Meri was poised, elegant, and beautiful as she moved around the ballroom. Her tiara of silver and gold woven together, a perfect blend of the two, sat on her long plaited hair. Her gown was of the purest white that fit at the bodice and had a slight flare at the waist. Lena watched from the side of the room as Meri mingled with the guests. She was kind and courteous to each one and she smiled and laughed with ease. The role of Crown Princess seemed to fit her well. Lena found it hard to believe that just that morning, Meri was ready to back out of the whole thing.

"What if I make a mistake?"

"Oh, you will, and probably many of them."

"Wow, Mamma. Thanks for the confidence boost."

"We all make mistakes, Meri; it's a part of life. They are vital. They help us grow. It is how you respond to the mistakes that matters. Trust me, Meri; I've made many mistakes in my life."

"Like what?"

"Do you remember a few weeks ago when I tried to end things with Edmund before they ever began?"

"That doesn't count. That was a foolish notion on your part and you didn't go through with it; if anything it is only a near mistake."

"I only didn't go through with it because somebody schemed to get me and Edmund alone."

"Nalsa and I did what we had to do. Try again."

"Alright, what about the day I left him in London?"

"What day?"

"It was before you met him. After I'd finished my work with the S.I.S. I tried to leave him. I tried to warn him that he deserved someone better than me, and I walked away from him."

"What happened, because it obviously didn't stick either?"

"He... He came running after me. He chased me down in the street and kissed me for all the world to see; it was rather indecent of us. Public displays like that are..."

"Romantic, Mamma. They're romantic. I didn't know Babbo ran after you."

"He did. I was so thrown off balance by him that I was weak and couldn't say no again."

"Did you want to say no again?"

"I didn't want to say no the first time. I was just trying to do what was best for him."

"You're what's best for him, Mamma. And that incident doesn't count either. It's another near mistake since, fortunately, Babbo had enough sense to go after you. You're two for two."

"Fine. What about the day I left you then?"

"Me?"

"Leaving you in Sicily with Caterina... It was the biggest mistake I've ever made."

"No. No you didn't leave, Mamma. You went away to work for a few years, but you came back."

"A few years? Seven years, Meri. I left for seven years, and when I left... I had no intention of ever returning."

"No. No." Meri shook her head in protest. "But you sent me presents. You wrote to me, told me you were coming home soon."

"I sent those things and I said those things because I didn't know how to tell you I wasn't coming back. You were always on my mind, but I didn't know how to be a mother to you. I didn't know how to love you. I didn't know how to love anyone then. You were two when I left and nine when I returned."

"But you... you did return."

"Only because of Edmund. Only because he showed me another way to live. But it was still a mistake to leave you. There were so many things I missed out on; that is a time I can never get back. And now, here you are, no longer a little girl but a young woman. A Princess capable of ruling a country."

"I'm not capable of ruling anything right now."

"You will be. Because you will take your mistakes and you will learn from them. As I did. It won't always be easy or smooth, but I know you love the Narnians and they love you. You will work through it together, as you and I did. And you will have Babbo to guide you, as I did."

"Lena!"

Lena turned her eyes away from Meri and saw Lucy waving her arm wildly as she headed in her direction. The official crowning of the Princesses ended with a banquet and a ball held in their honor. Lena wasn't much of a dancer and tried to keep to the side of the hall as much as possible. King Edmund had offered to stand with her, but she knew he had to play the diplomat and she had no desire to be his side piece for the evening.

Lena smiled as Lucy came to stand next to her. Lucy hugged her neck enthusiastically.

"Isn't this wonderful?"

"Yes. It's quite something," Lena replied, taking a sip of her wine. "Did Susan orchestrate all of this alone?"

"Well, I tried to help but you can probably imagine how that went." Lucy laughed.

Lena nodded. "My thirtieth birthday comes to mind." She took another sip of wine and grinned. "You insisted on planning a week-long trip alone. It was just the four of us, no husbands and no children allowed. You got us a French villa near several illustrious vineyards; we were going wine tasting."

"Well that doesn't sound bad."

"We burned the villa down the first night and we were banned from all the local vineyards by the week's end."

Lucy's eyes went wide.

"We stuck to Italian wines after that."

Lucy laughed. Loudly. "Wait. The four of us? You, me, Susan... who was the fourth?"

"Holly. Peter's wife, well, girlfriend at the time. We were so sure we'd scared her off that we had our apologies ready for Peter. We got home and she asked when our next trip was."

"Sounds like a good woman."

"We told Peter not to be an idiota when it came to her."

Lucy laughed again. "At least we had fun though, right? But I do hope I made it up to you somehow."

"You took the girls for two weeks that summer so Ed and I could get away. We went to Barcelona. Private cottage. Private beach. Very little clothing." Lena smiled at the pleasant memory.

"Ugh. I could do without that visual."

"It's one of my favorites."

"I'm sure, but enough of that. Come! I want you to meet some of my dearest friends." Lucy grabbed Lena's hand and led her back through the throng of guests.

"I thought I was your dearest friend."

"You are my dearest human friend."

