Hello! I'm back!
Sorry for the delay, believe me I don't like it anymore than you do. No internet access is a bummer on all proceedings but there's not much I can do about it. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. You guys are the ones who basically tell me week after week to get my butt into gear and start updating so thanks for that.
I don't quite know why but this chapter was quite difficult to write which may have resulted in this chapter being a bit late. There is a party in the form of Cor's coronation and everyone knows what a party is an excuse for so don't be surprised if Alexandra seems a little...off.
I am also sad to say that this is the last chapter in what I dubbed "The Honeymoon period" because as you can see now that all of the other plot arcs are out of the way, the real story can begin...Mwa, ha, ha!
The next chapter is called "Trouble is Brewing" and I have a little snippet of the next chapter.
"By the mane Ed, can't you take a joke?" I grinned, leaning up and pressing a kiss to his lips. I felt his fingers weave into my sopping hair as he pulled me closer to him. My hands trailed down his arms, noting the cold thin linen of his shirt on his warming skin. I felt Edmund break away and start trailing kisses down my throat, feeling his hand lifting my thigh up around his hip. My breathing hitched and I opened my eyes. A dark figure loomed over us, a curved sword raised above his head. I screamed rolling us out of the way as the blade cut into the sand beside us.
I know, I can be very cruel. I'll not leave you waiting any longer. Enjoy!
The Affairs of the Heart
The Coronation of Prince Cor
"I am not wearing that."
"But your ladyship, this is the height of Archenland fashion." The lady's maid replied holding up the bright purple dress that is encrusted at various points along the corseted bodice with amethysts and had at least seven large hoops stitched into the inside of the skirt.
"I'm a Narnian and I'm still not going to wear that. It's ghastly." I stared at it in horror as I sat up in bed with a book in my lap. I wasn't sure what the book was about, and I assume it was fiction, but it was detailing an adventure about a snail who wanted to become a lord over the slug kingdom. "Besides, I'm not allowed to wear corsets until I am fully healed."
"But your ladyship -" the maid protested but was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Come in!" I called from the bed and the door opened to show Lucy and a young girl at her side. The girl had long dark hair that fell down her back to her waist. She had very tanned skin and dark brown almost black eyes. When Lucy walked in confidently she followed warily as if at any moment she would be attacked. I wonder what her story is...
"Alexandra, how are you feeling?" Lucy smiled as she sat down on my bed and took my hand in hers. I glanced at the maid and she bowed her leave.
"Much better than before although I still feel a little tender." I said putting my book aside. I glanced at the girl who was staring around the room in awe. I noticed that her clothes, although Archenland style (thankfully not the "height" of the country's style) with long flowing skirts made of linen and made her look very feminine, didn't quite suit her. Or fit her for that matter. The dress seemed too big for her. "Who might this young lady be?"
The girl whirled around and stared at me nervously. Lucy chuckled a little. "Oh this is Cor's friend, Aravis. She came with him from Calormen but was staying with a hermit in the Southern Waste whilst the battle was going on."
Aravis gave me a tight smile. I returned one. "You can sit down if you want. I'm not going to tell you off for doing so."
She blinked before sheepishly sitting down in the chair which had been occupied by Edmund the other night when I woke. "You have a very beautiful room..." Aravis spoke in a thick Calormene accent that sounded lighter than the usual harsh brutal tone that you'd often hear with the other Calormen people.
"Thank you. It's not like home but it'll do." I shrugged and leaned back against my pillows. I turned to Lucy. "How have you been? I've been dying to...I mean anxious to know what's been going on." I added when Lucy's expression turned a paler shade of milky grey.
"Well, we have Cor's coronation tonight which is basically a lavish over-the-top celebration that King Lune likes to throw and then we're getting ready to set off home as early as tomorrow at noon. The servants are currently packing the non-essentials as I speak." Lucy said flippantly waving her hand as if it were nothing interesting. She turned her gaze on me and a little mischievous smile appeared. "Soo..."
I sighed. "What is it Lu?"
"You know what it is." Her smile widened into a grin.
"By the mane Lu, do you and Susan have no subtlety?" I giggled at which Lucy scoffed and shuffled further onto my bed and crossed her legs. Aravis stared at Lucy in surprise before leaning curiously forward. "I'll take that as a no."
"Well?" Lucy leaned her elbows on her lap and then rested her chin on her fists. I rolled my eyes.
"We're taking it slow..." I mumbled quietly. I heard an excited squeal escape Lucy's mouth followed by a loud fit of giggles.
