Freya woke up. The dawn was grey. Is it going to rain again? She wondered. Her mind wandered, as she thought. 'What was wrong with Peter last night? Surely he couldn't be jealous of Corin and Leos?' The thought was hilarious. But then she heard the voices of Susan and Lucy.
"Peter is in a very bad mood this morning." Said Susan.
"That only spells disaster." Lucy replied. "Why the grumpy mood?"
"Well, Ed said that Peter reckons that Freya is falling for that Leos. You know, the Archenland delegate. The man she was sitting with at dinner. He also thinks that King Lune is trying to get Corin to make Freya fall for him."
"But why is Peter so bothered?"
"Well, he claims that it is his duty to protect her while she is in Narnia."
"In some ways it is good that it's just for those reasons as Freya's father will no doubt make her leave once their ship is repaired. It would break Peter's heart otherwise. Also, I think Lune wants Peter to marry her niece. I'd much prefer Peter to marry Freya. But I doubt that will ever happen."
"Why not Lu? It could happen."
"Well, by the time they got together and so serious to consider marriage, Freya will have left."
"Oh I hope not. I can tell she doesn't really want to go."
"We really should spend some more time together with her Su. I know Ed and Peter feel guilty."
"But we have to entertain Lune and his subjects and Freya seems to be fine."
"I suppose so."
Freya heard them leave and sat down on her bed. She suddenly missed Peter. Missed his hugs especially. He could wrap her up and his kisses were so warm and soft. She got dressed and went to find him.
To her luck, when she opened the door, he was walking by.
"Peter!" she said happily. He turned. His eyes registered her, but they contained no emotion.
"Oh good morning Freya." He was slightly stand-offish. This puzzled Freya.
"How are you?"
"Oh, a bit tired. Lune insists on holding political conferences every hour of the day." He said nothing more. Freya tried to break the mood.
"I consider myself lucky. Getting out of it I mean. I feel so sorry for you!"
"You don't mind be left on your own then?" Peter asked slowly, his mood rising slightly.
"Of course not! I don't expect you to entertain me! Besides I've got Leos and Corin to keep me company."
"Leos and Corin." Peter's eyes clouded and he turned away. Freya turned him to look at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered: "They're my friends Peter. Nothing more. I promise." Peter grabbed her and wrapped her into a hug. Freya nestled herself in her shoulder. They stood there for a second before she piped up.
"You weren't jealous were you?" she said smiling.
"No!"
"You were!"
"I wasn't!" he said flustered.
"Peter, they're my friends. That's all I feel for them. Trust me." She gave a small laugh.
Peter looked around before giving her a soft kiss. "That's going to have to last me for the next few days. I don't see any chance of seeing you privately till then." He muttered. She gave him a kiss. "To make sure you make it through." She whispered in his ear. He gave her a smile. They headed down to breakfast. After a few minutes, Freya spoke up.
"Peter,"
"Yes."
"You don't think that Lune will bring his niece over do you?"
"Why…jealous?" he whispered.
She gave him a playful punch in the shoulder. "Oh shut up."
When they got down to breakfast, Leos took her aside. "Fancy going horse-riding with me today? I want to see more of Narnia. I hear you're not bad on a horse."
"Where did you hear that from?" Freya asked.
"Corin."
Peter, who was nearby, stiffened, but didn't let Freya see.
"He exaggerates. But, I'd love to go out riding."
After breakfast, Freya said to Leos: "I'll be back, go to the stables, I need to change."
Leos watched her go. He liked Freya, but he thought his feelings would grow towards her and blossom into things other than friendship. He was using this day to see if he was right. Yes, as he walked down to the stables, he found her physically attractive. She was different from all the other Archenland girls' builds. She was curvier. He affirmed this when she came down in breeches and long boots which showed her curves even more.
"Right then let's see how good a horse-rider you are!" He said jokingly. Freya laughed.
"Come on Judan, let's show him how it's done!" she spurred him on and galloped out the courtyard and onto the plains. They stopped after about ten minutes. They were both breathless and their cheeks rosy.
"Not bad." Said Leos.
"Not too bad yourself!" laughed Freya. "But lets see how long you can keep this up!" she spurred Judan on, Leos following. They jumped ditches, dykes, hedges and galloped over vast plains trimmed by mountains, rivers, lakes, waterfalls. After about an hour and a half they stopped by a small lake as the horses needed a drink. Freya got down and flopped down by a tree. Leos flopped down beside her. She turned and smiled at him. They laid in silence for a while.
