Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia nor any of the characters and places associated with it.
Chapter 8: Surprises
Peter instantly lets go of my hand and we both bow. "Rise, Peter and Ashley," he commands us gently, but firmly. We do as he says, before I look slowly up at his face. He doesn't look too angry, but he doesn't look too happy either. He looks sort of like how a person looks when they can't make up their mind on whether they want to be angry or happy with someone else. I immediately feel guilty and hope that I'm going to get all the blame instead of Peter. "Children, you have disobeyed. That room is for later in your lives, when you two are a little bit more serious about your relationship. I put that sign there to keep everyone out. That includes the two of you," he tells us sternly. We both nod.
"Sorry, Aslan. It was my fault," Peter tells Aslan. No!
"Aslan, he's lying. I swear it was my fault. I was the one that started to open the door and I was the one that convinced him to come in with me. I'm the one who's sorry." Peter nudges me in the shoulder and I turn my head a little bit so that I can look at him.
"You don't have to do that. I was trying to get you out of trouble," Peter tells me in a hushed whisper.
"It was my fault though," I argue frustrated.
"I was stopping you from getting fired," Peter retorts me in a whisper again. That shuts me up in an instant. I hear Aslan clear his throat. We both turn quickly to give him our attention again.
"Ashley, because of your truthfulness towards the problem, you and Peter will not be punished, but I do expect you to learn a lesson from this," Aslan says.
"Thank you, Aslan. I swear I will always obey mysterious signs that are put on doors," I promise. Peter nods his head in agreement next to me.
"Good. Now, Ashley, you'd better go down stairs and do your job. I can't stop Starstone from firing you since it is in her job description." I nod my head and grab Peter's hand before dragging him down the staircase. Once we are at the bottom of the castle, I pull him over to the warm, lounging area. We sit down on one of the comfy, white sofas together before I cuddle into Peter's side. He drapes an arm kindly over my shoulder.
"What would your friends do if they saw us cuddled up like this?" he asks me. I shrug.
"They would most likely squeal and jump up and down like crazy maniacs," I state matter-of-factly. He laughs.
"I could imagine your friends doing that," he says once he stops laughing.
I smile. "Yes, they can get quite crazy at times," I admit carefully.
"So where do you know them all from?" he asks, curiosity dripping from his voice. I shuffle around a little bit so that I can look him straight in the eyes.
"Where do I start?" I ask, mostly to myself. "Well, Emolise is Starstone and Oreius' daughter (I think you know that already) and my mother was really good friends with Starstone, so I've known her all my life. Mirasdean I met when I was seven, we worked here together..."
"Wait," he interrupts abruptly. "You worked here when you were seven?" I nod my head.
"My mother used to work in the castle, so I used to tag along to work with her to learn how to do everything properly, so that, when I grew up, I would be able to get a job as a servant just like her, only my mother was a lot higher ranks than what I am right now," I explain.
"Wow!" he exclaims. "Anyway, sorry to interrupt; carry on." I chuckle a little bit under my breath before continuing.
"Um, where was I, oh yes, Mirasdean is also a Calormene."
"What's a Calormene?" he asks carefully.
"A Calormene is someone who lives in Calormen, that's way south of Narnia, across the Great Desert." He looks thoughtfully off into the distance for a moment before turning his attention back to me.
"Continue."
"That's why she has dark, tanned skin. Her parents sent her here when she was eight because they didn't want her. Cabigail, one of the blond-haired centaurs, has lived next door to me since we were both in diapers, so that's how I know her. Killara, the other blond-haired centaur, arrived around a year ago. She used to live in Archenland, but she moved here with her parents and nine younger siblings looking for work. She instantly fitted in with us and she's been in our friend group ever since."
"Where's Archenland?"
"The country south of Narnia, now back to my friends and no more interrupting or I will slap you," I threaten teasingly. He just rolls his eyes. "Kabella I met one day when I went for a swim in the ocean. She's half-mermaid." I put a finger up to Peter's lips when I think he's going to say something. He chuckles before giving it a kiss. I shoot him a glare.
"As I was saying, that was when I was ten. She started working here when she was twelve for extra money. I met Tamilla here when I was eight. She's a pretty psycho faun! Henrietté, the satyr, came about three years ago from the Lone Islands and, before you ask where they are, they're off the coast line. She was very poor and so needed the money. And last, but not least, Malina. Her family is really close to mine. So of course her parents were upset when my parents died, but, like Emolise, I've known her all my life. She's like a sister to me," I end, smiling.
