-Chapter 15-
A/N: I know, I know, you all hate me for not updating. We'll talk at the end of the chapter.
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The Christmas Ball was going to happen the next day, and Cair Paravel was in chaos. Christmas was everyone's favorite timeof the year, and the ball had to be perfect. Susan wanted this party to be legendary, even better than the Christmas Ball of the Golden Age, or as the Narnians now referred to it, the "Golden Holiday Ball." It was so incredible that it was in Narnian history books. Susan wanted this party to be even better.
Everyone was running around, making last-minute preparations. Everyone except Avaline, that is. Ever since Edmund found out she was pregnant, he had continually scolded Avaline for silly things like eating in the dining hall and walking to the library. Avaline didn't think she could handle it for seven more months. She'd go crazy!
Christmas was the best time of year, in Avaline's opinion, and the fact that she couldn't help with the party preparations made her angry. She and Edmund had made up and were happy again, but if he locked her up in her bedroom for seven months straight, she would make sure he was never happy again.
What scared her was the realization that if he was this overly-protective niw, he could only get worse. Avaline shuddered. He needed to be stopped, and soon.
Nonetheless, the Passionate Queen was forced to stay in her bedroom all day against her will. So she walked over to her green armchair, grabbed her favorite book off the bookshelf, and smiled as she began reading the first-hand account of her and Edmund's relationship before and during the Telmarine War. She loved the story of her and her boyfriend, but it was much more enjoyable through another person's eyes. Trufflehunter had written it, and Avaline absolutely adored the details.
And so the smile never once left her lips as she continued to read their story.
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Lucy skipped around the Great Hall excitedly, hanging wreaths and pinning mistletoe all around the large room. The fifteen-year-old couldn't wait for the party tomorrow. After all, it was the most joyful time of year.
The delicious fragrance of Christmas cookies drifted over to the young queen. Her mouth watered. Unfortunately, though, she couldn't have one until tomorrow.
"Hey, Lu, do you want me to get you one?" Edmund asked, coming up behind her.
"No!" Lucy exclaimed, turning to face him. "Susan won't be happy if you steal a cookie early again this year."
"She won't be mad, either," the nineteen-year-old replied. "She just told me that I could have one, and I, me being the loving brother I am, wanted to offer my beautiful, kind, giving sister a cookie."
Lucy sighed. "Edmund, what do you want?"
"Me?" Edmund asked innocently with wide eyes. "Oh, I don't want anything."
She raised both eyebrows. "Bull."
"I'll tell Susan."
"Tell her what?"
"That you said a bad word."
"But I didn't!" Lucy cried.
"You did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"What in Aslan's name is going on here?" a voice demanded from behind them.
Edmund cringed. That sounded an awful lot like Susan. He slowly turned around, his shoulders hunched and his eyes tightly shut in a frozen wince. He opened his eyes cautiously and faced Susan.
"Nothing," he squeaked after peeking at his older sister.
"No!" Lucy exclaimed.
Edmund stood up straighter, sighed, and shook his head to himself. She just couldn't keep her mouth shut, could she?
"Edmund was being a great brother and offering me a cookie," Lucy continued.
"He was?" Susan asked in disbelief. Lucy nodded enthusiastically, and the oldest Pevensie sister turned to her brother. "You were?"
Edmund stole a glance at Lucy, who gave him an encouraging nod. Then he grinned and nodded his head at the dark-haired queen. She still didn't buy it.
"Edmund offered you a cookie?"
"Yes," Lucy said.
"Are you sure it was Edmund?"
"Of course!"
"It wasn't Peter?"
"No!"
"Edmund Pevensie?" Susan raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes, giving her sister an incredulous stare.
"Why is it so hard to believe, Susan?" Edmund asked, stealing back her attention. On his face, he wore a smirk.
"You really want to know?" Susan asked. Edmund nodded. "I'll come right out and say it, then. Ed, you're never nice."
"I'm nice to Avaline," he pointed out smartly.
