"Mother! Mother! The sky is on fire!" a little girl ran up to her mother.
"It is alright, child," the mother soothed.
"Will the fire burn us?"
"No, my darling, those are fireworks. The Kings and Queens have thrown a ball to honor the royal family of Merin because they are visiting. The fireworks cannot hurt us, they are for us to enjoy."
"They are pretty. I wish I could go to the ball and see all the people."
"Yes dear but we will have to content ourselves with watching the fireworks from here. Let's sit and watch them," the mother sat down and pulled her small daughter into her lap and they watched from the top of a hill as the fireworks went off one after the other.
"It's so lovely isn't it Susan?" Lucy sighed as she looked out over the party.
"Yes it is a wonderful night. Have you seen the Princess of Merin yet?" Susan looked at her younger sister.
"No, I haven't met her yet. You should introduce me."
"I would but she seems to have disappeared. I haven't seen her since I met her," Susan replied.
"When is Peter supposed to return?"
"He was supposed to be here this morning but he was caught in the storm this morning and was delayed. I do wish he would arrive soon though," Susan answered.
"I wish he would hurry too. I don't think the King of Merin understands why Peter is missing and is insulted," Lucy added.
"Yes, hopefully he'll be here before the party ends and if not he gets to explain himself in the morning," Susan decided.
"Sounds fair to me. Look here comes Edmund," Lucy pointed to their brother walking towards them.
"Hello Edmund," the said.
"Hello, I came to let you know that Peter has arrived and will be joining us shortly. He has to dress and then he will be out," Edmund told them.
"That is good news, we should go tell the King," Susan walked away leaving the other two standing and watching the crowd.
"Cursed rain, I'm soaked through. I'll be wet for weeks or at least feel it," Peter muttered walking through the castle to his chambers. He rounded a corner and was unexpectedly met with something solid instead of open hall. He fell back into the wall and the object he walked into fell with a dull thud to the floor.
"Pardon me, I did not see you," a female voice spoke. Peter looked down and saw a woman in an elaborate gown.
"No madam, the fault is my own. I was so absorbed in my discomfort that I was not paying attention to where I was walking," Peter reached down and took her hand to help her regain her feet.
"Thank you sir," she smoothed the front of her dress and then looked up at him. Peter felt frozen to the spot the moment he saw her face. He could not help but stare he was so shocked by her beauty. Finally, he noticed her discomfort under his gaze and found his voice.
"I assume that you are visiting for the ball," Peter said.
"Yes, I am afraid though that in seeking a moment to myself I have lost my way within the castle," she answered.
Peter glanced around and realized that they were at the opposite end of the castle from the ball, "You have become lost, haven't you? Follow me; I will take you as far as the main hall. I would escort you all the way but as you can see I am not fit for the fine company of the ball." He began to walk down the hall.
"Thank you, I would have been lost wandering these halls forever. While amazing in its beauty this castle is a veritable maze," she said as she followed him around corners, and through doors.
"It was designed so that the Kings and Queens would have time to evacuate if the need ever arose before their enemies could find them," Peter explained. He had found that as long as he was not looking directly at her he was capable of forming sentences.
"Ingenious of the designers, though it is a little hard on any visitors," he could tell that she was smiling slightly even though he could not see her face.
"Yes, that is why our guests often complain of an over attentive staff. Our guests rarely leave their rooms without a servant to guide them," Peter replied.
"I have noticed that and I only arrived this morning," she said as Peter stopped at a small door.
"This door goes into the main hall. From here you need only follow your ears to find your way," Peter pushed the door open for her.
"Thank you again sir," she said as she walked through the door. Peter closed it and ran to his room to dress so that he might see her again before she retired for the evening. It was only as he placed his crown, which had been brought from his packs to his chamber immediately upon arrival, upon his head that he realized he had not asked her name.