Author's Note: Well, life is a little hectic right now, but I also seem to be on a writing spree as of late. Apparently craziness brings out the writer in me. :P But seriously, these next couple of days are gonna be intense as we get packed and move back to France on Monday. Fun stuff! I'll try to update within the next week! :)

Disclaimer: I own quite a lot of characters in this chapter, so I'll just tell you who I don't own. Basically that would be Peter, Susan, Edmund, Prince Caspian (the first, not the one you were thinking), Corin, and King Lune.

Chapter 13- The High King's Lady

The next few days were filled with dance lessons, the arrival of foreign embassies, and Corin's antics- all of which stressed out the Four and their two guests beyond belief. Two days remained before the ball itself; and each day had it's own challenges. Between meals, the Four entertained scheduled meetings with different parties while still trying to run their own kingdom. Davina and Isaiah spent most of this time in their lessons, trying to catch up to everyone's level in dancing the Narnian jigs, as well as the more popular Galmanian, Telmarine, Archenlandian, and even Calormene dances. There were feasts or events each night, meant to entertain Narnia's guests.

Davina walked with Peter to his meeting with a Lord of one of the Lone Islands. She couldn't remember which. Her arm was interlocked with his while he told her a few things about the nation's trade and industry, but she found herself unable to focus well. She was exhausted and not particularly interested. If Lucy had been right, which she usually was, the Lord wouldn't speak much to her anyway. His sole interest would be the High King's attention.

She looked up at him as he spoke and considered her conflicting emotions for him. She couldn't deny that she had strong feelings for the High King. And that fact alone irritated her. He was stubborn, sometimes rude, and more than a little oblivious at times, but he was also strong, handsome, protective, and a born leader. He treated her with respect and didn't treat her like a subject, but as an equal. He loved his family more than himself and put his country above himself with selflessness.

She couldn't help but feel silly about feeling this way. I mean, how stereotypical was it for her to like him? Half the kingdom was in love with the man! Make that half the world. He was the High King of a beautiful country. Princesses were practically lining the hallways waiting for him to take notice of their beauty and their wealth.

She stiffened at the thought. Peter was her friend before anything else. She would even go so far as to consider him her best friend. She realized it was now her job to help protect him from exploitation by those who would do him harm. It was her job to protect him now, just as he had worked to protect her from the moment she arrived here.

"Rawr!" Corin screamed as he jumped out from the inside of a large armoir in the hallway. Peter flinched as Davina screamed, jumping backward and slightly behind Peter.

"I got you!" the boy laughed, clutching his small stomach as it bubbled over with laughter.

"Corin!" Davina yelled in irritation. "Go be annoying somewhere else!" she held a hand over her heart as if it would calm the rapid beating and slow her breathing. She noticed Peter pulling his hand away from the hilt of his sword as she looked down.

"Corin, what have we told you about jumping out at people?" Peter asked, also clearly irritated. "It's very rude and extremely impolite."

"Fine," Corin started to mope, realizing that neither of them found it funny. "You two are no fun."

"Why don't you go find King Edmund. Perhaps he'll have something to keep you entertained." Davina suggested.

The boy's face lit up at the name of his favorite monarch and he hurried off without further hesitation.

"He's going to murder you, you realize." Peter laughed when the seven year-old was gone.

"Ed will get over it." she laughed. "And we both know he enjoys the boy more than he cares to let on. I like Corin, but his scaring everyone stopped being funny after the first five times."

Peter nodded with a smile and a roll of his eyes, clearly agreeing with her.

The reach the Lord's quarters and Peter knocked. It wasn't long before they were swept up in conversation with the Lord Delairn and his wife, Renama.

". . . and Avra is producing more wine than ever before. It truly is a bountiful season for it's vineyards." he was saying.

Oops. Davina thought. He rules all three islands. Glad I didn't say something stupid.

"That's wonderful. I am so glad to see your oversight of the islands has been so peaceful as of late. I had worried after hearing of the riots you had a few months ago." Peter responded.

"There's nothing to worry about there any longer, your Majesty," Lady Renama said proudly. "The leader of these riots was found and imprisoned and his followers dispersed."

