A/N : Sorry for the late update but I'm in my final year at uni and its really hectic w assignments and reports due so I think I'm going to have to reduce the update times to one chapter per week. :(

Also I've got to point out that there are some inconsistencies in Chapter 4 (thanks for pointing this out Mizal!), from before I revamped the whole story (as mentioned in IMPORTANT NOTICE) and it had managed to have slipped through editing. I shall update it at soon as possible in the coming days..

This chapter hasn't been proofread, I had rushed through writing this so apologies in advance if there are a few grammatical errors or such!

CHAPTER 25

It had been days since their little excursion in the woods and Aline had yet to see Edmund since, not even at dinners. She had a suspicion that it wasn't coincidental but not that she minded, in fact it fit perfectly well with her own agenda of staying away from the Just King for as long as she could without causing unnecessary complications with the rest of his family. Though it would be a lie, to say that Aline did not feel least a twinge of disappointment when she'd found someone else waiting for her at the training grounds the very next day.

It was the High King. He'd given some excuse as to how his Royal brother couldn't make it due to being tied up by some diplomatic stuff or other though not before assuring her he was quite as capable in, was that an almost flirty way? she pondered. Yet Aline couldn't help wondering if he knew the truth of what happened. It wasn't long before she figured, in fact he didn't. Whatever, Aline brushed off the thought, it was for their own good.

However, surprisingly the High King seemed to be quite an excellent tutor, just as he had mentioned and more, being just as skilled as Edmund. And Aline found herself liking his way of lecturing her throughout the entire procedure or move and then letting her try it out than Edmund's way of springing it on her and letting her figure her way out.

Aline frowned at the comparison as she broke out of her recollection of training the past few days. Besides that, she'd done nothing of significance except hole herself up in the library trying to read as much as she could on the land she was in and anything that might contain the answers to the million questions in her head. However, nothing stuck her as significant so far.

Lying open before her was the third variant of Queen Swanwhite's tale that she'd just completed reading. Each rendition had varying details though the essential story line persisted the same. Queen Swanwhite, the last reigning Monarch of Narnia, before Jadis' Invasion, daughter of King Gale and wife to the Great King Han, and though her diplomatic and battle prowess was reinstated throughout all the tales what the Queen was most known for was her seemingly inhumane beauty. Alas, despite it all, the young Queen's life seemed to be rife with tragedy.

As some tales recount, following the death of King Gale and the ascension of young Swanwhite and her betrothed Han, a tradesman off the islands to the Far Far East despite her ailing fathers wish for a better suitor, they had loved each other. Yet together they did rule Narnia fair and in good graces keeping her peace for a decade and two years until calamity struck and the Forsaken rebelled against the land. And as the story goes after a decade of war and struggle the Forsaken were finally banished to another realm however in the process King Han himself, lost.

Yet another account detailed of the Queen's inability to provide a heir and as she grew frail of it her desire to persist with life waning, the loss of her husband proving to be the last straw. The Queen was said to have then shut herself in the Castle for twenty cycles, coming out only once, every Midsummer Night's Eve making her way across country to the Fountain of Truth seeking for answers on her lost husband and so the Queen would sit, un-moving come rain or shine for one whole day from sunrise to the next, though what the fountain spoke to her none else knew.

However, upon leaving, Swanwhite's reflection remained in the Fountain of Truth- in the most recent version dubbed as the Mirror Pool; for a year and a day until her next visit the following year and so it continued for years to come until the White Witch's forces grew too strong for Narnia's already weakened troops, though it was only the Queen's skill in battle prowess and tactics that had kept Jadis away for so long, until on the twenty second year of her yearly pilgrimage, the Royal Escort was ambushed and then ensued the Battle of the Marshes where the Queen's Guard fell to Jadis' Dark Force which captured and executed the Queen. Not long after wards, Cair Paravel fell, for the first time since the beginning of time, to Jadis of Charn, the White Witch of the North.

