The month of November passed peacefully in Narnia, the changing leaves swirling and twirling happily in the wind. The presence of the four lovely Telmarine daughters only made the early winter that much more pleasant for the Pevensies, although the same could not be said about Kasim and Tristan.

The two male monarchs were quite anti social and seemed to try very hard not to bump into any of the monarchs (although Tristan had taken to following Susan like a lost puppy much to her husband's irritation).

"I swear, if he asks her to take a ride through the garden one more time I am going to rip his face off and feed it to the giants!" he seethed to Edmund one cold morning on the first of December. It was quite early in the morning and usually (on the very rare occasions he woke before her) Caspian loved to lay awake and watch Susan sleep, waiting patiently for her to open her eyes and smile, getting his day off to a good start. But not today.

Caspian, who was, as a Telmarine, built to withstand scorching deserts and blistering sun, detested the cold. Especially snow, which was falling lightly this fine sub zero morning, dusting Narnia with its intricate light flakes. Caspian loved snow in some ways, he thought it was just about the most beautiful thing in the world and loved how peaceful and beautiful and calm it made Narnia look. Plus, it was just about Susan's favorite thing so how could he not like it? He really did…he just hated that it was cold and wet and…cold.

Anyway, the small cozy fire in their bed chamber had blown out in the middle of the night and he had woken up absolutely SHIVERING under his two pairs of pants, wool shirt and thick socks. He couldn't help but fantasize of the glorious fireplace in the common room and the thought of the wonderful warmth he could create in the fireplace had been too tempting. Very reluctantly, he slipped out of the nice toasty covers, kissed his sleeping wife on the cheek and tiptoed down the hall to the little makeshift family room.

And who should he meet but Edmund, stretched out in front of the fire, sipping a cup of chocolate and reading a book. He laughed when the blue lipped, shivering Caspian shuffled into the room, clearly frozen.

"You Telmarines are such WIMPS when it comes to snow," he said shaking his head. Caspian rolled his eyes and swatted him.

"Move over. Trust me, I need the fire more than you do." Caspian sprawled himself face down on the warm rug, humming happily at the wonderful warmth the fire filled him with. Edmund snickered and Caspian groaned.

"What, did Prince Nasty Creep kick you out of your bedroom? It must be getting pretty crowded in their with poor Su and you two breathing down her neck" he said wickedly and Caspian's blood boiled. He growled low in his throat, his fists instinctively clenching. Not at Edmund at that-that boy! Since the incident of several months ago, Caspian had become fiercely, fiercely protective of Susan and had trouble letting any man beside the Professor and Trumpkin near her.

"I know. He looks at her like a starving man looks at a piece of meat. I have lost track of all of the times he has asked her to take walks or go riding with him. He is making her quite uncomfortable, she is just to polite to say so. I swear, if he tries to do anything to her I'll rip his head off, prince or not." he growled fiercely, for once in his life sounding like the perfect Telmarine.

Edmund's face changed to one of utter seriousness. "You two have been married for nearly a month now, for Aslan's sake he was AT the wedding, he has to realize that he is not just competing for her affections amidst several suitors; she's kinda already taken. And she is madly in love with the husband she's got," he added for good measure. Caspian smiled ruefully.

"The way he watches her...it sets my teeth on edge. He just stares at her so openly, as if there are not rooms full of people watching him! I'm very tempted to sick Trumpkin on him. He is Susan's new favorite third wheel." he said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"The last time the slick little git asked her to accompany him into the city she told him she had to go change into something more appropriate for riding and came back with Trumpkin all ready to go. Tristan was not too pleased. Apparently Trumpkin watched him like a hawk. And he rode his horse in between them several times when he thought the ruddy pumpkinhead was getting too close. He would never admit it but he is about ready to bite the head off of any man that gets more than two yards away from either of the girls. He really cares about her, the little softy." he sneered playfully. Edmund chuckled.

"He is quite the teddy beat isn't he? Around the girls? I could have sworn he actually hugged Susan at your wedding. He hugged her! And he wasn't even tipsy or anything. I was amazed! The only person I have ever seen him hug was Lu!"

