"Your majesties," Mr Tumnus said as he entered the room, "I have a matter I would like to discuss with you."
"What is it Mr Tumnus?" Queen Susan asked the Faun while getting up from her seat.
"May you please come with me. It is regarding Prince Corin and his guest."
At Mr Tumnus' words the king and queen excused themselves before exiting the room.
"Your majesties," Tumnus began, "I do believe that the young girl the Prince has brought into our residence is, in fact, a Daughter-Of-Eve. A girl from the place you came from."
"You know we remember very little of our lives before Battle of Beruna." The king stated.
"I know Sire," the Faun argued, "However I do believe that you could be of assistance to her. She is awfully frightened and does not understand what is happening around her."
"Please," Alvina said, "Don't fight on my account. I will stay in the back and stay out of everybody's way."
The sudden comment from Alvina caused the three grown ups to turn and look at the two children. It was at this moment that Queen Susan truly noticed Prince Corin's face.
"My dear, Corin." She said as she crouched down in front of him. "What hast befallen you through the night."
"Worry not for me," Corin said to her, "My tale is long and may hurt thy lady's honour. Do decide what shall become of Alvina before you worry about me."
"She may return to Narnia with us," King Edmund stated looking at the smaller girl. "From there we shall consult with Lynette and Lucy. She may return to Anvard with you or if she would like she can remain in Narnia with us."
"Who are Lynette and Lucy?" Alvina asked the King and Queen in front of her.
"Lucy is our sister," Queen Susan said.
"And Lynette is our friend." The King finished.
Queen Susan gave her brother a look which neither of the children understood.
"Thank you for allowing me to come with you." Alvina said to them.
Alvina and Corin went to leave.
"Corin dear," the queen called after them, "You never did tell me what happened to you."
"Oh," Corin responded, turning around to face her. "I knocked down a boy in the street who decided to make a beastly joke about you your Majesty. He went and got his brother who I also knocked down. After that they went to fetch the Watch who knocked me down. I took them to get a stoup of wine and had them drink until they fell asleep. I saw the first boy again as I left and knocked him down again. From there I found a roof to lay on until morning before I found my way back here. I do apologise for any trouble I've caused you."
The monarchs nodded at the boy before he led Alvina back to the room Corin had been staying in.
Not long after they boarded the ship having packed all their supplies earlier, during Alvina's sleep and the conversations with the King and Queen.
The ship sailed out of the bay and once they were far enough away from Tashbaan the Narnian let out a cheer. They felt as though they were free at last from the Calormenes.
For two days they sailed. Alvina loved to look out at the world that passed as it was all new to her. As she sat watching the land and sea go by Corin sat beside her and the two talked.
Alvina felt as though she had grown to know Corin better in the short time they had been together than she had known Shasta in all the weeks they had been riding together.
After the two days they arrived in Narnia where the ship was greeted by two young women.
The first was golden-haired with a bright smile on her face. Her features were similar to those of Queen Susan and King Edmund. Alvina guessed that she was their sister, Lucy.
The other woman looked almost scared. Although her face lit up at the sight of the sight of the two monarchs disembarking from the ship the light never reached her dull blue eyes. Alvina assumed this was Lynette, however after spending time in close quarters with King Edmund and Queen Susan she had realised that Lynette seemed to be more than a friend to the King.
As King Edmund set foot on shore both women rushed at him almost knocking him off his feet. His older sister, who was standing behind him, laughed at the affection from the two younger women.
After a moment's time the golden-haired woman ran at the dark-haired queen embracing her while the other woman stayed by the king's side.
Alvina stood back as she saw Corin start to walk off the ship. Realising that Alvina was no longer by his side he turned to look at her.
"Come on Alvina," he said to her, "They won't hurt you." He put out his hand for her to take.
Alvina stepped forward towards Corin. She took his out stretched hand and leaned into him as they finished walking to shore.
As they stepped onto the shore Lucy and Lynette looked at the girl beside the Prince.
