CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
CONSEQUENCE

There was complete unrest within the hall; murmurs echoed from one side as many members of the Archenland court slowly disappeared from the hall, never mind the High King's cake, never mind the celebration they were leaving behind, because their King, the great Lune in his state of unrest as he already had been, was leaving without a single word. Of course, part of her wanted to jump with joy at the termination of the engagement between Peter and Princess Juno, but the rest of her, the side that could note the very consequence such a public announcement had done... well, that side of young Juliet was absolutely terrified, and for once she was very glad for the comfort of the hidden daggers under her long sleeves.

Her discomfort was not the only one, it seemed, for the guards, which had been loosely placed upon the hall a moment prior, had begun moving, hands ready to pull their swords free from their sheaths, in the direction of the Kings and Queens, the oldest of which spoke urgently and hurriedly to Lord Peridan seconds before the red and black clad Lord looked around the length of the Great Hall and finally stopped his search in Athena and Juliet's direction. "Come on," Athena quickly said the moment Peridan's gaze returned to the King, whose younger brother urged him in the direction Susan, Lucy, and, to the immortal's surprise, Princess Juno, were swiftly moving side by side with a bunch of guards surrounding them; still, no sooner had Athena spoken and her hand hand quickly reached for Juliet's that Lord Peridan left the High King's side and begun making his way towards them both; even Edmund dared not look in their direction, as the Protector could note for the gaze she had sent his way.

The moment Peridan reached their side the Lord simply encouraged them to keep walking. "It's not good." He swiftly told them both, walking to one side of Juliet while Athena walked at the other, seeming so easily to fall into pace that one could end up thinking they were all from the same family. "King Peter did not think the announcement would cause such commotion, but King Edmund suspected it." He confessed as the three of them made their way out of the Great Hall and towards the little room behind it; the one which was meant for private matters and protection to the royals whenever a ball like the one they had just left was going on. "From this moment on, all guard is meant to be somewhere near the royals at all times."

"Until when?" Athena wondered, not letting go of Juliet's hand as they reached the big wooden door.

Lord Peridan's hand lifted to knock once, then three times, then twice again the way the guard had agreed to do to know the one that knocked was friendly; "for as long as it takes to make sure King Lune doesn't retaliate." Juliet couldn't pretend to not understand the reason of all their caution; and it seemed neither could Athena, whose expression seemed so stoic as she nodded.

But it was when she spoke that the frown took home upon her forehead; "But why wasn't I told?" She wondered, hearing the locks of the door clicking as the person at the other side began to open it. "I could have been prepared."

Almost immediately Peridan's head shook shortly, "You're the General of the Narnian army now, sister. If we told you and your soldiers took action it could be considered an act of war."

"You know that's not what I meant." The warrior easily told the other as the deep green of her eyes fell to the opening door and the frown in the middle of her forehead, as tiny and almost unnoticeable as it was, refused to disappear.

Juliet was not surprised to see Peridan's hand reaching in Athena's direction for the soft comfort against her arm, regardless of the protector's position in between them. "I know," he attempted with the empathy presented upon his blue eyes. "I'm sorry." Of course, Juliet understood regardless of how the words had not been plainly spoken, and the soft hope that had ignited within her heart only moments prior made her lips press together as the little group finally entered the room without another word; because it was easy to understand, for the very hope she felt, and the one she could only imagine Athena herself had not been ready to receive. Oh, what a bittersweet moment.

Bittersweet, indeed, for as much the mood of danger they had left within the Hall, as for the unbreakable tension within the room, where, as the big door shut securely behind them, Susan was almost entirely biting the High King's head off, "...so publically, without talking about it first, are you mad?!" Even her hands lifted almost madly by the sides of her face. "King Lune left, and did you see the expression on his face?! He is angry, and well he should be! How dare you do this without consulting all of us first, how dare you spring this on Juno, or—or me! How could you—"

"Because we knew you would react like this," King Edmund said, taking off his crown and giving it to his closest guard, which made his eyes fall on the little group that had come in, and rather evidently relax when he saw Juliet Capulet safe in between his best friend and her brother. "And for the sake of the realm, we needed it to seem sudden." He continued, forcing his eyes away from Juliet so he could look at Susan with the very serious intent of what his words attempted. "If we told you, everyone would have been able to know something was going on."

