Hey everybody! I'm back with a speedy update! It's not the best chapter ever, but it will do for now... I promise a better chapter next time :)

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Disclaimer: Narnia is not mine.

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Desires and Destiny

Chapter 7

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"Why is Edmund taking so long?" Adeline asked with a sigh, "Now even I want to jump all over the food."

Isabel laughed. "I know, and what was he saying about women taking long time to do everything?" she smiled evilly, "I'm not going to let him live in peace for a while about that!"

The door to the dining hall opened and a servant walked in. "My Kings and Queens," he bowed, "The Just King requests your presence in the library."

"Now?" Caspian asked. "What about dinner?"

"He says that the meal must be skipped and you should see him there as soon as possible."

"Very well, you may go." Peter said. As the servant walked away, he turned to others. "We should go and see what this is about. It must be important."

"Aye," Caspian agreed. "If Edmund is ready to skip lunch then it has to be something very serious."

Without another thought, the five got up and walked out.

When they entered the library, they found Lucy sitting on the floor cushions, staring blankly at the fire and Edmund pacing furiously. He stopped when he saw them.

"Ah, you're here," he said, his voice full of anger. "Come, sit down."

"Edmund, what is going on?" Susan asked.

"You'll find out in a minute. Sit."

Now more confused than ever, Susan and Adeline sat on the couch, Caspian dragged a chair for himself, Isabel seated herself on the armchair and Peter found himself sitting on its arm.

"Ah," Edmund smiled at a maid who had entered carrying some brown cards and took it from her with a 'thank you'. Once she was gone, he turned to the others. "These came for all of us a short while ago but since we were all gathered in the dining hall, they were delivered to our rooms. Lucy, however, was the unlucky one who got to read it first."

"What is it?" Adeline asked.

"Why don't you all find out for yourselves?" Edmund asked as he handed them out the cards, "This one is for you and I, this one is for Caspian and Susan, and this one is for Peter and Isabel. Lu's is back in her room."

Peter leaned over to his wife as she flipped open the card. There was a folded piece of paper addressed to him.

A letter?

To him?

Who would send it?

He slowly picked up the paper, and he recognized the writing as Chad's. The High King was about to unfold it when he felt Isabel let out a gasp of surprise.

He heard similar gasps coming from Susan and Adeline.

"What is it?" he whispered to his wife.

Isabel simply held out the card to him. Taking it, he slowly read the words written in gold:

The honor of your noble presence is requested at the marriage ceremony of

Lord Chad
Ruler of Daelhr

With

Lady Alianna
Daughter of Demetrius and Thea

At the 'Fulton Manor',
On Friday, April twenty-four,
Time: 5 p.m.

Peter looked up to see the shocked faces of his family.

Edmund was doing the same. "Exactly," the Just King spat, "I will kill him! How dare he do this to my sister? I will –"

"I don't get it," Caspian was saying, "But Chad and Lucy –"

"How could Chad do this?" Susan was asking.

"This doesn't make any sense…" Adeline was shaking her head.

Lucy was staring at the fire silently.

"I will kill him!" Edmund's shout drowned out every other voice in the library.

Silence.

"He pretended to be so noble," Edmund went on, his frame shaking due to anger, "So intelligent, and this is what he does when he is courting my sis –"

Peter decided to cut him off there. "He is not."

Edmund turned to him. "I beg your pardon?"

"Chad is not courting Lucy anymore," Peter told them. "He broke off the courtship before he left."

Silence - shocked one this time.

"And you let him?" Edmund asked quietly.

"Yes."

"B-But Lucy –"

"Lucy knows."

All eyes turned on Lucy. Still not looking at them, she gave a tight nod.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Susan asked them both.

"We never got the chance to," Peter replied.

More silence.

"That still doesn't justify this bloody invitation!" Edmund roared. "He has been gone for just four days after he broke my sister's heart."

"I'm afraid I will have to agree with Edmund," Caspian spoke up. "Chad cannot just break off a courtship that has been going on for five years now and send the invitation of his wedding four days later."

