HIRAETH - P. PEVENSIE (2)

IX. Balter

Balter - to dance artlessly, without particular grace or skill but usually with enjoyment.

❦

She had forgotten how good Susan was at planning.

Everything was set up to perfection. The random assortment of Narnians and Telmarines was like salt and pepper, but they looked surprisingly comfortable around each other. Lilith watched from a balcony above the courtyard as everyone milled about, introducing themselves and starting conversations. She was pleased with how well they were getting on.

"Are you going to come down? They're going to begin dancing soon."

She turned to smile at Caspian, who was leaning against the far side of the balcony. "I'll come down soon, I promise." He nodded and turned to leave, but out of the corner of his eye he saw her smile turn sour.

"What's wrong, Lily?" He came over to her. She shook her head and sighed, looking out over the people below them.

"I don't know, really. I should be happy, and I sort of am, but something feels...off. Like something's going to go wrong."

He nodded knowingly as she spoke, patting her hand gently. "I can feel that a little, too. But we should enjoy the good times while we have them, yes?"

"Yes," she agreed, smiling at him. "I'm very glad I met you, Caspian. You're incredible."

This time he didn't try to hide the pink spots on his cheeks. "As are you, Lily. I love having you around." She grinned even wider and pulled him down into a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. He wrapped his around her back and sighed into her hair.

"Love you," she whispered softly into his shoulder. He chuckled.

"Love you, too," he whispered back. She kissed his cheek before releasing him, holding out her arm for him to take.

"Shall we go join our guests?"

He grinned as he took her arm. "We shall."

❦

"There you two are! We thought we'd have to start without you!" Lucy called as they came over, giving each of them a hug. Lilith patted her back and smiled when Peter came over, kissing him quickly.

"Alright?" he whispered as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Alright." She nodded, leaning on him. Edmund made a puking noise but grinned as Lilith caught his eye, making her grin as well. One look at Susan and Caspian was enough to tide Lilith over for the entire night; they were making such goo-goo eyes at each other it was almost too much to bear. But Lucy thought it was hilarious and couldn't stop laughing.

"Come on, come on," Lilith ushered her youngest sister out into the courtyard, a smile growing on her own face. Peter and Edmund followed just behind her, glancing back to watch as their sister and Caspian flirted shamelessly with one another. Good god, they were cute. Sickeningly cute. Far too cute to let Peter anywhere either of them for the remainder of the evening.

"Hey! No dawdling!" Peter had stopped and looked like he wanted to go back in, but quickly turned when he heard Lilith's voice. He shook his head and jogged over to her, wrapping his arm around her again.

"Sorry, darling," he said sheepishly as he kissed her cheek. She grinned at him in response before turning to one of the fauns.

"Do you think we could start the dancing?"

The faun nodded politely. "Of course, your majesty." The sound that the flute made was vaguely familiar to Lilith, though she couldn't quite place why. It wasn't until she looked at Lucy that she realized; Tumnus had played his flute for them on multiple occasions, most of them having been parties. She smiled sadly at the memory and reached for her younger sisters' hands, pulling her into the circle of dancers that had formed.