"What were your parents like?" he questions. I look up at his face thoughtfully then down to my hands.
"Um...they were both very hard-working people. My father was a commander for the Narnian army. Occasionally he would go over to Calormen to fight, other times it was up along the border of Narnia. The White Witch used to set up minotaurs and ghouls along the mountain ridge so that no one in Narnia would be able to leave and no outsiders would be able to enter. My father used to be the one who would get rid of those guards so that the troops could get into Archenland or vice versa. My mother, like I mentioned earlier, worked in the castle. She was a great servant, very obedient to Aslan. She was in an even higher rank than what Starstone is now; in charge of all the servants, guards, chefs, waitresses, everyone really. Most of the decorations you see were put in by her. She was very creative. She was the one who designed this room in fact. She intended it to be for servants and guards who needed a break. It didn't go to waste like some creatures thought it would. Everyone uses it. It's one of the most well-used rooms in the entire castle," I tell him proudly with a grim smile.
"Do you miss them?" he asks while lacing his hand with mine.
"Yes, I do, a lot. It's sort of hard to think that they're never going to see you succeed. They'll never see you get married and have kids. It's hard trying to raise up your little sister all by yourself as well. Mother was looking so forward to seeing Bella and I grow up and have families of our own and now she'll never get to see that." My eyes blur over, the cloudy tears taking over my vision. A few stray tears manage to escape their confines and I can't help but let out a small sob. "I miss them so badly," I tell him, trying to hold back the threatening, water works. He rubs circles on my back for a few seconds before the flood gates open up. I weep while clinging onto Peter's shirt and bawling my eyes out. Peter holds me tightly with both arms wrapped securely around me. He starts to whisper sweet, comforting words into my ear. I have to admit it does make me feel better. Something breaks through my concentration though; the sound of two pairs of hooves. Then two things happen at once. Peter kisses the top of my head just as Starstone and Oreius come through the silver doorway. I freeze, dead still. I feel Peter tense up just before Starstone's voice comes in.
"Ashley Masen! How dare you!" she shouts at me while walking forward. I sink further into Peter trying to completely hide from her view. I can't handle the way her eyes are staring me down. I know she's going to fire me. I'm waiting for her to say the words, but they never come. Instead, I feel Peter let go of me and stand up.
"Starstone, please let me explain," he begs. She stops mid step.
"Okay then, go. Explain to Oreius and I why you're cuddling up to her like that," she snaps at him angrily. He stands up as straight as he can and looks at her, directly in the eyes.
"For one, I'm the High King and I expect some form of respect. Perhaps calling me King Peter or His Majesty would be better suited, or at least a bow. Secondly, to answer your question, I was walking past this room on my way to the Great Hall for my meeting when I heard crying. I looked inside and found Ashley curled up on the couch in tears. So I did what all good kings should do, I came in and gave her a hug to try and calm her down. It seemed to work. In fact, I was just about to leave when you and Oreius came in," he answers her, lying smoothly. I wipe away my excess tears and smile at his back. I look at her with a raised eyebrow as she begins to shift a little bit from left to right before she looks down; a sign of submission.
"Very well. You're both excused. Ashley, go home, you're not needed here and…Your Majesty…you had better get to your meeting." We both nod and I watch as Peter very slowly waltzes to the door, holding his head high as he looks at her expectantly. She ignores him and instead focuses on me. Oreius bows his head though and I see Peter smile in recognition before he strides out of the room. I'm about to get up and leave when Starstone turns her attention to me.
"You better watch out, Ashley. As soon as I find any evidence that you're courting the High King, I will fire you; with no problem. The High King won't be able to convince me otherwise next time. Understand?" she threatens. I nod my head and quickly leave the room. I run down the front steps and quickly go outside the gates. I don't realise how late it already is until I look up and see the moon in the sky. I grin. Peter and I must have been chatting for quite a bit longer than what I originally thought. I enter the woods and start to walk cautiously through them until I hear a howl. I stop mid-step.
My nightmare starts flooding back into my mind, making me jump at every tiny, little noise. I breathe in deeply to relax myself before walking again. I decide to walk next to the river for safety. It's a bit of a longer route, but I feel better listening to the rush of water next to me. My body relaxes instantly. I eventually reach the cottage in one-piece. Thank Aslan! I open up the front door and come into the empty house, only it isn't as empty as I had expected. There's a candle on in the living room, much to my surprise and fright.