"I knew it! Susan's going to be so jealous once she finds out I knew before her." Lucy grinned jumping up onto her knees and bounced on the mattress. "I told him time and time again to just get on with it but he just wouldn't listen. You know how men are, don't like to admit their feelings but it honestly was a bit obvious right from the start but -"
"Slow down wait, do you mean to say that Edmund told you before he told me?" I frowned.
"Well, I am his sister – his favourite sister, I might add – so I just wriggled the answer out of him." She smiled with a proud puff of her chest. I suddenly remembered the moment that Lucy caught me after Edmund had walked away from kissing me and I found myself wondering why I was so surprised to begin with.
I raised an eyebrow. "Has he told you that you're his favourite sister?"
"Not exactly, but I know it to be true." Lucy grinned. "So what exactly did he say to make you agree? I want the details."
"Ew, Lucy this is your brother we're talking about. In fact there is no way I'm talking about Edmund to you. It's too weird." I felt a little shudder shoot down my spine at the thought.
Lucy pouted and let out a huff. "Spoil-sport."
I shook my head and rested against my pillows, turning my attention to Aravis who was still sitting awkwardly in her chair. "So, how are you finding Archenland?"
She looked at me and a tight smile appeared on her mouth. "Absolutely freezing." To emphasise this she shuddered in her seat and she wrapped her arms around herself. Lucy got up off the bed and headed over to stoke up the fire in the grate.
"Yes I suppose Calormen would be hotter than here. Narnia is in the middle when it comes to the weather isn't it Lu? Even though Narnia is further north than Archenland I think." I frowned as Lucy chuckled. I shrugged. "I was never that good at geography."
"It's just the land protesting against the White Witch." Lucy said as she joined us again. "Peter says that during the winter in the northern woods, there isn't one snowflake to be seen at all."
Aravis sat up in her chair interested. "Shasta and I have heard so many stories about Narnia from Hwin and Bree that I almost began to imagine what it would look like."
"Who are Hwin and Bree?" I wondered aloud.
"Bree and Hwin are Talking Horses that accompanied us from Calormen." Aravis quickly explained. "Is it really true that there are other Talking Beasts in your country?"
Lucy nodded. "Yes and all sorts of other creatures. There are the fauns, the dryads, centaurs, good giants, dwarves and even a few Marsh-Wiggles."
"Marsh-what?" Aravis interrupted as if we had just said a rude word.
"Marsh-Wiggles," I pronounced fondly, remembering the odd-looking tribes-people we had come across in the Pevensies first few years of their reign. Peter had thought that they were fearsome creatures of the earth to start with and it had taken all of Edmund's persuasion for him not to attack them there and then in fright. "They are creatures from the marshes in the north. A cross of toad, fish and scarecrows I think and a bit of an odd bunch."
Lucy giggled. "Yes, they are definitely ones for melancholic humour."
"I don't think they even know what humour is." I grinned wryly at Lucy who laughed aloud.
Throughout the day we chatted and laughed and caught up with each other until Lucy had to leave to get ready for the Coronation. I decided that I too should get ready but I decided to try to find something of my own to wear instead. There was no way I was going to wear something as hideous as that dress.
I gingerly slipped my feet from my covers and slowly stood up, padding over to my wardrobe and tried looking for a dress that wasn't so hideous. After almost half-an-hour of searching I eventually settled on a pale green dress with long flowing sleeves that have sparkling jewels crusted along the edge of the bodice. It would have to do. Slipping it on with a slight wince I loosely tied up the back of the strings hoping to see my lady's maid before I went down.
I was met with loud blaring pipe music, so jolly that I felt a small smile twitch itself onto my mouth at the sight of everyone dancing and merrymaking. It was almost as good as Christmas at Cair Paravel. The throne room of King Lune's palace was huge, filled with rich tapestries and fiery plinths that warmed the room to a pleasant temperature. I spotted Narnians mingling with Archenlanders, chatting and celebrating, singing and storytelling of the magnificent battle that had passed and how each one of their roles was detrimental to the defeat of the dastardly Calormenes.
"I tell you now, my dear friend, if I hadn't thrown myself in the path of that brute I am sure her young majesty's life would have been in peril." A short red dwarf with pointy horizontal moustache beamed.
"You didn't throw yourself in front of the man. You tripped over your own feet!" A Talking Panther guffawed at the dwarf. "Honestly you have as much stealth and balance as a wombat on stilts!"
"What are stilts?"
"I don't actually know. I heard one of the human folk say the phrase." The cat gave a little shrug before they headed away from the drinks table, their conversation continuing onto the popular topic of Rabadash's ridiculous fate. I shook my head at the thought and poured myself some wine.
