Chronicles of Narnia 1. Chapter 1

King Caspian and Queen Lilandil's Christmas Party

Disclaimer: I don't own Chronicles of Narnia, C S Lewis does.

The parlor in the castle was very large. The walls were colored. There were sofas and sofa chairs on both sides of the room; the floor was covered with a soft homemade red rug, and the huge fire from the fire place added warmth to the room. On the left side of the room was a window with red draperies that were drawn to show the twinkling lights of the dark sky. In the middle of the room was a tall non narnian Christmas tree. Caspian climbed the ladder and was placing some balls on the tree branches. While he was placing a blue one on one of the highest branches, Lilandil entered the room with Baby Rilian in her arms. When he saw them enter the room, his eyes were filled with delight, and he smiled at them. Baby Rilian cooed in delight.

"Hello darling, would you like me to help you decorate this tree?"

"Yes, sweetheart, can you hand me some more of the ornaments?"

"I'll have to put Rilian in his baby chair first," Lilandil answered.

"This will be your first Christmas, my little darling," she said sweetly to Baby Rilian while she put him in the baby chair and gave him his teddy bear.

Baby Rilian cooed and waved his teddy bear in response. She grabbed a few ornaments, including some that look like stars and candy canes and handed them to Caspian.

"He is going to love his first Christmas," Caspian said while he hung a candy cane shaped ornament on the tree."

"Yes, and he will enjoy the toys that Father Christmas will give him, and the food at the party."

"So will we, I can just imagine all the food that were are going to have at the feast including roast goose, mashed potatoes with gravy, plum pudding…"

"Yum. I'm glad the bakers, are willing to bake soft Christmas foods, for him to enjoy."

"Soon the bakers won't need to do that because I don't think it will be too long before he starts teething, darling," said Caspian.

"Let's make his first Christmas one of the happiest Christmases he will ever have," said Lilandil.

"This will be a wonderful Christmas for us too with our friends coming over and celebrating it with us," Caspian said.

Lilandil continued to hand the ornaments and some fruit to Caspian while he continued to hang them on the branches.

"It will be great to celebrate it with Reepicheep, Trumpkin, and the others," Caspian said while he put a Father Christmas ornament on one of the highest branches of the tree.

"Do you know what I was thinking," said Lilandil while she began to put some apples on the tree. "We should invite Shirley the Fox. She lost her husband a few months ago, and it is hard on her with no husband and no friends. She is so lonely."

"What happened to her friends?" Caspian asked.

"They deserted her when her husband died. They didn't give her any emotional support and none of them invited her to a Christmas party with their families. She will be alone this Christmas."

"She won't be alone," said Caspian while he climbed the ladder again and began to decorate the lower branches. "We can invite her to our party."

"That's a great idea, Caspian love. I will invite her tomorrow."

They continued to put all kinds of ornaments and fruit on the lower half of the tree until they were hanging on all the branches.

"Let's start putting the garland around the tree," said Caspian while he climbed the ladder again.

When Caspian got to the top (not the top ladder rung) Lilandil tossed one end of the yellow gold garland to him, and he began to wrap it around each branch of the tree climbing down every few steps, as each row of branches were decorated with it until he climbed down the ladder. Lilandil was moving the garland toward him all the while. When he got off the ladder, she handed him the rest of the garland while he continued to wrap the tree with it, when he got to the bottom branches, he handed it to Lilandil, and she finished decorating the tree. While they were decorating the tree, they were watching their son who seemed to be delighted with what they were doing.

Rilian was only five months old and did not know what was going on, but he sensed something great was happening because of all the activities that were going on around him and the joy he sensed in his parents voices. He dropped his bear and laughed in delight.

Caspian walked over to his son, picked up the bear and gave it to him. Then he lifted him out of the chair and carried him closer to the Christmas tree and watched her decorated the rest of the Christmas tree. While she was wrapping the garland around the tree, Baby Rilian became fascinated by one of the star ornaments on the tree and tried to grab it, but Caspian pulled his hand away from it, and stepped back a little while Rilian whimpered and continued to reach for the ornament.

"Look, how beautiful the tree is," she said to them.