"She's your girlfriend," Susan shot back.
"I'm nice to Analiese."
"She's your friend."
"I'm nice to-"
"Whatever!" she cried, exasperated, throwing her hands in the air. She pushed past her brother and was just about to walk away when she leaned in to his ear and whispered, "I'm watching you."
Then she left, heading toward the kitchen.
"You're welcome," Lucy said, gaining Edmund's attention again. "You owe me, big time."
Then Lucy left as well, and he was left to deicde what to do next.
"What do you think I should do, cat?" Edmund asked the grey and white tabby in the corner of the huge room, laying a few feet away from him. It was a Dumb Beast, so it couldn't talk. "Should I go annoy the others, or raid the kitchens?"
Edmund leaned down as if to listen to is answer, then nodded thoughtfully before standing up straight again.
"Yes, annoying the others does sound nice." The Just King picked up the small kitten, who gave a quiet 'meow' from deep inside its chest, and said, "Let's go."
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"Hello!" Edmund drew the word out with enthusiasm.
"Hi," Avaline said cautiously, a strange, confused half-smirk on her face as she turned to face her boyfriend. She looked over him before asking, "What are you so excited about?"
"Cookies!" was the only word he needed to say for her to understand.
"Have you been sneaking Christmas cookies again?" she asked suspiciously.
"You were never here the first time I did it!" he retorted. "You weren't even born in the Golden Age!"
"Susan tells me stories."
"Oh... but no! Susan told me I could have one! And then I tried to offer one to Lucy, but I got in trouble. I just think that that's awfully hypocritical since Susan never offers Lucy cookies. But she told me that I never do and that I'm never nice. Every time I don't be nice to Lucy, I get yelled at. Every time I am nice to Lucy, I get yelled at. I just can't freaking win!"
The Just King took several deep breaths to calm himself, then smiled sheepishly at Avaline, who was watching him with a scared, wide-eyed expression. "Sorry about that," he apologized.
"I'm sorry I had to hear that," Avaline said, still dumbfounded.
"You don't have to act so surprised, Ava. It's normal to vent when you're feeling stressed or anxious."
"I'm not surprised."
"Then what's that look on your face?"
"That's the look reflecting the shock I'm feeling." She saw his questioning eyes and explained. "I can't believe that you're going to be acting like that. As a father, I'm not sure it's very good behavior."
"Oh," Edmund said. Understanding flooded his face. "Sorry, baby," he apologized, his focus on her stomach.
Avaline rolled her eyes, but she couldn't force the smile off her face as she wondered how she managed to fall in love with such an idiot?
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At the end of the day, everyone felt as if they had accomplished something. Susan, Lucy, and Analiese had completed decorating for the ball. Edmund had finished picking out food, drinks, and snacks, along with having them ordered and prepared. Peter and Caspian had moved the party tables and chairs into the Great Hall and had all other furniture pieces and such placed where it belonged. And Avaline...
Well, Avaline read a book for the whole day.
But other than that, the work was done and ready for the next evening, when everything would play out perfectly during the ball.
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A/N: Oh my gosh, I am really, really, really sorry about not updating sooner! I was on some serious writer's block, and even if I had had the chapter written, I wouldn't have had the time to post it because I've been so busy. It was the end of the school year and tests and final homework grades were piling up. For the entire summer, I have cheerleading camp and practice, and then I'll still have it during the school year. Also, I've been really upset for the past few days because of something I regret not doing on my last day of school on Friday. All in all, I've been very stressed out. So I am truly sorry you all had to wait so long! The good news is, I have until at least four chapters typed up now, so they're just waiting to be posted.
Will you please pray for my cousin? He found out he has cancer last week and they told him that he only has a month left to live.
On a happier note, I'M AMOST TO 100 REVIEWS! I freaking love you all! I almost got to this point with "Just the Justice," but it ended before I could. But this story... I have a feeling it'll get a lot more reviews soon ;) Plot twist! But don't give up on me now!
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