This chapter is pretty long compared to the others and a lot happens, so I hope it doesn't appear choppy. Also, once again I apologize if the format is a bit off, still having some issues with that.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia (unfortunately) , OC is mine.

"Wake uuuupppp. Meliiiiissssssa-" the youngest queen stood by the bedside of the other royal, chanting her call in a soft tone.

Melissa ungracefully turned over and opened her eyes. A wake up from Lucy was much more welcome than one from Susan, who mercilessly ripped off the covers and nudged her until she huffed in annoyance and got up.

"Good morning!" Lucy said in a sing-song voice.

"Good morning," Melissa said with a soft smile, Lucy's cheeriness made such tasks much easier.

Lucy chuckled at her companion's half-awake state.

"You mustn't sleep in so. The servants are always scared to wake you, in fear of bothering you."

"I'm sorry. And I've told them many times before that if I am being difficult, they have permission to pour cold water on me."

"Duly noted," the Valiant Queen said with a smirk.

"I said the servants, Lucy, not you."

After Melissa readied herself, the two queens skipped down to breakfast, chatting and laughing happily. The servants in the halls smiled at seeing their queens' joy.

Melissa loved the dining hall in the morning. It was filled with sunlight and had a slight breeze from the open windows that were the size of the walls. It illuminated the vast space that was overshadowed during the night.

Pushing the large wooden doors open, the two girls burst in, arms linked and skipped to their seats. They received raised eyebrows from Edmund, a quiet chuckle from Susan and a soft smile from Peter.

The High King glanced at Melissa. The sun was shining behind her, making her look as if she was glowing. Peter was staring at her with his lips slightly parted. Her hair looked lighter as she wore it down, her eyes were brighter and she still had a smile on her face. He felt a small smile make its way to his face at the sight of her. Wait, why was he smiling again?

"Because cheeriness is contagious. That had to be it. Since when was I so observant?" Peter reasoned with himself.

"Peter?"

His head shot to the owner of the voice, but he knew who it was before he looked.

"Huh, um pardon?"

"Well I said good morning, but I also asked what time your meeting with the representative from Calormen is," the very woman who he had been thinking about replied with a quizzical look on her face.

"Oh good morning. Uh, around noon, some time before lunch. Care to join us?" he said with a knowing smirk

She chuckled, and he noticed how it sounded so light and happy, "I believe we both know my answer. I wouldn't let you attend a meeting by yourself. Who knows what you'll do," she said jokingly.

Peter mocked offense, "For a faithful queen you do not seem to have much faith in me," Peter said, once again causing her melodious laugh to be heard once again.

"Well I can't let you have all the fun."

"So Melis..." Edmund said, using another nickname they had bestowed her with, "I couldn't help but notice you've slept in. Possibly from reading all the letters from suitors last night?" he teased.

The Magnificent King tensed. Right. The suitors. His smile faded.

"I wouldn't lose precious hours of sleep on such letters. No, I was having a wonderful dream that you were surrounded by a million stuffy women of the court, all wishing for you to pay them mind," she retorted. Though actually, her sleeping in late had been more caused by the blonde king that currently sat at the head of the table, for he had unexpectedly consumed her thoughts.

"More like a nightmare," the Just King shuddered at the thought.

"Speaking of suitors and Ed's nightmares, I would like to plan a ball next month for Melissa's twentieth birthday."

"That's really unnecessary, Su. We needn't have such a grand celebration."

"We absolutely need to. It's not only for your birthday, but for you to meet your suitors. Truthfully, we should have been planning this months ago. Twenty is the age for suitors, wouldn't you want to meet them?"

Melissa looked horrified.

"If they're anything like their letters then no."

"Well you'll have to eventually. It would be best to plan it with your birthday, unless you want to have a separate ball just for suitors," Susan wore a look of triumph, knowing she had her cornered.

"It's not imperative, is it? Perhaps we can overlook a meeting of suitors?" the High King said, taking a drink of water to appear nonchalant.

"Overlook?! Peter, you are being absurd. This may very well be the ball that Melissa shall meet her future husband in and you want to disregard it?!"

He started choking on his water as Edmund patted his back with a surprised look on his face. Melissa, who at the time had taken a bite of a roll started coughing too, with Lucy pushing a goblet of water closer to her, looking at her friend concerned.

"I think you need to work on your timing when saying things like that, Su," Edmund remarked.

Lucy eyed Peter. Something was amiss.

"This has been enlightening but I think I'll excuse myself. I'm going to get in some bow practice."

"Bow practice? Why in Aslan's name would you need bow practice? Father Christmas gave you a bow that never lets you miss, as long as you trust in it," the younger King asked, puzzled.

