Dance advices, cold shoulders, mean words, stupid fluff (I can't get it right), and more.....

Chapter 20

It was only the First Dance. She can still make things right. But how?

"Your Majesty knows how to dance really well," commented Lucy's dance partner.

"Thank you, Gillern," said Lucy. She searched the whole room as they revolved around the spot. She had a glimpse of Tawny, dancing with a dark-haired Archenland knight. Was he the one Tawny was speaking of? Well, if ever he was the one, Tawny sure did not look very happy. Lucy's eyes continued to travel. He found Peter, dancing with an Archenland maiden, Corin was dancing with a beautiful shy-looking girl, and Edmund… where's Edmund? There he was, standing beside the table of the glasses of wine and champagne, surrounded by giggling girls. It was always the giggling girls Edmund and Peter tried to avoid in parties. They usually fail. Edmund was frowning.

"Gillern, will you excuse me for a while? I need to…erm, save my brother."

Lucy dashed to her brother, trying to squeeze through the gaggle of giggling girls blocking her way. "Excuse me, excuse me!"

"Oh, it's Queen Lucy!" A few had said, squealed is a more likely term.

"Can I borrow Edmund for a while please?" she politely asked Edmund's fan girls. "I'd like to speak a word to him." The maidens dispersed and Edmund looked beyond relief.

"I owe you big time!" Edmund had said.

"I need to talk to you," Lucy said.

"Sure," Edmund replied, chugging down wine from his glass then getting another one.

"Stop drinking too much, Ed!"

"Well, I'm eighteen,"

Lucy scoffed, "What's it about? Stop your angst Edmund!"—Lucy grabbed the wineglass out of Edmund and placed it on the table—"Listen, go and dance, okay?"

"I don't want to dance, Lu," Edmund crossed his arms across his chest.

"Fine, then get attacked by those girls!"

"Who am I supposed to dance with? Huh?"

Lucy smiled widely at her brother, "Why, Tawny of course."

Lucy pointed Tawny and the Archenland knight. Edmund didn't really need that; he knew exactly where Tawny was. He's been stealing glances of her for the past few minutes.

"She's dancing with someone," Edmund reasoned.

"But she's not enjoying," Lucy said. Edmund rolled his eyes, sighed, and then walked on towards the dance floor. But he wasn't going to Tawny, he was heading to Peter.

Peter?

Edmund dodged his way past the twirling people, finally reaching his brother, who was dancing with an Archenlander.

"Hey," Edmund said to the girl. "Can I talk to my brother?" And without waiting for an answer, he grabbed Peter by the arm and dragged him towards the side.

"Ed," Peter said. "That's not very polite of you."

"I need you, Pete," Edmund said desperately to his brother.

Peter smirked, "What in the world's gotten into you? Do you want to dance with me?"

"Peter, I'm not joking, and don't get the wrong idea! I'm just—"

"If you want to dance with someone, don't be so rough," Peter joked.

"That's advice number one; what's advice number 2?" said Edmund.

"What?" Peter asked, wildly confused.

"I need to dance with someone," Edmund said, whose gaze was unto Tawny. Peter followed Edmund's look, then understood the whole thing. My little brother is growing up!

"Oooo…kay, then," Peter said.

"What should I do?"

Peter laughed, "Ed, don't be so tense! You just have to walk up to Tawny—"

"Who says I'm dancing with Tawny?" Edmund said defensively.

"Your eyes," Peter pointed out. "After your ill-timed disruption, I continue. You just have to walk up to Tawn—the girl, and ask her to dance."

"What if she's dancing with someone else?" Edmund asked.

"Just tap the back of her partner, politely, and ask if you can take it from there, politely."

"Is that all? Come on, you have to tell me everything—"

"Talk with her while you dance. Don't be so stiff. And watch where your hands go. You don't want—"

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks." And Edmund went once again towards the dance floor. Then went right back to Peter, "Are you sure it's all that?" Peter laughed and nodded. Edmund left, looking fidgety.

"Well, aren't you good at this," said the Archenland knight Tawny was dancing with. Tawny had no choice when he asked her to dance the First Dance with him.

"If good is what you call stepping on your foot a dozen times," Tawny said. "Then you must be an idiot."

"I'll take that as a compliment," the knight flashed a smile.

"Please don't," Tawny silently said.

"Pardon me, milady?"

"Nothing, sir,"

Tawny looked down and grimaced surreptitiously. She would've wanted to go away, but she was being polite. Being polite. Oh damn. It pays to be polite.

"Excuse me," someone said coldly. The knight and Tawny stopped dancing.

"King Edmund, your Majesty," said the knight. "What can I—"

"May I take it from here?" Edmund said, remembering Peter's advices.