Oh boy. Lena thought. She quickly finished off her wine and grabbed another off a passing tray. Lucy led them right to a group of three Narnians waiting eagerly, a Faun and two Beavers.

"Lena, this is Mr. Tumnus and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, Our first and oldest friends in Narnia."

"It is so lovely to meet you, Dear," Mrs. Beaver said, taking Lena's hand in her furry paws. "Queen Lucy has told us so much about you."

"Oh. Well, I do hope she left out my poorer qualities."

"Like burning down a French Villa?" Lucy said slyly.

"Who says that I had anything to do with that?"

"Because I've gotten to know you over the last several months."

Lena grinned and took a sip of her wine. "It was a joint venture," she admitted. "Susan was appalled with us. Holly laughed hysterically."

Lucy laughed again and Lena turned her attention back to the Narnians. "It is nice to meet you as well. I have heard many things about you; most of them were good." Lena was at least ninety percent sure they had been mentioned at least, especially if they were Lucy's first and oldest friends in Narnia.

Lena stayed and talked for a while with the Beavers; they were a rather adorable pair. Lena even managed to hold a substantial conversation with Mr. Tumnus without staring at his horns or being unnerved by his legs. Perhaps the solution to dealing with the Narnians was to walk around in a perpetual wine-haze, but she didn't think that was very practical.

"Mamma? Where's Mamma?"

Lena instinctively looked around at the sound of her other name. Meri was standing near the front of the room, looking for her, with her lute in hand.

"Mamma!" Meri smiled as she spotted Lena and waved her over.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm being summoned it seems."

"My mother has the best Alto voice you've ever heard," she said to the attendees. "*Vieni a cantare, Mamma."

As she made her way towards the dais where Meri stood, Lena's eyes scanned the room for King Edmund. He came up from behind her; his hand slid along her lower back as he leaned in to whisper.

"You don't have it if you don't want to. I can explain to Meri."

Lena smiled at the offer. How did he always know? "Just promise me I won't have to dance with anyone for information afterward."

"I swear, on my honor, there will be no dancing except for pleasure and only if you want to... and only with me," he added as an afterthought.

Lena laughed. "If you wish to dance with me, you need but ask... Little King." She smirked and handed him her cup of wine before stepping up onto the dais.

"What song did you have in mind?" she asked Meri.

"La Mer?"

Lena smiled and nodded.

Lena and Meri sang several songs together, and after each one their captive audience grew bigger until the whole ballroom stopped what they were doing to listen to them. Each song concluded with a mixture of clapping, hoof-stomping, and baying applause. Only when Meri's fingers became too sore did they stop and the dancing resumed.

King Edmund was waiting for Lena when she left the dais. "Would you dance with me?"

"I feel I must warn you, I'm not good at this sort of dancing. The dancing in the other place is very different; it's... less choreographed, more intimate. And I was never the sort of girl that Lords danced with in my Narnia."

"Well then, all the more reason why you should dance with me now. I've been told I'm an excellent dancer and instructor."

"Oh? And have you danced with many ladies?" Lena asked, taking his hand.

"You know, it's strange, but I suddenly find myself incapable of remembering any lady before there was you."

"Hmm, good answer."

King Edmund moved them to a spot on the floor and spun them into motion. "See, it's not so bad now is it?"

"Yeah, except everyone is watching us."

"Are they? I don't see anyone but you." He spun her again as the dance dictated. "Do we dance together in the other place?"

"Quite often. It's a way for us to be close, to be... intimate," she whispered, "without risk of waking the girls."

King Edmund grinned. "Ah, yes. You are not the type to keep your opinions to yourself, I've noticed."

"Certainly not. Especially when there are so many opinions to be had."

Lena tripped as King Edmund spun her again. He steadied her with a hand on her waist. There was a beat for two when the rest of the world disappeared; they stopped dancing. Lena found herself hoping to continue their dance, or perhaps even move their dance to a more private location, but King Edmund appeared to be distracted by something over her shoulder.

"What is it?" she asked.

"See for yourself." King Edmund nodded and spun her around. Meri was across the way talking with two boys, or rather, young men by the looks of it.

"Lord Rohl's sons," King Edmund continued. "They made the crossing with him from Galma. The eldest, Reymar, is twenty-two; his brother Royce is twenty."

Lena gasped. "They are far too old for her."

"I couldn't agree more. With your permission?"

"Of course. What are you still doing here?"

King Edmund smiled slyly and kissed her cheek before making his way over in full kingly-swagger, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Guests, Narnian and otherwise, cleared a path for him. Lena could practically hear his introduction of himself from where she stood.

"King Edmund, known as the Just, Count of the Western March, Duke of Lantern Waste, Wandbreaker, Knight of the Order of the Table, and the best swordsman in Narnia, how can We assist thee?"

Meri maintained her polite smile, but her eyes grew more furious by the second. Until, at last, the young lords walked away and King Edmund's thwarting was complete. Meri looked over his shoulder at her mother. Lena simply smiled.

The celebration carried on until one-by-one the human guests began to disperse to their rooms and the Narnians began to drift outside; the music followed them.