"He cannot break Lucy's heart like this!"

"Why would he do that?" Susan asked. "Everything was so good between them."

"And Alianna?" Adeline asked. "I didn't know there was something between Chad and her."

Peter sighed and looked at his wife. "Don't you want to say something?" he whispered to her.

"What can I say?" she asked in a low voice, "The more I think about it, the more I realize that Chad would have done practically anything to get rid of his heartbreak."

Peter had told her about everything that had happened between Chad and Lucy. And she had been the one wise enough to point out that both Lucy and Chad were at fault there: Chad because he should have some faith in his love, and Lucy because a fight is not reason enough to start kissing other men.

And Isabel was the one who told Peter that he had done the right thing by agreeing to the break up. If there was no trust in Chad's and Lucy's relationship, then it was better to simply end it.

"You should read that letter," she whispered. "It's from Chad, isn't it?"

He nodded.

"He only wrote to you," Isabel noted, "I wonder what he has to say."

Peter glanced at the paper in his hands and at then at his quarreling family members. "Handle them, will you," he murmured to his wife, "Make them see some sense. Don't let Edmund do anything rash."

"I won't," she promised.

The High King slowly slipped away, out of the library. He would read the letter in some peace.

The wedding invitation came as a shock to him, and yet a very, very, very deep part of his mind told him that he expected something like this.

Isabel was right. Chad would have done anything like this to escape his heartbreak.

Walking into his study, the High King placed the wedding invitation on his desk and took a seat before opening the letter.

Peter,

I hope you are well. I also hope that you have told everyone about the break up so that this might not anger them enough to want to kill me.

I'm sure that you all are in shock after reading the card. Believe me, deep down, I was too when I first saw it. I know you can imagine what happened – I proposed to Alianna, but you probably don't know why I did what I did.

I need a wife, someone to support me while I work here. Being a happily married man yourself, I'm sure you understand what value Isabel holds in your life. I want someone like that in my life. Demetrius had mentioned that he was looking for someone to marry Alianna off, and she is a nice girl so I asked for his daughter's hand in marriage. I mean, I admit that I barely know her, but that is a problem time can cure, right?

I know you don't really want an explanation from me, but I chose to give it to you because you are a friend. And I hope that you will understand… you all will. In the meantime, I'm sure that you all must have been angry after seeing the invitation card, especially you and Kings Edmund and Caspian. I know that you understand the situation well and I'd really appreciate it if you keep Edmund and Caspian from marching into Daelhr and killing me, no matter how furious you may be with my seemingly rash actions.

It took me four days to actually find the guts to write to you. And now that I am, I realize sure, Lucy is the reason behind me meeting you all, but over time we've become friends and she is not the string that holds me to you all. At least, I hope so. I don't want to lose you all because of what happened. Which is why, I would like to invite you all to Daelhr for my wedding.

Sending you all the invitations was not meant as an insult or as a way to hurt your sister, it was a way to tell you all that you all are important to me and I cannot see picture wedding without my Kings and Queens being a part of it.

We've decided to have it three weeks from today. Kayla needs help with the arrangements, she is freaking out. And I'm sure Susan would give me a wedding to remember, if she wants to. Show her this letter if you want to, tell her that I would be grateful if she comes and helps with the arrangements.

Please Peter, do come. I shall wait for your reply.

Chad.

That explained a lot.

With a sigh, Peter placed the letter on the desk too.

The question was, would he, Peter, go to the wedding?

Would the other monarchs?

And what about Lucy?

[][][][][][][][]

"Stop it!" Isabel said loudly after a few long minutes of listening to everyone's banter, "None of you is thinking rationally."

Edmund glared at her. "Did you not read what that card said?"

"I did," Isabel said.

"Then how can you –"

"Chad is getting married. Why are you freaking out?"

"He is getting married to Alianna, when he was with my sister not a week ago."

"Calm down, Edmund," Isabel said with a sigh as she stood up and pushed Edmund in her seat. "And please, use your mind. All of you should."

"What are you trying to say?" Caspian asked.

