Chapter 9: Crowds
"Please be careful" I begged him. "I'll be just fine" he assured me holding my hands in his own. Edmund stood a little ways behind him holding his helmet and shield letting us talk privately. "Peter please! You saw what he did to Edmund yesterday! Only he'll do a lot worse to you!" I told him. "Have you ever thought of actually believing that I'll win?" He teased me. I stomped my foot. "Peter please be serious!" I pleaded and much like the other day he rested his thumbs against my lips. "There is no need for you to worry my love, tonight you and I will dance again in our spot all right?" He whispered, I sighed and nodded. "You promise?" I questioned softly, his grin widened. "I promise" he vowed kissing my fingers.
"Peter they're about to start" Edmund called, Peter looked over at him and nodded before giving my fingers another swift kiss before following Edmund into the stadium. I let go of the heavy breath I was holding as I made my way to my seat. Both males inclined their heads towards my father. I sat on the edge of my chair as the two pulled their swords out. Their shield arms tensing briefly before they went in for the first blow, Susan clenched onto my hand tightly.
Our nails were digging into each other's hands as the swords clashed against their metal shields. Our free hands were clenching onto our dress before Edmund took Susan's free hand giving her a reassuring squeeze. They quickly spun away from each other before striking again. Prince Rabadash swung his sword down towards Peter's head but he caught it with his own sword. "What are they saying?" I questioned Susan, she just shook her head not knowing. It was obvious they were holding a conversation, it was the only reason they were still locked in that position.
We stared at their tensed bodies before Peter shoved Rabadash backwards and attacked, Rabadash barely had time to knock the sword away and go in for a strike. Peter used his shield to protect his back. Whatever Rabadash said it pissed Peter off obviously. His movements were sharper, harsher, more deadly as the two spun around each other, attacking over and over again. The battle just seemed to go on and on. It just wouldn't end! I had let my dress go and was furiously biting on my nails. When my nails were gone, I just chewed on my thumb.
Rabadash playing dirty like I had expected threw some dirt straight into Peter's eyes, with him blinded he attacked , his arm hitting the side of Peter's head knocking his helmet clean off, exposing his face and throat. Rabadash went for a slash across the knock, "block!" I screamed at him, Peter suddenly pulled his shield up as Rabadash's sword came across it. With Rabadash's arms trapped above Peter's shield, he kicked out with his foot nailing Rabadash in the stomach sending him backwards into the dirt and his sword went flying.
Rabadash quickly got to his feet chasing after his sword, his helmet falling off in the process. With Rabadash involved Peter quickly cleaned his eyes out with his free hand. Shaking the last of the dirt out of his eyes he caught his bearings as Rabadash came charging back at him like a raging bull. They were just going at it and it wouldn't stop!
Peter returned the favor by laying a slash across Rabadash's leg. He clutched it only to nail Peter in the face with his elbow resulting in a bruised cheek and busted bottom lip. Peter swept Rabadash's foot out from under knocking him to his back, Rabadash playing dirty then punched Peter's inner thigh, making his leg crumple. Rabadash got to his feet and nailed the butt of his sword against Peter's temple, he collapsed back into the grass knocked out. Rabadash wiped his bottom lip before looking up at my father and me. I glared at him as Father declared him the winner. I ran past him and into the arena sliding to a stop much like we had yesterday.
"Some High King you have there Aria" Rabadash growled. I glared at him. "Tomorrow you're going to be running back to Carlormene crying like a baby!" I snarled at him checking Peter. The other three royals of Narnia ran up to us. "Is he all right?" Susan demanded only for Lucy to pull out her cordial. I stopped her, "he's fine. Just knocked out." I told her, "but those wounds need healing!" Lucy defended. "Don't worry about it Lu, Peter appreciates his battle scars" Edmund told her as some healers came up to us.
They quickly carried him back to his room. Maria went to take his armor off but I stopped her. "Go ahead and go Maria" I told her, "but Princess I can't leave you alone with him in his room like this" Maria told me. "It's all right Maria, I'll stay in here with her" Susan told her. Maria sighed but nodded as she left the room. "Come on let's get this armor off him" Susan suggested and I nodded. It didn't take long before Peter was resting back against the pillows in only his white under shirt, his plush red comforters spread out across his chest.
"That's going to be one good bruise" Susan commented, "Which one? His cheek or temple?" I questioned her, she gave me a sad smile. We had cleaned up the blood from his temple and it was bandaged but he was going to have a really bad headache when he woke up. Susan was half way through her book by the time dinner rolled around and there was a knock on the door. "Come in" Susan called, looking over Edmund stepped in with some food. "Thought you two would be hungry" he smiled setting the trays down for us. "You just wanted to miss the ball didn't you?" I challenged him and his grin broadened. "Oh you've caught me!" He chuckled sitting on the end of the bed with his back against a four poster. Susan picked at her food while I didn't touch mine.
I wasn't hungry.
"Has he woken up yet at all?" Edmund questioned and I shook my head. "No unfortunately not" I sighed brushing some bangs out of Peter's face. "He'll be just fine Aria" Susan promised me squeezing my arm. "Maybe I should have let Lucy give him that cordial" I muttered, "please now that she knows it's not life threatening she wouldn't give it to him anyway" Edmund chuckled, my thumb ran over the bruise on his cheek and Peter's face scrunched up in pain at the touch.
"That hurts you know" Peter remarked, "well maybe if you managed to keep your helmet on it wouldn't have been hit!" I told him smacking his chest. He groaned as he moved his arms only to jump with a start as Edmund and Susan burst into laughter. He grudgingly opened his eyes to see the three of us sitting on his bed. He looked around confused. "How'd we get here?" He questioned as he sat up to fast causing his head to spin. I caught his shoulder as Susan adjusted the pillows behind him so he could sit up straight but relax into his pillows. "After you got knocked out the healers brought you here" Susan told him. "So I lost then?" He questioned rubbing his face only to cringe at feeling the bruise and the bandage that wrapped around his head.
