Author's Note: I've included the recent OCs in this chapter. I'm sorry this took a while. Just hope the longness satisfies you. I know I said that Aceline would be eighteen when she went back to Narnia, but I decided to change it. She's seventeen, but she's going back. The middle part is sort of on the suckish part. (Sorry about that.) Oh, and thanks for the reviews!

I'm currently on Spring Break for one and a half weeks (WOOT!), so you can count on the next chapter by either Sunday or Monday.

Inspiration: Gwen Stefani's "Cool", Ashlee Simpson's "La La", Aly & Aj's "Chemical React"

Quote from Chapter: "Why didn't you tell me he was coming?"

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Surprises

"Oh, Ace, I think I can see Narnia!" Lucylita shouted. The Princess couldn't help but chuckle at her Watcher's enthusiasm. Two minutes before, she had been pacing the deck of the Paramount Fox twisting her handkerchief between her fingers, speaking aloud about what she would say to the monarchs. (For it isn't everyday one meets Kings and Queens!) Now, she was leaning on the railing, pointing to the faraway coastline. Aceline closed her book and joined her, both of them staring at the blue of the ocean. The Princess had nearly forgotten how clear the Narnian sea was. It made her want to jump overboard and dive into the cerulean depths.

"How long do you think it'll take to get there?" Aceline asked.

"And hour at the very least," Lucylita said casually. Then, she looked over at the younger girl, an eyebrow raised. "Why? What's your hurry?"

"No hurry. It's just that Lucy's told me so much about Cauldron Pool, and I really want to try and draw it!" she proclaimed with zeal, placing the palm of her right hand under her chin. She had grown uncommonly good at her talent (much to everyone's pleasure) and was usually seen scribbling on a napkin when she didn't have any paper. Lucylita gave her an amused look.

"Well, don't worry, we'll be there soon. I suggest you get ready," she said. The Princess, at first, thought her friend was joking. Despite the fact that she was only two months shy of her eighteenth birthday, she didn't particularly like to "pretty" herself, for, though she would never believe it, she was a natural beauty that didn't need make-up. But the Lone Islander gave her a slight nudge and she went below deck.

Like any serious artist, she packed her pencils and papers first and left the ''unnecessary" necessities (clothing, books, etc.) to Lucylita. She fixed her hair (which had grown, so that it just passed her waist) into a loose bun and lightly dabbed her lips with rouge. She smoothed out the front of her dress, studying herself carefully in the mirror. She was satisfied at what she saw and went back on a deck.

When she went back, Aceline saw that they were rapidly approaching the docks of Cair Paravel. She clenched her hands tightly together and, with a feeling of exhilaration, she saw that people were waving to her from the shore. But then her heart sank.

She could only count three people.

High above her, up in the crow's nest, a sailor announced that they had dropped anchor. The gangplank was lowered and Aceline, dragging Lucylita behind her, raced off the ship, much to the crew's surprise. Susan, Lucy and Edmund were waiting for her. The Valiant Queen flung her arms around her waist, nearly knocking the wind out of her.

"Oh, thank Aslan you're back!" she exclaimed. The Princess was quite surprised to see that the girl's once short hair was long enough to form a thick braid. The young Queen's head just passed the top of the Princess's shoulders. Susan came next. As she set eyes upon her, she realized that the stories of Susan being as "beautiful as the silver moon" was completely correct. Her black hair was longer than her own, her cheekbones high on a porcelain and delicate face. And she had come to match her own height. The Gentle Queen hugged her tightly.

"You're not leaving Narnia again without us," she whispered, letting go with a smile. Edmund embraced her, his black hair gently falling in his dark eyes. He had actually passed her in height, standing at about five foot five. He had a lean physique, slim, but not scrawny, muscular, but not overly robust.

"Peter got stuck in a council at the last minute," he muttered in her ear. She nodded, glad that the High King hadn't missed seeing her on purpose. (She wasn't entirely sure if the memory of their last encounter was still in his mind.) She then remembered about Lucylita.

"Ed, Susan, Lucy, this is Lucylita Temple, from the Lone Islands." Her Watcher curtseyed, her head bowed in humility.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Lucy said lightly. Edmund and Susan nodded in agreement. The oldest of the three laced her arm with the Princess's and led her towards the castle, the Just King trailing behind the two like a servant, Lucy and Lucylita bringing up the rear. The elder Queen brought her up-to-date with all the gossip and social scenes of Narnia. Apparently, the Lone Islander fashion was different from the Narnian one.