"Lena, we're going to continue the celebration outside, Narnian style. Please say you'll join us," Lucy begged.

Apparently there was still enough wine in her system to feel at ease with the Narnians even though she had started drinking water two hours ago, because she was on the verge of saying yes. Then she caught sight of Sara. She was sitting at a table, arms sprawled out, and head face down on the hard oak.

"Maybe next time. It's way past her bedtime, and if she doesn't get a full night's sleep she will be impossible to deal with in the morning.

"Oh, all right. But if you change your mind, just follow the sound of the drumming." Lucy hugged her neck before following after Mr. Tumnus and the others.

Lena made her way over to relieve the Dryad of her watch of Sara. The Dryad fluttered away with a brush of air through their hair, and Lena bent to pick up her daughter's discarded shoes. Sara's tiara had fallen off into a plate of discarded pudding. Lena wiped off what she could but a more thorough cleaning was needed.

"Sara, topalina, it's time for bed." Lena tried to gently wake the sleeping princess, but there was no stirring. Sara would have to be carried.

"Allow me to help."

Lena looked up at King Edmund. "Are you not going to continue the celebration with the others?"

"Not tonight I think. But don't worry; in addition to her Royal Guard Kou, I have put Swift on Meri duty. Swift is a very formidable Centaur. Lords Reymar and Royce won't dare go near her with a Tiger and a Centaur at her side."

"And you and I will incur her wrath for it."

King Edmund seemed to reconsider for a moment, but only for a moment. He shrugged. "Worth it. I'll carry her if you grab her things."

With effortless ease, King Edmund picked up the still sleeping Sara. There was a little movement as she wrapped her arms around his neck and lay her head on his shoulder. Their climb up to the Monarch's wing was a silent one as neither wished to rouse Sara too much. Once in her rooms, Lena directed King Edmund to lay Sara on the bed and find her a sleeping gown. Lena wiped Sara's hands and face before stripping her of her coronation gown. They tucked her under the covers together before silently creeping into the hall.

"It's not too late to catch up to the Narnians, if you want to go," King Edmund offered. "I overheard you talking to Lucy about it."

Lena smiled and nodded. "I am rather intrigued by it, how do the Narnains celebrate when they've had too much wine and the night is long?"

"The Narnians never have too much wine, and the night is still young in their eyes. They will go until the sun rises."

"And I may try to go with them, but... I'm already quite tired. I think I'll just call it a night. You can still go, though, if you wish."

"There is no place I'd rather be, than right here with you." He kissed her hand as he opened the door to their bedroom for her.

"Well, you are just full of the right answers tonight." She spun into his arms and kissed him. "Now, shall I help you out of these clothes, mi amore?"

"In due time, but first..." King Edmund took a step back and held out his hand to her. "Will you dance with me again? Like we do in the other place?"

Lena smiled. "I'd like that."

"You'll have to help me a little though."

She laughed and placed his hand on her waist. She put her right hand on his shoulder, settling in at the base of his neck, and took his other hand in hers.

"Do you think you can lead if I provide the music?"

"I think so."

She started to sing softly. "Stars shining bright above you....Night breezes seem to whisper, I love you... Birds singing in the sycamore tree... Dream a little dream of me..."

King Edmund led them gently to the rhythm she set. Though the dance was unfamiliar to him, it came to him naturally. He grew bolder and gave her a spin which brought her body closer to his. With each new phrase she sang and each bold spin he gave, they drew closer still until her arms encircled his neck and they danced cheek to cheek.

Susan stood on the outside looking in. The curtain was partially drawn, blocking out the light of the hallway, but she could still see her brother through the sliver that remained. His head rested on the arm that was stretched over the bed; his bottom still sat in the chair he'd been occupying for the last several hours. He would pay dearly for the position later, but that was later. For now, she would let him be.

Peter came up beside her. His hand slid across her back to rest on her shoulder. She bent her cheek to brush a kiss to his hand.

"How is he?" he asked, his own voice thick with sleep and worry.

"Sleeping it seems. Finally," Susan replied. She raised her hand to wipe the tear that fell under the guise of pushing back her hair.

"Sleeping? Should we wake him, do you think?" Lucy asked as she stepped up on Peter's other side. Peter wrapped his other arm around her.

"No," Susan said, shaking her head. "I don't think so. It won't be long now. This may be the last bit of rest he gets for a while. Let him have it."

Lucy whimpered and Peter drew her in closer. Susan had to wipe away another angry tear. How could Aslan take Lena from them again? And so soon?

Meanwhile, Edmund's eyes burned with weariness. He'd only mean to close them for a moment, to rest them just for a second. He never meant to fall asleep. And he certainly didn't mean to sleep for three hours. But in his sleep he dreamed.

He dreamed of Narnia. He dreamed of meeting his daughters for the first time. He dreamed of their first Christmas together. He dreamed of their coronation. And he dreamed of Lena, from their first meeting to their first dance, and every moment in between when he fell in love with her. He knew, after that first dance, that he would search the world far and wide for her, and he'd let nothing come between them. And when they said the words, he felt them through his whole person.

"Ti amo."

"E ti amo."

Vieni a cantare: come sing