A short time later, the Pevensies and Russos were reunited. "I can't believe we're in another world!" Max exclaimed.
"I can't believe they don't have cell phone reception here in Tinas Mirith or whatever it's called," said Alex, who was obviously not happy to be there.
"Oh come on, Alex, lighten up a bit. You were just saying you wanted some excitement," Justin said.
"By excitement, I meant a cute boy at school asking me out or something like that. NOT going into another world where there's no cell phone reception with four weird teens from the 1950s who claim they're royalty," Alex retorted.
"Alex! Just be glad we found a place to stay," Justin told her. "And the Pevensies are actually really nice."
"Oh you just like them because you have a crush on Susan," Alex said.
"Would you stop it?" Justin asked.
They were interrupted by Faramir. "Excuse me, everyone, you may go in now." A guard opened the doors for them. They were escorted into the room, where a group of people were eating.
Faramir walked over to the person at the head of the table, whom they guessed was the king. "Excuse me, your majesty," he started.
"Faramir! Where were you?" The king asked.
"I was taking a walk, your highness" Faramir said.
"Faramir, please just call me Aragorn," the king stated. "Now what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Well, I met some, um, visitors."
"Oh really? Where are they?"
"Over there," Faramir pointed to the Russos and the Pevensies. Aragorn stared. He got up and walked over to them.
"Welcome to Minas Tirith," Aragorn said. "Which land do you come from?"
"Well, actually, we're not exactly from here," Peter spoke for all of them. He told Aragorn their story.
"Fascinating!" the king said. "I've heard of other worlds, but always thought they were just myths."
"So did I," Alex remarked.
"Well you will join us for dinner tonight, won't you?" the king asked. "We're just getting ready to start."
"We'd love to," Peter said.
"I promise we shall give you a proper welcome feast tomorrow," Aragorn said.
Thirty minutes later
"Remind me again why we're wearing these dresses?" Alex whispered to Susan.
"Because this is what they wear here, Alex," Susan whispered back.
They walked over to the table, where a feast was already in progress. Alex nearly did a double-take when she saw the person next to her. He didn't look more than 3'8, yet he was drinking ale like any adult.
"Um aren't you a little young to be drinking?" she asked him. He turned and stared at her.
"Of course not! There ain't nothin better than a glass of ale!" he said in a thick Scottish accent.
"Well in my world you have to be 21 to drink," she responded.
"21? I passed that 12 years ago!"
"But wouldn't that make you 33?" she asked doubtfully.
"Why yes miss, as a matter of fact!" he replied.
"What kind of person are you anyway?" she asked.
"Haven't people in your bloody land heard of hobbits?" he asked, a little bemused.
"Um no," Alex stated.
"I'm Peregrin Took," the apparent Hobbit said. "But all my friends call me Pippin."
"Ok I'm Alex," Alex said, more than a little surprised. She turned to Susan, who was on the other side of her, talking to a tall blond guy. "Susan!"
"What?" Susan turned away from her conversation.
"What's with all the strange people here?"
Susan smiled. "You just have to get used to it." Alex thought the Pevensies were adjusting too well to being a in another world. Maybe it had something to do with that place they called Narnia.
Meanwhile, Susan was having an interesting conversation. Seated next to her was a tall blond elf who was apparently Legolas the Prince of Mirkwood. It turned out he was also an archer. They were sharing their different stories.
"…So that's how I shot the cave troll," he finished.
"Oh, well, I once won an archery contest against a king," Susan said.
"Well I personally shot 43 orcs in the great battle of Helm's Deep, a battle so bloody no women would have dared fight." Legolas didn't like to be outdone, and not in the least by a teenage girl.
"Are you saying women can't fight?" Susan asked, a hint of tension creeping into her voice.
"Well, no, of course they can, but I believe men are far superior when it comes to-" Susan cut him off.
"That sounds like a challenge to me!" she said a bit too forcefully.
"Alright, then, if you want a contest, then how about tomorrow right after dinner?" Legolas asked. He knew he would win.
"Tomorrow right after dinner!" Susan stated.
The Next Night
"So what exactly are we going to again?" Alex asked Susan.
