DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to The Chronicles of Narnia by CP Coulter.

Author's Note: Hi, thank you to everyone who is reading this! And also, of course, a big thank you to the nice people who have favourited and followed this:D Hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

Chapter 5

I hurried home and could barely contain my excitement. My smile didn't seem to want to come off and I didn't try to get it to leave.

I burst into my house, grinning like an idiot. My mother looked up, startled, but pleased to see me.

"There you are! Can you cut that cake?" she was pouring hot water into a teapot and she nodded to a chocolate cake that was sitting on the table in the middle of the kitchen, "Jardia made it a few hours ago." I got a knife out and proceeded to cut the cake. Jardia made the best cakes and I realised how hungry I was; I hadn't had anything to eat since the late breakfast.

"Mother, I have the most wonderful news ever!" I giggled, unable to contain myself. My mother had clearly noticed and gave a bemused look.

"What is it?"

I giggled again.

"I won't tell you yet. I'd rather tell everyone at tea time." My mother laughed as she placed cups and saucers out onto a tray, "Now you've made me curious, Mi."

I grinned.

Half an hour later the whole family was all sitting outside on the grass facing the river. I had spread two blankets out and my mother had carried the trays. Almost as soon as we were all seated and had only just started eating Jardia's cake, my mother announced that I had something very exciting to tell everyone. All eyes shifted to me, and all were expectant. I laughed, gave a dramatic pause and then said, trying to resist the urge to shriek, "Queen Lucy has asked me to be her lady-in-waiting!" Everyone's reactions were different. Jardia gasped, Liliana grinned, Ilisa exclaimed, "Mitha! She's a queen!" my mother looked shocked but managed a smile. My father though, furrowed his brow and seemed to think about something. I ignored my father's reaction though and laughed and gushed with excitement.

"I know she's a queen, but she's a lovely little girl and her and I are friends, she invited me to go to the palace and show her how to arrange her hair like mine was done by Lili. I saw the palace, and met Queen Susan and Queen Lucy called me her friend!" My sister's giggled along with me and we chatted about it and they asked all sorts of questions about Queen Susan and Lucy and whether I had seen the Kings and about the palace. My mother was still smiling but kept silent. She seemed to be waiting for my father to say something. Eventually he did.

"Mitha, I am sorry to ruin your fun, and I'm sure that Queen Lucy is a good friend, but you are too young to be her lady-in-waiting. I could never allow you to leave and go and live in the palace when you are so young." He did look almost sorry, but I was suddenly angry at him for ruining my chance at some adventure.

"But she's a queen and she asked me! And I could still live here, couldn't I? We are so close to the palace anyway!" I scowled.

"Mi, you aren't of age yet. You cannot leave your home and commit your life to Queen Lucy. I shall not allow it, no matter how great the honour of being asked." his voice was hard and final. I couldn't believe it. My shock showed on my face because my mother tried to calm me down, "Maybe when you're of age, you can go but not now, Mi." To my embarrassment, tears sprang to my eyes and threatened to leak down my face. I stood up hastily before they had the chance though.

"Father, she asked me. You can't refuse a queen!" I tried to use that as an excuse but to no avail. My father looked serious, "I can if you're my daughter. If she's a good leader and a proper queen, she'll understand." I had heard enough and turned and ran before they could see me cry.

I ran to the beach and straight into the water. As I knew it would, somehow being in the water relaxed me and I felt better at once. Though I had all my clothes on, I waded against the waves until the water was up to my stomach before gracefully diving further in. I came to the surface to take a breath before diving once more. My open eyes were not affected by the salty water and since I knew I wouldn't have to come up for air for a good three minutes at least, I swam quickly away from the shore. After a while, I popped up to the surface. I was at least four hundred metres out to sea. I went back under, this time swimming parallel to the shore but to the east, towards the Cair Paravel side of the river. I swam past the great rocks that jutted out from far below the ocean's surface and joined up with the cliff that rose to where Cair Paravel was positioned on top of it, around the bend in the mountain until Cair Paravel and the hill was blocking my view of the river. I swam up to one of the rocks which the waves were beating against and pulled myself up and out of the water. I sat on the rock and stared up at the magnificent palace. As I had hoped, the ocean and the swim had distracted my mind away from what my father had said. I was angry that he hadn't given his consent but never dreamed of going against his word. I would have to tell Queen Lucy that I couldn't be her lady-in-waiting.

