𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 ✯ 𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑒 ✓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄

˚✶•━━━━━━•❈•━━━━━━•✶˚
𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑼𝑹𝑵 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑪𝑯❜𝑺 𝑾𝑶𝑳𝑽𝑬𝑺
•✶•━━━━━━━━━━━━•✶•

𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃 as they, Lucy and Susan followed the centaur Oreius towards the tents that would be at their disposal. Aslan had announced to the Narnians that tonight there would be a feast to honour the guests, but before the group could attend the celebrations, they felt the need to freshen up. Despite their adventure in the ice cold water of the great river, they still felt greasy and their clothes had definitely seen better days after trekking through the wild.

Oreius came to a halt and gestured at three tents, all made out of a white fabric that seemed to swallow the colour of the sky above them; right now it displayed the warm summer's blue hue but as soon as the sky darkened, so would the tents.

'There are two beds in each tent,' the centaur said. 'It would be wisest if the Queens share a tent and the Kings another one.'

Rosaleen let go of Peter's hand as she understood what Oreius was after. 'And then my brother and I will share the third tent.'

The centaur nodded in approval and turned around to go back to Aslan's pavilion since Oreius was the head of his guards.

'If Alex ever returns,' Rosaleen added in a whisper, glancing at the tent that was now just for her alone.

'Of course he will,' Lucy said, having heard her soft voice. 'Aslan promised to rescue both him and Edmund.' Her blue eyes sparkled with hope and Rosaleen smiled gratefully.

'You're right, Lucy.'

The youngest Pevensie beamed and then followed her older sister into the tent, both excited to see it from the inside.

Peter and Rosaleen crossed eyes, and Peter's gaze shot towards his now empty hand before sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck with it. 'I suppose I'll see you later, then,' he said.

Rosaleen smiled and decided to tease him a bit as she made the best curtsy she could. 'I suppose you will, my King.'

Peter stammered something before clearing his throat. 'I still cannot believe the prophecy says that I would make a good king.'

Rosaleen rose back to her full length again, her eyes wandering over his face. She did think he could be stubborn at times, maybe even a bit arrogant, but he also cared greatly for his siblings. There was nothing that Peter wouldn't do for them, his courageous and caring manner outshone everything else.

'What are you looking at?' Peter wondered as he fought the urge to nervously shift from one side to another under her intense gaze. Her eyes seemed to look right through him.

'You,' Rosaleen answered before she could stop herself. 'I do think you would make a great king.'

'I─ ehm, wait? Really?' Peter asked, a cheeky grin immediately tugging at the corners of his lips, and this time it was her time to stammer something incoherently. Rosaleen quickly rushed inside her tent before he could see the blush appearing on her cheeks. She could hear him chuckle from behind the fabric but then it grew softer as he went into his tent as well.

Rosaleen took a deep breath, composing herself, but when she tried running a hand through her tousled hair, she quickly stopped as painful pangs accompanied her movements. She walked towards the standing mirror and noticed how her usual natural waves had turned into actual curls from the whole ordeal she had been through.

'Great,' she muttered, but she spun around when the flap of the tent moved and two naiads appeared in the opening. Their blue hair cascaded down their backs, almost touching the ground, and their white skin shone like starlight while their blue dresses flowed around their bodies in a most elegant manner. One of them carried a bowl with warm water while the other had a purple dress in her hands.

'My lady,' the two spoke in unison and their melodic voices could send anyone in trance if they chose to do so. 'We are here to help you to get ready for the feast.'

'Oh.' Rosaleen stared at the beautiful naiads. 'Thank you, but I don't think that would be─,' her voice faded away when the shortest of the two put the wooden bowl on a standard and gestured at Rosaleen to be silent, pressing her finger against her own lips.

'It would be our honour, my lady. Truly,' she said, and Rosaleen gave in as the other naiad spread the dress over one of the beds. The skirt had many, almost translucent, layers in different hues of purple while between the first and second layer, some actual purple flowers were sewn on a lavender coloured lace. The upper part of the dress, in the same lavender as the lace, would go tightly around her chest while some embroidered flowers decorated her waist. Rosaleen wondered how it would look on her, but first, the naiads helped her clean up. They washed her face and hair, carefully brushing it to get the long strands untangled, and though Rosaleen felt a bit odd at first to just sit there, she soon enjoyed it. She felt herself becoming less and less tense after the otherworldly adventures that had been thrown her way, and when the naiads had helped her in her new dress, she felt like a whole different person.

The naiads smiled in satisfaction as Rosaleen twirled in front of the mirror, the many layers of her skirt billowing out around her like the petals of a blooming flower. Her dress had a high collar and partly covered her shoulders as well, yet it had no sleeves but with the winter's cold that was long gone, she didn't think she would miss them.

