8) Chicken And Broken Arms
"Princess lessons!" Susan said cheerfully.
"WHAT?" Liz screeched, pulling away from Peter's embrace.
"Well, we don't technically act like the other royal think we're supposed to so…" Susan drifted off.
"Can't Peter teach me?" Liz pouted.
"Their Princess lessons, and he's a King, the High King in fact." Susan said, as if she didn't know that.
"Well you're not a Princess either!" Liz retorted angrily.
"But Lucy and I are the closest things, so c'mon!" Susan said, pulling her up.
"I have a month left in Narnia, and you're pulling me away from the person I want to spend that month with!" Liz yelled, tears building up in her eyes.
"It's ok Liz, we'll do the Princess lessons here, with Peter if you want," Susan said quickly, throwing a panicked look toward Peter.
Peter stood up and wrapped his arms around Liz, "Of course I'll be right here. I'm taking a vacation until you leave. Edmund and Stephen are running the place. Then when you leave, I'm coming with you to settle some things with the Archenland King." Liz nodded, tears still streaming down her face.
"I just don't want to leave!" She sobbed, burying her head in Peter's chest.
"How about we put off the Princess lessons till tomorrow?" Susan suggested.
"And we can go duel if you want to, we haven't fought in a while." Peter said with a small smile.
Liz wiped away her tears and nodded, "I'd like that."
"I'm worried about her." Susan said to Stephen as they watched the pair below duel.
"I am too," Stephen whispered. Susan turned to look at him, and saw the same brotherly look that Peter always had on. "She's not dealing with leaving too well."
"Peter's not dealing with it either, I think he's in denial," Susan said.
"He's hoping this is all just a bad dream," Stephen added.
"A year is short amount of time, when you think about it," Susan sighed.
"A month is even shorter," Stephen said.
"For someone who hasn't touched her sword in a month, you are doing extremely well," Peter commented, even though it was an understatement. He was breathing heavily from the fight she was giving him, and she (literally) hadn't even broken into a sweat.
"You shouldn't waste your breath by talking," Liz countered back with a smirk. "Save it, you're going to need it." They continued to duel until Aslan interrupted them.
"Children, come and eat, you are both tired and hungry," He said. "Though," Aslan added, "Liz could go on for another half and hour." Liz laughed with the lion, while Peter turned a light shade of pink.
"Do you think there's chicken? Chicken's my favorite." Liz said.
"Why chicken? Why not some other animal?" Peter asked curiously.
"The chicken is one of my lease favorite animals, and it tastes really good." Liz answered.
"Well, if there isn't chicken, I think we can get you some." Peter said, smiling. "Between the High King and the Princess, I'm sure we can." They walked into the dining hall, Liz scanning the table quickly.
"Chicken!" She shrieked, attacking it with a vengeance.
"Wow, someone's hungry!" Edmund said.
"Leave me alone, if Aslan wouldn't have come, your brother would have been lying in the mud," Liz grumbled, her mouth half-full with chicken.
"And the whole way back we discussed how much she loves chicken, the food, not the animal." Peter added wolfishly.
"Shut up and eat, you're disturbing my chicken Zen." Liz snapped.
Everyone fell silent, except Stephen, "Chicken Zen?"
"SHUT UP!" The whole room yelled, and everyone finally ate in silence.
"Will I be able to bring Anna to Archenland?" Liz asked Peter quietly.
"Whatever you wish," Peter answered.
"I wish I could stay here, but I'll be a tiny bit happier with Anna with me," Liz smiled sadly.
"You can take Lucy too, if you want…" Peter joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"She'd want to be with you guys… Though I'd love to have her," Liz replied.
"It's going to be ok, you know that right?" Peter asked softly.
"How do you know, it's a whole year!" Liz whispered fearfully.
"Just take it day by day," Peter said. "Don't try to count either, we're going to come and get you when it's time. I've put Edmund on official counting duty, since he's the least close to you." Liz nodded, knowing it was true.
