Chapter 10: Keeping it In

Isabella rolled her eyes as Evlyn told a story about the horse ride that she and her suitor, Prince Gregory, took before Evlyn and Amelia came to surprised Isabella. Truth be told, Isabella was tired of listening to Evlyn talk about how perfect Gregory was or how gentleman-like he was or how skilled he was in battle.

Isabella was ignoring her as she dreamed about her future with Peter. She and Peter had the castle to themselves. Isabella made sure that Edmund, Lucy, and Susan had been married and had moved to different Kingdoms. Isabella had the most beautiful dresses and jewelry around that other Queens were jealous. She and Peter would have a son, named after Peter of course, and a daughter named Isabelle. Isabella would want her daughter to have almost the exact same name as her to reflect how Isabelle would be raised and how she would take over as Queen if anything happened to her mother.

"Bella, you haven't been listening to a word I've been saying, have you?" Evlyn asked as she looked at the dream-like look on Isabella's face. Her eyebrows were raised and she had a smile on her face despite the annoyance that was in her voice

"I'm sorry," Isabella apologized with a small chuckle. "I just have a lot on my mind. Peter should be back sometime tonight, if not tomorrow. What do you think I can do to show him how much I missed him?"

"You could hold a Welcome Back gathering," Amelia offered. "I'm sure High King Peter would appreciate it."

"I do not want to do that," Isabella told her, immediately dismissing the idea.

"Why not?" Amelia asked in confusion. "This will prove to the High King that you are able to take care of the castle while he is gone, showing him that you are the perfect girl to become his High Queen."

"I don't want to do it because the other ladies of the land that are eligible for him would want to come and the last thing I need is for Peter to be taken from me right from underneath my nose," Isabella responded as she glared.

"But they wouldn't dare," Amelia told her as she noticed Evlyn staying quiet. Evlyn was braiding her hair and staring at the ground, biting her lip at the same time. Amelia ignored her and turned her attention back to Isabella. "Just make sure you let them know that you're in charge and they'll leave Peter alone. They're bound to know by now that you're staying here."

"Will you two excuse me for a few minutes?" Evlyn asked suddenly as she stood. "I have to attend to something."

"The most important rule when you're fighting is never ever let your guard down," Crystal told Lucy as they started to make their way to the library. "Letting your guard down is the worst thing to do when you're fighting."

"Because you'll be vulnerable and have an open spot for someone to attack you," Lucy added as she nodded in understanding. "What else?" She made sure he voice was low so the passing servants wouldn't overhear her. The last thing she wanted was for Peter to find out that she was going to learn to fight. She would tell him, eventually, but she knew that it wasn't the right time, especially when they have to deal with the new Beasts that were attacking. He had to keep his mind on that and their safety than anything else.

"Sometimes it's easy to anticipate someone's next move, but don't get too cocky about it or it will be your downfall," Crystal continued. "Usually you should fight with your head, but in some cases it's acceptable to fight with your heart and what you believe in."

"Ok, so why are we going to the library instead of the sparring grounds?" Lucy asked in confusion as she sped up a little to keep up with Crystal's pace.

"Because I don't want you near the weapons yet, I want you to look them up in the library first, that way you know what you're up against," she responded before pushing open the doors to the library.

Lucy nodded in understanding before moving down the rows of books while Crystal went in the opposite direction. While Lucy researched on weapons Crystal went looking for a book that described Narnian jewelry. The fact that her necklace brought them to Narnia in the first place puzzled her, and she wanted to know what the cause of it was.

Once the two got their books they sat down at the table, quietly reading what the pages held. Lucy enjoyed the quiet, it gave her time to think about things and how her life is. She loved her life in England and she loved her life in Narnia. The only thing that she missed in both worlds was being around her mother. She missed their mother, even when she was back at her home in England, only because she and her siblings live with Professor Kirk.

Susan tried to fill in the void the best she could, but she wasn't a mother to Lucy, no matter how hard Susan tried. Sure, she was there whenever Lucy needed a girl to talk to and, during the bad times, she would always comfort Lucy. But lately, all Susan's mind has been on are banquets, dresses, suitors, and Caspian. Even if Susan didn't want to admit it, Lucy knew.

"Ah, Queen Lucy, I've been looking for you," Stormhoof said as he clopped into the library. His sandy brown hair was pulled back into a long braid that was draped over his shoulder and rested on his chest. "I have a letter for you."

"From whom?" Lucy asked as she stood from her seat to approach the centaur.

"James, My Queen," he responded before holding out the letter. Lucy smiled before taking the letter out of his hands. "Would you like anything, My Queen? Some tea perhaps? Or I could get you a pillow to rest your back on."