"That's wonderful," Davina responded, then bit her tongue. She probably wasn't supposed to say anything. Then again, why would Peter have invited her if she couldn't speak. Wouldn't he have told her?

"Lady Davina's right- that is wonderful." Peter smiled.

She relaxed a little at that. They didn't seem irritated, so she probably hadn't broken some unwritten code of conduct when talking to those who are of a higher rank. Then again, being a close friend of the Kings and Queens of Narnia probably gave her some sort of standing that made it less offensive. She'd have to ask someone about that later.

"What about you, dear?" Lord Delairn asked, taking a sip of his wine. "It's been said that you come from the same world as His Majesty. Is this true?"

"Yes, sir." she responded. "Only I come from another country, America. The High King and his family are from England."

"Very interesting. And your countries are in an alliance?"

"Yes," Peter responded for her. "They are very much like Narnia and Archenland."

The meeting lasted only another half hour before Peter explained that he had important business to attend to. They said their goodbyes as they stood.

"It has been such a pleasure to meet you." Davina smiled as she and Lady Renama kissed one another on the cheek, as was customary.

"And I you."

Peter grasped arms with the Lord. "I look forward to speaking with you again during your stay in Cair Paravel."

"Thank you, your Majesty." he said as he let go. The Lord stepped back and bowed as his wife curtsied, side by side as they honored their High King. "It has been an honor speaking with you and your Lady."

Davina coughed out of surprise and Peter's eyes went wide.

"I think you are mistaken, sir." Davina pointed out discreetly, wondering if it was rude for her to correct him.

"You are not courting the High King?" Lady Renama seemed surprised.

"We're just friends." Davina responded.

"Best friends, but friends nonetheless." Peter added.

"Oh, well. Pardon my error." Lord Delairn laughed.

"All is excused."

When the two had cleared the area of the room, they were both silent for a few minutes. Davina couldn't help the broad smile on her face.

"What are you so smiley about?" Peter asked, eyebrow raised with a smirk of his own.

"You said I was your best friend."

"Well, King Lune is a nice guy, but hardly best friend material and Ed already claimed Isaiah."

"Oh, so I'm leftovers." she responded, shoving him playfully. "Don't I feel loved."

"I happen to like leftovers." Peter said, shoving her back.

"Psh. I think I'd rather spend time with Lucy, then." Davina held her head high and started to turn around. Peter's laugh boomed through the hallway.

"You know I'd pick you either way."

"You'd better." she smirked and took his arm again.

"Where to now?"

"Dinner."

"Awesome!" she laughed.

The next morning, Davina woke to something heavy on her back.

"Wha?" she questioned, barely coherent.

"It's only one more day until the ball!" Lucy said excitedly from where she sat on her back patiently.

"Lu," Davina groaned groggily. "Why are you sitting on me?"

The queen on her back shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea."

Davina rolled over, causing Lucy to fall backward on to the bed, and stood up beside it. "And why did you wake me up?"

Lucy pushed herself up and used a hand to move her hair out of the way. "Because there's plenty to do today- starting with my filling you in on everyone here. That way you know who's worth your time and who to avoid as if Tash himself were standing in their place."

"Surely you didn't invite anyone that bad." Davina commented as she slipped out of her nightdress, her voice muffled by the material as she pulled it over her head.

"No, not nearly." Lucy laughed. "Still, you know it's worthwhile information."

"I'm sure it is."

"You'll never guess what I've decided." Lucy hummed while she waited for her friend to dress herself.

"And what's that?"

Davina breathed a sigh of relief as Lucy stood to help her with the back of her dress. Usually Keira was here to help, but Susan probably had her helping to prepare for the ball. "Isaiah and Susan must fall in love."

"What makes you think that?" Davina laughed.

"Probably the fact that they both scold me the same." she shrugged as she finished tying up the back.

"Isaiah scolded you?"

"He caught me eavesdropping on the Telmarine princesses." she answered. "I couldn't help it. I heard Edmund's name. Apparently they have quite the crush on him."

"Lucy!" Davina couldn't help but laugh. "No wonder."

"Tell me you wouldn't have done the same."

"That's not the point."

"It isn't?"

Davina sighed. "Of course I'd do the same, but that doesn't matter."

