Disclaimer- I don't own Chronicles of Narnia.
So sorry for the long wait, I have been on vacation for the past week and haven't been able to write. Thank you for your patience! Onward with the story!
It was the morning of the tournament. I groaned at the thought of being in the archery contest. I really didn't want to do it considering I suck but Susan insisted and if it made her happy then why not? It's not like it would kill me. Eve was busy getting me dressed and setting my hair when a knock sounded on the door.
"Come on in!" I called, completely forgetting that I must sound like an idiot to Narnians when I talk like that. Oh well. The door swung open to reveal just the person I had been itching to see all morning. "Susan!" I all but yelled. I tried to get up out of my seat but the faun restrained me.
"Not until I am finished with your hair, Lady Lina." She told me so I sat there and Susan came to me instead.
"Hello Lina. Excited about the tournament?" She asked me. I nodded my head and smiled.
"Good. I just came to check in on you before the games began." She told me as she inched her way back to the door. She must have been in a hurry.
"Oh, that's very sweet of you Susan but there really is something I need to tell you." I had to tell her about Rabadash while I had her alone, well alone except for Eve but I trusted the faun with my life (and my hair).
"Oh?" She asked as she stopped her retreat from my room. It seems she found what I needed to say more important than whatever else she had to do this morning before the games began and for that I liked her even more.
"Yeah, it's about-" I cut off as a man lightly knocked on my open door and cleared his throat. My mouth dropped open as Rabadash peered into my room and smiled, showing off his gleaming white teeth.
"I'm sorry if I am intruding but I just heard the sound of angelic voices as I was passing by and came to investigate." He explained. I sighed. The boy was good, I couldn't deny that. But his timing was horrible. Susan smiled and told him to enter.
"All finished with your hair Lady." Eve announced. It took me a minute to understand what she just said because I was so focused on the people in front of me. I finally muttered a thank you and told her she could leave. The faun did as I requested and left the room.
"Prince Rabadash! What a pleasant surprise! Come in, have a seat." Susan blurted out. Her cheeks quickly flushed red and she turned to me. "That is, if it is okay with you, Lina. Of course."
No. "Yes, come in. Won't you?" Ugh, I'm such a chicken, I hate it. He nodded his thank you and Susan led him to sit next to her on the couch closest to the fire.
"Are you two beautiful ladies ready for the tournament?" Rabadash asked. Susan smiled and started going on about how much fun it should be and who she thought would win each event. Rabadash's eyes were on me the entire time. He would nod every once in a while to pretend like he was listening to what Susan had to say but I could tell he could care less. The prince gave me a seductive glare and shook his head ever so slightly at me as if I had done something bad and he was tsking at me. That glare told me something that frightened me. He was silently telling me that he was not going to leave me alone with Susan. Ever. At least not while he was here at Cair Paravel. He'd had to leave eventually, right? Gosh, I hoped so. Until that day, though, I would just have to watch my back along with Susan's. I let out a forced breath and turned my gaze away from Rabadash and down towards my hand.
I was pathetic. I couldn't do anything to stop Rabadash from being a total creep to my friend. He was so much better at the sneaky, deceiving, evil games than I was. Normally, I was the type of girl who just let that kind of stuff roll of her back and hoped I'd get over it eventually. But this is so much bigger than anything I have ever dealt with. People's feelings were involved this time. Mine, Susan's and Peter's for starters. Rabadash was trying to play us all but how do I stop it?
"Lina?" I heard someone call to me through the throngs of my mind. I looked up to see Susan's smiling face. "Someone is here to see you." I furrowed my eyebrows, not being able to think who would possibly want to see me. I looked up at meet handsome blue eyes and I remembered who would want to see me. I don't know why he would but he somehow does and it made me smile to see him. Peter came up to me and placed a kiss on my cheek.
"Good morning, My Lady." He smiled. I blushed like the silly girl I am.
"Hi." Was my brilliant response. His shaggy blond hair caught in the light and he became more handsome right before my eyes. I was starting to get used to it but it still took my breath away slightly. Peter smiled some more before looking around my room to see that not only was Susan there but Rabadash was as well.
"Prince, how are you this morning?" Peter asked as he walked over to shake Rabadash's hand. The prince eyed Peter for a moment but took his extended hand and smiled charmingly.
