I've got at least two more of these I'd like to write (including this one), but this one will not make much sense to those who haven't read Enemies Against.

Declining Knighthood

"I couldn't, King Peter, I really, really couldn't."

Patterfeet's tail twitched back and forth behind him, even though he tried to stay straight and still. He nervously grasped his paws together, then remembered and thrust them down at his sides. He was at attention, and he was, he was-

He was arguing with the High King!

On top of a dresser!

But that wasn't really his fault, because the High King wasn't wrong very often, but this time the High King was. And Patterfeet had to explain that to him!

"Good cousin, the services you rendered for my escape*—"

"Oreius said I should!"

King Peter paused, and Patterfeet gulped. He hadn't meant to make the High King angry. Well, he didn't look angry, but a squire shouldn't flatly contradict a king, the rules were very clear on that, and Patterfeet had just done that—

But his whole soul did not want what the High King offered, because, because, because—

"Good cousin, breathe." King Peter knelt so that his head was on the same level as the Squirrel's, and put one large hand on the small head, petting him slowly, soothingly, helping to slow his breathing as well. "Now, what is it that alarms thee?"

"It's just, King Peter, sir, if I'm a knight, I have to go places, sir, right?" The High King nodded, his hand still soothingly petting. "And if I go places, sir, then I can't stay here, and if I'm not following you, sir, and you get kidnapped again, sir, though I hope it doesn't happen, and if I wasn't following you, then you mightn't come back, and I don't want to go other places, not at all. Sir."

The King frowned. "Good cousin, a knight also has duties that help Narnia."

"But not you!"

"Indeed, thou art wrong. Many times I have received much needed assistance through the Knights of Narnia. Both my brother and I also were knighted—"

"No, King Peter." Patterfeet ducked down to all fours, head tucked in, but even hiding, his muffled voice repeated, "No."

There was a bit of silence, and then Patterfeet heard King Peter sigh, taking away his hand. "We may discuss this more later. Be off, then, to thy duties."

Patterfeet leaped for the wall, straight from his crouched position to flying through the air - but he'd forgotten the wall was stone, not wood, and hit it, scrabbling with his claws, only to fall off a moment later. He rolled, bounded out the door, scurried up the wall, and paused on the outside of the room, above the door, trying to catch his breath.

He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but it was very hard not to hear King Edmund's quiet, "This upsets thee much."

King Peter was upset?

"I do not like that he hinders his advancement to serve at my side," King Peter said shortly.

Patterfeet had upset him?

"I, on the other hand, am much happier to see thou hast such a devoted squire to help thee out of trouble." There was no response, only the rustling of chair cushions as King Edmund and King Peter sat. "There is one thing that thou art forgetting," the Just King advised.

"What may that be?"

"It is no bad thing to spend one's life in a humble service. His heart is sworn to thee and to Aslan, as a squire to his knight, and a Narnian to his King. If he is humble enough to be happy there, it were to make him unhappy to deny him that honour."

"He could enjoy greater honours."

"But not greater happiness." There was another moment of silence. "Do not let the honours given to thee make thou forget often the greatest happiness is found in the humblest places. If thy squire is both happy and skilled, thou art a good master. And it were a poor return for saving thy life, if thou deprived him of his happiness of serving where his heart serves."

"Thy counsel is ever wise, my brother. I should leave him alone?"

"Thou shouldst listen to him."

"All he says is 'no.'"

"Then no it is."

King Peter sighed again, but Patterfeet thought he sounded more resigned than unhappy. Good.

"No it is. I shall have a squire that follows me down hallways, falls off of tapestries, and rescues me from prisons."

"And the rest of us shall sleep better at night for it."

Patterfeet smiled.

And then he remembered that squires aren't supposed to eavesdrop, and flipped himself over, ready to run.

He nearly fell when he saw the two Queens, smiling at him from a few feet away.

"Well done," Queen Susan whispered to him.

Response to Queen Rebecca the Sweet: Thank you for the review! I have this idea and one more, and I may get a few after that - but I have a nine-chapter story I'd like to write, and then a Susan one I'm five chapters into, so this will probably become a rare thing. But thank you for the encouragement!