Chapter Eight
Family

Thankfully once at Wynn's home Sarah realized she had not been really lost, just disorientated and led the way back to her home. They didn't talk much, as they traveled, Peter giving her time to mull over thoughts about her father knowing that she had left upset.

When they arrived she stopped a little ways off from the cottage. Her face was full of worry and Peter put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Everything all right?"

"What if they don't want me back?" she whispered. She didn't look at him, her attention on the door.

Giving her shoulder a squeeze, she looked up at him when he spoke. "I don't think that will be a problem. A father never could deny a daughter anything, especially when that daughter is you."

He heard her murmur something under her breath and began to make for the home but stopped when Peter started to follow her. "I think you should wait here, in case he's angry or something. You know, prepare him for a guest before I throw you to the wolves." Peter nodded, understanding and waited outside while she went in.

There were no raised voices, though he could clearly hear people talking. It was several minutes before she came out again. "All is clear," she said, smiling at him and allowed him to enter.

It was a simple home and a little disorganized by the looks of it. Books, papers, quills, and all other manner of study material were cast about. At the table was sitting an older man and a Fox both stood upon seeing Peter enter. The man looked familiar to him.

"Father, Zoran, this is Peter," Sarah said introducing them. "Peter, this is my father, Professor Ulley and his apprentice Zoran."

Zoran's jaw was agape and looked ready to fall off. The Fox made as if to bow but Peter silently stopped him with a motion of his hand. The Professor looked alarmed and surprised and the young king knew why. He and his siblings had set the task to the professor to compile the history of Narnia into one book, like the history books he had used at home. While he had enjoyed anonymity with Sarah, clearly her father and his apprentice knew who he was and he feared his cover being revealed to her.

Professor Ulley was the first to react and took and cleared his throat. "Pleasure to meet you Peter. Visiting court?"

Peter gave a nervous laugh. "Yes, my father is here on business from Archenland for sometime." He hoped the man got the hint and did not say anything. He looked to the Fox, who was still surprised, but had recovered enough to close his mouth.

Zoran made a move as to get something and ended knocking over the pitcher of drinking water from the table to the floor, the vessel not breaking.

Sarah rushed to it and picked up the pitcher. "I'll get more water," she said. "Sit, Peter." She motioned to a plate of bread, cheese and some wild fruit waiting for him. To the others she said, "I'll go to the well, be back in a second."

Peter sat next to Zoran and as soon as Sarah closed the back door the Fox rounded on him. "Your majesty! What are you doing here?"

He shushed the Animal. "Don't say anything of this to her! She doesn't know."

"Sire, surely she must know, though she's never seen you, she knows the High King is named Peter," Ulley said logically. "She is not a stupid girl, please do not think her simple."

"She thinks my name is common name here and I would never, never think Sarah simple." He looked to the back door, to make sure she was not coming in. "Sarah does not know my true identity and I shall like to keep it that way for as long as possible." And grabbing a piece of bread he took a small bite, despite his hunger. "It is nice having a friend who does not know me as a king," he confessed.

Ulley frowned at this. "With all do respect, I feel you should tell her sooner rather than later. It is best not to lie to a lady. You may find you have more in common than you think."

Opening his mouth to respond he was cut short with the re-entrance of Sarah. She sat down across from him, next to her father, placing the pitcher in middle of the table and they began to eat. Peter enjoyed his time there, subtly using it to inquire about the progress of the history book so if his siblings asked about taking so long at the Hare's he could have an excuse.

The king found that Ulley had been making progress, and had taken Zoran the Fox as an apprentice to help with the Talking Beast of Narnia to come to the Archenlander and tell him what history or tales they knew.

Ulley grew more excited as more time was spent on the discussion, as became very evident. "And they say, before the wolves went to side with the White Witch, that they had been Queen Swanwhite's most ardent supporters!" The man's expression was off in another time as he spoke. They had finished their afternoon snack and let Ulley regale them in a tale he had just heard from an old Dwarf. "She had even raised one from a cub when its parents perished. Terrible tragedy in itself but gave me some valuable insight to the late queen."

