Jeza was sound asleep and snorting in her dreams by the time Tholyn went to check on her, the mare lying atop a lovely mattress of fragrant hay. She'd wanted to tell her steed all about her promotion but instead she decided to groom the fuzzy horse in her sleep, untangling knots and brushing debris from her beautiful horse's mane and tail. Tholyn smiled thoughtfully as she found the shells and claws that she'd braided into Jeza's mane, matching the trinkets in her hair perfectly. There was no mistaking whose horse it was.

The party could be heard from the stables but it was subdued thanks to the brief distance. Tholyn would join the festivities soon but she needed a moment to be with her horse. The two shared a very special relationship, as Jeza was the only female influence Tholyn could remember for a long time. Blane spoke of her mother very rarely and Tholyn had only met her a few times. She was not impressed. Apparently the Charge was given a lady to marry and produce an heir to the title, the firstborn only. After Tholyn had been born, Blane was scarce to be seen in Archenland's main city, Arvard and Tholyn was likely to never have a motherly influence. Jeza, however, took a keen liking to the girl from a very young age and had promised her father that she would take care of her as if Tholyn were her foal. True to her word, no harm befell Tholyn on Jeza's watch.

After Tholyn had picked clean as much of Jeza's coat as she could she stood from the stable floor and brushed herself off. If she was going to join the party she might as well not smell like a stable. All of her clothes could use a good scrub but she didn't let it bother her, nor was she avoiding the party. One of the finest perks to being the Charge was the monthly celebrations that she and her father shared with the forest inhabitants. Every month her father sent out his four legions to the north, south, east, and west and they would report back to their captain with message hawks to tell of their findings. Then, on the full moon, all the Charge's legions would meet in the same clearing deep within the mountain forests and celebrate. All manner of allies would join in, centaurs, fauns, naiads, even the trees, and around the bonfire they would dance and be merry. Tholyn was accustomed to parties; she was just not accustomed to filling shoes she didn't think she could fill yet. Once Jeza was awake, Tholyn knew the mare would have sage words.

Kissing the warm, soft snout of her best friend, Tholyn made to leave the stable. Rapid footsteps were heard approaching the stable from outside but she ignored them and opened the door. However, as soon as she pulled the wooden doors back, the figure on the other side was trying to push them open. As a result, Edmund collided roughly with Tholyn and the two of them toppled over, rolling in different directions in the hay, the golden crown flying threw the air and crashing to the floor.

"OOMF!"

"WAH!"

Above the tussle Idlebeek was heard guffawing in laughter. His new mistress was something to behold at the very least, particularly now that she was covered in hay, knocked completely on her bum by the King.

"Sorry!" Edmund shouted, shaking the straw from his hair and hopping to his feet as quickly as he could. This was certainly not the way to make a good impression on the girl. He stuck out his hand to help her up from the floor, his freckles painted on a canvas of pink.

"Sorry, Tholyn." He said politely, unsure of whether or not he should hold her hand a bit longer once she was standing. However, she immediately began to dust herself off. Shockingly, she didn't appear mad or frustrated at all like his sisters would have been. Apparently just because she was Susan's age didn't mean that she cherished the same things that Susan did. However, a good look at the teeth and claws braided into her hair instead of flowers and ribbons could have told him that.

"It's all right, your majesty." She said, handing him his crown.

"Oh, call me Edmund. All this majesty business is a little formal for me."

Tholyn grinned as she pulled a handful of straw out of her unruly, curly hair. Now that she was closer she was sure that this was the boy who had tried talking to her when Aslan has rushed the kings and queens out of the room. He'd even sought her out, which Tholyn thought to be terrible coincidence and looked suspiciously up to Idlebeek.

"How ever did you find me?" she asked, more to Idlebeek than to Edmund. The hawk spluttered a little and muttered something about going to check on the other Pevensies. With that, he flapped out of the stable and disappeared out of sight.

Edmund too dusted himself off and examined the tears in his sleeve thanks to Idlebeek's long talons. The two of them stood there for a moment, neither speaking until Tholyn broke the silence.

