Four:
"Ed, get over here! The Princess is here!" Susan hisses at her brother from the bottom of the stairs, as he takes his time to get to the bottom. You see, Edmund is going slow on purpose. He does not intend on speaking to Princess May at all throughout the small party they are hosting for her arrival. "Edmund," His sister presses on.
"Susan, I'm coming!" He comes down the stairs faster. Honestly, he'd rather greet the Princess rather than meet his sisters wrath. Upon arriving at the bottom of the stairs he noticed Princess Jane next to his sister, Lucy.
"It is about time Ed," Susan mumbles loudly, before switching the angry look on her face to a look of complete happiness. "Princess May! Welcome to Cair Paravel!" She says, and young King turns around to see a really pretty girl. Of course, every guy thinks Princess May is pretty. Even Edmund, who like I said, doesn't care much for the ladies. And Princess May was no lady. She was a pretty lady (much like Princess Jane). One with golden curls, and the pink tiny lips. And that wide grin. And the gorgeous green eyes..and what the heck is Edmund thinking? After closing his mouth to make sure he won't start drooling, he turns his head away. 'Thats not the Princess I remember', he thinks, but makes himself look at Jane just to forget about the pretty girl standing in the same room as him. His eyes met Jane's, and for a split second he forgot about May. And then. She spoke.
"Susan! Look at you. Your so...pretty!" The girls smile sparkled, Susan beamed, Edmund puked a little in his mouth, Jane's reaction was somewhat similar, and Lucy narrowed her eyes, while gagging. Peter walks in then, and almost chokes on his own spit (and not from the same reasons Edmund, Jane, and Lucy's reactions were. For a very different reason).
"Princess May! He-Hello!" He starts blushing, and frantically searches the room for something to focus on. He sees a vase full of red flowers, and chooses that. Princess May's smile turns into a polite one.
"High King Peter. How are you, your majesty?"
"I'm quite alright. Yourself?"
"Just Peachy...Peachy." Her eyes weren't on Peter, though. They were on Narnia's other king. The other king who hadn't noticed this-yet. "Kind Edmund!" The girls face lights up instantly, and everyone looks at Edmund. His face flushes, but hes more annoyed then embarrassed.
"Yes, uh Princess March." Lucy knocks him with her elbow, knowing that he did that on purpose. "Er, I mean May. Princess May. I get those two mixed up often. Please, forgive me." Instead of being annoyed or taking any offense to that, the Princess' smile only grew larger.
"Ahem." And now everyone is looking at the youngest Queen, who smiles. "Hello, Princess May." May's smile fades, and its replaced with a rather unsettling glare.
"Lucy." But luckily for the youngest Pevensie, the attention is now turned to the girl standing next to Lucy. A girl May didn't know. A girl Edmund was watching. The girl notices her new attention, and forces her eyes away from Edmund's. "And who is this?" Both Peter and Susan hadn't heard the tone in her voice, but everyone else did. Especially Jane.
"This," Peter says, "Is Princess Jane. She's staying with us for a few weeks. It's her vacation." Jane smiles weakly at the other Princess, and May doesn't return one.
"Hello, Princess May. It is a pleasure to meet you!" Lucy, and Edmund hear the fake enthusiasm in her voice, and fight the urge to laugh. May doesn't hear it, though, and returns it with super-fake enthusiasm.
"Hello! Your just gorgeous, darling. I wonder why we've never met! You look like you're a lot of fun!" Everyone else is taken aback by this, especially Edmund, who only stares at May blankly. May turns her eyes back to Edmund, and smirks slightly. And this is how everyone greets May. And how May returns the greetings.
- - - - -
Later that day, Susan and May go on a walk through the gardens. Edmund and Jane spy through an open window in the back of the large Library. "Oh, Susan! Your brothers-oh how they've grown!" Jane glances at Edmund with a smile, as he grows paler by the minute. "Especially Edmund. He's quite the heart-breaker. Is he not?" Susan's laugh is a funny one. A forced one.
"Edmund? He's not a heart breaker, and nor will he ever be! He's just not interested in ladies, and courting, and all of that. He's more interested in swords, and reading, and just about anything else. Although, I have caught him reading a couple romances, but other than that. Edmund? A heart-breaker?" She laughs again, but this time its real, and May joins in.
"Maybe I can change that." Jane's the only one watching now. Edmund left at the whole "Heart-breaker?" part. Jane's laugh subsides, and she's now listening intently. "Next week is the young king's birthday, is it not?"
"That is true, Princess."
"Do you think High King Peter would mind if my father set up some sort of an..arrangement?"
"Arrangement? As in a marriage arrangement?" Princess May nods her head.
"Yes, yes! Exactly what I was thinking!"
"Oh, but you do know that-" Susan gets quiet, and just stares at the Princess.
"What do I know?"
"My brother, High King Peter, he uh-"
"Has already arranged Edmund's marriage with that dreadful Princess June?"
"Jane."
"Uh, Jane. It's the same as June."
"Not really. No, Peter has not arranged their marriage, but she seems to be the only girl Edmund ever pays attention to. As I was saying, Peter, he fancies you. He likes you, an awful lot."
"Oh. Well..." Jane stopped listening then because of hearing a banging noise. She turns her head to see Edmund banging his head against a bookshelf. A book fell off, and hit his head.
"Oww," He moaned, and Jane shook her head. "So, why was she talking about me?" He asked. Jane looked at him surprised. She thought he heard, but he hadn't.
"Oh, I'm not sure. I suppose she's looking for someone to dance with tonight!" Jane smiles softly before saying, "Oh!look at the time! I must go!"
"Why?" Edmund is slightly suspicious. He can tell shes avoiding something. And anyway, the shelves are in the way of the Grandfather clock in the Library.
"I have to get ready, of course!" She runs off, and he rolls his eyes.
"Girls." And even though that was meant to be more of a complaint, Edmund smiles after saying this.