After a while I realised that the sky was getting dark and it was progressing into evening. I knew I should head back and so dove once more into the water. I swam back around the cliff and the hill, waded back onto the beach and began to walk home. While I was walking it became night time and the stars came out. When I arrived home only my mother was sitting in the kitchen. She was drinking tea and making a new dress. I was afraid she would talk to me, but thankfully she didn't. I walked past her and fell onto my bed. The rest of the house was quiet. I fell asleep soon and dreamt of the ocean.

The next morning Liliana coaxed me into taking a walk with her and we headed down the familiar path to the beach. As we walked she tried to make me feel better by saying that soon I would be of age and be able to live in the palace as Queen Lucy's lady-in-waiting. She assured me that if Queen Lucy had said she was my friend then she wouldn't mind. As much as I wanted to be cheerful and myself again, I couldn't. I was upset and irritated. Soon, after I nearly had to ask her to go and leave me to my own thoughts, she went. I continued walking aimlessly, lost in my own thoughts. I strolled into the forest and walked between the trees, past a group of foxes who were having a lively discussion about something seemingly important and across a big clearing before I remembered that I had to meet Queen Lucy soon. She was expecting me to say that I could be her lady-in-waiting but instead I would have to tell her that my father had said no. I felt embarrassed already.

When I got to the clearing, Queen Lucy was already waiting for me. She was seated on a rock and looking out at the river. I hesitantly spoke, "Queen Lucy?" She turned and when she saw it was me, her face lit up.

"Mitha! How are you?" she jumped off the rock and came to hug me.

"I'm very well, thank you. And you, your majesty?" I couldn't help but smile back at her. She was very kind and happy.

"I'm wonderful! Have you spoken to your family? I spoke to Peter and he said that as long as you and your family agree, he doesn't have a problem. Isn't that lovely!" I felt sick, but forced myself to speak.

"Queen Lucy, I am dreadfully sorry, my father has said that I cannot be your lady-in-waiting." as soon as I said these words, her face fell.

"Why not? Why has he said no, Mitha?" her child's face was filled with open sadness.

"I am not of age yet. I am only forty three years old and we come of age at fifty. I cannot leave my home when I am so young." As much as I wanted to be angry still at my parents, after having time to think about it, I understood why my father had said no. I was too young and I knew I could never leave my family before I had come of age.

"Are you sure? Why don't I come and speak to your father. Maybe we think of something." her face turned thoughtful as she thought of a solution.

"I am sure there is no solution." I said with a certain tone of dramatic despair in my voice. She looked determined though and insisted that we go and speak to my family.

As we made our way to my home, I wished I could have warned my family of our coming. I cringed as I thought of our house which was almost always; expect for a few occasions; messy. My mother tried hard to keep it clean and tidy but to no avail. Now, when she saw the Queen was going to drop in, I knew that she would be highly embarrassed by the state of things. When we arrived, Queen Lucy exclaimed with delight, "Your house is beautiful!" I thanked her and showed her into the living room where I asked her to take a seat while I found my parents. She made herself at home as I thanked The Great Lion that no one was in the room and so I would time to warn everyone that the Queen was visiting.

I walked through the house which was mainly empty. My sisters were all out except Liliana who was in the kitchen with my mother. They were baking bread and chatting over the table, their hands covered in flour. My mother was wearing her 'cleaning clothes'. When they saw me in the doorway they smiled and asked me to join them.

"I can't! You both better clean off that flour and come quickly! Queen Lucy is here; she's sitting in the living room and she wants to talk to mother and father!" I tried to keep my voice down because I knew that Lucy could probably hear everything.

"What?" my mother almost shrieked, looking frantic.

"Shh! She'll hear you! She wants to talk about me being her lady-in-waiting."

Luckily my mother went into action right away. "Lili, go and get your father, he's out on a walk with Ilisa. I think they went towards the beach. Tell him to hurry. Mi, run and find out if Queen Lucy wants any tea or cake, I think there's still cake from yesterday, I'll go and change into something decent." Liliana had already run out the kitchen door and my mother rushed away while I hurried back to the living room where Lucy was seated. When I had found out that she wanted a cup of tea, I found the teabags and made a pot of it. Five minutes later my mother appeared in the kitchen and took the tray I had set up with tea and cutlery on and walked, following me, to meet the Queen.

Queen Lucy agreed that we should wait until my father arrived to talk about me. We made polite conversation until the back door opened and my father, followed by Liliana and Ilisa, came into the room. My father greeted the Queen with a bow and sat down.

Queen Lucy wasted no time in getting to the point. "I'm sure you know why I am here."

"I do, your Majesty." my father replied seriously.

