cribellate | narnia au;

[George is already waiting at the door when she comes out, draw by her yelp.]

Lucy? What is it? What's wrong?

[He takes hold of her shoulders, looking her over.

I am not-

[She takes his hands. Here. George.]

I am not pregnant.

[There is a breath, easy. They had been so careful, before. The night before was the first time-

-but no. She is not pregnant.]

[George feels a rush of relief that she's all right and then a shock of disappointment when her words hit him.]

I...

[He holds tight to her hands.]

Oh.

[She smiles a little, and reaches for his face.]

It is all right, my love.

[She says it tenderly.]

It will be all right. We will have children.

[George closes his eyes and bends to touch his forehead to hers, arms wrapping around her.]

Aye. We will.

[Someday. He's not sure how they'll manage it, but someday.]

I love you.

[She closes her eyes, and is comfortable there, being held tightly by the man she loves.]

We can return to Narnia today.

Well, he's honestly pleased that she gives it some thought. He would hate to show up underdressed to a party he's only just been invited to, without the knowledge of the host.

He grins mischievously at the question.

"That's my magic," he says. "It's a secret."

She laughs a little. "I have a necklace of starlight, and it will go well alongside, if you will permit me to match, sir," she says, with a giggle, her hands holding his, now. She has no shame, and no regrets for it; she is a bright thing through and through. "And I hope you will. It will cause the most wonderful scandal."

Lucy just likes to make enough trouble to get attentions, and not really anymore than that.

And I love you.

[He holds Lucy a little tighter. Nothing's changed, not substantively, nothing but that terrifying hope.]

If you're sure? There's no rush if you want to...take some time.

[They should go back, he knows. The longer they stay away, the harder it will be when they do go back.]

[She holds still in his arms.]

I miss home.

I fear there is a reason I do not travel near to half so much as my brother.

[Narnia is more a part of Lucy's soul than any of them. Susan favors Cair Paravel, it's true, but that is not how Lucy is.]

[He kisses the top of her head and rests his cheek against it.]

My gran used to say that her soul was in the highlands. I think Narnia's like that for you, isn't it?

{He holds her a moment longer before relaxing his arms, leaning back a little to look at her.]

We can leave this morning.

Yes.

[She gets closer to him, her arms around his waist, her head on his chest. He is so comfortable, familiar.

But he is right, too. There is a part of her that is missing.]

I am pleased you understand.

[George isn't sure he could deny her anything, certainly not anything like this, that he can give so easily.]

Aye, I do.

[He kisses her forehead, but he's content to hold her as long as she wants.]

Your brothers...you think they'll understand?

That we are married?

[She looks down a little.]

Perhaps.

[Not the most reassuring answer.]

Why we did it, I mean. Even though...

[Even though it wasn't real, even if it felt real for a few days.]

Oh.

[She presses his hand against her cheek.]

It does not matter. They will either accept it, or they will not, but it will not change anything. I do not regret marrying you.

[He takes a breath and nods, giving her a faint smile.]

Nor do I. No matter what happens.

[They go home.

They leave Telmar and when they cross back to Narnia, the moment it happens, Lucy brightens, and even her horse gets more energy. The trees wake up as they cross, advancing the cry - the Queen returned, the Queen returned.

They almost don't stop until they get to Cair Paravel, and Lucy stops them just before they get there. She can see the flag that signifies that all the monarchs are in attendance is down. She looks over at George, and she reaches for his hand. She will not be alone. She refuses to be alone.

When they get in, she's immediately pulled into a meeting with all of her siblings, and she drags George along, and it gets -

- rough.

Lucy will absolutely hold her own, even as Edmund and Susan yell at her, even as she argues, and refuses to apologize, and then she says she's married and there's silence, and Peter snaps at her. It's family bickering, and Lucy could have withstood almost anything, but Peter yells, and she starts to cry, and she fights them even through all of that.

When they leave, after the fights, hours later, Lucy is drained, and she thinks it's over but then Edmund pulls George back, and Lucy tries to find energy for another fight when Susan comes and takes her.

It's hours later when they finally meet again, and Lucy is so tired.]

George?

[She sits up from her chair when she hears someone come into her apartments. She's changed outfits, bathed, and she looks smaller, for a sad, tiny moment.]

link

[George had known it would be bad. Even as he sees Lucy brightening, he can't help thinking of what they're facing, what it will mean to return to her family.

It's not as bad as he'd expected, though George stays mostly out of it, keeping himself near Lucy, providing as much physical support as he can. But the monarchs are arguing and, married or not, he doesn't have a place in that argument. He steps in only when Lucy cries, and even then, what can he do? Tell off the high king for yelling at his sister?

It's exhausting, and when they leave, George wants desperately to go with Lucy, to make sure she's all right, but Edmund pulls him back, and he knows it will be more of the same, worse now because Edmund will expect him to have answers, explanations, and he doesn't have any more to give than what Lucy already has.

By the time he gets back to Lucy's rooms, he thinks he would rather fight Calormenes for hours without rest than be subject to another Pevensie family argument.

But he hears Lucy's voice, and something in him relaxes.]

It's me, mo chridhe.

[He hasn't bathed, or changed, or anything else, really, but he gathers her into his arms the moment he sees her.]

[She immediately feels better, melting into his touch. He holds her and she presses her head in the space between his shoulder and his neck, and doesn't cry. He had to see her cry earlier, and she doesn't like it.

It was dark, and terrible.]

What happened? What did they say?

[She shouldn't have let him go alone. He didn't deserve it. She owes him more than that.]

It's been a while since the time when couples dressed to match, outside of costume parties, and even longer since such a thing would cause a scandal. It's a nice reminder, a nice throwback to a life he once had. More carefree, back then.

He doesn't smile down at their joined hands, though the temptation is there. Instead he directs that smile straight at her.

"You picked the right man. I love a good scandal."

"Lovely," she says, walking backwards a little. The forest is green, and vibrant, the flowers blooming as they pass. Lucy knows it's for her, a display to make her smile, and she does. "Everything has become so boring, lately, and stirring up the High King would do wonders for all of us," she says, with a wrinkle of her nose.

But that said-

"What did you come to Narnia to find, sir?"

[He takes a moment, without answering, just to hold her. Everything else is worth it so long as he can hold her at the end of the day. When he speaks, it's into her hair.]

Much of the same.

[There had been yelling, and George had managed to hold his temper, but only just.]

I'm not to have a title; they were quite clear on that. [It doesn't matter. He doesn't want one.] But I may stay with you here.

[She clings to him, holds onto him. She feels torn. She loves him, but she loves her family, too, she is devoted to her country, and-

-and she knows duty before pleasure. But still. She presses her face against his shoulder and holds onto him like maybe he is holding her to the earth.]

You are my sweetest grace, George.

I am sorry. I wish you had fallen in love with a normal girl, who could give you a normal life. Whose family would see you and know how good, and how kind, and how honorable you are.

narnia au;

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