"No thank you, Stormhoof, I'm fine," she said with a smile. He nodded before turning around and walking out of the room. Lucy sat back down in her chair and looked up to see Crystal smiling at her. "What?"

"It's from that James kid isn't it?" Crystal asked.

"Yes it is," Lucy confirmed. "But why are you looking at me like that?"

"Luce, its obvious James thinks highly of you," Crystal told her. "And not in the obvious way you think," she quickly added when Lucy opened her mouth.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," Evlyn said as she walked into the library and over to the table. Lucy and Crystal exchanged glances as Evlyn smiled a little. "I came on my own accord, not because of Isabella. I just wanted to tell you something about James."

"How do you know about him?"

"James is my little brother," she responded, laughing a little at the shocked look on their faces. "He's been talking about you quite a bit."

"Good things I hope," Lucy muttered.

"Of course, all good. James never speaks ill of anyone," Evlyn reassured her. "But to get onto serious matters, I wanted to explain about Isabella's behavior."

"You don't have to explain anything to me," Crystal said as she held up her hand, stopping Evlyn from speaking. "She hates me for no reason and I'm sure she's going to keep on hating me until I leave. I don't know when I will or how, so that's her own problem. But you don't have to explain Isabella to me, I'm sure she can do that herself."

"Yes, but there's something about her you need to know. She–" Evlyn started again.

"Lady Crystal, a tailor would like to see you." Stormhoof interrupted Evlyn as he came back into the room. Crystal put her face in her hands and let out a groan before standing. "I will show you the way."

"Thank you," Crystal said before following him out of the room. Evlyn let out a breath from her nose as she looked after the raven haired girl.

"Are you almost ready to go?" Peter asked King Elvrond as he made sure his things were secured to Ashen. She stomped on the ground, obviously not liking the weight that was on her back. Peter gave her an apologetic look before looking over at the king.

"Falan," King Elvrond called. A man with brown hair to his shoulders rushed over and bowed to his King. "Please make sure every woman is present and accounted for. I don't want to leave anyone behind."

"Yes My Lord." Falan bowed once more before rushing off to fill his orders.

"As soon as I know everyone is here then we shall leave," King Elvrond told Peter.

"Speaking of which, have you seen my brother?" Peter asked as he looked around. Phineas was waiting patiently with him and Ashen but his brother was nowhere to be seen.

"Last I saw him he was talking to one of our blacksmiths," Elvrond responded as he turned his blue eyes to Peter. "I can arrange for someone to go get him, if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary," Peter said as he shook his head. "He'll come when he comes, I'll have a talk with him later."

"But I thought you were in a hurry."

"I am, but Edmund will realize how important this is and will come," Peter explained. He turned away from Elvrond's gaze so he wouldn't see the guilty look on Peter's face. Peter would take full responsibility for Edmund but he wanted to seem like a respected leader and one that honors his commitments. Edmund was ruining that for Peter by not being there on time. Peter and Elvrond waited around a few more minutes before Edmund rushed over, panting.

"I'm sorry," Edmund apologized once he was under Peter's intense gaze. "I was talking to the blacksmith wondering if there was a certain type of metal that could be used to injure the new beasts."

"You could have at least told me where you were going to be," Peter said through clenched teeth.

"Relax, young one," Elvrond said with a smile. "We wouldn't have been able to leave if he was on time anyway. I haven't gotten word from Falan if every woman was accounted for."

Peter nodded before cutting his eyes at Edmund. Edmund widened his dark ones and looked back at Peter innocently, as if asking what he had done wrong. Peter just shook his head before stepping into the stirrup and settling down on Ashen's back.

"Careful, there, I am a lady after all," Ashen said in a teasing tone with a twinkle in her eye. Peter smiled a little as he gripped the reigns, ready to leave at any moment. He looked over to see Edmund pocket something before getting onto Phineas. Elvrond stayed on the ground, waiting patiently for Falan to report back to him. The young man came back, announcing that everyone was accounted for. Elvrond explained to Falan that he left some of his knights on guard in case they are attacked while he is gone. Falan went to give out the orders while Elvrond nodded to Peter, signaling that it was time to leave. He checked to make sure the women were secure before urging Ashen forward.

The rocking of the horse put Peter at ease as his eyes scanned the land in front of him. He was so relaxed that nights' worth of no sleep started to catch up to him. He could feel his eyelids drooping but he forced them to stay open. 'Stay awake Peter, everyone needs you right now. You can sleep when you get back.'

