"How many reluctant dignitaries did you manage to scrounge for tonight's event, Caspian?"
"I could hardly believe it myself Lu, but for some reason they all seemed rather eager to meet the illustrious and fabled Queen of old."
"You mustn't tease me Caspian, I may just usurp your regal position in that quite comfortable looking throne. I do believe your crown would make a brilliant accessory, it is rather suiting of myself, don't you think so?"
"I put much too great a value on my life to tease the great warrior queen." Caspian plopped his crown on to Lucy's auburn braid, letting it fall askew across her head.
The two royals managed to retain straight faces for a notable victory of five seconds before bursting into fits of giggles, Caspian guffawing in a decidedly un-kingly manner. This was how Reepicheep found them, rather put off that they would not confide in him what it was that had made them laugh.
When Lucy and Caspian had become sober enough to be presented to their stately and, it must be said, rather boring guests, Reepicheep led them to great double doors that Lucy knew opened to a magnificent marble staircase in the ballroom. She listened closely and heard chatter and laughter from beyond the door. She felt Caspian gently remove his crown from her head, and then slip his fingers between hers. Then the doors opened with spectacularity.
Trumpets blared a slightly ridiculous fanfare and the visitors turned and applauded the King and Queens apparently impressive feat of stepping through a doorway. Or maybe it was only Lucy who thought these things; she was turning red, a color that brought on cynicism and sarcasm, perhaps not her greatest traits. Caspian squeezed her hand and they strode down the tremendous staircase, managing not to trip over trailing skirts and unforeseen steps. Reepicheep scurried behind them and the party came to a raised platform with three thrones, two of which significantly larger than the third. Caspian sat in the middle, Lucy to his right, and Reepicheep to hers. Once they were seated, the guests returned to their conversations that had been interrupted on their arrival.
Caspian managed to inform Lucy of the events that had transpired, at least among the elite, since the golden age. Apparently the Duchess of someplace had had a terribly scandalous affair with the Prince such and such, someone had a daughter that had a sister that had a second cousin who married a duke at fifteen, this noble was at odds with that noble and this princess was secretly in love with a stable boy and that duke had challenged this landlord to a duel and lost and that grumpy looking man was Noble so and so but we don't like to speak of him.
Caspian paused, realized he was only confusing Lucy, and suggested that instead they danced. Lucy happily agreed, but at that very moment a tall man with dark hair and alarmingly blue eyes approached, and asked Lucy for the next waltz. Lucy made faces at Caspian behind the strangers back, clearly signaling not to make her engage in conversation with this unknown therefore potentially awkward person. Caspian only grinned in a rather mean way, to Lucy at least, saying he would dance with her the next song. The man looked much too pleased with himself as he took Lucy's hand and the began to step to the orchestra's pretty tune.
"My, my, Queen Lucy the Valiant, in person. It is an honor, your majesty."
"The pleasure is all mine." Lucy managed, made inept in his nobilities.
"You look ravishing tonight, Lucy. If I may call you that?"
"Thank you. You may." Lucy thought that perhaps if it were Caspian at her side she would have said something along the lines of "I know, when do I not appear despairingly beautiful?" but he was not Caspian and this was not love. Which was to say, this was not madness.
"You are a women of few words I see. I do not mind, I can make plenty of conversation myself."
Lucy soon found the ground to his claim as he proceeded to inform her of his extensive property north of Cair Paravel, and the immensely lavish life he lived in his exquisite and gigantic palace, though nothing to compare with such a Castle as this, of course. Lucy was about feign some sort of debilitating foot injury in order to escape this man whom she now knew, most keenly, to be the impressive and completely pompous Duke Malcon Imperianson. Caspian, who had been most helpfully sliding out of his throne with laughter at her predicament, finally deigned it worth his time to approach and ask for Lucy's next dance. Malcon left, quite reluctantly, and Caspian slipped his hand to the bend in her waist and his other to hers, again intertwining his fingers with Lucy's long slender one's.
"I hate you." Was all Lucy had to say.
"Well I suppose I could search for a more desirable partner, perhaps another dance with Magisterial Malcon would please you?"
"Even you are a welcome alternative to him." Then, upon seeing Caspian's grin, Lucy turned up her nose and sniffed haughtily before adding, "Though not by much."
But Lucy could not remain stiff in her act when she saw Caspian snort, and had to join his quieter chuckles when the couples dancing around them turned in alarm at such a noise.
Significantly more comfortable with a familiar dance partner, Lucy relaxed and she and Caspian swept about the hall, swirling and dipping and leaping and when the song slowed they stepped closer, spinning about becoming more and more enamored with each other. Caspian did not look at the charming maidens from far off lands as Lucy was sure he would have, he hardly looked from her, neither Lucy from him. They had become so intertwined, one with the other, that madness made Lucy's stomach turn and throat tighten and she became acutely aware of two things. The first was that she was in love with Caspian, rather badly, and the second was that they were standing extremely near and all around them were magnificent lords and striking ladies and dukes dressed in finery and duchesses in all their state and Lucy got the most despairing feeling that she did not belong. Or perhaps that she never had.
She and Caspian had stopped dancing. Eyes followed them, assessing their position, and whispers tiptoed from behind raised hands. Lucy looked at the ground, a much nicer sight than the staring dignitaries, and stepped back saying quietly that she was tired all of a sudden and needed to sit down. Caspian watched her walk toward the plush cushioned benches around the perimeter of the room, and he returned to his throne.
Lucy hardly knew what to do. She, fall in love? And with Caspian of all people! Her brothers would have a fit. And what other things about her life were mad? The idea that she should be queen here, she had not minded it so much when she was little, but as queen all she ever did was get transcended by gentle and just and magnificent siblings. All she ever did was wish to be someone else.
A/N: Sorry it's a bit short, I promise quicker updates from now on. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, keep them coming. :)