A/N : Sooo.. if you guys have read my other chapters, you'll know by now that I'm totally shitty when it comes to dialogues, and unless necessary I keep it to the minimum. But here, I've decided to try something new with this.. So, IDK whether it seems good or bad or just okay, but please don't hate me?

CHAPTER 14

The scented night air hung heavily around the swirling couple in a thick velvety canopy. The merry tune that filtered through from Ball Room was faint, or that was what they would have noticed if they could have torn their gazes from each other.

Aline knew it was cliche, but she didn't know how else to describe the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. It had been on an impulse, a rash decision that she'd taunted the Just King. Well, how was she supposed to resist when he had stood there just staring at her like a lost puppy? Oh wait- what in hell was she thinking? This was Edmund Pevensie she was fantasizing about.

Wait, what? Fantasizing?

Aline bit her lip, mentally slapping herself. This place is definetly screwing with her marbles.

The melody changed into a cheerful, lively tune, but Edmund Pevensie did not notice that, his gaze and thoughts rather focused on the girl he held in his arms. Edmund didn't know that she could dance so well, or for that matter- even of she did know to dance at all. Judging by her lack of interest, he had assumed that she did not but boy, was he wrong!

When asked of this, the girl just smiled in reply, her teasing smile that was so infuriating like she knew something he did not. "There's alot you don't know about me, Pevensie." And she was right.

"Well," he said, "then enlighten me."

"What do you want to know?" she questioned, and Edmund could detect the slight tightness in her voice.

Being the ruler and diplomat he was, Edmund had certainly devoted much of his time and not to mention- energy, to trying to understand and decipher the reason behind the actions that revealed much more than any words ever could. And now, he could say she was wary of his subtle intrusion into her privacy. He could tell by the subtle changes in her posture. Her back arched up, as if on alert she stood a little straighter, her gaze meeting his as if in an unspoken challenge, to which he wasn't going to shy away.

"Everything I have to."

Cool air whipped around them with a passion, stirring the leaves on the forest floor. Edmund could feel his own hair part from a side, while hers flew wildly around her face in a dark halo. Aline's grip on his hand tightened considerably as the Just King pulled her closer.

Aline sighed, giving in,"I used to dance," she answered back after a long silence.

"You are dancing," Edmund pointed out annoyingly.

"I mean," she clarified, rolling her eyes, "I used to be a dancer."

The melody changed to a much more calm, relaxing tune and this time Edmund did recognize the song. It was the Swanwhite's Song. The lament that the mourning Queen Swanwhite of Narnia would sing each day of the year of her husband's disappearance. The same as the day she'd gaze at her own reflection in the Mirror Pond for it to stay a year and a day passed, so that her people could take a glimpse of her rumored beauty.

It was definitely one of Edmund's favourites. The woeful tunes mingled with the notes of hope, their melodies woven into each other so intricately that one could not, but get lost in the intense emotions so beautifully coupled with the ever rising octaves.

They had almost halted moving around, now just swaying on spot in quite tranquility. Aline leaned her head on his chest, surprising the Just King by the gesture. He hadn't expected her to get comfortable around him. Not that soon. Though not that he didn't like it, in fact he liked it more than he probably should but he'd never seen her so at peace, at least not in his presence.

Edmund savoured the feeling of her head pressed against his chest for some reason causing his heart to jump to an erratic pace; her hand dwarfed by his larger one, their fingers entwined together, while his other rested at her petite waist, holding her dear.

This was bliss..

He almost regretted it as she pulled away her head to look him straight in the eyes, later berating himself for his silly thoughts which he was sure heavily clouded with all the Narnian wine. Susan was right, he shouldn't have taken so much.

"Were you even listening to what I was saying?" her voice along with a poke to his side cut through his reverie.

"Not exactly, what were you saying anyways?"

She rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Better keep your ears open next time, Pevensie. I was just listing out the fatalities that you might have to encounter, if your oh-so-kind sisters ever got wind about my great revelation."

"Yes, ma'am,"

"Oh, and for the sake of my sanity wipe that absurd smirk off your face. It's insufferable."

"By insufferable, you mean 'irresistible'?

"Get a dictionary, Pevensie."

"What made you stop?"

"What?"

"Dancing. What made you stop dancing?"

"Are you incapable of conversing on a subject at a time?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because," he smirked, "am just irresistible."

"Trust me, you're definitely many things, but irresistible just does not make my list."

"Then what does? Wait, don't answer that. I know, definitely charming, devilishly handsome-"

"Impossibly stupid, insanely annoying, crazily irrate- "

"I drive you crazy."

Aline was sure her cheeks were blazing red by this point. Her mind was already caught reeling, between trying to figure out a suitable comeback and processing what just happened. What was even happening right now?

"You wish, Pevensie."

