Just as Edmund was about to pull himself all the way up onto Phillip's back and throw his leg over to the other side, the horse let out a whinny that might have been a equine version of a little gasp and his dark, pond-coloured right eye flickered over to something a little ways off.
What's the darn horse spooked of now? Edmund wondered grumpily-rather cross at being interrupted before he was finished feeling sorry for himself.
Turning his head around slightly, straining his eyes and neck to look over at whatever it was Phillip was gaping at, he saw a small, pale figure making its way over towards them. The figure came closer and he caught sight of the shape of a dress fluttering in and from between the high grass blades as it worked its way over to the clearing. It wasn't an it, it was a girl. It was Lucy! She'd come after all! Did this mean...? Was her answer yes after all?
"Lucy, you came!" He exclaimed happily, attempting to rush over and embrace her for sheer joy but falling flat on his face in the process because his foot was still in the stirrup.
Phillip choked back a laugh by making a strangled-sounding noise that was sort of like a soft whinny but rougher and a little more wild in nature come out of his throat. He couldn't help it; the situation was rather funny!
"Edmund, are you alright?" Lucy rushed over and got his foot out of where it was stuck before helping him to his feet.
"That depends," Edmund gave her a small-half smile while trying to spit out a couple of grass-clumps that he had partly swallowed by mistake. "Does this mean your answer is yes?"
Lucy looked at him, grinning shyly and nodding ever so slightly.
Edmund's half-smile turned into a full one. "Then I'm better than alright." He leaned forward and kissed her.
"What now?" Lucy wondered aloud when he had finally pulled away from her.
"There is an elderly centaur in the village area only a little ways from here, I know he can perform marriages." Edmund suggested, looking a little ashamed that he hadn't anything better to offer. "It wouldn't be anything big and the only witnesses would probably be those elves and dwarfs whom he employs to cook and clean for him-if you wouldn't mind something like that."
Lucy thought it over. She didn't much mind having a small wedding but she couldn't help but feel a slight pang of sadness that Peter, Susan, and Tumnus couldn't be there. She thought even that it might have been nice for Lord Pevensie to give her away seeing as she hadn't a real father to do so; on the other hand though, Susan was the beautiful beloved one. Whenever the time came for her to marry, she could be given away and fawned over like a proper bride; Lucy herself, though it had been many years now, never forgot completely that she was only a beggar from Ettinsmoor. She could put on a clean dress and comb her hair but under it all, she decided, she was still very much the same.
If anything, Lucy thought, I am very lucky that I have gotten a marriage proposal at all. Never mind, one who loves me and I love in return. He may not be very wealthy but he still had his pick of ladies, I'm sure. He's a knight and he is rather nice to look at. But he choose me, so what does it matter where and how we're married? We're going to be happy together. What else is there really?
"We should go to that centaur, then." Lucy said as he helped her onto Phillip's back behind him.
"Are you sure you're happy?" Edmund asked nervously, twisting his neck to look back at her.
"I have never been happier in my whole life." Lucy assured him, leaning forward just slightly to rest the top of her head on his upper back for a short moment.
"I just-" Edmund sighed deeply and shook his head. "I wish I had more to offer you."
"Ed, have you already forgotten how I looked when you first saw me?" Lucy cocked an eyebrow up at him in a rather challenging sort of fashion.
Edmund laughed. "How could I forget? You smiled right at me."
"I don't mean the smile." Lucy told him almost-sternly, recalling her cold-pinched, hungry, dirt-smudged face and her crummy beggar's brat dress.
"That's all I saw." Edmund shrugged. He didn't care if she had dirt on her face or tangles in her hair, he loved her because of who she was. He had liked her from the start.
She remembered how he had winked at her, there was no pity nor any disgust in that wink-just a friendly gesture; she could believe that.
About twenty-five minutes later, Edmund and Lucy stood in the front entrance way of the centaur's small, candle-lit cottage as he stood in front of them with an open book of Narnian law. A kindly elf had offered Lucy a small bunch of flowers to hold during the ceremony if she wanted to but she declined them preferring to hold the groom's hand instead. The centaur's dwarf servants, who were middle-aged and rather pug faced looking very much like beluga whales as far as their facial expressions went, stood misty-eyed at attention as if deeply moved by the couple's youth and tenderness. They remained as silent as if they were mute until the last part when the centaur said, "You may now kiss the bride."
One female dwarf, partially distracted by something during the kiss, looked back when it was over and the newly married couple were gazing lovingly into each other's eyes and exclaimed, "Oh, I missed it!" She put her hand to her heart as if this turn of events was nothing short of devastating. "Kiss her again!"
Edmund smiled at her. "Would you mind terribly if I tried that again?"
Lucy giggled remembering how he'd said the same thing after their first attempt at a kiss when they had bumped noses. In a low whisper, she answered the same as she had that first time, "No, go ahead."
This time after their kiss, there was an applause and the sound of the female dwarf blowing her nose loudly into her handkerchief while she bawled, "That's just so beautiful."
"Have a safe trip home, you two." The centaur said conclusively.
Uh-oh, Lucy thought-remembering that technically speaking she had just run away from home, where is home? At least Ed's a knight, so we shouldn't have to worry about being without shelter for long. Of course that wont do us any good for tonight; I don't care though, not really. Compared to being trapped in that manor helping my mother steal candle-sticks and other valuables so we can run away like a couple of cowards, being newly married with no idea where I'm going next is fairly heavenly. Maybe we'll go back to Digory's house, not that there's anywhere much we could stay other than the reclining cushions. I wonder if he knew that when Edmund left, there was the possibility that when he returned he would be a married man.
