A/N: Okay, I know that you all probably hate me. I haven't updated in forever, you thought something was wrong, you thought I abaonded you, yada yada yada. I've heard it all… in my EXTREMELY full PM. Oh, sorry about that, too. I've been trying to answer you all one at a time, but it's pretty difficult when there's just so many!
Anyhoo… so I've had these two chapters written for awhile, but my life has been unbelievably busy over the summer, so I didn't have time to even upload them, let alone post! I was really bummed out about me not being able to post much over summer, though. After all, isn't writing what summer should be all about?! Haha, yeah… not really.
So, in short, sorry. I don't really feel like explaining because it'd probably take up twenty pages, putting into consideration my habit for lingering on details and explaining every single thing. But I am making a promise to TRY to post more often now that summer's over and I have this to help me get away from that. Key word there: TRY. I may not be able to post a chapter every week as I was doing before. It would be preferable to me, and y'all would probably like it too, but unfortunately, high school doesn't work that way, guys. Sorry!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything!
-Chapter 18-
Lucy yawned, sitting up in bed and stretching her arms up above her head, her hands balled into fists, her eyes closed, and her back arched. When she was done, she opened her eyes and looked at the bright, yellow sunlight peeking through the yellow curtains.
The Valiant Queen used to have a red-themed room, but a few weeks ago, she had decided it was too dark for her tastes. Now, the room was light-yellow-themed and, with the curtains opened, it brightened the room a great deal.
The clock beeped once, and Lucy looked to see that it was eight o'clock. She sighed in disappointment. She had missed seeing the sunrise! Drat! Oh well, there was always tomorrow.
Getting out of bed, she grabbed her folded pink bathrobe from the chair, tied it, then slipped on her matching slippers. She washed her face and did her hair in a braid before she stepped into the hall and made her way to the dining room.
"Hello," she greeted Peter and Susan, who were already seated, alone in the large room. Lucy looked around. "Where are the others?"
Peter answered his youngest sister. "Edmund and Avaline are still sleeping, but I sent Trumpkin to wake them. Cas-"
"The DLF is here?" Lucy asked excitedly. A wide smile spread across her face.
"Yes, but for work purposes only. He doesn't have time to talk with you today."
Lucy's face fell.
"Anyway, Caspian is still out on his morning walk, but will be back shortly. And Analiese was doing her hair when I left," Peter continued, finishing what he had previously started to say.
"Okay," the strawberry-blonde-haired queen said. Then she turned to her sister. "Susan, I thought you said that two guests were staying with us for the next two weeks."
"I did. Lady Morgana is already here, but hasn't moved her things here yet. Duke Camden is arriving today," Susan explained.
"But he was here for the Christmas ball, wasn't he?"
"Yes, but he had to return to Durham for a day to handle some family matters."
"Oh," Lucy said. "Is he coming today?"
"Yes," the Gentle Queen said with a smile. "And he's your age- fifteen -though he will turn sixteen in two months. I think the two of you will get along nicely."
Just then, Analiese and Caspian walked in, followed by a tired-looking Avaline.
"Ed will be down in a minute," Analiese said. She sat down, taking her place next to Peter, but eyed Avaline in a way that made Peter curious. His wife usually didn't keep such a close eye on the eighteen-year-old.
Caspian sat with Susan on his left and Lucy seated at his right. To Lucy's left and Analiese's right, at the head of the table, was Peter. Across from Lucy was Analiese, and to he latter's left was the empty seat that belonged to Edmund. Avaline was seated to the left of the empty chair.
"So," Analiese began. She and Lucy were always the ones that started the conversation in the morning. "What all is happening today?"
Susan, being the organized one out of the seven rulers, replied, "At noon, Duke Camden will be riding in from Durham. We need to set up one of the guest rooms for him as soon as we finish eating. Lady Morgana will be bringing her things here at noon also, so we need to have a second room prepared. They will be staying for two weeks, so we have to be sure they're comfortable for their stay."
Analiese nodded. There wasn't much of anything but small talk at breakfast that morning. The Courteous Queen sighed. It was going to be a long day.
00000000
The seven monarchs stood in a line outside the front doors of the palace, side by side on the edge of the path, waiting to greet their guests. It was customary to always greet and see off any guests that arrived and departed from the palace, and beside that, it was the respectful thing to do as rulers.
Lady Morgana came first, a man holding several bags on each arm.
"Good afternoon, Lady Morgana," Peter greeted, being at the beginning of the line. He took her outstretched hand and kissed it gently.
She then approached Analiese. "It's good to see you again, Lady Morgana." With a smile, she gave the Calormene girl a gentle hug.
The greetings continued, and then she got to Edmund.
"Aslan, it seems like I haven't seen you in forever!" Edmund exclaimed, pulling her into a tight embrace.
She laughed lightly. "It's only been a month, Edmund."
"That's forever!" he replied, chuckling. He kissed her hand politely and she gave him a small smile before moving to Avaline.
As Avaline struggled to keep the welcoming smile on her face, she couldn't help but allow her mind to linger on Edmund and Morgana's greeting. Yes, it was casual alright. Too casual. She watched jealously throughout the day as her boyfriend put his arm around the Calormene, laughed with her, ate with her, walked with her, gave her a tour, and other things. The others were busy with Duke Camden, which left Avaline to deal with Lord John, Morgana's brother, who had come with her.
The young man of twenty was kind, but there was something about him that bugged Avaline, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"Queen Avaline," Lord John said as they walked along the stone path of the garden. "I must say, you look beautiful today. That color suits you well."
Avaline looked down at her dress. It was a cool purple color, with pale purple stitching. On the shoulders, the sleeves puffed out, and then cut off to reveal the long sleeves of the pale purple under-dresss. The dress was fitted to the curves of her waist, and though she was disappointed to admit it, the Passionate Queen knew that within a month or so, she would have to begin wearing less fitted dresses in order to cover her soon-to-be expanding stomach.