"Oh, look, Peter's coming," Edmund said. Aceline stopped in mid-sentence and looked towards the castle entrance. And there, indeed, stood the High King.

Like his siblings, Peter had changed physically, looking both taller and muscular. (She reckoned he was a good two or three inches taller than his brother.) His golden hair had the lightest of brown streaks running threw it, the ends just hovering an inch above his broad shoulders. But she realized that, as he jogged towards them, he carried himself with dignity and poise and that he looked regal in his simple tunic and breeches. As he reached them, he greeted her by saying: "Sorry I'm late. Got stuck in a meeting."

The Princess laughed at his tone and proceeded to hug him, unsurprised to feel muscles through the tunic as she wrapped her arms around him, but relieved to find that there was no flutter in her stomach. His smooth, battle-worn hands gripped her shoulders as he looked at her.

"I suggest you be careful. Susan's planned a ball for tonight," he whispered. She nodded, knowing all too well that she would have to fight tooth and nail to avoid being bombarded by make-up from Susan.

"Peter, this Lucylita Temple, a friend from the Islands," she said, gesturing towards her Watcher. The girl curtseyed at the mention of her name. The High King bowed as a greeting.

"Pleasure," he said. She nodded in reply. The Lone Islander then continued her discussion with Lucy (apparently, one about archery) and Edmund side-stepped the older girls to whisper something in his brother's ear. A strange smile - one that suggested he knew something she didn't - appeared on the High King's face. A bewildered expression found its way on Aceline's face as she looked over towards the elder of his two sisters for an explanation. But all her unasked question received was the exact same smile.

"It's a surprise," Edmund told her. They continued towards the castle, the Valiant Queen and the Watcher far ahead of them. She shook her head in amusement as she followed them, glad to be back in Narnia.

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"Susan, is it absolutely important that it has to be this tight?" she asked, as the Queen tightened the laces to her corset. The girl looked sheepish for a moment.

"Well, no," she replied, loosening it a bit. Aceline, Susan and Lucy were readying themselves for the ball. A Dryad was fixing Lucy's hair into an exquisite braid, entwining flowers into her golden locks. Susan had had her hair curled and tied up with a simple ribbon. Aceline had listened to Peter's warning; there was just that simple, little fact that she had overlooked - Susan hated to be told no. Oh, yes, and there was the fact that, like everyone else in her life, she could persuade anyone. In the past hour, she had been forced to wear make-up, a dress that was too tight and a corset, of all things.

"You have no idea how long we've been planning this," Lucy said, as the Dryad placed her crown on her head.

"How long?" she asked, amused.

"Since you left," Susan said, fixing the hem of her friend's gown. She straightened, looking satisfied and exclaiming: "Perfect!"

Aceline stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself, tilting her head left to right. She wore a splendid dress of lavender velvet and silk. A transparent, purple cloth had been placed over the skirt of her dress. Her regular opal necklace adorned her neck and a diamond bracelet was clasped to her wrist. As a finishing touch, a fan had been placed in her hand and her crown on top of her black tendrils.

"Wow," she said to herself.

"I think Your Majesties are ready to go down," the Dryad said, adding the last flower to the blonde Queen's hair. The girls nodded, giggling as they exited in a flurry of silk and velvet.

Down in the Great Hall, they met Peter and Edmund, who looked dashing in dark red and forest green. They didn't bother hiding their surprised expressions as they looked at the Princess.

"What?" she asked.

"Just never thought you could look like that..." Edmund mumbled. Her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Like what?" she said. But the two Kings had already went inside the hall, where there were sounds of laughter, chatter and music. She shrugged it off, entering herself with Susan on her right and Lucy on her left. The noise slowly died down as the Narnians and their guests looked at the girl who they hadn't seen for almost five years. (The Narnians had been told that she was coming; it was just the fact that she was here was unnerving.) She gulped, and her nervousness must have shown on her face, for then, a decent-looking lord, who looked of Galmian descent, swept his bonnet off his head and bowed to her, giving her a most encouraging smile. She curtseyed in response, flashing a grin at him. The lord winked at her, and the lady next to him curtseyed to the royal females. In a matter of moments, everyone seemed to be bowing to her.