He was just about to answer before being cut off by the sudden noise; a series of clamorous rings that echoed around the surroundings. Edmund swore under his breath, and she was just about to ask what before they were surrounded by half a dozen of the castle guards.

Not permitting Aline even time to protest, he pulled her close with the arm around her, and before she knew it they were rushing across the courtyard, shielded by the squadron of soldiers, fending off attackers around either side.

The cheery, festive atmosphere suddenly erupted into chaos around them, as guests scurried all over trying to get out of the way as the blue-clad soldiers battled fully black clad ones. People fell all around them, as the Royal Guards kept on pressing forward amongst the commotion head-on, their swirling blades leaving nothing to mercy.

Aline gasped. Right before her very eyes, she saw as a man, the guard in front of them stumbled back, a long shard of straight metal protruding off his chest. Blood pooled in a dark reddish stain on the blue uniform, that could've just as easily been mistaken for spilt wine.

And then another moved in front, taking the place of the fallen and just like that they passed him without as much a second glance.

"Edmund," she whispered as he reassuringly squeezed her hand.

"Close your eyes, Aline. It'll make it easier."

"Edmund, he just.. he died, protecting us."

"I know," he replied softly, "He was a good man, and he died an honorable death. He will be honoured for his sacrifice."

She looked at him, wide-eyed. She couldn't for the life of her tell what was so honorable in the idea of dying in the place of someone, whom you didn't even know. Maybe that someone was your 'king' but still that gave no reason to willingly give up your freaking life. And she just couldn't see the point in being 'honoured' after you're not even there to witness the honouring.

But it did not end with that, all around them people black or blue, good or bad, she couldn't even make it out any more. All that mattered, was that they were people, and well, animals as well, but what mattered was they were intelligent, sentient beings who were being killed.

She saw as a sword swirled through the air and the next moment come in contact with a faun's head and then.. something roll off covered in a deep crimson liquid roughly circular in shape.

She flinched. "Aline, please. You don't have to see this." Edmund's voice seemed to echo from somewhere afar off. "Don't see. Just, close your eyes."

But she couldn't. She saw as the squadron that had seen them through the chaos slowly crumble, one by one, soldiers fell. She was aware of a glint of metal as she realized that now, Edmund had drawn his sword. She was aware of his grip around her waist slackening before he let her out of his grip completely.

His eyes met hers for a moment, glinting in the incandescent light before he turned towards the remaining two soldiers. "Take her to the Throne Room. Keep her safe, no matter what." And with that the Just King turned before she could voice her objection, disappearing into the pandemonium and Aline could make out a streak off yellow follow his wake, Lora; ever so faithful, even until death.

"My lady, we have to get going," she turned around startled. "His majesty told us to get you to the Throne room."

"My lady, we have to go now."

She just stared at him dazed, how could such a peaceful evening turn out this way?

"My lady?" The stench of blood was overwhelming.

Aline vaguely registered two arms grab hold of both of hers each, and then sprinting across the corridor. Arrows whizzed passed them, but she could not bring herself to care, her brain seeming suddenly frozen.

A sharp scream sounded from her right and she turned around, and what she saw conformed what she'd suspected. "No.." a single word left her lips. She wanted to stop, if not for any, just close his eyes in the least. But a strong pair of arms went around her waist, stopping her, pulling her around. "My lady, we have no time. We have to get you to safety."

She wanted to yell at the guard. Did he have no sense? The fallen man was his fellow comrade. But the words died at her throat before she could voice them out. She let herself be pulled instead, over a flight of stairs, her feet moving as if mechanically over each step.

Aline raised her hands over her head. Glass shattered somewhere, shards of it landing at her feet. "We're close now, my lady." she heard the guard call out causing her to turn her head towards the sound of his voice. And she wished she hadn't.

His widened eyeballs fixed on her, she saw as he fell to his knees. Aline rushed to his side but even as she did she realized it was too late. An arrow was buried in his chest, mere inches from where his heart ought to have been.

"My lady.. my wife.." he struggled, to get the words out and she could only nod for him to continue, tears blurring her sight. "Please..make sure, make sure she.. she is taken care of."

"I will. I will, I promise."

Relief washed over his face at her words, as if he needed nothing more. With that, he breathed his last, the ghost of the smile still plastered on his face.

She got to her feet, staggering as she did. The door. All she had to do was make it through the door. And right now, the time seemed right for the balcony seemed deserted right then. But alas, she was wrong. Right then she noticed a black figure move in front of her. She could say it was a man. A pair of yellow eyes stared at her through the masked face, filled with nothing but pure hatred that a gaze alone held her petrified at the spot, wondering if a hate so intense could even exist. A raised sword gleamed in his hand.

Aline staggered back. She closed her eyes. Of all the ways she'd imagined her own death, this did not even come close. She closed her eyes, and waited. Waited for the final blow. The final blow and she would be no more.

