Author's Note: Chapter eighteen! I never thought I would get this far. Anyway, to my anonymous reviewer, your character sounds like a Mary-Sue. If you could post it again with some flaws in the charrie, it would be great.

Quote from Chapter: "Don't you speak about her like that! She knows more about us than you do!"

Chapter Eighteen: The Downfall of Lord Daemyn

"You ready, Princess?" Dar asked. The three friends were standing outside the meeting room door, three minutes before the meeting. Aceline clutched a fistful of her dress as she stared at the door. She nodded and Darrin opened the door. They walked inside, trying and succeeding at looking intimidating. The lords and Pevensies stared curiously at them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Lords Daemyn and Phillip give each other "Uh-oh-she's-back" looks. She brushed it off like she would brush dirt off her shoulder and sat down next to Lucy. Once everyone was seated, a young lord with fair hair and brown eyes stood up. He looked no more than twenty.

"Your Majesties," he said. ("The Lord Tynan," Lucy whispered.) "I am pleased to inform you that His Majesty King Lune has signed the alliance. Archenland can now be able to help you during times of trouble."

"We thank you, Lord Tynan, and we like to express our gratitude to all of you," Peter said. The Princess was surprised by how older and proper he sounded. Obviously, the meetings had made him more kingly. The Archenlandian lords stood up and bowed to the five sovereigns.

"If I may be so bold as to interrupt?" she said suddenly. She looked at Peter for approval. He nodded, looking at her questioningly.

"Lord Tynan, Archenland can help us with some of our problems, correct?"

"That is correct, Your Majesty."

"So, would Archenland be able to help us, perhaps...in the Lone Islands?" Lord Tynan's eyebrows furrowed and the High King snapped his attention on her.

"The Lone Islands, Madam?"

"Some of the Witch's followers are still on the islands," she said. "Narnia will need help in getting rid of them."

"Your Majesty?" asked a lord. This lord had black hair with aqua eyes. His tone of voice didn't reach the wittiness that was in his eyes.

"Yes, Lord...erm...?"

"Keagan. How did you become so informed?" Aceline gave him a small smile.

"I've had a little help." She looked straight at the twins as she said this. Dar and Darrin smiled at her and nudged each other, looking pleased. The Lords Daemyn and Phillip, however, wore expressions of amused skepticism.

"Even if I am a bit of a distraction on the whole," she said, quoting Lord Phillip's exact words. The two lords looked at her with wide eyes. She raised an eyebrow, giving them an "I-know-you've-been-talking-about-me" look. Behind their father and their father's friend, Dar and Darrin were trying very hard not to laugh. Aceline looked down at her lap, but she couldn't keep the triumphant smile that made its way onto her lips. When she looked back up, she noticed that every eye was on her.

"Shall we continue the meeting?" she said. Everyone nodded, still looking at her.

Once the meeting was over, there was talk among the lords of how the Lords Daemyn and Phillip had been embarrassed by the Princess of thirteen. The siblings came up to her.

"That was amazing, Ace!" Edmund said.

"What did you mean by saying that you had help?" Susan asked.

"Just like I said. I had a little help," she said, shrugging.

"Truly inspiring, Princess," said a voice.

"Never thought you had it in you," said another. The twins appeared on either side, casually draping an arm each around her shoulders.

This, obviously, caused different reactions from the Pevensies.

Lucy looked surprised. The blonde girl titled her head to one side, giving her friend a questioning look. Edmund looked amused. He merely raised an eyebrow at her. The Gentle Queen looked impressed. Dar and Darrin were both respectively handsome; no doubt they would be desirable when they were older. But everyone could agree that Peter's was by far the most interesting. His expression was one of anger and jealousy or envy; I'll leave you to decide. But she barely glanced at the High King as she looked at the twins.

"Are you patronizing me?" she asked, her lips forming a fake pout.

"Of course not," Dar said.

"Wouldn't even think of it," his twin added.

"Glad to hear it," she said. Darrin ruffled her hair in a brotherly way, knocking her crown into Dar's hand.

"I like the crown, but I don't think it's fit for me," he said.

"More fit for a Princess, I think," the other said as his brother crowned Aceline. She grinned at them as she straightened it.

"Shall we go to the S.S. as my brother eloquently put it?" Darrin asked. She laughed and nodded, lacing each of her arms unceremoniously through each of theirs. The siblings, especially the High King, looked indignant at being ignored.