It was quite a tragedy as it comes, but Aline had no time to pity the Last True Monarch of the Narnian Bloodline, before the Chosen Four came along. No, instead she was quite engrossed in looking for one small detail.. the necklace. In the very many illustrations, Swanwhite was a woman of beauty and grace needing no jewellery or embellishments to further adorn her, except for her silver circlet that served as her Crown. However very few illustrations of her in her latter years existed, probably due to her self-isolation, Aline concluded. But there was one. On the very last page of the book she held in hand, in it the Queen was bent over the Fountain, staring at her reflection and at her throat seemed to dangle, a chain with a pendent. She could not make out any more details of it for the quality of the image was just too small to know for sure.

She slammed the book back on the table in frustration. As much as she hated this, she needed to have a talk with Edmund. Aline had tried hinting as much as she could without revealing the entire thing to his siblings, namely Peter however from the responses she'd gathered the other Pevensie siblings only showed they had no idea of it. Somehow she wasn't surprised given his need to always be right and know everything that went on, he did not tell his siblings of it yet which only meant he didn't know more than what they both already did. Her necklace had at some point been worn by or had belonged to Queen Swanwhite, that or it was nothing but a terrible concidence.

With this slowly her mind drifted onto other issues- issues that she had to make constant effort to not think about certain things..

"A penny for your thoughts, my Lady?" the unmistakable voice of the High King interrupted her musings just as they were about to take a highly inappropriate turn as Aline blushed red turning to face him.

"Not any that is worth your time nor your penny, your Majesty." she attempted a half curtesy to which Peter threw his head back in laughter.

"Well, seems Mrs. Beaver's behavioral classes is working her magic on you too after all!" he jested. Especially the past few days, since Edmund ditched her and Peter taking over her training sessions, their formal-like relationship dissipated into something more jovial and even friendly.

"Unfortunately so. Even I am not immune to it." she admitted.

"Well, happens to the very best of us. Anyways," Peter continued, "did you by any chance happen to see Edmund around here? I've been looking for him everywhere since well, the past few days." he sighed as he seemed to count them on his fingers his head scanning the library around them exasperatedly as he spoke.

Aline hoped the distinct change in her features the sound of his name wrought went unnoticed, though knowing the highly receptive nature all the Pevensie siblings seemed to have been blessed with, she did not think so. Just as Peter said, "Are you alright?"

No. Actually she was not alright, at all. It had been days since she let him into her thoughts and to suddenly hear his name uttered out loud.. Aline thought she could handle it, pretend he never existed, wipe that night out of memory. She thought it'd be easier to just ignore him but the truth was, he was a huge part of her life now, whether she wanted it or not even though it most definitely was not in the exact way she wanted him to be. "Yeah, I'm fine." she forced a reply out for Peter's sake, "I think I've been cooped up indoors for so long I just need a breath of fresh air."

"In that case, it would be my pleasure to walk you outdoors. I just heard from the gardeners that the carnations are in full bloom and my! are they are sight to see."

"Oh," she began, trying to find someway to circumvent his offer, not that she had anything against the High King, but given everything, she badly felt like she needed some alone time, though all you've been having is alone time these days, her mind snidely snickered back. "I wouldn't want to impose besides I believe you were looking for your brother?"

"Edmund-" there it came, that deep pang in her chest again, "-can wait. Anyways, when he's determined to stay out of sight, no-one can find him until he wants to be found. So I'd rather take a comfortable stroll in the garden with a beautiful lady and spend my hard earned respite amongst the flowers than waste the little precious free time I've haggled off duty looking for my brother who very clearly doesn't want to be found anyways."

Aline didn't miss the almost bitter sadness in Peter's voice as he spoke of his younger brother. So, he wasn't that way only with her. Aline wondered what had happened to make him this way. Surely something ought to have, for it made no sense to her as to how someone who had everything they'd wanted and with such a great family by their side would end up so cold, cruel and distant. Some things he'd said to her, at the meadow seemingly a lifetime ago now echoed in her head but Aline shut it down even as those words formed, instead straining her focus back to the hand Peter had just now offered her.

"If you insist," she smiled taking it.

