~

Adeline rubbed her eyes as the clock struck 12:00. She had been reading for hours upon hours, trying to find out what was happening.
Dinner had been silent and tense. Nobody spoke and Adeline was surprised when even Lucy barely spoke to her and went straight to her room, not even asking Adeline to come and read 'Peter Pan' for her.

Adeline had raided her grandfather's library and searched for any books about magic or sorcery. She had done this many times before but had unfortunately never found anything of use. But she was hoping that maybe this time something new would have appeared or perhaps there had been something that she had missed. So far no luck at all.

She shut an enormous book called, 'Sorcery and Black Magic in the Middle Ages' and shoved it aside with the others. Her legs buzzed as she stood up and stretched, she took off her lavender robe and underneath she had on her white nightgown which she slipped into bed with.

Adeline shut her eyes and wished for sleep, the events of that day playing over and over again as she slipped into darkness.

The brunette woke up suddenly, confused as to what was going on. She then realized that someone had been shaking her and that they were saying something.

"Wake up Addy, wake up!" a high voice shouted,  Adeline recognizing it as Lucy's. "I saw it again. I went back!"

Adeline blinked the sleep out of her eyes to see Lucy smiling down at her. Still half asleep she managed a small, "What?"

"Come on!" the little girl shouted. She seemed to still be in her nightgown and Adeline looked over to her clock. It was two in the morning, which explained Lucy's state of dress.

Adeline shoved her messy excuse for hair out of her face and wiped away some drool at the corner of her mouth. She was contemplating telling Lucy to go back to bed but curiosity got the better of her and she kept her mouth shut.

Lucy pulled Adeline's hand, making her sit up, before running out of the room. She spotted Edmund, who was also in his nightclothes, standing at the door. She shot him a confused look and he replied with a shrug.

Groaning, Adeline grabbed her lavender robe and slipped on her matching slippers, chasing after Lucy. The little girl seemed to have gone to the boys room.

Both her and Edmund ran in where an excited Lucy was jumping on Peter's bed. Susan at that moment barged in as well. A look of surprise took over her face as she saw Adeline standing there.

"Sorry about Lucy." she apologized, "She must have woken you up with her ruckus."

Adeline waved it off and pulled her robe tighter around her, "It's all right."

"Peter, Peter wake up! It's there, it's really there!" Lucy shouted, shaking Peter.

Petter rolled over, still half asleep, he rubbed his face, "Lucy, what are you talking about?" he groaned.

"Narnia! It's all in the wardrobe like I told you!"

Susan rushed over to the bed, concerned, "Oh you've just been dreaming Lucy."

Adeline walked over and placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder, "Lu-"

The girl ignored her and addressed her older sister, "No I wasn't, I saw Mr. Tumnus again. And this time, Edmund went too."

Confusion overtook the three oldest children's faces and Edmund seemed to have frozen at the sound of his name.

"You saw the faun?" Peter asked slowly.

Lucy stood from where she was sitting on the bed and said matter of factly, "Well, he didn't actually go there with me." She stopped as if she had suddenly realized something. Adeline shifted to look over at Peter. She raised an eyebrow and he grimaced, probably realizing as well that Lucy had woken her up.

"What were you doing, Edmund?" Lucy questioned.

Edmund nervously looked over all of them before landing on Adeline's face. For a split second, she saw something change in his eyes as if he were guilty before it flashed away and he opened his mouth, "I-I was just playing along."

Lucy furrowed her brows in confusion, Edmund continued, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have encouraged her but, you know what little children are like these days, they just don't know when to stop pretending." He looked at Lucy smugly.

The poor girl's face was scrunched up. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she let out a sob before running off.

"Lucy!" Adeline shouted. She gave Edmund a glare, his smugness faltering for a split second. She ran after the little girl, Susan followed suit and so did Peter, but not before shoving Edmund onto his bed.

Adeline chased after the girl as she twisted through the halls. Lucy turned a corner and Adeline followed. The brunette stopped suddenly in her tracks, coming face to face with her grandfather who was consoling a sobbing Lucy.

"Grandfather," Adeline said surprised, grabbing his attention. Susan and Peter appeared beside her, "I'm sorry-"

A loud shout interrupted her, "You children are one shenanigan shy of sleeping in the stables-" Mrs. Macready came barreling down the hall, her face red and eyes wide. She stopped suddenly when she saw the professor was with them, "Professor! I told them you were not to be disturbed."

She turned to Adeline, the look in her eye making the girl flinch, "You were supposed to keep an eye on them and make sure nothing of this sorts ever happened."

