A/N: Yep, here's chapter 4. I want to thank all the people who reviewed me. I'm a fairly new writer, so the suggestions and criticism are most helpful. Oh, and Emmy isn't a Mary Sue, so if anyone is thinking that (which I hope you aren't!) she's not. I put tiny bits of myself into her, but I'm not like her, really. Lol. Just to clear a few things up. Thanks!

Chapter 4 The Christmas Ball

Days turned to weeks, and weeks became months. Summer changed to fall, which changed to winter. Emmy and Peter only grew closer.

Everyone had something to teach Emmy. Susan taught her how to shoot arrows, Edmund showed her how to swordfight, and Lucy taught her how to cook. Peter was always beside her, helping her, or tasting her cooking. He always put a smile on, no matter how good or awful the food was.

It was during one of her cooking lessons that Edmund approached Peter, who was waiting to be called into the kitchens to taste Emmy's newest culinary creation. "So when are you going to ask her?" He sat down next to Peter.

"Ask her what?" Peter stared at him.

"To marry you, of course!" he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in all of Narnia.

"Already? It's only been six months, Edmund," he said, shocked.

"That's long enough to know what you need to know."

"And what's that?"

"To know that you want to spend the rest of your life with her!"

"But…"

"Okay. Look me in the eyes and tell me you honestly don't love her."

"Of course I love her! It was never about that!" Peter stared into his younger brother's eyes.

"Good. Now tell me she's not the one." Edmund waited, and waited, and waited. Then, finally…

"You're right. Ed, I want to marry her!" Peter grinned broadly.

"I know you do." Edmund laughed.

A call for Peter came from the kitchens. He stood up to go in. Then, a thought struck him. "Edmund, who told you to say all this?"

"Susan." He laughed again.

"Ha, I knew it! You couldn't have thought of all that yet."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't do it yet, we'll help make it perfect." Edmund smiled at his brother, genuinely happy for him.

"Thanks, Edmund." He opened the doors and a cloud of black smoke escaped through them.

"Have fun!"

"Oh, I will, Ed. I will." The door swung shut behind him.

When he walked into the library an hour later, Susan and Edmund were already there. They had their heads bent together, discussing something. Susan snapped her head up when she noticed Peter. "Where's Emmy?"

"She's changing into a different dress. She stained hers with raspberry sauce."

"So we only have a few minutes. Oh, Peter, I'm so happy for you!" She stood up and hugged her brother.

"Thanks. I'm going to be a nervous wreck."

"So have you thought about how you want to ask her?"

"Well, she told me once that her favorite holiday is Christmas, so I thought I might take her aside at the Christmas Ball and do it then. That way, we can announce it to everyone, if she says yes."

"That's a great idea! Her dress has to be just perfect, so I'll take her today to get started on it. Oh my gosh, I'm going to have another sister!" She hurried off.

Edmund looked at Peter. They stared at each other, then burst out laughing.

Susan was excellent at keeping a secret. She began telling everyone that the Christmas Ball had to be absolutely perfect. They would ask her why, but she would already be gone to do something else.

Seamstresses began to work on the girls' dresses. Emmy decided that she wanted to wear emerald green. Intricate gold embroidery was to be placed at the hem and sleeve edges. The finest velvet was used. Fittings were held regularly.

During one of the final fittings, Emmy decided to ask Susan what the big deal was. She was being laced and buttoned up. "Susan, there's talk going around the castle. Everyone's saying that something big is going to happen. What's the big event?" She held her breath so the dress would finish lacing up.

"Well, it's Christmas! Everything should be wonderful! Now, have you decided how you want your hair?"

Emmy never asked about the rumored event again.

A week before the ball, decorations began to appear in the castle. First came the tinsel, then the mistletoe, and finally, the enormous Christmas tree that would be decorated and placed in the main hall for all to see on Christmas Eve.

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy were sitting by a fireplace, enjoying rare free time. Susan glanced around to make sure no one else was around, then said, "Did you get the ring?"

"Yes, I just picked it up today." Peter pulled a small red velvet box and opened it. Inside was a brilliantly cut diamond ring with smaller champagne colored diamonds on either side of the main diamond. The ring was set in the finest white gold.

They all gasped simultaneously. "Oh Peter, it's beautiful!" Lucy said, bending closer to examine the engagement ring.

"She won't be able to say no to that, that's for sure!" Edmund exclaimed.

"SHH! Someone's coming! Put it away!" Susan whispered. Peter had just stuffed the box in his pocket when Emmy walked in.