'You look beautiful, my lady,' the shortest naiad said, and Rosaleen smiled.

'Thank you for your help. . .' She stopped when she realised she didn't know their names.

'Saffira and Daphne,' the naiad introduced them with a small curtsy.

Rosaleen thanked them fully and the naiads walked out of the tent, leaving her alone once again. She observed her own reflection one last time, admiring the beautiful dress that fit her perfectly, but then she decided to get out of the tent as well. She didn't exactly know how long it had taken her to get ready, but it had to be at least an hour. Maybe even longer. She glanced back at the twin swords laying in their sheaths on her bed, wondering if she should strap them on; it seemed a bit inappropriate as she was about to attend a feast but in a way, she also felt too vulnerable without them ─ even though she hadn't had the weapons for very long yet. She bit on her lip thoughtfully and then strapped them onto her back. After all, the purple hilts fit the colour of her dress.

Just when Rosaleen pushed the flap away that hung in front of the opening, Lucy and Susan walked out of their tents as well, and both carried their gifts from Father Christmas too.

Susan wore a dark green dress that complimented her dark hair and lighter skin complexion. Just like Rosaleen's dress, the skirt had many, partly see-through layers but instead of only different hues of green, there were also gold coloured ones. A golden embroidery in swirling shapes ran over the V-shaped hem of her top, all the way over her shoulders and the see-through green sleeves that hugged her arms like a second skin.

Lucy's dress was a deep blue with silver details. Her skirt had only two layers but the upper one was almost translucent while the silver glitters on it sparkled like stars against the dark fabric that lay behind it. The small jewels became less in number as they reached her waist, and the top of Lucy's dress was all blue as the elegant sleeves hung loosely around her arms.

'Whoa,' Lucy breathed out. 'We all look like royalty.'

'You two certainly do. I don't deserve that title,' Rosaleen said, remembering how she had failed to believe Lucy even though she herself had heard of Narnia before. Not to mention that the dreadful winter had been partly her grandfather's fault.

'You do have a good heart, Rose,' Susan said. 'That's all that matters.'

Lucy nodded in agreement before peeking inside Peter's tent, but it was empty. 'He was probably getting tired of waiting for us,' she giggled and the other two girls laughed as well. The sun above them already started to sink towards the horizon again and the sky had changed from a stark blue to an orange colour with purple streaks.

They wandered over the encampment that bustled with energy as the Narnians got everything ready for the feast. Some creatures greeted the three girls but most stuck to their tasks at hand.

'There's Peter,' Lucy noticed, pointing at her brother in the distance when they reached the end of the camp. He stood next to Aslan on a high hill that overlooked the seemingly endless sea at their right and a white-stoned castle atop of a cliff in the far distance. Lucy and Susan wanted to set course towards the small stream they had already come across to cool down their feet, but Rosaleen declined.

'I want to ask Aslan something,' she explained but both girls didn't seem to believe her.

'You want to see Peter's reaction when you show up in this dress, don't you?' Susan asked with a chuckle.

Rosaleen opened her mouth to deny that question, but she never had been a very good liar. 'Well, perhaps, but I also need to talk to Aslan. I may have an idea to find out exactly where Edmund and Alexander are.'

'Whatever you say, Rose.' Susan laughed and followed Lucy towards the stream farther downhill.

Rosaleen sighed, but then climbed up the hill towards Peter and Aslan. Her heart started to beat a bit irregular when she neared Peter, indeed wondering what he would think of her dress, but she did have an idea to lay in front of Aslan; she had been playing with the thought since she had strapped the twin swords on her back.

Aslan and Peter stared in silence at the castle that glittered like diamond in the far distance, but before Rosaleen could announce her presence, Aslan said, 'What is on your mind, Rosaleen?'

Peter turned around, his jaw slightly dropping when he laid eyes upon her, though he quickly closed his mouth again when he realised he was gaping at her. 'Whoa, Rose. You look gorgeous,' he said, still not taking his eyes off of her.

Rosaleen blushed, taken aback as well when she noticed his change of clothing. He wore sturdy boots with black trousers and a dark red tunic, and the supple yet firm leather accentuated his waist and strong shoulders. His sword hung at his hip and his hand rested upon the lion-shaped knob.

'Thank you. You look most handsome as well,' she complimented him, but she focussed upon Aslan when his eyes sparkled with a knowing glint and traveled between them. She joined the lion at his other side, trying to calm her heart even though she saw Peter following her every movement out of the corner of her eye.

'Aslan, sir,' she said after regaining her posture. 'I think I may know a way to find out where the Witch is keeping Edmund and Alexander.'

