Chapter 5:

Lucy glanced up for a moment from helping the faun who was setting the table. Her older sister walked over to the entrance of the balcony, asking one of the ladies-in-waiting if they had any more napkins. Edmund stood off to the side, leaning against the railing, watching as she helped the faun. She smiled slightly to herself, going back to setting down silverware.

"Lucy," her brother started, the tone of voice something she had heard only far too often. It was the tone he had developed at that horrid school. The one he reserved only for picking on her. She turned to face him just in time to see the last traces of a battle on his face as he struggled to reign in the emotions and desires he was not proud of. Lucy knew it was going to be a constant struggle for a bit, changing the way he acted. She held the hope however, that he would come out better for it.

"Are you sure we have enough forks, Lu?" Edmund finished. Lucy giggled. It was true, the amount of flatware was astounding. They had a different utensil for every course. She started moving around the table again to double check everything. She adjusted one of the forks a bit, trying to make everything perfect. When she came to Edmund's place however she found his glass on the wrong side of his plate. She frowned. She must have accidently put the glass on the incorrect side. After all it had happened before. With a small shake of her head she moved it back to the left.

"Majesty?" She turned to smile at the faun who had called her, giving a little wave before turning back to see the glass on the wrong side again. She frowned again, glaring at the glass and placing it back on the left.

She turned, walking away slowly, keeping her eyes discreetly on the glass in time to catch Edmund move it again. She whirled around, trying to keep the smile from her face.

"Ed!"

The two younger siblings glared at each other, trying to win this battle of wills, until both dissolved into laughter. Lucy clutched at her sides, trying to keep them from aching.

The light atmosphere ended as Peter walked out onto the balcony. Susan drew close, helping Lucy struggle up straight and putting an arm around her. Lucy watched in horror and disbelief as he walked slowly and unsteadily over to his chair, collapsing into it with a weary smile for all of them.

Edmund and Susan exchanged glances before beginning the meal. She understood. The only thing for it now was to wait for the right time.

Lucy watched anxiously for a chance to distract her oldest brother. Susan began serving, starting with Lucy. They were dining informally tonight. On any other occasion Susan would not have been allowed to serve herself or her siblings. Lucy knew that sometimes servants saw it as odd, but it allowed the four of them to have some time to themselves. Some time to be siblings. Susan served Edmund, Peter, and herself, etiquette dictating that they could eat now. The Valiant Queen found she had lost her appetite though. Her food sat on her plate, barely touched. She should probably be eating, she knew that. She saw Susan shoot Lucy a mothering look, a cross somewhere between, eat-your-food, and eat-or-he-will-know-something's-wrong.

But the youngest Queen felt as though her stomach was tied in knots. How did her older sister pretend to be so calm? It was a talent Lucy wished she had at this moment. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin things because she was too obvious. Edmund seemed sure of himself and the plan he had so cunningly devised, but what if something went wrong? Lucy mentally shook herself. Aslan would take care of everything. She firmly believed that. There was not anything Aslan could not do.

If she thought about it, she was more than anxious for this endeavor to succeeded. She was not at all sure that this was the best way to go about this. She trusted her brother, and was sure Edmund would never do anything to hurt Peter. Perhaps it was the dishonesty of the plan. Her parents had always taught her that lying was wrong, and this felt so much like lying. She sighed. Her head told her it was wrong, but her heart disagreed. All that mattered was Peter's health. That was all that should matter. It was all that did matter, she decided.

Peter jerked himself from a doze, bringing Lucy's own attention back to the now. He had almost landed face first in his food. Susan laid her hand on his arm, falling into her natural roll of mothering among the siblings. She took Peter's attention, easily providing the distraction that had been needed.

While Susan provided the distraction, she left the perfect opportunity for Lucy to observe Edmund more carefully. She watched him pour wine into one of the glasses from a different decanter. It looked as if Edmund had come ready to avoid deception. However, the powder seemed to have settled to the bottom of the glass from sitting for a while. She passed him a spoon quietly, hoping he could soundlessly stir, or they would give themselves away. Lucky for them Edmund seemed well trained in all things silent. The ground-up plant residue lingered in the liquid for a moment or two before dispersing entirely. Lucy grinned in delight.

"Peter?" Edmund's voice wavered, noticeable only if one knew how nervous Edmund really was. Peter, however, was far too tired to notice such things. He looked up when he heard his name called a few seconds later, revealing how slow his senses were becoming.

Edmund held out the wine glass for their brother to take, and again Lucy noticed how his hand shook. It was hardly noticeable, only a slight tremor. But it was there nonetheless. The younger queen glanced up sharply, noticing truly for the first time how pale Edmund was. Had he been that pale since the Battle of Beruna? Hadn't he been regaining color? Perhaps he simply looked pale because of the dark circles under his eyes. They were almost as dark as Peter's. Lucy wondered how long memories of the past would haunt both of her brothers.

