Title: My Best Friend
Summary: 'Cousin' a name given to one who you are close to. The nickname shared by Prince Rilian and his best friend, Princess Elanor.
Disclaimer: I do not own Narnia. Never will.
A/N: NO FLAMES! Not accepted.
2nd A/N: This is sort of like the prequel to King Peter, My Father. But they are also stand-alone fics. As there are no references made. Except that Rilian and Elanor have been friends for years.
4-year-old Princess Elanor looked up at the large oak door in front of her. Her mother had told her to stay there and wait for her to come back. Elanor always obeyed her mother, she had no father to speak her mother had never spoken of her father. It was only when the door opened that Elanor knew her mother was not coming back. A young woman looked down at her and then Elanor was scooped up and hurried inside. Elanor knew her mother had given her a note to hold onto. She didn't know what it said but Elanor knew it must be important. She was sat down on a large squishy bed and the woman looked down at her.
"You look like Peter." She said, she stood with her hands on her hips, her long fair hair was pulled back by braids and she looked as if she was trying remember something she couldn't. Elanor reached into her pocket and held out the parchment still not sure if she should say anything. The woman opened the note and stared at it before looking back at Elanor.
"Elanor, that is your name?" Elanor nodded, "and you're four-years-old?" Another nod, "it says here that you are King Peter's daughter. That is wonderful! That means I am your Aunt Lucy!" she picked Elanor up once more and took the little girl up to Peter's study. He knocked on the door, the parchment clutched in her hand, Edmund opened the door and stepped back sharply.
"Lucy? Who's this?" He asked, Lucy smiled and instead of answering Edmund she handed Peter the note. Peter scanned it then looked back up at the girl in Lucy's arms.
"Well Peter? What do you think? Is she or isn't she?" Lucy said as Peter handed the note to Edmund to read with Susan as he got to his feet and looked a little harder at Elanor. The four-year-old hadn't been looked at so much in her life. She was a young child after all, she only knew being seen but not heard. Or in her case not seen and not heard.
"I do believe she is." Peter said carefully taking the child from Lucy, he held her securely against his side and Elanor felt the change. As one might feel the same thing with finding their twin for the first time in their lives. She sensed that he was her father, or that is what Peter would claim later, and she wrapped her little arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. Susan and Edmund watched in amazement as Peter instantly became a father. He would have a lot to learn but he became a father in that instance.
"No! I want Daddy!" The shout came from Susan's room as Peter made his way to bed that night, he bypassed his room to see Lucy opening Susan's door and grabbing his arm yanked him inside.
"We can't get her to bathe. Peter it's a nightmare! Even with Susan's experience." Lucy said. Peter took Elanor from his sister and she instantly quietened.
"Come now. Come on darling, its bath time. You want to be clean don't you?" Peter said; he sat Elanor on the counter by the tub they had brought up for the child. Elanor allowed her father to help her undress place her in the tub. Peter may not have ever been a father but being the oldest in the family he had helped with Edmund and Lucy. In fact when Lucy was born (Peter had been 4) he hah woken at night whenever Lucy cried and sometimes he would wander into her room and calm her down until his mother came to see what was wrong.
Peter watched as Elanor let Susan wash her clean and then Peter lifted her out and wrapped her tightly as he dared in a large towel. He dried her quickly and Lucy handed him a nightdress for her. As it had been morning when Elanor was found Lucy and Susan had been with the seamstress and she had made clothes for the little Princess – as that is what Elanor was now – and Lucy had dragged Edmund down to the he market to find nightdresses for Elanor.
Edmund was not one for shopping ing England let alone here in Narnia. He wished for the Dawn Treader. It had been four year since they had been given the choice to leave Narnia or to stay. Edmund and Lucy had gone on the voyage with Caspian and to choose once more to stay or go. Lucy refused to leave Peter and Susan and Edmund refused to leave Lucy. Knowing that if he left he'd go back to the Strand station in London. Edmund chose to stay and this was his punishment. Though Peter knew a guest room was being set up for Elanor he took her back to his room saying he could stay with him for tonight.
