Alliance

Chapter 31- Filia

Filia

Latin

Daughter

-

and

turns from me to gawk at some other child,

another girl.

-

"It's a girl, Your Majesties."

"WHAT?"

"Oh!"

"Aww!"

"NO!" Jem shouted, scrambling to his feet and nearly throttling his uncle when he tried to make him sit back down. "Mumma and Daddy said I was getting a brother- brothers are boys! No girls- why-"

"Jem, sweetie, girls aren't bad. They're very good." Lucy tried to pacify the stomping child, wondering if this was how her brothers had reacted when they'd found out they were going to have little sisters.

"They're 'noying!" He said stubbornly. "And their voice is too squeaky! Like Aunt Su when she mad!"

Susan, who had been attempting to bring the boy back into her lap, looked most offended. "Excuse me-"

"Ekkactly like that!"

Peter failed to hide his laughter, which annoyed Jem further and he moved to pummel him with his fists repeatedly.

"Prince James." The brunette nurse frowned at him, crossing her tawny arms. "Is this the behaviour from the next High King of Narnia?"

Jem gaped at her, that particular nurse had always intimidated him- with her knitted-together eyebrows and pressed-together lips- when he'd gone with his mother for her check-ups, and mutely shook his head.

"Now then, what do we say?" She prodded, staring at him meaningfully.

Head hung down in shame, he turned to his aunts and uncles and mumbled, pouting, "I'm sorry for being a bad boy."

Susan's soft heart melted, and she immediately brought her nephew back into an embrace, "It's okay, sweet prince..."

Lucy gave the nurse a grateful smile, but was unable to say anything as Peter had already spoken, in a rather awed voice, "That was amazing, honestly. I don't think any of us have ever managed to calm him down so quickly."

The nurse blushed hard- she may manage to discipline the Crown Prince, but she wasn't much in the face of the very handsome and indeed very Magnificent High King, "I grew up in an orphanage, Your Majesty. I know how to deal with annoying young 'uns."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but it doesn't make what you did any less impressive. If you hadn't had a job already, I'm quite sure my brother and sister-in-law would've made you Jem's governess." He said earnestly, and her cheeks flamed even more.

"I'm not quite fond of children, I'm afraid." She admitted awkwardly- this was the first time she'd ever spoken to a Monarch (apart from Queen Sanya)- she'd only been in the palace for four months- and was taken aback at how jumpy she was. "I shall keep it in mind if I ever become disillusioned with my current field, though, I assure you."

"That's good to hear." He smiled at her, rather wondering how he hadn't seen her around the castle. And here he thought he knew every human who worked in Cair... "Your name...?

Lucy and Susan promptly shared looks over Jem's head. Their brother was interested in her. Ha! Edmund would never stop making fun of him over this- granted, Ed would never stop making fun of Peter period so....