A/N: Well… I'm not really in much of a chatty mood, so I'm just gonna let you go ahead and read.

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia!

-Chapter 5-

Analiese couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. All she could do was hold out for the duration of the kiss and hope Peter would understand.

Finally, Peter released her. "I didn't know you felt like that," he murmured. Seeing a loose piece of blonde hair that had slipped from her half-up, half-down hairstyle, he gently brushed the back of his hand across her face. To the High King's satisfaction, he saw Analiese blush as he tucked the piece of hair behind her ear.

She began to say something in response, something to explain her words. "I-"

"Shh," Peter whispered.

"Peter, I-" Analiese paused. How was she going to tell him? He had taken it so well; how would he take it when she told him why she had really said what she said?

There was still one problem, though. Analiese didn't know why she said it. The blonde-haired beauty went back over the previous events of the past few minutes.

'No one but you,' she had told him. How happy he had looked! But something was still bugging Analiese. He was happy... but why?

It was then that she made her decision. Peter had already kissed her. Twice. She didn't know how he felt about her, but from his actions that week, she could make a pretty good guess. It would crush him if she explained the meaning behind her words. So she wouldn't, no, she couldn't, tell him. Not for her sake, but for his. And for their country.

Suddenly, Peter's lips met hers again. Analiese stood her place, not responding to the kiss, but submitting to it. With a confused look, Peter pulled back.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Then a flirtatious expression overcame the previous one. "Aren't you going to kiss back?" Peter raised an eyebrow and smirked at his future wife.

Analiese froze. She didn't know what to do. If she kissed back, he'd get the wrong picture. If she didn't, he'd think she didn't love him-and she didn't. She liked him, but love... that was going a bit far.

"Peter-" she trailed off. How could see do this without hurting him? Then an idea came to her. "It's getting late," Analiese said, pulling away from Peter's arms. "And it's inappropriate for me to be in your bed chambers at this time of night. If we got caught-"

"But we're not going to get caught." The blonde-haired king pulled Analiese back to him, about to wrap his arms around her again when she spoke.

"Peter," she placed her hands on his arms and looked him in the eyes. "Goodnight."

The Narnian girl turned around and had just begun to turn the knob to his bedroom door and leave when she heard, "Analiese."

She turned her head to see the High King behind her, rejection written clear on his face. For a moment, Analiese almost considered going back to him. But she shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts and said, "Good evening."

And with that, she left.

Analiese shut the door to Peter's bedroom quietly so as not to be heard by any of the guards stationed at the end of each major corridor of the Narnian palace and crept away. When she reached the large, wooden double doors that led to the world outside of royalty, she laid a slender hand on the knob. She was just about to turn it and leave when she heard someone behind her.

"Lady Analiese," a male voice said. She turned to see Edmund approaching her from behind.

"Oh, King Edmund," Analiese said, startled. All this time she had been creeping along the hallways, hoping no one would see her as she left. But of course, it wasn't very late yet, barely 10 o'clock in the evening, and the kings and queens would still be awake. "I wasn't expecting to see you again this evening."

Edmund laughed. "Well, I was just going to see Avaline when I saw you in the hallway."

"Oh, I see." There was a pause. "Are you having a nice evening, my King?"

"Honestly, Lady Analiese," Edmund chuckled. "You don't have to call me a king. I think I know my title, I don't need my family reminding me."

"But, your Majesty, I'm not family."

"You will be soon enough," he reminded her. She was just about to request he call her by her first name also, but he spoke first. "And yes, I will call you by your name, too."

"Thank you," Analiese said, smiling.

"Of course, anything for my future sister. Now, where were you headed before I stepped in?"

Analiese thought for a moment. Where was she going? Then she remembered. "I was going home. My family is probably getting worried as I have been gone the whole day."

"What's going on?" Queen Susan asked as she strolled into the wide, open foyer.

"Analiese was just worrying about getting home this evening. It's very late and she thinks her parents may worry if she stays any longer," Edmund answered.