It came the Princess's 5th birthday and a party was held. Small and only close friends were called for the party. This included of course, King Caspian from across the country. And his son. Liliandil was ill and couldn't make the journey. The moment Elanor and Rilian set eyes on each other (Rilian was 3); they knew they'd be friends. The party was the best Elanor ever had. With her mother she had never had parties. Elanor had asked her father many times when her mother was coming back, Peter always said 'soon' and eventually Elanor stopped asking. This party was the first she would remember when she got older.
Rilian and Elanor sat in one corner for most of the night, trying to talk, but they didn't know all the same words, so Elanor got bored quickly. But when Edmund – her favourite (and only) Uncle – made his way over and told her that it was probably time for her and Rilian to go to bed, she found she was more sleepy then bored. Peter and Caspian had already agreed for the Prince and Princess to share the Princess' quarters for the night.
Edmund led both up to her room, he told Elanor to go into the bathroom and change into her nightdress, and he'd help Rilian change. When Elanor emerged from the bathroom after asking her Uncle to open the door for her (she couldn't reach the handle) and he lifted her up onto the bed where he had already settled Rilian and kissed her forehead twice ("One from me and one from your father," he said) and told Rilian he'd send his father up to kiss him goodnight soon.
However when Caspian went to kiss his son goodnight and then retire to his own chambers he found both children curled together fast asleep. Caspian didn't need to ask the Centaurs if the children's destinies were tied together to know. Rilian and Elanor would be friends forever. And nothing and no one was ever going to change the bond that the two would share. It would be unwise of the Kings to try and keep them apart.
5 Years Later
"Come on Rilly!" Elanor laughed as she raced through the garden with her best friend of 5 years. Prince Rilian sighed and ran harder after her. Elanor was all legs; she was by far and away so much faster than he was but he didn't care, he was just happy he had a friend like Elanor. Clever and he was the envy of many other Princes he'd met. Including ones from Archenland and Ettinsmoor. As he could say he was best friends with the Princess. High King Peter's daughter. Rilian knew his father and Peter had planned to have them betrothed to each other only if they were of age. They would have to wait two years after Elanor came of age to betroth them. However, by that time Elanor might have accepted the proposal of another. Rilian didn't bother with the mechanics of it. He was only 8 after all. He just knew that would happen. The maids in his father's castle talked and his mother often told him that he and Princess Elanor were a 'smart match'. Whatever that meant. Elanor had dropped to the ground under the oak tree, she was forever climbing it. Today she had just dropped down beside it and waited for Rilian to catch up.
"What's up, Ellie? You were so happy this morning, now you're sad?" Rilian said sitting down next to her. His tunic would be ruined but then – why should he care?
"My father has forgotten me." The ten-year-old replied.
"Nonsense! Your father could never forget you!" Rilian said, Elanor shook her head.
"You'd think so after all the times we played together out here. But he has stopped spending time with me. Uncle Edmund often takes me for walks, but I can't play with him, he says it would be improper if he was seen to be playing as Father once did." Elanor said. Rilian put his hand on her shoulder.
"Do you forget who your father is? He is a busy man." Rilian said.
Elanor scoffed, "My father isn't anyone else but my father."
"I can recite his titles to you if you like. Father made me learn them." Rilian told her.
"I've heard them enough from Uncle Edmund. Shall I?" She said crossing her arms across her chest, "Peter, by the gift of Aslan, by election, by prescription and by conquest, High King over all Kings in Narnia, Emperor of the Lone Islands, Lord of Cair Paravel, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion. I know. I've heard it and read it enough times." Elanor said slumping against the trunk of the tree.
"Ellie – at least you've still got me." Rilian said with a smile, again the Princess scoffed.
"For three weeks every year. It's hardly the time best friends spend together. Aunt Susan and Aunt Lucy told me that Best Friends in their world spend every day together. We see each other for our birthdays and then once at the Yuletide feast. We are not together enough. But then I guess living on opposite sides of the country doesn't help." Elanor said sighing. It was true; Cair Paravel and Caspian's castle weren't exactly next door to each other. Uncle Edmund had said that the late Lord Miraz's castle was where the Beavers – that Elanor had read about in the Chronicles of the crowning of King Caspian – had lived in their house. Cair Paravel was on the Eastern shore. It took just on three days to get there! Rilian sat a little closer to Elanor, he didn't mind sitting and just not talking with Elanor, but the Oak tree was the place Elanor went to vent and to let out her anger or her pain when something happened. Like her father's sudden change in mood or something. It was nearing Winter and the air had a chill to it, they couldn't stay out too long but Elanor loved to break the rules and she often led Rilian astray.