Like Susan, Melissa received a bow and quiver of arrows as a gift. But both girls had insisted they practice, even if their bows wouldn't let them miss.

"That's just it. A bow with a guaranteed shot as long as I trust in it, and believe me I do. I still need to practice though, to build up skill. I'm considering using a bow from the armory this time."

Edmund nodded skeptically, not fully understanding the point but leaving her to her business.


Melissa borrowed a bow and quiver of arrows from the armory and proceeded to the targets used for archery. She stood far back and aimed. Thud. It hit right in center.

She tried again. Center. She tried aiming for different things such as a picket in the surrounding fence and small leaves on a tree, making sure it did not belong to a dryad of course. She got one leaf but didn't get the smaller one, although she came impressively close. A leaf was falling slowly from a branch and she aimed for it.

She heard a snap and then felt a sharp pain in her left arm, the arm in which she held the bow. Clenching her fist and glancing, she saw a large gash that spanned the underneath of her forearm. Her bowstring had snapped and cut through the fitted sleeve of the plain dark green dress she wore.

She had ignored to wear a bracer, due to the fact that she did not have to usually wear one when she used her bow.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she muttered in a scolding tone as she picked up the bow and quiver before walking back to the armory. The wound stung horribly but it was not as bad as some injuries inflicted on her in battles.

As she walked to the armory, she ran into Mr. Tumnus, who instantly began to worry over her wound. She smiled in appreciation of the frantic faun's concern.

"I'll be fine, Mr. Tumnus. I will just head to the healer and get it bandaged. Although if I could ask you a favor?"

"Yes, of course," he looked wearily at her arm.

"Could you please return the bow and quiver to the armory and tell whoever is there that the bowstring needs to be replaced? And that I apologize if it hath been I who strained the string."

"I shall. Will you be okay walking to the healer by yourself?"

"Mr. Tumnus I assure you this is nothing major, but I am grateful I have companions like yourself looking out for me."

She smiled and changed direction towards the castle since she no longer had to go to the armory.

She walked the halls cradling her injured arm. Her sleeve was slowly becoming soaked with blood when she reached the healer faun Adamona. Adamona, who was quite accustomed to dealing with the injuries the royals seemed to acquire more often than not, simply looked at her condition and beckoned her to sit on one of the infirmary beds.

"What happened this time?"

Melissa just grinned at the older faun's knowing tone.

"Just another training incident. Bowstring snapped."

"You're bow broke?"

"No, no. I was using a bow from the armory, trying to build up skill."

"No bracer?"

The Faithful Queen shook her head sheepishly.

Adamona tsked.

"It seems like just a week ago I was bandaging the High King's calf from the rather large scratch King Edmund gave him in their friendly spar. And now here you are with your arm."

"Here I am."

When the faun Adamona had spoken of Peter, Melissa felt a smile grace her lips and a flutter in her stomach. She brushed it off.

With scissors the healer cut the sleeve of her dress to reveal the wound.

"Fortunately for you, the cut is not so deep that you'll need stitches. If it were, my job would be much more difficult because Aslan knows you wouldn't keep still."

After cleaning the wound, which stung and caused the queen to stiffen, and bandaging it, it was nearly noon.

"Thank you, Adamona you really are the best," the queen said before kissing her cheek and rushing out the door. The faun just shook her head and smiled in amusement.

Melissa quickly went to her chambers and changed into a dark red dress with a squared neckline and golden embroidery around the hem. The sleeves flared out towards her hand and had a cut going along middle, from the backside of her elbow to her wrist. It would not put too much pressure on her injury. She put on a brown leather belt, pinned up some strands of hair away from her face, and rushed to Peter's study.

The queen had almost forgotten etiquette during her rush and nearly barged in. She composed herself and firmly knocked on the door. She also greeted the two centaur guards that stood outside the study.

Peter opened the door. He was about to ask why she was late but then noticed her arm, brows furrowed in concern.

Melissa simply gave him a look that signaled they would talk about her arm later.

She entered the study and politely curtsied at the stout Calormene.

"I must apologize for being late, sir. I had a bit of a mishap during training today," she said, lifting her arm slightly. She was now sitting next to Peter, while the Calormene man sat across the coffee table on the opposite couch.

"Training? With no intent to be rude your majesty; what weapon would a lady such as yourself possibly need to be trained in?"

"I am skilled in the bow, sir. And it should please you to know that I am not the only woman trained in weaponry," she snapped.

"That is quite... interesting, your highness," the man replied skeptically. He continued,

"High King Peter, I did not know we would be joined. I was unaware you two were married."