Susan's beautiful face smiled at Analiese. "Why, Analiese, you could spend the night here with me!"

"Oh, I'm not sure-" Analiese began.

"It'll be wonderful!" Susan exclaimed, cutting her off. "We can talk and get to know each other better. And besides that, you won't have to travel to get here for wedding planning tomorrow."

"My parents will worry," the blonde-haired woman replied.

"Of course we'll have guards inform them of your whereabouts," Susan said.

Analiese was beginning to think Susan had an answer for everything. "What will I wear in the morning and to sleep in?"

"You can borrow a nightgown and dress of mine."

"I suppose that sounds alright," Analiese said slowly, agreeing with the Gentle Queen.

"We'll have such fun!" Then to Edmund, "Ed, get some guards to tell Analiese's parents where she is. We'll be in my quarters. Good night." And then they left.

00000000

Analiese was sitting on the bright purple bedspread of Susan's bed. The deep violet pillows were propped up as they always were when the bed was made. Susan was sitting on the other side of the bed, facing her soon-to-be sister-in-law.

The two women had been up for some time now, talking about various different things. Susan was just asking Analiese what color dresses she wanted for the bridesmaids and who she wanted as her bridesmaids and maid of honor.

"Well, I'd like you and Lucy as my bridesmaids," Analiese began, smiling as Susan's face visibly brightened.

"I've got to go tell Lucy!" Susan exclaimed, hurrying to the door of her bedroom.

"No!" Analiese shouted. Susan turned around, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Shouldn't we tell her that she's going to be a bridesmaid? After all, she's always wanted to be one and was secretly hoping you'd select her," Susan said.

"Let's not tell her now. It's late and if I know Lucy, she's been out for hours already. We can tell her in the morning," Analiese replied.

Susan came back over to sit on her bed with Analiese. "Well, now that that's taken care of, do you have anyone in particular that you'd like as your maid of honor?"

Analiese sat, hand under her chin as she thought this over. She finally answered with, "I think I owe my sister this place."

"You have a sister?" Susan asked. "I had no idea! What's her name? Is she older or younger? Does she look like you? What is her-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Susan!" Analiese said, waving her arms in X-shapes across her chest to signal Susan to stop. "One question at a time!"

Susan obediently crossed her legs Indian-style and folded her hands, placing them in her lap. She sat up straighter and looked at Analiese intently to tell her she was ready. Analiese laughed at the twenty-year-old queen. Susan raised her hand as if in a classroom. "Yes, Susan?" Analiese asked in her best teacher voice.

"Miss Welch, what is your sister's name?" the Gentle Queen asked in a child's voice.

Analiese chuckled. "My sister's name is Peighton. She is older than me, and is married with two children-twins, actually. She has dirty blonde hair with green-grey eyes and fair skin like mine. Her husband works in Archenland, so they live there." Analiese sighed in relief when she finished, and closed her eyes for a moment. When she re-opened them, she looked at Susan. "Is that all?"

Susan had her eyes wide. "Yes, but..."

"But what?"

"But your sister sounds so much more different than you. And you don't make it sound as if you like her very much," Susan remarked.

"I know. People used to tell my parents all the time that my sister and I were nothing alike. We used to argue all the time as children. But we became so much closer after the-" Analiese sucked in a deep breath, "the accident."

"Accident?" Susan said curiously.

"Yes, our little sister-"

"You had TWO sisters? Why am I just hearing about this now! We have to add them both to the guest list!" Susan yanked a quill, a bottle of ink, and a sheet of paper from the top drawer of her side table. She carefully dipped the tip of her quill in the ink bottle, positioned the quill on the paper, and asked, "What is your sister's name?"

"Susan-"

"Oh, and while we're at it, if you have any other family that you didn't bother to tell me about, I'd like to know now," the Gentle Queen told her friend.