"Elanor! Rilian!" Uncle Edmund was calling them, "come inside! It's getting cold!" Rilian made to get up but Elanor didn't move.
"Ellie?" Rilian said from where he stood. Edmund could see the young Prince now that he had stood up so he knew where Elanor was. He sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Elanor, if you don't come inside I'll send Trumpkin out to get you!" Elanor hated the dwarf and huffed, getting to her feet reluctantly, but still she took Rilian's hand and pasted a fake smile on her face before going up to the castle with her best friend beside her. Edmund closed the door behind them.
"You've used that threat a lot, Ed. You'd think she'd know by now you're not going to send Trumpkin out to get her." Lucy said after the children had diapered from sight to go up and dress for dinner. Edmund shrugged.
"It still works. Until the day it doesn't I'll keep using it." He said.
5 Years Later
Rilian mounted his horse with ease he had grown inches taller since he was 8 and now at 13 he was taller than most teens his age. But he knew he'd never be taller than Elanor. He had told his father when they returned to their castle after Rilian's ninth birthday that he wanted to spend more time with Elanor. So whenever a council was to be held at Cair Paravel (or every second council) Caspian and Rilian would ride to the Eastern Shore, for the council and for Rilian and Elanor to spend more time together.
The ride to Cair Paravel was uneventful as it normally was, and for that everyone was grateful. Not that there were many creatures that were not on the Kings and Queens side. Most of the others had been wiped out or had changed to the side of good. Caspian watched his son as Cair Paravel came into sight; Rilian kicked his horse into a canter. Caspian followed and the guards after him.
Rilian was dismounting when his father entered the courtyard. Peter and Edmund made their way down to the courtyard, three women stood at the doors, before the youngest let out a squeal that sounded oddly like Rilian's name and she came down the steps and threw her arms around Rilian's neck. His arms curled around her waist and held her tightly. Elanor was happy, Peter was happy, everyone was happy.
"You're my best friend, Rilly." Elanor said as they sat in the sitting room later playing a game of chess. Rilian smiled.
"Thank-you, Ellie. You're my best friend too." He said, moving his knight, "Check." Elanor looked down at the board, she hadn't been concentrating she smiled and laughed. She reached out and moved her King out of check but then realized her mistake.
"Checkmate." Rilian said with not a note of superiority, he just set about setting up the board again and this time turning the board so Elanor would make the first move. They were using Uncle Edmund's chess set. Solid Gold and silver pieces. The silver was used as white and of course gold was black. White moves first. They played round after round of chess, until both started yawning and grew bored. Edmund came in to see what they were doing a while later and found the chess board halfway into a game before the pair had curled up on armchairs beside one another and fallen asleep. What funny things happen to children nowadays. He shook his head and quietly packed the chess board and pieces away.
After Elanor's 16th birthday
Rilian sat with Elanor after she'd recovered from her ordeal with her mother, Lady Victoria, and half-brother, Gideon.
"How are you feeling?" He asked glancing up from his book. Elanor smiled at him softly and continued to sew something into a square of white cloth.
"I feel fine, Rilly. Really." She said quietly. Rilian frowned at her.
"You can hardly fool me, Cousin." He stated plainly.
"Never thought I could." Elanor responded with a smile. She'd picked up some of the language used in her Family's world that held many strange and fascinating things. Elanor especially loved to hear about cars and trains. Both looked up sharply when the door of the sitting room opened. Caspian and Peter stood there. The children weren't sure if they would be in trouble or told the leave the room and settle somewhere else to complete what they were doing. Elanor put down her project and Rilian caught sight of what looked like letters that she would have done with charcoal or a pencil then gone over with the cotton.
"Father?" Both teens said at once, "Your Majesty?" Again this was said as one. The Kings smiled and looked at each other.
