(The Golden Era)
(The 15-year rule of the Pevensies after The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe)
~Chapter 11~
*Two and a half years after the coronation of the Pevensies*
(Narnian year; 1002)
I sighed as I hurried around the castle. The fauns were busy putting up garlands of flowers around the bustling castle.
It had been two long years with the Pevensies. They were amazing and fair rulers but... They were still only teenagers.
I stopped a faun in the hallway of the castle.
"Have you seen any of the kings or queens?" I asked.
He just shook his head.
I let out another frustrating sigh as I continued through the halls of Cair Paravel.
"When I find him, I'm going to kill him." I mumbled under my breath, through gritted teeth.
"Oh, Lucy!" I shouted as I caught the young girl's eye.
She smiled as she walked over. Her hair was down past her shoulders now and she had grown at least four inches since I had first met her.
"Have you seen Peter?" I asked.
"No... I thought he was with you..." She said.
I put a hand on my forehead.
"The high king cannot miss his eighteenth birthday celebration."
The two of us started walking again.
"You know he wouldn't want you to worry." She said as I felt her take a tiny section of my waist length burgundy-brown hair and started braiding it.
"I know... Just... I want this to be memorable. I've spent two and a half years with you four... You've become like my second family." I smiled.
"That's because we practically are. You're never more than two feet away from Peter." Lucy smiled.
I rolled my eyes as I looked at the young girl.
"Speaking of my family... I need to see if my father wrote to see if he'll be back." I said as I left her standing in the hall.
I walked into one of the rooms and asked no one in particular.
"Has Sir Covan written?"
An owl screeched and flew away then shortly returned with nothing.
"Thank you anyway." I said holding seeds out for the owl. The owl ate as I thought about where on earth the high king could have went.
Then it dawned on me.
I left the small room and walked outside. It was a particularly nice day out. I didn't blame Susan and Edmund for being out there. They were playing a game of croquet.
"High king avoiding you again?" Edmund called as I walked around the grass where they were playing.
"Always." I chuckled as I headed towards the apple orchard.
The train of my long blue dress rustled along the grass as I walked. I passed some fauns picking apples as I headed to the back of the orchard.
"Peter Pevensie. I have been looking all over for you." I said but I couldn't help but smile when I saw him. He was laying on one of the larger branches of a tree, eating an apple and reading a book.
He sat up, putting his book down and swung his legs over the branch.
"It almost sounds like you're stressed out about tonight." He said.
"It's your eighteenth birthday... of course I am." I sighed as he jumped down. "My father hasn't written back."
"I guess there are downsides to having him check up on the surrounding villages." Peter said as he walked to meet me. He looked down at me and brushed my hair off my shoulder.
"clam down... It'll be perfect... I have no doubts in you... I haven't in the two and a half years we've been doing this together."
"I know but I kinda have to top Susan's now." I smiled.
"Hers will be pretty hard to beat... With the mermaids and all."
I smiled as I placed a hand on his face. His hair was catching the light at just the right angle to make it look golden.
"Well my king... Shall we get back... We have some things to go over."
"Like?"
"Like which of the two new cloaks I made you're going to wear and what kind of cake you'd like." I said simply.
"You made me two? And cake? Is it my birthday?" He said, I could sense the sarcasm seeping into his voice, but I was used to it.
I patted his face softly as I turned and took a step. Before I could plant my foot though, Peter grabbed my arm and pulled me back, and kissed me.
The first year I was with the Pevensies was perfectly normal, we were good friends but before we knew it... Peter and I were closer than I ever thought we'd be... And I found myself falling in love with him. And one day he told me he had the same problem. We were young... too young to make any drastic decisions. So, we decided to keep quiet about everything, sneaking a kiss every now and then.
I didn't know where any of it would lead... He was my king, and I was his advisor and subject... And I knew it wasn't going to last. Someday a king from another region would come with his beautiful daughter proposing marriage and Peter would agree. And I was ready and fully prepared for that.
He pulled away and pressed our foreheads together, still holding my face as I looked down at my feet.
"Vy? What is it?" He asked lifting my head.
I shook my head. "Nothing." I smiled, putting my arms under his elbows. "Come on." I said putting my arm through his as we started walking back towards the castle.