Chapter 24

Victoria stood in a queue outside the great hall at Cair Paravel waiting to be announced. He shuffled along and found herself stood beside Pervis who was back on duty taking names and announcing people.

"The Lady Victoria from beyond the world's end." There was a visible shift as people, animals and creatures of Narnia craned to peer at a child from beyond the world's end. Victoria breathed out and stepped into the room. She felt as if every eye in that room was on her. They almost were. She walked down the stairs to the centre of the room as the next person was announced.

"May I have this dance?" A voice asked. Victoria turned around to see.

"Jax!" She cried "you all got back I am so happy."

"Yes we returned this afternoon."

"How is your arm?"

"Almost as good as new thank you to you."

"And Fallamore."

"Yes and Fallamore, dance?"

"Yes," she took his arm and they began to dance in the Narnian fashion. Victoria tried to watch Annabella and Rilian as much as she could. She felt like an owl flipping and turning her head so that it was always looking in his direction. By the fourth dance she had noticed two things. Firstly that Rilian had danced with no one but Annabella, and secondly he appeared to spend an extraordinary amount of time staring into her eyes.

"So?" Jax asked and they twirled in another dance. "Have you figured it out yet?"

"No," she said seriously.

"Me neither," he said sounding confused "I know he is a young man but I have no idea what would pull a young king away from his duties so much."

"A beautiful woman?" She replied.

"No, Rilian is more pragmatic than that however much he loves something or someone he would always put duty first." Victoria looked at Jax, without realising it he had almost echoed what Fallamore had said earlier.

"Excuse me Jax," Victoria said breaking away from the dance. She had noticed Rilian standing, for the first time that evening, away from Annabella aloof from the dancing.

"Rilian," she said when she reached his side.

"Have I not told you..."

"That you are a king yes you have told me and I know but to me you are also Rilian, an adventurer and a leader of men." Rilian didn't reply.

"Look at me, please," she said taking his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her for the first time in days. Their eyes connected for a second.

"Victoria?" He questioned his tone so much softer than it had been recently that she smiled at him.

"Oh there you are your majesty. Would you care to dance again?" Annabella cut in.

"I..I.." he stuttered.

"Fantastic," Annabella smiled pulling at his hand so that Rilian was forced into the dance.

"He was trying to tell you something." Came a voice from behind Victoria, she swung around to see her brother stood behind her.

"I know but what can I do?"

"Do you love him Vic?"

"What! No of course not," she garbled out. Henry raised an eyebrow in an incredibly accurate portrayal of their mother.

"I don't know," she said seriously "I really don't I thought I knew him and then this whatever it is."

"Something has happened to him Vic, you must see that everyone who knows him can see it. Fallamore is pulling his hair out."

"It's her. The girl, Annabella or whatever her name is."

"I agree but the others don't see it." Victoria bit her lip in a way she often did when she was thinking hard.

"What is it?" Henry asked.

"Haven't you thought it could be because we are not from here, from Narnia, but everyone else is so they cannot see it?"

"Perhaps but that does't help us work out how we are to stop whatever it is."

"No," she frowned "no it doesn't".

"Don't worry Vic we will work it out."

"I'm sure we will little brother." She smiled.

"Come on," he smiled taking her arm and pulled her into a dance in the group. After a few turns Victoria turned and found herself face to face with Rilian as they waltzed in a circle.

"Your majesty," she said.

"Lady Victoria," he smiled for a second before the pair were broken off and the dance moved on.

Victoria and Henry moved to the side of the room after that and despite several requests for Victoria's partnership in dance she turned them all down and instead along with Henry, Jax and Fallamore stood in an almost inquisitorial group away from the dancers. However by the end of the night as the last few guests fell away they still had nothing.

Victoria was loathed to leave the ball room whilst Rilian was still in the company of Annabella. Victoria was convinced that Rilian's odd behaviour was solely her fault but the others remained unconvinced. Victoria climbing the stairs of the great hall looked back constantly to watch Rilian. He appeared to be doing nothing but dancing with Annabella in the virtually empty great hall. She watched closely. Annabella had her head against his chest and was looking upwards into his eyes.

Victoria could not look anymore turning her back and almost feeling her heart break she walked up the stairs.

"There is a bath ready Victoria." Hannah said as she reached her room.

"You didn't need to stay up Hannah."

"I think I did, you need this bath more than I need sleep."

"Was I that obvious?" She smiled weakly.

"Only to those who know you." Hannah said kindly taking Victoria's robe and leaving the room. Victoria sat in the bath in silence feeling as though there was a heavy weight on her chest. She dried herself wordlessly and then climbed into bed.

Victoria was tired but it still felt to her as though it took hours to fall to sleep and when she did it was a weak inadequate sleep that does not offer a person much rest.