luna | peter pevensie

chapter thirteen

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Praying to Aslan isn't something that comes naturally to Peter. Really, it's Lucy's idea — to soothe his mind with everything going on. Peter isn't sure how his siblings always know how he feels, but the prayers do help, and they make him feel less alone.

He prays for comfort for the first few nights after the courtship. Days with Gloria make time tick by slowly, and not in a good way. Peter is sure he's never noticed the details put into Narnian timepieces until he began to spend time with Gloria.

And the thing is, she isn't even that bad, she's just not the kind of person Peter finds interesting. She's into the showy, the flashy, the appearances that people show. She places her entire personality into what is in style amongst nobles, and while it seems to please her, it makes Peter rather queasy.

He wonders if she's hiding anything, like secret dreams or goals, but she doesn't seem interested in anything but appearances.

After a week or two, Peter prays for clarity. Because if courtship is an intention to marry, he thinks he may be doing it wrong. He's trying to find positives in getting to know Gloria, but he can't help but compare her to Luna. Every opinion she has combats the carefree nature of her sister, and Peter likes Luna's ideas so much more...

"We don't plan to invade any islands as long as we reign," he continues, pushing away his thoughts. "Unless it's a rescue mission of some sort, which is absurd at the moment, considering our peace treaties with the majority of surrounding countries."

Gloria sips her wine and sucks in her teeth. "I wonder if we'd get new clothing designs if we did invade."

Peter is briefly reminded how Ophelia got her wealth in the first place. Even before she married Earwyn, she was the Lone Islands' most wealthy tailor and clothing designer. One of the reasons Ophelia's designs were so well-received, were because they were inspired by the clothes Earwyn would bring back from the islands he visited.

But that wasn't invasion, it was inspiration. Right?

Gloria continues. "Ever since Father died, our designs have dwindled. Mother often says it's his fault we're losing our fortune."

Peter wonders what the morality of blaming your dead husband for your business' failure is. Perhaps that's how nobles work. Peter still isn't used to so many humans as nobles in Narnia. Most of them aren't even Narnian by birth; they've come over after the end of the witch's reign.

So Peter feels a bit weird knowing that people who weren't even born Narnians are trying to give him political advice. He thinks he trusts the centaurs more.

"I am hoping to switch over the council back into the hands of the centaurs," he confesses, since he has no reply for her previous statement.

Gloria makes a face like she's smelled something foul. "Why? They're beasts."

Peter doesn't normally think of himself as an angry person, but he loathes the thought of his greatest friends and mentors being called beasts. What a foul thing to call those who fought bravely for Narnia's liberation.

Certainly it's the wine talking. Gloria can't actually be so prejudice as to soberly call respected Narnians such a word. "Have you had too much to drink?" He laughs, trying to shake off the pallid color he knows floods his face.

Gloria stares at him, calculated. Her lips are pursed, and then, slowly, they unknot into a perfect smile. "Of course. Perhaps it's time for me to take my leave."

"Yes." He knows his voice is clipped, but it's a bit hard to care.

Gloria leaves, and in her place comes Lucy, like she could sense the dismal mood. "What happened?"

Peter could never tell Lucy what Gloria said. She'd never hire the woman again, and as much as Peter wouldn't mind that, they have to keep up appearances to each other. They can't go around making enemies just because of a drunken mistake. "She felt sick," he says. "So she went to lie down."

Lucy stares at him a moment too long. "You're lying, but I'll leave it be for now." She brightens, and Peter is thankful she doesn't push it. He needs time to think. Time to figure out how he's going to handle this. "Did Edmund tell you his news?"

Peter takes in her flushed cheeks and warm eyes. "No, but I take it's good?"

"He offered Luna a position beneath him in his strategy team!"

"Oh." Peter feels something in his stomach drop. Edmund's team of strategists are close. Like, best-friends-who-stay-up-all-night-together kind of close. They're the people who go with Edmund on his diplomatic meetings and they're his most trusted friends.

Essentially, Luna will now be spending almost all of her time with Edmund.

And Peter doesn't want to feel the way he does. In fact, he's pretty sure he shouldn't, since he's courting Gloria. Still, some part of him wants to use his status to make Edmund renounce his decision. And then he'd make Luna his first officer, or something similar, so that she'd be at his side all day.

"She needs to be away from you and Gloria, Peter. Remember?" Lucy's voice is soft, tentative, like she knows exactly what he's thinking. "This is a good thing."

"It is," Peter says. "I know. I just wish it could be different."

Lucy takes his hand. "Have you been talking to Aslan about all of this?"

"I've been trying. It's hard when he doesn't talk back."

She squeezes his hand and smiles knowingly. "Have you been listening, Peter? When you ask, do you wait for an answer?"

They both know the answer, so Lucy leaves him alone to clean up the parlor.

He picks up Gloria's wine glass and sighs dejectedly.

It's mostly full.

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another filler chapter,, but we're getting there