"I made Christmas cookies!" She said, passing around a plate of brightly decorated cookies in the shapes of Christmas trees and wrapped gifts. Everyone took a few. Thanks to Lucy, Emmy was becoming quite good at cooking.

"These are really good!" Edmund took a huge bite out of a sugary Christmas tree.

"So what were you all talking about before I came in?" Emmy asked.

"Nothing," the other four said at once. Emmy gave them a strange look, but asked no more.

The day of the Christmas Ball arrived. Most of the day was spent on preparing the girls for the evening of festivities. Edmund were going through the plans, making sure everything was going smoothly.

Susan, Lucy, and Emmy were scrubbed clean until their skin was pink, then soaked in tubs of warm, soapy water. Their hair was washed. As their hair was drying, they sat in silk robes by a warm fire, their heads wrapped in warm towels. Once dry, their hair was curled, Lucy's in ringlets, Susan's in delicate waves, and Emmy's in soft curls. It was then pinned up, with some curls hanging loose.

Finally, it was almost time for the ball to begin. All holding their breath, the girls were laced into their intricate dresses. Soft, velvet capes were draped over their shoulders. They slipped into their shoes, each adorned with different color gems to match their dresses. Lucy's had sapphires, Susan wore rubies, and Emmy with emeralds. Crowns were placed on the queens' curled heads. At last, they were ready.

They stepped out onto the landing, their attendants waving goodbye and wishing them a merry Christmas. Emmy thought she heard a "Good luck!", but for what, she could not think of.

She peeked over the stone railing. Guests swarmed below her, but she immediately found Peter and Edmund waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, like they had countless nights before.

She descended the stairs first, as elegantly as possible. One could easily mistake her for royalty. She smiled shyly at Peter. He smiled back.

Once at the bottom of the stone staircase, she curtsied to the king. Peter took her hand and pressed it to his lips, looking into her blue-green eyes. Lucy, Edmund, and Susan watched them, all grinning.

"Look, there's Mr. Tumnus!" Lucy exclaimed, and ran off to see the faun. Edmund went to speak with a centaur, and Susan was chatting with Mrs. Beaver.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Peter told Emmy. A pink blush settled on her cheeks.

"And you, Peter, are amazingly handsome." It was his turn to blush slightly.

Music began to sound from the dancing hall. "Come on, Aslan wants to announce us." The kings and queens went enter the vast room, but Peter stopped and turned around. Emmy hung back, standing with Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"It's alright, go! I'll be with Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers until you're finished." She nodded towards the hall.

He ran back to her and kissed her. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he whispered into her ear. Giving her a final smile, he followed his siblings into the dancing hall.

A few moments later, people began to fill the hall. Emmy, Mr. Tumnus, and the Beavers joined the crowd.

Aslan stood at the front of the room, with the four thrones behind him. The royalty of Narnia stood on either side of him. A silence fell over the crowd.

"I present to you King Peter the Magnificent!" Aslan roared.

"All hail King Peter!" The crowd cried out.

"King Edmund the Just!"

"All hail King Edmund!"

"Queen Susan the Gentle!"

"All hail Queen Susan!"

"Queen Lucy the Valiant!"

"All hail Queen Lucy!"

Applause broke out. They sat in their thrones. Music started up, and everyone began to dance. Mr. Tumnus asked Emmy to dance. They danced for a song, until Peter came.

"May I?" he asked. Mr. Tumnus bowed and began to dance with Lucy.

They moved across the dance floor. During a slow song, Peter asked Emmy if she would go for a walk with him. She said yes, and he led her out into the courtyard.

"Wait. You have to close your eyes first." They stood outside the courtyard. She covered her eyes and let Peter lead her in.

"Okay, look." She opened her eyes, and she was met with a magical sight. Many small candles had been placed all around the courtyard, bathing the couple in a warm glow. Snow was falling gently. All was peacefully quiet.

She gasped. "This is amazing!" She turned to him. "Did you do this?"

"Well, I had help." He grinned at her. His heart began to beat fast, just like when he first asked her to be his girlfriend. "Here, sit down." They sat on a bench. He took her hand in his and placed it over his heart. "Emmy, this is what you do to me," he said, softly. His heart beat rapidly. "I love you so much." If this isn't the perfect time to ask her, I don't know what is, he thought. He got down on one knee in front of her and pulled the box from his pocket. He opened it, revealing the ring to her. Her eyes widened. "Emmy, will you marry me?"

A/N: Weee! That was so much fun to write! YAY! What will she say? ;D Let me know what you thought about this chapter! Wow I almost put 'thinked', I'm a smart one! Teehee!