At last, Peter, Susan, and Lucy arrive with the Beavers to the Stone Table where Aslan, in all of his regal majesty, appears for the first time in the story. Yet, for all of the joy and overwhelming awe the children experience in meeting him, the twin visions of the Stone Table and Cair Paravel remind them (and the reader) of the great challenges to come: that the path to redemption and rule comes at a very great cost.