Tears prickled in her eyes from embarrassment, she backed up a little trying to appear smaller. Adeline felt a faint touch on the small of her back and saw Peter standing beside her staring Macready down.

"Oh it's alright Mrs. Macready," her grandfather said, trying to ease the situation, "I'm sure there's an explanation." The professor gently guided Lucy to Macready, "But first of all, I think this one is in need of a little hot chocolate." 

Mrs. Macready took Lucy's hand and they headed off to the kitchen. Thinking the situation was handled, Adeline tried to leave. A clearing of the throat stopped her and the two oldest Pevensies. They all turned to see her grandfather beckoning them. 

"I believe there's a conversation in order for all this." He began to walk to his study. Adeline hesitantly looked at Peter and Susan before following her grandfather.

In the study, the professor stayed calm. Adeline had never seen him get angry but she was waiting for the unexpected. Instead, he pulled out his pipe and began to prepare it.

"You seem to have upset the internal balance of my housekeeper." He addressed the three children, who were standing silently in front of the desk.

"We're very sorry Sir," Peter said quickly, "It won't happen again." He grabbed Susan's arm and tried to pull her out of the room with him.

Susan ignored him and spoke," It's our sister Sir, Lucy."

Her grandfather remarked, "The weeping girl."

Knowing that the conversation was only beginning, Adeline sighed and took a seat on one of the sofas. They were probably going to be here for most of the night and she could already feel her eyes drooping.

"Yes Sir," Susan said calmly, "She's upset."

"Hence the weeping," her grandfather said matter of factly, setting his pipe. Adeline rolled her eyes, so this is where she inherited the sass.

"I-it's nothing." Peter said, still trying to wrap up the conversation, "We can handle it."

"Well, that's evident," Adeline commented under her breath.

"I can see that," the professor said a second later.

Susan stared Peter down before facing her grandfather, "She thinks she's found a magical land,"

Her grandfather chuckled.

"In the upstairs wardrobe."

That seemed to catch his attention. His head shot up and he stood from where he was sitting. He put a hand on Susan's back and led them to the sofa where Adeline was currently residing.

"What did you say?!" he questioned.

"The wardrobe, upstairs." Peter sighed. He took a seat next to Adeline, "Lucy thinks she's found a forest inside."

Her grandfather took a seat on the chair opposite them, "Adeline is this true?"

She straightened, "I don't know. " 

Her grandfather shook his head as if to say they would speak later.

Adeline clutched her fists tightly, she could feel her magic stirring inside her as the memories from earlier played through her mind. The strange feeling that had occurred in the spare room coming back.

"She won't stop going on about it." Susan butted in.

"What was it like?" the professor asked bewildered.

"Like talking to a lunatic!" 

"She's just a little girl." Adeline said, trying to play for Lucy's side since everyone seemed to be teaming up against her, "Let her have her fun."

"It's gone too far Adeline," Peter said forcefully. Adeline frowned at his sudden harshness, "She needs to learn when to stop."

"What was the forest like?" her grandfather interrupted.

All three children stared at him in confusion. Was he really asking about the forest, did he actually believe Lucy?

"You're not saying you believe her?" Peter asked stunned.

"You don't?" the professor said. This time he was staring straight at Adeline as if he were asking her the question personally. She stayed silent, still not knowing how she felt about everything that was happening. 

"Well of course not," said Susan, "Well logically, it's impossible."

Her grandfather shook his head, "What do they teach in schools these days?"

Peter spoke, "Edmund said they were only pretending."

"And he was such an arse about it too." Adeline murmured. Unfortunately, the comment still caught her grandfather's attention who cleared his throat at the use of language.

"And he's usually the more truthful one, is he?" the professor pushed for more details.

"No," Peter hesitated, "This would be the first time."

"Well if she's not mad and she's not lying, then logically," he lengthened the word, subtly mocking Susan, "You must assume she's telling the truth."

Her grandfather lit his pipe, the sour smell filling up the room, making Adeline scrunch up her nose.

"You're saying, that we should just... believe her?" Peter asked shaking his head.

Adeline thought of her own magic and how it affected her life over the years. This strangeness about her was the reason she never left the mansion or had any friends. Now that the Pevensie's had walked into her life she realized how much she was missing because her magic was unknown and therefore supposed to be frightening. People were so terrified of what they couldn't fathom that they would push away others and refuse to try to understand.

"Sometimes belief can go a long way." Adeline found herself saying out loud. That earned her a glare from Susan, a frown from Peter and a knowing smirk from her grandfather.

"She's your sister," the professor said in between puffs of smoke, "You're a family, you might just try acting like one."

