Twenty three poker straight tails belonging to the Bristlesplats dipped in and out of sight in the marsh grass. From behind Oreius, his Kings and Queens spoke in quiet council with each other, debating in a nature fitting for siblings whether or not the horse blanket on Edmund's steed, Philip, was made in Terebinthia or Galma. To be accurate, it was the Queens who held opposing opinions and were goading their brothers into take one side or the other.
It would have been foolhardy to let his Kings and Queens enter and explore an unknown place before thoroughly examining it for any dangers, be them external or internal to the walls. And so Oreius had to send forth the Bristlesplats, an argumentive but capable family unit of twenty three meerkats to survey the castle for foe or insecure structure. They were handy creatures to have in the guard as they did most everything within the family. Only once had Oreius known a meerkat to travel out side of the family unit and he was what meerkats referred to as a "roving male". With the entire family working as one, Oreius soon found the little mongoose-like creatures did ten times the work of a single foot soldier and in half the time, besides. In battle, they could never hold their own as well as a faun or centaur but Oreius had found the little guys quite handy for reconnaissance.
"What news, Avirl?" the seasoned centaur wondered of the dominant female of the Bristlesplats.
"The battlements crumble, General. 'Twould be hazardous for any creature heavier than a partridge to walk on, yet alone our Majesties." Replied the well kempt meerkat. Avril was the glue to the entire clan and although she was always a well kempt and elegant creature, it was apparent that keeping the peace between twenty-two of her children, siblings, nephews and nieces took a toll on her. When voices were raised, regardless of who was arguing, Avril would snap at the quarrelers and would bark irritably for them to fall silence and love their family.
"Tell 'im about the gunk, Ma!" Yevgeni, one of Avril's sons shouted from the sea of meerkats. He was in Oreius' opinion the dullest knife in the drawer but the Bristlesplats were an all inclusive package; halfwit sons and all.
"The swamp is encroaching in the court yard and areas of the entrance hall. But it's nothing that can not be fixed." Avril reported, her voice indicating that she was attempting to tie a knot at the end of her temper's rope.
"Uncle Fungus fell in, General Oreius…sir!" one of the youngest of the group reported as she took her place next to her aunt. Barely over the age to participate in scouting with the family, little Regina had the gift of gab, making it a pity she was not born a Peahen.
"I didn't fall conflabbit!" the so called Uncle Fungus piped up angrily. He was a crotchety old meerkat who, though once held the status of a dominant male, was nothing more than moody and opinionated in his days of dusk. "I was pushed, I was!"
"Oh come off it, Dad." One of the many males in the mass of meerkats said dismissively before Oreius and Avril could continue.
"Oh sure!" Uncle Fungus grumped in a huff and continued in a high pitched mocking voice, "Oh, yes. Let's not listen to Uncle Fungus. Just because he brought this family to providence with Aunt Blueberry doesn't mean we should listen to a thing he says. It's just crazy Uncle Fungus who's hard of hearing and has bladder problems-"
"Is the castle safe for their Majesties to enter, Avril?" Oreius wondered a little louder than usual. There was no need for his kings and queens, who now watched the argument unfold with a curious interest, to hear about an old meerkat's bladder infections. The High King made his way over to the centaur to see what the squabble was all about and stood on the right side of his mentor.
"Aye, Genreral. It is perfectly safe." Avril informed him while sweeping a bow toward Peter and then promptly bounded into the fray of relatives to exact her leadership.
"What news?" King Peter wondered of the centaur he saw almost like a father.
"Some of the swamp is encroaching into the courtyard and the battlements are not safe to tread on yet, my Lord." Oreius informed Peter neutrally. "Shall I give the signal to proceed, my Liege?"
The High King gave the centaur a sheepish look and turning his back to the large party that accompanied the four on the trip whispered, "I'd much rather have leave the majority of the party at rest here. It's been a little distracting when we are planning to have the entire court there with us. That and…I do believe Lady Peahen and her daughters are ogling my every move."
At this confession, Oreius could not contain the smile that spread across his face. Several weeks had passed since the decision to tour the swamp country to find a suitable site for the new castle. It had been a big to do in court, as was any sort of travel the Pevensie siblings undertook, and the trek to and through the swamp lands of the North East was nothing short of a court affair. Banners, footmen, and almost every able bodied creature accompanied Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy.
Presently, the royal family had spotted a slightly dilapidated castle through the thick marsh trees and with the recent discretion from Oreius, they would soon make way to explore the structure. Once the home of a great Narnian lord, the grand battlements of stone was laden with moss and vines from a hundred and five years of negligence.
Oreius bowed his head in the direction of the four as a sign of respect. "I shall stand watch at the threshold." He did not have to vocalize the next sentence that out of years of habit began to form on his tongue. It was clear that the four monarchs would alert him if the centaur's aid was needed.
The four made their way to the structure with Oreius, several other well trusted guards and Vitus. Looming over them, the castle looked misplaced. Several stone gargoyles situated atop of the battlements appeared foreign under their blankets of moss. Pausing for a moment, Peter took in the vision of the castle they had found solely on a wing and a prayer. On the breath of the wind, a single word carried to the High King's ear: Peeeteerrrrr. Stopping in his tracks, the Magnificent surveyed his surroundings to find the enforcer of the not-so-amusing joke. Yet his siblings and best mate were almost at the entrance to the castle and his guards stood their distance. Peter had no idea what could have whispered into his ear when nobody was close enough to.
