9) Prince Calvin Of Archenland

"I'm going to miss you so much," Susan hugged Liz, tears streaming down both girls' faces.

"Hopefully you'll get to visit," Liz said encouragingly, trying to hide her pain.

"I think Peter will be claiming that spot." Susan said, wiping away the tears that were going to be replaced a minute later.

"He's High King, he can't come every time. Though I wish he could." Liz said sadly. She moved on to Stephen, who hugged her fiercely.

"Be careful, I'll visit when I can," He whispered.

"Take care of Peter for me," Liz whispered back.

"But who's going to take care of you?" Stephen asked.

"I can take care of myself," Liz said defiantly. "And I have Anna."

"Anna is a horse," Stephen snorted.

"She's more than a horse!" Liz retorted. "What if I said that about Tom?"

"But you didn't," Stephen pointed out.

"Just look after Peter, ok?" Liz stressed her point. "And do not worry about me!" She moved to where Lucy and Edmund were standing, and forced a smile at them.

"Ok you two. I have a job for you." She said. "Please look after Susan for me."

"What about Peter?" Lucy inquired.

"I have Stephen looking after him," Liz answered. "And he's bigger than you two, so he'll deal with Peter better." Lucy stepped up and hugged her, as did Edmund. "And don't worry about me!" She added, tears gathering in her eyes again. She walked over to Anna, waiting for Peter to say goodbye to his siblings-but he would only be gone for a week. He walked over and gave her a leg up, then got on his own horse. It would take a day and a half to get to Archenland…

"The border is right past that tree," Peter pointed out. The sun was about to set, and it was going to be the last Liz saw in Narnia for a long time.

"Peter, they're expecting me at noon tomorrow, can't we spend the night in Narnia?" Liz begged, wanting to stay in the place she now called home. Peter looked at her pleading face, and nodded, telling their escorts to set up camp.

"You can't put it off forever Liz," Peter told her.

"Don't talk like that Peter," Liz scolded him. "You're dreading it as much as I am."

"It doesn't mean I want to put it off," Peter defended. "I'd wanted to get it over with!"

"Well sorry! If I don't want to think about being separated from you!" Liz yelled in his face. They had both already dismounted, and their horses had been lead away. She turned and started to walk away.

"Liz-"

"Peter," Liz said, and by her voice he knew she was close to crying, "I don't want to hear it." She walked to help some of the soldiers set up her tent.

Hours later, Liz was staring at the ceiling of her tent. She felt horrible. She had never gone to bed mad at Peter, ever. And she couldn't get to sleep. She stood up, and threw a cloak on before striding from her tent. Liz headed straight to the big red tent on the other side of camp (her tent was, of course, purple).

There was a guard standing there and when she requested to get in, he said, "I can't do that my Princess. I'm under orders not to let anyone in."

"Well, I promise you will not get in trouble, and anybody who tries to punish you will be required to face me in a duel," Liz said simply. The guard stepped aside, letting her in. Peter was sitting up on the side of his bed, his head in his hands.

"Peter."

He looked up, immediately catching her eyes, "Liz, I'm sorry."

"I am too," Liz whispered. "I couldn't go to sleep mad." Peter stood up, looking slightly forlorn.

"You know I love you," He started. "I'm just trying to cope with all this. We've only been living in close vicinity for a few months, and I already don't want to be more than a few minutes away from you. It's scary."

"It's scary for me too," Liz pressed. "I love you so much it hurts. I know it sounds cheesy, but I can't stand being away from you… I don't want to be apart, ever." Peter pulled her to him, hugging her close. They slept in a similar position, tangled in each other, so innocent and still so intimate.

"Umm, your Highnesses, it's umm," The guard stumbled embarrassedly over the words. "It's time to wake up." Peter woke up first, and looked straight at the guard.

"You will tell no one of this. Or you will face the wrath of Liz and I." He ordered menacingly.

"Stop threatening the poor guard," Liz yawned. "Word will get around whether you and I want it to or not. I have to leave this tent, and nobody saw me going in!" Peter laughed at this, because she sounded semi-hysterical.

"I guess she's right, just don't try to spread the word," Peter said, and the guard nodded before leaving. Peter turned to Liz, smiling. "Now that was interesting."

Liz cracked at that, clutching her stomach as she rolled with laughter. "Interesting!? I can think of about a million different things to describe that incident, but interesting is definitely not one of them."

