Yeah. Um . . . I do actually have something that slightly resembles an excuse this time: My computer keeps getting viruses when I go to , so it had to be completely taken apart and put back together. And then Microsoft Word disappeared, and I just found out that it was back.

So there is my silent plea to not be killed (which I realise that I have just made audible, metaphorically speaking [and I'm sorry if you didn't understand that – I have a way of speaking which usually only makes sense to myself]).

And now – a disclaimer: I hereby renounce any claim that I may have secrectly had on the Chronicles, C.S. Lewis, or related titles. (If it were mine, it would have been taken away long before now due to neglect on my part.)

One month later…

As she lay in bed that night, Kaelin reflected on the residents of her brother's wooden treehouse.

The high king – Since she had first seen him, he seemed to have grown more comfortable around Willem, Calvert, and herself (the only members of her family that he had come in contact with). Every so often, he would say something amusing, surprising her but making her laugh all the same. She had discovered that his favorite food that was provided him here – during the harvest time, anyway – was a certain pie, made from her late mother's recipe, and consisting of mostly pumkin, cream, and spices.

He stayed in his royal garments, because her eldest brother's clothes were much too large for him, and the rest of her brothers' were too small. King Peter took this well, however, and she respected him for it – a worse king could easily have made rather rude comments about not being taken care of well enough.

The youngest queen – Queen Lucy stayed mostly the same. Her personality – perpetual cheerfulness and a general positive view of everything – hadn't changed at all. If anything, she had become more prone to laughter and slightly more open with Kaelin, which Kaelin figured was likely because she was the only female the Queen Lucy had contact with, and she was closer to her age than her sister, Queen Susan, was. Her food preference was shared with her brother, and she claimed that the Narnians didn't make it quite as well as Kaelin did, which caused her to blush every time it was announced.

She also stayed in her original attire – Kaelin was slightly taller that she was. Like her brother, she accepted this (and had actually protested when Kaelin had asked her to at least try her clothes, saying that she would hate to take away Kaelin's only "formal" dress), and never made a rude comment about it.

It was lucky that they were both honorable rulers, Kaelin reflected, because her family would have had trouble acting as befit their rank around arrogant monarchs. Her brothers would have a hard time containing their anger, as would she on a smaller level.

She sighed, a bit annoyed at her lack of sleep, and turned to look out her small window. As she stared at the stars, she pulled her blanket more tightly around herself – it was a cold night.

The ball that Fabia had talked of was in two days. As her friend had mentioned, she and her whole family had been invited. The king and queen wouldn't be able to attend – there had been even more people going through town asking after the two of them, none of them very reputable looking except one with an oiled black beard and smooth words, as well as a large curved sword. Kaelin had been careful to stay out of his path.

That made her think about the knives that her father and brothers used on the sheep, which made her fall asleep rather quickly.

...

The two days hadn't gone by fast enough. Kaelin had promised herself that she would wait calmly until her father allowed his six children to get ready, but she had gradually become more and more jittery and anxious, trembling with anticipation the whole time that she was mending Naithen's sock.

When her father had finally given them the wished-for release, she had jumped out of her chair so quickly that it shot out behind her and hit Willem in the knees, prompting teasing from the rest of her brothers. She ignored them and flew to her room, stopping only when she was beside the bed on which she had placed her dress.

It was really beautiful, too well made for a shepherd's daughter. The only reason that she had it was because her father had saved a Terebinthian merchant's son once, and in gratitude, the merchant had given him seven sets of clothes – one for her father and each of his children (her mother had already died) – which were some of the best quality that he had with him.

Kaelin assumed that her brothers were wearing their own Terebinthian attire, except possibly Naithen, who had grown too much for his to fit him anymore.

The Terebinthians know how to make lovely clothes. Her dress was a silvery-grey fabric, with a red sash and matching grey ankle boots.

Almost before she knew it, she had the garment over her head and was buttoning the back. Earlier that morning she had "borrowed" the mirror from its place in her brother Biron's drawer. He never used it anyway, except when he went to visit the neighbor girl that he planned on marrying.

Soon, she was brushing the tangles out of her – extremely thick – hair, and then pulling the soft boots on. They would probably be ruined some in the sand, but she would just have to bear it.

Kaelin had finished readying herself slightly after her brothers, but in the chaos outside her room, no one really noticed her late appearance. Willem had, and he raised an eyebrow at her in a teasing question, but he said nothing.

Finally Naithen stopped complaining about his clothes, and her father looked them all over. After pronouncing them ready, they began the short walk to the mansion on the top of the hill.

Next chapter should be up much sooner than this, and should be (hopefully) much longer, because that's when the plot really starts! I just wanted a chapter especially for the party, because that really when cool stuff starts. (Not cool for Kaelin, but…..*evil grin*)

Again, even more apologies for long waits! But it will not be abandoned! Cross my heart – I promise.

~Corilyne~