Edmund Pevensie was avoiding them, was what his siblings thought but truth be told, no his intention was not avoiding them but rather a certain green eyed fierce female that he forced himself to stay away from. It didn't help that the certain female was in constant company with one of them, usually to his annoyance the one he'd want to meet with then.

Edmund ran his hand through his hair in despair, he was right after all. The events of the night played themselves in no particular order. He recalled the way her small body fit against his much larger frame and he recalled the way she felt in his arms- light, as he carried her through the rain and the concern in her eyes as she woke him up from his nightmare and most importantly, the way she'd tasted, the feel of her hands in his hair- STOP! he had to mentally yell at himself. This was precisely why he was staying away from her. He needed to find a way to stop thinking of her, Edmund thought to himself desperately.

He looked out of the tower window overlooking the Northern Gardens. The carnations were in full bloom, Edmund couldn't help but wonder if she liked carnations? What was her favourite flower? She surely wasn't a red rose type of girl, was she?

Thankfully, before he could proceed any further the door creaked open, shedding light to a slender figure garbed in red with blonde tresses falling down to her waist.

"Your Majesty," Lady Carissa called in a honeyed voice as she sunk into a curtesy deep enough that he could see her exposed bosoms on her low-cut dress. The way her lashes fluttered while her gaze met him satisfied to know he'd noticed proved that was exactly what she'd intended for him to see.

"What was so important that it couldn't wait?"

"This." a frown along with a crease in her forehead from- was that worry? Hurt?- marred her otherwise perfect features.

Lady Carissa was the daughter of Princess Amisha, daughter of the Tisroc and Lord Gregory of Archenland, the nation's Royal Ambassador to Calormene. Now, the man as remarkable as he was, was quite a work. Tough, regal, commanding, as he had to be to brave the Calormene Court as an outsider. However the man seemed to be staunch in his work and his beliefs that upon a few meetings Edmund realised he was surely not going to get any information, especially the kind he wanted of sensitive nature. Sometimes, Edmund couldn't help but wonder where Lord Gregory's true intentions lie, despite King Lune's obvious trust in him.

But, his daughter on the other hand. Fell right up to him like a fiddle in his hand and he played her to his will. Not that she minded, he made sure. Carissa had been besotted by the Crown Prince of Calormene since their childhood in the Calormene Court. Alas, for her as seemed to be the way of men further South, the Crown Prince saw her no more than a conquest, apparently one he'd prefer to keep winning from time to time..

It was a sheer mistake or stroke of blind luck that Edmund had chanced upon them on his first official tour to Tashbaan and since armed with information of such caliber, convincing the girl to spy on Prince Rabadash and the workings of Tash's Kingdom, hadn't been too difficult a task for him especially considering the fact that wild spirited Carissa clearly not influenced by the societal norms she had been raised up in- or rather made so because of it, had definitely set her sights on a certain someone of the Narnian Royalty. So he indulged her, gave her what she'd wanted on the nights Rabadash had shunned her for someone new, and she'd happily complied. It was a purely symbiotic relationship, though it surely did help that the fair lady's looks did justice to the reputation that preceded her, as Archenland's fairest.

One thing that did play to their advantage, Edmund thought as he opened the already unsealed letter she held in her hand was Rabadash's misogynistic insecure nature that still kept Carissa in his favor if only so that she wouldn't find someone to replace him with. Detailed in the obviously personal letter at first was greeting and great proclamations of how much he'd missed her and would storm the Cair right now to rescue her from those Barbaric Abominations- look who's talking about barbaric, Edmund thought to himself- if only she'd give the word.

The lady bristled and fidgeted as she waited for him to go through its contents and Edmund skipped passed the niceties, especially curious as to what made her that way. And as he read on, a frown finding its way onto his face he understood what agitated her so. His lips pursued in a line and the frown deepened as he scanned through the contents of the letter again.

"What are you going to do?"

"I can't make any decisions by myself, Carissa."

"But you have to do something. That bastard!" the ever composed Carissa screached to his utter surprise. "How dare he ask that of me.." her voice trailed.

"You really do love him don't you?"

He never got a reply back, instead he was met with her stony glare.