They admired the tree for a few minutes before Caspian said. "It is very beautiful darling, but we need to put the gold star on top of the tree, and the manger underneath it."

While he was saying that Rilian began to yawn and rub his eyes with his chubby hands.

"Looks like Rilian is getting sleepy aren't you," he said while he spoke to the baby.

Rilian yawned again in response.

"Give him to me, love; I'll carry him to bed."

Caspian handed his son to his wife, and she walked out of the room with him in her arms. Baby Rilian fell asleep.

To be Continued


	2. Chapter 2

King Caspian and Queen Lilandil's Christmas Party

Disclaimer: See Page One

A few days later Shirley the fox entered the castle and walked through a hall escorted by one of the guards until they came to the door of the parlor. When he opened the door the sight was mesmerizing to her eyes.

Inside the very large parlor was a 16 ft tall Christmas tree decorated with all kinds of ornaments, and garland. The golden star on top of the tree shone so brightly that it made the tree shine, and the manger underneath the tree was so well made that it seemed almost life like. There were donkeys, oxen, and heifers inside the cave along with the beautiful baby Jesus laying in a hay fill trout reaching his arms out as if to hug everybody, and his eyes were lit up in joy. Mary and Joseph knelt on either side of him. Outside were sheppards, wise men, camels, and sheep.

There were many narnians in the parlor talking and laughing with each other. Some of them were holding drinks in their hands. The children were running around and playing with each other and their toys. There was a table on the left side filled with all kinds of pastries and appetizers for the different Narnians.

The guard nodded to Shirley and she entered the room. She looked around the room at the other people talking and laughing with one another, and wondered if they would make her feel welcomed. Lilandil, who was standing a few feet away from her, was talking with two nymphs.

When she saw Shirley she walked up to her, and said, "welcome to our party, I'm glad you came."

"Thank you, your majesty," Shirley said politely while she bowed to her.

"There is no need to bow to me. Come, I would like to introduce you to two of my friends."

She walked over to where the nymph sisters were.

"These are two very good friends of mine, Lilia, and Ilia. Lilia, and Ilia, this is Shirley."

"It's nice to meet you two," said Shirley.

"It's nice to meet you too," said the identical twins.

"I hear that you have lost your husband," said Lilia with sympathy in her eyes.

"Yes, I have, and I miss him."

"I know how you feel," said Ilia. "I lost mine two years ago."

"I feel empty without him."

"You shouldn't," said Ilia. "He's still with you even if you can't see him, and you have good memories of him, don't you?"

"Yes," said Shirley.

"Why don't you think about the wonderful times you had together," said Lilia.

"Besides you will see him sometime again in Aslan's Country," said Lilandil.

Claudia the Beaver walked by and saw them talking.

"Hello everybody," said Claudia.

"Hello," they said to her.

"This is a wonderful party," she said to them while holding a drink in her hand.

"I'm glad you are here to join us," said Lilandil. "I would like to introduce you to my new friend, Shirley. Shirley, this is Claudia.

They nodded their heads in greeting.

"I hear that you are talking about your husbands," said Claudia. My Dan took me to a great sea food place a few days ago, and we ate the best fish, I had in a very long time."

"I went there a few times, with my husband too," said Shirley who was starting to feel a little better. "He ordered some flounders for us, and…."

They continued to talk to each other for over an hour until Caspian announced that it was time to go to the ball room and start dancing.

The 40 narnians walked into the ball room. The band started playing music and many of the narnians were dancing. Some of them danced as gracefully as ballet dancers. Ilia and Lilia were dancing on their toes and twirling around with some other nymphs. Lilandil was gliding while she was dancing with Caspian. Shirley and Claudia were standing on the side watching so many narnians dance. A bear came up to Claudia and ask if she would like to dance with him, but Claudia politely declined.

A few minutes later, a faun came up to Shirley," and asked, "would you have to pleasure of dancing with me?"

Shirley nodded her head and walked with him to the dance floor. The faun was a great dancer. His movements were graceful and he danced lightly on his toes. He spun her around and everything. He reminded her of how great a dancer her husband was. While he was dancing with her, she imagined herself dancing with her husband. She imagined it so well that it felt that her husband was there, and for a few minutes she actually felt his presence.