Caspian laughed openly. "Oh yes. He is part guard dog, part teddy bear,"

"Part teddy bear huh? You wouldn't happen to be talking about my dear little friend Trumpkin now would you sweetheart?" Susan said playfully from her spot leaning in the doorway, looking quite lovely for it being so early in the morning.

"How long have you been standing there?" Edmund asked through a massive yawn.

''Since 'he really cares for her,' "she said grinning. Caspian perked up immediately and sat up. She smiled.

"Good morning darling. You sure got up early." she said, kissing his forehead and settling herself cozily in his lap. He looped his arms casually around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her neck briefly. She giggled and Edmund gagged.

"Ugh spare me the sweetness," he complained though his eyes were warm. Susan grinned and snuggled up closer to Caspian, nuzzling into his neck. She frowned and glanced up at him. "Darling are you really so cold?'

He nodded, his chattering teeth making Edmund snicker.

"You have not seen cold until you have had a snowball fight with the boys in this family."

Edmund rubbed his hands together evilly. "Oh yes, now we have new prey. It gets old pummeling the girls. Except that time Pete stuffed a snowball down your shirt. I don't think I have even been as scared as I was when you got after him," he shuddered and Susan scowled.

"Stupid Peter,That is why Peter and I are never on the same team; its just too much fun to throw snowballs at him." Caspian chuckled and kissed her hair. Edmund rolled his eyes.

"Get a room," he snarled and Susan rolled her eyes.

"You know Ed, one of these days YOU are going to have a girlfriend and all those years of teasing me about suitors are going to come back and bite you on the butt,"

He snorted. "Girlfriend? ME? Yeah right, like that is ever going to happen. The pretty ones never have a personality, the ones that have a personality aren't pretty, the three percent of pretty girls that do have personality don't have the right one; It's just a lose lose situation Su. " he said sarcastically. He saw 'the look' in her eyes and momentarily panicked. He was only joking!

"But you don't have to worry about that because you're pretty...and you have a personality...sometimes," he said quickly and ducked as an abnormally large pillow came flying towards his head.

"Edmund Pevensie you take that back! Well, not the part about me being pretty, that was kinda sweet but the part before that! Goodness Edmund when did you turn into such a boy! 'The ones with personality aren't pretty' how dare you! You are so-argh you are such a guy Edmund!'' she said throwing her hands up in frustration.

Edmund sat up and fluffed his collar as pompously as he could manage and tilted his nose skywards. "The beauty of any other woman could not even be hoped to compare to yours my queen," he said arrogantly in a perfect imitation of Tristan. Caspian couldn't help but laugh but stopped when he caught Susan's glare.

"Oh shut up you little creep. And don't ever call me pretty again, I am so sick of hearing it from that little stalker! And if I hear about my eyes one more time!" she said and Edmund raised an eyebrow.

Edmund looked Susan up and down. "I don't think he's looking at your eyes Su."

Susan's cheeks turned a fabulous shade of crimson and she hefted herself out of Caspian's lap and ran over to the couch where her little brother was sitting and launched herself on top of him, tickling him mercilessly. Caspian laughed hysterically at the sight of his beautiful wife sitting on her brother's stomach, tickling his arm pits and sides mercilessly. Edmund spluttered and choked and cackled like a hyena, batting at his sister helplessly.

Finally, when Susan's gentle side kicked in and she feared for her brothers suffocation she stopped tickling him. "Oh...Susy, thats a wonderful idea...'next time Tristan...tells you...you're pretty...sit on his chest in your nightclothes...and start tickling him,...that'll show him," he gasped between breaths, tears running down his face with the image o fthe look on Caspian's face.

Susan blushed furioulsy and Caspian was almost choking on the rage welling up inside of him at that idea. "There will absolutely without a doubt be no tickling whatsoever!" he roared and Susan's blush deepened and to her surprise so did Edmund's, who suddenly found his face inches from her chest. He shook his head and the blush vanished.