"I don't think it matters now." she brought back her gaze to meet his and Edmund could make out glistening tears that threatened to make their way down her fair cheek but before they did, she blinked looking away, "If I may, your Majesty, what have your siblings to say about the.. condition we'd discussed of previously?"

"Well, Carissa." he began.

"They said no.." she muttured to herself, her voice coming out small and distant. She closed her eyes as she drew in a deep breath seeming to compose herself. "But why?" she bursted out instead, "It's the perfect excuse to getaway from all of that madness. I don't think I'll ever have another chance. You have to understand, please! I cannot go back there. I just can't! You promised."

"I know," Edmund clarified resisting the urge to roll his eyes or come off as inconsiderate, what is it with women these days jumping to conclusions and cutting him off before he got his point across, "We made you a promise and we intend to do good on it. You'll just have to wait a little bit longer. Things have just gotten a bit.." Edmund flipped the letter she'd given him in his hand a plan already taking form in his mind, "Interesting."

"How much longer?" she questioned.

"A month at most."

The look on her face showed him the answer he'd given her wasn't what she was expecting. Carissa sighed.

She gave up with a sigh, "You are my best shot at a chance in life that doesn't involve living in a harem and being Rabadash's slave and it's not like I've got anything to lose anyways." she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath almost like she'd resigned her fate to his hands and Edmund couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt and pity towards the Lady standing before him as she said, "So what's the plan?"

"We," he grinned almost evilly, a bit too proud of the idea that had planted itself in his head, "are taking a small trip to Calormene."

Carissa looked like she'd kissed a frog.

"Have a little faith," he teased, "If everything works out fine, no-one, not even your Royal Family could question your place in the Narnian Court or demand your return back to Calormene. It's the best course of action."

Whatever he said did not seem to ease the troubled look on her face and Edmund was hesitant to give out more promises that he might not be able to fulfill. They've been playing a dangerous game here and she was the one who had the most to lose.

"I shall remind you again, your Majesty, my loyalty is not to Narnia, but to you," her voice was small and beaten, yet she batted her eyelids suggestively. "I pledged my fealty to you my King. And I entrust my fate in your hands."

With that she moved in closer. Edmund held back a sigh, he really wasn't in the mood for whatever she had in mind, and she seemed to have caught on as her hands turned his head to meet her gaze before she leaned in further.

"What is it, my King?" her honeyed voice came whispered right at his ear, "You've been.. different lately and rather distant from me. Have I not been pleasing you well?"

Edmund knew her too well to give in to her willy charms. Carissa despite being the perfect vision of an innocent young dame with doe eyes and puckered lips, knew perfectly well the effect she had on men and never shied off of taking advantage of it and though she played the air headed Courtier role around well, almost everyone even him a bit too well, he could see the ambitious young girl she had been and the cleaver woman the girl had grown to be who knew exactly how to get whatever she wanted.

But in all honesty, as much as distraction was exactly what he needed, all Edmund could think about was a certain someone else. Someone else who seemed to always show up at all the wrong times, his breath hitched as he could make out two unmistakable figures stroll through the gardens down below.

"Maybe we need to rethink this arrangement." he said holding her back at arms length, "you're clever, Carissa though you may not put that fact out on display. And you're beautiful. You could have whatever you want, and I want you to see that. You deserve true happiness, and with your induction into the Narnian Court very soon, you would be free to find it."

She paused for a moment, her hand over his stilling their motion of trying to draw him closer, "Is that your way of telling me you have no use of me anymore?"

"Truth be told, Narnia is very much indebted for your services thus far and we still very much have need of you. But it's only fair for you that you have a chance to find someone who cares about you for you and not because of something they want in return. With your soon to be new found freedom you can be whoever you want to be with whomever your heart desires Carissa and that's what you deserve."

But Carissa was not fooled as he'd hoped, despite his honesty of caring for her it was nothing more than the way he'd care for any one of his citizens and he only hoped he did not come off as too rude with his rejection or rather, termination of their situationship. Instead, her eyes followed his line of sight before landing on the two figures that had taken a seat on the stone garden benches besides the fountain.

