AN: Been suffering from a bit of writer's block, especially with FEK, so here's something completely different. Since the chapters of this story are much fewer and further between, I'm not sure how consistent the tone/characterization is staying. Hope it's turning out ok! Enjoy!
The day was indeed glorious, and the kings and queens rode for some time without speaking. Lucy enjoyed being outside in the pleasant weather, and she closed her eyes with her face uplifted to the warmth of the sun, giving Buttercream enough slack to amble on as she pleased. Eventually, however, upon hearing a choked snicker come from behind, the young queen discovered that her brothers and sister had noticed her inattention and simply stopped, letting her go on a good many paces along the path by herself.
"Oh, you horrible beasts!" she cried, turning her mount and waiting until they caught up with her. Peter and Edmund were bent nearly double over their horses' necks, red in the face from containing their laughter, and even Susan wore a wide smile.
"Oh, Lu," Peter said, finally straightening and wiping his eyes, "Thank you - that was terribly funny!"
"I wanted to see how far you would go, but someone here," Edmund hooked a thumb at the High King, "couldn't keep from spoiling the whole thing."
Lucy stuck her tongue out at her brothers, but she couldn't keep from smiling. "I suppose I did look rather ridiculous, didn't I?" she asked. "You just watch out, though! I'll have my revenge!"
Susan brought Mouse up beside Buttercream and raised an exquisite eyebrow at her sister. "Really, Lucy," she said, "Verbal threats? Is that the best you can do?" And without further ado and a rather wicked smirk, she set her spurs to the palfrey's side, and Mouse sprang forward.
Grinning, Lucy took off after the older queen, applying her own spurs, although Buttercream was quite eager for a good run and hardly needed the encouragement. She heard her brothers shout and whip up their horses, and soon Susan was hard pressed to keep her lead as they thundered along the path and down through the woods.
They burst out into a brilliantly blooming meadow, and there Susan reined in, her beautiful face flushed and framed with wisps of black hair that had worked loose from her braids. The younger queen pulled up sharp beside her, laughing, as Peter did likewise, and Edmund tore past all of them with a howl of glee. "Come on, you lot!" he hollered back to them, "No time for lollygagging!"
"Let him go," Peter said with a grin, and Lucy immediately relaxed in the saddle while her mount danced and snorted a little from being given swiftly conflicting signals.
"I don't know how close we are to this academy of his, but I'd much rather arrive in relatively good order and decently composed rather than as a screeching banshee," continued the High King, rubbing Damfino's warm neck and giving it several heartening pats. He looked over at Susan. "What say you, sister, to having a bit of luncheon before we arrive? I must confess to feeling rather peckish."
Susan pursed her lips primly and gave her brother a look that was equal parts affection, amusement, and resignation. "My lord king," she began, and Lucy fought to keep a straight face. Hearing her sister address Peter so seriously with such lofty titles never ceased to make her giggle inside. Although to be honest, she was starting to see that the compliments fit him well, and he always accepted them with grace. "If you can retrieve our royal brother before he breaks his neck, we will have a bite to eat."
"As you command, my queen," the High King said, a gleam entering his eyes. His hands moved ever so slightly, and Damfino suddenly erupted into a canter, powerful hindquarters churning, their muscles bunching beneath his glossy coat, polished hooves kicking up clumps of grass and earth as they dug for purchase and gained ground. Susan and Lucy watched horse and rider disappear into the shadowing trees, and then the older queen shook her head and gave a short laugh, directing Mouse over to a large boulder, which she used to dismount.
Lucy followed suit, and then Susan undid the saddlebags' lacings and lifted out the white packages. They took the bridles off and let the two horses wander and partake of the rich, green grass, and the two young women were just unpacking their luncheon when Peter and Edmund rode back into the meadow.
"You know, we don't really have time for this," Edmund said as he swung down from Noira and removed her bridle, looping it over his shoulder.
"Well, I don't want my stomach rumbling in the midst of our tour," the High King responded, catching sight of a little brown crockery jar sitting quietly in the midst of all the fruit, bread, and cheese, "And there are my peach preserves. That settles it."
Lucy grabbed the jar in question before he could get to it and peered at the handwritten tag affixed to the lid. "For his majesty, the High King," she read aloud, "From Neebles with her warmest respects."
"As I said," he older brother remarked, sitting down and reaching over to snatch the jar from the young queen's hands, "Mine."
Edmund took a chunk of bread and a handful of rich, red grapes and propped himself against the boulder, a contented sigh escaping his lips. "You can keep 'em," he said, biting off several grapes.
Peter took the spoon Susan handed him and wrinkled his nose at the younger king. "Good, 'cause I wasn't going to share with you anyway. Run me into a low branch, will you?"
Susan huffed just the tiniest bit and gave her younger brother a reproving glance. "Edmund Pevensie," she scolded, "Bad form."
Edmund winked at her and ate a few more grapes. "Don't fret so, Su," he said, helping himself to chunks of the creamy butter cheese she was cutting, "Just defending myself. It isn't as though he didn't try to skin me up against a couple of trees first."
The youngest queen goggled at her eldest brother, who was busying himself with the preserves and trying to act as though he wasn't listening. "Why, Peter," she said, "I never would have thought you capable of such a thing." He ate a spoonful of sliced peaches and widened his big blue eyes at her innocently.
"And against an unsuspecting victim, too," Edmund said, sandwiching his cheese between the bread and stuffing the whole thing into his mouth, oblivious to Susan's irritated glare.
The older king snorted. "You started it, brother mine," he said, waving his spoon for emphasis, "He proposed a race and then just took off. What was I supposed to do? Roll over and play dead?"