The knight stepped back and bowed to Edmund, then too Tawny. She was frozen on spot. Edmund took her hand and her waist and they started revolving around the spot. Edmund didn't really notice this before, but Tawny was shorter than he thought. She only came up an inch above his shoulder.

"I bet I interrupted the fun for you," Edmund said unemotionally.

Tawny looked up; he was not smiling. She could almost feel icicles shot out from Edmund's eyes.

"No, you didn't," Tawny said, trying to sound equally cold. But she failed. Actually, she was melting.

"I didn't know you have a thing for Archenland knights," Edmund spoke.

"No I don't,"

"Was he the one who caught your eye?" Edmund asked, his eyes diverted away from Tawny.

She couldn't understand at first, but it dawned at her eyes. Edmund heard me and Lucy! "Were you eavesdropping?" Tawny asked violently.

Edmund stared at her eyes. Tawny gulped. His eyes were mesmerizing. She never stared at them before. But she was disappointed, for there was no sparkle in them. They were dull…and soulless. He was hurting. "No," Edmund simply replied, then looked away.

It was a surprise for Edmund that they were still dancing, only rather clumsily. Tawny was shaking, and he didn't know why. Maybe because of anger. She had the right to get angry at him. Imagine, a noble Narnian king, snooping around for some teenage girl gossips! Or perhaps, Tawny was shaking because of embarrassment. He couldn't blame her.

"Edmund," Tawny said as calmly as she could. "Whatever you heard, it's just—"

"Why are you explaining?" Edmund said, still not looking.

"I was only thinking—"

"I don't care about your fantasies over some guy whom you think is interested in you," Edmund quickly said.

Ouch.

Tawny was taken aback. She was speechless for some time, but eventually regained her sharp tongue, "Why are you even dancing with me?"

Edmund once again looked at Tawny. "Oh so you are bummed about me taking over? Do you want me to call him back?"

"I might tell you that I hardly enjoyed his presence! To be truthful, I was glad that you took over, but then I wasn't because you're acting like a humungous barmy pillock! You're a bloody git who thinks you're oh-so-charming because of your constant mood swings and capability to angst more than any human can! I don't like wearing this scratchy gown and I enormously don't like dancing! I hope you had registered all those information past your amazingly thick skull and into your dung of a brain!"

Tawny gasped for breath. She felt bad for spitting insults at Edmund's face, which was now distorted by a frown. She regretted everything she said the moment it all came out, but it was too late.

"Are you done?" Edmund asked. They stopped dancing, and released Tawny from his hands. I know, it surprised me too that they were still dancing while a whole dome of angst, insults and invisible hoarfrost surrounded them. The young king stepped back, bowed at Tawny, then left without a back glance.

Tawny was left in the middle of the room filled with the joyful sounds of the people dancing. She felt her eyes suddenly become heavy and hot. It was wrong to lie to Lucy, but saying those things to Edmund didn't make her feel any better. Only worse. She was to blame. No! Edmund is also to blame! Why did he have to do that? Well, what did he do? He danced with Tawny. Coldly. It hurt her. That triggered her anger. But she knew what to do next. She ran to Lucy, who was sitting on the High Table of the monarchs at the dais of the ball room.

"Lucy," she said, taking a seat beside the young queen.

"Oh Tawny, there you are!" Lucy greeted, but then her smile faded to a frown. Her friend looked guilty and enraged. "What's the problem?"

"I can't believe you're genetically related to Edmund!" Tawny half-shrieked.

"Me too. What happened, exactly?"

Tawny grabbed a glass of wine, drank half of it, coughed, then said, "He took me dancing and he wasn't really a bright little ray of sunshine! He was being—impossible! I said some mean stuff to him. I didn't mean too, but he partly deserves it. And I'm such an idiot! I lied to you Lucy. Oh, I'm so immature and irrational and stupid! There was never this Archenland knight. Oh and Edmund overheard us talking! I tried saying to him that there was never an Archenland knight, but he—" She swigged the rest of the wine, and her attempt to hide the awful taste failed. "I'm going outside. Lu, I'm very sorry for lying. It was dreadfully wrong of me." Tawny made sure that she brought another glass of wine with her.

Lucy was left, with seriously problematic thoughts. So, Tawny didn't take any fancy to someone. She lied, and Lucy didn't take any offense to that. Edmund heard their talking in the room. Edmund danced with Tawny and acted like a complete jerk. Tawny came to Lucy to confess everything. Tawny said mean things to Edmund. Who could blame her for saying that? Really, teenagers and their hormones. Edmund, he was jealous, surely.

Lucy dashed down the dais and went to look for Edmund. He was there, by the corner, wearing an anguish expression, arms crossed across his chest.