Peter took the glass with a slurred thank-you, drinking deeply to quench his thirst. And now the waiting began again. Their dryad teacher had told Edmund at most half an hour would pass before someone Edmund's size would succumb to the drug's effects. Considering Peter was, (or at one point had been) heavier then Edmund, they had upped the dosage a bit. But as the meal dragged on, and half an hour became an hour, and the courses went on, it became apparent that something had gone terribly wrong.

The three younger monarchs exchanged what were boarding on panicked glances, and Lucy wondered if perhaps they might want to go call someone. What if Edmund had made some grave error? None of them wanted anything to happen to Peter.

"These sausages are excellent. Su, could you pass me-" Peter began, but never finished. With a soft thud, he landed face first into his mashed potatoes. Lucy saw the guards and ladies-in-waiting all start, one of the more experienced of the guards starting forward. Edmund let a triumphant smile spread across his face. Lucy shook her head, acknowledging to the startled subjects around them that all was well. Susan, gave a small sigh of contentment, knowing that Edmund's plan had indeed worked. She stepped towards the ladies, asking quietly for someone to go inform Silvo of his charge's condition.

"A bit too strong, perhaps, Ed," Lucy commented dryly, keenly peering at their brother's golden locks and potato-smeared face.

"At least his dinner broke his fall. I'll get it right next time," Edmund said offhandedly, sweeping his gaze around as though looking for someone. He strode over to Susan, joining in on the conversation with one of the guards, adding his own requests. Lucy stayed near Peter, resting her hand on his shoulder. She could feel his back rise and fall in time with his chest, reassuring her that he was only asleep.

"I know you will be dreadfully mad at all of us when you wake up, but really Peter, Edmund did the right thing. You'll see that one day. Besides, you brought this upon yourself," she chided him, as though he could hear her still.

Edmund and Susan came back after a while, and Susan began to clean up Peter's face. Lucy's still-conscious brother waited, looking around the balcony. Lucy was not quiet sure what he was waiting for, until one of the faun guards that she had come to know as Erasmus, pattered into view. He gave a sharp nod to Edmund.

"All right, Susan? Grab one of Peter's arms. Lu you grab the other arm. Ready? Okay and lift!"

At his command both girls did as told, and between the three of them they were able to handle Peter's body. Erasmus, who was too old to carry Peter himself, tried to take the load.

"Now really Captain Erasmus. I can assure you that we are quiet fine. We can handle our brother. No what we really need you to do, is go ahead of us and clear the way," explained Susan, somehow maintaining her grace. Lucy beamed proudly at her sister before they began the long trek towards Peter's rooms.

"Careful! Don't bash his head into the wall!"

Lucy never knew how they made it all the way to the chambers without hurting someone, but they did. After they had turned the High King over to Silvo, his faun valet, Lucy humbly thanked Erasmus. Susan joined her, and together the two of them walked the guard back to his post near the balcony.

"I was just doing my job. It was no trouble." The faun smiled, shifting his hooves at the continued thanks.

"We must be getting back to our brother now. Thank you again, Captain. Come on Lu." Susan smiled graciously before starting back down the hall. Lucy beamed, and bounced up to the Captain.

"Thank you ever so much Captain Erasmus!" She exclaimed, standing on tip-toes to give him a kiss upon the cheek. With another dazzling smile she hurried after her sister.

"Come on Susan, I'll race you!" Lucy called as she reached Susan, speeding by her. She hadn't felt so light in a while what with all of their new duties and such. She knew that Peter would be alright now though, and surely whatever was bothering Edmund would be sorted out then.

She heard Susan laugh as she called out a half-hearted reprimand.

"Lucy it isn't right to be running!" But the laughter in her older sister's voice proved that Susan thought otherwise this time. "Oh wait for me!"

Both queens were running through the halls, skirts in hand as they went back to check on their brothers.

Lucy peeked into her oldest brother's bedroom suite, her sister right behind her. Peter had been changed, and was asleep in his bed, far too gone to have any disturbing nightmares. For now, he would rest in peace.

The same could not be said of Edmund, who sat in an arm-chair he had dragged over to the bedside from who knew where. As the girls entered the room, Susan smacked him playfully on the arm.

"Respect the furniture," she teased, dropping a kiss on his brow. He glowered up at her, but otherwise offered no protest. Lucy glowed. At one point in time Edmund would have made such a fuss over that. Narnia was surely changing all of them for the better.

"Night Ed," Lucy chirped, planting her own kiss on his cheek before following Susan towards their chambers. At the door she looked back, and suppressed a small sigh.

Tonight, there would still be one King keeping vigil all night, guarding against the ghosts of the past.