Alliance

Chapter 23- Liber

Liber

Latin

Letter

-

you're just like the sweet apple

reddening at the highest branch

and missed by the apple pickers

-

"Alright. Stop talking- Susan! You can chat with Sanya later!" Lucy called to her sister in an exasperated voice, banging her hand on the table for silence.

"What is it, Lu?" Peter asked her in a mollifying tone, wondering why his littlest sibling had called a meeting- and why she looked so sombre and solemn.

"Something important." She said pointedly, now glaring at her other brother. "Edmund! Ogle your wife later!"

Edmund, who had been examining a rather rook-shaped scorch mark on the chair Sanya was sitting on, jumped. "I'm not- what- I was looking at her chair-"

Peter snorted, not believing him. "That's quite likely."

Susan turned to Sanya, who looked equal parts confused and embarrassed, "Well, dear sister-in-law, I don't think you need to worry about not being desirable to Ed. You definitely are."

Sanya blushed but nodded.
Well, he did make her feel so- not just when they had sex, but whenever he would press a chaste kiss to her forehead or cheek, whenever he listened to her senseless ramblings, whenever he did something considerate and even when he looked at her. Nothing special- just a simple look.
"Well- thank you, Susan."

"What's this about?" Peter asked again. "My birthday next month?"

"No one cares about your birthday, Pete." Edmund, still smarting over the unjust fact that his truth was disbelieved, snarked.

"True,” twenty six was not a very important age, "but he is the High King, so it must be celebrated." Susan bit her lip- she loved Balls, but oh, the planning was such a headache.

Sanya turned to her brother-in-law in surprise, "You're that old?"

He scowled most awfully at her- first the grey hair thing last year, which was rehashed every few months by someone or the other, and now this...
"I'm only five years older than you, shush."

"Tumnus is getting married." Lucy had decided there was no way they would all be quiet enough for her to say the news in a dignified manner, and thus, decided to just drop it like the bomb.

The reactions were immediate, and predictable.

Sanya, having known already, didn't say anything, but only quirked an eyebrow- wondering how Lucy would address the rest of the information she had to give. She was actually very surprised she had held onto the news for so long- it had been ages since she had unintentionally told her about it. She’d for sure thought that someone or the other would know- especially when it turned out that the previous spring had been inauspicious for a wedding between the two fauns, and so it had been postponed to this year instead.
The passage of time felt rather odd to her. The snow day felt mere days ago, when in fact it had been over a year ago.
She was twenty one now- Edmund twenty two- and they had been married four years. Incredible.

Susan's eyes widened and a huge smile spread across her full lips- and she clasped her hands in joy, and practically squealed, "That's amazing!"

Peter and Edmund did not squeal- externally, at least- but their happiness at the news was obvious by the broad grins on their faces.