Cair Paravel was in an uproar once again. However this time it was not due to a Lady running away. In fact a month had already passed since Katherine had come back. Instead it was because in less than a week wedding bells would echo through the halls.
After another day of rest, Peter had finally returned to his paper work. But not before announcing a royal confirmation of his engagement to Katherine. It was a joyous celebration that had included a festival and all around Narnia it was being celebrated. Sir Fox, the fox Katherine had patched up on their journey who was later knighted, had travelled from the furthest part of Narnia. This was a post he had asked to be stationed at and he had not left it since the coronation. Upon his arrival Katherine was very pleased to see him again and they spoke scheduled a meeting to speak of border disputes.
The Beaver couple had also come up from Beaversdam along with their newborn daughter. They had been joined on their journey by Mr Tumnus who had also been making his way up after receiving the invitation to the celebrations. Katherine had greeted them all fondly and cradled the baby beaver as they had caught up with each other. Peter had also joined them for tea, although his now tight schedule had not given him much time.
Peter had pushed to have the wedding as soon as possible and due to this he now was constantly busy with meetings, paperwork and other affairs that had to be dealt with before the wedding could be held. Katherine was not much better. She was now completely into the role of General and her mornings and afternoons were filled with constant training with her army. New recruits had come in and on top of that a new war was brewing. In one of the conversations she had shared with Sir Fox he informed her of unrest from the Northern Giants. After they both reported this to Peter, it made everything all the more time sensitive.
They wanted to have the wedding before any real disruptors broke the peace. So with Katherine neck high in getting everyone ready for another war and Peter knee deep in paperwork it was hard enough to try and plan a wedding on their own. This was when Susan and Lucy stepped up to the task and Katherine was more than glad to let them. Susan had always had a keen eye for decoration and she knew her friend well so Katherine felt relieved at last that her day was in good hands. Edmund also was helping both her and Peter with extra paperwork. This was a lot on top of his usual council sessions as he was the Just.
Edmund was also a second in the army so he attended training with her. They had dispatched a small group of the army as scouts to send word of the movements of the Northern Giants army. Meanwhile the main unit was being prepared for immediate dispatch. A quarter of the unit would be left behind to hold fortress at Cair Paravel.
Then it was a matter of who would attend the wedding. Katherine had honestly always wanted a small wedding. She had never been one for big glamorous events and preferred a small meaningful ceremony with family. But the Pevensies were all she had in Narnia she could not remember having lived with anyone else before. She tried to push herself to remember past the coronation, past the Battle of Beruna, past the river, past the beavers, past a lamppost.
A lamppost? What on earth is that?
"Katie" a voice calls out to her. It's Peter's name for her but the voice sounds deeper, firmer, with a sense of loving but sternness, as a father would call for their child.
"Katie!" a sharp pang shot through her head as it called out again and again.
"Katie, Katie" she put her head between her hands as she tried to push through the pain.
"Katie" Someone was shaking her arm and she looked up to see Peter by her desk. He had a hand on her shoulder and was wearing a concerned look.
"Are you ok?"
"Yes, yes I'm fine, just the paperwork getting to me I guess" she gestured to the pages in front of her.
A formal document with Narnia's insignia lay at the forefront of her work. It was their official marriage agreement, along it a space where both Katherine and Peter would have to sign. Peter's signature had already been filled in.
"Second thoughts?" he asked as he moved to sit on the edge of her desk, hands folded in his lap.
"No, no, I just - I had another migraine. I didn't want to tell you because I knew you would worry, I'm sorry"
She felt his muscles tense and felt his protective nature flare up before slowly dying out as he inhaled deeply. Pulling her into a hug, he patted her hair fondly as he spoke.
"It's okay. We just need to learn a little more trust, we can both work on it, together." She nodded as she listened to his heartbeat for a minute before getting up. Giving more trust, for Peter it was something she could do.
"I was thinking again, about before we found the beavers in Narnia, there was something about a lamppost and, and surely Peter we must have had family before this? I just can't stop thinking about where we came from"
She quietened down a bit, "Just now, I thought I heard someone calling my name, who was it?"