To everyone's surprise, Queen Susan even scoffed, "And what?" She exclaimed as Juliet moved to stand beside Queen Lucy, for the sake of her place as the youngest Queen's protector. "You thought the alternative of starting a war with Archenland was much better than having a few people know that something was going on?"

"If I may," Princess Juno said before anyone else could say anything; even Peter's lips had parted to speak, but given the small intention of the Princess', he stopped, and every single eye shifted to look in her direction at once; no one would have been able to tell for the topaz of her skin or the low candlelight, but there was a soft blush to her cheeks when she finally stood straight and spoke again. "I accepted your security because I knew it was the only way I could speak with you all before I leave to follow my brother back home," she paused, smiling regardless of the public rejection that perhaps would have made some end up as angry as King Lune had been by the time he disappeared. "I'm sorry to have to go, for I have enjoyed my time here wholly." She admitted; something which Susan only replied to by looking in Peter's direction with a gaze so stern even Juno noticed it. "But you must know," she said because of it, resting a hand in Susan's arm for the sake of catching her attention before she spoke again: "I am not hurt, thus, I ask of you, do not be angry. I... I am thankful, because King Peter spoke true: I do not love him." She paused speaking of a conversation surely placed before Juliet had entered the room, the princess' eyes moving to look in the High King's direction with the little smile present still on her lips. "At least... not the way a wife should love a husband," her hand fell from Susan's arm to rest softly clasped upon her stomach. "And, in truth..." she looked at Edmund then, then Lucy, then Juliet, Peridan and Athena; the latter of which she smiled to warmly even as she spoke: "I think of you as a second family, even if I no longer can truly be thus, but I don't think I am at all cut out to be Queen."

Whether it was for a short sense of pride, or the anger that still drove the Gentle Queen for the reality of her lack of knowledge where her siblings seemed to all have been ready for the news, her hand easily reached for Juno's own with silent urgency that only matched by the echo of her words: "But, Princess, it—"

Juno had been about to turn around, but upon Susan's touch she returned her gaze to the deep blue eyes of the oldest Queen, "Please, your majesty." She intended; her free hand falling to rest atop the queen's for the single comfort she hoped to give the other by the very smile that lifted her lips; even Juliet could see the relief resting upon her face, the hope, as if the end of the engagement freed her as much and for the same reasons as it did Peter, because even there, hidden under the sorrow of having to leave Cair Paravel, Princess Juno seemed absolutely thankful. "The news did come suddenly, but not at all unwanted, for I believe the same thing the High King spoke of this night: that love should be listened to," she paused, turning the softness of her gaze to look in Peter's direction, whose own blue eyes looked at her with the very apology he attempted as his lips pressed together, "Especially when that love is so close to you."

"Juno..." Peter attempted, but no sooner did he speak that the Archen Princess' head began to shake, and her steps led her away from Susan, who let go of her in short defeat, towards the very High King who so evidently attempted swiftly to apologise to her.

She simply moved to hold a single one of his hands. "Don't say anything, and just listen to me," she said, that smile lifting her features completely regardless of the situation, for the happiness she always carried as much as the very hope returned to her of not ever having to be Queen. "Every word of what you spoke today is true, and it's because of it that I ask this of you:" Both her hands even squeezed his shortly, her brown eyes dancing on his blues as if that alone could make him note the very intention of what she spoke; "Promise me that you will use this freedom to do what your heart tells you to do," She told him, barely even blinking, willing him to agree to the very thing never asked of Kings, never allowed, as if the two were entirely alone within the room, as if his sisters and his brother weren't listening, as if the very subject of which she so fully wished to speak of wasn't standing barely feet away from her. "Promise me you will do everything in your power to make what your heart desires come true, promise me you will seek your happiness."

