Chapter 9:

After the day of the coronation, every time I was out in public with Peter I became very self-conscious. Susan had been right; every human girl that we met always looked at me in a way I was not comfortable with. Peter seemed to be oblivious to my discomfort. There seemed to be a competition to win his affections and I was public enemy number one. I knew there was some ground to the rumours but then again nothing had come from the original chemistry Peter and I had.

With everything going on I rarely got time alone with him anyway. We'd all taken to our duties seriously. For decades Narnia had been in ruin and now it was time to rebuild its former glory. That was our priority. Our only priority.

I knew that I felt something for the now High King. Every glance we shared was powerful; even our arms brushing as we walked side by side brought a flush to both our cheeks. But as time went by and nothing happened I started to doubt the bond I'd once though we had.

Months went by and Narnia was now flourishing and people from distant lands often came to stay in the Palace. Archenland had become a great ally and our doors were always open to them. The first summer after the coronation was the one that changed my perspective on a lot of things.

XxxxxX

"Come on, Ed!" I teased as I blocked another blow of his. "You can do better than this!"

The younger Pevensie gritted his teeth and sent another blow at me; I lost my footing slightly but recovered as I swung my sword at him. I enjoyed training with Edmund; we always worked the best out of each other and enjoyed each other's company as well.

"Rebecca!"

I swung my head round as I heard Peter's voice but regretted it instantly. I hissed in pain as my sword was knocked out of my hand. Snapping my head back round to face my opponent, I scowled. "Edmund, that hurt." I complained as I looked at my now bleeding finger. "Thanks a lot."

"Maybe you shouldn't get distracted then." He smirked as he picked my sword up and handed it back to me. "I win."

"No you don't, you cheated!" I pouted.

"He won fair and square." A new voice joined the conversation and I looked back at an amused Peter.

"Go on then, side with him, it's your fault he did win anyway." I informed him as I sheathed my sword.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and smirked. "Don't get distracted in future then."

I narrowed my eyes at him playfully. "In future, don't call my name then."

"You're cute when you're angry." He teased; making me roll my eyes at him in an attempt to hide my blush.

Edmund snorted. "I'm going to leave because I am clearly no longer needed. I need to go and check the supplies anyway. You both have a nice time arguing over who's cuter." He nodded to the both of us before exiting the training ground.

"What is it you want anyway?" I asked Peter as we followed Ed at a much slower pace.

"The duke and duchess from the south of Archenland are arriving later on this afternoon. A rider just arrived to inform us." He explained.

I stopped and looked at him in confusion. "They were only here two weeks ago. Why are they coming back so soon?"

Peter shrugged. "In his letter, he says that he has some interesting business to talk to me about."

"Of course he does." I shook my head. "What could it be this time? Trading arrangements? That was the excuse for last time. I honestly think he just likes living here for free. Are his children coming too?"

"I assume so. Oliver gets on well with his son at least. I know you and Susan don't get on with the Duchess and the daughter."

"Can you blame us?" I asked him as we started walking again. "The mother's a hag. She looks at me as if I'm a stone in her shoe. I've never done anything to offend her. And the daughter ignores me. Susan believes it's because I'm intimidating but I think there's more to it."

"I hate to be the one to break it to you but you are intimidating." He grinned.

"If I'm so intimidating you probably shouldn't provoke me then." I counter-argued.

"I'm the High King; I can do what I want." He pushed my shoulder playfully making me lose my footing slightly.

"Hey!" I protested with a wide smile. "Don't do that!"

"What, this?" He grinned as he pushed me again before taking off in a run before I could get him back.

Once I'd regained my footing, I ran after him until I reached the courtyard. I slowed my pace into a light jog before coming to a stop next to the fountain. "Peter, I know you're here." I called out. I could only see a few fauns but I just knew he was about here somewhere.

I was about to turn round to look at the other side of the courtyard when I felt water hit the side of me. Even if the day was a warm one, the water was still freezing cold. I let out a loud gasp as the water hit me, closing my eyes tightly at the chock. Once I opened them I saw a widely grinning Peter with a small bowl in his hands.