Both royals' eyes widened.

Peter stuttered out, "I believe you're- you're mistaken, sir. Queen Melissa and I are not married."

"Ah, my apologies. Of course not, how foolish of me to think that. A marriage between you two would not help Narnia in any way," he chuckled.

The two young monarchs stiffened, the words of the man seeming to settle upon them.

They continued to discuss trade matters and resources; and when discussion finished, the man, looking wearily at the centaur guard, was escorted back to the guest wing of the castle. Melissa smiled apologetically at the guard, she understood his annoyance at accompanying the rather disrespectful man.

When the door closed, both monarchs turned to each other. Without warning, Peter gently took her injured arm. Her pulse quickened. "Bowstring" was all she said.

"Does it still hurt?"

"I'm fine, Peter, really."

"I'm sorry about what he implied earlier."

She froze, "What?"

"How he commented that since you're a woman, you shouldn't be training. I know you hate it when people say things like that."

"Oh," was all she replied. She thought he had been referring to how the man said a marriage between them would not help Narnia. She wanted him to tell her that the man was wrong, that Narnia would be flourish if they married, even though deep down she knew that a relationship between her and Peter would do nothing for the sake of the kingdom.

But none of that should matter right? It's not like they were going to get married.

She looked down and noticed that Peter still held her arm, her smaller hand rested atop his, while his other hand gently held her forearm steady. Withdrawing her hand, she noticed the pained look on his face.

"I'll see you at lunch, Peter," and with that the Faithful Queen left. Peter sat down at his desk, head in his hands. Melissa walked to an empty corridor and ungracefully leaned against the wall, looking up to the ceiling. Both had the same words ringing in their ears: "A marriage between you two would not help Narniain any way."


Lunch was filled with questions about Melissa's arm and the Calormen representative. It seemed the two who attended the meeting seemed to forget about the prior mention of marriage and acted as if it were never spoken. But the Magnificent King seemed slightly out of it. Lucy, glanced at her brother and was surprised to see him looking questioningly at her friend sitting across from her, as if there was a secret code on her face that he was trying to unscramble. She then looked at her friend, oblivious to her brother's stare, and how her green eyes looked calculating and confused. Both seemed to be there, but not really there. She then looked at Susan, who was rambling on about the plans for Melissa's twentieth birthday, which no one bothered to counter anymore and at Edmund, who was groaning at the idea of another ball. And she couldn't help but know that something was off about the whole situation, that something had changed among the five of them.

And she had a feeling, that it involved the two royals currently lost in their own reveries.


Peter's POV (duringlunch)

Melissa is a good friend, one of my best friends actually. When we were in Aslan's camp before battling the White Witch, it was her, apart from Aslan, that I went to with my concerns of being crowned High King. She was the trusted friend that I went to for advice. So what was different now? Why did things feel conflicting?

Maybe it's okay to admit I may have a small crush on her. And that's fine because crushes go away. She is a very beautiful woman and the only one I know really well besides my sisters. It would make sense.

We were friends and that's all we would be, that's how we started anyway.

I remember years ago when we were at Professor Kirke's mansion and Lucy had found a small bird with a broken wing. After her and Melissa had attempted to care for it, the poor animal passed away, and both insisted the bird was given a proper burial in the open lawn by the shady tree. Edmund hadn't wanted to take part in such a "silly pretend" so I began to dig the hole for them with a small garden shovel. Melissa began to help me, though I told her she didn't need to, because she would get dirty and it may be tiring for her. I recall very clearly that she just gave me a scornful look and continued digging. I believe that was one of the first things I learned about her. She hated being underestimated. And so after that we talked about various topics, from the war to our families to what kind of bug we thought we had just seen in the dirt. At first it was awkward, since we had never spoken much to each other before, but there was an unmistakable sense of comfort that had formed between us which continues today.

I remember that when I had been walking around the estate, and saw a strange branch that was shaped like a bow, she was the first person I had showed it to. She was also the one who helped me carve it smoother, while Susan complained that it was a waste, since we didn't have a bowstring or arrows and even if we did, it most likely wouldn't shoot because of its crude structure. But I think my sister was missing the point. We weren't working on the bow because we wanted it. We both needed a distraction from the ongoing war. After all, we were just children. She was not even a teenager yet and I had just become one. It was a vital distraction that we both shared.

Sometimes, when I see her training with her bow, I smile because it reminds me of that time. I also wonder what has happened to our shared bow.

Goodness, I needed to stop thinking like this. If I want the crush to diminish, I need to act like I always have around her, a close friend.


Melissa's POV (during lunch)

I would trust Peter with anything. I know I can tell him my worries but something's changed. There's a different atmosphere between us now and I'm not quite sure what has happened.

