#╭ * . verse ⚜ aslan’s country . * ╮

[theenchantingtm]

one thing rayne had expected to take years yet to happen is for susan to appear in aslan's country - not a mere months. but she wasn't about to be upset when her beloved sister-in-law walked into saltwater court palace and announced her arrival to their eternal heaven. of course, it was heartbreaking that susan had died in her world at such a young age, but it felt good to have their family whole again, and it had felt amazing to hold susan in her arms and have the deep conversations they had been known for in their past.

therefore, susan's arrival had made their first annual celebration of yuletide in aslan's country that much more special. rayne's first days had been spent spending time with loved ones and new friends alike, before rayne had finally ventured out of saltwater court palace to partake in the many festivities - the first of which being the frost fair. rayne hauled up her children and off they went to have fun with their cousins.

during her lifetime, rayne had always enjoyed the frost fair, but had never played like the kids always would. but this year, it must have been something in the air, for all at once, rayne, susan, arlise, and jacquetta had the same thought - snowball fight! rayne's first throws had not landed their intended targets, but once she got back into the habit, she found it much easier for her aim to be successful. the playful jests from her sister-in-laws seemed a massive help in the matter as well, and rayne's next throw landed in target smack in the middle of the face - jacquetta.

certainly, the most unexpected thing that had happened since the destruction of narnia and reuniting with edmund in aslan's country was the arrival of susan, at the start of their yuletide celebrations. but arlise had missed susan dearly, and had spent far too long without her sister-in-law in her afterlife. arlise knew that susan hadn't truly forgotten about them - she understood all too well the reality of living when your loved ones are in a separate world. she couldn't find fault with how susan chose to grieve her many losses from narnia while continuing to move forward on earth.

it was with a full and happy heart that arlise welcomed the first celebration of yuletide in aslan's country, happy to once again celebrate traditions from her time in narnia with her family and friends. it was something she had missed during her prior years in aslan's country, and now that narnia had been destroyed she was very welcoming of the changes happening throughout their eternal kingdom.

the frost fair had always been a favorite event for arlise - just seeing the joy on all the children's faces was something she would forever love and cherish. but this year, things just felt different. apparently, their entire group had thought the same thing - at the same time. with nothing but giggles escaping her lips, arlise quickly ran behind a pillar and scooped up a fresh snowball, delicately smooshing it in her hands to form a ball before whipping it at susan, whose playful taunts quickly brought up the competitiveness within her. "oh, who has bad aim now? looks like rayne does."

[theenchantingtm]

The reappearance of the Ice Festival warmed Rayne's heart and spirit. It was one of her favorite traditions during her time in the old Narnia, both because of the special moments with family, and getting to see new and old faces enjoying themselves at court. She would never get annoyed at the sound of children's laughter, their feet pounding down on the stone floors of the castle, or snowballs whipping through the air around her head. She simply thrived at this time of year, and was just as excited as the children to see it back.

Aimlessly, she found herself wandering around the festivities, soaking up all the sights, sounds, and smells of the afternoon. The sound of music had just started to tingle in her ears when she found herself meeting with another. "Oh, dear!" She had managed to startle herself, and had hoped dearly that she had not harmed the young girl when she hit into her. "Are you okay, sweetie?" As she felt the young girl's hand grasp her arm, she felt the need to put her free arm around the girl's shoulders.

STATUS: Closed except for @theenchantingtm LOCATION: aslan's country-saltwood court palace-ice festival DATE & TIME: winter 0001 ac-early afternoon

Emilie couldn't help but laugh as she looked around at all the colorful banners set up in the snow. It was her first time being a human again in centuries, just in time for the first Ice Festival in Aslan's Country. She had been to the ice festivals when she was a girl, at her sister-in-law's court, but (with no offense to Tamzin) it had been nothing like this. The feel of the crisp winter air, the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg, the warmth of the fires in the hearths, the sound of children laughing, and the rainbow of colors; it was enough to overwhelm the senses. Emilie loved it.

She heard the sound of musicians striking up, and was just turning around to look when she bumped into another young woman. Emilie reached out and grabbed her arm, both to steady the other woman and herself. "Pardon me!" She exclaimed. "I haven't quite gotten my sea legs yet."