"You two really are that close?" Caspian said with a chuckle. Elanor glanced at Rilian with a cocked eyebrow. Rilian felt heat flare in his cheeks. He may only be 14 but he had been crushing on his best friend from the time he understood what it was he was feeling. He'd told his father and Edmund of it, but hadn't dared breath a word of it to the Queens or High King. Rilian gave a small smile and turned back to the two Kings.
"Is there anything we can help you or Dear Caspian with Father?" Elanor asked picking up her project once more.
"Not really, we came to see what you were doing. We couldn't hear laughter like when you are both playing chess." Peter said.
"We did not feel the desire to play chess today. Rilian wanted to read over the Chronicles again and I am making a gift for Uncle Edmund."
"Really?" Peter said with a smile, "what might that be?"
"You swear not to breathe a word of this to him?"
"I can hardly keep secrets, Mija." Peter had learned basic Spanish at his school in England that word was one he used constantly with Elanor, it was her special nickname. It meant (literally) 'my daughter' but often the boys would have used it on Lucy.
"Then I will not tell." Elanor said. Peter looked at Rilian and the Prince shrugged.
"I know not, Majesty. I have not dared to ask." The Prince said, Peter understood, Rilian would never understand what Elanor did when she worked on this but she had been saying it would be a special gift for her Uncle when he got it on his birthday not 4 days away. Peter and Caspian shared another looked before bidding the teens goodbye and stepping out of the room again. Rilian looked at Elanor and she gave him a simple smile before holding up the square cloth. It was perfectly square and down in one corner were the letters. E. L. P.
"Edmund Lewis Pevensie." Elanor said, Rilian smiled. He understood now what it was, he had just read the chronicle of the two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve and the Faun called Tumnus. Lucy, the youngest of the four and their fair Valiant Queen had given the Faun a handkerchief, to wipe his eyes with. It had been given back to her by Mr Braver when they found Mr Tumnus gone. Elanor had shown it Rilian once, it had in one corner of it L. H. P. Lucy had been given her mother's name as her second name. Elanor went back to finishing off the P on the handkerchief and Rilian closed the book on his lap.
"Which one were you reading?" She asked.
"The one about Prince Cor." Elanor laughed.
"That's a good one. Very interesting how one cannot know about a twin brother." She said, Rilian nodded.
"I would be sure my father would tell me if I had a twin."
"He might but what if he believed that twin to be dead? Or had heard that the man who took you had sent you off with one of his knights, if memory serves. That is what happened is it not?" Elanor said seriously but a hint of a smile was on her face.
"Yes, very good, Cousin." Rilian said. Elanor smiled broader and got up from her seat unfolding her long legs and stretching. Rilian knew Elanor hated dresses but her Aunt Susan insisted that she wear them when she was not riding a horse or practicing her archery. Her hunting gear gave her much more freedom of movement. Rilian had always wished to have long legs like Elanor, to be tall and lean like she had said her father had once been. Peter wasn't fat by any means but he wasn't as fit as he used to be.
"Well I have now finished Uncle Edmund's present and hopefully he'll love it." Elanor said.
"You did it; he'll love it, Ellie." Elanor gave Rilian a smile and then told him she was going to bed. The sun had long since set and Elanor wasn't in the mood to stay up with only the light of candles. She tucked the now folded Handkerchief into a book and tucked the book under her arm. She kissed Rilian's cheek and made her way to her chambers. Her and Rilian stopped sharing chambers when Elanor turned 14. She was too old to share with a 12 year old then. Rilian didn't mind, but he missed having Elanor's scent on the pillows. For some reason it calmed him, and helped him to sleep better. He'd known it since he was 3 so it was like he'd lived with it his whole life. It was going to be very difficult not to fall more and more in love with her.
Sometime after Rilian's 16th birthday
18-year-old Elanor was in the stable grooming Justice when a voice came from the doorway.
"You groom him anymore he'll shine like the stars, Cousin." There was only one person who called her cousin, aside from Calhoun, who was inside having his lessons with one of the tutors. Elanor had had lessons with Rilian when they were younger, Edmund would go to the Castle with her and she'd have her lessons there or Cornelius would travel with Rilian and Caspian to Cair Paravel and they'd have their lessons there. But now they had to have two different tutors. Rilian had his lessons less and less and Calhoun needed a constant.