"Just fine, just fine King Peter. Thank you." Rabadash said. He glanced my way but no one caught it.
"Good. Well, we had better be going down to breakfast," Peter said for the both of us. "See you on the field and may the best man win."
Rabadash grinned. "Oh, he will. I'm sure of it."
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Breakfast was delicious as always but I still couldn't bring myself to eat too much. Peter and I walked down to the field a couple of paces behind Susan and Rabadash when we were all finished. We were quiet most of the time we walked thanks to me. Peter had caught on to my mood after a moment of silence unfortunately. "Is everything alright?" Peter finally asked me. I ended up just shrugging and mumbling something about being tired. He left it at that and we kept walking on. We eventually made it to the field and it was spectacular, just like something you would see at a medieval fair. Bright banners were spread out over the green fields making everything around cheerful. Knights and princes were running around trying to ready themselves for the games, practicing and whatnot while the woman sat in the stands and chatted. I smiled. This was totally corny and everything but I was so excited to be there. Nothing like this ever happened in New York and it was so interesting.
I heard Peter chuckle next to me. Looking over at him, I asked. "What is so funny?"
He laughed for a second more before being able to answer. "Well, forgive me for saying so but it's sort of funny that I have not been able to make you smile all morning but at the sight of this," He pointed to the field around us. "you light up like a candle." He chuckled a little more. "If I had known that all I had to do to make you happy was bring you down here I would have done that first thing this morning." The king explained.
I pursed my lips at him and narrowed my eyes. "You do make me smile, Peter."
"I know that." He smiled. "I also know that I make you blush sometimes."
My mouth dropped open and my face fell into a shocked expression before I hit him on the arm teasingly. "You are making fun of me!" I told him.
He flinched away from my hit and laughed. "Just a little." I rolled my eyes at him before both of us burst into a fit of laughs. We soon stopped because people were starting to look at us like we were a little less than sane. The blood rushed into my cheeks as I started to blush out of embarrassment again. I looked down at my feet for a moment trying to will the red in my cheeks to go away but failing miserably.
"Lina?" Peter asked to get my attention. I looked up and met his blue eyes. "Did you bring a favour for me? For the tournament?"
"Oh, yeah. I've got it right here." I reached into the tight sleeve of my crimson and gold dress, retrieving the white ribbon with my initials stitched in red on it. I handed it to him.
"Thank you." Peter look around as if he were searching for something before his eyes landed on his arm then jumped up to me. "Would you mind tying this onto my arm?" He asked.
"Yeah, sure." I said. Taking the ribbon from his hand, I wrap it around his upper arm but pause before tying it. "I assume you won't want a bow. Am I right?"
Peter chuckled. "Yes, you would be correct." I shook my head at myself for being kind of a dumb blond and tied the ribbon in a sturdy knot. I pat the ribbon and look up at Peter. "You are all set to go, High King." I told him.
He smiled, thanked me and caressed my cheek for a second before looking back at the princes warming up in a little arena-like space on the field. "I better get down there, my first game starts soon."
I nodded. "What competitions are you entered in?"
He smirked. "All of them."
I giggled. "Wow. All of them?"
The king shrugged, a little embarrassed. "Yes, well I have to represent Narnia sufficiently since I am the high king according to Mr Tumnus."
"I see. Well good luck, Peter. I hope you do good." I encouraged. He smiled once again and kissed my hand.
"I shall see you on the archery field, Lina." He said before running down to the other men. I stood there for a moment, not knowing what else to do. Susan eventually saw that I was sort of confused and came to usher me over to our seats in a grand box so we could watch the other games until we were up to compete in archery.
"So who do you think is going to win the overall tournament?" I lean over in my seat to ask Susan. She thinks for a moment.
"Well Peter is the favorite every year but Prince Rabadash has told me he has been practicing night and day for this. He might be able to snag first place this year, we shall just have to wait and see what happens."
I sigh. "Great."
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It was two hours before Susan and I were able to go down the the targets and practice a little before our round of archery was up. We shared a target and took turns shooting. The bow I was equipped with was nowhere close to being as smooth as Susan but I still managed to hit the outside of the red bull's eye a few times.
