Chapter 17: Sometimes it Just Rains
I watched the sun rise that morning without really seeing it. I was in the tall grass with Demetrius, his large warm body was wound around me. His massive head laying across my lap. He never would have subjected himself to this kind of shame. But he made an exception. I ran my fingers through his mane, my nails drawing random designs across his golden cheek. My dress was ruined, my hair that Lucy had spent so long trying to make perfect was ruined. Half the pins were gone and my cheeks were red and eyes were puffy but I didn't care anymore.
Who cared if my hair was perfectly done or not? Or if I was standing up straight, or if I was acting appropriate or not. It didn't matter anymore. It was starting to sprinkle and I just couldn't bring myself to care. No one had come out here to look for me and I was thankful for that. I didn't want to face them. Face him. What was I supposed to say? Act like I hadn't seen anything or smack him right across the cheek in front of everyone? I knew the second option wouldn't be appropriate but it would feel satisfying.
I felt a nudge and a beak nipped my arm. I looked over and Sanly was standing there, he lifted his leg up showing me a letter and I grabbed it. Nearly strangling the bird in my hurry to get it off. He squaked unhappily at me before quickly flying off. I ripped the letter open and rolled it out. Good news, please give me good news. My heart plummeted the further I read the letter. I scrunched the letter up in my lap before turning to look at Demetrius. He had his head up and was watching me. "Get ready, we're going home" I told him standing up.
I took a deep breath as I entered Cair Paravel. "Princess Aria! There you are!" Mr. Tumnus quickly ran up to me. "Have you been looking for me?" I questioned him. "Queen Susan and Queen Lucy have been looking for you all night Princess!" He quickly started going on and on about how worried they were and how Edmund had told them that I had been crying and if I was all right. I bit my bottom lip. "All right Mr. Tumnus will you do a favor for me?" I questioned him, he instantly fell silent and nodded. "Will you wake up Ronan immediately and tell him that him and I as well as a small guard will be heading back to Archland immediately. That something important has come up. He'll understand. And please hurry." I told him, he nodded. "Of course Princess right after I tell the Queens…" he started but I interrupted him. "NO!" I shouted, he startled at my sudden out burst.
I took a deep breath composing myself. "This cannot wait! Even for a moment! Please straight to Ronan, we have to leave immediately!" I told him. He nodded and quickly left. I quickly ran up to my room. Slipping inside I took a quick bath scrubbing myself clean. I'd have to compose myself for this to work.
Sure enough as soon as I was done getting dressed and had my riding cloak on my door burst open to reveal the three younger royals of Narnia. "There you are! Are you all right? You had so worried!" Susan and Lucy were quickly talking over each other as they hugged me. "Oh yes I'm fine, sorry for worrying you just something has come up back home and we have to leave immediately." I told them. "Is everything all right?" Susan questioned me and I nodded. "Yes just something needs to be taken care of, but it's all right though" I smiled at them. "Okay, then I'll go wake the twins and get them ready" Lucy said immediately and left the room. Edmund also left the room and I had a sneaky suspicion that he was going to get Peter.
I started moving around the room faster. "Aria's what's wrong?" Susan questioned me catching my hands. "Nothing, what makes you think something is wrong?" I questioned her, "because you're throwing your stuff into your chests, you've always taken such better care of your things. What's going on?" She questioned but Ronan stepped into the room quickly and I jumped at the chance. "Ronan! Get the caravan ready, we're leaving immediately!" I told him. He paused and I conveyed to him through my eyes that this was an emergency. "Of course Princess, right away" he quickly left and not long after he did, did Archland soldiers come in and took my chests away. I grabbed my riding cloak but Susan stopped me.
"Please talk to me Aria" Susan said softly. I sighed, I needed to tell her something so she'd buy it. I couldn't tell her about Peter. She'd keep me here till we resolved the issue, even though it looked like it was clearly resolved when he had his tongue down Arland's throat! "I received news from Archland last night, my father is very ill Susan and Maria doesn't think he'll be lasting much longer. I have to get Cor to him quickly. I'm sorry" I told her letting the tears roll that I just couldn't keep back any more.