"Or," she said a mischievous look lighting up her eyes, as she made her way past him, "Could it be so that the Dark King finally gave his heart to someone? Just that the someone is not me."

He did not answer, instead following her to the window he had been gazing out of before her arrival. The view was vividly clear from here yet their position in the tower being high enough that the couple wandering through the gardens had no knowledge of the two up above spying on them.

Aline had never held on to his arm, not like that. But then, had he ever offered it to her the way he knew his pompous flirt of a brother most definitely had? A spark of jealousy worked it's way through his system. He could almost picture his brother say one of his lame jokes that weren't ever funny and she tuck her hair behind her ears as she often did while she laughed, the sound of it so sweet and contagious that it had never failed to bring a smile on his lips.

"That's all the answer I need." Carissa replied to his silence, just as she stood up. If Edmund hadn't been so engrossed at looking down at his brother plucking out flowers as he bunched them together to make a makeshift bouquet, he would've noticed the disappointment color her features for a minute right before she composed herself, "Well, I hope you figure this out though a word of advice if I may, I'd say talk to her and maybe.. lose that dark brooding demeanor for once."

"Nice advise, Carissa but no thanks. There's nothing of the sort going on between me and Aline. Besides, last time I checked, that's exactly what you liked." Edmund retorted back.

"Oh my, that was Lady Aline? I almost couldn't tell up from the height we're at! But if you say so, as I said hope you figure this out." she smirked smug at getting him to uncharacteristically blurt out her name.

"Carissa?" he called, to her now retreating frame as she reached the door, "Your safety here at Cair Paravel is guaranteed. You have my word.. and my thanks."

She did not look back.

If they hadn't been as engrossed in conversation about Susan and her obsession with having the Royal Siblings match each other's outfits at public occasions, they might have seen someone approach them from a mile off, instead-

"Edmund!" Peter called out in surprise. "Where have you been? We've been looking for you all these days."

"Save the concern Pete, we've got more pressing matters in our hands and I've called a meeting urgently." his gaze barely left his brother's almost as if he was making it a point to ignore her, "A private meeting, might I add."

She held on tight to the makeshift bouquet that Peter had made her from the carnations in the garden, held together with some vines. But now they seemed to come undone and the flowers fall out of its hold. Peter turned to her, apologizing about cutting their stroll short but she wasn't listening.

She wasn't ready to face him just yet. Aline felt her heart constrict at his blatant disregard towards her and it took all it had in her to put on a smile directed at the High King.

"No, it's fine you go ahead I can find my way back myself." she assured Peter to which he simply smiled and to her surprise took her hand before pressing it to his lips.

"Yeah you should," Edmund interrupted before the High King could say anything, "you've been here long enough to figure it out by now."

"Ignore my rude brother. Today was a pleasure and I apologize for cutting it short. However I'd like to show you the rest of what I'd promised some other time, of course only if you'd still want me too."

"Well, I guess we'll have to wait until your next 'hard earned respite amongst the flowers from the time you've haggled off duty' then." she offered him with a smile much to one King's delight and another's contempt.

With that, the boys hurried off in the opposite direction leaving her alone with only her bouquet that was falling apart in her hand as she saw them retreat.

He did not even turn back to chance her a last glance.

A/N: Alright that's cold and am sorry :( but it just had to be done. So what do y'all think of Peter and Al and also Carissa and Ed. And if you had noticed, I'd dropped hints on Carissa before. Anyways as usual your insight is always valued and cherished so drop a review down there and follow and favourite to keep up!

I've got to mention, that in case you haven't read the Chronicles of Narnia books, Queen Swanwhite is a canon character who'd ruled before the Pevensies and mentioned in the Last Battle. I did take a bit of creative license but the story of the Queen and the Mirror Pond is indeed canon as is the character King Gale and Prince Rabadash (as mentioned in the fourth The Horse and his boy). The rest, are mine though so far, I've tried my best to fit this in the canon timeline but let's see how things goes!

Next update cannot be promised any sooner than in a week, because I've got a whole load of assignments to do and too little time, but I shall try my best to make it extra special for you guys! Thank you so much for the support, ily :(