"Rilian? What are you doing here? Not that I am not glad to see you, cousin, as I am. But it is neither my anniversary nor is it yours. Why do you choose to ride out here by your lonesome?" Elanor asked as she put down the brush and started to pet Justice's neck. Rilian stood smiling at Elanor. He had the very same smirk his father's possessed.
"I came to visit you, Ellie. My father need not accompany me now. I'm 16 by rights." He told her, she nodded, she'd been at his father's castle not two months ago for his birthday.
"True, Cousin. But you are still a child." Elanor said with a smile.
"No more a child then you are." He said, "I am also nearly as tall as you are." He said standing up near the stall door now and indeed he was merely an inch shorter than her.
"You still haven't told me what you are doing here, Cousin." Elanor said smiling broadly at him. Rilian rolled his eyes.
"I'd rather tell you and your family all at once." He said. Elanor nodded gave Justice a quick kiss on the nose then stepped out of the stall and led Rilian up to the Castle. Her family were in the throne room. They had been overseeing court. Usually Elanor would have been present but she had escaped saying that she was no in the mood for court that day.
"Presenting, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Elanor and guest." The doors opened, Rilian walked behind her so as to keep hidden from the Kings and Queens of Old.
"Elanor?" Peter asked.
"Father, I am so sorry I am late. But I have someone with a much different reason to kneel at your feet." She stepped aside to reveal the Prince who immediately dropped to one knee in front of them. Elanor stood up next to Uncle Edmund and they shared a smile.
"Your Majesty, I have come to ask for your blessing." Rilian felt ridiculous kneeling in front of the men he referred to as 'Uncle' in private and the women who let him use their Christian names in private.
"Our blessing, Rilian? Whatever for?" Lucy asked.
"I wish to take the Princess' hand in marriage." Elanor's eyes went wide and silence fell. It was deafening. Elanor looked to her father and he winked at her.
"Prince Rilian," Peter used his best King voice for this, "you are known to our family, you have been the Princess' best friend for many years now, if she has no objections and my fellow monarchs see not fault, I see no reason to deny your request." Peter said. There was a beat of silence, before the door of the throne room was opened and another figure stepped in.
"I object." Elanor nearly fainted. Gideon. She let out a noise between a scream and grunt and turned to look at him head on.
"You have no power to say yes or no to who I marry. You are a Calormene and I can make my own decisions. Anyway – you're younger than me." Elanor said, ever since she had been gifted with a dagger for her 17th birthday it never left her belt. Her fingers twitched and hovered a centimetre from the hilt.
"I am Prince Gideon of Calormen and I also wish for the Princess' hand in marriage." No sooner had the words left his mouth a dagger was embedded in his right shoulder. He dropped to the floor in agony. Elanor stalked over to him and stood over him.
"Three things – one you disgust me, two you are a Calormene and three YOU'RE MY HALF-BROTHER!" She kicked him for good measure, she turned back to her family and Rilian, "oh and father? I accept Rilian's proposal." She then yanked her dagger from Gideon's chest and walked out. Rilian knew the answer to his question before he asked it, she was his best friend after all.
"She's going to be a handful isn't she?" Rilian said turning back to Peter and the others, Edmund shook his head and called for the healer. Peter smiled and nodded.
"Well…you'll never be bored, Rilian. Let me say that. You'll never be bored." Peter smiled; he knew his daughter would be happy with Rilian, best friend for years, 'cousin' the affectionate nickname to each other. It was a smart match. Rilian was the right fit for Elanor. No one else would do. No one else had a chance. Peter trusted Rilian with Elanor's life the way he would trust Edmund or Caspian with his own.
For all of those who don't like me breaking canon, I have recently bought The Chronicles of Narnia the book with all 7 novels in it. So I have canon references and sometimes you'll catch a word or saying from the books. (e.g. Peter's FULL title.) Also the last bit was pretty much copied and pasted from King Peter, My Father. Sorry ran out of steam and it was the same anyway.