"Su, when you tackle Tristan and start tickling him to death do me a favor; don't wear that shirt. The neck line is too low, especially when you lean forward like that. I think I just lost my appetite...permanently."

The awkard moment was covered by exuberant, high pitched squeals booming down the corridor. "Susy Peter Eddie Caspian! Wake up wake up its snowing!IT'S FINALLY SNOWING! Come on its time to play, its time to play wake up, come on love birds its time to wake up!Peter, come out come out and play!"

Lucy was running barefooted down the hallway, squealing and knocking loudly on each of her families doors and then turned around and started her rounds again. Susan blushed one more time and got off of Edmund's stomach, offering him a hand and helping him get up. She stuck her head out the common room door.

"I think we beat you to the punch Lu."

Lucy whirled around and sprinted down the hallway laughing, barreling into her sister and almost succeding on knocking her flat. Susan laughed as a very messy, very groggy Peter stumbled out of his bedroom, his robe wrinkled and his hair sticking up at all angles. Lucy moved on to hug her other brothers and Susan gave Peter a one armed hug when he passed her. "Ew. You really do need your beauty sleep huh?" she teased. He scowled at her. "Don't make me make Caspian a widower."

Lucy dashed back out of the common room with Caspian and Edmund in tow. "Come on come on! Off you go, move it or lose it! Go get put on your warmest things so we can go play in the snow! C'mon Peter move it or lose it!" she demanded and skipped back to her chambers.

With a significant amount of groaning, Susan grabbed Caspian's hand and dragged him off towards their room.

"Go on and get dressed, I'll be there in a minute love. I have to get some things from my old room."

Seconds later Susan pushed open the door to her bedroom and gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot you were staying here! Really I did not mean to intrude, I just need to grab a few things, don't mind me," she said nervously. All four Princesses were huddled up bythe small fireplace in Susan's room, absolutely shivering.

Mariella stood hurriedly. "Oh your Majesty! I am so sorry, we'll leave you alone." she said through her chattering teeth and Susan frowned and touched the older princesses arm. "Oh, dear you are absolutely freezing! And don't be silly; you are a guest in our home. What's mine is yours. We're friends are we not?"

Mariella couldn't hide her grin. "I would very much like to think so your Majes-erm, Susan."

"Excuse me sweetheart, I need to get in that drawer Arianna. Thank you," she said brightly, grabbing several thick dresses and pants as well as her winter boots.

She was just about to take off to find Caspian when she paused in the doorway and turned around smiling. "I know how...unaccustumed you all are to the cold but my family and I are going out to enjoy the snow. Would you-would you like to join us?" she asked Mariella kindly and her eyes lit up and the youngest gave a squeal of delight and clapped her hands. Malicia and Arrabelle looked horrified at the idea. "You mean out there! In the SNOW! Why on earth would anyone go out there, its freezing!" Arrabellle said, wrinkliing her nose. Mariella's eyes widened.

"Arrabelle!"

"Well its true!"

"I am so sorry she didn't mean to be disrespectuful she just-"

Susan waved her hand carelessly. "It alright. Do not walk on eggshells around me, everyone has a right to speak their mind."

"So would you like to join us?"

Malicia and Arrabelle shook their heads rapidly, their eyes huge. "If you want to freeze your crown off that is fine by me. I am staying right here where it is nice and warm." Malicia said and Arrabelle nodded fervently. Mariella rolled her eyes and turned to Arianna who was bouncing up and down with excitement.

A silent conversation passed between them and Mariella smiled. "Arianna and I would love too. But I am afraid we did not bring anything warmer that what we have on." her brows wrinkled and Susan took her hand and started leading her and Arianna down the hallway. "Between Lu and I, I am sure we can find plenty for the two of you."

Fifteen frantic minutes later the four princesses of Telmar were sitting quite stiffly in the family room at the Cair, feeling very excited about playing in the snow but very nervous, like they were invading their special family area. Susan flopped down onto the carpet in front of Edmund's favorite chair with a contented sigh. The four princesses sat rod straight on the impossibly comfortable couch, feeling as if they were intruding horribly. Susan looked at their perfect posture and fidgeting fingers and sighed.

