Completely AU Golden Age story where Prince Caspian of Telmar is visiting before Queen Susan's 21st Birthday. Involves some feelings for Caspian, overtly by one sister and not-so-overtly by the other.
"Lucy? I need to ask you a favor."
Rolling her eyes, Lucy sank lower in her bath water. She'd been out all day stalking the white stag with Peter, Edmund and Prince Caspian of Telmar. The latter was on an extended state visit, only too happy to leave the Telmarine castle while his aunt entered the last few months of her pregnancy. At 21, he should have been crowned King already but his aunt had been the one planning the coronation and his uncle had decided he didn't want his wife to put too much stress on herself.
Lucy thought it was complete bunk but, then again, not everyone could be crowned sovereign at 8.
"Lu? I know you're in there. Ed said you came up as soon as you got back."
Grumbling, Lucy ducked under the water to wet her long hair entirely before breaking the surface. "Come in then," she said on a sigh. "I'm in the bath."
With a flourish, Susan swept into the room and sat in the chair beside the tub. With a slight tsk, she grabbed the rosemary water on the edge of the basin and tipped some into Lucy's hair to start working it through. "How was your stalk?"
Lucy rolled her eyes, happy her sister couldn't see her do it. Susan always liked to be direct and then beat around the bush. It definitely wasn't one of her most appealing qualities. "Fine," she answered, trying not to be exasperated. "Brenny tossed me a couple of times. He's still skittish in the thicker parts of the woods."
She knew Susan shook her head more because of the feel than being able to see her. "You shouldn't be riding inexperienced and young horses. You're a Queen, Lucy. Why does it feel like I'm constantly reminding you of that?"
Because you are, Lucy griped in her mind. She loved her sister more than anyone, save her brothers, but there was only so much she could take. "You said you had a favor to ask?"
"Always getting right to the point," Susan sighed. "Can we not have a conversation first?"
Lucy wanted to point out that her sister had stood outside the door and announced she had a favor but with Susan's 21st birthday only days away, she bit her tongue. She didn't want a replay of her last birthday when the elder Queen had run off in a huff because she wasn't getting enough attention paid to her.
Lucy couldn't help that she'd learned to juggle and the guests had prodder her into it late in the night.
"Of course," she responded more civilly than she'd felt. "What did you do while we were out?"
"Oh, this and that," Susan replied with a smile in her voice. "Just putting some final touches on the party. King Lune and the Princes will be coming. And Cor is bringing Aravis." There was a pause that Lucy found suspicious. "Corin won't be bringing a lady with him."
And there it was. Lucy couldn't hold back her dramatic eye roll. "Please not this again."
"He's a very nice young man. Your age, as mischievous as you. I still think you'd make a fine pair."
"I'm not looking to be a pair with anyone. He's a friend, Susan. I don't want to court with him." It was the same every time someone had a festival or banquet or party: Susan tried to find someone to pair her up with and wouldn't stop until it led to a fight.
It was dirty pool for Susan to bring it up regarding her birthday party though.
"Just think on it. You can make your decision when he arrives for the party." The decision was already made, however, and Lucy couldn't wait for the weekend to pass. Corin was a fun companion but he wasn't someone she was interested in spending any time with romantically; she was also nearly positive he felt the same.
"I'll keep it in mind," she promised, her fingers crossing under the water. Aslan, help me get her off this determined path to find me love.
"Good," Susan said with some kind of pride or victory or something. Lucy had to stop herself from rolling her eyes again – she would be sure to get dizzy if she didn't resist. "Now, about that favor."
Smirking, Lucy turned her head. "A favor for your birthday? Should that not just be considered a gift?"
Turning Lucy's head to face forward and then tipping it back to rinse the rosemary water away, Susan replied, "No, it's not a gift. Besides, I know you've had my gift planned for months. It really is a favor." A pause. "A favor for your favorite sister."
"My only sister," Lucy replied good-naturedly. "But get on with it then. What's this favor?"
"You and Prince Caspian are friendly, are you not?"
For some reason, the question made it feel like a rock plunked down in her stomach. Pushing the odd feeling aside, she answered. "I suppose. We paired together for a while during the stalk before Peter whisked him away to talk about whatever boring Kingly things Peter talks about when he wants to impress a foreign dignitary."
"And would you say he's enjoying his time here?" At her nod, Susan continued, "Do you find it odd that he hasn't showed interest in any of the ladies at court?"
"Odd? Not really. He's not here to find a girlfriend," Lucy replied without hesitation. "At least he's never given me the impression he was."
Susan laughed, a tinkling sound that put Lucy on edge. "Well of course he wouldn't give you that impression. No offense, sister, but you're more the type he would talk about hunting or swordsmanship with, are you not?"
Lucy was quiet for a moment, thinking that over. She supposed her sister had a fair point there. "That sounds about right. But what does this have to do with your favor?"
"My favor? Oh, yes …" Susan stood and walked to another chair, lifting the large towel and holding it up so Lucy could wrap it around herself. "I thought you might suggest to Prince Caspian that he escort me to my party."
The youngest Queen spun around so quickly she thought she might get dizzy. "Pardon?" she asked incredulously. "You want me to get you a date?"
"An escort," Susan corrected hotly, "and it's not like I can do it myself."
Don't you think he would have asked you already if he wanted to escort you to the party? Lucy shot back inside her mind. She couldn't say it aloud, however, so she busied herself trying to untangle her hair with her fingers while she came up with an appropriate response.
"Get dressed and then I'll brush your hair," her sister said with exasperation.
Silently and happy for the respite, Lucy moved behind her shade and dressed in a dark green frock. Her feet would stay bare for the rest of the day if she could help it, so it didn't take long before she was back in front of her sister, waiting patiently for her bodice to be tightened. Susan directed her to a chair and started carefully running a brush through her thick, long hair.
"You like him then," she said finally, wincing a bit as a knot caught in the brush. "Prince Caspian."
"I do," came her sister's reply. "He's very handsome. A Prince soon to be a King."
Lucy desperately wanted to ask her sister why that was enough but she couldn't. Her question would be dismissed and she would be told she was too young to understand. She wasn't, not by a long shot, but she didn't feel like having a fight or being on the receiving end of one of Susan's lengthy lectures.
"I'm not going to keep on him about it," she said in acquiescence. "I'll mention it to him and that's that."
Susan was quiet for a moment, her gentle hands working through the knots she was slowly smoothing out of Lucy's hair. "You'll say good things about me, though? Perhaps give him a reason or two to ask me?"
Turning her head slightly, she looked up at her sister. She'd never seen Susan look like this before. Well, just once, but that hadn't ended well, she thought. "Of course," she answered finally. "And he'd be a fool not to jump at the opportunity."
Susan bent and kissed her cheek, a wide, happy smile on her lips. "Oh, thank you, Lu! I just know this is going to be the very best birthday ever."
Forcing a smile to her own lips, Lucy nodded. "I'm certain it'll be one to remember."
