Everyone had been invited to Cair Paravel for the next Narnian ball, unknowingly the last ball the royals of Narnia would host. The four main ladies, including Aravis, were in Kayla's chambers getting ready.
"So, why is the party planning left to you, Kayla?"
"It's just something I'm good at."
"I still don't know what dress to wear."
"Oh, leave that to me."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. I never put Susan and Lucy in a dress they didn't like. Now, stand still so I can see what colour you would look best in."
For Aravis, Kayla picked out a solid red off the shoulder velvet ballgown, with not too wide of a skirt. Aravis chose not to wear any jewellery.
"Alright Susan, pick a colour."
"But you haven't chosen a dress yet, Kayla."
"I know. You'll see what mine will be. Pick a colour."
"Hmm. Light blue, like a light cadet blue."
"Any particular neckline?"
"No."
"Good. I have just the dress in mind."
Kayla handed Susan a light cadet blue dress with a deep v-neck and bishop sleeves.
"It's your turn, Lucy."
"I don't know what I want."
"That's why I'm here."
For Lucy, Kayla chose a portrait collar dress with a silver top, a black satin sash, and black skirt with silver flower print on it.
"This dress is too much for me."
"That's the point, Lucy. Now you three go ahead and go to the ballroom. I'll be down shortly."
Susan, Lucy, and Aravis all headed to the ballroom, leaving Kayla to change by herself.
"Announcing their majesties, Queen Susan the Gentle and Queen Lucy the Valiant, and Tarkheena Aravis."
Lucy of course headed right for Lord Peridan, Aravis walked to Prince Cor, and Susan headed for a dance with Peter.
"Where is Kayla, Susan?"
"She said she would be down shortly. I don't know what she'll be wearing."
"Announcing Dame Kayla, Lady Protector of Narnia, Baroness of Dancing Lawn, and Guardian of the Dancing Trees."
Kayla pushed the doors open herself, as usual. She walked into the ballroom wearing a peacock dress. It was a long sleeve v-neck, and the feathers on the skirt of it were in the colours of cerulean blue, aqua blue, and gold. The rest of the dress was gold, and it had embroidery of gold beads all over it with sapphires on the front.
"Stunning as usual, Lady Kayla. May I have this dance?"
"Of course you may, Lord Ivar. Play La Volta!"
La Volta must have been Kayla's favourite dance, just like it was for Queen Elizabeth I of England. It was Kayla who brought it to Narnia.
"I know you don't want us to know what happened to you in the Tashbaan dungeons, and I'm not going to press the issue-."
"Ivar, it seems like you're pressing the issue right now, otherwise you wouldn't have brought it up. What matters is that I'm here now, alive and well. My wounds are gone, and Rabadash did not get the victory he dreamed of. I'll tell y'alls what happened when the time is right."
"Whatever you say, my lady."
"Flattery, Ivar? What are you leading up to?"
"Nothing. Besides, that wasn't flattery. I was simply acknowledging your title."
"Look at Cor and Aravis. Arguing while dancing."
"We do that, as well."
"We're doing it right now."
Only Ivar and Edmund knew that Conláed had been in the camps, and neither of them had told Kayla yet.
"Ivar, you're hiding something. What is it?"
"Nothing, it's just, your brother was in the camps looking for you after the battle."
"Conláed was looking for me? As in the man who plotted with the White Witch to kill my Mamaí and myself? The man who has sat far too long on the throne of Terebinthia?!"
"That's the one. We didn't give away where you were. We all know he wants you dead by his own hands. Before the battle, he even wanted to send a rescue mission for you, but it was Lucy who made the decision against it."
"Lucy made that decision?"
"Yes. I told her since you named her your heir, anything concerning you should be decided by her."
Kayla grabbed Ivar's face and kissed him on the dance floor, right in front of everyone.
"That is their third kiss."
"Edmund, why are you keeping track of their kisses. That is just, unnatural."
"I'm counting down how many kisses it takes until he asks her to marry him."
"Do you think it will happen?"
"I know it will. I know how these two are."
Kayla knew what was going on in the family's minds, but she was not caring. If she had to go back and let herself get captured by Rabadash, she would gladly do it again.
"Lucy and Peridan seem to be getting pretty cozy."
"Much to the dismay of Peter. Look at him giving Peridan a death glare."
"I'm surprised Edmund isn't. I'm surprised you aren't."
"My eyes are focused on someone else at the moment."
Peter looked over at Ivar and Kayla dancing, wondering how long the tension between the two would last before the burst.
"Caoilfhionn."
"Athair!"
"You are looking better."
"I feel better. Did you know Conláed was here looking for me? I mean, not in Narnia, but in the battle camps a few days ago."
"Yes, I know. I saw him there."
"He wanted to send out a rescue mission for me, but I would certainly rather die a thousand deaths before asking my brother for help. I don't even know if I can call him that anymore. He inherited Mamaí's eyes, but Vortigern's everything else. Not that it was his fault Mamaí was violated."
"Do the others know what happened to you in the dungeons of Tashbaan?"
"No, and I don't want them to know. I don't want them to know what I turned into. Even though it was only once for a split second, it still happened. I still turned into one of the forms I'm not supposed to, but I needed to put fear into Rabadash. I hope Uncail Eadbhárd and Deirfiúr Alainnabh's children can't turn into that. Athair, did you intend for us to all end up in the other world at the same time? I mean, did you know that we would all end up growing up together?"
"For the White Witch to be defeated, she needed her enemies from all fronts. That would be the six of you. "
"I just wish I knew what exactly is going on between Ivar and me."
"You mean besides the fact that YOU kissed him, three times I might add?"
At that point, Kayla was blushing, and since giving Alainnabh away on her wedding day, Aslan was starting to feel the dread of letting his little girl go.