I shook my head and sent water droplets everywhere. "Enjoy the bath?" He teased.

Opening my eyes I looked up at him and smirked. "Yeah, it was refreshing. You should give it a go." I slipped my hands into the cold water and flicked as much as I possibly could at him.

He jumped back from the fountain and stared at me with a now menacing smile. "You really shouldn't have done that."

Before I could process his next move, he'd already gotten back to the fountain. I hurried over to him and we both wrestled for the bowl in his hands. It's obvious to point out that he was stronger than me and easily overpowered me. He slipped his hand round my waist and turned me round so my back was to his front.

"I did warn you." He joked before pouring the bowl of water over my head.

He let me go and with one look at each other we burst out laughing; our laughter echoing around the courtyard. Once we'd regained our breaths we just smiled at each other. But my smile soon turned into a smirk and before he understood what I was going to do I closed the space between us and brought him into bone crushing hug; my soaking wet clothes now wetting his.

"Okay, okay, I surrender." He told me.

I pulled away from him slightly, my arms still around his neck. "Promise? No more water attacks?"

"I promise." He smiled and I felt myself blush.

He didn't let go of me just yet. His hands continued to rest on my lower waist as we just kind of froze. I knew what was on both our minds but neither of us seemed to be able to voice it out loud.

I opened my mouth to say something but stopped when I heard horses' hooves clicking on the ground. I turned my head and seeing a roofless carriage nearing us I stepped away from Peter as quickly as I could.

"They're arriving earlier than you let on." I whispered to him.

"I didn't know they would be arriving now." He replied. "Well this is not at all awkward."

"No, it's just embarrassing." I muttered as I plastered as dignified a smile I could manage on my face.

Peter headed over the carriage as a man got off it. "My Lord Morn, you have arrived much earlier than we had anticipated. I must apologise for the attire that myself and the Lady Rebecca greet you in."

The older man just smiled and brushed Peter's comment off. "Oh please, you're in your own home and we are unexpected guests. You have nothing to apologise for, my King." His wife descended from the carriage shortly after along with their two children. "I am just glad to find you both in high spirits."

I smiled and bowed my head towards him. "It is an honour to receive you here again, my lord. I do apologise again for my manner of appearance."

Lord Morn was about to reply but his wife, Karia; cut in. "It is quite alright, after all you are but a child." She gave me a self-satisfied smirk.

I took a deep breath and bit back the retort I had on the tip of my tongue. I nodded once more to them as I clenched my fists. "I am sure you will enjoy your stay, I must excuse myself. I have to go speak with the cooks about tonight's dinner."

I didn't bother adding anything else; I just turned on my heels and headed up the castle steps. Once I was out of sight, I stopped and leaned up against the stone wall taking deep breaths to calm myself.

"Don't let her get to you." Susan said as she came up to me.

I jumped slightly at the sound of her voice as I hadn't expected to see anyone. "I don't know what you mean." I lied.

The brunette looked at me sternly. "I was standing on the balcony when they arrived. You can hear everything from up there with the echo. She is just jealous that Peter notices you and not her daughter. Don't pay any attention to what she says."

I considered her carefully. "We're just friends, Susan."

"Rebecca." She sighed as she placed a hand on my shoulder. "A blind man can see you both care dearly about each other."

"Because he's my friend." I insisted. This was the last thing I wanted to talk about now.

"What I just saw wasn't "just friends", Becca. Both of you are being stubborn." The girl stated. "You both need to get your act together before it's too late. Peter's the High King, he's young and handsome. He's just shy of nineteen. Fathers' who want a beneficial marriage for their daughter will do anything they can to win the King's favour and therefore offer their daughter's hand in marriage. Don't let him slip through your fingers, Rebecca."

I pushed myself off the wall and straightened up. "Where do you get all these ideas from, Susan?"

"While you're off being a counsellor and a soldier, I keep my ears open at court and listen to the rumours and take note of the usual patterns. Every girl that passes through these walls dreams of winning his heart." She told me. "The sad thing is the longer you both live in obliviousness, the more likely his heart will go to someone else."