"Ed!" Lucy said.

"What?" said her brother without moving.

"Don't you what me! Explain yourself!"

"Mother, I'm only standing here…" Edmund said sarcastically.

Lucy smacked her brother's arm. "Ow, Lu! That was my sword arm!" Lucy smacked the other arm. "Ow! That was my shield arm! Why are you trying to impair me? With your fist, people would probably mistake you as a man! What's your problem?"

"Right now, your genes!"

"What are you talki—"

"Edmund, Tawny is miserable! What did you do?" Lucy said.

"What!" Edmund said, looking defensively angry at Lucy. "I was only—"

"I don't want to hear it!"

"But you asked for—"

"Go after Tawny! I know she said things not so nice to you but please! Go after her! She told me that there was no knight that she was fancying. I know you heard us back in our room! So if that's the reason why—"

"Are you suggesting that I'm jealous?" Edmund said menacingly.

"Yes I am, because you really are! Look at your eyes! They're green! Metaphorically!" Lucy added the last word after her brother's eyes widened.

"I couldn't care—"

"Less? Well Tawny's out in the gardens, practically driving herself drunk!"

As much as Edmund hated it, Lucy won. He walked briskly towards the huge glass doors leading outside. Stars powdered the heavens. They were beautiful and twinkling and bright against the dark blue sky. Beautifully, fireflies are flying around the air, looking like stars have been walking on Earth. The breeze was cool against his face and it fanned out his cape behind him. Honestly, if Moira hadn't forced me to wear this stupid cape, I wouldn't have! I look like a gigantic bat!

All Edmund heard is the crashing of water down the surface of the fountain. He walked down the stairs, and there he saw Tawny, sitting on the bench facing the fountain. She was holding a glass of wine, still full. She was seating cross-legged like an Indian so that her dress was all ruffled on her side.

"Loner," Edmund said, sitting beside Tawny on the bench.

Tawny felt anger and guilt rise inside her at the same moment. She inched away from him.

"Lucy told me," Edmund muttered. Tawny didn't need any further elaborations. She got it.

"So what, are you saying sorry?" Tawny said, playing with the wine, tipping it from one side to the other.

Edmund laughed. A real laugh escaped from his lips. Tawny looked at him and she saw the sparkle in his beautiful chocolate eyes that she's been hoping to see ever since they danced.

"I apologize too," she said. "All those things I said, they weren't true. I was just really angry—"

"I deserve them anyways," Edmund looked at Tawny. He held her gaze. He noticed that her eyes were brown too, although much more brilliant than his. "I've been a prat."

"Yes you've been," Tawny said casually.

"Lucy told me that you were going to drive yourself drunk," he changed the matter.

"I tried, but I need time to get used to its taste."

Edmund took the glass from Tawny. He swirled it lightly, so that it wouldn't slosh everywhere, and then sniffed it, "You know, it smells very refreshing. Not minty fresh, but smells almost like woody. And when you drink it, the moment it touches your tongue, it's bitter. But you have to wait a few moments so that its sweetness would be divulged."

"This is one of the moments that I only then realize that I'm actually talking to a king. A normal person wouldn't have said it more—"

"Suavely? I know. Thanks for the compliment."

Tawny looked away, and fell silent.

"I'm sorry I acted like a pig," Edmund said. "It was very immature of me."

"I'm used to it," Tawny replied. "It still just affects me."

"You see," Edmund said, tilting the glass of wine. "You could imagine I'm this wine that you dislike—"

"I don't dislike you! I like you," then, realizing what she said, Tawny turned red.

Edmund felt the awkwardness, so to save it, he said, "Do not interrupt a king when he is speaking,"

"A pretentious king," she whispered.

Edmund exchanged this comment with a scowl, "And ladies do not sit like that." Tawny unfolded her legs and sat straight.

"But I'm not a lady," Tawny muttered. "Ladies don't get adventures."

This, Edmund ignored and continued to their subject at hand, "As I was saying, you could imagine I'm this wine that you dislike—I mean, that you are not very fond of. I look refreshing, don't I? Good-looking, muscular, regal, brave, strong, smart…all of the things that would make girls chase me."

Tawny snorted.

"But," Edmund said after laughing at his own silliness. "I'm not very much inclined to the girls-chasing part. Anyways, when you get to meet me, I may sound bitter, annoying…those things I need not to mention, as the sound of it would only soil my perfect appearance,"—Tawny couldn't hold a laugh, and so did Edmund—"But as you get to know me, my cordial and likeable qualities arises. You just have to wait a little time."

Tawny beamed at Edmund, "You egotistical berk!"

"You have to admit, all of it is true."

"Yes, including the egotistical berk part."

