It was the thirteenth year of the Golden Age, and the Kings and Queens at Cair Paravel were at the peak of their power. They ruled benevolently, granting freedoms unimaginable during the years of Winter under the White Witch. All creatures spent their days frolicking about and when time came to honor their rulers, they did so graciously, attending balls and parties at Cair.

Almost instantly, the siblings began to attract foreign royalty who wanted to form marriage alliances. Mostly, young princes came for Susan, already a beauty, but Peter was the first to marry. At seventeen, he married a duchess from Archenland.

That had been nine years ago. Susan still had yet to pick a husband from her coterie of suitors, and neither Edmund nor Lucy showed any interest in marriage. This caused one of the many rows between Peter and Susan.

"I don't know why you've not married," Peter said. "And Ed and Lu are both absolutely against it. Whenever I mention some suitor or some eligible maiden is coming to visit, they find an excuse to escape the parties. At least you try to entertain your suitors."

"You should be patient with them," Susan said calmly. "And there is another suitor coming next week, the Tisroc's eldest son, with a large party. Perhaps a son of a Tarkaan for Lucy, and a young Tarkheena for Edmund?"

"We can only hope," Peter grumbled. "We are Duke of Olvin and his son. You remember Cat's father and brother. I will accept no excuses from either Edmund or Lucy."

When they heard that they would be obliged to entertain guests the following week, among them eligible partners for marriage, both Edmund and Lucy grew very angry. Edmund sulked. Lucy yelled at Peter, I HATE YOU!" But noting they said or did got them out of it. They still had to be fitted for new clothes and practice what they might say.

"I think I might step on the duke's toes if we're obliged to dance," she muttered to herself.

"Now, Your Majesty," reprimanded the Dryad who was doing her fitting. "That's no way to treat a guest."

Finally, after enduring pinching pulling, and poking, Lucy was finally ready. Her gown was pale blue, to match her eyes, with a silver cape emblazoned with Aslan's emblem on the back. To her mortification, she discovered that Susan's gown and cape were the exact same, but deeper blue with a gold cape.

She took her place uneasily on her throne. She glanced over at Edmund, noticing that he and Peter too wore similar ensembles. She chuckled a bit.

Peter's wife, Catriona, stood below the thrones. It suddenly dawned on Lucy that she was welcoming her family to Cair Paravel: her father, the Duke of Olvin, and her brother, the future duke.

Into the hall they came, the familiar, but slightly aged man Lucy had met briefly at Peter's wedding. Following him, was a young man about Edmund's age, who she reckoned was Olvin's son, Thomas, but he wasn't the same boy he had been then, who loved nothing more than pranks. He was taller, broader, and his features were intense. And not to mention, his sandy-blond hair was slightly shorter.

And his eyes...was he staring at her? It was as if he could see into her soul.

"Your Majesties," the Duke of Olvin said, kneeling. Thomas kneeled beside him, clutching his older sister's hand.

Peter stood. "Rise, my lords. You are our friends and our family." He came to his wife's side.

The duke and his son rose. "We are pleased to return to Narnia," Thomas said. Dear Aslan, his voice is deep, Lucy marveled. And it sounded even raspier than Edmund's.

"We hope you will enjoy your stay here," said Peter. "And that our friendship might become stronger still."

Though Lucy knew what Peter was inferring, she was now much more intrigued by these visitors. Especially Thomas. How had he changed in nine years?