Disclaimer: Eh, I think you've figured it out by now.

AN: Now things are starting to get interesting.

Chapter 4

"Anna! Anna, wake up!"

She sat up straight in bed, and looked around wildly. Anna finally settled her gaze on Edmund, standing by her bedside and looking extremely worried.

"Hey," he said, "I've been trying to wake you for five minutes. Are you okay?"

Anna nodded shakily. "Yes, I'm fine," she said. "What are you doing in my room?"

"You had a nightmare," Edmund replied.

"Don't you usually wait for me to go to your room?" Anna asked. They had a very specific routine. She would either wake up yelling, or wake up hearing Edmund yell. She would wrap a blanket around her shoulders and go to his room, which was next door (the Pevensies had given out bedroom assignments by age. Peter and Susan were the oldest, so they had the two rooms across the hall. Edmund had the room to the right of Anna, and Lucy had the room to the left.) Anna would curl up on the bench under the windowsill and Edmund would sit in his arm chair and they would stay that way until morning, until Anna had to get back to her own room before Susan woke up. The Gentle Queen would disapprove of her being in Edmund's room at nighttime. There wasn't any reason that she should be concerned, because the two only sat and occasionally talked, but it was best not to worry her. "Speaking of which, can we go there? It seems odd to be in my room."

"Oh, I don't know," Edmund said. "I like your room. It's very... purple."

Anna stood up and grabbed a quilt from the end of her bed. "Let's go."

Once they were next door, Anna took her usual seat under the window. "Why didn't you wait for me to come here?" Anna asked again.

"I heard you screaming. I waited for you to come over, but you never did. Then I heard you yell my name, so I ran to see if you were alright. You wouldn't wake up." The young king looked concerned. "Anna, I've known you for three years, and I've never asked you this before. But I have to know: what aren't you telling me?"

There were lots of things Anna wasn't telling him. She didn't tell him that she wished she looked like Susan, that she had more than a small crush on the High King, and that she secretly practiced fencing with Peter because she was determined not to lose to Edmund in their lessons. Unfortunately, Anna had a feeling he wasn't referring to anything as innocent as that. "What do you mean?" she asked slowly.

"What are your nightmares about?" Edmund was studying her intently. Anna considered lying, but she was too tired and it was too late at night for her to come up with any reasonable excuse.

"Do you ever wonder, Edmund," she asked, "How I came to be a statue in the first place?"

"I've wondered ever since I met you," Edmund told her.

Anna nodded as though she expected this answer. "I originally came to Narnia with my best friend, Mary, and my cousins Michael and... William? Yes, William. I discovered Narnia first. I didn't tell them, because I knew they wouldn't believe me. But a few days later, Mary stumbled upon Narnia, and we decided to explore. They only spent a few days here. Eventually, they made their way back to our home country. I ended up made of stone."

"Why did they escape the Witch safely, when you didn't?" Edmund asked.

Anna looked down sadly. "They were smarter than I was." Then she stared out the window, and refused to say more.

"Anna!"

She awoke with a start. Anna was still sitting on the windowsill bench in Edmund's room. There was a pillow in between her head and the wall that hadn't been there before, and her blanket was better covering her; no doubt Edmund's kindness.

"Edmund!"

There was that voice again. It seemed to have redirected its anger to the Just King, so maybe she could go back to sleep without them noticing...

"What?" Anna heard Edmund mumble sleepily. He was still in his armchair.

"Anna is in your bedroom. And she has been overnight," said the voice again. Anna moved her head so that she could see the doorway. Susan was standing there, looking dismayed. "Do you know how improper that is?"

"Nothing happened, Su," Anna said. She yawned, then explained, "I had a nightmare. I didn't want to be alone."

"So you couldn't have seen Lucy?" Susan asked, but she didn't look angry any more. One of the best things about Narnia is that people are always willing to hear your side of the story. "Or me? I would have been happy to sit with you."

"Susan, I was screaming my lungs out, and neither of you woke up," Anna pointed out. "Besides... you wouldn't understand."

Now the Gentle Queen only looked concerned. She was never able to stay angry for long. "Anna, do you have these nightmares often?"

The Lady nodded.

"I'm so sorry we never knew," Susan said.

"It's fine," Anna replied. "I have Edmund and he has me."

Susan turned to her brother. "You've been having nightmares too?"

Edmund nodded.

Susan looked from one to the other. Suddenly her eyes widened. "Anna, when you said that only Edmund would understand... is this about -" She lowered her voice. "The Witch?" Even with Jadis soundly defeated, the mention of her name made the room seem colder.

Edmund nodded. Anna said nothing.

"Well," Susan said after a moment of silence. "I suppose you two should come along. We have a party to plan."

Anna stopped in her room to change out of her nightgown before following Susan downstairs. Lucy and Peter were waiting for them, and Edmund joined them a minute later.

