This is the first story I'm submitting to so I hope you all like it! Sorry the summary really sucks but if you know me, you know summaries are not my cup of tea! haha! No copyright infringement intended!

It was Susan's birthday today and of course all of Narnia was in an uproar for her birthday celebration. In castle Cair Paravel the Pevensies were preparing for the ball along with everyone else at the palace. Lucy and Susan were in Susan's dressing chamber, getting ready for the ball.

"I love that shade of green on you, Lucy!" Susan said as she pinned a soft pink flower onto the bodice of her crimson gown.

"Yes, you've told me many times already!" Lucy giggled as she swished her sea green dress sprinkled with tiny diamonds. "Do you think we'll dance the whole night? Oh I hope we do! Maybe you'll meet someone eligible, Susan! You're 24 now!"

"Is that all you think about, Lucy? Suitors?" Susan took hold of her sister's hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Though I do think I know who you're hoping to come."

"And who would that be?" Lucy swung her and her sister's hands back and forth slightly, still smiling.

"Prince Chars!" the sisters giggled together. "I do think he likes you, Lucy!"

"Really?" Lucy let go of her sister's hands and bit her bottom lip. "He's very charming and well mannered. Do you think he'll dance with me? I hope he does! And also…" Lucy trailed off as she sat down on a cushioned chair.

"And also what?" Susan sat down next to her.

"Oh nothing. It doesn't matter…" Lucy seemed a bit troubled as she turned her face from her sister to look out the window at the glistening sea.

"Lucy, what's bothering you?" Susan put a comforting hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Is it still the same thing? The thing about Mr…Tumnus?"

Lucy nodded her head. "He never seems to notice me at all, well at least not for the woman I am now. He can't see me as anything but the same little girl he met at the lamppost years ago. I doubt he ever will."

"Oh, Lucy, don't let that bother you," Susan used the best motherly tone she had. "He's much too old for you anyway. And besides, you have Chars to look out for now! I'm sure you'll find him much more suitable!"

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Lucy smiled as she turned her head to face Susan. "I'm just wasting my time thinking about him. Chars is a more reasonable target for me anyway. And what about you, Susan, who do you have your eyes on?"

"Oh…well…no one really," she looked down at her hands. "I'm just keeping my eyes open for anyone suitable for me."

"Well tell me when you find him!" she grabbed her older sister's hands as their spirits became merry once again.

As the two Pevensie girls continued their talking and giggling, the Pevensie boys had their own conversations down the hall and around the corner in Peter's room.

"I can't stand these balls!" Edmund fell down onto his back onto Peter's bed.

"Oh quite your complaining, Ed!" Peter rolled his eyes as he turned to see his brother sit up from the bed. "It's Susan's birthday. At least pretend to enjoy dancing! After all, there is many a fine young woman at these balls."

"They're all the same though," Edmund moaned as he stood up and strode over to the map of Narnia that hung on the wall.

"What do you mean they're all the same?" Peter leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table.

"It's just that all these girls at royal balls have no…no…no sense of adventure, really! No sense of fun! They all just dance and talk about their dresses! They have no sense at all!" Edmund fell back onto the bed and put the palms of his hands on his forehead in frustration.

"No sense at all? Where do you get that from, Ed? Why I know plenty of girls with sense!" Peter put his feet back on the ground and leaned forward in his chair.

"I don't mean our sisters or maids, Peter!" Edmund flopped his hands down to his sides and continued to stare at the ceiling.

"What do you mean, Edmund?" Peter said sternly.

"Don't play stupid, Peter! You know what I'm talking about!" Edmund sat up and faced his brother. Peter didn't say anything but just gave Edmund a stern look. "Oh come on, Peter! You honestly thought I wouldn't find out about her! If you're going to be secretly seeing someone don't make it one of Lucy's maids! Lucy's the one who found out about you and Anise and we've all known for about a month now!"

"Are you serious?" Peter sat back in his chair again. "You, Lucy, and Susan have all known? And I thought I was so clever at this game…"

"Well whatever game it is you're playing has to stop. When you shine the bright light on this situation she's a maid and you're a king. Not that rank is very important here but there's also the matter of…" Edmund eyed his brother and then looked up at the ceiling.

"The matter of what?" Peter sat up straight and looked at his brother with piercing eyes. "What, Edmund?"

"Well don't you know already?" when his brother's face showed no sign of getting at whatever Edmund was saying, he gave him a smug look. "I can't believe you don't know!"

"Edmund! Tell me!" Peter stood up from his chair and stepped over to his brother.

"I still can't believe you don't know already!" Edmund chuckled to himself. "Are you sure you want to know this?"

"Just tell me, Edmund!" Peter shouted as he clenched his fists.

"Ok then…your choice," Edmund stood up and placed his hands on Peter's shoulders. "Well…your little Anise is engaged to another man."

"What?" Peter's face was full of shock as it decided whether to turn red with anger or go pale. "Tell me you're lying."

"Peter, I wouldn't lie to you about this," Edmund's expression was now sympathetic as he removed his hands form his brother's shoulders. "I'm sorry."

