The Bubble of Protection

"By the Lion, what happened to you, Saedra?" Lucy cried as Saedra gingerly climbed over the railing of the Splendor Hyaline at sunset.

Saedra's back was still hurting from being thrown against the bed, so she was trying to move it as little as possible as she boarded the ship; that feat was unfortunately impossible, and she winced all of the way up. Lucy guided her over the railing with a deeply concerned expression.

When she was fully on the ship, Saedra was overwhelmed by an unexpected wave of relief. She was safe now, and the feeling was so strong that her throat felt like it was blocked. She managed to get out, "We came across a bit of trouble."

"I can see that!" Lucy exclaimed. "Your clothes are ripped, you're filthy, and you're walking as if you are hurt! And—are those bruises on your neck? Ed, what happened?" she demanded as Edmund clambered over the side.

"It was a close call, Lu," Edmund said gravely. "We should have Sae looked at as soon as possible."

Saedra felt shaky. She had managed to put on a brave face for Edmund as they continued their mission, but inside she was unstable and just wanted to run into her cabin and cry with relief and mortification.

Peter came out of the cabin as they were talking. When he saw Saedra's appearance, he stopped short, the color draining from his face. "What happened?" he asked coldly, sounding ready to kill something.

"They were just about to tell me, Peter," Lucy said, hands on her hips.

At the sight of Peter and Lucy both looking at her angrily, Saedra laughed shakily to cover up the clenching in her chest. "I'm fine, really! You needn't look so worried."

Please, just let me be alone! she inwardly screamed. She didn't know why she wanted to be alone so much; she had been numb all day from trying to suppress the multitude of emotions running through her.

"Let's get inside and we can tell you everything," Edmund sighed.

They made their way to the cabin's door, but stopped when they saw that Saedra wasn't joining them. She was standing, staring off into space with a lost expression on her face; she was reliving the experience in her mind. The feeling of helplessness washed over her, and tears filled her unblinking eyes.

Peter looked at her with a half-shocked, half-concerned expression; Lucy came over and said gently, "Sae?"

Saedra focused on Lucy's concerned face. The memory shattered, but the feelings remained.

"Would you like to come and talk to us?" Lucy asked.

Saedra nodded, and allowed herself to be led into the sitting room of the cabin and lowered into a chair. Peter and Edmund sat across from her, and Lucy asked, "Is there anything I can get you, Sae?"

Saedra shook her head. When Lucy continued to look at her pitifully, she said, "Truly, I'm fine. I only have a few bruises, nothing lasting." Physically, at least.

Lucy sat down and Peter asked Edmund, "What happened!"

Edmund explained what happened in the tavern, and when he reached the part about Saedra being grabbed on the neck and sworn at, Peter jumped out of his seat and started pacing the room. Fury lined his deathly white face.

Lucy gasped and asked, "What did you do?"

Edmund looked down. "His cronies restrained me right away so I couldn't reach my dagger."

Peter stopped pacing, and he and Lucy both looked over at Saedra, who had been staring at the ground the whole time.

"He...he dragged her out of the room," Edmund said hesitantly.

Lucy gasped again. The room became silent, and Saedra knew that they were waiting for her to continue the tale.

Edmund started to say, "You know what? I don't think now is the time-"

Saedra cut him off by whispering, "I tried to fight him off." Her faced scrunched up, and she hid it behind her hand. She tried to compose herself, but found that impossible. "I couldn't."

"Oh, Sae," Lucy said, rubbing her shoulder.

Silence followed as Saedra tried to compose herself. She felt awful. She didn't want to talk about it, and she didn't like being the object of everyone's pity. She wiped her face and looked up. "Ed came in-just in time..." She buried her face in her hands again, breathing deep breaths.

"What have you learned?" Lucy asked Edmund, changing topics for Saedra's sake. "Was there anything good that came out of this catastrophe?"

"We learned that Cecill is dead, and his son Cedric is the new governor," he replied. "He's our age and seems to have no reason to defy Narnian lordship. My guess is that he has bad advisors, or that the taxes were unintentionally overlooked. We also got a sense that the people like Cedric, so we know that he is a good ruler, at least. The look of the city generally well-kept, it you stay away the unruly areas."

"So you suggest that docking and going up to the palace is a safe course of action?" Peter asked, still looking furious.

"We think so," Edmund said. "Perhaps we should send a messenger ahead of us to warn them of our arrival instead of just barging in. Not tonight, but tomorrow after we dock. We can stay on the ship for an hour or so until the messenger comes back, then go up."