"You can relax you know. I promise a painter is not going to pop out from around the corner and start painting a portrait. Relax, sit down, make yourself at home. This is a place for family. Just relax. I promise my husband is not going to yell at you for wrinkling his favorite pillow." she said and they giggled.

Eventually they started to relax and the three young women chatted animatedly for a few moments, waiting.. Finally the other three monarchs bounced in, though a bit reluctantly on Caspian's part. They were very surprised to see Telmarine daughters sitting in their family room talking quietly to Susan.

Peter's tongue went dry and his feet seemed to disconnect from his body when he saw her. He mentally cursed himself as he stumbled over the leg of the chair and nearly landed in her lap, making her giggle profusely and blush a bit. Peter's family had to try very hard to keep straight faces. Mariella stifled a giggle to Peter's horror. "Don't worry, girls think its cute when you trip and mess up around them." Lucy whispered in his ear and Peter's face turned slightly pink.

Peter tried to say something to the beautiful princess before him but only a big gust of empty air and if we are being honest, a tiny bit of drool, came out. Susan had to fake a fit of coughing to hide her laugh. '

"Shall we?" Lucy said quickly, desperate to try and prevent Peter from starting one of his famous babbles. Edmund and Caspian grinned impishly and made kissing noises at Peter the moment the princesses were out of ear shot and then turned around quickly to follow the girls down the hallway.

They all started walking back down the hallway and Susan smiled when Peter put his arms around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

"What was that for?"

"I'm apologizing early. Boy are you in for it!"

"Wow. I don't think I have ever seen anything so beautiful."

"It would be a crime to go romping through it and mess it up," Lucy breathed and Peter nodded. "Can you imagine it like this always, for a hundred years?"

"NO, sweet Aslan anything but that!" Caspian cried in a panic and Lucy sighed.

"Ohhh Caspian come on! Look, isn't it pretty! Don't be such a baby, its lovely out here!" Lucy squeeled, running back to the entrance and trying to drag Caspian outside into the snow. He grumbled and yanked his arms away, burying his head further into the scarf Lucy gave him. The two princesses were standing similiiarly, huddled up together behind Caspian's broad back and as far from the snow as possible.

The other three Pevensies were standing on the very edge of the snow, entraced by the beautiful sight before them. Narnia, the most beautiful country, was even more utterly, amazingly, bewitchingly beautiful than usual. Several great pine trees were dusted with small flakes of snow and swaying slowly back and forth in the breeze. Althoug the sky was dark and gray and there was not a trace of the sun but the sparkling of the untouched blanket of snow was almost blinding. It was dead silent and the delicate little flakes were swirling and twirling around in the sky, wafting through Susan's hair and sticking to Edmund's lips. She giggled.

"That is quite the manly moustache you've got there brother," she said. Edmund grinned impishly and swiped the snow off his lip and blew on it as hard as he could and a flurry of little quite flakes flew into her face. Edmund took off running through the snow, fearing the wrath of the Gente Queen who aimed a snow ball at the back of his head, hitting it spot on. All reluctance to ruin the untouched snow was gone and the snowball fight had began.

Edmund yowled like a panther as a clump of snow slid down his back. Susan instantly jabbed a finger at Caspian and before he knew it, a cold lump of sub zero snow smashed against his face. He screeched like an owl as the coldness seeped down his shirt and clung to his face. Lucy giggled madly at the horrible look on Caspian's face and got a head start gettin out of throwing range. He gave Susan the death glare and she scream-laughed, scrambling after her brother who had just aimed a snowball at her but had hit Peter instead. He growled and started flinging snow at Lucy, who had somehow tripped over her own feet and was laying on her back in the snow,making herself only too easy a target.

Caspian took off after his wife and wrapped his arms around her from behind, lifting her up and swirling her around while tickling her sides. She laughed and screamed and kicked the air but Caspian wouldn't let her go. A few Edmund iniciated snowballs and pebbles in the snow later and Caspian was laughing hysterically and laying on top of Susan, walls of snow billowing up on either side of him. His heart gave a little flutter. She was so beautiful with her pink cheeks and smiling lips, delicate flowflakes stuck in her dark hair. He loved her so much it almost hurt. And just think, all those years ago during the Narnian revolution he would have about had a heart attack to find himself in this position. The thought of the first time he saw her and a grin threatening to cut his face in half appeared.

