1Where the Sidewalk Ends

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Kristen, my very own, customize as you wish character.

Chapter Twenty: The Simplest Solution

((So I finally get back to my normal every other day updating style. March Break is going to be excellent for all of you who read this story, let me tell you! Ok so welcome to my version of March Madness. Let the games begin, shall we?))

Isabel narrowed her green eyes at her. It didn't take a genius, and Isabel certainly wasn't one, that things were not going to be as easy as previously thought. She wouldn't be able to take Peter away and live a long and heartless life with him. She wasn't going to be the top Queen of Narnia, like she thought. Her father had given her a long lecture that blood comes before beauty and since Kristen was an initiated Queen and she would only be one by marriage. She still had some power though, just not as much as she had thought. Which got her very, very upset.

"Dance with me, would you Peter?" she asked her king, who had been assigned to stand next to his soon to be wife all evening. He sighed a long and hateful sigh, then took her waist and hand and began to dance the waltz amongst the other couples.

- - -

Peter hated her. He hated everything about her. Yet he was in a situation where soon, he'd be forced to love her. For the past hour and a half, he'd be assigned to stand next to Isabel and accept greetings and presents on behalf of the other royals and locals in Narnia. He put on a fake smile every time someone said 'Congratulations' because he had too. He was locked in a room with no door.

After the dance, they lined up with his brother and sisters, as well as Kristen, and Isabel's parents and made a train for people to come down and congratulate the families as well. Finally, everyone attending had given their best wishes and were now sitting down to eat. It was time for the Pevensies to say their things, but instead they all threw hateful glances at Peter and stalked off, Susan stomping rather loudly to the head banquet table. Kristen remained and she smiled weakly before stepping forward.

"Congratulations" she said warmly to Peter as she hugged him. She heard him mumble something along the lines of "I'll only ever love you" but she wasn't sure and decided not to get over worked about it. When she let go of him, she rounded her brown eyes onto Isabel.

"We'll make sure you're the first to know when a baby's on the way" Isabel interrupted loudly, patting her stomach and then linking arms with Peter. The green-eyed monster then proceeded to drag her future husband away from Kristen and to the head table, where she threw him into his throne and sat greedily into the one next to him. Everyone knew perfectly well that until they were married, Isabel had no right over a throne, and even Isabel knew she was sitting down in Kristen's.

-----

Peter sighed as Isabel planted herself into Kristen's throne. He shook his head and looked down at his plate, knowing there was nothing he could do. He looked up and without a contest, his blue eyes found her brown ones across the hall floor and she was looking at him with the utmost pain and hurt. He looked back at her and some how, managed to translate everything he had ever felt about her into just one look. She smiled weakly and then picked up the side of her dress as if not to step on it. Mr. Tumnus came over to her slowly and gave her a hug, which she returned. He led her to an empty table that had been apparently reserves for the family of William McAnderson, but he passed away and the funeral was that day, according to Mr. Tumnus.

She sat down at the table and started to pick at her plate of food and silently, one by one each of the Pevensies, sans Peter of course, sat down at the table beside her and began to eat. Without saying a word, she looked up and each of them smiled at her, before returning their attention silently to their plates. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked over at the head table, where Isabel was fuming since everyone at in the hall was now totally focused on the fact that the royals had actually abandoned their post and thrones.

Kristen smiled sweet at Isabel once they got eye contact, and waves a teasing wave before returning to her meal. As the noise grew in the hall and everyone went back to their normal conversations, she looked up at each one of the Pevensies and smiled. This was her family.

---(Jump ahead to the end of dinner)---

The Narnia band began playing again and although they had all made a pact to stay with Kristen for the evening, one by one they had all found someone special to dance with, which made her feel even more alone.

"Would you care to dance, Miss?" someone said, breaking her concentration and eyes off of Peter and Isabel.

She looked up, and raised an eyebrow at who it was. He had dark, almost black short hair that was slightly spiked but also tousled to give it that natural edge. What got her about him were his eyes; they were a hazel brown but around his pupil it got to a dark forest green colour. For some reason, she felt that she knew him already.

"Sure" she said as she got up and took his hand. He lead her slowly to the dance floor and then took her back and right hand, respectfully. They danced, but she didn't take her eyes off of him.

"Do I know you?" she asked quite abruptly up at him. He was a few inches taller then she was, but not tall enough to make it awkward.

He laughed, and then shook his head.

"No. I would remember such beauty if my eyes had once been laid upon it" he said, Kristen only noticing now he had the most adorable, most charming English accent she'd ever heard. This and the fact that the line was so corny made her laugh.