"I think that's a good plan," Lucy said. "It would be rude just to barge in, even if we legally have the right."

That decided, they looked back at Saedra, who was still resting her elbows on her knees with her face in her hands.

"Are we done yet?" Saedra asked through her hands.

No one answered, just looked guilty for making her stay when it was now so obvious that she had been staying to appease them. If they had known she had hated talking so much, they wouldn't have made her.

Taking their embarrassed silence as an answer, Saedra stood up without looking at anyone and went into the bedroom, softly closing the door behind her.

The next day, they docked in the port at Narrowhaven and sent a messenger ahead to warn Cedric that they were coming. A while later, the messenger came aboard and said in a breathless voice, "He's coming!"

"Who? Cedric?" Captain Terril asked. "Speak, man!"

"Yes, Cedric! He was thrilled at the news that we have come and is on his way to meet us as we speak!"

"Make sure everyone knows," Terril ordered. "Especially the High King."

"I'll tell him," Saedra said after overhearing the conversation.

She had determined to act naturally, and so had not hidden in her bedroom as she desperately wanted to do. She had pasted a smile on her face as if nothing was wrong and went about the day as usual. She still felt vulnerable, but so far had managed to distract herself enough that she wasn't thinking about Emit all the time. When she was around other people, things were better.

She went into the sitting room where Peter was sitting on a couch. When she came in, he sat up.

"Cedric's coming," she said.

He stood up. "Is he? That's good news. Do Ed and Lu know?"

"I don't know, but the word is spreading all over the ship. I'll find them to make sure."

Peter reached over and put his cape on, and took his crown off to comb his hair with his fingers. She paused before leaving, and a half-smile escaped at the sight of him grooming himself.

"What?" he asked, putting his crown back on.

"Nothing," Saedra said, then noticed that a bit of his hair was sticking up. "You may want to check a mirror when you comb your hair, though."

"Why? Does it look funny?" he asked, trying to feel his hair over his crown. His efforts only ended up making more hair stand up.

Saedra almost giggled.

"You're just going to stand there and laugh, are you?" he said, raising his eyebrow.

"Are you asking me to help?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble!"

Saedra smiled and went over to him, then reached up to fix his unruly hair. She had to stand up on her tiptoes to see the hair over the side of his crown.

"Hmm, almost there…" she said, making sure she hadn't missed a spot.

Peter chuckled softly, and she pulled back to ask, "What?"

"I should have you fix my hair all of the time," he said slyly.

Saedra blushed when she realized the close proximity that they were in as a result of her trying to see his hair. She hadn't noticed it because she had simply been trying to help, but he certainly had. She looked away from his eyes and stepped back.

He reached out and took her hand. "You needn't be afraid of me, Sae."

She looked up at him. "I'm not afraid of you."

His blue eyes bore into her brown ones as if trying to uncover a mystery. Saedra's heart started beating faster, and the hand that was being held by Peter started to sweat.

"Then what is it?" he asked.

"I'm—I'm confused," she stammered.

"About what?" Peter asked gently.

"About-" she said hoarsely, then cleared her throat. "About what-"

Just then, the door opened and Edmund came through. "Have you heard the word…?"

His voice trailed off when he saw Saedra and Peter standing so close and holding hands.

An awkward moment passed as Saedra tried to look anywhere but at Edmund or Peter. Edmund averted his eyes, and Peter, who was not immune to the tension, let go of Saedra and said, "We'll finish this later, my dear."

When Peter was gone, Saedra asked, "What is it, Ed? What's that look about?"

He ignored her question and said, "Shall we go meet Cedric?"

His Sufficiency, Governor Cedric, turned out to be a nice-looking, strawberry-blonde man who was extremely obliging to the Narnians. What Edmund and Saedra had heard about his love for Narnia was true; he admitted that he had wanted to visit Narnia his whole life. He simply worshipped Peter and Edmund, and adored Lucy and Saedra.

After a friendly greeting on the Splendor Hyaline, they were brought back the governor's palace. A huge late-afternoon feast was prepared for them, and during that they got to know Cedric better.

"Is it true that there are really Talking Beasts in Narnia?" Cedric asked Saedra eagerly between bites of chicken.

"But, of course!" Saedra replied. "But you should ask Lucy about all of them. I'm originally from Archenland and don't have half her knowledge."

He and Lucy were soon in a lively conversation about Narnia.

Towards the end of dinner, Saedra leaned towards Peter and whispered, "Have you found out about the delinquent taxes yet?"

