Disclaimer: I only own the plot and some characters you do not recognize.

A/N: Wee, I updated earlier than usual again! I'll be gone for the whole day tomorrow so yeah, I might as well post this thing already.

Treat this chapter as a "calm before the storm". As cliche as it may sound, it is actually true.

Review afterwards! Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Jealousy

"Peter proposed to me."

Her words were whispered so softly, Edmund had to strain his ears in order to perfectly hear her. But judging by the fact that he froze on his seat, Hermione knew that he had heard her.

She quietly observed him, her face worried and a little subdued. After Lucy's reminder of their little predicament regarding Peter, it had nagged Hermione for quite some time now. Edmund had been noticing her strangeness for the past few days already and as they met up in the gazebo that night, Hermione knew that Edmund must know about Peter's proposal.

"What?" he asked breathily, his eyes widening as every second passed. To Hermione's surprise, he shot up from his seat, the legs of his chair making an awful, screeching sound. He started to pace, to and fro, and Hermione patiently watched. She knew he needed time to let her revelation sink in and she was afraid that if she were to interrupt him, he'd blow up.

Edmund's cheeks were growing red; he was starting to worry his bottom lip. His eyebrows were deeply knitted together and his pacing turned brisk and terse. "I… I…" he blubbered, at loss of what to say. Finally, he stopped directly in front of Hermione and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She guilty looked at her lap. "I… forgot," she honestly confessed.

He glared. "You forgot?" he asked, disappointment heard in his voice.

She looked back up at him and scowled. "Well, breaking news, I have other things to think about besides Peter and his surprising proposal," she shot back, defending herself. "And then, you happened and all I could think about is how blissfully happy I am and all other worries seemed to be suddenly shoved at the back of my mind."

Edmund's gaze softened at her explanation. For a moment, he looked at her, and then, he expelled a huge sigh of exhaustion. "When?" he asked. "When did he propose to you?"

"During Caspie's birthday," she said, her fury slowly dissipating.

He frowned and sat back down on his chair. "That long ago?" he asked. He paused, an indecipherable look crossing on his face. And then, with some great difficulty, he asked, "What did you answer him?"

Hermione was hit by the insecurity in his voice. His jaw was tightly clenched as he pointedly looked at her and she almost smiled, disbelieving of how terribly afraid he was of what she would answer him. "Well, I'm here with you now, am I not?" she asked, placing a hand on top of his. "Peter… he told me that he'd wait for my answer and I do not need to rush."

Edmund released a breath he did not notice he had been holding. His forehead fell on top of the table in exhaustion. He shifted his hand on top of hers and squeezed it tight.

She stared worriedly at him as he slowly lifted his head up again. "What are we going to do?" he softly asked, his voice strangely small as opposed to his usual, authoritative one.

Wistfully, Hermione smiled at him. "I've been asking myself that for days now, Edmund," she told him. Slowly, she stood up from her seat and approached him. She placed her hand at the back of his head and allowed his forehead to lean against her stomach. She felt him melt against her, lifting up his arms to wrap themselves around her torso.

"Peter will go berserk," he mumbled worriedly against her stomach.

"I know," she whispered back.

"He might stop talking to us, Hermione," he added.

Gingerly, she nodded. "I've foreseen that."

"He fancies you," Edmund he said. "So much so, good Aslan, he adores you."

Hermione ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Yes," she said, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. His eyes flittered close, holding onto her tight. "But we'll figure something out," she swore, her determination resurfacing.

Silently, both knew that the coming days would be hard for the two of them.

Peter's birthday was coming and as tradition, they all threw a birthday ball for him. It was, after all, the birthday of the High King of Narnia, and a celebration was called for. The whole castle was once again abuzz, preparing various things that would be needed. Even those outside Cair Paravel were preparing for the birthday of High King Peter the Magnificent.

"Hermione, love, aren't you going to prepare?" Susan asked, peeking from the loo. Hermione noticed with an amused smile that she was only wrapped around a towel, but her face and her hair were already beautified for the event that night.

"Eh, she always prepares at the last minute, Su. No need to worry," Lucy said from her boudoir, waving a dismissive hand. The youngest Pevensie was already dressed for Peter's birthday, a red dress adorning her slender body. Her hair was tied into a loose bun and her make-up was, as usual, perfect. Hermione could already imagine Ardon's face as soon as he saw the lovely queen.

