"We're going to have a ball!"
Sam groggily opened her eyes when she felt someone heavy jump on her. It was too soft to be Edmund, and too small to be Susan, so it must be Lucy.
Sure enough, when Sam sat up, Lucy was bounding eagerly on Sam's bed.
"Lucyyyy….It's so early!
Susan stood beside Sam's bed. "No, it's almost time for lunch. But tonight, there's going to be a ball."
"Why?"
"We're celebrating!" Lucy exclaimed. Sometimes Sam had a hard time remembering she was younger than Lucy.
"We finally got all the paperwork done," Susan explained, "and we've finally annexed your country. So we're having a ball to celebrate."
"And Susan and I are gonna make you GORGEOUS for the dance!" A smile crept across Lucy's face. "And for Edmund."
Sam tried to object, but Lucy silenced her. Sam knew she couldn't convince them otherwise…Especially because it was true.
"Now, get dressed," said Susan briskly, "We have to eat quickly if there's to be time for all of us to get ready."
Sam sighed and allowed herself to be dragged out of bed.
Susan and Lucy were rummaging through Sam's closet with little success.
"Sam, don't you have ANY ball-worthy gowns?"
"Before I left for here, my chambermaid ran away and took most of my stuff. She left me the dresses you see, most of my shoes and underclothes, and everything in my mother's jewelry box. Namely, my tiara, my mom's tiara, my mom's necklace, and a diamond promise ring. That ring was the ring my father gave to my mother when they were in theirs 20s, I think, and they swore they'd get married somehow, legally. And they did."
Lucy grinned at the romantic story, but announced, "That's a lovely bedtime tale, but it doesn't change the fact that the silkiest thing you have in here is a nightgown."
"You will wear one of my old dresses, " said Susan, sizing Sam up. "I think you'll fit."
Susan's trained eye was right, and the dress looked good on Sam. Lucy and Susan busied themselves fixing her hair and adding things here, taking away there, lacing up this, that, and the other…Until, finally, they declared she was ready.
It took them only half the time to get ready themselves, and they were just in time.
"Now, remember, Sam, that you're considered a Queen here because now your country, with is under your rule, is part of Narnia."
Sam nodded.
"Presenting," a man at the top of a tall staircase called, "High King Peter."
Peter walked down the steps and up to the dais with the grace of one who's done it many time.
"Presenting Queen Susan."
Susan followed the same was, then Edmund, then Lucy.
"Presenting, Queen Samantha."
Edmund fought hard to keep his mouth from falling open at the sight of her.
He lost.
Sam's dress was a deep blue edged in gold lace, with a sparkling gold sash tied at her waist. The top of the dress ended like it was strapless, but a gold ribbon like the one at her waist was attached at both sides of the top and tied at the back of her neck like a halter top. Her mother's gold tiara, inlaid with diamonds and a single sapphire, sat atop her red hair. Susan had pulled half of Sam's hair back, but left the rest curling about her shoulder, with a few renegade strands in her eyes.
Sam went down the steps, a bit unsteady on her feet, and paused, not sure where to go. Susan grinned and motioned the throne beside Lucy.
Trying not to look too surprised at getting a throne, Sam made her was to the dais and sat.
Her eyes went first to Edmund, who, with all his willpower, was looking straight ahead and not at her. Sam's smile faltered a bit and she drooped in her chair.
Lucy looked from Edmund to Sam, seeing as she was between them and could easily reach both. She elbowed Edmund sharply and he jumped, startled.
"What was that for?" Edmund hissed quietly.
"Look at your princess like you know how good she looks," Lucy hissed back with even more venom.
"Why should I care how Sam looks," Edmund muttered, trying to keep up with the façade that he and Sam didn't get along.
Lucy smirked and Edmund realized he'd cornered himself. "I never said it was Sam."
Edmund sighed and snuck a peek and Sam she met his eyes turned red, but the smile returned to her face.
Lucy's smirk grew, if possible, even wider, "Told you."