Her grandfather stood up and headed towards his desk, "Now. It's high time you went to bed. We wouldn't want everyone to feel exhausted in the morning now, would we?"

Peter nodded, "Goodnight Sir. We'll be quiet from now on." Adeline noticed he was still sucking up to her grandfather.

Peter grabbed Susan's arm and headed towards the door. Adeline stopped, a book full of questions still swirling around her head.

"You go ahead," she told the other two, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Peter frowned and opened his mouth, a question in his eyes. Adeline shook her head, shaking it off like it was nothing.

"Goodnight," the two siblings bade before leaving and shutting the door behind them.

She turned to face her grandfather who was lounging in his chair behind his desk.

Adeline took a deep breath and decided to get right to it, "Is it real?"

"Is what, my dear?" he puffed up a cloud of smoke. 

Adeline felt mocked, "The whole land in the wardrobe. Is it real?" she kept on rambling, her arms waving in the air as she listed what was on her mind. All the emotions that she had been keeping in all day finally coming out, "Why was I never allowed in that room anyway? Was it because of my magic? Because let me tell you the second I stepped in there, my magic did something it had never done before and I have no idea what it means. Does it mean that the land is real? Or is perhaps that I'm going crazy."

Blue light started to glow at her fingertips and she could feel the magic rushing up and down her arms. She shuddered and wrung her hands together, trying to make it go away, "I'm so confused and scared." she admitted. "I don't know what's going on."

Her grandfather was strangely calm which honestly quite infuriated her. He set his pipe down, stood up and came around his desk to meet her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and hugged her. The warmth and familiarity calm her down and the blue light at her fingertips disappeared.

He was quiet for a moment before letting go of her and taking her hands, "I just want you to be safe."

She pushed further, "Safe from what? Grandfather, what is going on?"

He sighed and brushed a hand against her cheek, she remembered that he would do this often when she was younger, right before she would go to sleep, "I promised your mother I would keep you safe and sound until the time was right."

Adeline pulled her hands out of his and took a step back, "My mother?" she said in shock. He barely ever mentioned her, even when she would persist. She reached to grasp her necklace, the last trace of her mother. "What are you talking about."

He clasped his hands behind his back, "Your mother entrusted you to me until you were old enough to find your way."

"Find my way to what?!" she cried, his riddles and vagueness were pulling at her last nerve, "What am I supposed to find?"

He sighed, "I cannot tell you much. This is your path to follow, my dear and I'm afraid I can't help you." He tapped at his nose, "Take your own advice and believe. It can take you a long way."

"So you're saying that Lucy's wood is real?"

Her grandfather leaned against his desk, "What I'm saying that by following what you believe you will find the answers to what you are looking for."

She rolled her eyes, "Thanks." she said sarcastically

He chuckled, "I rather like those Pevensie children, and I think you have a soft spot for them as well."

She smiled softly, seeing that her grandfather was trying to move away from the subject of her mother, "Yes, they are rather exciting."

They stood in silence for a moment, Adeline not knowing what else to say. The thought of her mother was still floating in her head and she wanted to keep asking about her. But she knew that her grandfather would do what he did before which was to give her vague answers then send her on her way.

"What of your nightmares?"

"Hmm?" Adeline hummed, the question breaking through her thoughts.

"Your nightmares. Are you still having them?" her grandfather repeated.

Adeline furrowed her brows. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't had any nightmares for a while. It was strange that she hadn't noticed.

"No," she said shaking her head, "Not since the Pevensies arrived."

He nodded slowly, weighing her answer, "Good, good. It must be the excitement."

"Must be."

A sudden yawn caught her off guard and Adeline remembered her tiredness. Taking a peek at the clock sitting on her grandfather's desk she could see it was almost three in the morning.

The professor stood from where he was sitting and began to lead her out of the room, "Well I mustn't keep you from your bed any longer my dear."

Adeline left the room and turned to bid him farewell. Just as she opened her mouth the door shut loudly as her grandfather retreated into his study.

Typical. Adeline sighed and said tiredly,

"Goodnight."

~

This isn't my favorite chapter. I feel like it's too wordy and long but that's just my opinion. The reason it took so long to update was that I kept going back and trying to fix things here and there and I kind of just gave up.

Thank you for over 100 reads! That is actually amazing to me (even though most would disagree). I love and appreciate everyone who has read my book. I would love to hear more from you. Comments are a great way for me to know you more.

Question of the day:

~If you could visit Narnia, where would you go first? Ex. Lantern Waste, Cair Paravel, Lone Islands etc.~

Again, thank you so much for reading and don't forget: stay home, wash your hands and limit contact with others.

Stay safe everyone!

Until next time,

StoryTeller5678