Aceline hadn't noticed that she was being led up the dais, where Peter and Edmund already sat. Her eyes finally settled on the throne, smaller but no less grander the Pevensies's, that was only two steps down from the main ones. Realization finally hit her as she figured out who the throne was for. She looked at each of the Queens, searching for an answer. Susan was looking straight ahead, a smile on her porcelain face. Lucy, however, looked at her and grinned, nodding at her stunned expression.

Touched beyond words, she followed obediently as Lucy helped into the seat. Sounds of cheering filled her ears as she sat. The color rose in her cheeks as she bowed her head in modesty. Peter stood up, and there was silence once more.

"My friends!" the High King began, in his clear, regal-sounding voice, "Today, we celebrate the return of our Princess. She has been away for a long while and I think she deserves a round of applause for her victory at the Lone Islands, don't you?" His words were greeted with more cheering in which Aceline had to leaned over to look at him, hoping her expression would make him stop the applause. He nodded and raised his hand for silence.

"First, we shall partake in this excellent feast our cooks have prepared. Afterwards, we will continue our celebrations in dance," he stated. The Princess noted how well he spoke and leaned back in her throne.

The High Table was placed in front of them and it seemed to groan under the food the servants brought in. She had nearly forgotten how good Narnian food was. The venison was better than usual, and the taste of the wine (non-alcoholic) stayed on her tongue long after she had drunken her gobletful. As she looked up from her plate, she nearly jumped in surprise to see that some of the lords were staring at her. She smiled kindly at them before turning her attention back to her plate.

It seemed only minutes later when Susan stood up, her face shining happily. She said in a loud voice: "And now, let us continue our celebration in dance!"

The High Table was taken away, exposing the thrones. Susan was asked to dance by a lord while Lucy was led away by Mister Tumnus. The brothers went to ask a pair of neighboring ladies. She watched them all, smiling, until a lord asked her to dance.

Aceline felt more comfortable on her feet. She twirled and swayed to the music. Everywhere around her, she saw ladies moving in dainty ball dresses and lords in their stunning tunics. She curtseyed to her partner and turned around, just in time to see a girl press her lips upon Peter's.

The Princess's eyes grew wide and her eyebrows flew up. The High King, she noticed, remained unfazed. Instead, he gestured to where the couples were dancing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Susan appeared at her shoulder.

"Oh, those two!" she exclaimed. Aceline looked at her in surprise. "Why can't they do that in private?"

"Who is she?" the older girl asked curiously.

"The Lady Kiara Menteur of the Lone Islands," was the answer. "Peter's quite smitten with her. He started courting her about a week before your last letter came." The Princess wore a pensive expression as she looked at Kiara. The girl was around her age with black hair and blue eyes. She was short (perhaps shorter than herself), but seemed like a decent person.

"She seems nice," she finally said. The Queen looked at her critically before her attention was diverted by two ladies.

"Susan!" the first exclaimed. She was quite pretty with vibrant red hair and bright green eyes. Her skin was fair and there wasn't a single freckle on her face. Next to her stood a quiet-looking, yet pretty, girl of sixteen. She had long, light brown hair and the brightest (and widest) blue eyes she had ever seen.

"Nira, Sara!" the called said, hugging the redhead. "Aceline, this is Alenira Beaux and Narissara Justen." The girls curtseyed to each other, smiling slightly.

"This is a truly marvelous ball, is it not?" Alenira asked.

"Quite," Narissara answered quietly. The girls made small talk and the Princess soon found herself warming up to the girls. They were the perfect example of opposites attract. Alenira was bold and loud while Narissara was quiet and shy. Unsurprisingly, two lords came to ask the redhead and the Queen for a dance.

"Do you travel, Narissara?" she asked. The girl jumped in surprise, but nodded.

"Yes, particularly to Archenland," she said. Aceline opened her mouth to ask another question when Peter and the lord that had winked at her appeared.

"Lady Narissara," the High King said, bowing. The brunette quickly curtseyed, stumbling as she did so.

"Your Majesty," she stammered. The Princess smiled slightly, and curtseyed to the lord. He bowed respectively.

"I don't think we've met," she said.

"Where are my manners?" Peter said. "This is Lord Henry Fidelin, a friend of mine from Galma."

"Pleasure," the Lord Henry said, grinning.

"Likewise, my lord," she said.

"Hey, Ace?" Peter asked suddenly. She turned her eyes on him, waiting for him to continue.