The baby in Hermione's arms gurgled happily, his eyes roaming all over Lucy's room. He was adorably dressed in a simple red robe with golden accents. Hermione fondly remembered her Gryffindor house as she stared at little Caspie. He happily clapped his hands as he saw his mother, and Susan playfully stuck out her tongue, prompting him to laugh louder.

Susan soon then adorned a green dress and unburdened Hermione by taking back Caspian the XI into her arms. With Lucy's constant flittering and Susan's constant reminders and tips, Hermione was able to wear a lovely yellow dress. A yellow headband kept her hair in place, since she opted to leave it untied. Thankfully, Lucy allowed her to merely wear some eyeliner and lipgloss, keeping her face as natural as possible.

"Oh, how Edmund will gape," Lucy whispered teasingly, bringing a blush on Hermione's cheeks. She chuckled at the brunette's instant reaction, absentmindedly tucking a stray strand back into its place. "You look beautiful, Hermione."

She grinned and playfully curtsied. "And so do you, your highness," she answered back. "I believe you will render Ardon speechless by your mere presence tonight."

Lucy prettily blushed, although she could not restrain the growing smile on her face.

"What are you two whispering over there?" Susan asked.

Both Lucy and Hermione simultaneously looked at the gentle queen and innocently smiled. "Nothing," they both said in unison.

Susan stared at them in amusement, shaking her head. "All right, all right, if you say so," she said, shifting baby Caspie in her arms. "We must go then. I think Peter's wondering where we all have been."

"By the way," Hermione said, looking around Lucy's bedroom. "Has anyone seen Sybill?"

"Oh, she said she had to go back to your bedroom for a while," Susan said, shrugging her shoulder. "I believe she will follow us, then."

Lucy smiled and then linked arms with Hermione. "Let us go now!" she exclaimed. "Strangely, I feel excited."

Hermione smiled, concurring with Lucy. She felt like nothing bad will happen in the ball at all.

Edmund sighed on his throne, obviously getting bored as the ball continued. Peter was off jumping from one place to another, acting like a social butterfly, much to the just king's chagrin.

Although he deeply cared for his brother, he still thought that throwing a birthday ball was unnecessary. With an amused smile, he thought that it was like the umpteenth time he had acted like this over parties. Well, what could he do? He believed he was genetically made to be appalled over these ridiculous celebrations.

The difference tonight, though, was that he looked forward to see Hermione. Great Aslan, the lady was still nowhere to be found and Edmund was silently dying in anticipation. Her past images during the celebrations in Cair Paravel was still vivid in his mind; he couldn't wait how she would look right now and staring, or more fittingly gaping, would be welcomed.

Sybill Trelawney just strolled inside the Great Hall and Edmund couldn't help but admire her from afar. Truth be told, she gave him the creeps, especially when she had changed herself from being an old lady to what she looked right now. After all, he never had any pleasant experiences when it came to witches. Sybill looked fairly wonderful today, though, and he honestly wished that she would have a good time tonight.

"Happy birthday, your highness."

Thalia's familiar voice caught his attention. Edmund turned around and sought for her face, finally spotting her amongst the crowd. What surprised him, though, was the unmistakable bump on her stomach. She still looked beautiful, albeit the obvious weight she had gained. The Duke of Galam stood proudly by her side, his arm wrapped around his wife's shoulders. He could see from such a simple gesture how much he cared deeply for the Caloremen princess. Although they did not exactly have a happy past, Edmund was sincerely happy for the princess who was once infatuated of him.

His eyes then landed on Peter, and all happiness left him as he remembered Hermione's revelation to him a few nights ago. His big brother had proposed to the object of his affections. He could not deny the alarm that he suddenly felt when he asked what she had answered. The relief was monumental when she told him she had not yet answered Peter.

It had surprised him that Peter had impulsively asked her for marriage even before they had engaged themselves in a relationship more than friendship. Although, Edmund was not entirely surprised. He was aware of Peter's deep devotion to Hermione. He deduced the lady-in-waiting was surprised, but she had never heard Peter's ardent compliments about her behind her back.

He had mixed emotions about this new discovery. He felt guilty that he had Hermione. He felt worried that Peter would not take it lightly when he discovered they were dating (or something like that). He felt somehow overprotective of Hermione, naturally territorial when he discovered that another person made a move on his woman.

But most of all, he felt ridiculously triumphant. It was silly and he knew it, but he could not remove that burst of emotion in his heart. There had always been this unspoken rivalry between him and Peter, even before they were introduced to Narnia. Perhaps, it was because Peter was older, and always the one that was noticed, the magnificent, and he was merely his younger brother, Peter's brother. They had most often wanted the same thing, and unsurprisingly, it was always good, ol' Peter who gained them.