"Is this supposed to cheer me up? Because if that's the case then you're not really doing a good job." I told her.

She gave me soft smile. "It's not meant to cheer you up. I want you both to stop acting like mules and act on the feelings you clearly have for each other." The young queen squeezed my arm again before heading off down the corridor.

Confused and even more heavy hearted than before, I headed in the opposite direction back to my chambers. After some dryads brought me some fresh warm water for my bath, I washed off the sweat and dirt that had stuck to me since my fight with Edmund. The bath relaxed me and I felt some of the tension leave my body but it was only short lived. I'd only been out of the bath a few minutes when none other than the High King came knocking at my door.

I pulled the dressing gown around me just that bit tighter when I opened it. "Peter, this isn't really a good time." I told him awkwardly.

"I know, I just… I just really need to talk." He seemed slightly upset and flustered. Being the good friend that I was I opened my door wider and let him in.

"What's wrong?" I asked him as I headed over to my dresser and picked up my hairbrush.

"I just talked with the Duke." Peter answered as he headed over to my window, looking out over the sea.

His voice trembled slightly as he spoke and I grew even more concerned. I turned to look at him and his shoulders seemed tense. "Peter, you're scaring me, what happened?"

He wrung his hands together before turning to look at me. "The Duke has offered his daughter's hand in marriage to me."

His words hung in the air heavily. I felt my heart drop slightly and my throat tighten. "Oh."

"That's exactly how I reacted." He offered me a half-smile.

I nodded slowly. "So what did you tell him?"

The smile disappeared and he turned his head back to the window. "I told him I was flattered but I couldn't give him an answer in that current moment. I've barely spoken to his daughter… I'm not ready for any of this."

I put my hairbrush back down and went over to him. "Oh Peter." I put my hand on his shoulder and the other on his cheek making him turn to look at me. "You are ready to take on anything. This is your choice; no one can pressure you into something you don't want."

He seemed so vulnerable and it broke my heart to see him like this. It was in these moments that I remembered why I held on in hope that something would happen. These moments were pure and I relished them. Right there and then he was not a King and I was not a Lady; we were the teenagers that were often forced to put on hold. We knew that we didn't need to hide anything from each other, I wouldn't judge him and he wouldn't judge me. We could put down the armour we wore in public and let our guard down knowing that we trusted each other enough.

"But how do I say no to him?" Peter asked me. "The last thing I want to do is offend him. And what if refusing his offer weakens our alliance with Archenland? The King himself on our last meeting inquired about the matter. He explicitly told me that I need heirs to carry on the line of Kings otherwise when we're gone Narnia will be open prey once more."

"Listen to me carefully." I told him. "This is your choice. Make sure you make the right one because if you say yes to him, you're going to have to live with it for the rest of your life." I paused and bit back the comment I truly wanted to make. "If marrying her is in Narnia's best interest then you must consider it but do base your decision solely on that. This is a matter of the heart, Peter, these things can't be rushed."

He looked at me in silence for a moment before resting his hand on mine and taking it off his cheek. "If I keep listening to my heart things shall never prosper." He told me before releasing my hand and taking a step back.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked him, feeling slightly offended by his words.

He looked as though he regretted what he said. "It doesn't matter."

"It clearly does if you took the time to say it." I argued.

"Rebecca, please." He sighed.

"I, for one, can't even believe you're considering it. I thought that… You know what it doesn't matter either." I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.

Peter took a deep breath before looking at me. "I'm at a crossroad here. A marriage to the Duke's daughter reinforces our alliance and would bring more trade here. He's a wealthy man and Narnia would benefit from it."

"Well, if that's your only concern, then go ahead and marry her then." I told him sharply as I turned and headed over to the door. "Well if that's all then leave, I need to get ready."

He looked at me quizzically. "Why are you angry at me?"

"If you can't figure it out on your own then by all means marry her." I snapped as I opened my door. "Now go."