Juliet was simply aghast; indeed, the hope within her heart refused to disappear, but the pleasant surprise at Princess Juno's reaction, which so wonderfully contrasted King Lune's, was the only true thing that showed upon her features. And she was very clearly not the only one with bewilderment enough to show upon their faces; Queen Susan's relief tainted her own confusion, and even a small smile had moved to lift her lips; Lord Peridan's own blue eyes couldn't seem to look away from the Princess either, regardless of the little frown in the middle of his forehead, or the way he kept so close to Athena for what Juliet could only guess was support, he looked at the topaz skinned girl as if for the first time, as if he couldn't decipher her at all; Athena, whose own expression had not changed from the moment she had returned to the Ball after her little disappearance with King Lune, couldn't look anywhere but the very hand Juno so softly held, as confused as everyone in the room yet equally as haunted, stoic, indeed, but the frown in the middle of her forehead spoke of more than any word anyone could say; and Edmund, whose silence had dawned heavier on Juliet, couldn't seem to look away from the ground, but he wasn't frowning, or smiling, or really doing anything other than listening with a single hand resting upon the hilt of his sword, not even as if he were bored, but... entirely too aware of the sounds that Juliet had almost completely ignored until that moment—sounds like the commotion still coming from the Great Hall, full of forced music to drown out the chatter that had not died down from the moment of Peter's announcement, or the sound of horses galloping away from Cair Paravel led by the familiar trumpet of Archenland royalty, speaking louder than any evident and sword-led anger King Lune could have attempted.

But there was one person in the room who did not look at all shocked at Princess Juno's relief or reaction; and that person was Queen Lucy, who so wonderfully smiled by Juliet's side that even the worry from Edmund's expression didn't seem as absolutely dire as what happened within the room upon that moment. Because it so happened that while Juliet's observation had taken no more than a couple of seconds, it had taken just as long for the High King to fully agree and promise the very things the princess requested, and what was more, for the her to wrap her arms around him in a short hug. "I will promise something in turn," She said by the moment she let him go, only smiling at him shortly before her eyes searched for the other Pevensies and spoke again. "That I will do all that rests within my power to prevent my brother from starting an unnecessary war, for none was unwanted nor hurt this day other than his pride." Of course, all were thankful at her promise, but even Edmund, who'd finally lifted his gaze to look at the one who spoke, didn't look much relieved than before. "Now, I really must go." She said picking up her long green skirts so she wouldn't step on them on her way towards the big wooden door the guards almost immediately began working to unlock. "Else my brother will truly leave me behind."

The joke served enough to make almost everyone in the room smile, but still the echo of the princess' steps became the only thing to fill the small room for a couple of seconds as everyone looked at her retreating figure; even so as she stopped in front of Athena and smiled, reaching a single hand in her direction to softly squeeze her arm by the company of a nod before her steps resumed in the direction of the now unlocked door. "Will you visit us often?" Queen Lucy said with the hope of her fifteen years of age written in the very note of her voice, even her smile seemed far more genuine than the ones worn by the rest of her siblings. "Please?"

Of course the princess turned in place with a soft smile of her own, her eyes matching the very joy her lips presented and her voice smooth as velvet whilst her hands tightened on the fabric of her green skirts, "Oh, surely, your majesty." The kindness of her smile truly could light up a room if she let it, "though I do suspect a wedding will bring us together again sooner than you think." And with a soft breathed giggle, finally Juno turned around, nodded toward the guards, and swiftly disappeared into the noise of the halls before the great door closed behind her.

The silence didn't last long.

"What does she mean?" Athena wondered only half a minute after the door had finally shut, tired of all the surprises the night had brought her way and thus evidently worried for any more that could come; even her heart had begun thumping loudly in her ears again. "Whose wedding?" She would even reach for Peridan's hand for the sake of her own sanity if she didn't think it would seem weak of her; brother or no, in front of the Pevensies, she was the General of the army and he was the Lord of the Guard, she couldn't possibly act the fragile sister; especially not that night.