Peter was surprised that, during the journey, the kids that were traveling with their mothers were quiet the entire time. Peter looked over his shoulder to see that they were slumped against their mothers, sleeping. Peter smiled as he looked at each angelic face, faces that reflected peace and innocence.

He remembered when he first saw that look on Susan's face when she was a baby. He didn't understand what he saw then, but he understood when he saw it on Edmund's face and on Lucy's face. Edmund and Lucy were very mischievous when they were younger much more than they are now. Peter would easily get frustrated with them, eventually yelling at them because of it. They, in turn, would get mad at him and stomp to their rooms. When Peter went to check on them later he would often find them asleep and that's when he would see the look on innocence on their faces that would automatically get him to forgive them and made him realize that they were just being kids.

Peter wished that they didn't have to deal with this at such a young age; he knew that they didn't understand why they were being relocated. He didn't even understand fully when he and his siblings were sent to live with Professor Kirk during the War. Sometimes he wished that they hadn't been relocated in the first place so they wouldn't have found Narnia and he wouldn't have to run a whole Kingdom with the weight of the world on his shoulders. But he accepted his destiny and knew that he had to do everything he could to keep them all as safe as possible.

"Pete," Edmund called to grab Peter's attention. They had stopped by a lake, which was the halfway point between Cair Paravel and Rayuvial. "I wanted to talk to you about Aslan's disappearance. Don't you think that it's odd that he left in the middle of a fight instead of helping us?"

"We can't always relay on Aslan," Peter said slowly as he watched Edmund's face. "We have to fend for ourselves."

"I know that, but why isn't he back yet?" Edmund countered. "If this was some sort of test then he should be back by now, right?"

"We can fend for ourselves," Peter insisted. "We've done it before and we have to do it now." He looked around at everyone before glancing towards Cair Paravel that was in the distance but visible. "We have to keep going if we want to be back soon. I don't want Susan to worry. Go round everyone up and go find the little kids."

"But, they're playing hide and seek!" Edmund protested.

"You're an expert at that game Ed," Peter said as he slapped his younger brother on the shoulder. "Go find them."

Edmund grumbled under his breath but did as he was told. Peter went over to Ashen to make sure she had eaten and was rested before the rest of their journey. Once he was convinced he got onto her back and waited for his brother to get everyone back to the horses. It was hard to get the kids to cooperate though. They kept running away from Edmund as he tried to get them to get back. Peter sighed and got back off of Ashen before going to help Edmund. The kids ran away from him too, giggling and darting out of his reach. 'I didn't have this much trouble with Ed or Lucy when they were at that age,' Peter thought as he let out a breath in frustration.

"Kids, please go back to your mothers," Elvrond called, stopping the children from their game as Edmund rested his palms on his knees and started panting.

"Awww," they groaned as they pouted.

"Don't worry, the castle is big enough to have a better game of hide 'n' seek," Peter told them kindly. They cheered before rushing over to their respective mothers and getting back on the horses. "Thank you, sir."

"No thank yous are necessary," Elvrond said as he lifted a hand. "Come young ones, we must make up for lost time."

"Yes sir," Peter and Edmund said in unison before going back to Phineas and Ashen. Peter couldn't help but be amazed at how much the children respected King Elvrond. He pushed the thought out of his head as he clicked his tongue and urged Ashen forward, keeping his eyes on Cair Paravel and his heart on home.

Lucy aimed her arrow at the tree with the knot hole in it. She pulled back on the string, concentrating on her target like she's seen Susan do many times before. Perspiration formed on her brow as she concentrated hard.

"Queen Lucy!"

Lucy flinched and let go of her arrow. It passed the tree and disappeared into the dark woods. Lucy sighed in frustration as she lowered her arm. "Susan would've gotten that."

"Queen Lucy!"

Lucy looked up to see who had ruined her concentration. Her eyes widened when she saw Stormhoof galloping down the emerald green hill towards her. Lucy quickly looked herself over and pulled a face when she saw that her red dress was now adorned with grass stains. She quickly lifted her free hand to fix her crown and her hair before Stormhoof stopped in front of her, staring her down.

"Milady, your sister has been looking all over for you," Stormhoof told her. "She wants you to clean yourself before the royal feast tonight.

"I do not wish to go," Lucy said with a sigh. "It always bores me."

"Milady, your sister, the queen, has insisted your presence this evening. She says she has an announcement to make and it is very important that you should hear it," Stormhoof told her. He glanced at Lucy's dress and smiled a little. "If you go to the feast I will make sure your dress is cleaned before Susan can see it."

"Oh, all right," Lucy said with a sigh even though returned Stormhoof's smile. He took the quiver and bow from her before starting up the hill, Lucy followed quickly.

