So let's see how this chapter turns out. I woke wanting to write but had no plot in mind. So no guaranteeing what will come of this :D

NATANI'S POV

I opened my eyes suddenly, wide awake. I felt…like something was nudging me. I sat up and looked around is fright. What on earth was this strange pulling sensation?

I looked over at the window and saw that it was still pitch black night out there. I decided not to fight it and slipped on some slippers that Queen Susan had so kindly given me before I had gone to bed. I pulled a cloak over my shoulders and headed out the door, not really even caring where I ended up.

I found myself in the library where we had met about the battle plans and I frowned. Books covered every wall, shelf, and table. A fire was crackling on the hearth and I edged around the two chairs in front of it to kneel down and warm my hands.

"Why the long face?" a voice said suddenly. I whipped around and fell back on my butt.

"Edmund!" I whispered with a growl, "Don't DO that! You scared me to death!"

Edmund chuckled and patted the chair next to him where he was sitting, wrapped in a rather thick blanket with a mug of something steaming next to him. The picture of comfort, I thought.

I sighed and plopped down in the chair next to him. My goodness but these chairs were HUGE! I could fit three of me on here!

"What are you up for?" Edmund asked me, setting his book down on his lap.

"I could ask you the same thing," I said, but I didn't really mean it in a snippety way, just more of a statement.

"Well, actually, I'm usually in here this time of night," Edmund replied with a half smile, "Which, just between you and me, is why Susan has such a hard time waking me up in the mornings."

I shook my head and giggled. I remembered how hard that was!

"Don't you get enough sleep?" I asked.

"Who needs sleep?" Edmund joked, picking the book back up.

"Is…that any good?" I asked, pointing at the book, wanting to make conversation but not really wanting to awaken any suspicion.

"I always did like how the Calormene tell stories. They don't leave ANYTHING out!" Edmund said, excitement shone in his eyes. "Why don't you go get a book?"

I hung my head and avoided his eyes.

"I…I…can't read," I whispered.

Edmund looked more shocked than when I had first threatened him at my trial. Gosh that seemed like such a long time ago!

"You can't read!" he asked incredulously.

I shook my head sadly.

"My people are born for battle, not the finer things in life," I explained, "Our whole life are dedicated to training. Plus, the queen doesn't allow books anymore."

Edmund's eyes looked really sad as he looked at me with pity. I shivered, from both the cold of the dark castle as well as from the goose bumps his intense stare caused. He looked thoughtful for a second and then smiled.

"Would you like me to teach you?" he asked.

I nodded furiously! Yes! Oh, yes! I had always wanted to know what those mysterious little marking on the pages meant! Edmund chuckled and set down his Calormene book. He instead picked up a quite smaller book with red leather binding and scooted over in his chair. He motioned for me to sit with him so I moved over to join him. He threw half the blanket around my shoulders and opened the book. I snuggled into the blanket that was already sufficiently warm from him and my eyes shone with excitement.

He told me the names of all the little markings, letters I found them to be called, and how they all had a different sound. It was like seeing the words we spoke come to life! I could actually begin to SEE things in my mind as he showed me how to form a word from the sounds. The smile on my face kept widening until I thought my face would stick that way!

But it was hard. There were all kinds of rules for how letters sounded different in the way they were placed in a word. I after E except after C and all kinds of little exceptions! It was confusing and I kept making mistakes, but Edmund was patient and would kindly correct me. But after a few hours of focusing on the words in front of me, they ceased to make any sense whatsoever and I let out a huge yawn.

"Maybe you should get some sleep," Edmund said softly. But I barely heard him, I was already falling asleep and right before I drifted off I felt something warm and strong wrap around me and Edmund's whole body shifted. I smiled tiredly when I realized he had leaned back to let me be more comfortable.

EDMUND'S POV

Natani had been doing great at learning how to read! She was a natural, I could tell and I was enjoying watching her discover these skills. She was so excited and I could see it the way her eyes were shining.

And then she had yawned. It was very, very late and I felt bad for suggesting teaching her at such a late hour, she should be in bed. I suggested she go to sleep but she probably hadn't heard me because she felt asleep immediately.

I sighed as she went limp against my shoulder. I still had some reading to do, but getting up now would mean waking her. So I did the next best thing, I grabbed my book off the table and carefully leaned back against the chair's arm, half laying so that her head rested on my chest. I made sure the blanket was draped well over us both and smiled. I guess there just was no way not to be close to her, it always ended this way.

I tried to focus on the words of the Calormene tales that I had been so enthralled with a short time ago, but now the words seemed to blur on the page and all I could think about was this girl next to me. I finally just gave up and laid the book back on the table and looked down at her.

She wasn't anything fantastic by most people's standards, but there was something about her that was special. Her hair was simply a dirty blonde, she wasn't a tiny girl because years of battle training had given her muscles that most girls didn't work that often, her skin was slightly ruddy and not porcelain like so many women tried to have. But I liked these things about her, I found myself realising. Her eyes were a redeeming quality, they were emotional and bright and I found myself drawn to them whenever she was near. But it was none of these things I admired the most, it was her attitude. She was independent and strong, yet vulnerable at times, she was funny and teasing, smart and calm. She was beautiful on the inside which is much better than beauty that will fade.

I smiled as a piece of her hair fell out of the braid it was in and hung into her eyes. I brushed it away lightly and ran my thumb down the side of her face. She made a little moaning noise and her fingers closed on my shirt and she pulled herself closer to me, her leg swung over mine. I realised now that I didn't want to move so I blew out the lantern (the fire had died down long ago) and settled further into the cushions of the chair to sleep, kissing Natani softly on the forehead. I don't know why, it just seemed like the thing to do.

SUSAN'S POV

I woke up early to go and get breakfast started and as I walked past the library I just happened to glance in. I did a double take.

Edmund was asleep in one of the chairs, no surprise there because he often fell asleep reading. But what surprised me was the other lump on the chair. Natani was cuddled up against my little brother's chest and he had an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. They were both smiling in their sleep and Edmund's face was buried in Natani's hair that had fallen loose from her constant braid.

I smiled at the adorable scene before me and I crept in quietly. I adjusted the blanket around them because it had half slid off them in the night and then I turned around and left well enough alone. I looked at my little brother's face, it was happy, peaceful, calm…expressions I usually didn't see on his face when he slept due to his many nightmares.

"Thank you, Natani," I whispered softly. She was changing my brother, even if she didn't realize it, and the change was for the better. Edmund deserved better things than he allowed himself to have and Natani seemed more than willing to give them to him.

Awww CUTE! This was so much fun! Making things up as you go is much more effective than I thought!

Let me know what you think! Review! :D