Regardless of her anxiety, though, no one answered the question for a couple of moments too long to even Juliet's taste, who also partly worried for the same reason the warrior did whilst also completely hoping the Princess' intention had been the very one she hoped to come from the new-found freedom of the High King; and, well, people did say great minds thought alike, because before too long, the silence was finally broken by the candid words of the Just King: "You and Peter's, obviously." Only then did a smile finally break his stoic expression.

"Edmund!" Queen Lucy protested, elbowing her brother on the side regardless of the little smile that lifted her lips; as if Peter's gaze hadn't fallen harshly on the youngest king as well, or even Susan's wide eyes.

Regardless of the smiles, one of which even lifted Juliet's lips, the voice that brought back the jestless demeanour to the room was the High King's, whose eyes had fallen from Edmund's direction to look in Athena's almost as quickly as hers had fallen on his, the apology back within his gaze even through the hope that also lifted them. "I don't want you to think that this decision was all because of you," he attempted, his hands softly balling into fists for what could only be guessed to be his attempts at not reaching toward the green-eyed girl he spoke to. "You were—," his throat cleared, ridding it from the knot that had come without his permission. "You were about eighty five percent of my inspiration, yes, but—but I couldn't go on to marry her, not when I..." He paused, the words floating softly above their heads with enough strength that they almost even made everyone else in the room feel like an outsider, like someone that shouldn't even be in the room at that moment. "Not when I don't..."

Athena simply nodded. "I get it." She said, and perhaps Juliet was letting her own hope bring visions into her eyes, but she could have completely sworn that the warrior's lips even lifted in a small smile and her fingers twitched alike, wishing to reach for Peter as much as he seemed to have stopped himself from doing; it was the only thing she could completely focus on to drown out the slowly dissipating sound coming from the Great Hall just behind the northern wall.

But the silent affection between King and warrior was not completely enough to keep everyone in the room quiet; "What was the rest of the reason?" Susan wondered; looking more in Edmund's direction than Peter's whilst frowning, for even her practical mind would have been able to tell her that prying an answer from her older brother would end up being pointless.

Edmund, on the other hand, who appeared as relieved by the interaction between Peter and Athena as he felt the need to reach out to Juliet for the very affection he held for her (which simply intensified with the success of the very thing he had wished for the entirety of nearly a year), finally looked at Susan with the disappearance of the small smile he had attempted to hold back, stood straight, and simply expressed the truth Peter would not have been able to for the shared gaze he held with the General. "King Lune," He began, a simple explanation that perhaps spoke more to the Archen King's personality than the rest of the youngest King's words could have. "We think he knew about Peter's feelings for Athena, and whether for that reason or a true personal affection for her, we suspected he was going to either ask to court her or worse, marry her." He paused, looking in his best friend's direction, whose own expression had shifted from the soft relief she directed at Peter to the worry she had held from the moment the announcement had been spoken. "Whatever the reason, we didn't want to wait to find out."

"We?" Susan wondered with a raised eyebrow and the amusement written as well on her expression as the little knowing smile that lifted her lips.

And perhaps Edmund would have replied to that, but not even a couple of seconds after the Gentle Queen had spoken, a single pair of words made the near-gloom that had fallen upon the room from the moment Juliet and her group had entered it return completely: "He did." It was Athena, whose frame remained frozen in a mix of relief and worry that was only evident for the way she gulped as her eyes danced from Edmund to Peter and back.

"What?" Peter asked as a shadow of sorrow and worry darkened his deep blue eyes, searching the warrior's features for any semblance of a lie but finding none; all sense of relief that had taken over him gone almost in an instant.

Athena almost even looked apologetic, "he did." She repeated whilst a single shoulder lifted in a nearly motionless shrug and her eyes focused fully on Peter then. "Ask me to marry him." Did she seem apologetic because she was sorry she had made Peter go through so much so publically when he hadn't even been able to stop the very thing he had been afraid of? Or was it because of something worse?