And she was smiling up at him thinking exactly the same thing. He was so handsome with the snowflakes in his wavy long hair and perfectly chiseled face. And those eyes...she had spent entire days in England thinking solely about those dark brown eyes. For goodness sakes she was married to the man and yet she still lost herself in his eyes and felt her palms sweating just like she had during the Revolution. When their story started.

They must have layed their together for a lifetime, staring into each others eyes and soaking up the feeling of being...together. Caspian lifted his finger and gently, almost absently, traced his finger along the deep white scar on her creamy chest. Her eyes didn't move from his the whole time. He could feel the memories of that man playing quietly before her eyes but nothing in her face changed. Her hand didn't shake, her fingers didn't trembled and her eyes didn't glass over. And so Caspian smiled. Because she wasn't afraid. He was laying on top of her in the snow, just like that man had, and she wasn't afraid of him. She didn't flinch when his fingers moved along her scar and she didn't cringe and pull away. She just lay there in the snow, smiling and looking at him like that. In that way that made his heart flip and turn and his legs tremble. And the world of snowball fights continued on around them, the two just laying there in the snow, smiling at each other.

Finally Caspian couldn't take it any longer and leaned down and kissed her. In the whole world there has been five kisses that are so sweet and pure that not even faith can touch it. This one left all of those in the dust. (AN: yes i am paraphrasing the princess bride. Deal with it.)

"Foul!Caspian's kissing the enemy!FOUL! No fraternizing with the enemy traitor!Pe-ter Caspian's kissing Susan in the snow-ow! He's breaking the ru-ules!" Edmund whined, pointing accusingly at the couple. Peter groaned melodramatically and walked over to the couple, aiming a snowball at the back of Caspian's head which exploded all over him and his wife.

"Remember that kissing rule we talked about? That applies to when i can't see you. And Ed's right, no fraternizing with the enemy traitor!And that encludes kissing, stupid sister snogging Telmarine." he growled playfully and kicked several pounds of snow onto the couple.

"!" Caspian screeched like a leapord and jumped off of Susan, frantically digging at the snow sliding down his back. Even the princesses stopped to laugh at Caspian and Arianna used the distraction to toss a snowball at Edmund and then started squealing madly when he turned around, scurrying behind Mariella for protection.

"If you were not my wife's brother i would KILL YOU!" Caspian roared as he pulled his smiling wife to her feet. Peter growled and tackled the older king in the snow, causing Susan (who was still in Caspian arms) to lose her balance and grab Arianna for support and soon the three oldest monarchs and princesses were all laying in the snow, laughing madly. Mariella just couldn't stop. In Telmar, it seemed almost a crime to laugh and she just let out all the laughter she had been supressing pretty much since Tristan turned into such a jerk.

"Here, let me help you," a deep voice whispered and she stared blankly at the gloved hand extended towards her. She could feel her heart speeding up and her palms sweating the in freezing cold snow. It took a second for her brain to work and she grabbed the big hand, floating on cloud nine as he pulled her to her feet. His green eyes never once left hers. The stayed like that for perhaps longer than necessary, grasping hands. Peter opened his mouth to say something but suddenly a great deal of snow exploded into the side of his face and Lucy started laughing like the possessed and running away.

Peter dropped Mariella's hand and started running after his little sister, throwing almost an unfair amount of snowballs at her.

Soon enough the old teams broke up and turned into a ruthless boys against girls fight to the death. Both princesses had spectacular arms so although the would never admit it, the kings were certainly taking a beating. Finally when Arianna started coughing and Lucy started to turn blue they kings and queens and princesses made their way back to the castle, absolutely frozen solid. Poor Caspian could scarcely move his face.

They all made a beeline to the kitchen where warm cookies and bread and seven hot cups of chacolate were waiting for them.