"I don't know Katie, I just don't know" He stood up and walked behind her chair to lean over and give her a hug from behind.
"But you believe me?" She asked as she dips her quill in ink, as she blots it he kisses her neck softly before replying.
"I always will"
She let the pen glide freely over the paper as she signed her half of the line.
꧁꧂Flash꧁꧂Back꧁꧂
"So who exactly are we inviting to the wedding?" Susan asked her whilst holding up a list of possible guests. Susan gave a sigh after seeing the expression on Katherine's face.
"I know you don't want a big event but honestly, the wedding is good for diplomatic ties and besides-"
"Katherine cut her off, "I know, you're right, invite the same crowd from Peter's birthday only add the third and fourth tier of Narnia's county and include a moment on the main balcony for the city as well. As for the crowd from Peter's birthday, keep it to the minimum of the royal family."
Susan nodded as she circled names on her list and crossed out a few.
"Thank you" Katherine says placing a hand on her friends shoulders.
"I'm sorry, I know it's not your dream wedding. But royalty comes with glamour I'm afraid"
"No" Katherine replied as she shook her head, "You're right, I need to think about these things more often"
Susan and Katherine shared a look of understanding before getting up, "Well I must take my leave, there are things to organize"
She shared a smirk that suggested she knew something Katherine didn't. Katherine gave her a curious stare and when she didn't answer she stood up abruptly to halt her friend from leaving.
"What?" She asked quickly, "What are you planning?"
"Nothing big" Susan replied in a way that suggested the opposite. She patted her friend on the back as she walked out, "I just know you well"
Katherine watched her friend as she walked out of her parlor, an excited little skip in her feet as she went. She thought back on herself, what could Susan have meant? Was there something she had forgotten? Katherine was helping out with some of the arrangements like choosing the color theme and her favorite bouquet of flowers. She pulled out her checklist and saw each item ticked. Shrugging it off she put it back in her pocket and continued on with her morning.
꧁꧂Present꧁꧂Time꧁꧂
So now she had five days before her wedding. After today would be arriving soon from all over the country along with the royal families from other countries too. Katherine had been devastated to hear that Malik had declined the invitation, stating Telmar was in a tough period of affairs and he would instead send Dana and Ervin to represent Telmar. She didn't know if it was the truth or not but she had at least wanted a chance to speak to him again about what happened last time. She had a feeling she would not get the chance.
Peter had offered to send another invitation on his behalf but she had declined, simply stating that if he wanted to come he would. Susan was also a bit let down as this would be the first time for her to meet the other royalty as in the previous visit she had been away in Archenland. In fact on the topic of Archenland, Corin, their prince was already at the castle. He was to be their crown bearer at the wedding.
However, Corin was also a skilled swordsman and he had requested to come a few days earlier to practice some skills with Katherine. To Corin, who had lost his mother at a young age, Katherine was that mothering figure he had always wanted. She had visited Archenland possibly more than any other country due to them sharing a border with Narnia. Her days at the palace of Anvard had been plenty and they had cultivated a great bond between the two countries. Peter had also promised to knight Corin one day.
"Corin!" she called out as she watched the boy practicing with the rest of the army, "Corin, tighten your grip! Your sword will go flying with that weak hold!"
"Moonhoof! That block just now was too sloppy! If you were up against a giant that would have cost your arm!"
"Pellius! We need a stronger attack from you! Your sword is for two hands leaving your defense weak! That is why you must finish it in one blow! We can't allow you to fall in battle!"
"Yes General!" The army replied as she went through anything that she could point out.
"So is this how the Narnian Army trains? By making their General's voice hoarse before her wedding?" Peter called out as he walked into the training center, his arms were behind his back in an army style fold.
"No Commander-in-Chief!" They yelled in a reply as their right fist hit their hear in a salute.
In the training center or on the battlefield, Peter was referred to as Commander-in-Chief, the only person who had an equal authority with Katherine and the right to make orders over hers as a monarch. Then by others in a higher stature in the army he was referred to as Sir Wolfsbane.