And now… Hermione. She would be furious if she discovered he regarded her as a prize. 'No, no, not like that,' he fondly thought, imagining her lovely, angry face. 'It's between men, Hermione. You wouldn't understand.'

She was, without any doubt, the best among all of the things he had fervently wished for in his whole life. Fighting for her wasn't easy, either; hence, the fulfilment of finally making her his was immense.

Still, Edmund could not shake off that sense of dread when Peter finally discovered that he and Hermione were in a relationship. Edmund was infamous for being the Pevensie who had the shortest temper; Peter came into a close second. He knew that Peter would never let this situation slide.

Deep inside, he worried for Hermione. After all, she would never feel at peace if she knew that someone she deeply cared about ignored her. Just look at her when he had ignored her when she 'rejected' him.

The doors of the Great Hall once again opened and in came Susan and little Caspie. Lucy followed her and as usual, both of her sisters were stunning. And then, in came Hermione and he, unconsciously, slowly stood up from his throne, awe clearly written all over his face.

She was, simply put, beautiful. Perhaps, 'beautiful' was too common as a word, but Edmund was too busy staring at her to correct his seemingly blank mind. His throat grew dry as his eyes ran all over the length of her body, marvelling every curve. Her face was the most exquisite and it made his heart skip a beat, knowing that she was his.

Her eyes then sought the whole room until they landed on him. Edmund felt a blush growing when she offered him a small, secret smile. He smiled back and the blush that he was able to see on her cheeks once again sent those butterflies in his stomach to flitter wildly in his stomach.

He was too busy staring to notice that even Peter was looking at her. He was too busy staring he was not able to notice that Peter strode quickly into the front of the room. It was only when Peter clapped his hands to get everybody's attention for him to discover that his brother was now standing beside him.

"Citizens of Narnia," the High King started, gesturing his hands, "my dear friends and siblings" – he shot Edmund a quick glance – "I want to take this opportunity to all thank you for attending my birthday ball. Now that I've turned twenty-three, again (quite a number who got his joke laughed), I am glad to celebrate it in a country that I came to love the most with people I deeply care about."

Peter slightly walked towards the very center, now a few meters away from Edmund. "This past year had been quite stressful for all of us and as your High King, I appreciate that you all supported my siblings and me with your unwavering faith." His little speech was interrupted when all the guests broke into clapping. Peter then raised his right hand to stop them, waiting until the last applause died down.

His face turned slightly grave, a frown now growing on his face. "Narnia faces a dark future and I apologize I cannot give too much detail about it," he continued.

Edmund's eyes slightly widened, surprised that Peter was giving everybody a hint of what their future awaits. He observed how the audience once again broke into soft murmurs, confused looks on their faces. He noted with envy how Peter merely stared at the crowd, waiting for them to finish. Soon, they were once again reduced to silence, seeing the patient look on their High King's face.

"However," Peter then said, his tone growing stronger. Edmund noticed how the High King's eyes strayed somewhere amidst the crowd. He noticed how Peter's eyes brightened, how his smile widened, and how his cheeks slightly reddened. With a sinking heart, he already knew who Peter was looking at. "Narnia is blessed with a beacon of light and hope, the Chosen One, and I cannot deny how much important she became to me."

The just king swallowed a forming lump in his throat. He sought for Hermione in the crowd and saw the look on her face.

He was afraid he was sporting the same look as she had.

"As I stand here on my twenty-third birthday, ladies and gentleman, today I am not High King Peter the Magnificent, Emperor of the Lone Islands, Emperor of Cair Paravel, and Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion," he continued earnestly, his gaze on Hermione intensifying. "Today, I humble myself down as merely Peter Pevensie, a mere Son of Adam, asking for this special girl to honor me with a dance."

Peter then descended the steps and walked into the crowd. Everybody parted away like the Red Sea as the High King walked deeper until, he stopped in front of a baffled Hermione Granger. All of the guests buzzed with intrigue and excitement as he offered his right hand and courteously bowed down, a patient smile on his face.

A sudden fire of jealousy grew in Edmund's heart and he helplessly watched as slowly, Hermione accepted Peter's hand.

Instantly, Edmund looked away.

Hermione stared at his proffered hand, dumbfounded beyond utter comprehension. Her hands started to shake, the panic inside her system slowly building up. She hopelessly stared at Peter's hand, at loss of what to do. The High King's smile had shown so much hope; it painfully clenched the brunette's heart.

