Favorite of the King

Chapter 14

Yvaine braced her hands along the railing of the boat. Cair Paravel was coming up quickly. Excitement and nerves churned in her stomach. She was just grateful that it didn't cause her to lose her lunch, as it had Evolet. Ev had stayed in the same spot during the entire trip, always looking rather sick. Yvaine had only seen her throw up twice, though.

Edmund joined her after a moment. "We'll be arriving in a few minutes," he said.

"I can't wait." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "What will your siblings think of me?"

"Lucy will love you. She's a naturally curious person too. Susan will enjoy having intelligent conversations with you and Peter will like you as long as you prevent war from coming."

"No pressure," she chuckled nervously.

"Don't worry. They'll like you. If I do, then they definitely will."

She smiled at that. "You haven't really told me what they're like."

He pursed his lips. "I could've sworn I did." Yvaine shook her head. "Well, as you can see, Peter is very serious. He can be a stick in the mud sometimes, but not as much as Susan. When he's not acting like a king, he's off riding or something."

"Susan?" She prompted.

"Susan has always thought herself the smartest out of all of us. She tries to come up with a logical plan or explanation for everything, even if there isn't one. She's generally serious too, but every once in a while, Lucy manages to convince her to act carefree."

Edmund paused again, before carrying on. "Lucy is just like she sounds. She's happy and almost always laughing. She's curious and loves to explore."

"And how would they describe you?" Yvaine leaned against the rail, resting her chin in her palm.

"Moody and annoying," he said shortly.

She smirked. "That sounds about right. I've yet to see you moody, of course."

Edmund rolled his eyes. "I'm home now. Give it time."

"Do you have a list of plans for our four months here?" Yvaine braided her hair quickly.

"I've got a few plans," he replied. "I'm sure there will be time in between all of the courtly matters."

A horn blared as they neared the mouth of the river. The boats angled towards a large dock. They came to a halt, at last. Yvaine ran to Evolet and pulled her to her feet. They fell in step behind Peter and Edmund.

The sun was beginning to sink when the procession made their way up towards the palace. Yvaine tried to keep the wobble out of her legs. Evolet was too, although she was less successful.

"I hope they have soft beds and huge bathtubs," Ev whispered. "I'm going to die if I have to smell like vomit tonight."

"I've got a mint leaf if you want it. Besides, at least it's not on your clothes?" Yvaine held out the leaf.

Evolet gave her a dark look but took the leaf and began chewing. "Thank you."

Centaur guards waited at the gates of the palace. They swung open without a word. The palace doors burst open and two women came flying down the steps. The shorter one flung herself at Edmund. He picked her up and twirled her around.

"It's so good to see you!" The girl exclaimed.

Lucy, Yvaine realized. Her gaze shifted towards the other woman. And Susan.

"Here, Susan." Edmund kept one arm around Lucy and handed the horn to Susan with his free hand. "Luckily I never had to use it."