"No, the faun statue is to be placed by the fountain and the flower arrangements separated and dispersed between the tables." Susan's voice echoed through the court yard.

"You're treating them as if they've never set up for a party before." Edmund laughed as he watched the bears dash about on their hind legs, trying their best to follow the queen's orders.

Susan gave him a cold glare that could have put all of Narnia back into an icy state. Aslan forbid. "Make yourself useful and go find King Magnificent. He's off riding in the woods somewhere, hoping to avoid this party."

"If I were Peter, I would be off avoiding it too." Lucy whispered, trying not to lock eyes with her older sister. The young queen's cheeks were rosy and no hint was left from her earlier worried state.

Edmund nodded and they both scurried off to mount their horses.

"Phillip, did you happen to overhear anything about where Pete road off to?" Ed slung his leg over his brown horse and stroked his forehead.

"I don't believe the king himself knew where he was going. It was more of a spontaneous ride to relax him." Phillip galloped through the grass, trailing not far behind Lucy's horse. "I've never seen his majesty so stressed."

The rider chuckled. "You'd be stressed also if you had three young ladies hoping to win your heart." Edmund pushed his crown that had begun to tip sideways back onto his head.

"It's kind of funny." Lucy yelled to him over the sound of the horses' hooves against the hard ground. "In England, Peter would have been overjoyed to have girls fighting over him."

"There's no way he would have ever had three girls after him in England. Let alone a party just for that occasion." The king watched a few trees flash passed him as they raced into the forest.

Lucy and Edmund continued deeper into the woods, hoping to find their older brother. Lucy had gotten quite a bit ahead of Edmund in what had turned into a race.

"Ed! You and Phillip are getting a little---"Lucy cut off in mid sentence with a scream.

"Lucy?" His mind flashed back to his conversation at the window. "He was trying to warn me." Lucy had said about Aslan.

When he caught up to his sister, her horse was lying on the ground with an arrow in its side. Lucy was sitting beside it but she wasn't alone.

Edmund forced his horse to stop. His eyes were wide with fear. "Let her go!" he yelled.

The queen was being held tightly by an ogre. In one hand he grasped Lucy by the arms; in his other hand he held a freshly sharpened ax.

"Well isn't this convenient?" A dwarf stepped out into the open and knelt down beside Lucy. "We just captured 'High King' Peter and now his lower king and queen run almost happily into our arms."

Edmund was now aware of movements all around him. The forest was filled with traitors. Phillip sidestepped with an uneasy feeling. He was preparing to turn tail and run back to the castle for safety. "Go warn Susan." Ed whispered into his ear before he dismounted.

The brown horse took off, dodging arrows, and galloped out of the woods.

Edmund reached for his sword but before he had a chance to draw it on his enemies, he was hit on the back of the head and knocked unconscious.