At the corner of her eyes, she could see Lucy's worried look. The other guests had this knowing, yet surprised look on their faces as they waited for her action towards their king's request.

'What should I do? What should I do?' she asked herself, anxious and torn. For a fraction of a second, she lifted her eyes and stared at Edmund at the very front of the Great Hall. Although he was too far away, she could see the stiff look on his face.

'Should I accept it or not?' she asked herself, biting her bottom lip. Once again, she looked back at Peter's hand and knew she must choose the lesser evil between the two. It was, after all, Peter's birthday. She'd be heartless if she refused his request today.

Hence, she slowly lifted her hand and placed it on top of his offered one. Quickly, she looked back at Edmund. He was now looking away from them.

Dread started to grew inside the pit of her stomach as Peter led her at the very middle of the dance floor. He placed his left hand on the small of her back, his right hand gripping her left. She blindingly placed her other free hand on top of his shoulder and soon, they were swaying with the music.

Other couples started to join them, all dancing elegantly with the music. She recognized Susan and Caspian, both holding each other close as they slow danced together. She even noticed Sybill in the arms of an unfamiliar noble, a look of happiness and contentment on both of their faces. Hermione had noticed a few more things as she continued to dance with Peter, determined to stay silent under such awkwardness.

"Did I surprise you?" Peter asked, a hint of sheepishness in his voice.

Hermione looked at him for a while and noted their close proximity. She swallowed and immediately looked away. "Frankly, yes," she answered back, her voice cracking.

Peter released a nervous chuckle. "Err… yes, I apologize for that," he said. "I just… couldn't resist myself." He paused and surveyed her whole face. Unwillingly, she grew hot under his scrutinizing gaze. "You look beautiful, Hermione."

She bit her bottom lip. "T-thank you," she stuttered. Her eyes momentarily looked back at the front of the Great Hall again. Edmund was already gone. Strangely, guilt formed at the pit of her stomach and she had this sudden urge to pull away from Peter and seek for Edmund.

To say that she was surprised when Peter suddenly addressed her in such a way, in front of a large crowd, no less, was the biggest understatement of the century. Everything was so unexpected and when everyone looked at her direction, curious and highly intrigued, she illogically wished for a hole to appear on the ground and swallow her whole.

And to think that Peter had blatantly announced to everyone that he was humbling himself down as he asked her as Peter Pevensie and not the High King of Narnia, to dance with him. Of course, the honor she felt was undeniable. Still, she wished it was Edmund who had done that. But then again, their relationship was still kept as a secret.

At the corner of her eyes, she looked at Peter. He had this genuine and happy, albeit nervous, smile stretched widely on his face. With a sinking feeling, she wondered how that smile would be wiped away from his face once he discovered that his brother and Lucy's lady-in-waiting are in a relationship.

"It has been weeks ever since I…" The High King cleared his throat, his cheeks inflaming. "Do you have - "

His words died down, his eyes looking imploringly at her direction. What must she say when he was looking at her so hopefully on the day that was supposed to be the most important for him. "I-I," she started. "I… umm… had thought about it, your highness. I honestly do but I still don't have…"

She paused, thinking if what she was saying was the right thing at all. 'Tell him 'no',' a voice inside her head, the one that had always sided with Edmund, screamed inside her mind. 'Tell him 'no' and then everything will be all right.'

Except it would not because of a high possibility that Peter would not talk to her anymore.

"It's all right," High King Peter immediately said. "I can still wait." He squeezed her hand tight, a determined look appearing on his face. "I will always wait for you."

His sincere words pierced her heart. She bit her bottom lip and tried her very best not to cry. Much to her immense relief, the song had ended and Peter slowly pulled away from her.

"I had a lovely time, Miss Granger," he truthfully said, a small smile on his face. He bowed down, bid her a 'goodnight', and then walked away from her.

Without any second thoughts, Hermione turned around and fled the Great Hall, wanting to get away from a suddenly suffocating room.

Once she was outside, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to push the dread away. Her feet had then brought her to the empty gazebo and she plopped down on her usual seat, suddenly feeling exhausted.

Hermione thought it was ridiculous, making Peter continue to wait for her answer. She thought it was unfair to Edmund now that they were in a relationship. But strangely, she could not bring herself to tell it to Peter. Some unimaginable force always stopped her from doing so.

'The more you prolong, the worse the consequences will be,' logic told her as she sighed and slumped down on her seat, scowling at the complexity of her situation.