"So, we've had the seamstress make a bunch more formal gowns for you, since you'll have to wear one every night for dinner." Susan said, as they were packing all of Liz's clothes. She was leaving in a week. "And I don't think you should bring your sword."
Liz straightened from her crouched position, anger flashing in her eyes. "I am bringing my sword, whether they think it is proper or not!" Liz snapped, picking up her sword and running from the room, hopefully to find someone to face her. Not that it was likely; most of the captains wouldn't face her anymore, because they were left with a few too many bruises. The only people who would duel her now were Sirius (who besides that one thing in battle, was the only one who had beaten her), Peter, Edmund, and Stephen.
After half an hour of searching for someone, she gave up. Maybe she would just go beat up her pillow again… She turned and ran straight into someone, and she landed on the ground, hard.
"OW!" Liz yelled. She had (stupidly) stuck out her arm to catch her self, and it had literally snapped under the weight.
"Oh Liz, I'm so sorry!" Edmund said, rushing forward to help her. He noticed her arm, with a bone jutting out and backed away. He knew someone had to lift her, and he knew he couldn't.
Edmund ran, hoping desperately to find someone, though if he was lucky, it wasn't Peter who he found. As luck would have it (note the sarcasm), he found Peter not a minute later.
"Peter, come quick, it's Liz!" He said, leading his older brother toward the scene.
"What happened?" Peter asked as they arrived.
"I was just walking, looking at the ground, and we ran into each other. She stuck her arm out to catch herself, and her arm just snapped." Edmund explained. Peter picked Liz up bridal style, carrying her to where the infirmary was.
Lucy was standing over one of the few casualties left over from the battle. She looked up, and her eyes widened when she saw whom it was. She muttered directions to a nurse, and then rushed over to where Peter was standing with Liz.
"What happened?" Lucy asked sharply, noticing Liz's sword at her side.
"She fell and broke her arm, but I think she's lost a lot of blood." Peter explained calmly, though he was panicking on the inside.
"Lay her down," Lucy ordered. While Lucy examined Liz, Susan and Stephen came rushing in.
"We saw the blood, and none of you were around so… What happened?" Stephen asked, spotting Liz and rushing to her side.
"She just broke her arm," Lucy said, trying to calm everyone down.
"But it was a lot of blood…" Susan stopped when Lucy shot a venomous look at her. Peter pulled a chair next to Liz's bed.
"So she was knocked out from loss of blood and it's just a broken arm?" Stephen asked, taking on his role as a brother to Liz.
"She'll be fine."
Liz had been comfortable in the darkness, but now she was coming back to reality, and reality hurt. She wanted the darkness back; it was comforting, warm.
"Liz, please come back to us. We love you. You're scaring us. It's been four days. Elizabeth, I love you," She knew that voice, she loved that voice. She couldn't place it, but she wanted to. Her left arm was burning, really burning. It felt like it was on fire.
The voice was all Liz could think. It'll stop the pain. She searched her mind, finding it near impossible to find a face and name to match the voice to.
"Peter…" The name just cam to her mind, and Liz liked the sound of it.
"Liz!" Peter said, jumping up. "How are you?"
"My arm… it hurts…" Liz groaned, rolling over to face Peter, who had sat back down.
"I'll get Lucy." Peter said, standing up again to leave. Liz's right arm snapped out, grabbing his wrist.
"No, stay…" She whispered.
"What are the last things you remember?" He asked.
"I remember Susan telling me I shouldn't bring my sword to Archenland, then I left to find someone to duel with me. I gave up and turned, running straight into Edmund. I put out my arm to catch myself, and felt it snap beneath the weight." Liz recounted. "And a few minutes ago… You said you loved me."
"You already knew that," Peter teased.
"But I like to hear it." Liz insisted. "And I love you too."
Peter leaned down, brushing his lips against hers just moments before Lucy burst through the door.
"Peter, Liz, this lovey-dovey stuff is not going to help your recovery." She scolded.
Peter laughed, mouthing I love you to Liz before getting up.
Ditto.