What? Is it Friday already? No. Don't worry, the week hasn't slipped by you that fast (yet). I just feel like posting this chapter early; don't ask why. Hope you enjoy!

Jumping ahead in time a little. Character ages in this chapter are: Penelope-22 and 20, Rhea-28 and 26, and Ranell is two years younger than Penelope.

She swore to wait for his return.

he vowed her heart would always be his.

I Will Wait

Chapter 4: You'll hear me say...

Four Years Missing

2349 July 9

"I do not understand why my father is so insistent upon these lessons and duels," the Princess said while I was helping her put on her chainmail and leather tunic. "How many times must I demonstrate my skill?"

"I believe this is the last demonstration, Your Majesty," I replied. "And your father only seeks to know that you can handle yourself in a battle, if there were to ever be a battle."

"I can handle myself just fine. I do not need a sword; just give me some water."

"And if the battle were to occur in a place where water is scarce, or non-existent?"

The Princess smiled. "There is always water, Penelope. There is water in the air I can pull from."

"Really?" I paused in lacing up her leather vest.

"At least, I could. It takes a lot of magic to do so, and I don't know that I'm strong enough to do it anymore."

The Princess and I were both silent for a moment. She had been telling me lately how she believed her magic was growing weaker because she had no time to replenish it in the river. I didn't really understand it at first, magic was magic right? But then she explained it to me like this: the Naiad magic was like any other skill; the more you practiced it (i.e. swimming in the river) the stronger it was. If I were to suddenly put away my sword and daggers and not use them regularly, then I too would grow weaker in my dueling skill.

She shook her head and I finished lacing up her vest. "Who is my opponent today?" she asked.

"You are looking at her," I said with a smile as I stepped around her to adjust the front.

"I'm fighting you?"

I nodded. "Your father requested it."

"Then he is surly to be disappointed if he is hoping I will win."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Your Majesty. You have come a long way since we began."

"You are my instructor; you are supposed to say such things."

"I am supposed to be absolutely honest so that you may become the best fighter you can be. Trust me, you will do fine." When she still looked doubtful I added, "I can hold back if you wish. Ensure that you win."

"That is kind of you, Penelope, but my father has seen you fight before. He will know you are holding back. You are an excellent fighter; the best Narnia has seen since the likes of the Golden Age, perhaps even better. Give this duel your all, Penelope. When I lose to you, I will be among good company."

The Princess was referring to the potential suitors that have recently come calling on me; all were interested in obtaining my hand in courtship, and all had lost to me in a duel for that hand.

XOXOX

2347 June 29

Sir Blaine. He was the first in a long line to lose. I was twenty at the time, just turned twenty actually. Blaine was a year older and he was a knight of Narnia. My brother Ranell had turned eighteen about four months prior, and he had been knighted on his birthday; Blaine was the first to befriend him.

It had been just over a year since the King had put an end to the search for Rilian.

By that time, all the knights and courtiers knew that I had been in courtship with the lost Prince; I suppose Blaine thought two years was enough time to get over him. The Princess and I were passing through one of the courtyards on our way to—I don't really remember, but that's not the important part anyway. As we were walking, Ranell came up to us to tell me something about…something, again, I don't remember what. Blaine too was in the courtyard, as were my grandfather Rhince and His Majesty the King; the two of them were off in the distance a bit, but they could still see and hear what was going on.

While Ranell stood talking to me, with the Princess at my side, Sir Blaine approached us. He was dressed in his armor; I guess he was about to go on duty, or he was just coming off it.

"Your Majesty." Blaine bowed to the Princess. He turned to me next.

"Lady Penelope." Without hesitation he reached for my right hand and kissed the back of it. It took every ounce of strength I had not to yank my hand away when he grabbed it, or to wipe it off after he kissed it. Rilian knew me well enough to know that I was not a fan of the standard protocols of courting. That's why he made sure he had my full permission before he ever kissed my hand. I despised it whenever anyone assumed I was like a typical girl, even when it came to something as simple as kissing my hand in greeting. Thus far, Sir Blaine was not off to a good start with me.