Susan herded the three younger ones toward the table. "You just pick out which china you like best." Then she pulled Peter away to talk to him privately. Judging by the looks the two kept casting Anna and Edmund, it was about Susan's discovery that morning. From the little Anna heard of the conversation, Susan was very concerned about their nightmares, but Peter kept coming back to the fact that it was Edmund that Anna went to for comfort.

At one point Susan threw her hands up in exasperation and said, "Peter, who do you think Anna should have gone to?"

Peter crossed his arms defensively and said he didn't know, or care. When Susan pointed out that he obviously did, the High King rolled his eyes and asked what she needed him to do for the party.

Susan kept them busy pretty much all day. Anna spent at least four hours writing out invitations with Lucy. It wouldn't have taken so long, but they kept talking and giggling. They gathered up the pile of cards when they were done, and carried them into the ballroom, where Peter and Edmund were setting up decorations.

"Susan?" Edmund called from atop a ladder, from which he was taping streamers to the ceiling, "Don't we have servants to do this?"

"Yes," the Gentle Queen replied, "But I since we didn't have anything to do this week, I thought it would be fun to work on it together."

Peter shrugged at his brother from the bottom of the ladder. "Her heart is in the right place."

Susan seemed to have accomplished her mission. Preparing for the party actually was fun. Peter and Edmund didn't seem to enjoy themselves quite so much as the girls did, but they tolerated it. Still, it was a welcome break for all of them when they stopped for dinner. The five of them chatted over the several courses, sharing stories and laughing.

"And then," Edmund choked out between laughter, "She starts telling me off for making her cut herself with the sword."

"Hey! I needed something to distract me from the pain," Anna protested. The Pevensies just laughed.

They quieted when a faun appeared in the door, a scroll clutched in his hand. He bowed. "A letter for Queen Susan." He hurried forward and handed the scroll to her, then exited quickly.

Susan opened the letter and read it over quickly. "It's just a note from King Lune going over details for our upcoming visit to Archenland."

Edmund groaned. "Do we really have to go?"

"Yes," said Susan, "It is only polite."

"But it will be so boring," Edmund complained.

"It doesn't have to be," Susan told him. "The letter says that we are welcome to invite friends. Perhaps you should bring Anna."

"Hi, honey," Mrs. Parson called gently into her daughter's room.

Anna crossed her arms and looked away from her. "Are you still going on that stupid trip?"

"Yes," Mrs. Parson said.

"You promised we could go to London this weekend."

"I know, honey," Mrs. Parson told her. "But your Uncle Richard and Aunt Elizabeth invited your father and I to go to America, and that's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Well, why can't I come too?" Anna cried.

"Michael and William aren't going," Mrs. Parson comforted her. Michael and William were Richard and Elizabeth's children.

Anna sighed heavily. "So what are we supposed to do while you're gone?"

"You three are going to stay with an old family friend of ours, Professor Kirke. He has a big house out in the country with lots of rooms to stay in."

Anna sighed again. "But that's going to be so boring."

"It doesn't have to be," her mother told her. "The professor says that you are welcome to invite friends. Perhaps you could bring Mary."

"-to come?"

Anna shook her head. "Huh?" she asked.

"Do you want to come?" Edmund repeated, "To Archenland?"

"Of course, but," A look of confusion passed her face, "Won't I already be there?"

"What do you mean?" Susan asked.

Anna looked from Edmund's bemused face to the equally bewildered face of Susan. "Well, Peter invited me to go with him and Lucy."

"But they're going two months earlier than us," Edmund said. His expression was unreadable.

"I know," Anna said with a shrug.

"Oh," said Edmund. He looked disappointed, though Anna couldn't think of a reason why.

A moment of silence fell upon the table.

"Ahem," Susan said once it became unbearable. "Well, let's get back to work, shall we?"

Anna was bursting with happiness.

She couldn't sleep. She was far too happy for that. Anna just stared at the ceiling of her room for hours upon hours, replaying the events of the Harvest Ball in her head.

The ball had started the same as most. For the first hour, she served as the hostess of the party, because the kings and queens had to make a formal entrance after all the guests had arrived. Luckily for Anna, she hadn't been forced to entertain any foreign Tarkaans or ambassadors. The Harvest Ball had been put together in a week, instead of the months it usually took to organize such affairs, so the guest list was limited to the people who could make it in time. The few non-Narnians in attendance kept to themselves.

The party became more exciting after the Pevensies made their entrance. Susan took over the role of hostess, something she did naturally and with ease. Lucy was popular among the guests, but she always seemed able to get where she wanted to go without interruption easily enough. Peter had no such luck. His fan club had showed up, and they were intent on following him around. He spent a good portion of the ball dancing with Anna, if for no other reason to than to stay away from the annoying girls.

It was a while before she found Edmund. Or rather, he found her.

"Hello," he said, coming up behind her.

"Why hello, your Highness," Anna replied, mock curtseying.

Edmund held out his hand to her. "May I have this dance?"

"You may," Anna said, allowing him to lead her to the floor.

"You look great," he told her.

She grinned. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

"I've been trying to you all night," Edmund told her. "I have to ask you something."