"No, I didn't want to start the visit on a bad note," Peter whispered back. "I'm going to try to find out when the opportunity presents itself."

A few nights later, as Saedra was snuggling up in bed in her and Peter's room and Peter was changing out of his day clothes, he said, "Well, I talked to Cedric about the taxes finally."

Saedra turned over to look at him, and then blushed to see that he was still shirtless. She shielded her eyes with her hand and asked, "So, what happened?"

But all the answer she got was Peter bursting into laughter.

"What is it?" she asked.

He continued laughing, but he managed to gasp, "You don't need to be proper around me, Saedra. We share a room, for goodness sake!"

She lowered her hand, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry."

Peter chuckled, pulling his nightshirt over his head as he did so.

"What did Cedric say?" Saedra asked again.

"Oh, he said that he did send it, and was genuinely shocked that we hadn't received it."

"So did someone steal it?"

"That, or pirates raided the boat. Either way, I believe him. He's going to set up an inquiry immediately," he said, going over to the couch that he slept on and rearranging the pillows. "It seems we have a mystery on our hands."

Saedra lay back down and stared at the ceiling, thinking about Cedric. He certainly didn't seem devious, so maybe there was truly some mistake.

He settled himself in, blew out the candle, and said jovially, "So, my dear, when do I get to move up to the bed?"

"Trying to change the arrangement, aye?"

"Trying not to give myself a bad back and neck before I turn thirty, that's all."

Saedra chuckled and rolled over.

A few minutes later, Peter whispered, "Saedra?" but she pretended she was asleep.

Cedric went all-out in his efforts to make the Narnians feel welcome. He arranged a ball so that the Narnians could meet the nobles on Narrowhaven.

As Saedra was examining herself in front of the mirror in their bedroom, Peter said from where he was adjusting his cape near the wardrobe, "Sae, I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?" Saedra said happily.

She was very proud of her self-control in training her mind not to think of Emit. After her first emotional day, she had been the picture of emotional health, even though her bodily wounds had taken longer to heal. On top of that, she and Peter had been getting along for the whole stay in Narrowhaven and hadn't fought once. She was starting to hope that maybe, just maybe, she and Peter could become close again and that he would open up to her more.

Tonight was going to be the perfect opportunity. She envisioned them dancing, laughing like they used to…

"I want you to stop pushing Lucy and Cedric together," Peter said.

Saedra froze for a moment, and then turned to look at him. "What?"

"I want you to stop encourage-"

"I heard what you said, but I don't understand it. What do you mean, 'push' them together?"

Peter shrugged and walked over behind her to look in the mirror. "That's what Lucy requested that I ask you."

Annoyance crept into Saedra's voice. "Peter, I haven't been 'pushing' them together. I admit that the thought has entered my mind that they would be an adorable match, but I haven't done anything to pursue it. I know better than to force people together against their will."

Blast! she thought, Adding that last part was not a good idea if I want this night to be special.

Peter caught her insinuation and said, "Look, all I wanted was to convey Lucy's wishes, not start a fight. It's unnecessary to bring 'us' into this."

"Why didn't Lucy tell me this herself? Why didn't you tell her to tell me this herself?"

"I didn't think it was that big of an issue. But I'll let you resolve this with Lucy and I will say no more on the subject."

Saedra went back to patting down her hair, and nothing more was said for a while. Finally she said, "Do you think that I push Cedric and Lucy together? Because I really don't think-"

He laughed. "I don't know. Ask her yourself."

"I'm asking you, Peter. Do I seem like I push them together?"

"I would really prefer not to get involved," he said. "Ask Lucy."

"Peter, you got involved when you conveyed her message. I'm asking you what you think."

"I would prefer to stay out of the issue from now on."

Saedra put her hands on her hips and turned around. "Are you saying that I do push them together?"

"I'm not saying anything!"

"Good. Because I don't push them together."

He chuckled. "Whatever you say, dear."

She glared at him. "Don't mock me, Peter."

He held up his hands defensively. "I'm not mocking you! I was merely amused."

"Stop treating me like I'm a child begging for sweets! I was just asking you for your honest opinion, and you laugh!"

"Forgive my amusement! I didn't know you would take this so seriously."

Her high hopes about her and Peter having a perfect night were quickly vanishing, and her disappointment increased exponentially as they continued to talk.

"For the final time, I didn't take this seriously until you started being so mysterious and wouldn't answer a simple question!"

Peter laughed. "It's really not a big deal, Sae. Don't make it one."