"Is anything bothering you, My Queen?" Stormhoof asked as he looked back on the young girl.

"No. Why?"

"You agreed faster than you normally would have. You would have put up a fight instead of agreeing," he pointed out.

Lucy just shrugged as she followed the centaur up the stone stairs and into the Great Hall. She almost ran into Caspian as he was coming out of the hallway. "I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "I didn't see you there."

"It's quite all right, My Queen," Caspian said with a gentle smile. Lucy studied his face. His smile was bigger than usual and his eyes were brighter than normal. He quickly bowed and walked off as Lucy looked after him.

"He's up to something," she muttered to herself before rushing up the stairs and down the hall to her room. She closed the door and opened the door to her adjoining bathroom. She changed out of her dress and left it on the table by the door before slipping into the tub that was filled with perfectly warm water. A servant came in and started to wash her hair as she sat there, thinking and wondering when her brothers would come home. She wanted to tell Edmund about Caspian's behavior. She knew if she told Peter than he would jump to conclusions. She knew she could trust Edmund's judgment; he was the Just King after all.

The servant pinned Lucy's hair into an elegant bun on the top of her head before leaving to get Lucy's dress. She got out of the tub and dried herself off, wrapping herself in a towel as the servant came back in with her emerald green dress. She helped Lucy into it and tied up the back to make sure none of her back was shown. She then helped Lucy to get her makeup done right and put on her jewelry.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Queen Lucy," she said as Lucy studied herself in the mirror.

"Thank you," Lucy said politely as she smiled a little. Truthfully Lucy was over wearing dresses, wearing makeup, going to balls, and acting like a lady. But she knew that she couldn't say anything about it. She was a Queen after all, and she had to hold up a reputation. So, the only thing she could do was keep everything inside and try not to crack under the pressure. "Is Peter home yet?"

"Not yet, milady," the servant responded. "But I will let you know once he arrives."

"Thank you."

The servant left as Lucy sat down on her bed, pulling a book into her lap. She couldn't concentrate on the book because Isabella was barking out orders to servants to make sure everything was right for her brothers' return. She tried to block it all out and was succeeding until she heard Isabella shriek, "PETER, YOU'RE BACK!"

Lucy got to her feet and made her way down the hall and down the stairs as fast as her high heeled feet would let her. Once she entered the Great Hall she spotted her brothers talking to Susan, Caspian, and Crystal while Isabella clung to Peter's arm with a vice like grip.

"Susan, Crystal, Caspian, I would appreciate it if you would help escort these women to their rooms and help them get situated," Peter told them. "After that Su, I would appreciate it if you gathered some of the tailors to get measurements. They don't have any other clothes after they've been attacked."

"It'll be my pleasure," Susan said with a smile before hugging Peter, who had to literally yank his arm out of Isabella's grasp to hug her properly. "I'm glad you're back safe and sound."

"Well, we finally see who the favorite brother is," Edmund said as he rolled his eyes. Susan chuckled before giving him a hug too, which he, surprisingly, eagerly accepted. She motioned to the Rayuvian women to follow her. Peter's eyes narrowed when he noticed how closed Caspian and Susan were walking together but he didn't get a chance to comment on it.

"Peter! Edmund! I'm so glad you have returned!" Lucy cried out as she rushed over to them.

"Lu! Wow, you look stunning!" Peter commented as he hugged his youngest sister.

"You don't look…half bad," she said as she covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile as she looked them over. Their hair was messy and their clothes were stained with mud and were torn in different places. "Don't you think you should go and get yourselves cleaned up?"

"You're so right," Peter agreed. "Why don't you show King Elvrond around while we go do that? Isabella, please go get your father for me."

"Anything for you, Peter," she said with a big smile before rushing off. Lucy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying whatever came to her mind about how much she disliked Isabella.

"King Elvrond, this is my sister Lucy," Edmund said as the Rayuvian king came over. He nudged Peter and the two walked off as servants bustled around them to put the finishing touches on the Great Hall.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Elvrond said as he shook Lucy's hand and bowed politely as Lucy curtsied. Lucy looked up and looked the king over, amazed by how young his face looked but his eyes gave away years of experience that showed how old he really was.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Lucy responded politely. "I don't think everything is finished in here, would you like to have a tour of the castle while we wait?" She easily fed Elvrond one of her rehearsed lines.

"I would love one," he said as he held out his arm. She smiled and took it before leading him out of the Great Hall. He seemed to be really interested in the castle and the protection it offered. Elvrond was also interested in things that interested Lucy. She started to enjoy herself in his company. But he was no James.