"Who is that beside Corin?" Lynette asked the man she stood beside.
"That is Alvina," He said into her hair, "We met her in Tashbaan. She was with a boy we mistook for Corin, but she stayed with us after Corin came back."
"They seem rather close," Lucy said, joining the conversation.
Alvina and Corin walked over to the others.
"Welcome to Narnia Alvina," Lucy said stepping forward to hug the girl.
At Lucy's touch Alvina tensed slightly not use to being hugged by someone she didn't know.
"Thank you," Alvina stammered after Lucy stepped back.
"I'm Queen Lucy, Edmund and Susan's sister." Lucy told her, "But you can just call me Lucy. This is Lynette, Edmund's wife."
Lynette smiled at Alvina as Edmund turned bright red, hitting his younger sister on the shoulder. This only caused Alvina to laugh at his antics.
"It is lovely to meet you Alvina," Lynette said to her.
"Are you a Queen too?" Alvina asked Lynette.
This was a question that Lynette was used to, being married to one of the kings many assumed she was also a Queen.
"No," Lynette said with a smile. It wasn't a sad smile as one would normally expect by a laughing smile. "I am not Queen, and I also don't plan on ever becoming one."
Alvina smiled at the woman in front of her. She was starting to relax more however she still had a firm grip on Corin's hand.
At that moment a stag came running up to the group.
"Your Majesties," the stag said as it reached the group. "There is an impending attack on Anvard."
At this Lynette sighed. She knew she wasn't needed at the battle and that this time she would be left with Susan who was not nearly as interesting as Lucy. She also hated Edmund being away for so long. She wished that she could have him around more often even though she knew it was wrong to wish that of the King.
The day went on and Alvina was whisked away from Corin by Lucy and Lynette who were curious about the girl and wanted to help her appear more like a lady as well as hear about her travels.
Alvina realised that they weren't that scary. She worked out that pretty much all they wanted was gossip. after she had told the story of her travels she was asked countless questions about Corin and what she thought of him. She knew that both the women thought that she was courting him however Alvina did not understand what they were talking about.
Eventually they had finished and Alvina saw herself in the mirror for the first time that she could remember. The girl that she saw looking back at her was not one that she had expected to see. Her long dark hair had been done so it was out of her face for the for the first time since she had been in this world. The deep blue dress she was wearing was nothing like she had ever seen before. Alvina turned towards Lucy and Lynette with a smile on her face. She was so happy with everything they had done for her.
At that moment Edmund opened the door and told them they should rest as they would be leaving early in the morning. They all wished each other goodnight before heading off to bed.
The next morning Alvina rose early and walked out of the room she had stayed in towards the room she had seen Corin go into earlier. Just as she reached the door of the room it was opened by Corin who stood there with a smile on his face.
Corin was excited. He hoped that he would be able to fight in the battle he knew would be at his home.
The two of them went down and got onto the pony's that had been set out for them and they followed shortly after the King and Queen as they rode towards Anvard.
It wasn't long they were riding before they cam across a Dwarf's house. Just as the King and Queen reached the cottage and the Dwarfs began making low bows to them, King Edmund called out,
"Now, friends! Time for a halt and a morsel!" and at once there was a great bustle of people dismounting and haversacks being opened and conversation beginning when Corin and Alvina dismounted from their ponies and ran over to Shasta who they had just seen standing with the Dwarves.
When they reached him Corin seized both his hands and cried, "What! You here! So you got through all right? I am glad. Now we shall have some sport. And isn't it luck! We only got into harbour at Cair Paravel yesterday morning and the very first person who met us was Chervy the Stag with all this news of an attack on Anvard. Don't you think—"
"Who is your Highness's friend?" King Edmund said who had just got off his horse.
"Don't you see, Sire?" Corin said. "It's my double: the boy you mistook me for at Tashbaan."
"Why, so he is your double," Queen Lucy exclaimed. "As like as two twins. This is a marvellous thing."