"Oh?" Anna asked.

Edmund leaned closer to her.

Then he whispered in her ear, "Lucy's birthday is going to be while we are in Archenland. I need to get a gift arranged for her now, because it is very soon after Susan and I arrive. What do you think I should get her? I've thought about it for a long time, but I can't seem to come up with anything good."

Anna moved closer to him so that she could better speak to him without being overheard. "Do you know that small shop down the road? It's a jewelry store that's owned by some dwarves. There's a necklace there that Lucy just adores. It's silver, and has little blue gems in it. Just ask for the one that Queen Lucy likes. The dwarves will know which one you mean."

"Thank you so much," Edmund said. "You're the best. And that's the silver one with blue jewels?"

Anna nodded that that was correct, and broke away from him, since the song was over. She gave the Just King a quick smile, and threaded through the crowd to look for Lucy or Susan. She never found either of them, because she was interrupted.

"Hello, O Most Lovely Lady," said a young man, obviously Calormene, with a bow, "May I have the honor of this dance?"

"Alright," Anna said warily, and reluctantly took his hand. She'd seen the Calormene smooth talking half of Peter's fan club earlier, and she didn't trust him.

Unfortunately, the orchestra had chosen that moment to play one of their slower songs. Anna didn't like the way that the Calormene was holding her. It was too close for her liking, but any attempts to put some distance between them were unsuccessful. Luckily, she was only forced to endure it for a few moments before Peter tapped the Calormene on the shoulder.

"Do you mind if I cut in?" the High King asked.

The Calormene released Anna (Finally, she thought) and bowed deeply. "Of course, O Most Mighty King." He scurried off to find his next victim.

"Thank you," Anna said gratefully as she and Peter began to dance. She liked the way he held her. The High King was a perfect gentleman.

"No problem at all," Peter said. "I couldn't very well allow you to be victim to the likes of him, could I?"

Anna smiled at his thoughtfulness, but felt as though she should defend the man somehow. "I am very glad that you interrupted us, but just because he's a Calormene doesn't mean that he's a bad person."

"I don't care if he's Calormene, Telmarine, Archenlandish, Narnian, or British," Peter said. "I didn't like the way he was looking at you."

The song ended and they broke apart.

"Do you want to take a walk?" Peter asked.

Anna smiled and nodded. She followed him through the crowd, to the back door that led out to the gardens. It was beautiful out that night. The air was cool and pure. Each star shone like a tiny candle in the sky, and the moon was full and bright. Peter took Anna's hand, and they walked in silence for several minutes, just enjoying their surroundings. Anna tried not to look as though she was internally freaking out over the fact that they were holding hands.

Peter was the one to break the quiet. "Are you excited to begin the journey to Archenland tomorrow?"

"Yes, very," Anna said. "It's going to be fun travelling with you and Lu."

"Well, I'm glad that you're going to be with us," Peter told her. "I would have missed you if you stayed back."

Anna smiled. "I would have missed you too. I am going to miss Susan and Edmund, though."

"It won't be a problem being away from Edmund, will it?" Peter asked gently. "You know... your nightmares?"

"No, I don't think it will be a problem," Anna said.

"You don't think?"

"I never had nightmares before I came to Narnia," Anna told him, "And never before I moved into Cair Paravel. So I've never really had to deal with one of my nightmares by myself." Anna looked worried. "But I don't think Edmund has either. Did he have nightmares back home?"

"I don't think so," Peter said, "But if the fact that we only just now found out about it is any indication, I wouldn't have noticed."

Anna nodded solemnly. "I do hope that Edmund's fine. I think he will be. He does have nightmares much less often than I do, and he seems to handle them better. Actually, I should worry about myself being away from him. He's always really nice about it, and he never tries to make me talk if I'm not ready to and sits with me when I'm scared."

"That's good," Peter said.

Anna nodded. "That's Edmund."

"Edmund," he said. "Are you and him... together?"

Anna looked at him curiously. "Together?"

"You know," Peter said, "Romantically?"

Anna laughed. "Oh, no. We're only friends. Why do you ask?"

Peter shrugged. "You're very close to him."

"We're good friends," Anna said, "But I like someone else."

"Who?" Peter asked.

Anna blushed but said nothing.

"Well," said Peter, "I hope it's me, because otherwise, you might not let me do this." He tilted her face toward his and kissed her.

Even hours later, trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep, Anna's heart fluttered thinking about it.

"Do you mind?" Peter had asked after they broke apart.

"No," Anna said breathlessly. "I... I liked it." Quite an understatement.

"Good," Peter said, and pressed his lips against hers again.

Anna had never kissed before, but she decided that she liked it. Very much. Maybe just because she was kissing Peter, who she'd only been in love with for two years.

Peter pulled away from the kiss after a moment, and folded Anna in an embrace.

Anna laughed. "Oh, what Susan would say if she saw us."

"I hope she doesn't," Peter said, "I don't want anything to spoil this moment."