The next morning Peter came to get her for breakfast. Just inside her door he pulled her close and bid her a good morning. She smelled something delightful.

"Peter. . . you smell wonderful, what is it?"

"Oh, the scent comes from the soap they make for us. They tell me mine is a combination of sandalwood, white amber, and something else. . . oh yes, moss." He smiled. "I'll explain more later."

She was reluctant to let him go, the smell was so appealing to her. It was slightly sweet and exotic; a rich and sensual aroma. She stepped back, suddenly feeling a bit shy, realizing they were all alone here; well, at least with no other humans around. He took her hand and led her to the dining room.

It was simply breakfast, but she thought it was amazing. She had expected it would be just the two of them, but she was mistaken; there were many Narnians there and it was a joyful meal. She would soon learn that Narnians were known for their meals and their joyfulness. She thought with a smile that there was no way she could feel grumpy in the mornings here, not with this company. The food was different, but very good. She looked at Peter. Based on the amount of food he was putting away, he had missed this part of Narnia very much.

After breakfast he stood and held out his hand, asking if she was ready for the tour. It took most of the morning. She knew it would take a while to get used to the monstrous place, but it was going to be fun to try. Next to its size, what amazed her most was the level of detail. Carvings in the ceilings, beautifully made tapestries on the walls, paintings, sculptures, but no statues. Peter said there were no statues because it was a painful reminder of the witch's reign as 'Queen of Narnia.' She understood completely.

The tour proved to be exhausting, but they took frequent rests in the alcoves. Peter, in a playful mood, showed her where every single one was. And when inside he kissed her. At first they were quick and playful, but as the tour continued they got longer and more serious.

After one such kiss she teased him, "So, did you always kiss girls in the alcoves? Is that how you know where they all are?"

Expecting him to tease right back, she was surprised when he looked at her intently, then slowly rubbed his thumb across her lips, "No...I just dreamed of kissing the girl I loved – who was destined to be my queen – in every one."

They soon came to her favorite part of the tour. Peter had led her back to her quarters. He went to a small door in the far wall and led her down a narrow winding stone staircase that was lit with torches. After two or three floors they came to a cave like room lit with more torches. There was a large square pool carved into the floor. It looked to be about four feet in depth, width, and length. The walls and floor were all stone with some mosaic work as trim. He called these 'the baths.'

She was amazed at the constant warm bubbling water. He explained that the castle was built over a cave that contained hot springs. The entire level was partitioned off by walls into small rooms like this one. There were four on this side, one for each of the kings and queens and smaller ones down a corridor for the guest rooms. They had always wanted to rig up a water wheel to create some shower-like areas, but never had the time to complete the project. He couldn't provide a true lavatory since there was no running water in the castle, but a hot bath she could have any time she wanted.

She explored the small space, noting the shelves for towels and a place that had soaps in it. She picked one up. It smelled like violets and had the initials L.P. stamped into it. Peter gently took the soap from her and smelled it.

"Lucy. Lucy's favorite scent was violets. They made these special soaps for us and placed our initials in them. That is how they keep the inventory separated. It is a little luxury that we all loved. They will make one for you, if you like." At her nod, he continued, "They are very good at this. You can give them some ideas of what you prefer and they will make you a sample, until you get what you want. You already know mine and Lucy's. Let's see, Susan's was roses and Edmund's was a mountain heather scent.

The room was warm and steamy, the torchlight flickering in the dimness very romantic. His kisses here were far from playful and sent spirals of warmth circling through her, but he pulled back promising that he had plans for them here after the wedding. Thinking about that made her shiver with anticipation.

He had always been able to affect her, but now, here, she had started to feel different in many ways; older or more mature. Feelings that she kept tightly inside in their world, just naturally flowed to the surface here. With no teachers, parents or any adults around, there was a sense of freedom that was almost intoxicating. She was beginning to understand why Peter and his siblings had relished their time here.

Also, she was very glad they were getting married. Just thinking about him made her feel warm all over. When she wasn't with him, she thought of him constantly. When she was with him. . . well, if he felt the same way, it would be way too distracting to not be married.

~|XwXwX|~

Over lunch he told her he wanted to show her Narnia. Since she was to be queen, she would need to know her kingdom. Peter determined that the mornings would be taken up with exploring, and in the afternoons he would handle kingdom matters while she would work with the staff on the upcoming events and learn the Narnian ways of etiquette in greeting members of court, eating, and even small talk. She would also have to learn what each of the creatures were and their histories, and become familiar with the surrounding countries, who their leaders were and how their related to Narnia in the past. It sounded exhausting and she wondered how everything would get finished in time.

She had asked about humans in Narnia, curious to know where they were, for she had assumed there would be more in the castle. He told her they had left when the monarchs disappeared. He expected they would return soon for the wedding. Some might stay to be members of their court again. She was pleased that she was going to be schooled in all manner of etiquette. Just the thought of possibly having a 'court' was quite overwhelming.

~|XwXwX|~

By the time night fell and the castle became quiet from its flustering busyness, April was very tired. She had spent the afternoon with the dressmakers, planning and being fitted for the various gowns – including her wedding dress – and other items she would need. The time with the seamstresses had taken her away from the formal dinner, so she ate dinner with Lucius, the protocol faun – also the head butler – and the one in charge of securing the many servants the castle would need for the next few weeks and beyond. Lucius was stuffy, austere, but patient and knowledgeable. She was already learning how to be a Queen.

She was hoping Peter would come and say goodnight again, when a knock sounded at the door and he poked his head in.

"Hi," he said softly, coming swiftly to her and taking her gently in his arms for a hug. "You look tired."

"And, so do you, my King," she replied, lightly smoothing away a frown mark from between his brows.

"I had forgotten how hard work this is. No wonder I nearly went crazy when I first got back to school, my brain didn't have enough to think about," he laughed.

"I should have approached you sooner then," she said wistfully.

He looked at curiously, "Are you talking about back at Hendon House?"

At her nod, he said, "We've never spoken of this. Did you notice me then?"

"Peter, I noticed you often, even before our schools shared a cafeteria, but then I noticed you every day. Some days you looked so angry and others so lonely, I. . . it wasn't until you started looking sad that I had the courage to speak to you."

"Oh, my love," he breathed. "I probably wasn't ready for you before then. Thank you for stopping that day. You pierced a light into my darkness. You and Aslan."

She laid her head on his shoulder, "I am so glad we are not there now." She stifled a yawn.

"Mmm, yes," he murmured. "But, now you need to sleep. We have a fun adventure ahead of us tomorrow!"

A/N: Happy New Year!

I must give credit to Sushi for the personalized, initialed soap idea. I found it in her book "A Time for Us". By the way, if you like Cor and Aravis (who...spoiler alert...will make a guest appearance in a future chapter); you should check out her book, "The Fledgling Year." It is full of adventure, angst, and romance. She can be found under profile name Schmo and Sushi on Fanfiction . Net Thanks Sushi!