A/N: Hi, all! Thank Goodness It's Friday, eh? :D Anyway, hope you enjoy this new chapter, and don't forget to vote for us in Narnia Fanfiction Revolution's Awards! The link is on the top of our profile page!

--

The Narnian army, now under the direct and uncompromising command of High King Peter alone, abandoned all impressions of skylarking and turned battle-ready. The songs that had lilted from the fauns' flutes as the host moved along had since been silenced by their players, the sturdy creatures trading their instruments for little glinting daggers, and the sound of thousands of differently-shod feet filled the void; the scarlet standards that once danced above the heads of the merry creatures now swayed resolutely in time with the beat of the march.

Peter had spurred his people zealously and they were responding in kind.

The vast host crossed the Great River on the outskirts of a large forest, the icy water rushing around their legs, flooding their boots, and threatening to carry several of the smallest Dwarfs away. Queen Lucy had even slipped off of her brother's horse and fallen into the river with a tremendous splash, scaring a few big cats. The army was halted for a good half hour while Peter and King Edmund, both white with fear, splashed about searching desperately for her while she giggled at them from behind a rock on the opposite bank. (She was henceforth obliged to continue the march on foot as punishment for her misbehavior.)

The moon was high in the night sky before Peter reluctantly halted the army and set up camp on a low plain at the base of a chain of hills. Enna was nearly asleep with exhaustion at this point, as was Queen Lucy and many of the other footsoldiers: her feet ached and her legs throbbed with the pain of walking for an hour or so, then clambering up on someone's horse to rest for a few minutes, and then climbing down to walk again. At sunset, Lord Lorendo had, upon seeing that Aramir was dangerously near falling off himself, graciously allowed Enna to remain on his mount, and she was secretly very glad of this—the older man's fit but burly body provided much more of a secure place for her to cling to than Aramir's lanky, ill-seated frame.

When she felt Lorendo's horse come to a jangling stop, Enna stirred herself with difficulty and saw Aramir nearby do the same. "Are you sure you wish to stop now, Peter?" she asked.

She heard him chuckle. "Yes, Enna, I am very sure. The fatigue in your voice makes me wish I had done so earlier."

"I'm not fatigued," Enna retorted

"I beg to differ."

"Yes, sire."

"Here, Lorendo, let me offer assistance..."

Enna felt a worn leather glove curl around her wrist, and she looked down at Peter, who was still flushed with energy. "I can get down on my own."

"I know you can," Peter replied. "But I don't think Lord Lorendo would come out the better for your attempt; do you? It'll be much easier if you let me help. Come along."

Reluctantly, she relinquished her grip on Lorendo's waist and slipped down into Peter's waiting arms, a cold metal spaulder scraping against her cheek as he caught her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry—" he stammered when she hissed in pain.

"No, it's no trouble…"

"By the lion's mane, you're bleeding." Peter sounded extremely frustrated as he dug about in his saddlebags for a handkerchief.

Enna touched her cheek and it stung slightly, but her fingers came away with only a drop of red blood on their tips. "Peter, I'm not hurt…Lord Lorendo, I promise you, I'm quite all right, go and water your horse."

As Lorendo dismounted and led his horse away, Peter pulled off his gauntlets and braced Enna's chin in his warm, ungloved hand, dabbing at the superficial wound with the bit of cloth nevertheless. "I am so very sorry, I should have thought first—!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Enna scoffed, pushing his hands away. "I'm absolutely fine."

His lips thinned, but he nodded and stepped away.

"Peter, would you do your own flesh and blood a favor and help Lucy down?" King Edmund asked.

"All right, then, all right." Peter turned away and went to help the young girl.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, Aramir, I'm not hurt."

"I saw what happened."

"Really—I'm not!"

"Fine, then. It's just…you seem to have an unfortunate penchant for misadventure."

Enna looked over at him, beginning to unpin her dirty cloak. His dark eyes were duskily underscored and his freckled face wan with exhaustion under the mud that was splattered up his cheeks, bearing a sad resemblance to his dirt-brown jerkin. "And you have an unfortunate penchant for showing your weariness."

He snorted. "You hardly look better yourself, my lady."

"At least you got to ride all day."

"King Peter offered you a mount."

"I do wish I had accepted…"

Aramir sighed and slowly rubbed the back of his obviously aching neck. "Tomorrow you must ride. You'll wear out your boots and yourself if you don't rest your feet—you'll share my horse."

"But…" Enna bit her lip. "Riding on the back of a saddle is hardly less unpleasant than walking."

"Then you shall sit in front. It's simple, Enna, really."

Enna shifted her weight to another foot and glared down at her icy hem as it skimmed the rimy grass. If she had been wearing trousers, this wouldn't be an issue! "I'll see how I feel on the morrow."

"Trust me—you'll accept my offer."

Skeptically, Enna shrugged as a badger waddled up to her, its white stripe partially hidden by a specially-made shirt of mail. "My lady," he grunted, "I have been instructed to inform you that your tent has been erected."

"Thank you, sir badger," Enna replied. Turning back to Aramir, she let her mouth twitch in a slight smile. "I'll see you tomorrow morn, then."

"Aye. Goodnight."

Enna said goodnight to Lord Lorendo and Peter before venturing into the teeming camp, searching out the scarlet and green tent with the golden pennant flying outside it. Queen Lucy was already inside, her honey-brown hair loose and streaming down her shoulders as she shiveringly wrapped a thick blanket around herself. She looked younger than her seventeen years at that moment, with her round face pale with weariness and her slender form bundled up under the covers.

"I am glad you're in here now, Enna," she said lightly, nibbling on a bit of toast. "It is awfully dark in here, even with the lantern."