"Lady Alexandra, you made it down I see." I turned to see Corin and grinned at the sight of him. He was dressed in a grey tunic with a silver sash that made his green eyes seem brighter. His usually shaggy blonde hair was brushed back neatly, making his face look thinner.
"Only just, look at you! You look smart." I refrained myself from ruffling his hair in affection. I noticed a light pink blush touch up his cheeks.
"Do you want to dance?" he asked suddenly. I blinked.
"Me? Okay sure, I will warn you though I'm a poor substitute for Susan when it comes to ballroom." I chuckled to which he shrugged good-naturedly. I tipped the rest of my wine down my throat and then took his hand letting him lead me out into the middle of the room. He gingerly placed his hand on my waist and my shoulder before I corrected him by taking his hand in my own. The blush on his cheeks grew brighter and I decided to lead to save him any further embarrassment. After three steps he stumbled and almost crushed my toe. I shook my head with a small smile, trying to discreetly shake the pain from my foot beneath the folds of my skirt. "Blimey, you make me look almost graceful. I take it you don't dance with women much."
"Not really." He mumbled as he stumbled again, glancing down at his feet. I shook my head with a small smile.
"Try to imagine you're boxing against me. It might help with your footwork." Corin looked up in surprise, nodding as he took a small step back and started again. He still stumbled a few times but at least now my toes were about saved for now.
When a faster song started to play, I decided to teach him a jive. I wasn't really sure what the exact moves were but we were both giggling towards the end of it.
"That is the oddest dance I've ever come across. Is it Narnian?" Corin chuckled as he tried to catch his breath.
"I think it is a bit. We used to dance it back in England when there was any swing or jazz music on but only at Christmas time or birthdays mostly." I shrugged as Corin tried to spin me around.
"I haven't a clue what you just said there but I'm assuming it is." Corin replied cheekily. His gaze turned to something over my shoulder and a smirk appeared on his cheek. "Guess who I've just spotted?"
"Houdini?" I grinned to which he gave me a bemused look.
He shook his head. "King Eddie of course."
"Don't let him catch you calling him that. You've only just gotten into his good books."
"Is that what you call them? I thought we were almost going to have it out at each other. Shame. Would've been a good match I don't doubt." He sighed and I laughed at the thought.
"It would have been entertaining. I might suggest it for the annual tournament next summer." Just as the song began to flow into another slower one filled with pipes and horns I decided to get another drink. I curtsied to Corin and left with a smile and he headed off to find his new twin.
Pouring myself a goblet of wine I turned my gaze over everyone in the room. Lucy was dancing with a fox, whose orange fur glistened in the light of the room. It was quite odd trying to dance with an animal as they don't have arms to hold onto so Lucy and the fox had managed to do a form of two-step which involved a lot of spinning around and hopping. I gazed over the rest of the crowd spotting Sir Peridan suavely kissing the hand of an Anvardian woman as all of her friends starting giggling into their hands at the boldness of it.
It wasn't long before I finished my goblet and poured another. The wine here was very strong. I wonder if Bacchus had arrived some time before with his lovely maenads to provide the wine. The first time I tasted his wine I nearly fainted at the richness of it and I wasn't surprised why the wild women who traveled with him liked it so much. By the end of my fifth goblet I felt a light buzz around my ears which I enjoyed and made me feel cheerful. The pain in my stomach was numbed to a dull throb but it was bearable.
I spotted Edmund speaking with King Lune and his noblemen. The buzz in my head told me to go and kiss him, there and then in the middle of the room in front of everyone and I will admit it was a tempting idea. I could imagine the looks of shock and surprise of everyone in the room but instead I came up with an idea.
I strode over with my head held high, feeling bold and I cleared my throat when I arrived. "Excuse me your majesty," I curtsied to King Lune before laying my hand on Edmund's arm. "May I borrow his majesty for a moment? I'm afraid there is a pressing matter I must speak to him about. Physician work, you see."
King Lune raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Physician work? Is that the excuse these days?" He turned to his noblemen around him with a jolly chuckle. I joined in with a small smile, noticing the confused expression on Edmund's face out of the corner of my eye. King Lune nodded, making a shooing gesture and chuckled to his noblemen. "Youth today, honestly it's not as if they haven't got enough time ahead of them."
I dragged a bemused Edmund away from the party and up to the rest of the castle, heading down a familiar corridor towards the guest quarters. "Alexandra, where are we going? I don't need a check up, my shoulder is fine."
"I know. It was just an excuse to get you alone."
"Are you drunk?" Edmund asked with a laugh. I spun around and gasped at him with a mock serious look.
