Chapter 12
Queen Lucy


Mark sat out side the antechamber the Professor Ulley was in a meeting in. Early in the morning a messenger, a Leopard name Jal, and come saying that the man was needed urgently at the castle. Wynn, the seamstress, had made Ulley take him, Zoran and Jensen with him while Peter (the jerk) was allowed to stay behind and sleep.

He didn't like the idea of Peter being left with Sarah, even though both of them were sleeping in two different parts of the home. The way the blond guy looked at her sent his blood boiling. Sarah had reassured him though, before the beach, that there was nothing.

That was the problem now. He had gone to check on Sarah before he left. She slept so soundly that for a moment he was worried she wasn't breathing when he entered her room. As he got closer he saw the gently rise and fall of her chest.

Bending down he kissed her forehead, cheek and then gently on her lips. "I'll be back soon," he promised.

She smiled and moaned as she turned over in her bed. "Mhm, Peter," she mumbled.

Mark's eyes had grown wide and he felt his anger flare up. He should have known that the blond would have tried to do something when he wasn't around. Probably gave her "mouth to mouth" or something. His foot had caught on something as he turned to leave his girlfriend. It was a cloak and he recognized it as Peter's. He picked it up and threw it into the corner angrily.

The football player felt his anger rise up in him again as he sat inside the castle, waiting for Ulley to come out. A soft snore made him looked at a bench across from him, where Jensen and Zoran were dozing. He wish he could sleep but his newly awaken anger gave him renewed energy. So he sat there brooding instead.

He sat there a little while longer, knowing every moment that he was away was a moment Sarah spent with that jerk Peter.

"Hungry?" came a small voice and her found a young girl with short brown hair standing before him. Her face was sprinkled with freckles and her dress seemed to be of very fine material. "I've passed by a few times this morning, but you haven't seem to notice, and I know you've been sitting her a while. You must be hungry."

Mark stared at the girl, who couldn't be more than ten, and was about to dismiss her when his stomach rumbled. "I suppose I am a little hungry."

A grin broke on her face as she motion for him to get up. "Oh, you have an interesting accent! Where are you from?"

"Uh, Telmar," Mark replied, thinking his accent normal, American, and everyone else's here was different. Many years from now they would comment that his accent didn't sound Telmarine at all. But for now Mark looked to his companions, as did the little girl, as the continued to sleep.

"Oh, they'll be out for a while, I think we could sneak away for a few moments."

The supposed Telmarine shrugged and stood. He didn't know where to find food, might as well as follow the young girl. "I'm Mark by the way," he said they descended a staircase.

"Lucy," she said happily, turned her grinning face to his, her light eyes meeting his dark ones. He had a sneaking suspicion that she was taking them down the service route, as they Animals they seemed to pass didn't seem to be of any particular rank and looked busy with cleaning supplies.

She led him to the kitchens, where a Faun and Nymph seemed to be leading the array of staff. The Faun seemed to be in charge of the cooks, while the Nymph led the prep workers.

"What would you like?" Lucy asked, taking a stool at a table near a window.

Mark sat next to her. "Anything. As long as it's edible I am game."

She laughed, not that insufferable children's giggle that was annoying. Lucy's laugh was bells heard during the wintertime, or rain falling on a wind chime. He found himself enjoying it immensely. He couldn't help but join her.

"Well, how about some watermelon, with strawberries and cherries and some roasted chicken, followed some sweets?"

Mark's stomach growled again for a reply and Lucy laughed again. He couldn't help but smile. "Sounds great."

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Mark couldn't believe how the kitchen staff fulfilled Lucy's every wish. And they did with genuine smiles on their faces. They didn't jump and ask how high, and of course Lucy did not command them. She just asked politely, and they would smile and go to fulfill her request.

He was sure that if they stayed longer and ate more that someone would have had to roll him back to where Jensen and Zoran slept. All the food was so delicious that is was tough not to say "Just one more bite." Thankfully Lucy grew full too, thank the staff with kisses and hugs and said Mark would be welcome anytime in the kitchens.

Lucy led the way back, through the servants routes, to his ever sleeping comrades. At the top of the stairs they hand originally gone down Lucy turned around and faced him. "You should come to the ball we'll be having."

"Ball?"

Lucy grinned. "Oh, yes, first one Narnia's had in a century! Well, that's if you don't count our coronation ball."

Mark should have known. Lucy was not just Lucy, but Queen Lucy the Valiant. Somehow he was not all that surprised to learn that. "It would be my pleasure, Highness. I even promise to save you a dance, two in fact. Its the least I could do for having me allow to raid your kitchen with you."

The little queen nodded her head. "Brilliant. I shall expect to see you there. Well, not exactly. It is a masked ball, so I suppose you'll have to unmask me first before you ask me to dance."

"I don't think that will be too hard," Mark said smiling as they walked back to the boy and Fox. Taking a seat at the bench he sat on previously he looked at Lucy. "Care to join me."

"I would love to, but I really must be going. My sister is angry enough as it at my brother and I don't wish to turn her wrath on me. But visit me anytime you like." She began to leave and then turned around. "And Mark, whatever it was that had you in that foul mood when I first came upon you, just let it go. I'm sure its not worth dwelling on" With a kind smile she left.

And Mark realized that while he had been down in the kitchens with Queen Lucy that his mood had lifted and he had not once thought of Sarah or Peter or anything that could have happened between them yesterday.

Yes, Lucy was right. It wasn't worth dwelling on. If something did happen, then it happened. Sarah was her own person and if she chose to move on then so would he.

It was not much longer than that when Ulley came out from the antechamber looking grim. Mark woke up Jensen and Zoran and they followed the man out the castle toward their home. When Jensen and Zoran complained about being hungry on their short trip back Mark just smiled and thought of the kitchens of Cair Paravel. Of the little queen who had just taught him to not dwell on the past and to look forward to the future.