It's very odd that Peter and I argue so much, yet have the same amount of trust in each other. And we never bring personal confessions into arguments, we are both too honorable to do such a thing.

But it must be the kind of trust you have between two very good friends. Yes, that's it...

I really can't lie to myself. Peter is an chivalrous man with sparkling blue eyes and messy blonde hair that always seems a bit unkempt but in just the right way and...

That's why I may be attracted to him. Because he's nice. I won't even call this a petty crush, this is probably just a small fleeting emotion. We're friends. He's one of my best friends. And that's how I should behave around him.


Regular POV

After lunch the Faithful Queen was walking the halls towards her study, her hands overflowing with documents from other countries and suitors, so many that it nearly covered her face. The Magnificent King had retreated to his study directly after the meal, but was taking a stroll around the castle, after hours of being in the room. He needed sometime to get away from his duties as High King. Their paths intersected in a corridor that led to the battlements of a part of the castle. Both were having an inner war in their brains, not understanding the feeling that came upon them when seeing each other.

"On you way to your study? Do you need help with those?" Peter said, already beginning to take the stack of papers from her arms.

Melissa rolled her eyes, "The papers are not going to kill me, I'm sure I could manage, but thank you." Although really, the papers had begun to strain her injured arm, but she would not tell him that.

"Yes, but they do cause some nasty paper cuts, and as I do remember, you don't need anymore of those," he said, eyebrows raised and looking at her arm.

They both began to walk to her study and he continued, "So what are these anyway?" gesturing to the documents in his arms.

"Proposals."

"What kind?" he said with a joking chuckle.

"Both."

His face straightened after that and he cleared his throat.

"You know, if you do not want to go through this now, I can easily tell them to stop their advances."

"I couldn't ask you to do something like that. I must face the issue as it is." She sighed and proceeded to speak, "The whole kingdom has been waiting eagerly for one of us, either Susan, me, or yourself to marry. And once Edmund comes of age, then he will be dragged into it too, and then Lucy."

"Don't remind me."

She smiled as his protectiveness over his youngest sister.

"And I suppose one way or another, we, or at least one of us will have to abide by the court's wishes. To marry someone that benefits Narnia in one form or another, whether it helps prevent a war or improves economic status."

"And you're willing to do that?"

"I'm not willing but if at one point someone needs to take that place then I would."

"You would do that? For Narnia?

"Yes. For Narnia, for Lucy, for Edmund, for Susan, and for you Peter."

And with that Peter began to understand the extents of her love for the land they ruled, his siblings and himself. He knew that if it ever came to it, she would take the place of Susan or Lucy if either of them were to be forced into an unwanted marriage. And she would marry to prevent a war. He knew that with finding out this information, his "crush" for her deepened but that was not important at the moment.

"Well then it's a good thing Narnia has not reached such a point. And I'm confident in saying that you have four other people who are willing to do the same for you," he gave her a solemn look.

They reached her study and she unlocked it, beckoning him to leave the papers on her desk. Each royal had their own study, a color of their choice, Melissa's being light blue. He couldn't help but take a glimpse at what else lay on her desk. He saw trade documents, finance records, many opened suitor letters, and... a reply?

Before he could stop himself he swiftly turned towards her slightly irked that she had begun to reply to one of the men.

"You've replied to them?!"

Her eyes widened at his sudden outburst.

"Just one. He seemed nicer than the rest, and he's from Terebinthia. Isn't that at least a little fascinating, Peter?"

"Should it be?"

She looked slightly hurt, "It's just that we know so little about them. Learning about their culture would be quite interesting."

"You don't have to reply to him to learn more about the country. We can visit if you'd like," he countered.

"I'm not planning on marrying the man, Pete, if that's what you're thinking."

Her words gave him a small bit of reassurance, but enough to make him realize his behavior.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean to snap like that. I have no right to. I guess from reading all the letters they sent me I was surprised to see you had replied to one."

It wasn't a complete lie. He had been surprised when he saw her reply letter. Although, his loss of composure was not exactly caused by his surprise; it had been more like a reaction caused by resentfulness since the man had gotten a reply from her.

"It's okay. You are watching out for me and I greatly appreciate that."

There was an uncomfortable silence, a type of silence that seemed to be happening more frequently, ever since both realized how they felt about the other. They avoided eye contact.

"Peter?" the queen looked up uncertainly.

His head shot up, "Yes?"

"Let's go to the tree."

Well that's it for this chapter. Feel free to PM me or review if you have questions, I'm afraid that the story may be a bit unclear sometimes. Thanks for reading! Review!