A/n:

Thank you to QueenElenaofnarnia, PeterCaspianRlz, LOVEM, EC, GoldenAgeNarnia, Connors, Aslanmane, QueenLucyfan, Evalin Ashryver, CairParavel, Emma, Bella, Emily, Narniafan, Daphne, and all the other guests. ;DD

Lots of you, I can see, are surprised by the revelation about the past that Eileen and Hugh shared. There still are a few secrets about them, and between them, that not even those closest to them are privy to, actually. :P

(Cair Paravel, Narnia)

~Peter's POV~

When I woke up this morning I noticed that I was in Madeleine's bedroom instead of my own. I looked to my right and saw that she was still sleeping. She must have been a hundred percent spent after our exceptionally intense sexy-times last night. But I didn't think I could be blamed for having an extremely high sex drive.

So I got out of bed, still naked. I scouted the room, scavenging for my codpiece, trousers and tunic. We had flung our clothes across the room in the heat of our passion last night. Goodness, I almost ripped her dress to pieces. And because she was attending a wedding, her corset was tied up in a fancier manner, which took me a longer time to undo. But because I had so much experience, undressing a woman was an area of my expertise. It did make me more impatient though, and therefore angrier. I was angry enough to see she-who-must-not-be-named at the wedding yesterday, and when I saw that she was with the bride's brother looking so much like a couple, I knew I needed to get my mind off things, and there was only one way to accomplish that. Otherwise I'd implode.

When I was getting dressed, I heard Madeleine stir. "Salut," she said lazily, stretching her arms. "Leaving so soon?"

"Yes, I'm going to take a bath before breakfast. Unless you want more?"

"I wouldn't mind, actually. It lowers the unit cost of the bath," she said jokingly.

"How money-minded of you," I laughed.

She shrugged. "Money gets you places."

"No, I get you places. "'Heights of pleasure I've never reached before', in your own words," I said smugly. "See, that's how magnificent I am."

"You pompous arse," she giggled and threw a pillow at me. "You need to get over yourself. And that's not even all that you need to get over," she said, her tone gradually turning serious.

I sighed. "I'm ready to marry you and yet you still think I'm still hung up on the past?"

"Hmm, well, do you remember how you 'handled' me last night? I don't mind doing any of those things if it makes you feel better, frankly speaking, but...it just becomes more and more obvious to me that you care for her so strongly that it makes you so affected and so exasperated. My guess is that it's because you had seen her with another man. It looks as if she's made you extremely jealous," she explained. "And that's exactly what's galvanizing you to propose to me."

I didn't say anything, because I knew she was right. But I paused and asked solemnly, "so you've had some time to think about my proposal. Do you have a decision yet?"

"Honestly, Peter, I haven't had much time to think about it since I spent the rest of the evening socializing and getting into bed with you. But I have a decision already and my answer is no. Trust me, I have considered it before, even prior to your proposal. Even your sister in law, High Queen Gilda, has suggested it to me. But I won't marry you and I've got a number of reasons for that."

"I'm guessing an alliance for Terebinthia isn't that important then, huh?" I replied sardonically.

She huffed. "It is important. But let me explain, won't you?"

"Fine. Go ahead."

"I know that you think that it would do good to at least have an international alliance if you can't get the one you love anyway. You probably even want to use this to tempt her to go to Court to seek you out and reconcile with you. And honestly I want all that for you too, but I just can't agree to what you're asking of me. And this is because — I'm going to be frank with you — I feel that you, out of all of your siblings, are the least likely one to choose a diplomatic marriage instead of one based on love, unlike your royal sisters' Majesties. So I don't think a betrothal will last between us, let alone waiting till we bend the knee at the altar," she stated calmly.

"That's...actually true…" I nodded slowly.

"I also feel like I can gamble higher and you know that ultimately you're not the one I want," she continued.

"You're hoping to get Caspian. But your chances are slim, I'm afraid," I replied. I'd be willing to help her, because she'd helped me too, but I couldn't, because Katrina was important to me as well, more so than Mad was.

"Not as slim as your chances of getting her back if you insist on this betrothal and have it publicly announced. What if you finally get her back and then you dissolve the betrothal so that you can be with her instead? What do you think that will look like to your subjects? It's going to paint her as the bad guy who turned you away from what's right, which is a dynastic match with a foreign Duchess, moi," she added. I recalled that a similar situation was encountered by her royal cousin, King Yann of Terebinthia, and his wife, Queen Yvonne, as originally His Majesty was supposed to get himself betrothed to a Princess of Calormen. "In any case," she uttered. "Your move would be disadvantageous to all three of us. So I mustn't encourage you. Only then would I be helping you at all."

I nodded once more. "I get it."

"And you're not reacting explosively to this because you knew I wouldn't agree to it, didn't you? I'm never the type to play second fiddle or settle for second best. So how about you do something about the feelings that you and her still have for each other?" she suggested as she got out of bed and I stared at her naked body for a moment longer before tearing my gaze away.

"I doubt she still has feelings for me. Or that she has ever felt anything for me," I said dismissively.

"Oh, trust me, Peter. The look in her eyes when I told her about your satisfactory performance in bed — if looks could kill, hers would have had me slain."

My eyes widened. "You told her that? You've talked to her? Already?" I gawked at her. "What the — why didn't I know about that?"

She simply shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I simply thought that you had slept with her as well. That she's had a taste of your...magnificence."

"I never bedded her. She's a virgin. Or at least she was a virgin. Now that she's with somebody else, I'm not so sure," I scowled.

"That's just her friend, you know," she said plainly.

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"I guess courter too, but they share just as much romance as you and I do, she and that boy. The bride's brother," she explained.

"The bride's brother is a 6-year-old, called Clint, last time I checked," I groused.

"Are you seriously going to be playing dumb with me? Really, Peter?" She rolled her eyes. "Her other brother is, like, my age. He seems a nice lad and he is very handsome. So I hope you won't mind if I try to get to know him better."

"I don't mind and I don't care. We're not exclusive anyway, so fuck as many men as you want," I answered a little gruffly.

She ruffled her hair. "You wanna know what I think? I think she's jealous of me, solely because I get to share a bed with you. And she'd only get jealous because she loves you. If she says she doesn't, then she's got to be lying about it. I guarantee. So if I were you, I would find out why she'd lie about it." She grabbed her clothes, some towels, and went to the bathroom.

I tightened the laces of my tunic, stepped into my boots, and exited her bedroom.

(Village of Cair Paravel, Narnia)

After finishing breakfast, council in the morning, and lunch, I had decided to pay a visit to Ines. Yep, I had decided to take Madeleine's advice, as I also wanted to verify the truth in her words.

When I went to the village, I had undoubtedly drawn a great deal of attention, and when the villagers saw me enter the florist store – of course they knew about my history with Ines – I trusted that that would give them some excellent gossip material.

When I pushed the door open and walked into the store, I saw that Ines appeared to be the only one on duty. She wasn't facing my direction at that time, but I noticed that she was wearing a blue skirt with a white blouse. When she turned around, what caught my attention was her bodice that had pushed up her twin peaks.

Ah, these pulchritudinous protuberances.

As a heterosexual male, that was where my eyes had darted to. It's not like I could help the attraction.

Now she noticed me. It seemed that my presence had startled her so badly that she had dropped the vase she was holding in her hand, causing the porcelain to fall to the ground and break to pieces. Much like what she did to my heart. Everything that she touched and/or held would break…uh-oh. Ines Farmington, please be delicate if and when you decide to touch my manly parts, I thought to myself. I didn't want those to break. There was no recovery from that.

"W–what are you doing here?" She enquired, her small voice trembling and she was quaking in my presence.

"Why, I'm not allowed to buy flowers?" I blurted. I sounded very calm compared to her, but that turned out to sound more gruff than I had expected. I didn't mean to be brusque or impolite; I didn't sound so gruff in my head.

"Those yellow ones look nice," I added hastily and half-heartedly, pointing at the flowers placed near the counter.

"The…the carnations or the hyacinths?" She asked timidly, her voice still quivering. Why did I have this effect on her? Was she so scared because of her guilty conscience for what she had done to me, or was it because that was how strongly she felt for me? I liked to convince myself it was the latter, but the former explanation, I knew, was the more probable one.

"Both. Whatever," I shrugged nonchalantly, somewhat dismissively. I looked around as she crouched to collect the flowers I had randomly picked. "And I'd also like the orange ones," I added. "Those are lilies, I can tell, but what's the other one?"

After a brief upward glance, she answered, "marigold." She stood up, not facing me. "Anything else you'd like?"

You, I thought. My brain was speaking for me.

Absentmindedly, I chose two more species, and I learnt that one of them — the magenta one — was geranium, while the other — the pink ones — were larkspurs.

While she was wrapping the bouquet together, she asked, "Who is this for?"

"Is it any of your business?" I laughed somewhat coldly, but not as dispassionately as when she left me.

"No, but I didn't know I wasn't allowed to be curious," she shrugged. "Just so you know, I'm not treating you any differently than our other customers. This is a question we ask most of our clients."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you anyway."

"Try me," she challenged.

I gulped and made something up quickly. "It's for Her Grace, the Duchess of Bleckley. But since you haven't been at Court, I don't suppose you'd know much about our newest Terebinthian visitor, Madeleine Wakelin."