Peter leaned over and started tickling her. "Do you think that I was that funny?" She was squirming, trying desperately to get away, but he tightened his grip.

"Peter, please stop!" She laughed, begging for him to stop.

"Tell me that it was not funny!" Peter laughed right back.

"But it was!" Liz laughed.

"Fine! It wasn't funny!" Peter sat back immediately, laughing at Liz clutching her stomach, which had started to hurt.

She sat up, and started to walk out of the tent. "I'll see you soon," She said, stopping at the entrance to the tent. "And I hate being tickled."

Liz walked to her tent, where she found the Nymph that was staying with her in Archenland waiting for her.

"Princess Elizabeth, where have you been?" she asked strictly.

"I was visiting the King," Liz answered nonchalantly.

"All night?" the Nymph pressed the subject.

Liz blushed but held her head high, "We were just talking."

"You were talking all night?" she repeated.

"Well, no, we slept a bit too," Liz, admitted. "But just sleeping. I promise on my crown!" The Nymph just nodded, she knew how much Liz loved her crown.

"Put this dress on," the Nymph said, pointing to a light purple dress.

She turned to walk away when Liz asked, "What's your name?"

The Nymph turned and smiled, "Dora." Liz put the dress on, with her riding boots, grabbed her sword and shield, and she left her tent.

Anna was waiting for her. "How was your night with the King?" The horse asked mischievously.

"Who told you?" Liz asked.

"Dora," Anna whinnied.

"Stupid Nymph." Liz growled, staring at Anna's saddle. "How am I supposed to get up there?"

"Here comes your King to help you!" Anna said.

"He's your King too!" Liz answered angrily. "And if you wanted to help me, you would kneel so I could get on without Peter's help."

Liz turned to see Peter leading his horse Alex towards them. "Need help?"

Liz rolled her eyes, "Why do you even ask?" Peter gave her a leg up, and mounted his own horse.

"Excited to finally see Archenland?" Peter asked, trying to improve her mood.

"Not one bit," Liz answered bitterly.

"They have a Prince around our age…" Peter drifted off.

"He won't replace you," Liz said immediately.

"But he might try to," Peter added. "If he likes you enough, he'll just propose, and to refuse would offend a lot of people."

"Do you want me to accept?" Liz retorted, her temper flaring.

"No!" Peter answered quickly. "Just be careful, ok?" Liz nodded, looking straight ahead.

"What would the King and Queen say if I refused?" Liz asked after an hour of silence.

"Well, King Cor will probably laugh, saying that you're out of his son's league, and Queen Aravis will probably apologize." Peter said. "But Prince Calvin will make your life hell."

"I'll move out of the castle if that happens." Liz said shrugging.

"Even though Susan put you through the Princess lessons, the King and Queen won't really care. Well, the Queen might, but she has too much trouble keeping her husband in line," Peter said laughing. "He didn't know he was a Prince until he was twelve or thirteen. Usually he has worse royal manners than Stephen, so you know Aravis has her hands full."

"Manners worse then Stephen's?" Liz asked, starting to also laugh. "I thought that was impossible!" Anna and Alex were having a quiet conversation also, and Liz looked at Peter with her eyebrows up. "That's just plain scary."

"What?" Peter asked, clearly confused.

"Our horses like each other," Liz said.

"Wow, that is scary," Peter nodded, agreeing.

One of the soldiers came up to them, "We are approaching the castle." Peter nodded, sending the soldiers back to his place.

"Their castle is beautiful," Peter said, trying to make Liz happy in some little way.

"It can't be near as beautiful as Cair Paravel," Liz argued. Peter just nodded again, knowing it was true. They looked up at the looming castle, and Liz felt tears rush to her eyes. She blinked them away in annoyance, she had been crying way too much lately.

"Peter! It's nice to see you again!" King Cor said, hugging Peter, who had not grown since the last time Cor had seen him. Though Cor had grown up, with a son that was the same age as Liz. He turned to her now, "And it's nice to meet you Princess Elizabeth."

"It's Liz," She growled. "But other than that, it's nice to meet you King Cor."

"Just call me Cor." He answered.

"Cor! Why didn't you tell me that the guests have arrived?" A woman with a dark complexion scolded the King.