"Ranell," he continued. "I am so glad to have run into you. There is a very important question I've been meaning to ask you, and it concerns your lovely sister, Penelope, here." Blaine offered a smile I'm sure he thought was charming, but I thought looked fake.

Also, there was his second mistake (the first being the presumptuous kiss). If his question concerned me, then why not ask me?

My brother didn't seem to think twice about Blaine's statement and replied. "It is great to see you too, Blaine. Now what is this question you have?"

"I would like to ask for your sister's hand in marriage."

Marriage! He wanted to marry me? I was expecting a courtship proposal, but he wanted to jump straight to a marriage? There was no way I was going to court him, yet alone marry him. I did not have time to begin expressing my surprise though, for the Princess began to cough violently. I distracted myself, momentarily, from my anger by attending to the Princess.

My brother seemed unfazed by the request. "What are you reasons for wanting to marry my sister?"

I turned my head sharply towards my brother. Why was he so calm about this? He couldn't possibly be considering this nonsense.

"Hmm, I thought it quite obvious," Blaine said. "For one, your sister is a most exquisite creature of remarkable beauty."

And there it is! The one word I despise above all others. Beauty.

"Her eyes are a tempting blue, her lips a delectable pink. Her skin is soft and creamy, and her curves are…"

"My sister is not some prize animal and she will not be talked about as such." Ranell said suddenly with a bite. Perhaps he wasn't as calm about this preposterous proposal as I believed. "Now, do you have any legitimate reasons for wanting to marry my sister?"

Blaine was silent, and though he still smiled there was a look in his eyes that I did not like.

"No?" Ranell asked. "Then that is my answer as well. Now, if you'll excuse us, I was speaking with my sister about a family affair."

My brother turned his body and his full attention to me; I actually smiled at him. I was both relieved and pleased with how he dealt with Blaine. I was still mad, of course, but Ranell had handled the situation quite well. Maybe next time I won't be so quick to doubt him.

As much as I detest it when people assume things about me, I have a terrible habit of assuming things about others. For instance, after being denied his request, I assumed Blaine would give up and go away. Obviously, he was more foolish than I thought him to be.

"Ranell, my young friend, the polite request was merely a common courtesy. If you deny me this request, then you leave me no choice." Then he made the biggest mistake he possibly could have made. He took off his left gauntlet and threw it at Ranell's feet. "I set forth a challenge, Ranell, a duel in which the prize is your sister's fair hand in marriage."

My furry and disgust was back in full force. Before my brother could do or say anything, before he could even fully process what Blaine had said—before I could fully process it at that—I bent down and scooped up the gauntlet. I stepped in front of my brother and stood toe-to-toe with Blaine. I felt no fear as I stood before him, only anger.

"I accept," I said.

Blaine laughed haughtily. "Step aside, Penelope. This business is between your brother and I; it does not concern you."

"Doesn't concern me? It is my hand you seek! I should be the one to fight for it!"

"Fight you? You are a girl; you cannot fight."

"Would you care to test that theory?"

"No. I…"

"I find no fault with my sister's logic," Ranell said quickly.

"What?" Blaine asked incredulously. I was pleased with my brother, but far too angry still to express that pleasure.

"I will not grant you Penelope's hand in marriage, nor in courtship. And neither will I fight you for it. If you are insistent upon the fight, then it will be against my sister, for, as she says, it is her hand you seek."

"I concur with my grandchildren," my grandfather said as he and the King joined us. "Their logic is sound. If it is Penelope's hand you seek, then she should be the one to fight for it."

Once more I made the mistake of assuming. I assumed after being told—by not only my brother but also by my grandfather, who was a Lord and a close, personal friend of the King—that he would truly have to fight a girl for her hand, Blain would have perhaps realized his rudeness and his appalling attitude and he would have withdrawn his claim. He did not realize, and he did not withdraw. He did, however, make yet another foolish mistake. (I know! How many foolish mistakes must he make before he learns? I'm afraid we'll never know.)