"At ease" Peter told his soldiers before moving towards Katherine, "Lady Shadowbane, Susan is looking for you. I'm told she is waiting for you in her parlor."
She gave him a nod before turning back to the army. "Practice is over for today, continue in the training ring otherwise return home but practice can only continue with the no touch rule. Use wooden swords if you are unsure of your skill"
A "Yes General" echoed through the arena.
"Prince Corin" she called out, "Please return with us to the castle"
Corin to his good nature did not argue although she could tell he wanted to stay. She knew he had just turned thirteen, around the same age Peter and her were when they first fought in the Battle of Beruna but Katherine did not want Corin to be exposed to war so early. Not if he had a choice in it.
She put her arm around his shoulder ruffling his hair.
"I thought I told you just to call me Corin" he mumbled with a pout.
"I know, I know" she replied brushing it off, "But old habits die hard. I'm used to my ambassador dialect"
Seeing he was still pouting she put her arm on top of his head and pushed down a bit causing him to yelp and swat her arm.
"Since when did you get so tall? You used to be a cute little five year old that hung by my legs when I would come to visit, can't you shrink back down?"
He swatted her arm a little longer before swinging his head out of her arm. "No I can't, not if I want to be taller than you one day!"
It was true, he was up to her shoulder already and Katherine had stopped growing. She was fairly tall for a woman. About 170 centaur-meters, but compared to everyone around her she felt fairly short.
When they got to the castle she sent Corin off to shower and change before supper. She offered Peter to join her in meeting Susan but he made a quick excuse and left to his study. She was grateful that he didn't refer to her as his fiancée in front of the army. Not because she wasn't happy about it but because she didn't want the army to think she had only gotten the position due to her relationship with Peter. Her biggest worry had been a loss of respect from the army due to her soon-to-be marriage with Peter.
However, Peter had seen through her and known just what to say to make her feel comfortable. As she was lost in her thoughts she opened the door to her parlor entrance and nearly jumped in shock at what was before her. Susan, Luka and Stefan sat with a tray of tea in front of them. They had obviously been making some small talk before she walked into the room but the boys face lit up as soon as they saw her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked and Luka in reply gave jazz hands as he said, "Surprise!"
"My goodness royals without a welcoming is not a surprise it is a disaster! How did I not know you two were arriving early? I would have arranged-"
"Nothing" Susan cut in, "You are no longer ambassador Katherine, breathe, it's okay. They wanted to arrive inconspicuously."
Katherine breathed in a bit like Susan suggested before sitting down with the others, "Alright so why are you here so early, not that I didn't want to see you-"
"Katherine have you completed your checklist?" Susan asked quickly.
Katherine curiously looked at the three and their eager faces. Pulling out her list she tore off the page and held it out to show them. Stefan grabbed it quickly and as he held it up to read Katherine's face dropped. There on the back of her list were four unchecked boxes, she had forgotten she had written on the back page. What they were was even worse. How in Aslan's mane had she forgotten about those?
Stefan noticing her reaction turned the page over and read out.
"Buy wedding dress; Find shoes; Ask Mr Tumnus to place the crowns; Ask Edmund to walk me down the aisle"
The last two Katherine knew would be an easy feat albeit a late ask but the first two. How was she ever going to find a dress in five days? With a matching pair of shoes! Just then Stefan and Luka stood up with matching troublesome looks. Susan placed a hand on Katherine's knee.
"But you see Katherine, I had a feeling something like this might happen. So when I heard that these two had made your dresses before I thought they might be able to help out once more"
"Susan!" Katherine exclaimed in pure happiness as she gave half jumped into her friend's arms with a massive hug. Susan chuckled as she rubbed her friends back gently and Katherine moved back into her chair. She turned back to see Luka pulling something out from her room.
It was a mannequin. But it was wearing the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. It definitely was glamorous but somehow Katherine didn't mind. The dress itself was an extravagant ballgown dress, such as the popular style that was currently around. However she was relieved to see there was no hoop skirt, and it was poufy enough to still look elegant without looking like she would roll down the aisle.