"Susan-"

"Hold on; I'm writing down your sister's name. Okay, Peigh...ton," Susan sounded out the girl's name as she wrote; then confirmed what she had written. "Peighton. Alright, you were saying?" Susan looked up from her paper at Analiese expectantly.

"Susan, I-I don't think it's necessary," Analiese said hesitantly.

"What, having your family attend your own wedding? Of course it is! Are you out of your mind?"

"Su, my family-"

"Come on, Analiese! What is your other sister's name?"

"Queen Susan!" Analiese snapped. Susan's eyes widened; Analiese had always given off the image to everyone in the palace of a shy, but fun, girl. "I'm sorry... I don't know what got into me," she said apologetically.

"Don't apologize, Analiese. I should've listened to you. I was too busy being my annoying self," Susan reassured her.

"You're not annoying, Su."

"Sure," the dark-haired queen replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "So what were you trying to tell me before I so rudely interrupted?"

"I was trying to tell you... my little sister... she won't be coming to my wedding," Analiese said quietly, looking down at the bedspread beneath her.

"Why ever not?" Susan asked.

"Be-Because-my sister is d-dead." Two silent years slipped from Analiese's eyes to the bed below her, but Susan didn't mind.

"Oh, Analiese!" Susan exclaimed, moving to wrap her arms around the emotional girl. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea... you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No," she said, wiping the back of her hand across her face and blinking to clear out the tears. "It's fine. It was a long time ago, but I still see it so clearly in my mind."

"Of course you do, An. I'm sure I would, too, if I had seen Lucy or Avaline or Peter or Edmund, or even Caspian," here the Gentle Queen shivered at the thought of her secret crush being killed, "died."

"I know. And I'm sorry I didn't tell any of you sooner. I just don't really like giving someone else the burden of my life on their shoulders. It seems unnecessary to me."

"Well, you know you can always come to me to talk about anything. Avaline and Lucy are open, also. Caspian is the best of the boys to talk things out with, though," Susan said with a smile as she promised open ears and a loving sister to Analiese.

The blonde-haired Narnia girl simply nodded, a smile breaking across her face as she realized that she had all she needed here. There were no parents, no adults to boss them around, yet they always stayed out of trouble and were the most well-disciplined children Analiese knew. They had no wise, parental guidance to help them through life. All they had was each other, and it seemed as if that was all they needed. And the fact that Analiese was now becoming one of them was a dream come true.

Analiese's mother may not have understood her. Her father may have been too hard on her as a child. Her uncle may have forced her into a marriage she didn't want, though it hadn't even happened yet and was already the best thing in her life. Her older sister may have fought with her and hated her when they were children. Her younger sister may have had a slow, painful death at a very young age that brought the entire family back together; knit and woven together through their tears. But Analiese had one of those families now that she heard of in the storybooks, and saw in the marketplace. She had a kind, caring family now that would give her their unconditional love no matter what happened. And that was all Analiese needed. Or so she thought.

But that night the blonde-haired girl slept soundly, the heart-breaking dreams of watching her baby sister did leaving her for a night of peace and rest. These nightmares were replaced by the happy dreams of her and Peter's wedding, her and Peter raising a family together, and her and Peter being happy together, forever.

What really stood out to Analiese in her dreams was the giant, golden lion that stood, fair, majestic, and tall, before her in a bright, sunny meadow. He told her that everything that was happening to her now and ever would happen to her was his work, and that all things would happen for a specific purpose in her life and in others'. He told her to open up to Peter and his siblings, and to share her past with them. There was to be many a trouble coming soon to the kings and queens, he said. But the most shocking of all:

There was a battle coming. And Analiese would have to choose between two things that would change her life forever.

At that moment in her dream, in her mind flashed two images; one of her husband-to-be, and the other, a picture of a beautiful baby girl... a baby girl that looked exactly like her baby sister.

Analiese gave a blood-curdling scream and woke up.

A/N: This chapter was good… -ish. Yeah, that fits. Good-ish. Hehe, I think I made up a new word! Anyways… REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!