"I'm trying to say that all of us have known Chad for years now. The boy has been through so much in his childhood and that is why he is way too mature for his age, even now." Isabel said, "Do we not agree on that?"

"I don't see what this has to do with him marrying Alianna," Edmund said, he seemed a bit calm than before.

"Do we not agree on that?" Isabel repeated her question.

"We do," Adeline said.

"All I am saying is that if that intelligent and mature Chad is marrying Alianna then there has to be a reason behind it," Isabel spoke slowly, "We all know how much he cared for Lucy, how much he loved her. And if he has decided to break the courtship and instead choose Alianna as his life partner then there has to be something that justifies his actions. Think about it.

"I'm not saying that his decision is right or wrong. It could be, it could not be. I'm just saying that at least to him – these reasons would be enough to go on and agree to marry someone else. And that alone tells us that we should accept his decision," Isabel went on, "Maybe what he had with Lucy was never meant to be. I'm sorry, Lucy and I love you and I hate seeing you in such state, but that is how I view this."

Silence. Everyone pondered over Isabel's words.

"She does have a point," Susan finally admitted in a low voice.

Caspian sighed. "Why did he end this courtship, Lucy?"

Lucy looked at him and then at the others who were staring at her, waiting for her answer. Slowly she shook her head. "He had his reasons."

Adeline frowned. "What happened, Lucy?"

"I believe that we should not ask her that," Peter said, walking back into the room. "It is a matter between her and Chad."

"How can you be so calm about this matter, Peter?" Edmund asked. "I expected you to have your sword out."

"I wanted to take it out at a point," Peter said, "But that would have done no good."

"You know," Caspian said. "So does Isabel."

"Know what?"

"The reason. Chad's reasons."

Peter glanced at Lucy. "We do and we'd rather not share it."

"And you approve of Chad's marriage?"

"It is not my place to approve or disapprove. I am not his father or brother. I cannot tell him who he should marry and who he should not."

"And you shouldn't," Lucy spoke up, "If Chad has decided to go on and get married to her, then maybe the love he had for me is really gone."

"Lucy," Peter said kindly, "I know what you must be feeling. And I hate Chad for putting you through this but –"

"I know," she said quietly as she stood up. "I… I'll be in my room. I won't do anything stupid, but please don't disturb me."

With that she walked away.

"It hurt her," Adeline noted, "What he did."

"I know," Edmund said, "And I hate Chad for this."

"We all do," Peter said, "I, more than you."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe," the Just King glared at his brother bitterly.

"Just because I didn't shout or pace or swear does not mean that I don't feel Lu's pain," Peter said, dropping down on the cushions, "I'm just as disturbed by the turn of events as you are."

"What is that in your hand?" Susan asked the High King.

"This," Peter waved a paper, "Is a letter from Chad. It was in the card and is addressed to me."

"What does he have to say now?" Edmund asked harshly.

Peter placed the letter on the table. "Read it. You'll find out."

Everything was quiet for a long while as the others read the letter. Then –

"Was the reason of the break up really valid?" Edmund asked his brother.

"It was stupid and full of misunderstandings," Peter replied, "And both of them are to be blamed for it. But it is done now, and no one should ponder over it."

"And this marriage?"

Peter smiled sadly. "Chad made an irrational decision even though he doesn't realize it yet."

"I doubt it, Peter," Isabel spoke. "I don't think that Chad is unaware of the true meaning of the promise he has made to Alianna. I don't think that it is a decision he took in a hurry and even if he did, he must have still thought it over."

"I agree with Isabel," Susan said, looking down at the letter that was in her hands, "Chad is not stupid."

Caspian sighed. "What are we going to do?"

"I'm going to go," Isabel declared, "Chad is my friend and I don't want to miss his wedding."

"And Lucy?"

"I hate that Lucy is not the one Chad is marrying, but we have to accept that both of them are not kids anymore," Isabel told them. "They are grown-ups and they have seen many ups and downs in their relationship. If they think that it would not work – then maybe it wouldn't."