"Well then, Mitha has told me that you have said no to my request but – I mean no offence Mitha- I thought I had better come and speak to you myself just to make things more clear." she smiled and I couldn't help but be surprise at how grown up she sounded, even though she looked no more than eleven years old. My father seemed to think the same thing.

"Mitha informed me yesterday that you had done her a great honour by asking her to be your lady-in-waiting. My daughter is forty three years old, your Majesty and considering we water nymphs only come of age at fifty, it would be inappropriate for her to leave home and work for you. I mean no offence by refusing, I only want what's best for my daughter." My father was firm but polite with his words. Lucy smiled and said, "Of course I wouldn't want to take her away from home if she is too young, it is just that since arriving here in Narnia I have made few friends who would be willing to come and live in the palace with me. My siblings are of course there, and there are lovely people who work in Cair Paravel, but Mitha is one of the only friends I've made who would be willing to come and spend time with me. And at the same time, I do rather need a lady-in-waiting." her face was earnest as she spoke to my parents. My mother now spoke up, "Well, we have no objection to Mitha going up to the palace every so often to visit you if you are in need of a companion. And as to a lady-in-waiting, I have three other older daughters who would all be very willing to help you."

Lucy's face showed that this wasn't what she had had in mind but she smiled politely none the less and answered, "If there is no other solution, then I would be very grateful to you." My father seemed to be rather relieved that my mother had made the offer of one of my sisters, "Excellent, I think my eldest; who is not married; Liliana would be most suitable." he gestured to Lili, who smiled shyly. My mother seconded his statement with, "Yes, Liliana is wonderful with hair, and she makes the best dresses. She cooks and is very helpful to me around the house. She will do well for you as a lady-in-waiting." Lucy looked at my parents and smiled. They had put the Queen in a very uncomfortable and unnecessary position. She could not refuse, for fear of offending Lili or my parents, but I could see she did not want to agree because she did not know Lili and would want to think about it. Lucy was a sweet girl and wanted everyone to be friends so she made her decision and said, "I would love that, if Liliana does not mind." everyone looked to Lili. While everyone, including myself, was smiling, I felt as if I wanted to cry. I was supposed to be Lucy's lady-in-waiting not Lili. A tingle of jealousy prickled under my skin. She got everything. Everything wonderful happened to her. Lucy was my friend and I was the one who craved adventure in the family and yet it was Lili got to be her lady-in-waiting and live in the palace. She was older, prettier and lovelier than I was.

Liliana was smiling shyly and after thinking for a moment, she nodded; as I knew she would; and accepted, "Yes, thank you your Majesty, it is a great honour." Lucy smiled at her and just as I thought she had forgotten me, she added, "Splendid, but you must allow Mitha to come and visit me very often. She and I are good friends and I enjoy her company so much." She smiled warmly at me and I blushed at her compliment.

When the Queen had left not long after that, Lili grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the house and towards the trees.

"Mi, I know you must be disappointed, but please don't be angry with me." I didn't realise that my face was that readable, but maybe it was just because she was my sister and knew me so well. I only managed just to keep my tears in but my voice gave away my being upset as it cracked with emotion.

"I'm not angry, Lili." I was now only focused on keeping myself under control and not letting her see how jealous I was. Liliana was my closet sister but I knew that this was something I could never let her in on. She wouldn't understand and she'd only become upset at me.

"But you're upset. I'm sorry Mi."

I knew I couldn't brush it off as nothing, "It's just that it was such an amazing opportunity and I was really looking forward to living in the palace and finding adventure. But I'm happy that you get to have the opportunity and at least I get to visit her as often as she wants." I thought this would do for an explanation for her. As much as I enjoyed her company, I wanted some time alone and began to think of ways to get away from her.

"Are you sure that's all, MI?"

My response was immediate. "Yes, Lili. Thank you." I gave her a hug, turned and practically ran away before she could call me back.

I continued running further into the forest, away from Cair Paravel, than I had ever been before. When I was satisfied that I was far enough away from my family and the palace I sat down on the ground and leaned my back against a tree. I closed my eyes and drifted away, into a land of thoughts.

It must have been hours later when I finally opened my eyes. I could see that the sun was much lower in the sky. I must have fallen asleep but I was glad because at least I had calmed down. I stood up, stretched and walked back to my home. It took longer than I had expected to get home and I realised I must have travelled a lot further than I had intended. My family seemed to sense that I didn't want to talk about what had happened with Queen Lucy earlier and I was glad that they didn't bring up the subject.

A/N: So? What did you think? There'll be a big time-cut in the next chapter to get things moving along. Hope you guys enjoyed:D -Cloey