The dress was pure white and made with fine silks and layers of spider tulle. The dress had off the shoulder straps and the dress showed a small amount of cleavage with a dip between her breasts. The top had a single layer of spider tulle over it. Allowing the dress to hug her figure beautifully. Then it fanned out just after her hips with layer upon layer of that expensive spider tulle. As she looked closer however she gasped at a detail she had nearly missed. Stitched on with enchanted silver silk was the constellations of the night sky. She watched in surprise as the Leopard's tail flicked as it might when in the night sky and looked up at the two in awe.
"That particular handiwork took Stefan and I at least a week to complete." Luka stated.
Katherine felt tears beginning to well in her eyes. Their faces dropped slightly as they saw her expression which turned into shock as Katherine launched herself into a hug. Pulling both boys in with one hand each she sobbed into the space where their shoulders met. Stefan gently rubbed her back whilst Luka patted her head fondly.
"There, there" Stefan said softly, "There's no need to cry, we've got you"
"That's right Katherine darling~" Luka comforted her, "We can't let our darling sister look anything other than fabulous on her special day"
She laughed slightly into their arms before pulling back and turning slightly so they wouldn't see her face.
"But I'm not your sister" she laughed bitterly.
"Yes you are" the two replied in sync.
"Well at least you always have been" Luka began.
"To the two of us" Stefan ended.
Somewhere in her heart she felt an inexplicable kind of joy as if this feeling of siblings who loved her was something she had always wanted to experience. She turned back to the boys, thankful she hadn't cried for long.
"For me too" She began joyfully, "You two were always like older brothers to me"
From behind the dress Stefan pulled out a pair of silver heels, matched with the enchanted thread exactly. They were dainty, not too high but tall enough to not trip over her dress' fabric.
"We heard that when getting married your family had a saying like, 'Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue' we thought it might be nice to start the chain so we covered the something new part" Stefan explained.
"Stefan took ages to pick them out" Luka told her as she took a closer look. The shoe was almost entirely silver except for the tops of the shoes. Instead of silver covering the front of her feet, it was-
"Glass?" she asked them curiously. Stefan pulled a face as Luka chuckled, "Diamond"
"You two must be fairy godmothers or something" Katherine exclaimed with a giggle.
"Fairy what?" Luka asked confused and Susan and Katherine shared another laugh.
A knock sounded on the door and Katherine looked up from her shoes.
"Come in" she called and Stefan made a jump for the door. And just in time at that as Peter opened the door to be met with Stefan's face blocking the view.
"Can I come in yet?" He asked in a huff. "You said it wouldn't take long."
"You knew?" Katherine asked with mock betrayal in her voice.
"Just the person I'm looking for!" Stefan began with a grin as he turned Peter around and began to walk away with his hand around Peter's shoulder, "I wanted to talk to you about something."
He gestured back at Susan to shut the door which she did quickly. Luka looked around, "So where is that cute little maid of yours again?"
Katherine scowled, "She's a lady in waiting and her name is Darla"
"Ah yes" he exclaimed, "Darla~" He rolled the 'r' and lengthened the 'la' so that her name sounded far more exotic than it was meant to be. "Where is she?"
She gave him a firm glare, "No where you need to know. You're dear to me Luka but if you mess with Darla like you do with some girls I've seen it won't be pretty I'll warn you now"
"Katherine darling~" he began as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and put his hands out in front of them.
"Those reckless days of mine are long gone" He told her as he dropped his hands quickly as if showing her that time had flown past them.
"Yeah, yeah" Katherine said as she squirmed out of his arm. "Just don't mess with Darla. If you hurt her, I'll mess up that beautiful face of yours so bad-"
"I got it, I got it" he chuckled wrapping a hand around the fist she had been using to threaten him. He looked at her again and this time she could see the sincerity in her eyes.
"The apple orchards are a great place to practice embroidery don't you think?" she asked him.
Grabbing her face between his hands he smacked a kiss on her forehead before walking quickly to the door.
"So right you are Katherine darling~" he exclaimed as he winked and left quickly. Katherine stuck out her tongue at him as she wiped her forehead with a shuddering expression.
Susan let out a loud laugh that followed the both of them late into the evening.