"Yeah, he knocked you out" Edmund told him. He made a disgusted face before he looked up at me. Now that he was awake I was suddenly furious. I crossed my arms just glaring at him. "Aria?" He questioned me, I didn't say anything. Just stared at him. "What's wrong?" He questioned his hands gently holding my elbows. I took a deep breath, "You idiot!" I screamed at him. He jumped backwards at my sudden shout. "I told you that he would play dirty! I told you that he was going to be trying to kill you! I told you so! But no! You just wouldn't listen to me and look what happened to you! You got laid on your ass and knocked unconscious!" I screamed at him.
By the end of the rant I was panting from screaming on one breath. "Are you feeling better?" Peter questioned and I smacked him. He stared at me shocked before I tackled him back into his pillows burying my face into his chest as I felt the tears build up in my eyes.
He instantly wrapped his arms tightly around me holding me against his chest. "Sh, it's all right. I'm just fine, a headache but I'm fine!" He tried to reassure me. I punched him in the chest. "Ow! Well I won't be if you keep hitting me!" Peter groaned rubbing his chest. "I think we'll leave you two alone for a minute" Susan whispered before pushing Edmund out of the room. "Aria what's wrong? I'm fine!" Peter assured me, I looked up at him, the tears running down my cheeks. "At what cost Peter? Because of your stupid pride he could have killed you!" I shouted at him. "But he didn't" He told me rubbing the tears away with his thumbs.
His fingers running down my neck, the tips resting on the nape. "But he could have!" I rationed, "but he didn't! You're worrying for nothing!" He told me, "oh so bandaging your head is nothing? The bruise on your cheek and busted lip are nothing?" I demanded and he nodded. "Exactly!" He agreed, "Peter!" I scolded turning away from him. He caught my arm keeping me sitting on the bed with him. "I'd rather be injured and keep you safe." He told me. "And exactly how did you keep me safe while you were unconscious?" I demanded from him. A smile tugged at his lips. "In your care, I knew I would be just fine." He smiled brushing a loose strand of hair behind me ear. I shook my head looking away.
"But you didn't protect anything" I whispered. "What do you mean?" He questioned, I looked up at him. "I'll still be fighting Prince Rabadash tomorrow" I told him. His eyebrows furrowed. "What?" He questioned, I sighed. "The last day of the festival the winners from the two sword fighting will fight each other." I told him. He sighed, "that's what Cor meant about you almost taking his head off" He told me and I nodded.
There was a pause before "You can't fight him!" I looked up at Peter. "I don't have a choice Peter" I told him standing up and looking out of his window. "Yes you do! Don't do it!" He told me as if it was the obvious choice. I sighed, "Why just because you got your ass handed to you?" I demanded from him. "Since when did Princesses say the word ass?" He questioned and I gave him a look. "That's not the point Peter!" I snapped, "the point is that if you won like you were supposed to I'd be fighting you, but instead I have to fight Prince Rabadash again!" I groaned throwing my hands up in the air.
"Well you beat him last year, you'll beat him again easy!" Peter tried to assure me. "That's not the point Peter, yeah I can beat him. But it usually costs me" I told him softly. "Like what?" He questioned reaching out for my hand taking it. I let him take my hand and pull me to him. He moved so his feet were on the ground and he pulled me into a hug as he rested his head against my shoulder. He put my arms around his neck. "It's difficult to explain" I told him running my fingers through his hair. "You can always try to tell me" He whispered, I sighed and pushed him off me, he raised an eyebrow as I put my right foot on the edge of his bed and pulled up the end of my dress. His eyes widened as he opened his mouth to protest before his eyes caught sight of the long slash I had running down my leg.
"I got this one last year" I told him, putting my skirt down I turned my back to him, and pulling my hair out of the way he could see the small scar next to my spine. "Got that two years ago" I listed of pulling up my sleeve, there was a three inch scar there. "Got this one the year before that." I told him, he took my arm running his finger over the scratch. "Do you get this injured every time?" He questioned me and I nodded. "How could he do this to you if he's been trying to court you?" He questioned, "because I wouldn't let him court me" I told him. His expression hardened.
"I should have killed him on that field when I had the chance" Peter growled, "now do you understand why I was so worried about you?" I questioned him and he nodded slowly. "You're not going out there tomorrow" he told me. "Yes I am Peter" I told him, he pulled me down into his lap. "No you're not. I'll lock you in here if I have to!" He told me. "Peter, as Princess I have certain responsibilities and I'm not going to abandon them just because you don't want me too." I told him wrapping my arms back around his neck.
Peter chuckled and flipped me over so my back was against the bed, he had half of his weight on me. "And what if I just convinced you to join me to stay in here?" He questioned, "Oh but Peter that would be highly inappropriate" I told him. He smiled before gently touching his forehead against mine. "Doesn't mean it wouldn't be enjoyable, besides I'm injured! I need to be taken care of!" Peter pouted, I laughed. "You're a High King and you're pouting!" I laughed only for his pout to be replaced with a cheeky grin.
Immediately the door was opened, looking over Susan and Edmund stood there. Grins spread across their faces. "Well Pete moving a bit fast aren't you?" Edmund questioned, my face started turning red as I hid it in Peter's neck. "You're just jealous Ed and we all know it" he chuckled back teasing his little brother who shrugged. "Well what can you do?" He snickered before leaving the room. Susan just closed the doors and came back to the bed to finish her dinner.