"Swanwhite was the last queen before Jadis turned Narnia into a winter wonderland, right?" Sarah asked.

"Not so much a wonderland, but yes, before Jadis claimed herself as Queen of Narnia." Ulley said, missing her joke. "Last one before our current rulers." The older man almost made a gesture to indicate Peter but caught himself and grabbed his empty glass.

"The children," Sarah said.

"I'm sorry," Peter said, wondering what she meant.

"I call them the children," she said simply. "Some talking lion puts four kids on the throne; a little silly, if you ask me," she looked to Zoran, who looked a little indignant as if they had this discussion before, "but I do respect my friends' beliefs." To Peter she said. "Personally, if these kids can do it, then good for them seems like Narnia needs a bit of sunshine."

"I think they're doing well," Peter said, not to toot his own horn. "Though, from being at the palace I can see it's a challenge. I mean they weren't born kings and queens."

"I think that they were born with something, otherwise Aslan wouldn't have chosen them," Ulley said, and tried to take a drink from his glass and found it empty. He placed the empty glass back down.

"Do you not believe in Aslan?" Peter asked as he poured the scholar some water.

She shrugged. "Its not that I don't believe, I suppose, its just that I haven't opened my mind to a lion doing all these things you've been talking about. I am more inclined to believe it was a man, rather than beast."

"You'd be surprised," Peter said and let the subject of Aslan's existence drop to the wayside. He was a little disappointed that she didn't believe in Aslan. Then again he hadn't believed in the Great Lion right away either.

The four of them talked and joked for a long time after that. The sun was in middle of its decent in the sky when he said he had to leave. It was nice not having to be king for a day, but he knew he had to go back to his responsibilities though he vowed to himself, and Sarah, to visit as much as he duties would allow him.

As he walked home, for the short distance from Cair Paravel to Mrs. Hare's he really didn't need a horse, and it seemed about the same distance from Sarah's to his home, he thought of his day. It was nothing that one told tales about, really. If you had told him yesterday what today was going to be like he would have said it sounded rather boring. Now he thought anything but that. He had made a friend who treated him like a normal boy, not the king he had become. It was nice to remember what it felt like to be normal. While she had some odd ideas, like women wearing breeches, he did admit it was refreshing for the prattle of the ladies that had come to court. They mostly talked about…well, he wasn't entirely sure as he did his best to forget those conversations right after they ended.

Peter felt that she'd get along with his siblings well but didn't quite want to introduce them just yet. He planned on telling Sarah who he really was before she met them.

As he approached the entrance to castle gates guards were waiting for him. "Your Majesty, where have you been?" a leopard guard asked. "You left with no escort and once sundown came you sisters have been worried, coming down here every fifteen minutes!"

Peter laughed, "Its all right. I just went to Mrs. Hare's then stopped by Professor Ulley of Archenland."

Peter slipped inside a servant's entrance before the guard could say anything else and made for his rooms. He was not so lucky there. In side his sitting room (which was the first room you entered of his before going to his bedroom), sitting on a settee was Edmund.

"You've got the girls in a right tizzy Pete."

"So I've heard." Peter rolled his eyes, unbelted his belt and sat on a large comfy chair across from Edmund, placing his sword next to him. "Sorry I was away for so long, but after the seamstress' I went to Professor Ulley's to see if he made any progress on the history book."

"And?" Edmund asked.

"Quite near finish I'd say. Man makes quick but excellent work."

Edmund shrugged his shoulder. "Good. Now go calm Susan and Lucy, they've been worried sick about you. They're in the south garden." With that his younger brother left the room.

Peter thought that was a good idea. He left his rooms to go brave his sisters' wrath, comforted by the fact he'd see Sarah again.

It would be another two months before he saw her again.