But the blow didn't come. Instead a sharp gasp, and Queen Lucy the Valiant stood over her, her arm extended, eyes void of any of its childish warmth. The dagger that had been in her hand, now embedded in the creatures's back. Yellow eyes met hers one last time, before disintegrating into black dust that settled down at her feet. Aline scurried back, and the Queen pulled her behind a stone gargoyle which lead into a concealed passage, into the Throne Room.

Once secure behind the safe walls of the Throne Room, Aline allowed herself to sink to her knees. Everything that had just transpired ran through her head like a movie she did not wish to but was forced to watch. She clenched her fists, as Lucy's hand slid around her shoulder.

Lucy sunk back beside her, hugging her feet to her chest. Her crown sat askew on her auburn hair, and her eyes lost all their fierceness, reverting back to her normal ones. She was just a girl. A girl faced with burdens she was too young to carry.

They sat in silence, neither of them having anything to talk, before Lucy exclaimed, "Aline! Your hands"

Her hands were shivering, but Aline knew Lucy did not mean that, but instead meant the crimson liquid smeared on them. "Not mine," the girl replied back, her voice quivering.

Just then the doors opened, and in rushed the Gentle Queen bow in hand, with a quiver of arrows slung around her shoulders. "Oh Lucy, Aline! You're here." visible relief washed over Susan's face.

"Susan, where is Peter, and Edmund?" Lucy asked, ignoring Susan's fuss over her.

"They're coming." was the Queen's reply, and not long after the doors opened once again and the two brothers rushed in. Edmund's gaze turned to her, and the creases in his forehead softened a little.

The sight of her, relatively unharmed came to him as a relief. He released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Peter and Susan were bickering about something, with Lucy trying to solve the dispute and Edmund was just too tired to care. He wanted nothing more than to rest his head on his soft pillows, but before that a bath. A long, hot bath was exactly what he needed right now.

But before that, from the corner of his eyes he could make out a figure, slumped across the wall. He walked over to her. She turned to face him, once she sensed his presence. "What were they?" she asked, her voice barely over a whisper.

He didn't reply. "Those things were definitely not human."

"No." he agreed, "they weren't human,"

"Well, then pray tell me what to do, hide the truth from them for much longer that they lose their trust in us completely?" the High King raised his voice that by now, he was almost yelling at his sister.

"All I ask of you is not do anything rash until we further investigate into the issue." Susan retailed back, her voice rising an octave higher than its normal honeyed tone.

"You mean to say that I am rash?"

"Yes, you are Peter. And you know it!"

Edmund looked over to where his siblings stood, suddenly tired of their pointless banter "Will you two just shut up already? None of this yelling is helping anything, except maybe in giving me a migraine."

Peter and Susan turned over to their brother, but instead their eyes widened, were fixated on something else. Edmund turned his gaze to see what was the cause.

"Oh my god.." Aline whispered, as her hand grabbed onto something to steady herself. She couldn't feel any pain, not yet. But there was the unmistakable shaft of an arrow protruding over her stomach. Aline saw red. Literally.

Her head spun around, spots of black, white, orange and red dancing across her vision. She expected the harsh collision of her head with the stone floor but if never came instead she felt a strong pair of arms supporting her weight.

"Aline! Look at me! Keep your eyes open." Susan.

"Lucy! Lucy your cordial! Damn it! Bring me your cordial quick!" this was Edmund.

She heard yet some more voices yelling stuff at each other, but she couldn't concentrate on each to discern to whom did it belong or even what it was saying.

A face shone in and out of focus as she fought to keep her eyelids apart. Edmund.

He was yelling something but she could not understand what it was. His eyes, though. Brown, wide and filled with concern. If she was going to die, this was a bad last sight.

"The arrow Ed! I can't give her the cordial with the arrow lodged in her."

The next few moments passed in a blur of vague voices, and a sharp pain in her side that it seemed like her head was bursting. Aline screamed. And then the sweet feel of a nectar on her parched lips.

A/N :Well, well well! Just when things seemed to be going right,I CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALL! X'D

Right, yeah, so how was it?! Liked it? Well, I know am not that good when it comes to action scenes and when I read through the whole thing seemed a bit kinda blurry (If you get what I mean).. Lol, anyways gotta warn you people, trust me just because a little fluff doesn't mean those two are going to get together like anytime soon. They got a long long way to go before anything serious happens. I'll make sure of it! *wink*

Anyways people, I've a small competition for you! In this chapter and the last two (thats 12,13 & 14) I've let out a bit of points which would play a crucial role later on. Nothing blatant, but small subtle hints which I want you to try finding! Best guesses gets shout-outs & dedications! What do you guys think?

Best of luck and signing off!
~NarnianFairy