Without another word to me, he strode out of the room. I slammed the door behind him as he left and it helped me get my anger out. I was foolish, how could I have even believed that he felt something for me? Maybe once he had but not now. It wasn't his fault, I knew that but he had let me hope. Outside, just over an hour ago, I thought we'd been so close to getting there. Turns out there didn't exist.

I was not in a great mood when I entered the dining hall that evening. I'd hidden up in my room for the rest of the afternoon not wanting to face anyone. When I walked into the hall I felt his eye's bear into me. I kept my face impassive and took my seat at the table avoiding eye contact with everyone.

I listened to the chatter at the table and every time I chanced a glance at Peter, he always seemed to be looking back at me. As if he was studying my every move. The Duke spent the entire dinner boasting about this and that implicitly implying what a great union the High King would be agreeing too. I wondered if I was the only Peter had told about the Morn's proposition. His daughter, Alicia, who was older than me by a year, smiled throughout the whole meal and desperately tried to seek Peter's attention. I was satisfied when it didn't seem to be working.

Peter wasn't not in a great mood either. I could tell by his stance and the way he answered others questions. He was not as enthusiastic a host as he normally was. I knew our fight was the cause of it and I felt guilty for being so tough with him. He most likely didn't even understand why I'd been so harsh with him in the first place. I decided that after dinner I should probably apologise to him.

When dinner was finished we all left the table and I caught hold of Peter by his forearm before he could wander off with the duke. "Please, I need to have a word with you."

He nodded to me and excused himself from the Duke's company before we both walked out onto the balcony. It was a starry night and the moon was high in the sky. The sea was glistening under the moonlight and the land seemed peaceful.

"Have you given him your answer?" I asked him quietly as I rested my hands on the balcony's stone rail.

He came up beside me and did the same. "I haven't yet. I told him I needed time to think things over, that there was something I needed to make sure of first."

"I'm sorry about earlier, Peter, I over-reacted." I apologised.

He turned his head to look at me and he seemed to be studying me intently. "I understand why you did though." He remarked.

"So I'm forgiven?"

"There was nothing to forgive in the first place, Rebecca." Peter assured me. "You helped me realise something."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "And what might that be?"

"I don't want to marry her; I never will want to." He admitted.

It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders as he confessed this to me. "I have to admit, I'm glad you realised that before you did something stupid."

Peter chuckled. "I'm glad you're relieved at least. But that's not the only reason I don't want to marry her."

"Then what is the other reason?" I questioned.

"If I married her; or anyone else in fact, I will have married knowing we never gave us a chance." He looked down at me then.

I looked away from him and kept my gaze on the sea. "We said we'd let things fall into place, they never really have, maybe that's reason enough."

"We're here now, aren't we?" I felt him move his hand and gently clasp it over mine. "Look at me now and tell me you don't want this? If you do, I'll walk back in there and tell the Duke I'll marry his daughter."

My head snapped round to look at him. "Peter, don't make statements like that, ever. Your future depends on whether you marry her or not, don't make it about me."

"I want to make it about you." He told me.

"Then don't marry her." I whispered. "I don't want you to marry her because I don't want to see you with someone else."

His hand moved up my arm and clutched the back of my neck. "Why have we taken so long to get here?"

"Honestly, I don't even know." I smiled slightly up at him. "We've both been incredibly foolish I suppose."

"Maybe even this is foolish." Peter murmured before slowly leaning towards to me and gently pressing his lips to mine.

I moved my hands to his waist and pulled him closer to me as I deepened the kiss. They were just as soft as I remembered them. His movements were gentle and almost vulnerable. Years later, he admitted that he was scared of making the wrong move and ruining it and making me change my mind. I assured him that nothing ever would. Before anything got too heated as the risk was already high on getting caught, I detached my lips from his but rested my forehead on his.

"Promise me we will never go another year without kissing." I mumbled as I regained my breath.

He grinned and let out a small chuckle. "I've never been happier to make a promise."

I smiled and pecked his lips softly again. "You better never break that promise."

"I won't." He smiled.