"Aragorn is holding a welcome feast for us," Susan replied.
"You mean you," Alex said. "You know, since you guys are kings and queens and all."
"But you guys too, remember, you're with us," Susan said as she put on a flowing purple dress.
The Pevensies and the Russos had gone straight to bed after dinner the last night. Aragorn had arranged for them to have rooms near the top of the city, much to Alex's delight.
"Half the city's been invited," Susan continued.
"Really? Whoa. They really take the "visiting royalty" thing seriously," Alex exclaimed.
There was a knock on the door.
"You two coming?" They heard Lucy's voice. Lucy had gotten an adjoining room to Susan and Alex's.
Susan and Alex got up and walked out the door, where the rest of the group was waiting for them. "We're ready," Susan said.
"Let's go!" Max exclaimed.
Just then Susan ran back into the room and grabbed her bow and arrows. "What was that for?" Peter asked her once she came back.
"Oh I have a little competition after dinner with Legolas. He thinks men can fight better than women," she said forcefully.
"Oh so that was who I heard arguing last night," Peter exclaimed.
"That was us," Susan said. "I hope I'm not seated next to him again.
They continued on to the banquet hall, where a guard opened the doors for them. Most everyone else had already arrived. The guard went and alerted Aragorn, who turned and immediately called for attention.
"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to our visiting royalty, in whose honor we are gathered here tonight: their Majesties the Pevensies of Narnia, and the Lords Justin and Max and the Lady Alex of Newyork," he announced. Everyone clapped and sat down. Peter went to talk to Faramir, who saw him coming and bowed.
"Your majesty," he began.
"Faramir, do you think that someone could be placed in between Queen Susan and Legolas during dinner?" he asked, "They seem to be getting into some arguments."
"I'll see what I can do," Faramir said.
Susan and Legolas, it turned out, were separated only by Max. They turned and politely said hello to each other, then turned back to their dinners, looking up to glare at each other every so often.
"Are you looking forward to our contest after dinner," Legolas asked, his voice tense but polite.
Susan glanced back at him, her voice equally polite. "Why, yes I am. I hope this proves to you that women can fight."
"I believe that a women's place is in the home, not on the battlefield," Legolas remarked. Max could almost feel the tension between the two of them.
"Well I'll have you know that I fought in many wars during my reign," Susan snapped, her voice getting tenser all the time.
Legolas stood up. "That may be, but the fact remains that men are bett-" he was interrupted by Susan.
"Women can fight just as well as men, and I will prove it to you tonight!" Susan shot back. They were almost shouting by now. And all the while Max was in the middle.
"Guys, you need to take a chill pill or something!" Max shouted. Legolas and Susan stared at him, as if suddenly realizing what they were doing, and promptly sat back down.
After dinner, everyone mingled and chatted with one another. The Pevensies and Russos had many interesting conversations, and Alex found out what exactly hobbits were from Faramir.
"They are rather strange creatures," he said. "They're like humans, except for the fact that they are usually around 3'6 and have hairy feet."
"And I'm thinking they like ale," Alex remarked.
"They do love their ale," Faramir admitted.
Legolas came up to Susan, who was enjoying her talk with Arwen, Aragorn's wife.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be," she responded.
They grabbed their weapons and went outside to the field, where targets had been set up. A crowd of people had gathered to watch.
"You go first," Legolas said to Susan.
"That's just because I'm a girl, isn't it?" she asked. She drew her bow and arrow and took a shot at the target. She remembered Father Christmas's words: "Trust in this bow, for it will not easily miss," he had told her. The arrow hit the bull's-eye. Legolas drew his bow, and the bulls-eye was again hit.
"This is going to be a long night," Max whispered to Edmund.
Three Hours Later
"I can't believe we tied!" Susan exclaimed. "He really is good!"
"Well, hey, at least you showed him that you're good too," Max replied.
Susan and Legolas had tied the contest, and now weren't speaking to each other. Everyone was hanging out in the banquet hall talking and eating.
Suddenly a servant ran into the room. He looked scared.
"Your majesty!" he exclaimed to Aragorn, "The castle is under attack!"