"How long have you known?" Peter said darkly as he glared at his brother. "How long have you known!"

"For about two weeks," Edmund walked over to the door. "I'll leave you alone then, I guess."

"Just go! Leave me!" Peter kicked over his chair and sat down on his bed, leaning over and hiding his face in his hands.

Edmund closed his brother's door behind him and walked down the hallway, around the corner and to his sister's room. He stopped at the doorway and put his hand up to knock. He heard Susan and Lucy laughing and decided not to disturb them with his news. Why should their spirits be dampened? He continued trudging down the hallway and through the palace. He smiled at his royal subjects as they passed by.

"Good day, Tumnus," he smiled at the faun and passed him by.

"Good day to you too, your majesty," Mr. Tumnus bowed slightly and smiled. He noticed Edmund looked a bit low in spirits. He couldn't quite figure what would be wrong and didn't think over it very long, he had other things on in his mind.

Tumnus, you old fool, tonight is your chance! You must talk to her!

He wrung out his hands as he walked out onto the balcony and looked out at the sea.

Oh what good will it do to talk to her about this? She thinks of you as nothing but an old silly faun and a dear friend. Why, she'll probably laugh at you if you tell her!

He loosened his blue satin scarf from around his neck and leaned against the palace wall.

Well, it's worth a try anyway. I can at least ask her to dance tonight and if things go well from there I'll talk to her about how I truly feel. Even if she doesn't feel the same at least I'll have gotten it off my chest.

He walked over to the ledge of the balcony and rested his hands on the cold stone. He took in a deep breath of the fresh air and closed his eyes. He opened his eyes to see the glistening sea and he smiled as the image of her came into his mind.

Oh, Lucy, if only you knew…if only you knew how I truly felt.

He looked out over the landscape and saw a procession coming. There were blue and purple banners. Chars was coming.

Inside one of the carriages Prince Chars sat with his cousin Aidan.

"It won't be long until we've arrived at Cair Paravel now," Aidan looked out the carriage window at the sea. "Marvelous lands here in Narnia. I really do like it when we visit here, I find the trip most relaxing."

"Relaxing? I find myself absolutely stiff with boredom when we make our way to Narnia," Chars was slouched in his seat with his hands folded across his chest.

"But the people of Narnia are very pleasant, don't you agree?" Aidan leaned back in his seat and looked over his cousin.

"I will admit they are very pleasant folk but a bit too happy about life for me," the prince let out a sigh.

"Too happy about life?" Aidan let out a slight laugh. "Why shouldn't they be? I wish that I could look at life with such a positive eye as they do. Who knows? Maybe once the month is over we'll go back home with a new enthusiasm for life."

"A whole month," Chars moaned. "We only stayed a week last time and that was defiantly long enough. I wish the High King hadn't invited us for so long a stay. I don't know how I'll manage to keep myself amused."

"Well…" a grin pulled at Aidan's mouth, "there are many young women here and you can't forget the queens, Susan and Lucy. From what I hear they're still quite eligible. And wasn't it Lucy who you had your eyes on last time? I'm sure she hasn't forgotten about you yet."

"Oh yes, I remember her," Chars sat up in his seat now and leaned forward. "She's very beautiful, at least she was last year. And I daresay she is very naïve." He sat back in his seat again as he smirked to himself. "Yes, I presume I'll find some use out of her for the time being."

"Of course you will," Aidan laughed. "She was quite enraptured with you last year and there's no young woman who can easily forget the charm you carry. In fact, one of my sister's friends was quite smitten by you at a ball recently."

"Really now?" Chars leaned forward and looked out the carriage window, his head full of conceited thoughts. One of the horses pulling the carriage behind them let out a whiney as it pranced down the road. Inside the carriage were Aidan's two sisters, Jemma and Pippa.

"Oh! Hang these fancy balls!" Pippa, who was 19, leaned back in her seat and looked out the window.

"Pippa! Must you be so negative about everything?" said Jemma, the oldest at 23. "And try not to pout, it's not very lady like."

"Everything's not very lady like to you," Pippa huffed and crossed her arms, rolling her brown eyes. "You're always scolding me for some sort of misconduct."

"Well maybe if you tried to act like the lady you are I might not scold you!" she looked at her sister who just rolled her eyes again. "Maybe if you tried applying the manners you use in public to your everyday life it might not be so difficult."

"Ah! But it's already difficult enough trying to smile here and not eat that there and don't run here and wear this dress and those shoes!" Pippa hit her head against the wall. "I hate all this proper stuff!"

"You're hopeless," Jemma said under her breath.

"I heard that!" Pippa sat sulking and looked out the window. "Are we there yet?"

"Soon," she joined her sister in looking out the window. "Actually it should be any minute now!"

"Good!" Pippa slouched in her seat again. "I'm tired of traveling!"

"Oh! Isn't Cair Paravel so beautiful?" Jemma smiled as she looked over the palace, her eyes passing over the window of Susan's dressing room, where her and Lucy were still preparing.

"Susan! Look! Chars is here!" Lucy practically shouted with joy and gave a little jump.

"They're the first ones to arrive tonight, then," Susan walked over to the window and looked down at the procession.

