Chapter 10:
I rested my hand against the cold glass and giggled as I felt the bite of the cool glass ripple up through my arm. December had finally come, bringing the frosty wind and perfect, diamond snowflakes that covered the land in a blanket of white. December also brought the excitement of Christmas and for Susan another reason to plan a ball.
Lucy sat by the fire across from me, her hand moving in a fluid motion as she worked on her latest sketch. Susan was spending the day with her ladies in waiting, a young women or daughters of eve as they called them in Narnia from far off island countries.
Most of them looked exactly the same, perfectly tanned skin with light blonde hair that curled gently at the ends. Susan had introduced me to a few of her ladies in my first few weeks at Cair Paravel but I found it exhausting to be around them. It seemed that all they were interested in was their vanity and the recent court gossip.
Luckily Lucy heartily agreed that she would rather clean all of the floors in Cair Paravel with her toothbrush then spend an hour with Susan's ladies. So Lucy and I decided to skip afternoon tea and spend our afternoon in her room. Unfortunately for me, inspiration for a new drawing struck Lucy and so my afternoon had turned into me staring out longingly at the wonderland that laid just beyond the stone walls of the castle.
I had never felt so bored in my life, I desperately wanted to go out and do something but the Pevensies were weary of me leaving the castle grounds without an escort because I was still unfamiliar with Narnia. So the chances of me getting out today were slim, everyone seemed busy with something.
Frustrated with my boredom, I let my head lull against the window pane and allowing the icy weather to freeze against the exposed skin of my forehead.
'Perhaps, I should take a nap' I pondered but crinkled my nose at the thought of wasting daylight.
"Good afternoon ladies" I smooth voice spoke, scaring me out of my thoughts.
"Afternoon Peter" Lucy said, without looking up from her drawing.
"High King Peter" I smiled, with a slight head bow.
"Mary" he answered with a smile.
"Is everything alright Peter?" Lucy asked, giving her brother a quick glance.
"Oh, yes, everything is fine Lu, I was just wondering if the two of you would like to accompany me on a ride to Owlwood?" he requested.
"Oh... well that sounds wonderful but I really can't today" Lucy sighed "I just got a new idea and if I leave I will forget."
"And you Mary?" Peter asked "Would you care to go for a ride, get out of the castle for a while."
"Yes!" I exclaimed happily, jumping off the window seat.
"After you milady" Peter said, motioning for me to go ahead.
After a quick stop at both Peter and my own bedchambers, to grab some warm clothes and cloaks we ran off towards the stables. Well, Peter walked and I ran. Peter had very long legs and I had to run to keep up with him.
'Thank god we're not walking to Owlwood' I thought as I headed over to Callia's stall area.
"Hey Call" I said, leaning over the edge.
At the sound of hey Callia's head perked right up and she trudged over to me.
"Did you say you had hay?" she asked hopefully.
"No I said hey... with an e" I said, trying to explain "It's like hello."
"You and your silly language" she neighed shaking her head "you got my hopes all up for nothing."
"Oh come off it Callia, you have a bunch of oats over there" I claimed.
"It is not fresh hay" she snorted.
I gave a small huff of frustration, Edmund said she gets grumpy when she's stuck in her stall to long and that was becoming quite evident now.
"Well I know something that will cheer you up" I sang.
"And that is?" she inquired.
"A ride to Owlwood" I stated.
She gave a small smirk and then said "And will his majesty King Edmund be joining us along with that pompous horse Phillip?" she questioned.
"No" I answered, beginning to collect her tack.
"So are we going by ourselves?" she pondered.
"No King Peter is coming" I stated.
"High King Peter!" she gasped.
"Yes" I said slowly, confused at her reaction.
"But-but your suppose to be with..." she started but stopped suddenly as of realizing she was saying something she shouldn't have.
"I'm suppose to be with who?" I asked.
"No one" she answered with a shake of her mane.
"Are you ready to go Mary?" Peter's voice flitted through the room, his boots making a soft tapping noise against the stone floor.
"Not yet" I admitted, giving Callia a quick glare.
"You know Mary, I am a bit tired and I think that I am just going to go to bed" she yawned.
