A/N: Hi all! I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a while. I will try to update more often.

Here's a little chapter for you. It's not much, but I hope it's better than nothing, while I'm doing my best to compose a real chapter. Happy (or not so happy) reading!

As the darkness surrounded them in the cold afternoon, many thoughts that Peter had managed to shut out for a long time, were now resurrected in his mind. They seemed to come alive, and he felt like he relived it all over again.

Suddenly he was back in his own bedroom. The sound of Eldarin's little breaths, his light steps in the snow, and the hissing wind faded away as he thought back to the day, exactly two months past his son's birth.

Peter woke up after a fairly calm night, compared to most. The baby had slept nearly four hours between the last two feedings. His beautiful, worn out Cinondil lay beside him, looking like she would sleep forever. Careful not to wake her, Peter bent over to kiss her forehead and pulled the covers that had slid down, back over her shoulder.

Silent and peaceful sunbeams shone through the window, lighting up the room. From the crib, that Cinoldil had wished to keep in the same room, he could hear small squeaking and high-pitched gasping noises.

He crawled out of bed and crossed the room to find Eldarin wide awake, looking up at him with big eyes. A happy smile spread over the baby's lips, and he began kicking his tiny legs wildly of joy.

"What are you doing awake at this early hour?" Peter took him in his arms and left the room for his wife to sleep on, in peace and quiet. It was yet an hour until breakfast, which he spent strolling around the castle, discussing the future of Narnia with his young heir. It was calm and peaceful in the hallway. Most were still asleep. Though at breakfast time, it was quite the opposite. All but Eldarin's mother had been seen. Susan told her brother that Queen Cinondil was having a slight fever.

During the day the queen felt worse, and wouldn't get any better. The next day she had a very high temperature. Professor Cornelius guessed it was some kind of poisoning, but not even he knew what to do.

Two painful weeks passed, without any change, but Peter did not leave her side. He sat by the edge of her bed and talked to her, prayed, and waited for her to get better. But she did not recover.

One early morning, when the rain was pouring down outside, a cold wind blew through the castle, making all who felt it shiver, as a chill went down their backs. Eldarin was restless, and Cinondil tossed and turned, even though she was very weak. Only when she held her son's hand and he talked to her, she seemed to feel better.

"I wish you'd rest a little, my love", Peter said and lifted Eldarin from the bed.

"Please", she uttered with a feeble voice. "Let me hold him." She tried to reach for him as he took him away, but she was to weak.

"Just a little while. Please, you must rest." He kissed her forehead. "We both love you so much." Then he stepped away to put Eldarin in his crib.

"Peter, no", she tried weakly, but it was no louder than a whisper.

When Peter returned, the bed was empty, and the sound of rain became louder. A breeze came from the open balcony doors. He didn't know whether he shouted his wife's name or if it was only a quiet thought, but that was not important. When he got to her, she lay on the wet floor, barely breathing. She had always loved it when it rained, and yet when she was sick, she watched the raindrops fall from the sky with a faint smile on her face. Her skin was pale, and her long hair was spread in the water.

Before Peter could even make a further move, all life left her eyes. Her chest did not move, and the sound of her breaths was gone.

Peter had never forgiven himself for leaving her that morning. He couldn't forgive himself for abandoning her to die alone, and he could not forgive Aslan for letting her. It was obviously the great Lion's way of punishing him. It was the unspoken consequence of his selfishness and inattentive actions. Aslan had told him there would be consequences, but not what they would mean. This was the punishment. Aslan had yet again forsaken him.

o.o.E.o.o

The Great Hall was swarming with people, making a perfect chaos. All he could see were people, decorations, curtains and food. Edmund was utterly lost in the planning, and nothing seemed to make any sense. Apparently and completely unexpectedly, they were to have a ball at the castle, that very night. No one had bothered to tell him, and when he asked about it, they seemed to be as lost as he was, but it was too late to do anything about it. So there it was. A ball.

Edmund was really not in a ball mood. There was so much going on, and he only knew half of it. How would a grand ball make anything better?

There was also another problem. As king, he would be obligated to dance. With girls. To others, that might not sound as much of a problem, but dear Edmund was in a difficult situation. Just the one girl he wished to dance with, would not be there.

He'd rather spend the night keeping Caspian company, investigating the mystery of Beruna. But that, he knew his sisters would not allow. He'd simply have to sit this ball out, cope. And it would not be that easy, for as much as wanted to, he could not get that sight out of his head. The woman that he thought he saw in the big crowd, but didn't. He couldn't have. Still she haunted his mind, and it was driving him insane.

Edmund was so caught up in his own thoughts, that he didn't notice he was being watched.

A/N: Ooh! Creepy! Wonder who that is, sneaking around the castle watching people! Please let me know what you think about this chapter and what you would like to read in the future.

Thank you to my guest reader for the tip to divide the chapters!

Also, for update information, questions or a picture of how I imagine Eldarin, I have a new Instagram account you're more than welcome to check out. Username: valiantly.fictionating :D