Prompt #2: Tell a tale directly related to Cor and Aravis's wedding.

I seem to be writing humor this round too—perhaps we write what we need right then. On to the mischief!

Corin slowly, so painstakingly slowly, peeked around the corner and surveyed the corridor leading to the door. The door, the one entering the courtyard—the one closest to the stables.

And to Cor and Aravis' beautifully decorated carriage and the two beautiful (dumb) horses that pulled it, with scarlet ribbons wound through their manes. Corin had plans for those ribbons. And the carriage, too.

But he had to get there first. The corridor hadn't been empty when he'd looked; there's been Lord Por, stumbling towards the door with his slow, meandering steps, his white hair laying thick over his bent back. But surely, even with that slow stride, Lord Por would be gone? Corin poked his head around the corner again and grinned.

The corridor was empty.

Then it was full, for a few rushing seconds, as the Prince sped as quietly and quickly as he could, pausing at the door with breathless haste, only to very slowly turn the knob, and pull the large door open just enough to let a little light and one person through.

Then he closed it quietly, ran through the empty courtyard (Lord Per had been going the other direction), and slipped into the stable. He took a deep breath, filling his mouth and nose with the scent of straw, horses, and dirt. He felt his lips turn up in a boyish grin.

"I made it; the worst is behind. Whew. Now to work!"

"And what work, pray, would that be?" Queen Lucy's* merry voice floated over one of the stall doors, and her gay face soon followed. "For truly, fellow playmate, little work was given to thee to do this day. Did I not hear thy royal father saying thy one task was to behave in a princely fashion?"

"I am a prince, and so whatever actions I take are princely," he sputtered indignantly.

"Thou hast learned logic from thy soon-to-be-married brother, my playmate. Still, many would say thy furtive manner does not befit a prince. Especially on such a day."

"I am doing this because of today. Truly, Queen Lucy, I don't think Father will mind."

The Queen came over, half-smiling when she had to look up to study the eyes of the Prince. "Canst thou swear it on thy honor, Corin?" He nodded, and her smile became a full, bright expression of joy—and of mischief. "Then it would ill befit me as a Queen not to help."

Corin started laughing, quickly shoving his hand over his mouth to muffle the sounds. He grabbed the Queen's hand and pulled her towards the horses. "This way," he whispered. He went to one of the matching white mares and began unthreading the ribbon from its mane. "Here, you do the other one."

The Queen slipped over to the other mare, running a soothing fair hand down its back before copying his motions. "Wilt not tell me the purpose behind these plans? For my joy would increase with my understanding."

"I'm going to switch the horses with two others I've picked," Corin whispered back. "It should make their ride to the hunting lodge much more interesting. But Aravis insisted on these silly ribbons, and she'll notice if they're not in place."

"Truly, when I came looking for my sister, I did not expect to find her at such a task," came a dry voice from behind them. Both Queen and Prince spun around with guilty haste, to see King Edmund the Just standing behind them with an eyebrow raised.

"I desired but to help-"

"These mares wouldn't get them to the hunting lodge before dark, so I'm-"

Both voices trailed away before the King's expectant silence.

"I need to switch out the horses for two others I've picked," Corin admitted reluctantly. "But it's for their own good, really! These two are so tame, and boring, and not really good for anything but looking pretty. I've found two others that will work much better. Truly." He looked at King Edmund as earnestly as he could.

"Thou believest what thou sayest," the King said gravely. "So tell me, fair mischief-makers, what remains to be done?"

Corin blinked. "What?"

"The time for the groom and his brother to stand to their places draws near; you have but minutes. Would another pair of hands not help?"

"Oh, of course. Loosen the harness on the right side, attached to the carriage—it'll need to be a bit bigger."

"And the left side?"

"It's fine; leave it. You're really going to help?" Corin asked dubiously as the King stepped to the harness laying across Queen Lucy's mare and began loosening the buckles with capable hands.

"I demand that thee show me these 'better' horses, but I believe thy heart is princely. And I also believe that my presence may rein in some of you and my sister's more thoughtless tendencies," he added, eyes twinkling over the white mare and brown leather. Corin grinned back at him.

"There! 'Tis done!" Queen Lucy said, drawing the last ribbon out from the mane.

"Quick then, this way! You and I have to braid them back in place—and then King Edmund can check the pair I've found," Corin added, leading the pair past stall after stall, till they reached the very end of the stable.

King Edmund stared for a long moment, then raised his eyebrow again. "Perhaps thou hast more wisdom than I gave thee credit for. These will certainly make our friends' journey much more interesting."

Later that night, after both the wedding and the banquet finished (small affairs, by comparison—just those in the castle already, for Aravis had declared that if there were too much fuss or too much time she and Cor would quarrel about it and probably call the entire wedding off), King Lune and Corin stood on the balcony and watched the pair ride off in their carriage.

"My son, I have a question for thee. I had ordered for Silky and Star to be matched to your brother's carriage for this night." Corin tensed. His father's tone held a warning. "Yet, I see not white mares, but two horses in white coats and hoods, with scarlet running through their manes."

"Yes, Father?"

"Corin."

"I thought it would be best!" Corin burst out. "They weren't going to make it in time to reach the wedding, but I spent a full week sending Birds to search for them—I borrowed them from Queen Susan, father, and she approved, so I knew it'd be all right—just so they could get here in time. And then I thought, well, they went on a long journey together to freedom—it's only right that Bree and Hwin take them on this journey too. And they said they didn't mind, even if it's not really Narnian for them to pull a carriage. And I thought-"

"Peace, Corin. I am not angry."

"No, father?"

King Lune put an arm around his son's shoulders. "Thou acted with a princely generosity, and gave the two of them one of the best of gifts—to go in the hands and in the company of friends. Well done, my son."

*I am aware that the wedding likely took place after the Four had disappeared (based on ages in The Silver Chair), but it's my story and "I do what I want." So there!

I am curious—how obvious was it who the two Horses were going to be?