Cair Paravel was alight in colorful fairies that littered around the garden, the festivities filtering out through the main hall to the grand castle's courtyards, and everywhere smiling ladies and dancing couples were seen. It had been exactly 21 years since the defeat of the White Witch, and everyone in Narnia was as peaceful as can be. Wasn't that reason enough for celebration?

"I still don't get why the Narnians must celebrate at every given opportunity." Peter, now older, more well built, but still was jovial and family based as ever, grumbled good-naturedly as he leaned on the banister of the balcony where he stood with Jade. Jade laughed, before replying. "Narnia is an all round happy place. Shouldn't we want to party at every chance we get, with such a great King?" she teased Peter, and laughed.

The Immortal Maiden stayed through to her name, and was the same as she was 15 years earlier, where she had met Peter. The same dark hair, the same green eyes, the same smile and laughter. Sometimes when Peter looked at her, he wondered how did Aslan manage to have such a wonderful protégé.

15 years, and after his coronation, Peter had asked Jade a hundred, a thousand times, for her to be with him, to let him protect her. But time and time again, Jade had refused, and turned it down. After the thousandth time, Jade had reclused himself away from Cair Paravel where Peter had offered her to stay, and disappeared to the Lone Islands for a week. After that, the High King had came to the conclusion that he didn't need Jade's word. As long as she stayed by him and never left him, he was content.

And thus here they were 15 years later. Peter still looked at Jade with the same light in his eyes. He had never stopped loving her, even if she never agreed. And Peter could see she felt the same way for him, but he just never understood why does she keep denying him. Every ball, every party the Pevensies attended or hosted, without fail, Jade was his escort. Susan had a thousand suitors, and Edmund could pick up any lady he wanted be it social butterfly or shy chamber maid. Even his youngest sister, Lucy, had suitors beating down her door for a chance to escort the kind and gregarious Valiant Queen. But Peter was adamant.

No matter how many matches Susan made for him, nor the ladies Edmund introduced to him, Peter only had eyes for his Jade. 15 years ago, and 15 years later, it never changed. Even if Jade looked young enough to be his daughter now, he knew the truth. The Immortal Maiden was older then he ever was. She just didn't show it, be it through physical looks or through her ways of acting.

"Well, good point I guess." Peter finally replied her statement with a laugh, before he stepped back from her, and offered a hand to Jade. "May I have this dance, pretty lady?"

Jade looked at his hand, and then laughed. "I look young enough to be your daughter Peter! Do you want rumors to fly again?" Jade chided, but Peter merely replied with a sly smile. "You know as well as I do that you're anything but." He said, the meaning behind his words not lost on her. Immediately, Jade's expression closed up, her smiling mouth straightened, and Peter immediately corrected his words. "I'm sorry Jade, I really didn't mean to."

Jade looked at him again, and then smiled. "I know you didn't." she said softly, before giggling and nodded. "Alright then, the Immortal Maiden shalleth dance with you." She teased him, and placed her slender hand in his. Peter loved the feel of her skin on his. In fact, as he closed his fingers around hers, and led her to the dance floor, he couldn't imagine being anywhere but with her for the rest of his life. As long as she didn't leave him, he didn't care what status he degraded himself to, he just wanted her forever.

Leading her out on the balcony halfway through the song, he grinned when the girl did a little twirl, before leaning against the marble railing, her breath a little heavy, as she smiled up at Peter with flushed cheeks. And his heart hammered in his chest, as it always did whenever he was around her. Reaching in to the pocket of his tunic, he pulled out a small little necklace, the symbol of a lion and a gryphon in a coat of arms carved upon its medallion. Brushing a tender thumb across it, Peter held it out to Jade.

"Eh?"

"Its a gift." he simply said, as she took it. The breath he never knew he was holding was released as she smiled when she noticed the coat of arms upon it, before handing it back to him. For a terrifying second, he thought she was rejecting his gift, before she asked. "Put it on for me?"

"My pleasure, m'lady." he replied smoothly, as she picked up her hair. Clasping the necklace around her pale neck, he made sure the medallion rested gently against the crook of her collar bones, before taking on last glance at her and asking.

