A/N: I do not own anything but a few side characters. The main characters and places belong to C.S. Lewis.

Chapter 2

Of ladders and dwarves

Several hours later, when the Opening Banquet of the great Hunt was over and all guests had gone to their rooms, Aravis and Samaire sat on the great four poster bed in Aravis' chamber. They were both quite tired but chattered merely as they undressed and got themselves ready to sleep.

"That Sean of Smirthson definantly had his eyes on you," Aravis was saying as she helped her friend out of the beautiful midnight blue dress.

"Ah don't be silly, he was watching Lea of Spiezenberg the whole evening, though I must say, he is too tall for me!" Aravis laughed as she crawled beneath the crisp clean sheets. Normally all guests got their own chambers but Samaire always asked to stay with her friend so they could talk all night if they wished. "I like men that are taller than me," the small Samaire said, "but not that you have to give me a ladder as a wedding present!" They both broke out in hysterical laughter, as Samaire imitated herself standing on tiptoes on the chair at the wall, trying to kiss a very tall man indeed.

"I agree, maybe Sean is a little too tall for you," Aravis patted the space next to her when they both had caught their breath again, "You should have a look in Narnia, maybe a dwarf would do the job?" For that remark Aravis got a pillow thrown at her head.

"Ewwww," Samaire squeaked, "hairy stinky and very dirty husbands don't really fit into my plans for the future.

"Well I am going to Narnia next week," Aravis said. "As soon as the hunt is over I will be gone out of these mountains and down to the sea!" She let a small pillow sail through the air demonstratively.

"That sounds great," Samaire smiled and made herself comfortable. "Did Queen Lucy invite you again?" She tried to sound genuinely untroubled, but there was a small hint of envy in her voice that could not be completely banished.

"Yes she did," Aravis looked at her friend. She wished that Samaire could come as well, but her father had forbidden it ever since she had sent the excited letter of the proposed journey to her friend.

"My father is so infuriating," Samaire sighed and balled her fists. "Why won't he let me come? Why do I have to sail with my family to the Lonley Isles to some Lord when they could just as well go by themselves? My brothers and sister will be so irritating, imagine all that time on a ship with them, no one to talk to…" She trailed off.

"Well I am sure that you will find a handsome sailor to entertain," Aravis gave her friend a nudge in the shoulder and Samaire giggled. "There are many good looking men at sea you know, wonderful brawny sun kissed and strong men, as masculine and male as you could wish for…" but she was stopped by a poke of an elbow in the side.

"Ha ha and you might just fall in love with King Edmund!"

Samaire had to jump out of bed quickly, before a big pillow came whistling through the air in the exact place where her head had been.