"I'm sure."

Davina moved to the mirror and checked her dress and hair. She decided she liked the dull red of the dress and the contrast it gave her complexion and hair, plus it downplayed her eyes so she'd likely get fewer questions about them. Deciding her hair didn't need much work, she grabbed a ruby studded clip and pulled back two large bits from the front, securing them at the back of her head so it would stay out of her face.

"You know, you're spending an awful lot of time with Peter lately." Lucy waggled her eyebrows in a way that brought the Just king to mind.

"When did you decide to play the matchmaker, Lu?" Davina moved out of the mirror's view and went back to the wardrobe to retrieve her slippers, keeping her face angled away from the Valiant queen so she wouldn't detect the creeping blush.

"Oh, come off it, Vina." Lucy huffed. "You know I'm right."

"So what if I am spending time with Peter?" Davina said, almost defensively. "He's my best friend."

"Ooh, you're best friends now?" Lucy cooed.

"As are you, little miss crazy." Davina laughed as she plopped onto the bed next to her friend and pulled on the brown slippers that would match the belt around her middle.

"You're no fun." Lucy frowned.

"I'm ready now. I thought you wanted to fill me in on everyone."

"Let's go!" Lucy cried, grabbing her friend's hand and pulling her out the door so quickly Davina's head spun.

"Slow down, Lu!" Davina cried after a few moments of being dragged down the hall by the eleven year-old.

Lucy complied and lead her friend out to the garden. Davina couldn't call it crowded, because it was a very large garden and there was plenty of room for everyone. Still, it felt that way because she was used to seeing this area empty, with the exception of a Narnian or two. Right now there were at least twenty people on the large expanse.

Lucy lead them over to an empty bench beside a cluster of white rosebushes. "Look at that group over there." she jerked her head toward a gaggle of girls sitting around a spread out blanket. "The redhead's name is Countess Larena. She is currently courting the Duke of Archenland, Luneran, King Lune's youngest brother."

"How many siblings does King Lune have?" Davina asked.

"Three. He has an older sister, Luna, and younger brother named Lunas."

"That's not confusing at all." Davina commented dryly.

"I know. But for them it's a way of life. All nobility names their children like that, with few exceptions, and most Archenlanders follow their lead." Lucy explained. "In fact, they'll probably find the fact that you and Isaiah have such drastically different names quite odd."

"Lovely."

"Now, sitting next to Countess Larena is Arena, the daughter of the Lord of Galma. Galma is loyal to Narnia. The island was conquered before the White Witch. During her reign, Aslan appointed a steward to look over it while we were gone to protect it. That was Lord Nimran's father, Arena's grandfather." Lucy continued. "Arena's a sweet girl, but a little airy in the head, if you know what I mean. She twenty and beautiful, but Edmund's been the only one who can talk to her for more than five minutes without conversation dropping altogether in an entirely awkward fashion. And that's the longest he's gotten, too.

"The rest of the girls are their combined maidservants."

"I think I'm getting overwhelmed already." Davina commented, making Lucy laugh.

"Oh, this is nothing. Within the first two months of our reign we had to learn how to run a country while memorizing the name of hundreds of nobility. I thought I was going to die."

"Okay, well, what about those two under the cherry tree?" Davina asked, pointing out a couple sitting under it's shade. They both looked to be in their early twenties and of Spanish heritage. His hair was dark and hers a shade lighter blonde than Peter's. Their hands were entertwined as they spoke to one another. They were adorable together, she had to admit.

"That is Prince Caspian of Telmar and his wife, Princess Dahlia. Don't let them fool you. They look adorable, but they are the most arrogant people you will ever meet. She's very condescending and it gets really old, really quick." Lucy rolled her eyes, clearly remembering her own encounter with the two. "He thinks he's Aslan's gift to the world."

"I'll make sure to keep my distance."

"Oh, they probably won't let you, but if you're in the vicinity of my family we'll do our best to rescue you."

Davina couldn't help but laugh loudly at her friend and Lucy smiled, still insisting that she meant what she said. She was willing to bet her crown on the fact that even a stranger would take enough pity to save her if she was in conversation with either of them long enough.

"His father's a dear, though."