"Why do you always get like this? You always act like I am child whenever I am curious!"

"If you act like a child, then I will treat you as such," Peter said, the amusement leaving his eyes. "There are some questions that are better to not be asked."

He was talking about more than just Lucy, and Saedra knew it. She became angry.

"Relationships are based on people getting to know each other, Peter. And the way to get to know someone is to ask questions. When you clam up and try to be all fatherly, it gets us nowhere. You don't have to protect me all of the time!"

"Saedra, it is my job to protect people. If you hadn't noticed, I am a king."

"But you don't need to be kingly all the time. It is your job, not who you are!"

"Saedra, this is who I am. It is a part of me, the desire to protect people. I have always been like this, even before I was a king. And you are perhaps the only person who doesn't appreciate it."

"That is because I am your wife, not a subject! If I ask you a question, answer it, no matter if you think I'll like the answer or not."

"You need to trust me, Sae. Not all knowledge enriches your life."

She couldn't argue with him there. It had been simpler when she didn't know about Edmund's true feelings, but she had hopes that things would get better. Even so, she knew that their relationship might not ever be the same.

"You know what?"

"What?" he asked.

"I think that we're late for the party. Let's go down."

Peter looked at her a second before coming over and holding out his arm for her to take. They left the room and went down to the party in tense silence. Their argument had accomplished nothing, as their arguments always did. It simply left Saedra disappointed and disillusioned, and somehow the protective bubble of happiness and safety she had built around herself since The Incident had popped.

The party was nothing near as splendiferous as a party on the mainland, but what it lacked in glamour it made up for in the sheer number of people. The place was packed with people anxious to meet the Narnians. People would rush up to them and introduce themselves, and Saedra tried to put on a happy, content expression on her face as Peter firmly held onto her arm.

When the dancing started, Cedric happily called out, "Let us have High King Peter and Princess Saedra take the first dance!"

Peter smiled (only people who knew him well would see the slight strain in it), and led Saedra onto the dance floor. The music had heavy Narnian influences, so it was easy for the two to set their pace. As they waltzed past the onlookers, they would hear comments like, "What a beautiful couple," or, "Have you ever seen a more handsome match?"

Saedra snorted so that only Peter could hear, and he didn't appreciate it.

"We needn't always have to lie, Saedra. You could actually choose to be happy."

Saedra missed a step in surprise at his statement, and he accidentally stepped on her foot. She didn't cry out, but her face turned as red as her foot started throbbing.

"You're heavier than you look, Peter," she said through clenched teeth.

"Many apologies, my dear," he said in what she took to be an exceedingly sarcastic voice.

Saedra didn't say anything more, but she anxiously waited for the dance to end so that she could escape Peter. When it finally ended, she fled as gracefully as she could and darted into a dark hallway nearby. She leaned against the cold stone wall, breathing hard and blinking away angry tears.

What has become of me? I'm emotional wreck! she thought. I'm hiding from a husband who I can't bear to be around because of our discord, and Lucy is displeased with me, not to mention Edmund! Just when I think things will get better, all of my relationships are falling apart!

Just then, the figure of Edmund came around the corner, looking around. He spotted Saedra right away and went over to her.

"Are you all right, Sae? You looked upset."

She covered her face with her hands. He rested his hands on her shoulders and leaned in.

"Sae, talk to me," he pleaded.

She looked up and blurted out, "Peter and I can't seem to stop arguing! And what's worse, I feel like it's my fault most of the time! I don't know what our problem is. I've been trying to be better."

"Well, for what it's worth, I've noticed your efforts," he said compassionately. "I think that you and Peter just need to have a good, long talk to iron out your differences."

"That's exactly what I say!"

"Peter refuses to do that?" Edmund asked.

"Not outright, but there are some questions he won't answer."

"I'm not going to pry, because this is between you and Peter, but would you like me to talk to Peter for you?"

"No, no. I can talk to him tonight."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" he offered.

"I think I need to do this myself, but thanks. All I need is someone to talk to."

"Anytime, my sister," he smiled.

She half-smiled back, and he leaned in to kiss her forehead. It seemed that the kiss lasted a bit longer than is should have, and she began to wonder if all of this friend stuff was as easy for Edmund as he pretended it was.

But when he pulled back, she revealed none of her thoughts and simply said, "Shall we go dance?"

"Let's," he agreed. He took her hand, and they turned back towards the doorway.

But they stopped short when they saw that someone was already standing in the doorway. It was Lucy, staring at them with a furious, red face.