I hate that it takes so long for me to post a new chapter... but honestly, this time all the blame goes to my school. But I'm finally done with exams, literature works, biology protocols and all that stuff that has had me up to my neck with work...

I started this chapter about a month and a half ago and only today I had time to actually finish it! :)

This one doesn't really develop the plot a lot, I just wanted there to be some Bridget/Ardavan interaction, I wanted to make a comparison between her current life in Narnia and her life in England, so here it is. I hope you like it!

And yay for the longest chapter so far! (2,220 words!)

Chapter 12

"Lessons"

"Miss Pevensie! Is there a reason why you consider drifting away to the marvelous world of your dreams to be more important than your current class?"

Bridget's eyes immediately snapped open as she heard her name being called by a high-pitched voice and looked with fright at Mrs. Hathaway, standing in front of her desk, looking down sternly at her through her oval-shaped glasses.

"Mrs. Hathaway, I'm so…"

"Sleepy, apparently, to be able to remain conscious during my class" the old teacher interrupted her. "I wouldn't be surprised if you fail the test next week, Miss Pevensie"

All her classmates were staring at Bridget and the teacher without making a single noise. Bee wasn't, after all, the only student who feared old Mrs. Hathaway's temper. She was sure the devil himself would run away filled with terror from that viper temper of hers.

"It is a shame you are not like your mother, Miss Pevensie. I must say Susan Pevensie was one of Saint Finbar's best students. One of my best students, I might add. Oh, what marvelous times were those" her teacher added, sighing and in a dramatic tone "when girls really put some effort in this school to achieve something. But then again, for some to succeed others must fail"

Bridget hated the look the teacher gave her as she said the word fail. Even though Mrs. Hathaway no longer was talking directly to her, she knew that final word had been directed only for her.

Everyone in Saint Finbar's school for ladies knew what an example of perfection Susan Pevensie was when she had attended that school years ago. For Bridget it was hard to live under her shadow and the annoying part was that she too, was a great student! It was a shame she didn't inherited her mother's arithmetic skills, though…

"Luckily for Miss Pevensie and any other of you girls, who feel quite unprepared for next week's test, the nice boys from Hendon House will be giving some tutoring this Saturday along with Jane and some other girls from the next grade"

Bridget sighed. Jane was a year older than her and was a selfish, self-centered girl who took every chance she had to be the centre of attention, especially when the Hendon House's boys were anywhere near her. She had to admit, though, Jane was indeed very good in arithmetic. But she was a real pain.

So it appeared her Saturday was going to be a nice reunion of the twin school, Hendon House for boys, with Jane and her minions studying arithmetic.

What a dream, just my idea for a perfect weekend…

That was why on Saturday she was stuck in a classroom with a boy named Jared, an unbearable nerd, who took every chance he had to have small-talk with Bridget in between exercises which ultimately led to him asking her for a date.

She had dealt with Jared before and it was the same repetitive story over and over again: He liked her, she couldn't stand him and he always ended up asking to go out with her. That boy just wouldn't give up! They both took the same train in the mornings to go to school because Saint Finbar's was just across the road from Hendon House. That was why they saw each other very often, more often that Bridget would have wished, but there was nothing she could do. She had said no many times to him, but it appeared Jared wouldn't take no for an answer.

Following everyday's routine, Jared invited Bridget out, and following her own routine she declined (obviously). She wasn't in a good mood, she really wanted to be anywhere else but there and it felt like a terrible waste of time to be studying arithmetic there with him when she had a very smart, very logic mother who dealt with arithmetic easily.

Bridget did her best to ignore Jared's pleads to go out with him, focused as much as she could on the exercise at hand and prayed for time to pass by quicker.

It was awful to have someone almost her own age teaching (trying to teach was more like it) her something she could have figured out on her own with more practice. It was a really big kick to her pride. And the looks he gave her! Jared was basically staring non-top at her through those goofy round glasses of his!

Ok, that's overly uncomfortable, annoying and creepy… Please look elsewhere, please look elsewhere…

"So, do you understand how to do this next exercise?" Jared asked, with his slightly nasal voice "If not you know you can ask me everything"

And there's that smile… again…

"Yes I can do it, Jared"

"Are you sure? You seem a little confused with this procedure here" he pointed at her notebook and then gave her that creepy look of his that was really unnerving Bridget. And then of course, the smile.

"Look, do you remember what I told you about logarithms? That's what you need to do here"

"So remember to bend your arm slightly, otherwise you might injure your arm. The string scraping your skin hurts a lot. It leaves your arm sore and you may even get a bruise"

Bridget did as he said. She remembered Fevian had mentioned that a while ago, the day he taught her archery, or at least to handle a bow and shoot arrows, because that truly was the only thing she had learned that day.

Holding a bow. Achieved. Holding it correctly. She was getting there. Shooting arrows. Achieved. Hitting the target. Failed.

"Very good. Now stand straight, Bridget. Pull the string harder, get a tight grip of it" the thickly accented voice said and Bridget followed his every instruction "And remember to aim before you let go"

She knew he was mocking her. Her last 5 arrows were stuck everywhere but near the middle of the target and only those had hit the target. However, the others before…

"Aim, I know you can do it"

Bridget blinked a couple of times, staring at the target which stood about 15 meters away from where she was standing.

"Now you can let go"

The arrow flew across the air, directly to the bullseye with a faint swoosh and pierced it. Not even by chance in the centre, but at least the arrow was stuck within the target and not on some tree nearby as some of her other arrows did.