Clearly the young immortal was not the only one to worry about that possible outcome, "When?" Edmund wondered; whatever hope that had come before, dissipating almost entirely in front of everyone's eyes as the question escaped with an echo of disappointment and the very worry that covered everyone's eyes.

Finally, Athena's gaze fell away from her best friend again; "Shortly before the announcement," she admitted, looking in Juliet's direction for the first time since the Princess had left the room. "When he asked me to dance?"

Well, that was one mystery solved quickly. "Aye," the young protector said, her hands tightening on the folds of her dress for the worry of the situation as her hand bobbed in a short nod that made the single strand of loose hair at the side of her face dance shortly. "I couldst nay'r find you for a while after he came along."

The warrior simply nodded, allowing her eyes to dance from face to worried face as she explained the rest, "He told me he needed a little air, so we went to the balcony, and..." suddenly, even the young General seemed to understand everything so well the echoes of relief fell upon her face so strongly; because Edmund's words made sense given her lack of encouragement towards the Archen King. If he wanted to stop something from happening... it appeared he had failed too. "...and then he just turned around and asked me, almost as if he were in a hurry."

"Well, that's not very romantic," the gentle Queen mused softly as her arms lifted to cross under her chest, making the little frown in the middle of her forehead contrast entirely with the soft image she held, especially with the silver of her crown atop her head.

To her words, at least, Athena finally scoffed a soft breath. "I agree with you there," she said, much more relaxed than a moment before; even her hands had unclenched, and every muscle on her face softened as the gentle hint of a smile lifted her lips. "It's not really the reason for it, but I did say no." She announced, noticing that she hadn't before and almost even feeling guilty for it, because the moment she said that not only the tension in the room seemed to dissipate, but both Edmund and Peter almost emanated the feeling of relief as their shoulders relaxed; it was almost as if Edmund had as much to lose from the situation as Peter did.

Though he did remain quiet long enough for it to be Peter who asked "You did?" as the loose muscles returned to the normalcy of his stance.

For the evidence of his relaxation, the General was unable to hold back the smile that now fully lifted her lips as the near-playful echo of her words left her, "You sound so relieved." Even her hands moved to rest behind her, the way everyone who knew her in that room knew she would do when she was relaxed, almost like a soldier back in that place most of them thought of as a dream now.

"That's because he is," Edmund easily answered regardless of his brother's replying smile, as if he had become the High King's voice for the sake of that short moment, at least, making Juliet near him smile towards the ground for the mere amusement of the youngest King's enthusiasm; she didn't think she'd seen him like that since that day in the rain, when Athena had been brought back to the castle in Peter's arms.

Peter, on the other hand, didn't seem to find it so amusing, for all sense of relaxation disappeared to be replaced by a soft blush against the paleness of his cheeks the moment he harshly turned to his brother and said "Ed!" as if in reproach, not even a couple of seconds after his brother had spoken.

Even Lord Peridan was smiling at that point, looking as relieved as they all did within the High King and warrior's dalliance, but all Edmund could do was lift his arms defensively at his sides before he simply spoke again, "Look, no one wants you two together more than me," he admitted, not even forgoing the relief within his own voice as he continued, mindless of the very confession he had released in front of everyone in the room. "But I think you should leave all this love for later," he attempted. "Right now we do have to think about what Lune is going to do."

And just like that, the seriousness of the night returned to all their minds; from the near-silence of the hall at the other side of the wall to the very Princess who had left their company only moments prior. "If I may," Lord Peridan began, his blue eyes focusing on every face in their small group for a second before it was clear he was perfectly allowed to speak; traditional as he was, he always refused to speak in front of the royals unless he was allowed. "I don't think the King of Archenland will do anything." He admitted, stepping out of the role of brother he had been standing in for most of the conversation and back into the role of Lord. "At least... not if he's smart," he paused as a small frown returned to adorn the middle of his forehead. "After all, when he left the hall the Princess didn't follow him, instead she came with your majesties, which symbolically could even mean that she knew the announcement was coming, and was, thus, in complete agreement of the end of the alliance."