"Nice line" she mused, raising an eyebrow at him.

He laughed again, and she laughed with him, smiling even though there was hardly anything to smile about. As soon as they quieted down, everything came flooding back into her mind as she was temporarily removed from the world and shit going on around her. Her face returned to its normal sulk.

"My name is Logan. Logan Thomas" he said as the song ended and he bowed. She curtseyed back as custom says and held out her hand, where he smiled and brought it to his lips. He kissed the top of her hand lightly and then released it. This made her smile.

"So tell me Logan, where are you from?" she asked as they began walking towards the hall doors and down and into the rose garden. The sweet smell of the fragrant flowers greeted them and little tea lights marked a pathway. It was warm and pleasant, with no need to a jacket and for some reason, this made her smile.

"I reside in a small, but very homey, little village in the East.((A/n-Thanks A Amelia Black for the correction)) I spend most of my days there but every so often I venture here to Cair Paravel to aid Aslan in anything he needs" Logan explained as he sat down on one of the stone benches, and motioned for her to follow. She did and took a deep breath of the summer air in with her.

"You must do something important if Aslan needs you" she asked in the form of a statement. She looked over and smiled as he chuckled and shrugged, out of humbleness and modesty of course.

"I'm an Apothecary. Every few months of so Aslan calls for me to brew him up a potion or something of the sort. Some of the things he asks for are quite…odd, but you don't say no to Aslan. It's an honor to be in the same room as him" Logan admired, looking faintly at Kristen who was smiling.

She liked him. She could tell Logan was honest, friendly, wise beyond his years, and an over all excellent friend. But she still couldn't shake Peter. When she looked at Peter, sometimes she saw her future. But when she looked at Logan, all she saw was a best friend.

"It is. But lately, he's not been on my list of favourite people" she muttered to herself as she brushed one of her curls out of her face.

"I bet there's a story there, if you don't mind telling it" Logan whispered, nudging her side affectionately. She looked out into the roses for a second, and then back at him. He smiled and shrugged innocently.

She took a breath and let it all out. She told him all about her drop in, literally. Everything about her ball, everything about Baldur, and everything about Isabel.

"So then yesterday, he told me that he was getting an arranged marriage to a girl he hated. And this of course, was all arranged by none other then Aslan" she finished, blowing out her steam with words instead of actions.

He had sat there and listen to her every word, taking in everything like a good person should. He never interrupted, never spoke. Instead, he let her do all the talking.

"I mean I understand that he has his reasons. He has good intentions. He always has intentions. He wouldn't do this without a solid reason. He wouldn't break apart a truly in love couple for nothing, right?" she asked him, but made it sound like she was addressing her inner self instead.

"You think you love him? Peter, I mean?" Logan asked quietly, interrupting her for the first time.

She glanced at him and then down at her hands.

"I do. I do with every bone in my body" she said, her voice dropping in loudness, as if to ward off prying ears. "Not that it means anything now" she muttered, keeping her eyes on her now shaking hands.

She felt him wrap an arm around her shoulders and kiss the top of her head. She huffed out a breath and glared at the roses. If only things were different.

"I know you can't change what's already happened. But you can change what will happen" he said as he let go of her and they started back up to the palace. They walked slowly and when she heard his words, she was intrigued.

"Logan, there's nothing I can do. You don't argue with Aslan, you know that" she said discerningly, huffing out a breath in frustration.

"Kristen! God, stop being so cynical for just one second! You're acting as if there's nothing you can do! Have you tried talking to Aslan?" Logan said loudly, practically shouting at her now.

She was shocked, and slightly hurt, but shook her head no, her brown curls washing over her face with a wave of wind.

"Then maybe you should try and do that. Maybe you should try and talk to Aslan. Love trumps everything Kristen. And if you know you love him, then fight for him. Fight for him with everything you have" Logan said as he walked over to her and took her shoulders, making sure she was focusing in on what he was saying.

She nodded slowly, and he backed off. Could something like that actually work? Had she been so delusional and depressed that she hadn't even tried the most obvious solution of talking? For being Queen Kristen the Brilliant, she sure had a notch for not living up the title sometimes.

She nodded and a smile grew on her face.

"Why thank you Mr. Logan Thomas. That might just work"

((A/N- I updated within a week! TROPHEY FOR ME! Haha…so I know I got a lot of you excited when I introduced Logan, right? No, he will not be Kristen's new love interest. But I was thinking about it, and Kristen really never had anyone other then the Pevensies and that bothered me. So I brought Logan into the picture. Thanks for all the reviews, good to know I haven't lost you all yet! Now click the purple button and review! Capiche?))