She quickly pulled me into a hug. "Oh I'm so sorry! You should have told me! I completely understand! I'm so sorry! Come then you'll have to hurry" She said quickly taking my hand as we quickly left. The boys were already dressed and ready to go though neither one of them looked that happy about it. I hugged Susan and Lucy quickly. "Oh wait you must wait till Peter and Edmund get back" Lucy said, I bit my bottom lip. I didn't want to wait for Peter.
"Oh here they are" Susan's voice reached my ears. I turned around quickly and felt fear grip me.
Edmund's POV
I quickly left Aria's room to wake up Peter. He'd kill everyone if he didn't have the chance to send Aria off properly. Shoving his doors open I just didn't understand him. There was no way Aria was just over reacting, it wasn't a coincidence that she was crying that hard over something small. And Peter didn't even try to solve the problem. He just went back to the gala and glared and Rabadash and Princess Arland the whole night and got his hands on some wine.
I didn't understand it. He had been so set on telling Aria that he loves her and then he goes and acts like this. I glared at seeing my older brother spread out across his bed, sleeping soundly and his loud snoring was an attest to that! A empty wine bottle was on the ground next to the bed where he had dropped it in his drunken stupor. It had gotten ridiculous. I shoved him. Nothing. "Peter wake up!" I growled and shook him harder. He groaned, "oh I think I'm going to be sick" he groaned burying his face into his pillow. "Peter get your ass up! We found Aria but she's leaving for Archland right now! Get out of bed!" I growled shoving at him. "What?" He questioned groggily. "Aria's leaving! Get your ass out of bed right now!" I snapped hitting him hard across the face.
It must have done the trick because he quickly sat up. "What? Now?" He demanded and I nodded. "She got news from Archland and she's leaving, she taking the twins with her and the entire guard!" I told him. His eyes widened before he bolted out of the room. I sprinted after him snapping at him to fix his hair and to look at least semi presentable.
We ran down the stairs and came to a halt just outside the door. "How do I look?" Peter questioned straightening his shirt. "Horrid" I told him plainly and he glared. "Oh shut it" he snapped before stepping out. "Oh there they are!" Susan's voice hit us and Aria spun around. Now I would have thought she would have looked happy to see Peter, but she looked completely terrified before her face went blank. It must have also startled Peter because he faltered in his steps. "Princess you're leaving so soon?" Peter questioned, god he reeked of alcohol.
Susan also noticed and was glaring at him for it. As was Ronan behind him. "Yes something's come up and we have to leave." She said, she didn't elaborate and I raised my eyebrow at that. She talked most openly with Peter, the two were always having a silent conversation between the two of them but today it was mute.
Her eyes fell to Peter's right arm and mine followed hers. The imprint on his sleeve was still there but the blue scarf Peter had been wearing was gone. I furrowed my eyebrows but he had it on him when I put him to bed last night? "Will you be returning soon?" Peter questioned her trying to get her to actually talk to him more then just a couple words in each sentence. The rain was picking up now making it a steady down pour. "Can't you wait till the rain clears?" He questioned, "I'm afraid it's much to important to wait. As for returning maybe one day." She said softly before turning to Demetrius not even letting Peter kiss her hand goodbye as she mounted him. Susan and Lucy both look alarmed at her words as did Cor and Corin.
Peter must have done something pretty bad for Aria to be shutting him out this coldly. Peter must also have realized this because he stepped forwards so he could speak quietly to Aria. She sighed looking down at him, "I'm sorry High King, but we really must be going. Thank you for your gracious hospitality. I trust that if I've left anything you'll send it on to Archland" she said her eyes flicking to Peter's empty arm once again, raw pain filled her eyes and I was sure she was going to burst into tears. This time Peter caught her look and looked at his own arm before up at her. Pain mauling his features.