Enna nodded and smiled slightly, quickly exchanging her heavily dirtied frock for a thick wool nightdress. "Do you miss the castle, Your Majesty?"

"The only reason I will answer you is that I'm too tired to force you to call me Lucy," Queen Lucy retorted, putting a plate of warm toast and honey on Enna's cot. "But no, I do not miss Cair Paravel. Oh yes, I miss the warmth and the food and the safety, but I much rather prefer adventure. I was getting quite bored, sitting in that stone box day after day!"

Enna wrapped herself up in her blanket before beginning to comb out her windswept hair. "Your brothers do not seem keen on having you with us."

"They do not like the idea of women in battle," the queen replied. "But I am gradually winning them over…Peter thinks highly of you, Enna, and I think that is the only reason he allowed you to come along. As for me, I have free rein to pester him to his wits' end if he forces me to stay!"

Enna laughed briefly. "Do they really dislike having females with the army?"

"Yes," Queen Lucy said. "They worry much about my safety, and Susan frets aloud with them whenever she hears of the warrior princesses in faraway lands…I suppose they think we're all weaklings like those silly Calormene Tarkheenas. I beg to differ! Well, Susan perhaps does not like battle, but even she is braver than they. And you and I—we are of the strong breed! We have the blood of the ancient Eve herself running in our veins…we are stalwart and tenacious, and though we may not be able to lift a sword as heavy as Peter's, we may still lift swords. Don't you agree?"

"Wholeheartedly," Enna replied truthfully. "You would have appreciated my father, Vatorian Sabsestrin. He had intended for me to attend school and go on merchant trips with him, learning the ways of the sea and of the world."

"And that was before he died?" the queen said gently, putting a hand on Enna's shoulder. "Before your uncle…before he took your father's place?"

"Aye." Enna put away her comb and began to nibble on her toast. "I had to learn all that on my own."

"I have noticed your penchant for reading."

"I do love to learn, aye."

"And then, you know how to sail?"

"A bit," Enna said. "I was not outright taught, but I observed and grew up around ships and sailors."

"Of course, of course."

"I thought at first, coming here to Narnia, that my home was on the water, perpetually at sea." Enna looked at her hands. "But now I have come to think that perhaps I might be very happy here in Narnia…I have never seen forests so thick nor plains so vast!"

"I should think not!" Queen Lucy laughed. "Galma is very sandy and sunny…I hope someday you will see the mountains, Enna—they are a sight to remember all one's life!"

"I do hope so, as well!" Enna wondered what mountains might look like—she had been told that they were tall and rocky…like sea cliffs? Or different?

"Well, once you and Peter are wed," Queen Lucy said, putting away her plate, "perhaps he will take you to the southern mountains as a wedding journey."

Enna felt her face grow hot at the queen's words, and her heart pounded in her temples. "Um…Your Majesty…I'm sorry, but Peter and I…we are no longer…"

Queen Lucy looked at her with wide eyes. "No longer plighted?"

Enna shook her head, biting her lip fiercely. "No. I…we ceased weeks ago…"

The queen covered her mouth with one hand. "Oh...! I had no idea…oh, Enna, I'm so sorry…you must be mortified! Forget I mentioned anything of the sort. I just assumed that…"

"It's quite all right," Enna said.

"How embarrassing of me!" Queen Lucy shook her head. "It is a very good thing indeed that we did not officially tell the court—or the Nymrunians! But I do feel honored that you would tell me, Enna, really. I understand why you and Peter would have wished to keep this quiet. You both obviously think very well of each other, but I do see how you two could have your differences…Oh, I'm making you very uncomfortable, aren't I? I shall move on to another subject. What do you think of Lord Lorendo? I like him very much, indeed. He is a very gentlemanly gentleman."

Relieved for the change of topic, Enna said, "I do enjoy him. I do not agree with his people's politics and educational ethics, perhaps, but he as an individual is very genial."

"He is very intelligent, as well. If he were suiting me for his king, I would accept just because of his wisdom!"

Enna hid a smile. "Perhaps that is why Peter has disallowed you to accept any suitors just yet."

Queen Lucy stuck her lower lip out and lay down on her cot, pulling the thick blankets up over her shoulder. "Peter is much too protective of me. I hope, if there is a battle, that I will be allowed to participate."

"I shouldn't wish to kill with a sword, I think," Enna said thoughtfully. "I do like the bow and arrow, for I can stand at a distance and slay with as much accuracy as swordsmen can, but I do not think I could stand to see the slain's faces…"

"I agree," the queen yawned. "But sometimes it must be done. Aslan has allowed the shedding of blood when the genuine need arises…and I think that insubordination, rebellion, and invasion are reasons plenty to make war. Galma's king Helmin is accountable to Peter, you know—Peter ranks him significantly, and really holds rule over Galma."

Enna looked over at the young queen. "He…really?"

"Yes. Did you not know that?"

"No! I had no idea. I was raised to pay homage to Helmin and his princes, and no one else. I did not even know where Narnia was, exactly, much less the names of her monarchs. I…I was taught that Narnians were uncivilized beasts, and not much else."

"How curious that you came here, then, of all places," Queen Lucy said with another gargantuan yawn.

Enna mulled over this new bit of information—how curious, indeed, that her people would have conveniently forgotten that their almighty ruler was actually subservient to the barbarian king! "We should rest, Your Majesty."

"Lucy. And yes…goodnight."

"Goodnight."

--

A/N: Just a bit of vocab practice so you all don't have to go running to a dictionary like I did when I first heard this word, XD:

spaulder: basically, it's an armor shoulder-guard. People have worn it in pretty much every fantasy/medieval movie in the world—including both Narnia movies!— so it shouldn't be too hard to visualize. :P

A/N to sexyredhead: LOL, I'm glad you liked that part! A bit random, true, but thanks all the same! :D