I put the key back under the mat on the front porch and close the door once I'm inside. I never take my eyes off of the well-lit candle. I walk cautiously into the living room, but what I see is not what I'm expecting. The living room is lit in a yellow glow, the fireplace is on and there's a beautiful smell wafting in from the kitchen. I glance at the dining table and notice that the flowers that I had gotten from Starstone and Oreius are gone, what's on there instead are three candles surrounded by blood-red roses sitting on a mysterious, white tablecloth.
There are also two plates with cutlery and what look to be two, crystal, wine glasses. I walk forward towards the oak table to see if there's a note or something to explain to me what's going on. Nothing. Just the beautifully set table. A loud crash followed by someone cussing coming from the direction of the kitchen is what pulls me out of my reverie. I quickly round the corner to the kitchen and am instantly shocked at what I see. My beautiful boyfriend is standing in the middle of the kitchen looking at the floor. I walk warily forward and stand behind him. There's glass scattered all over the floor. I step forward once more so that I'm right up behind him and place my hands ever so gently on his shoulders. He jumps and spins around quickly.
"Hi, what are you doing?" I ask suspiciously. He seems a little bit hesitant in answering.
"Making you some dinner, it was going fine until I accidentally knocked a glass bowl off the sink," he explains. I walk around him, trying to be careful with all the broken shards of glass before I look in the cupboard underneath the bench to see which one he accidentally broke. I relax a lot as I notice that my mother's priceless bowl is still there. I search through them all carefully. "Sorry," I hear Peter say from behind me. I stand up quickly and walk over to him. He looks really guilty. I give him a long hug.
"It's alright. Did the bowl have pink flowers on it?" I ask curiously. He nods. "Relax it was a cheap bowl I bought from the markets. Luckily it wasn't priceless." He smirks.
"You're right, that is lucky. I was sort of worried that it might have been your mothers," he explains. I smile and give his cheek a kiss before walking around him and picking up a dustpan and broom. "Don't you dare!" he commands. I decide not to argue with him, so I nod and sit down on the barstool so I can watch him work.
"Now that that is all sorted out, why don't you explain to me how you got in the house?" I suggest. He laughs.
"I used the mat key that you showed me a few nights ago," he tells me simply.
"I didn't show you where that key was though," I say. He just laughs off my comment. "Is there anything else that you want to comment on or tell me about?" I ask. He smirks.
"Your bedroom's nice, but very messy," he comments before turning around to put some pasta above the fire. My mouth drops open.
"When did you go in my bedroom?" I screech loudly. He seems a little bit taken aback by my screech. He spins around to face me, quickly.
"When I arrived, I explored your house. It only seemed natural considering that you know my house back to front," he teases before giving me a sly wink.
"That is not funny, Peter Pevensie!" I exclaim. He laughs at my angry expression.
"Relax, I didn't touch anything. You act as if I've committed a murder, Ash, seriously," he complains. I grimace.
"Sorry. It's just my house at the moment isn't exactly what I would call clean. I haven't cleaned it in weeks," I tell him. He smiles at me.
"Really, because this place (besides your bedroom) is spotless, I almost feel guilty for using the kitchen," he comments.
"No, it's not." He sends me a look before I watch him walk over to my bookshelf and very carefully wipe his finger across the very top shelf. "Just to prove my point," he says as he takes his finger off the shelf and shows me. There isn't one piece of dust on it. I laugh.
"Thanks for the compliment," I say. He smiles lovingly at me before getting back to the kitchen to cook dinner. I spin around on my chair again so that I can observe. I watch him as he picks up the metal pot full of pasta and puts it carefully on a wooden plank in front of me. He then goes over to the cooing station and pulls out a decanter of red wine. He puts that down next to the pot before smiling and getting out a large, glass bowl from below the counter. I recognise it at once. "Don't you dare drop that glass bowl!" I warn making him jump a little bit. I bite my lip. He puts it carefully down before shooting me a questioning glace. "That was my mother's. She got it on her wedding day, please be careful. It's a priceless antique." He nods understandingly and carefully puts the pasta in it.