Noticing his lagging behind, Lucy turned around and greeted Peter with the smile she was so famous for. What had ailed her several weeks ago still alluded him but Susan had assured him that all was well. "Come hither, slowpoke!" Lucy called brightly and the High King complied. He cast the voice in his ear aside as he joined the group.
Susan spun around in the vast great hall, amazed at its size. It was easily larger than Cair Paravel's but it was obvious that the abandoned castle's rooms and chambers lacked in size to accommodate the hall's massive size. "Echo!" She called out with a giggle before she returned to her sister, bothers and Vitus.
"Tis a vast hall, I'll give it that." Vitus admitted as he leaned against the far wall.
Edmund scoffed. He had no interest in such things. His eyes were caught and still on the defensive features of the castle. The layout and geographical position was absolutely flawless should a siege be laid and he told everyone so.
"The detail of all the carvings is sublime." Lucy admitted as she ran her fingers down the intricate foreign carvings on the one of the two large staircases that connected led to a dais in between them. Something spurred Lucy to go up one of the staircases and explore the passageways further.
"I mean, we can place guards all around the inside perimeter with just one or two lookouts to watch the road way." Edmund continued his speech to Peter and Vitus. Susan strolled contentedly around the center of the great hall, humming her favorite Narnian waltz to herself.
Taking this as her opportunity to explore, the young queen began to ascend the staircase. However being one of the most perceptive people in Narnia, Susan stopped in her tracks and asked her sister, "And where would you be wandering off to, dear one?"
"Just to explore the corridors." Lucy replied truthfully. There was no use lying to Susan about her whereabouts.
"What say you about the place so far?" The elder queen wondered and was answered with a grin.
"I plan to stake out my chambers before you three." Lucy replied, voicing her approval with a sly grin. She turned on her heel with a flash of red hair and began to ascend the stairs.
"Don't go far and do go on the battlements." Susan told her sternly, getting only a backwards wave in reply. As an afterthought, Susan yelled after her, "Mind your skirt's hem."
Announcing his presence to his sister by a tug on her hair, Peter took his place beside Susan as they watched Lucy disappear from sight. "You know asking Lu to keep her hem clean is like asking the Bristlesplats not to fight.
She cast him a sidelong look and laughed dryly before turning to the other two. "So," she began, "Edmund and the castle's defensives are to be wed, Lucy's staking out her territory, and I'm planning the grand ball that shall transpire when we take court here. What say you, Peter?"
The High King gave his sister a pointed look filled with annoyance and in suit, Edmund rolled his dark eyes. "Must you put on a ball for everything, Su?" Peter wondered, taking no pains to hide his irritation.
"Come off it." She told him irritably while playing with a stray thread. "We all know you dislike ball so because you get practically hounded by every female in Narnia for a dance."
"Last time you held one of those silly balls, I didn't even get a moment's peace. As soon as one dance ended, someone else scooped me up."
"Wouldn't have that problem if you 'accidentally' trod on one's foot." Edmund piped up. "One dance of plodding on a nymph's foot and I got a solid reputation as a bad dancer, thank you very much."
Vitus, who had until then lean unobtrusively, walked over to the center of the room where the Magnificent and the Gentle stood. "Where's your sense of romance, my lord?" The political hostage queried with a painfully straight face. "For all you know you many find the woman of your dreams as you dance." Vitus paused and turned to Susan. For one brief moment both Pevensie brothers stiffened at the thought of the foreigner making a pass at their sister and in front of them none the less. However their terseness dissolved as Vitus mocked a curtsey in an exaggerated manner and asked in an annoying falsetto voice, "Oh King Peter! Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"
Susan responded with a smirk and bowed before giving Vitus her answer in a deep voice, "Why, yes. For some odd reason I am highly attracted to you."
"Since when do I sound like that?!" Peter bristled, crossing his arms as Edmund moved to join the other three.
"You are a vision of loveliness, fair maiden. I must have your name." Susan joked in her mock Peter voice as they waltzed.
"Well, my name is Yvette-Angelina-Merryweather-Francesca….but you can call me-" Vitus' reply was cut short as hurried footsteps echoed over the vast emptied hall and Lucy appeared at the top of the stairs.
Her gown's hem was covered in dust, her cheeks streaked with tears and her red hair flying. Edmund's worried inquiries of what was amiss fell unheeded as the youngest Pevensie threw her arms around a confused Peter's waist.
"Lu?" Susan queried, leaving Vitus' side to comfort her sister. The Gentle ran her fingers through her sister's hair to coax her into calming down. But to no avail; Lucy kept her face buried into her big brother's tunic. Susan looked to her elder brother for an answer as to how to deal with this. Unfortunately all he could give Susan and Edmund was a refection of their confused and concerned countenances.
A long but IMPORTANT A/N: oh goodness, how I'd love to finish this chap better. But unfortunately, I am not feeling too hot at the moment and think you lot had waited long enough for chapter 3. Anyway, the paranormal begins in this chapter. Some of it is very discrete (because ghosts can't be waving picket-sign signs all the time). Also things will begin to get a little bit jumpy. I apologize, but I think that paranormal activity isn't a continuance type of thing. So time must lapse. I don't want things to be jumpy so if anyone has advice on how to avoid this problem, please contact me in the mode of your choice. Well that's about it. It is to bed with me. Please review and all that jazz. Thanks to all who reviewed and helped.