Aslan said nothing, his deep breaths being the only sound he made, and Rosaleen supposed she could continue.

'Father Christmas said that my and my brother's swords always feel each other's presence. We could use that to our advantage as I now understand what he meant. Every time I lift my swords, I feel something tugging at the edge of my mind, as if something is trying to lead me somewhere.'

Aslan hummed thoughtfully, still staring at the castle in the distance, but Peter felt far more nervous. 'If Rose is going, so shall I.'

Rosaleen wanted to protest, Peter's life was according to the prophecy far more valuable than her own, but Aslan spoke before she could.

'I will risk neither of your lives. I have already lost two Sons of Adams to the White Witch, I cannot risk two more human lives.'

'But─,' Rosaleen began but the lion cut her off.

'I am convinced another opportunity will present itself soon.'

Right at that moment, a horn blared through the air, sounding not one time, not two times, but thrice in a row. Aslan, Peter and Rosaleen all whirled around in the direction of where the sound had come from.

'Susan,' Peter realised, breaking into a sprint downhill towards the trickling stream in the distance. Rosaleen followed suit in his footsteps but Aslan assembled some Narnians before following them.

Peter ran as fast as he could, the sound of the horn still echoing between his ears and he drew his sword as he ran through the shallow waters. His sisters had climbed into a tree, yelping as the wolves circling around the trunk jumped up and tried to snap their jaws around the girls' ankles. However, when the wolves heard the splashing water, they turned towards Peter. The three wolves slowly walked around him, their bodies low by the ground as their fur stood upright.

Maugrim snarled and bared his fangs with a chuckle. 'Not this again,' he teased Peter when he had his sword pointed at the wolf, but still didn't make any other movement. 'We both know you haven't got it in you.'

Rosaleen sprinted through the stream as well, unsheathing her swords and twirling them in her hands as she slid to a stop nearby Peter. She recognised one of the wolves as the one that had captured Alexander, and the wolf bared his fangs when he noticed her angry stare. He broke away from encircling Peter and crept towards her.

'Where's my brother?' Rosaleen hissed at him, readying her weapons.

The third wolf tried to get behind her and Peter, but Aslan suddenly pinned him to the ground by simply putting his large paw on his neck.

'No, stay your blades,' Aslan ordered Oreius when the centaur drew his sword and he and the other guards started to charge at the other two wolves. 'This is the humans' fight. Let them prove their worth.'

Oreius huffed but slowed down, ordering the others to a stop as well.

Maugrim grinned. 'Perfect. You may think you're a king, but you're going to die, like a dog.' With a growl and a massive jump, he charged at Peter who only had time to raise his sword in an instinct. The wolf landed atop of Peter, burying him under his weight and in a chaos of fur and paws. Susan and Lucy screamed in fear when they no longer saw their brother, and Rosaleen got caught off guard as well as she had seen everything out of the corner of her eye. The wolf in front of her took use of her distraction and charged at her.

Rosaleen managed just in time to dive out of the way of his snapping jaws and she rolled into a crouching position, turning halfway around again to face the wolf. The wolf was quick on his paws and turned almost as soon as Rosaleen had leaped out of the way, but when he jumped at her a second time, she raised her swords, the blades crossed against each other. Before she even knew what had happened, she had brought down her swords again and sliced the wolf's throat with ease. The wolf fell with a thud on the grass, his eyes no longer red from blood-thirst, but empty with the stillness of death.

Rosaleen stared wide-eyed at what she had done, taking deep breaths to stop her stomach from twisting and turning, and her hands shook uncontrollably. It made it almost impossible for her to keep hold of her swords and she was pretty sure she was going to faint as her surroundings seemed to sway in front of her, but then she managed to tear her eyes away from the dead animal.

Susan and Lucy had climbed out of the tree, their running footsteps snapping Rosaleen out of her horror. The blonde clambered back to her feet when the Pevensie girls pushed the dead wolf away from their buried brother, revealing a very shocked Peter. Rosaleen suspected her face looked as pale as his, and when Lucy and Susan embraced him, he squeezed them tight against his chest while catching Rosaleen's eyes.

'Are you alright?' he mouthed at her on which she nodded, though her arms still shook too much to her own liking.

Aslan lifted his paw off the only living wolf and the canine sprinted away while letting out high-pitched and scared yelps. 'Follow him,' the lion ordered Oreius and the other guards. 'He'll lead you to Edmund and Alexander.'

The group of Narnians pursued the fleeing wolf, and Aslan turned to Rosaleen and Peter ─ who had let go of his sisters and raised himself back to his full length.