To that, at least, Peter seemed to agree, disappearing blush aside, with a bob of his head. "You're right," He said, looking in Peridan's direction before he directed his words at the small group of royals and nobles that surrounded him: his siblings and almost all of his friends. "I don't think he will do anything, either, so preparing for him to would be foolish of us, because it would seem as if we were making the first move."

"Not to mention Princess Juno promised she'd try to talk sense into him." Queen Lucy said, speaking for the first time regardless of the smile that had adorned her lips for almost the entirety of the previous conversation. "It can't have been easy for him to be rejected by a girl and then five minutes later rejected by the whole country, which is how the nobles will see it."

"Your announcement couldn't have come at a worse timing, it seems." Queen Susan agreed; eying her oldest brother with a raised brow and the same sort of reproach she had attempted before Princess Juno had told her not to be angry. Only, this time, she seemed more amused and relieved than the first time she had looked at him thus.

Peter's lips simply lifted alike in response. "Yes, well," He said, his arms simply falling at his sides as his eyes fell on Athena once again, who smiled at him with a sort of complicity and relief alike; with a short breath and a smile to match the warrior's, Peter looked at his sister again. "I think he'll come around." He announced. "Prideful as he might be, King Lune is a good man."

To no one's surprise, Edmund softly snorted a short breath, but before anyone could say anything against it, a soft knock came upon the door before a gentle and near-shy voice echoed from the other side: "Hello? I'm a friend, I promise."

Queen Lucy almost immediately lit up, "Mr. Tumnus!" she exclaimed, glad to hear the voice of her good friend coming from the other side of the door, safe and sound. "Open the door!" She requested of the guards.

No sooner did her words leave her lips before the guards began undoing the locks of the door, and a couple of moments later the familiar faun's face popped from the small opening. "Your majesties," he said with a smile, bowing shortly as he entered the room fully and his fingers played with the hem of his thin silver scarf. "The Great Hall has emptied; all guest nobles have gone to their rooms, all danger has passed."

"Thank you, Mr. Tumnus," said Lucy as everyone around her relaxed quite visibly and even the guards began to look to each other for any idea of what to do. "But what is the noise that still comes from the Hall?" The youngest Queen's head tilted softly within her young wonder as her big blue eyes focused only on his closest friend at once.

"Oh, right." The faun said, as if he had forgotten entirely to relay the entirety of the message, which he shortly breathily laughed for, and attempted to finish as well. "That would be the castle's workers," He informed them. "They wished to know if they were to clean the Great Hall."

Juliet almost jumped at the simplest thing he had completely forgotten. "O dio," She said in her ever-beloved Italian, letting go of her skirts as she took one step away from her position beside the Valiant Queen, who she had sworn to protect; now that she was very clearly safe, there were some other duties she held. "I would best go deal with that."

"Wait," Edmund quickly said, reaching a hand to rest on Lucy's arm as if he could stop Juliet's steps that way before she could leave, making every single set of eyes fall to him for the swiftness of the interruption, yet doing exactly what he intended: Juliet stopped. Still, his eyes softly moved from every set of eyes that looked at him and stopped only on his older brother before he spoke again. "So we just... wait?"

Everyone turned to look at the High King again, even the few centaurs and fauns that made up the private guard; without much of a pause, the oldest King nodded by the time his own eyes rested on the Just king. "We are careful, yes, but we go on," He agreed. "And we wait."

And with that, everyone relaxed once again; Juliet went off to deal with the castle workers, Lord Peridan commanded the guard within the room to go back to their posts of patrol, and everyone else in the room was able to slip back into the safety of the castle, a brand new hope accompanying every single step they took.

Indeed, it was a brand new beginning in Cair Paravel.

To Be Continued