"Goodbye High King" were her final words before she kicked Demetrius to life and he bolted out of Cair Paravel, practically flying with his rapid speed. Ronan and the twins quickly rode off after her and the guard following them. As soon as they were clear Susan turned on Peter. "What did you do?" She screamed at him, not even bothering to keep her voice down. He recoiled at her scream as he covered his ears. Wincing from the hangover he had. I had my own arms crossed as I glared at him.
"Susan not so loud!" Peter pleaded but she shook her head. "What did you do to her Peter? She practically severed all her ties with you! And where is her blue scarf?" Susan screamed at him gesturing to his empty arm. He rubbed his empty arm. "I don't know" he said softly. "How do you now know?" Susan screamed at him. "He had it on when I put him to bed last night" I told her as we moved into Peter's study. He collapsed into his chair. "What's going on Peter?" Lucy questioned him softly. He squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry Lu, but I can't tell you" he said softly. "Peter, what's going on?" Susan practically growled. I shivered at seeing the furious expression on her face. She looked like she was about to rip Peter's throat out.
He sighed, "I can't tell you." He said. "Did you at least tell her you love her?" I questioned him, "What?" Susan and Lucy demanded, he shook his head. "I never got the chance to remember, she took off crying her eyes out and none of us could find her!" Peter shouted, "wait you were going to tell her that you love her?" Lucy questioned him and he nodded. "I was going to take her out onto the terrace and tell her that I love her and tell her I was going to write to her father for courtship" Peter said softly. Susan fell into a chair at that news. "But that's great because Peter…" Lucy started but Susan cut her off.
"You might as well right now or you're going to end up asking Cor for permission and after a display like that I don't think he's going to be inclined to accept it" Susan said. Our heads snapped to her. "What?" I questioned her, She sighed. "She started crying in her room, she was throwing her stuff into her chests and it was just so uncharacteristic so I questioned her what was so wrong and she said that Maria had written to her last night and said that her father was practically on his death bed." Susan said softly, Peter sat up straight. "Was she telling the truth? Did you see the letter?" Peter suddenly demanded from her.
"I didn't have to Peter! I could tell she was telling the truth! She was completely devastated! She's trying to keep Cor and Corin quite about it till they get there." Susan said, Peter put his hands on his hips as he paced. His hangover completely forgotten. "Peter what's going on?" I questioned him, "she's gotten a letter before about this hasn't she?" I questioned him, he sighed but nodded. "That day after riding and she got a letter about him from Maria saying his health was declining. She was really worried about it." Peter said softly. "Why didn't you tell us?" Susan demanded, "because she wanted it kept private! She didn't want Cor and Corin catching wind of it!" Peter instantly protected Aria's decisions.
Susan sighed and stood up. "You better find that sash Peter and fix this!" Susan snapped before taking Lucy by the arm and dragged her out of the study against her protests. I quickly followed Susan and Lucy. Making sure the study door was closed. I needed to know. "Susan!" She turned around at my call. "She was going to tell him that she loves him wasn't she?" I questioned her. She bit her lip. "It's not for me to say Edmund" Susan told me. "Susan I'm not an idiot. She was going to tell him wasn't she?" I questioned her. Susan finally nodded. "Yes she was" Susan said softly.
"This doesn't add up" I muttered. "What do you mean?" Lucy questioned, "I mean that after Aria ran off, I ran into Peter and he was coming from the direction that Aria had been running from. He hadn't even ran into Aria and had no idea about her crying. But when I questioned him about it, he seemed to already know why she was crying. He was about to tell me then Rabadash and that Princess Arland showed up smiling and as happy as ever. They said something to Peter about chats in the dark before the two strutted into the Gala and Peter just suddenly turned cold and stormed off and went and got a drink" I told them. Susan furrowed her eyebrows. "Yes that does sound fishy doesn't it?" Susan questioned and I nodded.
"Lucy, go talk to Peter, work on him. Find out what really happened last night?" Susan questioned her. She smiled and nodded and quickly went to get Peter some breakfast. He'd be easier to deal with, if he had some food in his stomach.