"Do you think Chars will remember me?" Lucy sat down in front of the mirror and brushed her long, silky brown hair.

"Of course he will! The only way he might not recognize you is because you've grown more beautiful since the last time he saw you!" Susan smiled as her sister blushed.

"Or because I'll be wearing a mask!" Lucy giggled as she ran her fingers over her silver mask speckled with little pink roses and pearls. "We've never had masquerade before, have we?"

"No, I don't believe we have," Susan looked out the window at a small blue bird flying freely through the air. The blue bird flew around the palace and past Peter's window. Peter paced about his room and occasionally sat down on his bed only to get up and pace a minute later.

"Engaged!" he muttered to himself. "I can't believe this!" he sat down on the bed again and hid his face in his cupped hands, remembering a week earlier….

The sun was warm on their faces and the birds sang a sweet tune for them. Peter and Anise were enjoying a picnic in a meadow late in the afternoon. Peter laid down on the blanket that was spread out on the ground and Anise laid beside him, resting her head on his chest, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. They laid like that for a while, enjoying the day and savoring each other's company. Peter kissed the top of her head and stroked her golden hair.

"Anise?" he whispered gently.

"Yes?" she whispered back in her sweet tone.

"We need to talk."

"About what?" she sat up and looked down at him with soft blue eyes.

"I am head over heels in love with you and I want you to marry me," he sat up too and kissed her on the forehead. When he drew away from her he noticed the regret and hesitation written on her face.

"Oh, Peter, don't you think it's too soon?" she tried to smile at him.

"Too soon? Anise, we've been seeing each other for six months now and I've proposed four times and every time you say the same thing," his voice was calm but on the verge of anger as he spoke. "Anise, I can't live without you. You have to say yes this time. Please."

"Peter, I love you so much too, but I just don't think it's the right time," she looked down at her hands. "I'm not ready for commitment."

"Few of us probably are," he cupped her face in his hands, "but I'm sure once we try it, it isn't a bad thing at all."

"Peter, I can't accept you now," she looked up at his eyes and down at her hands again. "Not now."

He let go of her face and stood up. "When are you going to be ready? It's practically killing me to have to do all this waiting for you to accept. I love you and you love me! I'm crazy for you! We both know it! The only sensible thing is for us to get married!"

"But, Peter, I'm…I just…I can't," she continued to look at her hands as she spoke. "Not now."

"What's wrong, Anise? There has to be something else wrong," he sat back down next to her. "You can talk to me."

"Nothing," she looked into his eyes, "I just don't think it's the right time for me to marry you."

"Well then," he stood up again, "it makes no sense for me to keep on proposing so when you're ready, tell me. But I think we should be getting back now. They'll wonder where we went soon."

Peter stood up from the bed and walked over to his desk. He pressed down on it with his hands and then ran his hands over some books piled up. His eyes flashed with anger and he swung his hand up in the air and brought it down to knock over the pile of books.

"Why do you have to torture me, Anise?" he yelled and kicked a book that was lying by his foot. His shout was heard down the hall as Edmund continued his walking around the palace. It somewhat pained him to think of his brother in there. He hadn't seen his brother so hurt before. He was thinking of going back in there to talk to him but decided against it, he thought he better leave him alone now. He continued through the hall until he reached Susan's room. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Coming!" he heard Susan's dress rustle as she made her way to the door and opened it. "Edmund!" her smile faded as she saw the expression on his face. "Is something wrong?"

"I need to talk to you guys," Edmund walked past Susan into her room and sat down on a chair by the window next to Lucy.

"What's wrong?" Lucy put down her hairbrush as she looked at her brother with blue eyes shimmering with concern.

"It's Peter," Edmund looked out the window at the sea and back to his sister's worried faces.

"What's wrong? What happened to Peter? Is he ill?" Susan kneeled down next to her brother and took his hands in hers. "What is it, Edmund?"

"He…he found out…about Anise," he gazed out the window again. "He's not taking the news very well at all. And why should he? She's a filthy little wench."

"You mean, she hadn't told him?" Lucy felt pained for her oldest brother. "She told me that she was going to tell him and that she didn't want me to tell him, that she would do it. She didn't tell him! I thought they had split up a while ago."

"No, he just found out today," Edmund continued to gaze at the foamy waves from the sea. "I thought she had told him too, that's what surprised me. You told me that she was going to tell him. I thought that he was just hiding his emotions rather well and didn't want to mention it to anyone. But no, it's worse than that. This is the worst I've ever seen him, at least from when I left him."

"Should we go talk to him?" Susan let go of her brother's hands and started for the door.

"No! Don't!" Edmund stood up as well. "We should leave him for now. He wouldn't want us to see him like this, I could hear him yelling, he wouldn't be too happy to talk to anyone right now. Let's give him another hour or two to cool down a bit. He's gonna be fine, he always comes out fine."

"You're right," Susan put her hand on the doorknob. "We'll go talk to him sometime before the ball, but now we need to go greet out guests."

There you have it! The first chapter! Did you like it? Did you hate it? Want to see more? Never want to see it again? Please tell me what you think! I'd really appreciate it!