"I don't know much; that's true. But I know enough," she replied stoically.

"What would you know?" I questioned, slightly belittlingly.

"Is it any of your business?" She countered, using the exact same line and tone I had used on her less than a minute ago.

"I didn't know I wasn't allowed to be curious," I gritted my teeth.

"Oh, well wouldn't believe me if I told you anyway."

"Try me."

"Well, for one, I am aware that you are sharing a bed with her," she placed the finished bouquet on the counter and turned around to face me. She didn't seem so daunted anymore; she just seemed cross.

"Yes, I am indeed sharing a bed with her, and you know why that is? It's because I don't have a courter to take to my bed anymore. I used to have one, but she no longer wanted to be mine. Not like she ever wanted to be in my bed anyway. Alike all men, I have my needs, and even when it's not a need, I have my wants. Madeleine was available to satisfy me. And bless her; she's good at what she does. She has mastered the art of fellatio, much to my satisfaction. So I thought, why take a virgin bride when you can have an experienced lover?" I said mockingly.

"Oh, so she's your 'lover' now? Because I wouldn't use that word if there's no 'love' involved," she huffed. "You should call her your Terebinthian mare. Since you love to ride her so very often."

"Thanks, my Lady of Reverse Anthropomorphism and Advanced Linguistic Studies," I said sarcastically. "But I'm afraid that's just not possible. A handful of other Terebinthian ladies I had bedded back in my dynasty are also contending for the sobriquet of my Terebinthian mare. You know, those who'd do anything to spend one night with me. So sorry to have let you down; I didn't mean to."

"That's not all you should be thanking me for. Because if I hadn't left you in the first place, you wouldn't be having such great sex with your ducal friend-with-benefits," she scowled.

"Well, that's true. You have a point. When I come to think of it, if you hadn't left me, then I wouldn't be having great sex with the Duchess, because you see, instead, I'd be bedding my docile brunette Telmarine florist," I replied smoothly, not even bothered to inhibit my desire to bed her because hey, perhaps it's time to let her know what she's missing out on.

She looked gobsmacked. "Y–you'd b–bed me?" She squeaked. "I thought you…I thought you hated me?"

"Hate you? I do hate you. I hate you with all my heart. Every day, every night. And I will probably hate you for as long as I shall live, but I will hate you as much as I love you," I answered truthfully.

"You love me," she repeated, sounding doubtful as she gave me a questioning look.

"Is that a statement or a question?"

"It's not a question," she clarified. "But it won't be a statement either until you prove it."

"Is that what you want? Then proof it is that you will have," I said impetuously. Driven by impulse, I dived forward imprudently and before I knew it, I was kissing her. Instead of pushing me away in disgust, she had welcomed my lips on hers, and was puckering up her lips and kissing me back. I truly believed that right now, in this moment, I was hating her and loving her in equal measure, because the present surge of passion had stemmed from both my love for her and my resentment at her reckless abandonment of me. Reminded once again of how angry the latter sentiment had made me, I had shoved away the faultless flowers on the counter, pushing them aside and causing them to be scattered on the floor, just so I could lift her up onto the counter while we continued to make out. One by one, I had untied the laces at the front of her corset and got it out of the way, but leaving her tunic on. She responded with equal fervor, loosening the laces on my tunic so I could remove my shirt, while she kicked off her heels. The door was not locked, we knew, anybody could burst into the store any minute, without giving us enough time to get dressed. But that thought had excited me even further. It had made me so impatient that I could not even bear to wait until we were fully naked, because the strain of my breeches against my throbbing manhood would soon be painful, if I didn't do anything about it. Removing my troublesome breeches and codpiece, I lifted Ines' skirt and took off her undergarments. I lifted her legs so that they would be resting on my shoulders while her hands were gripping my biceps tightly. I hissed in urgency I had wanted this so badly that my hips were moving at their own accord already. Initially, a part of me had still doubted if she was ready, and if she wanted to lose her virginity like that, right here, but when the tip of my rod had touched the softness of her folds, I found that she was dripping wet. I had no reason to hold back, so I thrusted, at first at a steady rhythm. I was about to push even deeper into her and rock her harder, but then I –

"Well?" Ines raised her voice and snapped her fingers, causing me to blink and snap to attention. "Are you going to prove it? Or are you going to just stand there like a pervert and keep staring at my chest?!"

I took a good look at her and I found that she was decently clothed, frowning at me in annoyance. The bouquet behind her on the counter was still in good shape. Then I looked at myself and I found that I was still dressed, as well.

So...had I imagined the whole thing?

A/n: Phew. An entire chapter in Peter's POV. More Mitchell in the next! :P