"But you were just-" I started.
"About to tell you how tired I am" Callia repeated.
"Fine" I huffed, placing her saddle back up on its rail "Be that way."
"I will be" she answered and then pranced off to the back of her stall.
I trudged over to Peter, who I could tell was holding in laughter.
"Edmund was right the two of you are quite that match for each other" he chuckled.
"What?" I asked, my cheeks suddenly burning.
"You and Callia, you are quite the pair" he ststed.
"Callia.. right, Callia and I" I stuttered.
"Come on, let us get you a horse" Peter said.
"Hey, slow down there bunny rabbit" Peter teased as I pushed Nabel faster to race ahead of Peter and Sarfa.
Pulling on the reins I slowed Nabel down into a halt and laughed at Peter's nickname.
"Bunny rabbit?" I asked.
"Yes, bunny rabbit" Peter confirmed.
"You have no idea how funny that is to hear from you" I giggled.
"Why?" he asked, pulling Sarfa up next to me.
"Peter your nineteen and your a King.. heck, your the High King" I emphasized.
Peter just laughed and dismounted Sarfa. He then offered me a hand as I threw my leg over Nabel which I gladly took.
After removing all of the horses tack, Peter and I sat down a ledge never a small frozen creek.
"So" Peter said slowly.
"So what?" I asked with a teasing tone.
"So tell me about yourself, my siblings seem to be quite taken with you" he stated.
"Oh, is that so?" I questioned.
"Yes but I feel as if we barely know each other, so if you are to be part of the family I need to know a few things" he claimed.
"Like what?" I asked.
"Anything" he responded.
"There really isn't much to tell..." I started until Peter gave me a look that read 'don't start.'
"Okay, okay...well, I'm fifteen, I've lived in Alberta for my entire life except until recently" I said, motioning my hand to the forest for emphasis.
"When I turn eighteen I'm going to take over my family's bookstore...umm... my favourite colour is green.. oh, my birthday is April 15th but please don't tell Susan if she knew she go and make a huge deal out of it and I really don't want that" I pleaded.
"By Aslan's mane you sound like Ed" Peter laughed. "And I promise not to tell Susan" he promised.
"Thank you" I replied.
"So another note Edmund told me something interesting" Peter hinted.
"Oh and that would be?" I asked.
"He told me about finding you wandering the hallways with a pair of scissors" he laughed.
Instantly I felt heat rise to my cheeks, Edmund had seemed to find that incident very amusing and brought it up as much as he could to tease me about it.
"Yes and?" I prompted.
"And Ed says that it wasn't the first time he found you with something... sharp" he smiled.
I gave Peter a dark glare hoping that he would drop the subject, I had more then enough teasing from Edmund to last me the rest of my life time.
Peter gave one last chuckle before finally responding "Sorry."
"It's fine" I said dismissively.
Returning my gaze to the horizon I suddenly realized that the evening had arrived. Red and orange danced through the sky, colouring the clouds and the winter sky.
"Peter we better get going or the kingdom will be in an uproar" I voiced with a teasing tone.
"An uproar you say?" he asked.
"Yes everyone will be wondering as to where the High King has gone" I reminded.
"Oh yes well I suppose we should be off" he responded, jumping up. "Although something had been nagging at me since early this afternoon" he said.
"And that would be?" I asked beginning to once again saddle Nabel up.
"Well if you are the rabbit does that make me the tortoise?" he questioned giving Sarfa's saddle one last pull.
I pondered his question for a moment, 'Why is he asking that?'
"Yes.. I suppose so" I answered slowly "Why do you ask?"
Peter cocked his head to the side and then said "If you are the rabbit and I am the tortoise that means in the end I win."
"You win? What is that suppose to-"
But I didn't get a chance to finish my sentence because Peter had already swung himself up onto Sarfa and had taken off down the path.
'Why that sly little-'
"Peter wait...that's not fair!" I yelled after him but I got no response in return. "Ugh stupid boy King" I ranted to myself as I jumped onto Nabel's back.
With a light kick Nabel and I were off like a shot, trailing behind Peter.
'His majesty is in for a royal beating'