"What's your biggest fear?" Leos asked suddenly.
She frowned for a second before replying. "Getting sent back home. To war. To smell the fear of those I love."
"But aren't all battles like that?"
"Yes, but seeing the lands I roamed in as a child ruined. Seeing everything changed. It's as if my childhood is being destroyed and is in the hands of some rebels…and some of those rebels would be my childhood friends, which I wouldn't really be allowed to have. To face them in battle, to see them killed or to see them beaten would be horrible. But then, seeing my family lose. That too…horrible. Here, Narnia, I'm away from all of that. Free to be myself. That's why I don't want to sail to the new land. I'd be under the Aranon spell again. As much as I love it, I hate it as well." She was silent for a moment. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. I hardly know you."
There was a sudden low rumble of thunder. The sky was black and threatening. Freya looked at Leos as the rain fell down in thick sheets.
"Shall we brave it? Or wait until it stops?"
"It may not stop for hours though." He replied.
"True, but we will only run into trouble otherwise. Remember all those ditches we crossed? By the time we get there, it will be far too slippy for the horses to safely jump, and the rivers must surely have burst, I mean look at it…" They both looked out from the cover of the trees. The rain was so thick you couldn't see more than a few feet.
"What do you suggest we do then?" said Leos.
"I don't know." Replied Freya troubled. "Do you think the others will be worried about us?"
To Freya's surprise, Leos laughed. "Why would they be worried? Lune is so demanding, they won't even notice we're gone! Why would they? We're hardly anything of importance. We're not royal, or diplomats or politicians. I'm a mere subject and you're staying there until your ship is fixed. We just blend into the background. But I agree with you. We had better stay here until the rain stops. It's far too dangerous otherwise." He threw a stone out which slowly sank into the field which had turned into a boggy marsh.
"I suppose so." But Freya was troubled by Leos' words. 'Did the others really not care? Do we really just blend into the background? But I suppose yes. We're hardly of any importance. I'm not royal or of Narnian blood. Why would they worry? But I had considered them friends. Surely they would worry? Peter would worry, wouldn't he?'
Leos waved his hand in front of Freya's eyes. "Wake up! Anybody there?" Freya gave him a small smile. "You sort out the horses. I'll build some sort of shelter. Don't fret Freya. They won't even notice we've gone. Come on. Before the rain gets worse."
The four monarchs were resting in their living room taking a spare moment from Lune and his subjects who were sorting some private Archenland business.
"Where's Freya?" Susan asked suddenly.
"She went out horse-riding this morning." Peter replied. "Why? Has she not got back?"
Edmund was standing by the window. "Well, she's in trouble if she isn't. Look. She'll never make it back in this weather even if she is a good horse-rider. Even you Peter, you wouldn't be able to cope."
The four gathered around the window looking out into the storm, into the rain that fell in droves turning all land into a thick bog.
"We should send people out to look for her!" cried Lucy. "She could be in trouble!" The other three looked at each other. Each an expression of concern gracing their faces.
"Lu, as worried as I am about her, we can't send other riders out as they'd hit the same problems." Said Edmund, although it pained him to say it.
"Surely, we could send some griffons out?"
"They wouldn't be able to see anything."
"How will she cope on her own?" cried Lucy.
"She wasn't on her own Lu. She was with Leos." Soothed Peter.
"But is he a good horseman?" asked Susan.
Peter shook his head. "I shouldn't think so. But who knows when this rain will stop? We should send someone out. They could catch their death." Peter replied, his face growing in concern. He didn't let it show, but he was the most worried of them all. He didn't want to think about Freya stranded somewhere cold, perhaps injured. "We'll send out the griffons." He said suddenly.
The other three nodded and turned once more to survey the scene.
"Freya. Will you sit down? You're making me nervous." Freya paced the small dry clearing. Looking out at the rain which fell down in buckets. Then she remembered something.
"Aha!"
"What?"
"My cloak! I completely forgot! It has a hood!"
"Freya, you cannot be serious. You will get drenched as soon as you get out there."
Freya ignored him. "Leos. It doesn't matter what you say. Someone in the palace must have surely noticed we're missing by now. Besides, the horses needed to get back to the stables and I'd promised Lu-I mean, Queen Lucy that I would play cards with her. I always keep my promises."
"You're going out into that weather to honour a game of cards!!!! I'm sure Her Majesty would understand if you couldn't make it!"
"It's the principle! Now pass me my spare cloak." Leos passed it to her. She wrapped it around Judan.