I looked over my shoulder to see Peter practicing with his bow as well. He was probably on the same level as me when it comes to archery if not a little below. The high kind was doing well today with the games and competitions. He had won jousting along with the melee a pied Tournament which was a combat game that the knights and princes would fight against another team of knights and prince on foot. But along with his victories he lost the melee a chavel Tournament (it was basically the same thing as the other one only the teams fight on horseback). Rabadash won that one. It was a close call right now, either of them could win the whole thing. But like Susan said we would have to wait and see.
"Archers! Take your places!" A man faun calls from the field. With a deep breath, I walk to my place between Susan and a centaur that I didn't know. We wait a few minutes before the faun talks again. "Take your aim!" The sound of the bow strings stretching filled the area as we all do as instructed. One more deep breath and a side glance at a very concentrated Susan and it was time to shoot. "Fire!" The faun calls and all archers release their arrows. For some stupid reason, right when I let loose the arrow I closed my eyes.
I didn't want to open them after the fact, I knew it would be bad but I couldn't just stand there with my eyes closed forever so I got it over with. To my immense shock my arrow found it's home in it's favorite place in the lower left corner of the bull's eye. I smiled in surprise at what I had just done and chuckled at myself. Three people were knocked out in the round and we were now left with seven people. Me, Susan, Peter, Rabadash, two fauns, and a centaur. Two more rounds go by and I'm still in the game surprisingly. Peter was knocked out in the latest round along with the centaur and a faun.
That left Susan, me, Rabadash and the remaining faun. The announcer told us all to fill up the four middle targets and we did. Bile rose into my throat as I noticed that I would be standing next to Prince Rabadash for the final rounds. He took his spot at the target next to me and sent me a glance. "You are doing well, Lina. I am very impressed."
I almost gagged. The last thing I wanted to do was impress him and being this close to him scared me a bit if I was being honest, I really just wanted to get this over with. "Take your aim!" The faun called again. I put my bow up and anchored it with my lip but I was still distracted. Rabadash's eyes were still in my direction and it felt like a hole was being burned into my skin as they pierced me. "Fire!" The faun yelled. Away went my arrow but it didn't even graze the bull's eye as it had been doing the whole competition. I sighed.
I was knocked out along with Rabadash that round and it was up to Susan and the faun now. I wished her luck before leaving the field to stand on the sidelines. Rabadash followed suit and came to stop next to me. I could literally hear the smirk appear on his face as he rocked back and forth on his heels. He leaned in close to my ear and his hot breath sent shivers down my spine. "I am starting to think I make you nervous." He said flirtatiously.
I scoffed. "You confuse nausea with nervousness, Prince." Oh my goodness. I could not believe I just said that to a prince! What was I thinking? I never ever talked to anyone like that in my life let alone royalty. Instead of killing me then and there he instead opted to laugh.
"You may say that now but sooner or later you will want me. I can assure you of that." My eyes widened as I finally looked at him. He expression went from cocky to dangerous in a second flat. "I get what I want Lina and right now that is you."
My heart started beating a million miles an hour. "What about Susan?"
He rolled his eyes. "I want Susan's kingdom and I plan on getting that as well."
"What makes you think I will not tell them what you just said, Rabadash?" I was furious along with scared to death now. He was planning on using Susan to get to Narnia. I didn't know what else he had planned but from what he already said it wouldn't be anything good.
He chuckled as if I asked the most stupid question known to man kind. "Because I'll tell them it's all a lie. I'll say you made it all up out of jealousy of what Susan and I share." He said sarcastically. "You tried to seduce me, remember? And when I asked you about your feelings for Peter you just laughed. You told me you didn't want him, just the thrown but you would give it all up for a chance with me, after all my kingdom is three times the size of Narnia. I'm going to tell you this now Lina, you are quite the naughty girl." My mouth dropped open as he talked as if everything he just said actually just happened.
"You wouldn't." I was less confident than I sounded.
"Oh I would. And who do you think Susan would believe? A girl she just met or a fellow royal? I've known the kings and queens a lot longer than you have and I'm sure they would side with me a million times over before they ever would with you."
I didn't know what to say. What would someone say to something like that? I just stood there. Speechless. Rabadash chuckled again. "Now, now pet. If you keep your mouth shut there is no need to fret."
