Return to Narnia

Chapter 9

'How dare they!?' Antonio yelled as he stormed into his chambers, followed by Burez. 'They lied to me! Manipulated me and made me look like a fool! I will not have it!'

Murez stifled a grin. 'And what do you propose then, my Lord?'

'Send word to my father, It's time for my sister to arrive and show them who truly is in charge here.'

Murez nodded, his face contorted into a smirk. 'Very well, my Lord.'

In the ballroom the celebrations were still in full swing. Peter eyed his two sisters with great affection. He was very aware of how tired Lucy would be tomorrow after such a ball, but the smile on her face made up for all that. Susan was beaming even more than her younger sister, as she danced around the room with Caspian. Peter smiled to himself. Their first trip to Narnia had seen them growing up as the kings and queens of their beloved kingdom. It had also seen many suitors come and go asking for Susan's hand. All of them had been sent packing by Peter as he never trusted any of them. He wasn't exactly looking forward to the day Caspian would ask for her hand, he wasn't ready for his little sister to grow up just yet. But deep down he knew that Caspian was the only man he would ever deem worthy or deserving of his wonderful sister. He would be satisfied as long as she would be happy.

'It won't be long now, will it?'

Peter turned his head to see Edmund watching Susan and Caspian as he was.

'I assume not.' Peter smiled. 'But can we truly object?'

Edmund chuckled. 'Only to her age, I presume.'

The two brothers looked at one another. 'Over here it is a normal age to marry. And mother was only slightly other than Susan is now, when she married father...'

'Neither one of those facts will make it any easier, Pete.'

Peter stared at his sister, his eyes filled with tears, and the echoes of memories from when they were younger. 'No, but her happiness will.'

When everyone finally decided it was time to end the celebration, Susan joined a very excited Lucy in her chambers.

'Everything was so wonderful! All the dresses, the music, even Trumpkin danced with me. Oh it was all so marvellous. I wish I could do it all again tomorrow.'

Susan laughed, her sister's joy just too infectious to ignore. Inside her, her heart was glowing. She had spent the entire night with Caspian, and could only wish to do so again for the rest of her life.

'I saw you and Caspian together tonight.' Lucy smiled mischievously. 'He so obviously loves you.'

Susan rolled her eyes playfully. 'What would you know about it.' Soon the girl, still high on excitement lay on Lucy's bed, giggling their hearts out.

Caspian found Peter standing on the Balcony just outside of the ballroom, staring up at the starlit sky.

'It's strange.' Peter said as he recognized the sound of Caspian's footsteps approach him. 'Back in America, even London I could barely see any stars at night, and here, they're so easy to see.'

'Are they the same as the ones you saw in your world?' Caspian asked as he came to stand beside Peter.

Peter shook his head. 'I don't think so, I have yet to find the little or great bear, so I would think not.'

Caspian looked at his friend with pure confusion. 'How would you find bears in the sky?!'

Peter laughed. 'We have given names to certain constellations of stars. The names are based images people believed they would see if they connected the stars with lines. One of the things they saw was a bear, or at least they say. There were two very similar constellations, which looked like a bear, so the larger one was called the great bear, and the smaller one the little bear.'

'Right...' Caspian concluded, still slightly confused.

'I assume you did not come here to discuss the stars, Caspian, so what can I do for you.'

Caspian looked at his friend and took a deep breath, feeling the nerves tingle through his entire body. 'I came to ask for your blessing, Peter. You know I love your sister with all my being, and tonight, the few times when she granted another Lord the honour of dancing with her, I realized how it felt like something was missing from my life. She is the kindest, smarted and most wonderful woman I have ever met, and the only one I could ever love. Peter, my friend, I would ask for your blessing to ask for your sister's hand in marriage.'

Peter sighed and closed his eyes. He had not believed the question to come so soon. 'I know there will never be a man more deserving of Susan's heart or hand, than you, my friend. But she is only 17...' He took another breath. 'Where we come from, the age of adulthood is 18, Susan is only 7 weeks shy of her 18th birthday... My friend, I would gladly give you permission, but not until she is 18 years old. If we were at home, it would my father you would have to ask, and I believe he would not give you his blessing until Susan would be 18. I feel responsible to respect my father's wishes now that he has left my siblings in my care.'

Caspian looked down, feeling somewhat defeated, but understanding where Peter came from. 'I understand, my friend. I had hoped for a different answer, but I can't fault you for your decision. Will I have your blessing once Susan has come of age?'

Peter smiled. 'You will, my friend. If I can't give you my blessing, I believe no one will ever receive it. I can't think of anyone better for my dear sister.'

Caspian smiled wide and shook Peter's hand. The night hadn't played out as he had hoped, nor as he expected, but in the end, he couldn't complain.

Later that night Lucy tossed and turned in her bed, her hair sticking to her sweaty forehead as a nightmare plagued her mind. She woke up with a start, and stared into the empty darkness of her bedchambers. All she could hear was the echo of a roar, in her mind. 'Beware, Lucy, a cold evil is on the rise again. Be brave my little lioness.' Hear breathing slowed gradually, and she whispered into the night.

'Aslan.'

A/N Sorry for the long hiatus, everyone, but I'm back and hope to update a little more regularly. anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.