Caspian and Lilandil were taking a break from dancing and were watching the other narnians continue to dance. Near the right, Shirley was dancing with Carl the Bear. They saw how much she was enjoying herself. That was because unknowing to the king and queen each partner Shirley danced with reminded her of the dances she used to have with her husband. Shirley knew that no one can take her husband's place because she loved him dearly, but still it was nice to imagine.

Shirley began to think to herself while she was dancing with one of the Beavers that she was not truly alone, and that one day she will see him again. She was healing from her sorrows.

When she finished dancing with him, they bowed to each other and she walked over to where the king and queen were standing.

"I see you are enjoying yourself," said Caspian.

"I am," she said. "I'm glad you invited me to this party. It is a lot better than sitting at home feeling sorry for myself."

"Self pity never does anybody any good," said Caspian.

"Would you like to meet our son?" Lilandil asked.

Shirley the fox nodded her head.

Caspian and Lilandil lead Shirley to the nursery where a nymph maid was playing with Baby Rilian in his crib. The nymph curtsied to them.

"This is our son Rilian," Caspian said to her.

When Rilian saw her, he shook his rattle and was making little happy noises.

"He's so adorable," said Shirley. "He has your eyes," she said to Caspian, "and your hair," she said to Lilandil.

"Would you like to hold him?" Lilandil asked Shirley.

"I would love too."

Lilandil picked him up and placed him in Shirley's arms.

"You may join the others at the party," Caspian said to the nymph maid.

"Thank you," she said, and left the room.

Shirley was holding the baby in her arms enjoying his presence.

"It's time for diner," said Caspian. "We should leave too."

Shirley handed Baby Rilian to his mother and they walked out of the room.

Everybody was sitting at the very long table that was filled with all kinds of food including roast goose with stuffings, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli, string beans and corn. Caspian was sitting at the left side of the table while Lilandil and baby Rilian was next to him. Reepicheep, Trumpkin, Shirley and the twin nymphs were sitting across from them. Though she was still missing her husband, Shirley was in better spirits than before. She enjoyed herself at the party, and especially when she was dancing with different partners.

"How are you enjoying yourself," Trumpkin said to Shirley.

"I'm having a lot of fun."

"I'm glad to hear it," said Trumpkin. "I know your husband will want to see you enjoying yourself."

"Well I still miss him, and it still hurts that he is not here, but the hurt is beginning to lesson."

"Remember, your husband will always love you," said Reepicheep.

"I know," said Shirley with tears in her eyes.

Caspian stood up and everybody stood up with him.

"Before we eat this meal let us give thanks to Aslan for all he has done for us, and for this holy day. It is great celebrating Christmas with my dear family and friends, and I am glad we are enjoying the party, but the greatest part is celebrating Jesus birthday."

Everybody nodded their heads.

"I have something to say," said Shirley the Fox.

The others looked at her.

"This is a great party, and I am glad that I was invited to celebrate it with you. I want to thank you, your majesties for inviting me to your Christmas party," she said.

"For a long time after my husband died I felt an empty hole in my heart, and on top of that none of my friends, came to see how I was doing, if I needed some company, or help with anything. Although I feel sad that my husband isn't here, your kindness and warmth made me feel a little better, and I am grateful for the kindness that you are giving me."

"Merry Christmas one and all," she said while she held out her glass of wine. The others held their drinks out as well.

"Merry Christmas!" they repeated.

Everybody sat down again and began to eat the meal and talked to each other about different things.

Several hours later after the party was over Caspian and Lilandil were sitting on one of the couches in the parlor with their arms around each other.

"That was a very nice Christmas," said Lilandil. "Everybody was enjoying themselves."

"And did you see how much better Shirley was feeling," said Caspian.

"I'm glad she was able to enjoy herself," said Lilandil. "I was afraid that she wouldn't. It is hard to lose someone you love."

"Yes, but the sorrow doesn't last forever. Eventually the hurts from the loss dissolve and you are left with wonderful memories, and I'm glad that Shirley is starting to heal from sorrows."

"It's wonderful being alone with you, Caspian love."

"I love you sweetheart," said Caspian.

"I love you too darling."

The End


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