Blaine turned to the King. "Surely, Your Majesty, you find this as preposterous as I. You, at least, are certain to see reason and grant me this girl's hand."

"But it is not my hand to grant," King Caspian replied. "And if you find the idea of a girl fighting absurd, then clearly you never knew the Queen; I taught her to fight myself, many, many years ago now. No, I side with them. If it is young Penelope's hand you seek, then she shall be the one to fight."

"Unless you are too frightened of course," I said. (I regret it now, but I didn't then; though, I should have. Perhaps if I had kept my mouth shut Blaine would have withdrawn at that moment. I have a frightfully bad habit of doing foolish and rash things when I am angry.)

"I'm not afraid of you," Blaine bit back at me without pause. "You are a girl."

"Well perhaps you should be." Boasting. Another nasty habit of mine when I'm angry. "Fight me, Sir Blaine, or withdraw your claim."

"I never withdraw."

"Then duel we shall, tomorrow at noon, three hits declares the victor. I will accept your withdrawal at any moment leading up to the fight."

"I will see you tomorrow then, but beware, Penelope, I will take no mercy on you because you are a girl."

"Good. I like it that way." I slammed the gauntlet into his chest, ignoring the stinging pain it caused to run up my arm. Blaine and I starred unblinking at each other for a moment before he gave a rough bow to the King and Princess and walked off.

"What a fool," I whispered coldly as he walked away. "A knight my arse."

"Penelope!" my grandfather scolded. "Such language! And in front of royalty too! That is clearly your father's trait."

Princess Rhea laughed lightly. "It's alright, my Lord. I do not mind it at all, and I'm sure my father heard much worse on his great voyage. That is Penelope. Perhaps she can be a bit rash at times, and she certainly holds nothing back when she is angry, but she has a great heart. It is kind and quite gentle in reality. I know why my brother loved her so."

Rilian. Even the thought of him could abate my anger. I don't know if Rhea knew that or not. I don't know if that is why she said what she did, or if she truly meant it. Whatever her reason though, the thought of him calmed my anger immensely. I turned and apologized to everyone present for my actions, and then the Princess and I walked off.

That night, after dinner, Ranell came into my room and dragged me out into an impromptu duel against him. He said it was practice. I claimed I didn't need it. He said I may have fooled the others, but he knew I was still seething with anger towards Blaine. I was.

The thought and mention of Rilian's name may have calmed my anger, but it was still there buried within. Ranell's quick jabs and comments about how I secretly fancied Blaine and wanted to marry him brought that anger out again. We fought for well over an hour without pause. Each blow and swing of mine was reinforced with great anger. I know I had never fought so hard in my life as I did that night against Ranell. I also, had never fought as sloppily as I did that night—except perhaps when I was first learning, but even then I doubt it. That was Ranell's purpose though. He knew I needed to fight to let off all my anger, before I fought to keep my hand the next day.

Ranell's plan worked wonders. By the time I faced Blaine the next day I had worked off all my anger. I fought with a clear head. I think it's needless to say that I won. It didn't take very long for me to score three hits against Blaine; he never even got one on me. Curiously, Blaine volunteered to go serve on the Lone Islands soon after that, and he was never seen in Narnia again.

Curious indeed.

XOXOX

2349 July 9

"Well, mostly good company at least," I said. "Some are of a questionable character."

"Hmm, you were thinking of Sir Blaine weren't you?" the Princess asked.

"I try not to."

"I am sorry to bring up bad memories then."

"Don't be, my Lady. Good memories are only good because there are bad ones to compare them too."

"Fair point, Penelope," the Princess said with a laugh.

"Are you ready?" The Princess sighed; her mood was suddenly dampened. "There is one possible reason you may win, Your Majesty.

"And that would be?"

"You are not fighting to gain to my hand in courtship."

The Princess laughed loudly and cheerfully. "'Tis true, Penelope; I am not."