"And if I take my chances and tell them?" I whispered.
"Hmm...well you could rot in the dungeons for the rest of your life or they might believe you... but I really doubt it."
Cheer erupted suddenly and I looked up to see the archery contest was over. Obviously, Susan had won. I looked at her as she smiled and curtsied gracefully to the audience. She turned to where Rabadash and I stood and smiled even brighter. The prince went over to her and kissed her hand in congratulations. The Gentle Queen beamed up at him like he was the greatest thing in the world. My heart sank. I was suddenly doubting that they would believe me too.
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The tournament was, like I predicted, a close call. It ended up being a final battle between Peter and Rabadash in hand to hand combat. They thrashed and slashed at each other with the blunt blades of their swords for what seemed like hours. Susan and I were both total wrecks, but for different reasons. I knew she was secretly routing for Rabadash to win but still wished no harm to come to her brother. I, on the other hand, wished the exact opposite. I wanted Peter to kick Rabadash's butt and I hoped it hurt like heck. So we sat in the stands completely unnerved. Lucy held on to Susan's hand, Susan's other hand was connected to mine, and my free hand now gripped Edmund's -who had been able to take a seat after his last battle- as we waited for the combat to end.
The clashes got louder as the two royals went from being on the defense to switching gears and attacking their opponents. With one final swing of his sword, Rabadash swept Peter's feet from under him and disarmed the king. It was over, Rabadash won the hand to hand combat and the tournament. I slumped back into my chair in defeat. Edmund gave my hand a little squeeze before letting it go and standing up. Eventually everyone arose and started clapping for the Calormen Prince. He took a few bows and smiled charmingly for a moment before coming over to our box and speaking to the crowd. "I would like to dedicate my victory to the Gentle Queen Susan." He reached up for Susan's hand and she gladly gave it to him. I looked away as he flirted with Susan, I noticed that Edmund also opted to looked away too. I gave him a glare and he just rolled his eyes, showing that he thought the mushy stuff was annoying.
"In celebration of this wonderful trip I have taken," Rabadash went on loudly so all could hear. I looked back at him. "I invite the Kings and Queens of Narnia to come to Calormen as my most welcome guests!" He announced like he was being generous or something. His eyes flickered to me. "And of course you must come to, Lady Lina." I narrowed my eyes at him before fleeing our seats and going down to the field to see Peter.
One side of his mouth lifted up sadly. "I am sorry." He told me when I made it to him. I furrowed my brow.
"Why are you sorry?"
"Because I did not win the tournament for you. I let you down..." He said sadly. It almost broke my heart. He looked down at his feet for a moment. I took a look around to make sure no one was looking before putting my hand up to his chin and raising his blue eyes up to meet mine.
"Hey," I whisper soothingly. "You didn't have to win anything for me."
"Really?" He questioned. I nodded.
"I like you, not your jousting abilities, Peter." I told him with a small smile. I hoped he believed it. With what Rabadash just said I couldn't be sure. What if he thought I didn't care about him and just his ability at being a good kind? He grabbed the hand I still held under his chin and cupped it in both of his, making me forget those thoughts about him not trusting my feelings.
"I am being silly, aren't I?" He told me through a laugh. I smiled.
"Just a little." This seemed like a good sign. Perhaps he did believe me after all, I'd just stick with that thought for now. He sighed and bit down into his bottom lip before looking over my head and toward Rabadash, Susan, and Lucy.
"It seems we will be going on a trip soon." He told me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
"I guess so." I finally said. Going to Calormen seemed like a horrible idea. Rabadash would be on his territory there and he would be more likely to cause trouble. I looked at him with Susan and wasn't worried about myself. I was worried that she would get her heartbroken once she found out that Rabadash was totally slime. Susan didn't deserve that and I didn't want to sit back and let it happen. But what else could I do? Risk getting through into a Narnian jail for the lies Rabadash is sure to tell them or pray that they believe my story? I didn't know what to do and I couldn't figure it out now. Rabadash announced that we would be leaving in a weeks time a moment later. I sigh, whatever I was going to do I had to do it fast. We were going into the lion's den and I wanted to be prepared.
Hope you liked it! Thanks for reading!