"So why aren't you at your celebration? There can't be a feast with a king missing." She said with a smile, walking to the exit with Edmund falling into stride next to her. There was authority in the way she did everything, even her jokes seemed self-assured and Edmund, though he wore the crown, looked up to her.

"Oh, I came to ask you if you wanted to sit by me. As Narnia's oldest ally and the new Charge you deserve a seat of honor." he said smoothly, surprised at how nicely the words had come from his mouth. The two of them were walking to the party together anyway and he figured it was also polite to continue the conversation through dinner. He had so many questions to ask her!

"Sure! I don't know anyone else and I think my father is writing a letter to his wife." Tholyn replied with a smile. "You don't mind if I smell like the stables do you?" she asked with a smirk.

Edmund shook his head and chuckled.

"Not since it was my fault. But next time, do wash up."

The party was one to remember for sure, by far outdoing the simple bonfire dances that Tholyn participated in every month. There was music and dancing and food as far as she could see. Four hours and hours the revelry went on until the candles had to be lit and only the moon shone through the large stone windows.

Aslan had left already, walking along the beach until he disappeared entirely.

Tholyn was chatting with Lucy and Peter outside on the balcony when Edmund found her again. He had just danced an entire round with the fauns and dwarves and was in need of a good rest.

"Those fauns can sure keep going!" he said out of breath as he took a seat next to his sister and put a caring arm around her.

"Tholyn was just telling me about her horse Jeza and about all the adventures she's had with her father in the mountains!" Lucy said excitedly, looking up to her brother with a wide smile. The merriment around her was caught perfectly in Lucy's large brown eyes, the candlelight and moonlight shining off her. Her childlike delight was purer than the air they breathed and Tholyn found herself already quite fond of her and her family.

"Yeah, did you know she's almost exactly Susan's age and has been living off the land since she could remember?" Peter asked, gesturing to Tholyn as if she were a prized soldier.

"Oh, be fair, Peter!" Tholyn interrupted with a grin. "You four appeared from a different world through a bloody wardrobe and defeated the witch's spell!"

"That was Edmund." Peter corrected, looking to his brother with pride. "In the heat of battle he destroyed her wand and the power that went with it."

The two boys shared a very knowing look. Edmund was certain that neither of his siblings had told Tholyn of his treachery since she still looked at him with respect. A few days ago, however, Edmund was certain that Peter would have had his head. Ed owed a lot to Narnia. It hadn't been long since that fateful day but it felt like ages ago. Edmund was a changed boy and he intended to remain that way for as long as he lived.

"Speaking of the four of us, where is Susan?" Lucy asked, looking over her shoulder to the great hall where the party was still taking place.

"I think I saw her talking to a centaur." Edmund said passively, scanning the movement inside the hall briefly before deciding he didn't care. "She'll have plenty of time to hear your stories, Tholyn. You're staying for a while, right?" he posed hopefully. If he could see the mountains from the balcony then he knew that the ride there must be long and they had made it in just one night (or so Idlebeek had informed him on their way to the stables).

"Yes, my father and I will remain here for a week before we must leave. Apparently I must inform the king of Archenland that I am taking my father's place. He's going to spend the rest of his years with his other children and his wife."

"His wife?" Lucy asked incredulously. "Don't you mean your mother?"

Tholyn chuckled a bit and nodded.

"She's my mother, or so they tell me. I've only met her a few times. Her marriage to my father was arranged and as soon as she had me, my father was busy making me into the Charge. We've only been home to Archenland for perhaps a month altogether. I'm sure she's a fine woman but she's not a part of my life." Tholyn answered calmly. The three Pevensies were silent for a moment as they thought about life without their mother. Peter remembered their father the most, and remembered how hard Edmund took it when their father was taken by the war. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to have a mother who didn't take part in his life.

Sensing that the silence was her fault, Tholyn playfully pushed Peter's shoulder to lurch him out of the mental web.

