seemed to be the perfect blend of all four of them. She had Lucy's infectious smile, Susan's gentle coolness, Peter's fierce protection, and Edmund's sly playfulness. She was a Queen in her own right. Lena no longer feared what she knew would come next.

"Mamma?" Meri walked over to her. "Are you all right?"

Lena thought about telling them about her conversation with Aslan. In fact, she had been certain she would tell them until the moment she opened her mouth to do so and the words simply would not come. She smiled and took Meri's hand.

"Sto bene, Topa."

"Are you sure? You're acting a little strange."

Lena nodded. "I was just freezing this moment in my mind so that when I look back, this is the Narnia I remember. Not the version I lived in. I see it now, what you all wanted me to see for so many years. I see Narnia, and it is beautiful."

"Aslan has a way of changing how we view the world once we let Him in," Lucy said.

"That He does, Lu," Lena agreed. "And thank you, all of you, for helping me see that. I should go find Ed though, see if he needs any help with Sara."

Before she left however, knowing it would likely be the last she saw of them, she hugged each of their necks and told them she loved them. On her way up to the Royal suites, she came across Nalsa who was on her way out after leaving Edmund with his night guard.

"Good evening, Lady Ileana. I know it is not my place to ask, but I do hope you enjoyed your talk with Aslan this afternoon."

Lena smiled. "I did. It was very... enlightening."

"Time spent with Him often is."

"I imagine so."

"I know you did not get to speak with Lady Willa today as planned, but I will swing by on my way out and let her know to expect you tomorrow."

Lena's smile faltered. "I... I appreciate that."

"Lady Ileana? You have not changed your mind about seeing her have you?"

"No I..." For a moment Lena considered not telling Nalsa about her departure either. But something about that just didn't feel right to her. "No. I have not changed my mind about seeing her, but I... I'm afraid it will no longer be necessary."

"Why ever not?"

Lena looked around and saw an empty parlor nearby. She moved inside and Nalsa followed her. "If there are any ears here besides mine and Lady Nalsa's please give us the room."

After a slight pause, Nalsa replied. "We are alone, Lady Ileana. What troubles you?"

"I... I am leaving." Lena choked on the lump that had arisen in her throat as she confessed what Aslan had confirmed.

"Leaving? Leaving the Cair?"

Lena nodded. "The Cair. The country. The world. My life. It is, in part, why Aslan came to see me today."

"When? How much longer will you be staying with us?"

"A few hours. I'm leaving tonight."

"Tonight? But... but that is not enough time to carry the new pup."

"No." Lena choked again. "No, it is not."

Nalsa's ears fell and her eyes dropped. "King Edmund will be pained by this news. All of Narnia will be pained by it. I am pained by it."

Lena smiled through her tears. "I will miss you too, Friend." Nalsa nudged her nose under Lena's hand and Lena kissed the top of her furry head. "You... you are the only one I've told."

"Will you tell King Edmund?"

"I... I think I have to, don't you?"

Nalsa nodded somberly.

"You... you will look after him when I am gone?"

"Until my King releases me, or until Death takes me."

Lena nodded. "Good. Good." She sighed deeply. "Then he will be safe. Now, I must go to him. My husband. My Bondmate. Will... Will you stay at our door tonight?"

The Wolf nodded.