"Is that alright Judan?"
"Yes, Freya. It should provide some protection."
"Judan. Can you cope in this weather? Could you make it if we went out? Or would you prefer we stayed?" Freya said her voice full of concern.
"I'm made of stronger stuff than a bit of rain!" Judan snorted.
"It's hardly a bit of rain. Even though I think it's ceased a bit."
"Nonsense. Let's get going. Anyway, there's some hay waiting for me." Freya gave him a pat.
"Thanks."
Freya climbed on him to note that Leos was doing the same. Freya turned to him.
"Well, you don't think I'm going to get you go out alone in this do you?" he said grimly. Freya gave him a smile.
"Don't forget to wrap your spare cloak around your horse."
"Already done. Let's go. The sooner we get back to Cair Paravel, the better." They spurred their horses on into the rain.
In the first few steps, Freya was already drenched to her skin. She hadn't felt this cold since…the storm where she was shipwrecked. 'That turned out good though, didn't it?' she comforted herself. The horses slipped and slid through the marsh. Whenever they found a dry bit, they spurred the horses into gallop, but the dry bits were short and spare in between. Their progress was slow. Freya was soon numbed by cold. She felt like they'd be doing this forever. Leos and Freya kept their spirits up by talking about what a dinner they could have. Freya also kept on talking to Judan, to keep him going. Problems arose when they reached their first ditch. Both horses, just managed the jump but both Freya and Leos almost lost their saddle. "We have to keep going!" Freya cried over the howling of the wind and the rain. "There's no place to stop!" Leos just nodded at her. The horses plodded on. When they reached hedges, Leos and Freya had to jump down and clear the way for the horses. They got scratched and cut from the thorns. But there was no choice but to continue.
Peter was walking back from alerting the griffons, his mind full of worry, when he overheard a conversation of Lune and Corin.
"Well?"
"Yes, she's nice."
"Nice? Is that all?"
"I like her as a friend. Anyway, I'm too late."
"Too late?"
"Leos. He really likes her."
"Freya thinks what of this?"
Peter walked away not wanting to hear anymore. He remembered Freya's words from that morning. 'They're just my friends. Trust me.' Peter had to find her. In the living room, his siblings were crowded around the fire. The wind rattled the panes.
"Do you think they'll find her?" Lu asked quietly.
"Of course." Said Susan assertingly. 'But healthy and well? Debatable.' She thought. She could tell Peter and Edmund were thinking the same thing.
Freya struggled on. Judan was tiring as was she. She fell off several times, too weak to keep on the saddle. Leos was the same, however, Freya had tired more quicker than him. He had to keep spurring her on to continue. But Freya felt like that was impossible. She was covered in bruises and scratches. She couldn't keep her eyes open. Suddenly, in the distance she could see the bright lights of Cair Paravel. She almost cried with relief.
"Your Majesties?" the four monarchs turned to the griffon. "I am afraid the weather is too bad for us to see anything. I am sorry." He turned and left. The four monarchs turned and looked at each other.
"What now?" asked Lucy.
"We wait." Replied Susan solemnly.
Freya and Leos clattered into the stable. It was warm and bright. Freya slid weakly off Judan. There were no stable boys around. With great difficulty, Freya and Leos lifted the heavy tack off their horses heavier now it was wet. Freya put a blanket around Judan and gave him some hay. "I'll see you tomorrow" she whispered hoarsely. Judan nuzzled her hand. Freya stumbled out of his stall. Leos was waiting for her. Together, they made their way to the castle. When they reached the entrance hall, they gave each other a weak hug and made their separate ways. Freya started to climb the stairs, wheezing and coughing. She eventually got to her floor. Her legs were now like lead. She looked up to see someone running towards her.
Peter had gone to his room to get a blanket as he was cold. When he came out he saw a figure head bowed making their way down the landing. He dashed to her and wrapped her in a hug.
"Freya. Thank heavens." He murmured into her hair. Freya collapsed into him. He took off her hood. She was drenched to the skin. He could feel her chest rattling. He called to a passing maid. "Get my brothers and sisters sent to my room. Tell them I've found her. Be quick about it!"
He led her to his room where the fire was roaring. He laid her down on the sofa. Freya didn't really know what was happening. She was so weak and tired. She clung onto the person who was holding her. They brought her closer to them. "I'm not leaving you." They whispered. They wrapped her in a huge blanket. She nestled onto their chest, her eyes slowly closing.
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