"Would you like to dance with me?" he asked. She chuckled softly and nodded, leaving Narissara and the Lord Henry alone.

"Do you know how long it's been since we've danced?" Aceline asked him as they waltz.

"Years ago," he answered in awe. He twirled her, both of them remembering the time. Presently, they both focused on their surroundings. Peter spoke first.

"You know, there's still another part of your welcome-back party," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, by the Lion, you guys are going to spoil me with all these celebrations," she said, but he could tell that she was a bit pleased.

"What is it?" she questioned eagerly.

"A jousting tournament," he grinned, watching as her face lit up.

"Really?" Her purple eyes were clouded with wonderment and awe. Word had reached the Lone Islands how amazing the Narnian tourneys were. She looked at him with childlike enthusiasm. The High King nodded, laughing as Aceline stopped in mid-twirled to hug him.

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The Princess wondered if she had to grow up prim and proper to avoid potential embarrassment.

Two days after the ball, she found herself wandering the corridors. She had just been riding around the grounds. Instead of the usual hunting dress, she wore man's breeches and a crisp tunic. Her hair was windswept and hung in knots. Her eyes were darting around idly when, out of nowhere, the Lord James Kieran turned the corner.

Aceline stopped dead in her tracks, looking at the lord with wide eyes. He, too, looked surprised to see her. She bowed (who could curtsey in breeches?) and James did likewise, looking at her wonderingly. She must have looked quite a sight; a Princess with no crown, messy hair and wearing man's clothes. She gave him a hesistant smile.

"Good morning, my lord," she said, trying to be cordial.

"Morning to you, your Highness," he replied, still running his eyes over her. "If I may be so bold to inquire as to why you are wearing breeches?" The color rose in her cheeks as she stared into his piercing green eyes.

"Oh, I was...erm...riding. One cannot ride in a dress," she stated, crossing her fingers behind her back. He nodded, his forehead creasing a bit.

"May I ask you something, Lord James?" she asked. He nodded once more.

"Why are you here?"

"I am competing in the tournament," he said with a proud smile.

"I wish you the best of luck. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to lunch," she answered. Now, this last statement was a complete and absolute lie. The first thing she intended to do was brush her hair and change into a decent dress. Then, she wanted to find out why no one had bothered to tell her that James was coming. Afterwards, she would go to lunch.

Aceline, after she had made herself looked halfway decent, went down to where the Pevensies were eating. If anyone knew when he had arrived, it was them.

She entered unannounced, her entrance making Edmund pause in mid-sentence about whatever he was talking about. (She later found out that he was talking about the tournament, which was to be held in three day.) The siblings looked at her as they entered.

"Morning, Ace," Peter said pleasantly.

"Why didn't you tell me he was coming?" she demanded, dropping all matters of politeness. They looked surprised at her rudeness, till Lucy said: "Who?"

"The Lord James! I bumped into him in the corridor and was properly mortified!" Edmund, who had a drop of mischeivousness in his level-headed attitude, leaned back in his chair, the slightest hint of a smirk on his lips.

"Why would you care if he was coming, Aceline?" he asked, the smirk now highly visible on his face. Lucy and Susan looked amazed at their brother's cockiness. Peter placed his hand under his chin, giving her an amused expression. The Kings and Queens looked at her with waiting eyes.

The Princess had been caught off by the Just King's question. She stared at him with slightly narrowed eyes. She had had a cheeky remark on the tip of her tongue - by the Lion's Mane, she really did! - but it vanished as James entered the room, bowing the monarchs. The Kings looked like they desperately wanted to laugh. Indeed, Edmund chuckled and passed it as a low cough. The sisters managed to muffle their giggles with their handkerchiefs. She trembled slightly, as if she were about to fall. Then, she stomped on her foot and said to Edmund: "Brat!"

Aceline turned on her heel, flashing James a smile as she passed.

She was no longer in the mood for lunch.

Author's Note: Hope you liked this chapter. If my muse doesn't go away, then the next chapter will be just as long. I'm not sure if you guys have noticed, but the people that Peter and Aceline have fallen in love with looks like the other. I mean, James has blond hair (like Peter) and green eyes, which are only one shade away from blue. And Kiara has black hair (like Aceline) and blue eyes, which are only shade away from purple. Coincidence, no? I think not.

OCs Used:
Lucylita Temple - Queen Emily the Wise
Alenira Beaux - oceansong
Narissara Justen - bookworm2011