"Come here," he says, grabbing my hand and dragging me effortlessly to the awaiting dining room table. He lets go of my hand swiftly and pulls out my chair. I sit down. I vaguely hear him walk away to the kitchen; I'm far too focused on the fact that he did all this for me. Me! It's decided, I am the luckiest girl in the world. Peter comes back into the room then with the expensive-looking bottle of red wine in his hands. He puts it down on the table in front of me, before sitting down opposite me. "Would you like some wine?" he asks while shooting me his famous, breath-taking smile. I sigh contentedly.
"Yes please," I reply. He grabs my glass carefully and fills it up before handing it back to me. "Thank you. Peter, I have a question."
"Yes," he encourages.
"Um, why are you doing this exactly?" I ask timidly. His expression changes from one of happiness to one of complete sadness in a matter of seconds. "I mean I'm flattered that you're making me dinner and everything, but I'm just curious as to the reason behind it," I add quickly. His breath-taking smile comes back instantly.
"You're flattered?" he notes, causing me to go a light shade of pink. He smiles lovingly and gently strokes my cheek. It feels so good. He pulls his hand away from my inflamed cheek and starts to speak. "To make up for almost getting you fired." I grin.
"You felt guilty?" I guess. He shakes his head.
"Not felt, feel. I feel guilty. It was all my fault that you got yelled at and I apologise." I feel like getting up from my seat and slapping him across his face. He thinks it's his fault that I got in trouble. He thinks it's his fault that I got yelled at.
"It's not your fault, Peter. It's mine, I was supposed to be working, but no I was spending time with you instead. Once again, I have disobeyed Aslan's orders," I tell him. I sigh loudly, angry with myself, and cross my arms on the table in front of me so I can lean my head on them. He reaches out and grabs one of my hands then, and starts to draw soothing circles on my palm with his thumb. I'm not complaining. It feels nice. I'm instantly calmed.
"Are you hungry?" he asks me suddenly. I shoot my head up. Yes, I am. My stomach is aching because I am so hungry.
"Yes, I'm starving." My stomach decides to growl at that exact moment, causing me to giggle. Peter chuckles a little bit too, before getting up off his seat and walking into the kitchen. I lounge back into my chair with a sigh. He is so romantic! He comes back a few seconds later carrying the bowl with the pasta in it. I smile lovingly at him. He smiles back and puts it down on the table in front of me before he sits down opposite me again and grabs my plate. He starts putting some of the pasta on it and hands it back to me when the plate is full. "Thanks," I say quickly. I pick some up on my fork quickly and take a bite. I moan. "Peter, this is the best pasta I have ever eaten!" I exclaim. He beams brightly.
"Good, I'm glad you like it. It took me a while to make. I wasn't sure if you like pasta or not, so I was taking a crazy guess," he explains as I continue raking the delicious food into my mouth.
"Well, I love pasta, so now you know for next time." He smiles at my words and nods his head.
"I do," he replies. I smile back. We eat the rest of our dinner in silence. Occasionally one of us will ask a question or state a comment, but, besides that, it's dead quiet. I don't really mind though. It gives me time to think over everything that has happened today. It seems like the day didn't want to end. It just kept going on and on and on. Once we have finished eating, we clean up all the dirty dishes, and then walk into the living room hand in hand. Peter sits down on the floor in front of my open fireplace and pulls me gently down onto his lap. I smile acceptingly and lay back onto his chest. I sigh, closing my eyes. This is what I call paradise. "Ashley, how can you afford a house like this when you're only on a servant salary?" he asks me casually. I turn my head a little bit so that I can look into his eyes. They are full of interest. I smile bleakly.
"I can't," I tell him. He furrows his eyebrows in confusion.
"Then how are you still living here?" he inquires.
"My Great Grandfather built it from scratch so I don't have a mortgage on it," I explain simply. He grins and kisses my shoulder lovingly.
"Ashley..." he starts to say.
"Yes," I answer him, unsure of what he wants.
"You know I really like you, right?" he asks. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion as I move off his lap and sit opposite him instead.
"Yes, I do and you know that I really like you back," I answer. He smiles and looks into my eyes. The connection is there. When I look into his eyes all I see is a future with him.
"Yes, I do know." He hesitates for a moment.
"Peter, you can ask me anything; it's fine," I promise.
"There's something that I want to try. Bear with me, please?" he asks slowly. I nod. He hesitates again. I hear him take in a deep breath before he slowly moves towards me.