"Please, your Majesty," Shasta said to King Edmund, "I was no traitor, really I wasn't. And I couldn't help hearing your plans. But I'd never have dreamed of telling them to your enemies."
"I know now that you were no traitor, boy," King Edmund said, laying his hand on Shasta's head. "But if you would not be taken for one, another time try not to hear what's meant for other ears. But all's well."
After that there was so much bustle and talk and coming and going that Shasta for a few minutes lost sight of Corin and Edmund and Lucy. Alvina stayed by Shasta's side and was telling him about her time spent with Corin.
Corin was the sort of boy whom one is sure to hear of pretty soon and it wasn't very long before Shasta heard King Edmund saying in a loud voice:
"By the Lion's Mane, prince, this is too much! Will your Highness never be better? You are more of a heart's-scald than our whole army together! I'd as lief have a regiment of hornets in my command as you."
Shasta and Alvina wormed their way through the crowd and there saw Edmund, looking very angry indeed, Corin looking a little ashamed of himself, and a strange Dwarf sitting on the ground making faces. A couple of fauns had apparently just been helping it out of its armour.
"If I had but my cordial with me," Queen Lucy was saying, "I could soon mend this. But the High King has so strictly charged me not to carry it commonly to the wars and to keep it only for great extremities!"
What had happened was this. As soon as Corin had spoken to Shasta, Corin's elbow had been plucked by a Dwarf in the army called Thornbut.
"What is it, Thornbut?" Corin had said.
"Your Royal Highness," Thornbut said, drawing him aside, "our march to-day will bring us through the pass and right to your royal father's castle. We may be in battle before night."
"I know," Corin said. "Isn't it splendid!"
"Splendid or not," Thornbut said, "I have the strictest orders from King Edmund to see to it that your Highness is not in the fight. You will be allowed to see it, and that's treat enough for your Highness's little years."
"Oh what nonsense!" Corin burst out. "Of course I'm going to fight. Why, the Queen Lucy's going to be with the archers."
"The Queen's grace will do as she pleases," Thornbut said. "But you are in my charge. Either I must have your solemn and princely word that you'll keep your pony beside mine—not half a neck ahead—till I give your Highness leave to depart: or else—it is his Majesty's word—we must go with our wrists tied together like two prisoners."
"I'll knock you down if you try to bind me," Corin said.
"I'd like to see your Highness do it," the Dwarf said.
That was quite enough for a boy like Corin and in a second he and the Dwarf were at it hammer and tongs. It would have been an even match for, though Corin had longer arms and more height, the Dwarf was older and tougher. But it was never fought out for by very bad luck Thornbut trod on a loose stone, came flat down on his nose, and found when he tried to get up that he had sprained his ankle: a real excruciating sprain which would keep him from walking or riding for at least a fortnight.
"See what your Highness has done," King Edmund said. "Deprived us of a proved warrior on the very edge of battle."
"I'll take his place, Sire," Corin said.
"Pshaw," Edmund said. "No one doubts your courage. But a boy in battle is a danger only to his own side."
At that moment the King was called away to attend to something else, and Corin, after apologising handsomely to the Dwarf, rushed up to Shasta and whispered,
"Quick. There's a spare pony now, and the Dwarf's armour. Put it on before anyone notices."
"What for?" Shasta said.
"Why, so that you and I can fight in the battle of course! Don't you want to?"
"Oh—ah, yes, of course," Shasta said. But he hadn't been thinking of doing so at all and began to get a most uncomfortable prickly feeling in his spine.
"That's right," Corin said. "Over your head. Now the sword-belt. But we must ride near the tail of the column and keep as quiet as mice. Once the battle begins everyone will be far too busy to notice us."
"What about me?" Alvina said. She had no intention to fight, no matter how much Corin tried to convince her she was not going to give in.
"Just stay back from the fight." Corin said to her, "Come in and find us once it is finished."
Alvina nodded before once again climbing up onto the pony and following the procession, this time from the back of it.