"Never in my wildest dreams would I be drunk at a time like this." I said although I think it came out a little slurred. Edmund raised an eyebrow. "Okay maybe a bit tipsy but I'm not drunk."
He rolled his eyes and I stuck my tongue out at him childishly. When I reached my quarters, I made a quick glance up and down the corridor before grabbing Edmund by his shirt and pushed him through the door. "Whoa, be careful! What's going on?" Edmund chuckled as he nearly tripped over his own feet. I closed the door shut and spun to face him with a mischievous grin. "Alexandra?"
A quiet click sounded in the room as my fingers locked the door. Edmund raised an eyebrow at me and tipped his head. "Something tells me that we're not going back to the party."
I made a slow shrug. "It was getting late anyway, I'm sure they won't miss us."
"So why are we here?" Edmund asked as I took a step forward, dropping the key between us and swiftly kicked it underneath the bed. Edmund's gaze followed the path of the key. "Interesting development." He noted before I reached out to his sword belt, unfastening the buckle, taking his sword off and placing it on my dressing table.
When I turned back to him I placed my hand on his chest and pushed him back until he fell back and hit the mattress with a soft flump. I carefully climbed over and straddled his waist with a smile, staring down at him as a flush blew up on his face. He rested back on his elbows. "Okay, steady on. I thought you wanted this courtship to go slow -"
"Stop chattering Edmund. You're killing the mood." I leaned down and planted a small peck on his mouth. He fell into a quiet stupor. "We're not going to do anything like that. I just wanted to talk." I kissed him again with a smile. "And maybe do some other things..."
"Okay. You may have to get off me though, you're a little heavy." I gasped and slapped his chest lightly.
"Cheeky sod..." I muttered as I slid off him, flopping down beside him on the bed. Edmund rolled over to face me and I felt his hand rest on my waist. I flushed and ducked my head into his chest.
"Are you uncomfortable?" he asked warily. I shook my head.
"No, just a little nervous." I felt a little flutter in my stomach although I'm pretty sure that was just the wine settling.
"Why?" Edmund asked squeezing my side gently before his hand rested just below my ribs.
"Well, we're both courting now. It's different." I looked up at him with a sigh. "I'll have to resign from my job. I can't exactly carry on as Physician if I'm having a relationship with one of my patients, can I? It's wrong." I let out a huff into Ed's collarbone. I wriggled until my head was lying on his chest and his hand was resting on my stomach.
"We'll have to find something else for you to do. You could help the librarian with organising the scrolls." Edmund suggested. I shook my head.
"I already do that." I felt Ed shift to face me. "What? You can't assume that Philius would allow me to spend so much time in there without doing the odd job. I know that place like the back of my hand." Edmund shook his head in amazement.
"Well...I don't know maybe you could help me with court matters."
I shook my head. "I'd only distract you."
"Fair point." He laughed before leaning down and pecking my lips. "Ha, I love doing that. You're eyes light up every time."
I sat up and sent him a suspicious look. "Are you going soppy on me?"
"No," he shook his head with a chuckle. He tried to kiss me again but I moved back and stared at him in surprise.
"Yes you are! What have I done to you?" I gasped as Edmund rolled his eyes. He leaned closer to me pressing his lips to mine as he pushed me gently on my back. I ran my hand through his hair pulling him closer and he obliged without any more encouragement. I felt the familiar weight of his body pressing against mine and his hands roamed around my waist and sides. My hands traveled down his chest touching the firm muscles underneath his tunic and I found my fingers untying the strings at his collarbone, pulling the cloth apart so I could reach his skin. Edmund paused and broke off our kissing to look at me with an amused look.
"I think we should stop this now." He whispered in my ear. His breath made my hair tickle my skin as he spoke and it sent little shivers down my spine.
"Why?" I protested, staring at him with a frown.
"Because you're drunk and you've locked the door." He muttered pressing a kiss to my jaw that heated my skin.
"What's the door got to do with this?" I was puzzled at his random trail of thought.
There was a small chuckle on the breath he let out. "Everything Alexandra, trust me."
I sighed as he pulled away and lay down beside me on the mattress. My head began to feel heavy so I scooted up the bed and placed it on one of the soft pillows. Edmund followed along, pulling the comforter up over the both of us. I suddenly noticed the dim light in the room which was only coming from the fireplace. The curtains had been closed in my absence so I can only assume that it was late in the night. I didn't hear any footsteps outside of the door I locked so the party downstairs must still be going on. I smiled to myself.
"Why are you smiling? Am I that good a kisser?" Edmund chuckled, absent-mindedly drawing circles on my arm with his fingertips.