"I'll see you guys later," she called over her shoulder as the twins led her away. Lucy and Susan waved to her, while Edmund simply nodded. Peter rolled his eyes and stomped off in a huff, looking annoyed.

--------

"You'll do fine," she reassured them. They were in Aceline's sitting room, fifteen minutes before the ball. The twins had been worrying about how they were going to tell their father what they really felt about politics. She, like the good friend she was, was trying to reassure them.

"Do you think he'll listen?" they asked simultaneously.

"We'll make him listen," she said rebelliously. The twins nodded, although they looked a bit pale. She squeezed their shoulders in a sisterly way. They smiled at her and grabbed her hands.

"Time to go down," Dar said. She nodded, straightening her crown. She wore a stunning blue dress with matching blue flats. Her "escorts" wore the same tan breeches, white shirts and black boots, except that Darrin wore a dark red tunic while his brother wore a hunter green one. Their steps echoed on the floor as they approached the Great Hall.

"Now or never," Aceline told them as they spotted the boys's father. Unfortunately, he was talking to the Pevensies.

"Dar, Darrin, where have you been?" Lord Daemyn asked. As usual, he didn't address Aceline.

"With Aceline," Dar answered. "Father - "

"I need to speak with the two of you," their father said. The tone of his voice made it obvious that he was going to lecture them.

"Father - " Darrin interrupted, but ironically enough, he was interrupted.

"Now."

"Oh, would you listen to them?" she snapped impatiently. "They want to tell you something." The Lord Daemyn looked thunderous.

"Well, what is it?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Okay. Father, we need to speak with you in private," came the simultaneous request.

"Anything you can say to that thing, you can say to me." Aceline felt injured as he looked at her as he said 'that thing' in disgust. This caused an immediate reaction from the twins.

"Don't you speak about her like that! She knows more about us than you do!" They looked quite furious that their father had referred to their friend as a thing. The Pevensies, especially Peter, looked quite angry as well.

"I think you should watch what you say, Lord Daemyn," the High King said through clenched teeth, his hands rolled up into fists.

"Watch it, Daemyn," a voice said. Out of nowhere, the Lord Keagan appeared, wearing a stunning gray tunic. His arms were crossed and he was looking at Lord Daemyn with contempt.

For a moment, Lord Daemyn looked like a trapped animal. His eyes scanned around, looking for a means of escape. He then settled on his sons.

"What do you mean she knows more about you than I do?"

"She knows our favorite color."

"It's silver."

"No, blue."

"Our favorite food."

"Mutton."

"No, veal." They continued this for about three more times until Aceline finally lost it.

"Face it. You don't know your sons because you don't spend time with them." His eyes narrowed at her.

"Are you insinuating something?" he asked.

"I'm not insinuating anything," she said coldly. "I'm informing you." Just then, the girl seemed much more intimidating than the lord. The Pevensies and the Lord Keagan looked surprised at how icy her voice sounded.

"You shall take your leave, Lord Daemyn," Peter said. "By this time tomorrow, you shall be on a ship back to Archenland."

"What about Dar and Darrin?" Lucy asked.

"Would you like to stay?" Edmund said, turning to the boys. They nodded, smiling.

"Then you may stay," Susan said. Daemyn - I, the narrator, think that he is not worthy to be called 'lord' anymore - looked at them all.

"And who shall take care of you?" he asked.

"I shall," the Lord Keagan declared selflessly. Aceline approved of it immediately, for Lord Kaegan looked no older than twenty-four.

"You?"

"Do you prefer a self-righteous bastard like yourself watching over them?" This comment dripped with sarcasm.

"I think you should, Daemyn," the Princess said, tilting her head to one side. Dar and Darrin each placed a hand protectively on her shoulders, giving their father "Face-it-you're-outnumbered" looks. Daemyn turned on his heel and left.

"I'm sorry I turned you against him," Aceline said, looking at the twins. They shrugged.

"That's alright." they said in perfect unison. "That son of a (insert vulgar word here) had it coming to him." She lightly rapped each of them on the head.

"No swearing," she admonished them.

"Shall we go to the ball then?" Lucy said. Aceline saw Peter looking a bit disgruntled. She left the twins and laced her arm with the High King's. He was surprised to see that even their hands were joined together. She smiled at him, which only made him blush.

Turning to the others, she said, "Let's."

That was about six pages right here. Sorry, it's so short. Anyway, I agree with the twins - Daemyn had it coming to him. I liked that last part. Did you?

Characters used:
airnchik 128 - Lord Keagan (I hope you don't mind that I changed your character a bit.)