'Clean your swords,' the lion instructed them, and after they had done so, Aslan told them to kneel. First, he laid one of his massive and heavy front paws on one of Rosaleen's shoulders, before doing the same to Peter.

'Arise, Lady Rosaleen Sun's Scourge, and Sir Peter Wolf's Bane, Knights of Narnia.'

✶••━━━━━━••✶

𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐕𝐀𝐒 of the tent above her, unable to go to sleep as she kept on asking herself the same question over and over again: would the guards be able to rescue Edmund and Alexander? She let out a heavy sigh and threw the blankets away, running a hand through her hair as she sat up straight.

The camp was silent, the feast having been cancelled after the infiltration of the wolves and everyone apart from the guard posts had returned to their tents. Every once in a while, though, the distant hooting and cawing of the nocturnal animals traveled through the air.

Rosaleen still felt odd to lay all alone in the tent; back in her grandfather's mansion she had shared a gigantic room with her brother, and these few days they had been in Narnia, she had never slept alone as well. She missed the calm breaths of the others, this silence was just too eerie.

She got out of her bed and stepped through the opening of the tent, breathing in the fresh air of the night. The soft breeze played with her blonde waves and tickled her face. Rosaleen's eyes wandered towards Lucy's and Susan's tent, but then in the direction of Peter's. Maybe he had trouble sleeping all alone in a tent as well? Barely making any sound, she walked towards the tent but stopped in front of the flap opening. She mentally shook herself, what was she even thinking? She couldn't just go bursting into his tent, it wouldn't be proper.

Quickly, Rosaleen turned away from the tent and walked a few yards before sitting down in the cool grass. She sighed once more but then flopped backwards, staring at the beautiful night sky above her. Thousands of stars sparkled against the velvety blue canvas and though Rosaleen hadn't much knowledge about the earth's constellations, she knew the ones glistening above her belonged to Narnia, and this world only. For a few minutes, she tried finding familiar shapes in the stars and she wondered which names these stars carried when she noticed a movement next to her.

'Hi,' Peter greeted her as he sat down at her left side, leaning half back to stare at the stars as well. 'Couldn't sleep?'

'No,' Rosaleen answered, glancing at his face that seemed to light up in the starlight. 'It's too silent, and I worry about my brother.'

Peter hummed. 'I understand what you mean. I can't stand doing nothing while waiting for their return.'

Rosaleen was about to sit up again, feeling a bit awkward to lie, when he laid completely back as well, tucking his arms under his head. Both of them observed the starry sky in a comfortable silence, simply enjoying the other's presence as they allowed the night to soothe their minds. Rosaleen couldn't help, though, to glance at him every once in a while, admiring how ethereal he looked in the starlight. Peter didn't notice, or pretended he didn't notice.

'This is nice,' he said, after what seemed to have been an hour. 'But we should probably return to our tents, before we catch a cold.'

Rosaleen suppressed a sigh before agreeing with him, the grass leaves tickling her bare arms cooled further down with every passing minute. She sat up straight just when Peter did, but she startled a bit when he gently took a strand of her hair that hung nearby her jawline and he twirled it between his fingers.

'The dewdrops are even in your hair,' he said with a chuckle, and Rosaleen's heart skipped a beat.

'Oh.' Her breathless voice sounded strange in her own ears and Peter snapped out his trance, quickly drawing back his hand.

He cleared his throat and stood up, offering to help her back up as well, and they made their way back to their tents.

'Wait, Peter,' Rosaleen said when they stood in front of her tent and she grabbed his wrist before he could walk away.

He stared curiously at her, his usual bright blue eyes now as dark as the night sky.

'Will you stay with me?' she asked, not caring anymore if it would be improper.

'I don't think that's─,' he began but she cut him off.

'Please? I don't want to be alone, and you said you would let me use you as a personal cushion anytime,' she added, remembering his words from before by the river.

Peter couldn't contain the smile that appeared on his face, and though he still tried to be reasonable, he eventually gave in. 'I did say that, didn't I?'

Rosaleen nodded, sliding her hand down from his wrist and taking his hand instead.

'Fine, but if your brother finds out and kills me, I will haunt you forever.'

Rosaleen laughed. 'Don't tell me you're afraid of my brother.'

Peter refused to reply to that statement and then they both walked inside her tent. Rosaleen laid down in her bed and Peter quietly lowered himself next to her, wrapping one of his arms around her as she rested her head on his chest. She could hear his steady heartbeat and his body radiated with a warmth that drove back the night's cold out of her as well. She snuggled even closer to him and closed her eyes, allowing his heartbeat to sing her to sleep while Peter tenderly played with her hair until she had completely dozed off. . .

•✶•━━━━━━━━━━━━•✶•