Footsteps then were heard and she straightened her back. Edmund stopped at the entrance of the gazebo, his face void of any emotions. He stared at her intently and Hermione released a soft sigh. She could detect under his layers and layers of pretension that he was not exactly feeling thrilled today.

Slowly, she stood up from her seat and approached him. She gingerly clutched both of his hands and gave them a squeeze, pulling him at the very middle of the gazebo. She then stopped, placed one of his hand on her waist, the other tightening her hold on it. Hermione then leaned closer to him, much closer to how she had been with Peter a while ago, and then placed a hand on his shoulder.

She then led him to a dance, noting with a sad frown that he was stiff and tensed. As minutes passed by though, he started to relax and melt into Hermione's arms. She was much closer to him now, her forehead now pressed against his shoulder. The hand on her waist was now encircled around, pressing her lightly against his body.

"Are you mad?" she asked him without looking up.

Edmund shook his head. "No," he softly answered back. Hermione detected the truthfulness in his words and smiled.

"Jealous?" she asked, this time looking up at him.

He slightly scowled, avoiding her searching eyes. He mumbled incoherent stuff, which Hermione did not catch. She was quite sure, though, that they were not-so-pleasant things.

She then softly laughed and kissed his jaw, grinning widely against his skin. "You know," she said, "you are ridiculously adorable when you are jealous."

His cheeks turned into a dark shade of red. "I am not ridiculously adorable," he retorted back, his scowl growing. "Do not call me as such in the future ever again."

Hermione fondly looked at him and placed a hand against his cheek, forcing his eyes to connect with hers. "I'm sorry," she softly said once his onyx eyes connected with hers. "I thought it was… right."

A small smirk grew on his face. He shifted his head to bestow a kiss on her palm. "I know," he whispered. "You and your self-righteousness." Edmund then sighed and completely stopped their dancing. He then drew Hermione into a hug, burying his face into her tresses. "I just got… jealous."

"I figured," Hermione said, softly chuckling. "Although what Peter did was surprising. I could not even begin to explain how astonished I was."

Edmund pulled away and looked down at her. "I'm not entirely surprised he did that," he said, looking at her with awe. "You look… stunning."

She prettily blushed, now shyly smiling. "T-thank you," she stuttered, prompting him to smirk. "You, err, don't look bad at all."

Edmund laughed. "I do believe you thought something different about my appearance today, my dear Hermione," he said. "Perhaps, a better description in your mind."

Hermione rolled her eyes, although she could not suppress the smile on her face. "Now, don't get too cocky," she admonished.

He grinned and swooped down to give her a quick kiss on her lips. "Hmm… that will be a hard task, Miss Granger," he said. "Seeing that the most beautiful creature is currently trapped in my arms."

Her cheeks darkened. "Stop it," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "Get used to it," he retorted back. "I'd make it a point to compliment you each day."

She sighed and pinched his nose, much to his amusement. "Be warned that your compliments will not get you out of mistakes you will commit in the future," she sternly stated. "Need I remind you that I can be very stubborn, your majesty?"

"Mmmhmm," he said, placing a hand on her cheek. "The most stubborn person I have ever met." Edmund then fondly smiled down at her and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'm happy being with you," he earnestly confessed, connecting his eyes with hers.

Hermione smiled. "Me too, Edmund," she whispered back. "Me too." She then tiptoed and met his lips for an anticipated kiss.

Just then, a loud shattering noise broke them away from each other. They simultaneously looked at the entrance of the gazebo. Hermione gasped in surprise while all the color of Edmund's face disappeared. Because there, standing dumbstruck and silently furious was Peter, a broken pieces of what used to be a wine glass now shattered on the ground.

"I… can't believe - " the High King blubbered, too furious to construct a coherent sentence.

The brunette broke away from Edmund, a desperate look now settling on her face. "Peter, we can explain - "

The magnificent king darkly glared and shook his head in utter disbelief, before turning around and stomping away, all pleas of Hermione and Edmund's call falling into deaf ears.

A/N: DUN DUN DUUUUUUNNNNN *insert evil cackling here*

LOL, things are starting to spice up now. I hope I'm starting to make all of you anticipate more!

I'd probably update on Sunday (it's earlier than usual again!). I'll be moving to my dormitory on Monday so I'll be as busy as a bee. Dear Merlin, my college life will start next week already and I honestly feel nervous and excited at the same time. Wish me luck!

That's all for now :) Please review, my darlings

With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe