~By the Lion's Mane~ >A Narnian Fanfiction<

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

I was seated next to Lucy's friend, the faun Mr. Tumnus, at the immense, polished wooden table for the welcome feast. Peter sat at the head of the table so he would be able to see all the way down it, to my right. Edmund sat at his right, Susan at his left, and then Lucy next to Susan. Mr. Tumnus was seated next to Edmund, and then me. Across from us were the Beavers who had safely led the kings and queens to Aslan.

It certainly was one of the greatest feasts in Narnia, though I didn't know much about the country before the Witch's reign. There were rich, delicious foods of all kinds, anything you could imagine. I ate until I was sure I was going to pop, and then we all had a grand time telling our own stories of the battle and bragged about our accomplishments. Then, when the grandfather clock struck nine, the ball began.

The beautiful and elegant music of the Narnians spilled from the Great Hall. Inside, fauns and satyrs and Animals of all kinds were dancing and frolicking about, laughing and smiling without care for the first time in a century or more. I doubted I could ever dance as well as them, but I had learned a few steps from living with the fauns. Despite not dancing in so long, their skills seemed unaffected by lack of use.

I stood against the wall for a long while, just watching the ball and the dancers contentedly. But then the music changed and became slower and sweeter, and many of the groups of dancers broke apart in pairs. I felt a light touch on my shoulder and turned around to see Peter dressed richly in reds and golds like the Narnian king he would soon become. He smiled shyly and I could almost swear he blushed, but it was hard to tell in the dim light.

"Umm, would you, er, like to dance?" He asked hesitantly.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise but took his hand anyway. "Yes, I suppose I would like to dance... as long as you avoid stepping on my feet," I said jokingly, grinning.

He gave a small smile back, and we stepped out into the midst of the dancing.

I had no idea how to do this kind of dancing, the slow kind that involved a partner. I thought about what I had seen in advertisements and read in the few books I could get my hands on in the orphan's home. Peter settled his right hand lightly on my waist and took my right hand in his left. I placed my left hand on his shoulder. My face was burning as red as my hair at that point, I was sure. My thoughts were reeling. Peter was pretty quiet, and we just swayed back and forth, moving slowly in general rhythm to the music. After a few moments I began to feel myself relax in his arms.

This isn't too bad, I thought.

But almost as soon as the thought flitted through my head, Peter leaned his head closer to me, eyes closed. His face was so close that I could feel his warm breath on my own face. Oh no, my voice in my head screamed. He was going to try to kiss me!

Suddenly I broke away from his arms and bent over, faking a sudden cough attack. Peter stared at me, his blue eyes questioning and bewildered.

I gasped, "Excuse me, Peter. I need to (more coughing) go and get a drink," and before he could protest, I turned and fled out of the Great Hall.

I went into a nearby stairwell and stood with my back against the wall. I leaned my head back, resting it on the cool stone with my eyes closed.

"No no no nonono," I whispered to myself. "This is bad. Peter can't-- he doesn't-- he tried to kiss me!" I whispered to myself fiercely.

Great. So I had succeeded in capturing the attention of Narnia's future king and in doing so, would be forced to hurt him. Because, even though I loved Peter as a brother and friend and king, I did not feel for him as... he apparently did about me.

I stayed hidden in the stairwell for as long as I could, but I had to return before someone missed me or went searching for me. I thought about what to do. It would be incredibly awkward to go back and face Peter, but I couldn't hide here all night. Soon people would start to notice my prolonged absence. Perhaps I would just  tell everyone that I had eaten too much and felt sick and then retire to my chamber early. Yes, that will work.

I entered to Hall again; I was glad to hear that the music was back to the cheerful and energetic rhythm it had been earlier. I scanned over the bobbing heads of Narnians and visiting Archenlanders for a familiar face. Finally I managed to spot Edmund. Edmund.

I called out to him. "Edmund, I am afraid I must have eaten too much during the feast and am not feeling too well at the moment. Could you please inform Peter and Susan and Lucy that I am going to my chambers early?"

He raised an eyebrow and said with a strange expression on his face, as if he were struggling to smother a smile,"Yes, I will tell them..."

I nodded and turned to go. As I left, I realized he must have though me quite a glutton if I had eaten enough to feel ill. My face flushed. Why do I always make a fool of myself?

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Once back inside my luxurious suite, I undressed and let my gown fall to the floor around my feet. I stepped out of it, kicked off my slippers, donned my nightgown, and climbed into the huge bed, curling into a ball under the soft covers. My face still burned with embarrassment. What am I supposed to do now? I thought. I wished I had someone to talk to about this. The ideal choice would be Susan, since she was an expert in all things girl-related, from clothes and make-up to manners to boys. But since the issue lay with her brothers, I didn't think it would be wise. Susan was also rather gossipy, so if you wanted to something to remain a secret, she was not the one to tell.

Sighing again, I rolled over on my other side and faced the windows. I looked out over the sea, watching the moon glowing in the sky, leaving a silvery trail across the water. 

Why couldn't it be Edmund? Edmund that had asked me to dance, who had tried to kiss me? I would have gladly let him. But it had to be Peter. And now I would have to tell him I didn't love him back, which could ruin our friendship. And if he found out that it was his own brother that held my affections, who knew what could happen? Maybe I was being vain, but what if it divided Narnia and ruined their rule forever?

"Errrr!!" I groaned in frustration.

I couldn't sleep. Throwing back the covers, I sat up and swung back out of bed. I paced around the huge room, pulling a few of the heavy, leather-bound books off of the shelf in the corner. I curled up in one of the armchairs next to the still-blazing fire, and began to turn the gilded pages, reading a detailed history of Narnia's disputes with the giants of Ettinsmoor. It was just the read to make my brain go fuzzy and the words on the pages swim before my eyes. The warmth of the fire only helped. And so I fell asleep, my head lolling against the back of the chair, book spread across my lap, feet curled under me, and with one arm hanging over the edge of the chair.

A/N: Please review and tell me what you think!