"Unbelievable that the High King of Narnia would stoop to such lows, just to win a silly race," Susan said, giving up on Edmund for the moment and concentrating on the cheese with her knife flashing almost faster than the eye could follow. Lucy saw the corners of her sister's mouth twitching as she worked.
"Had to keep the young upstart in line," Peter said and then yelped as Edmund bounced a grape off his forehead. He was about to retaliate when Susan cleared her throat menacingly.
"What was that about acting like school children, Peter?" Lucy put in cheerfully, and both her brothers looked quite sheepish and turned their attention to the food. For the next few minutes they ate heartily and well, as Neebles, mistress of the Cair's kitchens, had packed a very satisfying luncheon.
Lucy sat comfortably next to Edmund, leaning against the warm stone and enjoying herself immensely. The bread was perfectly baked – hard and crispy on the outside with a soft inside – and pairing a slice or two with the pale velvet pungency of the cheese was just right. The fruit was a delight to the senses – fat grapes that exploded in a cool burst when one bit through their skins, bright red strawberries, small but making up for their size in sweetness, tart, prickly raspberries, dark with juice, and most amazing of all, curved yellow bananas, the smooth skin peeling back with a most agreeable crackle, the flesh beneath firm, lightly flavored, and entirely delicious.
The sun was bright and clear – warm, but not too hot, and a fresh breeze swept through the meadow from time to time, rustling the flowers and the tall grasses, bringing with it the scent of pine and deep forest. Every now and then, one or several of their subjects would wander by on their own business – several dryads and assorted Talking Animals, and all were delighted to see their sovereigns out on an excursion. Peter always found a way to ask about the school they were going to visit, and they found that the universal sentiment was generally unflattering towards those in charge.
"A bloomin' embarrassment t' us all, yer majesties," said one gruff old rabbit, "I's just glad they's left us Talkin' Aminals out of it. Forbid our wee ones to go, they did, though I don't know where they got the right to."
Edmund nodded gravely. "Thank you, Master Poffin," he said, "We are glad to know your thoughts on the matter."
The rabbit bowed, his ears flopping over his head as he did so, and took his leave. Susan stretched and got to her feet, brushing crumbs from her skirt and tucking the wisps of hair back beneath her crown of braids. "Edmund," she said, "Would you help me with the horses, please?"
The young king popped the last of the grapes into his mouth and stood without complaint, ambling agreeably with the older queen to where the four horses stood cropping grass as though their lives depended on it. Lucy watched her brother and sister for a moment, noticing how much they were alike – both built in long, slender lines, although Edmund was almost as tall as Susan now and his shoulders were starting to broaden with muscle. They caught Noira and both dark heads bent together over the buckling of the bridle.
"Here, Lu," came Peter's voice, and she turned to see him holding out the cloths Neebles had used to wrap the luncheon and smiling at her. "Help me put this away, will you please?"
She smiled back at him, feeling a rush of gladness in being with her family, and set to work, folding up the cheese rind, banana skins, grape stems, and strawberry hulls, while the High King packed away the spoon, knife, and the by-now pristine crockery jar.
"What do you suppose they're talking about?" she wondered, seeing that neither Edmund nor Susan had moved from Noira's head, although they had long since finished with the bridle.
Peter rubbed his chin speculatively. "Probably nothing that concerns us," he said, "and it would be ill manners to pry."
"You're right." Lucy said with a sigh, and her eldest brother gave her shoulders a tight squeeze.
"Come now," he said, "What do you think about this academy from what we've been told so far? I've heard Edmund's opinions in great detail, but I want to know what you and Susan see."
Lucy snuggled into the crook of his arm, resting her head on his shoulder and taking some time to organize her thoughts. "Well," she said slowly, "From what our subjects have said, it seems that the headmasters are pompous windbags, not to mention they've broken Narnia's laws in forbidding Talking Animals to attend, even though one of them is a Talking Owl. They don't seem to be teaching anything useful."
She considered further and then looked up at her brother and squinted. "That's about it," she said, "I think I will wait to actually see the place before I say more."
The High King hugged her close again. "Wise, Lu," he said and turned back the rim of her beret to press a kiss to her head. "Very wise."
They stood in companionable silence and watched as Susan and Edmund put the bridles back on the rest of the horses and led them over, walking at an unhurried pace and continuing to talk quietly. Lucy thought her brother looked a bit calmer, as though he had straightened something out in his mind and come to a decision. He brought Buttercream to her and held the palomino steady as she clambered onto the boulder and then stepped into the stirrup and swung herself into the sidesaddle. She took her reins and thanked him, and then Peter did the same for Susan after they had tucked the luncheon package back into the saddlebag.
When the kings had mounted, Peter surveyed them all and nodded. "Go easy on the horses," he said, "Their tummies are full." He tapped his own stomach and grinned. "As is mine."
"Yes," Susan whispered loudly to Lucy, leaning over conspiratorially, "but only for the next half hour." Both young women dissolved into giggles, and their brother narrowed his eyes, while Edmund chuckled.
"Can't win with these two, Peter," he said, nudging Noira into a walk towards the path, and the High King rolled his eyes.
"Don't I know it," he said, "What gems, what precious jewels, these lovely queens of Narnia."
He ducked the swipe of Susan's crop, and Damfino broke into a trot, taking him out of range. "Follow me!" he called back, disappearing down into the woods with Edmund close behind. "The academy awaits our royal pleasure!"
"Or displeasure, which is much more likely," said Susan practically, and they took off after their brothers.