Hey, I've been wondering, and if any of my reviewers would mind relieving my conscience... is Rhianna Mary-sueish? I've tried not to make her an M-S, but slips happen. She certainly isn't supposed to be. :)

Disclaimer: Yada yada, you all know the drill. Rhianna, Darkmoon, Elsaninne (Elsa) and Ahlejandra (pronounced ah-lay-zhan-dra) are mine.

Chapter Fourteen: Foreign Dignitaries

"Ahem," a male voice interrupted the silence in the great library of Cair Paravel.

Rhianna looked up from her book, Humans: Legend or Myth? to see Peter step in front of her and seat himself on the low table. His marine blue eyes sparkled as he read the title of her book.

"It's fascinating, isn't it?" he asked, smiling.

She nodded demurely, inwardly wondering why he was there.

"Is it too enthralling to set aside for dinner with your monarchs?" he teased lightly. "There are some people I want to introduce you to, to receive your opinion, and Lucy has someone for you to meet as well."

"Very well," she replied with mock gravity. "If my King commands." She set her book aside and allowed Peter to escort her to the dining hall.

She was greeted enthusiastically by Lucy and the little girl dragged her away from Peter to introduce her to a male faun wearing a bright red scarf and carrying a flute tucked under his arm. "This is Mr. Tumnus," Lucy said brightly, "And Mr. Tumnus, this is Rhianna, she helped us find Aslan and win the war."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," the faun said, bowing slightly.

"The pleasure is mine," Rhianna responded warmly, liking him immediately.

"Rhianna!" Susan hailed, as she and Edmund joined them. Peter was not far behind them, with a lovely, dark-skinned Calormene and a pretty, slender – almost wispy – blonde-haired Dryad on each arm. Both girls eyed Rhianna critically, forcing the elf to become aware of her rumpled dress and windblown hair; she felt distinctly out of place.

"Rhianna, this is Ahlejandra," he indicated the Calormene, "She is the daughter of Calormen's king. And this is Elsaninne – Elsa – the princess of the Dryads. Ladies, this is Rhianna…" he trailed off, unsure how to introduce her.

Mustering her dignity, Rhianna swept an elegant curtsey. "Pleased to meet you both," she murmured.

"Charming," Elsa sniffed before turning to Peter and laying both hands on his shoulder. "Shall we begin supper, Your Majesty?" she simpered daintily. Ahlejandra backed off a little, clearly annoyed by the other girl's obvious flirting, but remained close enough to touch him, appraising him with admiring eyes.

After they were seated – Peter at the head of the table with Ahlejandra, Elsa, and Edmund to his right and Susan, Rhianna and Lucy to his left, respectively – Rhianna took the time to observe her dining companions more closely. Ahlejandra was dark – almost a chocolate color – with long, straight, black hair and large, doe-like black eyes. Her slender shoulders and neck supported her oval face and tapered down in a slim waist and long, slender fingers. She seemed intelligent, clever, and revealed a dry sense of humor as the dinner progressed. Elsa was pretty enough, though pale, and had waist-length, wavy blonde hair. She was slender to the point of being wispy and her hands fluttered nervously about her as she talked. Her mind, Rhianna concluded at length, was nothing to be proud of; she tended to be shallow and superficial in her comments and fawned excessively over Peter through the whole dinner, a fact which annoyed Rhianna greatly. Next, she turned her gaze to the young High King and thought she could see why Ahlejandra and Elsa were so smitten with him. Though he was only sixteen, the battle and the events surrounding it had forced him to mature very quickly, shearing him of the tender years of innocence and naïveté. His golden hair swept back almost carelessly from his face and his eyes were as deep and penetrating as ever. The last month of heavy training had shorn his body of excess fat, leaving the muscles of his face, neck, shoulders and arms smooth and taut. He had a full, sensitive mouth and an award-winning smile, complemented by a healthy sense of humor and a dignity that only Aslan could match. Yes, he was a fine catch if there ever was one, and to Rhianna it was obvious that Ahlejandra and Elsa had come for this very reason: to snare the heart of the King of Narnia and make him theirs.

At the end of the meal, Susan stood and turned to look at Lucy and Rhianna, then at the visiting princesses. "Would you ladies care to join me for a stroll around Cair Paravel? Let us leave the Kings in peace for a while." As they readily agreed and followed her out, Rhianna marveled that fifteen-year-old Susan could speak with such gracious authority and it pleased her immensely to see the young Queen of Narnia holding her own beside the more intimidating royal background of her guests. She engaged them all in polite conversation and arranged to Rhianna to walk beside her, closest to Ahlejandra and Elsa.

Once she realized that Rhianna's dreamy blue eyes contained behind them one of the sharpest wits in all of Narnia, Ahlejandra warmed noticeably to the elf and they made easy conversation as they poked in and out of Cair Paravel's rooms. Elsa, however, was another matter. She became increasingly scornful of Rhianna as the elf recounted her involvement in the war for Narnia's freedom.

"It is not the place of a decent woman to involve herself in men's affairs. Such bloody tales are nothing to be proud of," she remarked haughtily.

"You, of course, being the authority on warfare and the role of women," Ahlejandra retorted acidly, unexpectedly taking Rhianna's side.

Rhianna glanced appreciatively in Ahlejandra's direction before saying, "What greater honor is there than to serve one's king? I gave an oath to protect my monarchs long before this battle was waged."

"There's nothing wrong with it… for a bodyguard," Elsa sneered. "And I suppose that's what you are – King Peter's bodyguard, aren't you?"

Rhianna bristled, but diplomatically replied, "If that's how you prefer to think of me, then so be it." She inclined her head gracefully in Susan's direction. "Now, if you will all excuse me, I must return to my rooms to ready myself for the ball."

"You're going!" Elsa sounded surprised. Then she regained her composure and said, condescendingly, "Well, it's very generous of High King Peter to invite you. I suppose even the hired help deserves a chance to celebrate."

Rhianna blinked in shock, too stunned and hurt to think of a diplomatic reply. Susan looked as though she might speak in her friend's defense, but held back in the presence of her guests. Lucy, however, showed no such restraint. "She's not the hired help! And Peter doesn't need to invite her; she's as royal as any of you!"

"Oh, really?" Elsa had one hand on her hip, glaring insolently down at the indignant young queen.

"Lucy," Rhianna said quietly, trying to calm her.

"Yes, she is! She's a –"

"Lucy!" Rhianna said sharply. The girl looked up at her. "Not now."

"Well?" Elsa challenged, stepping up to Rhianna and drawing herself to her full height. She really was very pretty, with light green eyes glittering above rosy cheeks and perfect rosebud lips. "Who are you that makes you so special? What high and mighty rank do you hold? Bodyguard?"

The elf's shoulders went back, her head came up, and her midnight eyes flashed coldly. "I don't see why who I am or what rank I hold should matter to you. Now, if you'll excuse me," she said coldly and swept away.

Author's Note: I took a few liberties with Elsa and Ahlejandra (ah-lay-zhan-dra) and their backgrounds. I know Calormen has been Narnia's enemy and I've tried not to portray otherwise. I know that in the movie, a Dryad was shown as a flower-figure type thing, but I choose to interpret that kind of figure as a nymph and a Dryad as more human. No flames, please!