"Don't look so glum. You can't miss something you've never had. She's more of a distant relative. Besides, just go meet Jeza if you want to know who my real motherly influence is. That horse has scolded me more than my father has!" she said with a rich, velvet laugh that was very contagious.

Soon, Susan joined the four of them and they talked and laughed until Lucy's eyelids finally dropped and her head fell into Peter's lap.

"Well Tholyn, it looks like I have to get this one into bed and then I'm retiring for the night myself." he said as he gathered his youngest sibling in his arms and carried her. Suddenly she was not Lucy the Valiant, but little Lucy who needed to be looked after and cared for. It was a bit of a surprise to Tholyn that they all were so young and yet shouldering such hefty responsibility. Why, Peter couldn't have been over a year older than her!

"Yes, I had better help him and tuck her in." Susan added, standing up and stretching her lithe form with a luxurious yawn. "It was lovely meeting you. I do hope you'll join us for breakfast." She said, grasping hands with Tholyn and smiling widely.

"It might be lunch, honestly. My father and I rode through the night and I am exhausted." Tholyn warned. The two eldest Pevensies nodded and bid her goodnight.

After they left, Tholyn looked over to Edmund, who'd been silent during the exchange. Despite his obvious attempts to flirt with her, she did not find herself the slightest bit uncomfortable around him. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Her father always told her that someday a man would try to woo her, but never did she expect the attention from someone so young. Edmund was going to be handsome someday, that much she could tell from his freckled face and finely chiseled features. The tunic was still thin on him and his hair needed to be brushed but altogether Tholyn thought he was cute enough.

"How old are you again?" she asked, adjusting in her seat to get a better view of him. He was only maybe three feet away but there was something that drew her in, finding the desire to be closer. Whether it was sheer curiosity or something else was beyond her but she made no qualms about being the object of his boyish affection. After all, how often is one wooed by a king of Narnia?

"Ten. I'll be eleven in November." He added with a slight wag of his eyebrows. "How old are you?"

"Twelve." Tholyn replied imperiously, tossing her bouncing hair over her shoulder for dramatic effect. However, she was unable to withhold the laughter for long and soon both of them were chortling in their sleep-deprived glee.

"Want me to show you to your chambers? You said you were tired." Edmund offered kindly. He stood up and adjusted the lopsided crown on his head before extending his hand to Tholyn. There was mischief in his eyes but it was an innocent mischief – the kind that whispered in your ear to splash your sisters with water or suddenly tackle your brother to the ground. Now it was telling him to kiss her but he refrained and kept his sparkling chestnut eyes locked with her green ones.

Tholyn recognized that look immediately, though what motivation and what result he intended was beyond her. Narrowing her eyes to let him know that she was onto him, she slid her hand into his and allowed him to pull her from her seat. The midnight air was crisp and cool and though the party still went on around them, the day was definitely over.

Edmund took her hand and wrapped it around his arm – he had seen movies about how chivalrous that was – and placed his other hand on top of hers. He was unable to keep himself from smiling as the drunk and joyous partiers bowed and wished them a merry night while they disappeared up the stairs.

Cair Paravel was lovely and the two walked in complete, comfortable silence and took in the sights of the lovely palace as the moonlight illuminated everything in a shade of silver. The tapestries on the walls were tall and seemed to stretch on forever in the occasional shadow of the winding stair. They took a left into a long corridor lit by candles placed every ten feet in sconces on the stone walls and Edmund stopped walking.

"This is you, my lady." He said with a grin, gesturing to the large wooden door to his right. "There is a washroom and servants quarters connected so if you should need anything during the night, just ring the little bell next to your bed."

She nodded and smiled graciously to him. Before he let her go, Edmund swiftly took her hand and placed a lingering kiss on her knuckles, maintaining eye contact with her as he did so. She felt the breath catch in her chest but did not let him witness her falter.

"I will wake you for lunch tomorrow." He assured. Then, letting go of her hand, Edmund winked to her and walked back down the hall.