"Thank you, Lord John," she relied graciously. "And may I say, you don't look so bad yourself." She was lying. He had a very nice face, one that many women other than herself would see as desirable, but the only face she could appreciate was Edmund's.
"Why, thank you, milady. Tht means a lot coming from you."
"Uh huh," Avaline chuckled. "I'm sure it does."
They continued walking down the path. Avaline examined the flowers and shrubbery around her, smiling at the butterflies that flew around, each bowing in respect for their queen. She was so absorbed that she didn't notice John watching her until she turned.
"Oh," she said in surprise. "I hadn't realized you were watching me, milord. Excuse me if I unintentionally ignored you."
"It is fine, your Majesty. I, too, get lost in the world of nature around me." He gestured with his hands, opening them wide to symbolize how large nature was. "It is just so beautiful."
"Really?" Avaline said. She didn't believe him for a second. A man like John, loving nature? No. Rather, he sat in an armchair all day while servants waited on him. And he probably spent a lot of time in Tashbaan, chatting with Prince Raymond, next in line as the Tisroc. From the Passionate Queen's understanding, the Prince and John had been best friends since childhood.
Avaline continued, "What is your favorite flower?"
She watched as his eyes widened a bit in shock. Obviously, he wasn't expecting her to ask that.
"I- I cannot pick only one, my Queen. There are so many, and each is beautiful in its own special way. However, some stand out more than others to me."
"Which ones stand out to you, Lord John?"
John's eyes narrowed at her, and Avaline smirked mentally. She had really trapped him now, but then again, he set himself up for that one.
"I, uh, like... erm, I like..." he glanced around himself nervously. A purple bird and a butterfly flew next to each other just then, and he exclaimed, "Purple-butters!"
"Excuse me?" Avaline asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Er, purple-butters. They're, uh, flowers that we have in Calormen," he replied much too quickly.
"Uh huh, they sound beautiful," the Telmarine queen said sarcastically.
It was proven to her now. He was watching her. Why, she didn't know, but Avaline the Passionate was going to find out.
00000000
It was nearly eleven o'clock before Avaline and Edmund got a break from their Calormene visitors.
Edmund sighed loudly as he flopped onto his back, next to the cross-legged Avaline, on her bed. "Aslan, I like Morgana, but she never gives me a break!"
"I know," Avaline replied, smiling as he sat up cross-legged, putting his elbows on his knees and running his hands through his hair. She rubbed his back in a circular motion comfortingly. "But they won't be here too long."
"You just wait," Edmund said. "You think this day has gone by slow, trying doing thirteen more. Then we'll talk." He looked up at her. "How have you both been?"
Avaline gave him a questioning look. "Me and John?"
"No! Or at least, I hope that's not what her name is. I mean Avaline and Avaline Jr."
The Passionate Queen laughed lightly. "I think the suffix 'jr.' is used with males only. Something to do with the last name not ever changing..."
"Oh, whatever," Edmund chuckled.
"And what makes you so sure that it's a 'she'?"
"I don't know. Just a feeling." He paused. "Don't you get tired of calling it an 'it'? I mean, it has to have a name."
"Are you suggesting we name it now?"
"Seems like it, doesn't it?" Both of them laughed.
"Well, since you're so fixed on a girl, what are you thinking?" Avaline asked.
Edmund began counting off names on his fingers. "I'm thinking a lot of things. I like Rebecca, Sarah, Delanie, Emilie, Emmeline, Adele, Victoria, Kristen, Gloria, Beatrice-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" she interrupted. He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Gloria? Beatrice?" She shuddered. "Where in Aslan's country are those pretty names?"
"You don't like them?" he asked.
"No!" she yelled.
"Then what did you have in mind?" His tone was challenging.
"Emilie, Emmeline, Erin, Paige, Jana-"
Edmund interrupted his girlfriend. "Beside the two that you copied from me-"
"I didn't copy them!"
"Whatever. Besides those, how in the Emperor's name can you like those?!"
"They're very popular where I came from."
"Well, mine are very popular where I came from!"
Avaline sighed. There had to be some kind of a compromise they could make. "Okay, how about this? Which two names are your favorites?"
"Adele and Delanie," Edmund replied.
"Okay, mine are Erin and Jana."
"I don't see how this is going to help-"
"Adele is pretty," Avaline continued, ignoring his objections. "But I think it could have a little more sophisticated personality to it. So how about we make it Adela, and her middle name can be Erin?"
"Adela Erin," he said slowly, tasting the words on his tongue. "Adela Erin." Edmund smiled. "Adela Erin Pevensie!"
"So we have it?" she asked excitedly.
"We have it!" he exclaimed, pulling her off the bed, picking her up, and twirling her around once. She gripped his forearms tightly as he set her back on her feet. For a few minutes, they stood, their bodies close with Avaline's hands still holding his arms and Edmund's hands on her waist. They looked into each other's eyes, both smiling, both with twinkling eyes.
Edmund slowly leaned forward, and just as his lips were about to touch hers, he paused to whisper, "I love you." Then they kissed; joy, happiness, and a thousand others feelings that Avaline didn't know pounded in her heart.
For the first time since she was told she was pregnant, she didn't have any regrets. She knew their family would be perfect.
A/N: REVIEW! I only got, like, 3 reviews for the last chapter I posted about a month and a half ago, and that kind of disappointed me O_O … Don't think about me like that. I know that I already have a lot more reviewers than some people have! But in my defense, it was a good chapter!
Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers for helping me through every tough time that I've had for the last couple of months. It really means a lot to me that you guys care! I can't even thank you enough! :) :) :)