"We're going hunting tomorrow, the four of us. You coming?"

Jade's smiling face clammed up again. But thanks to the dim lighting at the balcony, Peter didn't notice. "Hunting?" she echoed, her voice betraying what she felt. Centuries of practice had enabled Jade to mask her worry in her voice when she wanted to, but her facial expression was a different story altogether. She was worried. Aslan had told her this, after the coronation. That the four of them wouldn't remain, that they would return to their own world when the time came. So why did the word 'hunting' strike a deep fear within her?

"Jade?" Peter asked carefully, a little confused by her prolonged silence. He watched as he shook her head discreetly, bring her now curled black locks swinging, before smiling up at him. "Huh? Oh, nothing. I can't come tomorrow. Mecha's bringing Sheba to me. I'll be in Cair Paravel, you guys go have fun."

"Oh? Okay then. I'll catch a huge buckdeer for dinner."

"Make sure it isn't a talking one, or I'll have your head." Jade chided teasingly, and Peter laughed. Jade never failed to bring a smile to his face. But what he failed to see was the troubled expression on her face, one that continued for the rest of the night.

The hunting dogs were in a hubbub, running back and fro, all in a twist to move, but the men assembled merely loitered around laughing and chatting with each other, completely at ease as they waited for the four royals to get ready. Lucy was at a side, the grown up Valiant Queen slender and tall, with a head of luxurious brown hair in cascades down her back. Susan was at the side, instructing archers on various necessities, and Edmund joined the guards in their chatter, but Peter's eyes searched the grounds, looking for his dark haired beauty.

What greeted him however, was the familiar figure of his beauty's chambermaid running up to him, a parchment in her hands.

"Your Highness, her Lady asked me to pass this to you."

Peter nodded without a word, sending the chambermaid away in impatience as he tore open the seal to the envelope, and shook out the letter.

'I'm sorry I can't come see you off. Something cropped up and I have to go meet Mecha earlier. Have fun.

Jade.'

Peter frowned as he folded the letter, before tucking it in his steed's saddlebag. What could be so important that Jade couldn't come and see him off? His train of thoughts were broken however, when a loud call came from his brother. "Would you hurry Peter? The dogs are getting restless!" Edmund's voice floated over the din.

"Coming!" Peter responded, as he quickly vaulted in to his gray stallion's steed, and leading the equine towards where his siblings own steeds were sitting. He was perplexed, but not worried. He knew Jade could take care of himself, but Peter was curious as to why she had been acting that way. After the ball last night, the girl had been rather distant.

Snapping out of it, the High King quickly followed after his siblings towards the woods of where the Great White Stag was said to have been spotted. Rumor was, whomever caught the Stag would have a prosperous life, and Peter would very much like that, if not for himself, for his siblings and Narnia. As he took off, he couldn't resist one last look back at Cair Paravel, before focusing fully on the hunt, soon enjoying himself amidst the baying of the hounds and shouting of the men.

What he never expected however, was to be separated from his troops when he and his siblings caught sight of the White Stag and gave chase, and what he never dreamt of, was going through the woods after the Lamp Post, which by now he had long forgotten, and tumbling back in to Professor Kirke's house as if they never left, once again a seventeen year old boy named Peter Pevensie, with his kingdom and his only heart left back in somewhere he had no idea how to return to.

And standing behind a tree near the lamp post, Jade watched them dissapear in to the magical realm, but did nothing about it. Her fingers were wrapped around the medallion on her neck, her lips white and her cheeks pale, but she never said a word. Merely watching the spot where they had disappeared for a minute longer, before turning and walking away, a single crystalline tear falling on the lush grass of the Woods.

'I promised I won't ever leave you Peter, and that's a promise I intend to keep. But what happens if you leave me? It'll hurt. Forgive me for doing this to you, but I can do nothing else but lessen the pain for you. I'm sorry.'

I've decided to turn this in to a full length fanfic instead of just a threeshot! Though then again, it probably won't be long, seeing as how the last couple of chapters will just be based off Prince Caspian the movie anyway. xP Feedback is highly appreciated? *scuttles off*