The four kings and queens of Narnia were at rest. It was a time of peace in Narnia, and it was spring. Birds sang cheerily outside the open windows of King Edmund's chambers. He had been holed up there working over treasury records for the better part of a day and his siblings had come to bring him lunch and keep him company. Susan and Peter were occupied in a game of chess while Lucy alternately hummed along with the birds, 'helped' with the chess game, or chatted with Edmund.
"Huh," Edmund said into a moment of silence. His eyes flicked back over the parchment in his hand and he said it again. "Huh."
"What?" Peter said absently, moving one of his pawns to intercept Susan's bishop.
"Well, I've just discovered something," Edmund said. "I don't know how our calendar and the Narnian calendar fit together, but according to our calendar, tomorrow is April first."
"So?" asked Peter. He worried at his lip and studied the board. Susan had moved her rook in closer, placing his king in peril. He moved one of his knights to block her path. Lucy moved away from where she had been counseling Peter to read over Edmund's shoulder.
"How interesting!" she said, a delighted and mischievous grin taking over her face.
"Isn't it?" replied Edmund with a matching smile.
"What is?" Peter asked, eyes glancing from the board. In that moment Susan darted her queen in for the kill and crowed over him, "Checkmate!"
"What? No!" Peter looked back to the chess board, but the game was lost. He conceded that Susan played a fine game and they shook hands amicably over the field of battle. Then they went to discover what was so interesting about the date.
"April first is tomorrow," Lucy explained. "Which means that it's-"
"April Fools Day," Susan finished, eyes lighting up.
"Oh no," Peter said, heading the idea off at the pass. He could see where this was heading. "We are not playing pranks on everyone." And we're not having pranks played on us, he added to himself.
"Come on, Peter, please?" Lucy begged, her eyes going wide in that pleading puppy way that always made the eldest Pevensie melt. Curse her for knowing how to use it. "It'd be fun. We don't need to tell everybody."
"It'd be better if we didn't," Edmund added. "It'd be chaos. We can just prank each other."
"No."
"Come on, Peter, be a sport," said Edmund.
"No."
"One day," Susan pleaded. "That's all. Please?"
"Well..."
"I'll make you a trifle," Lucy coaxed. "The kind you like with the berries on top."
"Fine," the High King huffed. "But you know the rules..."
"Nothing dangerous or downright mean," Edmund quoted. "We know." He exchanged excited smiles with his younger sister. "This is going to be great."
Peter sighed. There was no getting out of it now, he was doomed to prank and be pranked, it seemed. He glanced over at Susan, who had been suspiciously quiet. Maybe she didn't want to do it either...? "Sue?"
Susan smiled at him dangerously. "Just thinking about everything I could do to you tomorrow."
He groaned in defeat. "Oh joy." Tomorrow is going to be terrible, thought Peter.
Tomorrow is going to be amazing, thought Susan, Edmund and Lucy.