"Nothing. I just remembered a punch line to a funny joke I heard earlier."
"Which was?"
"I can't remember." I grinned to which Ed rolled his eyes. I pressed a kiss to his lips and felt him smile. "Shall we go to sleep then your majesty?"
"I think we should my lady." He pressed one last kiss to my mouth and then pulled me close to rest against him. He was really warm and familiar and I found myself falling asleep in seconds.
The room was spinning around me in a blur, whirling and twirling faster and faster and faster until I felt a blow to the head. Everything went black and I found myself shivering and wet. I groggily opened my eyes. There was a dark silhouette in front of me so I reached out and felt something cold under my fingertips. I blinked until my eyes adjusted to the darkness around me. I peered closer to the silhouette and found that it was as big as me. Maybe even bigger, I think. I traced my hands up the object feeling my heart beating faster as a feeling wriggled into the back of my mind. What was it? What is that? Is that a..? No it couldn't be a... it was a neck.
"Hello? Who are you?" I whispered running my hand up the side of their face hoping to figure out who I was touching. "Sorry about this but I don't know who you are. Can you tell me your name? Please?"
I reached higher until I felt the top of his head. Whoever it was had long hair. I could feel the ends of it tickling the top of my forearms. There was something dry and crusty at the top of their head. "By the mane are you hurt?"
I took their pulse on the side of their neck but I couldn't find anything. My heart stuttered in shock. I heard the sound of a match being struck and lit behind me lighting up the face of the person I was touching.
I screamed scrambling as far back as I could get. Staring back at me with blank empty eyes was Falstaff's body decorated with dark red trails of dried blood trickling down his face.
I woke up with a choking gasp searching around the room for Falstaff. The fire in the gate had now been extinguished and it seemed cold as a small breeze gently blew the curtains into the room. I felt a cold shiver run down my back. The quiet groaning of springs alerted me to Edmund rolling over in his sleep, his head curling up on my pillows but his eyes did not open.
Letting out a breath I didn't even know I was holding I cautiously climbed off the bed and tiptoed over to shut the curtains closed. The silver lumen of the moon cast a cool glow over the city of Anvard making it seem almost like a ghost town. I knew this was a silly thought and one that I shook from my head ferociously. It was just because of my dream. Just a silly fantasy, nothing more, I told myself. But as I grabbed hold of the curtains to pull shut, I glimpsed a shadow moving along the walls of the courtyard. I stared as the shadow glided towards the gates, somehow evading the sentry guards as if it were invisible. As if it was being aided by some form of sorcery. I wondered whether to alert the rest of the castle to the intruder when it suddenly stopped near a large fountain in the middle of the courtyard. It was a dark cloaked figure, standing in defiance to all who might catch them. How could it be that no one could see them? There must be someone who could see the intruder.
The intruder turned and faced me, tipping their head up to meet my gaze. My heart hammered in my chest and I felt my hands trembling. The figure raised his arm up and tipped back his hood and I gasped at his dark skin and even darker eyes. It was Ashonit.
I felt my legs give way beneath me as I fell back, knocking over a pitcher of water as I went sending it crashing to the floor. Edmund woke with a start on the bed but all I could see were Ashonit's eyes glinting with malice in the moonlight. I swore that he was grinning as if there was some funny joke. "Alexandra? What's the matter? Why are you on the floor?"
"It was Ashonit! He's here! In the courtyard, look!" I gasped pointing at the window shakily. Edmund leapt out of bed and ran to the window staring out into the dim city below.
"Alexandra there is no one there." He said from the window. I shook my head, pulling myself up and staring out of the window to see for myself. The courtyard was void of any living being.
"Edmund he was right there, I swear on my life he was there! He was looking at me. Taunting me. I know it. He was there!" I felt my heart beating in panic. Where could he have gone? "Edmund you must believe me."
He gathered me in his arms. "I will order the guards to search the grounds and the city before we leave and I will let his majesty know of Ashonit in the morning. I promise Alexandra I will not let anything harm you whilst I am alive and breathing. Do you understand?" I nodded my head and hugged him tightly, grasping his shirt to stop my hands from shaking. "Come back to bed. We have a long day tomorrow and you will need all your strength."
Edmund led me back to bed and I sat down on the bed, wrapping the comforter around my trembling shoulders. "Edmund?" I whispered as he looked up at me. "Close the curtains."
He nodded and shut them firmly double checking that the window was locked tightly as well. I lay back down on the bed and Edmund joined me, gathering me once more in his arms and protecting me from harm. Only the harm was already done and I fear there is more yet to come.