"Is someone coming to get you, dears?" The female dwarf asked, rather oblivious to the nature of borderline elopements. "I think there is a storm starting up." She pointed towards the night-sky which suddenly no longer seemed clear and starry but was instead filling quickly with dense rain clouds that blocked the ivory glow of the full moon above them.
Edmund looked over at Lucy and winced apologetically. Again, he wished that he had more to offer her. She was his wife now, and though he knew he could in fact take good care of her, he still felt a little ashamed of his fairly low resources.
Soon raindrops would be falling down from the sky. Judging by the rumbling, it was possible that icy hail might not be very unlikely, either. Digory's home was probably going to be a wee bit too far a run for them from where the cottage was located, even if they rode on Phillip's back (which wouldn't have been very fair of them considering it wouldn't give Phillip much of a chance to get to shelter himself). Lord Pevensie's manor was closer, if they started for it now, they might just make it there before the rain clouds burst into either a storm or just a heavy-somewhat treacherous-hard rain. Edmund remembered how to climb up the copper siding if only he could avoid the mistake he'd made last time of ending up in Peter's chamber rather than Lucy's. It seemed the only sensible option at the time so they bid good-bye to Phillip, thanked the remaining dwarfs and elves, and made a dash back towards the meadow and then for the manor itself.
When they reached the side they were pretty sure would lead them up into Lucy's chamber (Although in the dark it was really anyone's guess) if they climbed it, they were breathless and panting but also happy and forced to choke back rounds of intense laughter.
"Lucy," Edmund whispered, leaning close to her so that he didn't have to raise his voice to be heard over the faint rumbling over-head. "You didn't lock your windows, did you?"
Another rumble echoed from the sky and a single drop of water escaped and landed on the bridge of Lucy's nose. "I really, really hope not." She couldn't remember for sure if she had locked them but there was a good chance that they might still be open.
Thankfully, when they reached the top, the chance was favorable and the windows were indeed unlocked. Also, they had guessed correctly in assuming that it lead to Lucy's chamber. They beat the rainfall by about five seconds total and were both struggling not to snicker as they locked the window behind them.
A few moments later, they found themselves laid side by side on the bed. There was a sharp purple flash of lightning followed by a loud clap of thunder. Almost involuntarily, Lucy found herself scooting closer to her husband.
Edmund came closer to her as well, gently sliding one arm under her and using it to pull her to him while lightly stroking her cheek with his other hand. "I love you, Lucy." He murmured.
"I love you, too, Ed." She answered, feeling a strange shiver of fear and excitement running up and down her spine as the wind blew the rain in constantly repeated tap-taps on the window.
Meanwhile, though, what had happened with Susan and the Telmarine feast? She had taken the carriage Tumnus had arranged for and just as planned, arrived at the feast shortly after the first bits of the festivities had started. She entered the room unescorted but not unnoticed. As soon as she placed a foot in the doorway, everyone present looked up and gaped at her as if a golden rainbow from heaven itself had fallen to earth and landed right in front of them.
The younger children all believed at once, without being told or even having it suggested to them, that she was royalty. Her splendid golden dress and shimmering mask were proof enough of that, still more was the way she held herself up tall and did not so much as look down at her feet even once out of initial embarrassment.
"There is one who is used to being looked at." Someone commented softly though not exactly in a whisper when they caught sight of her for them self.
As it was, Susan was sort of used to being gaped at-even as a nursemaid-because of her looks but it was only strong determination that she would not fail-she would not fail Narnia, she would not fail herself, and she would certainly not fail her brother, not after all he had done for her-that kept her head up high and her nose turned upwards.
Reclining at the loftiest table spread out with the finest delicacies and gold silverware and diamond-covered plates, lit by thick round candles with little red and yellow flames as bright as newly polished rubies, sat Lord Miraz, his wife, and Prince Caspian.
Miraz looked merry-even a little tipsy-as he brought his emerald-studded wine goblet to his mouth and took a sip. His wife looked a little bored and seemed interested only in first looking at the tapestries and then peering over at Susan with a puzzled expression wondering who the strange new guest could be.
Caspian, too, was staring at her but there was a hint of kindness in his expression that was not reflected in the majority of the other courtiers present. Susan clung to that glimmer of thoughtfulness as her only hope. Supposing she found quickly that she could not talk to him? What would it look like if she strolled right over to the empty chair beside him and sat herself in it? What choice did she really have? She had to talk to him, to make him promise not to attack her people, it was the only way.
Willing herself not to vomit both from nervousness and from being so close to Miraz after so long of dreading ever having to deal with his presence in a room again, Susan gulped back the lump forming in her throat and sat down beside the Telmarine prince.
She heard a few mumbles-And a few louder exclamations-of, "How rude!" or, "Who does she think she is?" or, "See, I told you she was a princess-a king's daughter! Who else would dare to sit down with a prince uninvited?"
Speak English, Susan reminded herself, inwardly terrified that she would accidentally greet him in Narnian out of habit and give herself away. "Hullo."
His attention completely captured, Caspian blinked in surprise, a faint smile coming onto his face, and replied back to her. "Hello there."
Susan breathed deeply. Here goes nothing, she thought.
AN: Please review!