"Sorry Aravis," Cor said, feigning the apologetic look. "I'm sure you remember Peter, and this is Princess Liz."

"Hi Liz, I'm Aravis, and this is my oaf of a husband, Cor." Aravis smiled. "Our son should arrive shortly." A boy with what looked like a natural tan arrived beside them.

"These the Narnians?" He asked with a smile.

Aravis hit her son on the back of his head while replying, "Yes, this is High King Peter and Princess Liz." She turned to them and said, "This is my son Calvin." Calvin was looking Liz up and down, and Liz did not like the look he had on his face. She gripped Peter's arm and interlaced her fingers with his, hoping desperately that it would signal to the Prince that she was t-a-k-e-n, though he didn't seen fazed.

"Well, I'm going to show you to your rooms…" Cor said with a smile. "I hope you don't mind, but they're connected. We're working on rebuilding more than half the castle, and we thought you'd want rooms close to each other, and this was the closest we had." Peter just smiled and nodded, and Liz was thinking perfect.

Liz liked her room, but it wasn't in Narnia. It was all purple, her favorite color. She stepped into Peter's room; it was all red. Not that it mattered; he'd only be in it for three days.

"Want to face me one more time before I go back to Narnia?" Peter asked. It was the day before he left.

"I'd love to beat you, again," Liz said, smiling. She grabbed her sword and followed him to the castle's gardens.

They had just started the duel when they heard a voice say, "I love to watch a woman fight."

Liz growled, still fighting Peter. She hated Calvin. In the two days that she had been here, he'd already tried to corner her seventeen times. "Go to hell Calvin." She growled menacingly.

"That's no way to treat a Prince!" Calvin replied.

"And cornering me trying to get me to kiss you is no way to treat a Princess!" Liz snarled.

"He did what!?" Peter yelled, instantly outraged.

"Peter please stay out of this," Liz begged. "And you Calvin, have no right trying to make me like you! I already love some one with all me heart, and you can't change that!"

"What is going on here?" Cor asked, finding the three at wit's end.

"Dad, Liz told me to go to hell!" Calvin said.

"He cornered me seventeen times in the last two days!" Liz defended.

"And why are you about to murder some one Peter?" Cor asked.

"He tried to force Liz to kiss him!" Peter yelled, as if it was obvious.

"But telling me to go to hell is worse!" Calvin argued.

"Murdering someone is worse. Telling some one to go to hell just is a hidden code saying 'I hate you'" Liz informed him in her sweetest voice.

"You hate me?" Calvin asked.

"Yes, very much so." Liz answered. "And I guarantee that Peter is going to hate you now too."

"Damn straight!" Peter added.

"SHUT UP!" Cor shouted. The three teenagers turned to look at him.

"All of you go to your rooms!" He said. Calvin immediately left, but Liz and Peter stood there, glaring at his retreating back.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Peter said to Cor.

"That's my line!" Liz scolded Peter. He came and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I know, I just love it so much."

"I'll miss you." Peter whispered.

"I'll miss you too," Liz answered. "I don't know what I'll do with just Calvin for company, I might go insane."

"Don't worry, I'll still love you," Peter smiled sadly.

"I'll always love you," Liz said back. They looked to where they're horses were saying goodbye, and to say that they were distraught was an understatement.

"They look worse than we do," Peter laughed.

"If horses could cry, Anna would be bawling," Liz commented. She looked at Peter, and he noticed she had started to cry. "I'm going to soon."

"I'll be back as soon as possible," He promised.

"Make sure Susan and Stephen get their turns too," Liz joked, the tears still flowing.

"Of course, but I'll try to come too," Peter assured her.

"Do you have to leave?" Liz asked again.

"Yes, but I wish I didn't have to," Peter said, calling Alex to him. "I love you." He said, kissing her forehead and mounting his horse.

"Love you too," Liz whispered, as she watched him leave.

"Are you going to be ok Liz?" Aravis asked the young Princess later that day.

"I don't know." Liz admitted, shaking her head. "Just, no offence to you, can you please keep Calvin away from me?"

Aravis nodded, "I didn't do the best job raising him. Cor and I were away most of the times it was important. So, do you want kids?"

"I have to get married first, and find the right man." Liz laughed.

"I think you already have…" Aravis said; her eyebrows raised high into her forehead.

"I think I have too…"