"She's right," the Gentle Queen said. "I, too, think that we should go. All of us. Besides, we don't want everyone to think that the kings and queens of Narnia have problems with the governor of Daelhr."

Adeline nodded in agreement.

"I don't like it," Edmund stated, "But I must admit that if we don't go, then rumors will start spreading."

"So we will go?" Caspian asked.

Edmund nodded slowly.

"I guess Kayla could do with some help," Susan smiled slowly. "The wedding is just three weeks away."

"We cannot leave the Cair for three weeks, Susan," the Just King said.

"Caspian and I could go there earlier and help them do the arrangements. And you all can join us there for the wedding."

"That will work," Isabel nodded in agreement.

The Gentle Queen paused. "But what about Lucy?"

"I'll talk to her," Peter said.

[][][][][][][][]

"Come on, Lucy," Harry begged. "Stop being like this."

"I'm fine, Harry."

It had been three days since the wedding invitations had arrived, and Lucy was sitting in the gardens with her personal guard.

"You're punishing yourself when it wasn't your fault."

"It was."

"Look, he moved on – far too quickly. And you will just have to accept that."

"I have accepted it."

"Then why are you being so miserable?"

Lucy rolled her eyes and smiled at her friend. "See, I am smiling. Are you happy now?"

"Your smile doesn't even reach your eyes, let alone your heart."

"My heart died a week ago, Harry."

He took her hand. "Lucy, please –"

"I will be fine," she promised. "Give me some time."

He nodded. "Alright."

The two sat in silence for a while.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Lucy?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being such an amazing friend."

He smiled. "Anything for you."

"Lucy?" a voice called.

The two turned to see the High King walking towards their sitting place in the gardens.

Harry stood up and bowed. "My King."

"Harry," Peter acknowledged with a nod. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"Good," Peter nodded. "I need to talk to Lucy."

"Of course, my king," Harry bowed and walked away, leaving the two alone.

"What is it, Peter?" Lucy asked as the the High King sat down before her.

"Susan and Caspian are leaving for Daelhr today," Peter said. "Susan is going to help Kayla plan the wedding."

Lucy stiffened but otherwise said nothing.

"Chad's wedding is less than three weeks away."

She sucked in a breath. "S-so?"

"So, as you know, we've all been invited," Peter said slowly. "And I want you to attend it with all of us."

Lucy looked at him. "I can't."

"I know, I'm asking a huge thing of you –"

"You are," her voice shook. "I love him, Peter, and you're asking me to go see him marry someone else. I'm not strong enough to do that."

"You're the strongest person I know, Luce," Peter said. "And I know you can do it."

"Why do you want me to?"

"Imagine all the gossip it will create if you don't go. Think of all the things people will say – that Lucy and Chad are not talking to each other, that the monarchs are not happy with their governor. People might go against us or against Chad, probably the latter," Peter said. "And we don't want unrest in Daelhr. Chad is a wonderful governor; even you have to admit that."

"He is, but I…" she shook her head.

"Look Lucy, just consider this as a duty you have to do," Peter said kindly, "But please, accompany us to Daelhr when we leave for the wedding. I think it would be better for all."

"… Alright," Lucy said uncertainly. "I will go."

Peter squeezed her hand. "I know you're strong."

"I can't believe that you asked this of me."

"I'm sorry, Luce."

"Would you have agreed to go if Isabel was marrying someone else?"

Peter blinked. "Perhaps not. I would have been too shattered to go," he paused. "But this is why you're the Valiant one amongst us. I wish I didn't have to ask you this, but this is important."

She nodded.

"Thank you, Luce."

"When do we leave?"

"We will go to Daelhr a day before the wedding," the High King replied, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "And we will come back as soon as possible. I will try to make this as easy for you as it can be."

Lucy smiled. "Thank you, Peter. I love you."

"And I you, Lu."

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This is the end of this chapter. Nothing much happened, I know...

Oh and you all should read 'The King &The Sea' by CrazyKitCat. It's an interesting story and I'm sure you all will like it =)

Next up: the monarchs arrive at Daelhr. Da-da-da-dummmm...!

But until that happens, take care. And...

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