They laughed. Edmund handed back the wine, to which Tawny sipped, unaware. Edmund was right. From inside the ball room, slow heartbreaking music played. Both stiffened, and fell silent.

Tawny, who so much wanted to break the silence, breathed and said, "Hey look, I'm a dragon." She breathed again, forming a haze in front of her face. Edmund bought the act that removed the awkwardness, and imitated her. Wow, it must be cold. He was wearing a thick tunic that he didn't feel it. He looked at Tawny and saw her shiver just a little. He did the most cliché thing to do: offer her his cape. He took it off his back and roughly handed her the dark blue cover. It was this thing he wanted to do when Tawny got out of the forest.

"I don't want it," Tawny said.

"Don't be a pighead, come on, and wrap it."

Tawny felt warmth, not from the cape, but from the person sitting right next to her. Her stomach squirmed. But slow music continued to play on. And the untimely presence of fireflies around them seemed to dance along with the sweet music. The scene just looked so romantic.

Damn it, Edmund thought. Everything just seems to push me to her.

"Wujuwontudans?"

Tawny chortled, "Are you developing some new kind of language?"

"Would you want to dance?" Edmund repeated.

"I guess," Tawny hesitated, feeling her face get hot.

Both stood up briskly. The king bowed to Tawny. Edmund's right hand found the small of her back, and his left, holding gently her hand. He felt electricity shot through him.

We head back to the inside of the ball room. The slow music didn't just play on accordingly, someone made a special request. Lucy saw the two kids outside on the gardens laughing. Looks like they made up. All that was missing was a beautiful slow music to accompany the romantic scene. She loved the effect that those gorgeous fireflies were making! Music was playing, but the two still weren't dancing. Lucy spied behind the curtains of the bid glass windows. After moments, Edmund removed his cape and gave it to Tawny. She swore by the Mane, one more move like that and she'll squeal! Then they both stood up. They stood up! And now Edmund's holding her! Lucy almost jumped. She continued to peep until someone from behind came close.

"Lu, what's that?" Corin said.

"What are you up to?" Peter was there too.

Lucy faced them looking like she just stole a cookie from the cookie jar.

"Ha!" Corin exclaimed after looking through the windows. "They're dancing!"

"Nice move, Ed," Peter commented.

"It's all my doing," Lucy bragged, wearing a great bid grin. "So thank me."

"Can you hook me up with someone?"

"Psshh, Corin, you're only fourteen!" Peter said.

"Oh sure, pound all my hopes and dreams to little teeny-weeny pieces. Who cares anyway? Plus, it's only my birthday!"

Lucy laughed, "Oh Corin, you are so forever dramatic!"

"Come'ere mate," Peter said. "It's time to open your presents."

"Yay! Presents." How easily Corin was distracted!

Lucy continued to peek through the glass.

Fireflies were dancing harmoniously with them. Tawny seemed to glow more.

"I know you don't like dancing," Edmund said. "I don't too, but I think we shouldn't let this…kind of environment go to waste, right?"

"Yeah, maybe," Tawny laughed a little. She cleared her throat, the usual thing someone would most likely to do when unease fills the cold air.

"You are seriously not taking any fancy with someone?" Edmund took chances.

"No, really," Tawny replied. "Why? Are you jealous?"

"Pshaw! No!" Edmund defended. "Why would I be? I'm just concerned."

"Whatever you say," and they continued to revolve around. Edmund felt very uncomfortable, but very much elated. He surveyed their surrounding, thinking that it would lessen the awkwardness. And he saw Lucy, looking through the windows, giggling. Oh that sneaky little—

"Lucy?" Tawny suddenly said. "Is that Lucy looking at us?"

"Yeah," Edmund sighed. I bet she planned all this. Lucy saw them looking back at her, and so she hid. "I think it's time that we go inside." Edmund bowed at Tawny, smiled, and then went away. Tawny, again, was left alone, but this time, she was happy. She went inside too, taking one last look at the fireflies.

Apologies for wrong grammar and spellings

If you guessed right, then yes, I've been listening to Fireflies by Owl City these few days and I'm loving that song. Shoutout to all the fireflies out there! It's a song for freakin awesome weirdos like me! Huzzah for weirdness! I've been listening to Falling Over Me by Demi Lovato. Yeah, I know, it's a sweet song, not very much applicable to what happened between Ed and Tawny earlier, you know full of angst. But I love that song. And I'm also listening to Headfirst by Selena Gomez! I so friggin love her!!! It's kinda relating to Tawny's thoughts.

Reviews help me.

I f you review now, you will recieve an imaginary hug from me....and it's filled with lots of caramel-glazed, chocolate-coated love!

P.S.: If y'all interested, I've posted links on my profile that would show you how I imagine my OCs.