X

Standing before the King and Queen of Gales in their grand palace, Peter was nervous. He twirled his thumbs around each other, trying to loosen his tense body. His siblings stood to either side of him, Lucy beaming, Edmund muttering unintelligibly under his breath. He heard Susan gasp and looked up.

Coming down the stairs was possibly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her hand fell lightly on the banister, and her steps were deliberate but carefree. She was full-figured and curvy, and her hips swung as she walked. Her brown hair reached just past her shoulders and fell in soft, loose waves, shining with the yellow light spilling in through the windows. Her skin was sun-kissed and smooth, and her cheeks were flushed a soft pink. Her smile was big and genuine, and it lit up her brown eyes as she stood next to her parents, looking at Peter. He felt her sizing him up. He stood a little taller, puffed out his chest ever so slightly, and clenched his fists under her gaze. She bit her lip and smiled nervously at him, clutching a beautiful gold chain around her neck with a small shell hanging from it.

Peter didn't notice the servants scurrying past them with her belongings, he didn't notice the small talk that Susan conducted at his silence. Most especially, he didn't notice Pearl making faces at him, trying to get him to smile, to laugh, to yell, to look at her. He didn't notice that he

was breaking her heart.

Eventually he and Petra were left alone. While the others were off preparing for their departure, they stood apart from each other. Pearl tucked herself into a corner and watched.

"So. Are you nervous?"

Peter was thrown off by the sudden question. "Well, I suppose so, but we all do what we must, right? And besides, now that I've met you, I'm a great deal less nervous."

She smiled. "I'm still nervous. I don't even know anything about you, King Peter," she confessed.

"Why don't you tell me something about yourself, and then I'll see if you're worth marrying," he joked. "What is your favourite thing to do?"

She bit her lip again as she thought. "What I love to do the most is sing."

Peter raised his eyebrows. "Will you sing something for me?"

She laughed. "Not yet, highness. Another time. But for now, I want to hear something about you. Something that only your future wife would know."

The words struck him, but he remained composed. It suddenly hit him. He was to marry this woman. He tried to shake the thought off and though. "Uh.." He faltered a little. "I have a weakness for the sea," he said finally.

She gasped. "I do too! Look," she said, picking up her necklace. "My father took me fishing with him once, even though he wasn't supposed to. You know how fishing isn't a satisfactory way for a young lady to be spending her time. He brought me anyway. The only thing I caught the whole day was a corset, and this shell. I thought that it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. My father told me that it was probably home for a litle crab once. He said it was almost as beautiful as I was." She smiled and fondled the little green shell in her hands, happy to remember the moment.

Peter held his hand out to her, impressed by her anecdote. "Come on." She took his hand shyly and trailed behind him. Pearl panicked and came running out from her corner, trying to get through the door before Peter did, but she just ended up running into him. "Oh, Pearl! I'm so glad to see you!"

He pulled Petra foward and slipped an arm around her waist, letting his hand rest on her hip bone. "Pearl, this is Petra. Petra, this is Pearl." He was beaming. "I hope for you two to become great friends" He smiled warmly at the two women. "Pearl, are you all right?"

While Petra only laughed, Pearl stared at her in shock. She slowly lifted her arm to point at the shell on Petra's neckalce. "Pearl, we should probably head back to the ship now." He began to walk, and Petra caught his hand in hers, holding firlmy but gently. Pearl walked behind them. Peter's face warmed. He liked Petra. He couldn't help it. While Pearl was pretty, Petra was gorgeous. She outshone Pearl from all aspects, she came from a practically perfect family, she was kind. And she could talk to him. And sing to him. He looked at her and smiled. She looked at him and their eyes locked. He felt a dull sort of pain behind his eyelids, but he was mesmerized. He only broke his gaze when Edmund ran up to him.

"Peter! You have to help me!"

"Ed, what's going on?"

"Alaria is over there! What should I do?"

Without making a sound, Pearl tapped him on the shoulder and hooked her arm into his. She gave him a look, and Edmund understood. They walked behind Peter and Petra past Alaria in silence, and Edmund didn't turn his head when she waved to him.

Later that evening, Peter was sitting alone with Petra again. She was singing for him. They had spent the entire day together, and something about her made him forget about everyone else in the world. Her voice was high and sweet, and she looked at him as she sang. Peter thought that he would feel uncomfortable, but her music was soothing. He knew it was a voice that he had heard before. He didn't know how it was possible, but he knew he recognized her voice as she sang:

My river runs to thee:

Blue sea, wilt welcome me?

My river waits reply.

Oh sea, look graciously!

I 'll fetch thee brooks

From spotted nooks,—

Say, sea,

Take me!

She finished, and Peter, almost involuntarily, reached for her, wrapping his arms around her and pressing her head against his chest. He could feel her smiling against his cloths, and he leaned back onto a wall, closing his eyes. He heard someone walking past him and out the door, and he thought that for the first time, he finally felt complete. He fell asleep with Petra, hoping that his dreams might keep him with her in sleep.