"That was good enough, I can see you are improving…" Her teacher praised and gave her a long look with those hypnotizing green eyes of his.

"But…?" Bridget knew his sentence was unfinished.

"But you still have a lot to learn" Ardavan told her encouragingly. He noticed a weak smile in the girl's face "However, I can tell you have the skill for this"

"Fevian told me the same"

"Well, His Majesty the Prince was right" the Calormene said with a smile "Try again, I am certain you will hit closer to centre in no time if you keep practicing"

Bridget took another arrow from her quiver and placed it in the bow, the nock firmly attached to the string. She tightened her grip, her fingers curving strongly around the handle. Her eyes were fixed upon the target as she tugged the string back and held her stance. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, prepared to let go of the arrow.

"Do not move"

"I'm sorry?" Bridget asked, turning to look at him and lowering the bow, still confused by Ardavan's words which took her out of her line of thought, of her concentration.

"You moved" he smiled "Take your stance again"

In no time Bridget was prepared to shoot her arrow again. "Ready" she said.

"I see what your problem is" the Calormene told Bee as he approached her, walking around her, studying every bit of her stance to check what she wasn't doing right. "Your right arm is not positioned as it should be"

Ardavan was standing behind her when he spoke again "Take your hand back just a bit, try to place it beneath your chin". Bridget couldn't see him, she was only guided by the sound of his voice and she became aware of their proximity as she heard his low voice coming from some place aback.

His hand rested on her elbow gently, and he lowered it slightly "Elbow down, like this". His right arm was around her and Bridget couldn't help but feel nervous when his other arm reached out to touch the hand she was gripping the bow's handle with. It felt almost as if he was embracing her.

"Relax, you do not have the need to tighten your grip like this" his fingers caressed her hand delicately "Good"

Ardavan moved his hand from her elbow to her shoulder as he said "You need to relax. Breathe. Feel it. Now you will not miss"

Suddenly Bridget felt Ardavan's gentle touch no more, as he backed down, but her skin was still tingling where his hands used to rest. His scent still lingered around her, but she was surprised to notice she missed his touch.

In the blink of an eye Bridget's arrow was embedded in the centre of the target.

"A perfect shot" Ardavan praised and clapped. His student had excelled just as he knew she would "You are definitely made for this, Bridget. You simply needed the right technique"

Bridget was still staring at the target in awe. Her arrow had hit the centre! She turned to face the Calormene, her mouth still wide open in disbelief "I can't believe I just… That was amazing! Thank you" she said and smiled.

Ardavan bowed his head just a bit, he was also smiling. When he raised his head, his eyes met Bridget's. It was a meaningful, lasting look. The Calormene was lost in her innocent smile and her crystal-blue eyes. He had never met a girl quite like her. Bridget was very different from all the Calormene women he had been surrounded by his entire life. She was intelligent, fun and so full of life. Bridget was a free spirit, was honest and wasn't pretentious as most of the ladies he had met. But then again, Bridget wasn't a lady.

He was truly thankful that Ashmeran, the Tisroc, had decided to stay for two weeks to discuss some important matters with King Tavian even though all the other tarkaans and their ladies had already departed towards Calormen several days ago. As Captain of the guard it was Ardavan's duty to stay with the Tisroc. If it hadn't been for him, he wouldn't have had the chance to stay longer in Narnia. If it hadn't been for him, he wouldn't have had the chance to get to know Bridget the way he did for the past weeks.

"You are and excellent teacher, Ardavan" Bridget was the one to break the silence that had sifted upon them.

"Why, you are and excellent student"

"Here you are!"

Both the Calormene and the girl were surprised to see Fevian there. None of them noticed the moment he had arrived "Bridget, I've been searching for you all over the castle, I didn't expect to find you in the training fields. Hello, Captain"

"Your Highness" Ardavan bowed to the prince.

"Hello. I-I came to train archery with Ardavan" Bridget explained.

"Are you finished? There is something quite important I have to discuss with you, Bee"

"We are done, your Majesty" Ardavan answered.

"All right" The prince offered Bridget his arm "Shall we?"

Bridget didn't really feel like leaving. She was kind of reluctant to accompany Fevian, because she enjoyed Ardavan's company greatly every time they were together. She couldn't deny she liked the Calormene greatly, after all. There was something about that man that enthralled her in a way no other man ever did before.

"Could we do this again soon?" she asked Ardavan before leaving with the prince.

"It would be my pleasure" was his response, accompanied with a smile Bridget had come to love in the past few days.

"Tomorrow then?"

"I will be here"

And there's that smile. Again.

"Tomorrow? So soon?"

"I thought you wanted to leave as soon as possible"

"Yes, but…"

"I felt terrible for not being able to keep my promise of leaving immediately after the ball" Fevian interrupted her "But you know, some unexpected plans were made"

"More like an unexpected proposal, you mean" she said with a smile "But please stop feeling guilty for not leaving after your ball, I understand you couldn't leave your betrothed, Fevian. It would have been rude"

"Which is why we had to wait. But now we can leave. Cara and her family left this morning to Telmar. The problem is we don't have much time, Bee. The wedding is in a month. Cara and her family will be here by then and I won't be able to help you anymore. As a husband I can't leave this place every time I please. I will have a duty toward my wife. And I really do want to help you go home, I made my promise and I intend to keep it"

"All right"

"Be ready, then. We depart at dawn"

Ta-da! So in my next chapter the adventure to return home finally begins!

Please leave me some reviews, I love them! Please tell me what you think. What you loved. What you hated. Ideas. Whatever, just comment! Peace!