Chapter Two

Edmund woke with a horrid feeling at the pit of his stomach. He quickly got up and found Peter at the breakfast table. His anger at his brother increased the uneasiness inside him. Wordlessly, he piled his plate with food but took very few bites. They sat in silence for a long time before Peter broke it.

"Is Susan still angry at me?" he asked.

Edmund glared at him. "She's not the only one." He paused and finally let out the feelings he had been keeping in since yesterday. "Why must you always do everything?"

"What?"

"You insist on making all the major decisions. Susan was right you know. And it's not just her and Lucy either. You leave me out too, even if you let me in more that you do them."

"I'm the High King of Narnia. I have to be responsible."

"And what am I?" spat Edmund. He pounded his fists on the table, making the silver and goblets rattle. "Or Susan and Lucy? We do not sit on those thrones to be part of the decoration! Aslan had us installed in there to be your co-rulers. We may not have the title of High King, but I think we deserve some merit on how to run things."

"I just wanted… what's best for you, for Narnia."

"You think what's best is for us to sit still while you do all the work."

"I want to protect you!"

"From what? Responsibility? I may be 14 but I'm also a king. You forget you were younger than me when you became king yourself. Give me that respect. Give all three of us that."

Edmund was prepared for another comeback from Peter. He was always so stubborn when he wanted to. It surprised him however when he hung his head instead. "Ed, I'm sorry. You're right. I should have let you stay there. Susan should have been there too. I thought I could handle it but I just made a mess."

Edmund's anger abated at his brother's admission. He knew this wasn't the time to be fighting or getting these issues out. They had much bigger problems to deal with. "Look, let's not argue now. Let's just do what needs to be done."

Peter gave him a grateful smile. "I'll talk to the king this afternoon." He paused and flushed guiltily. "We… we'll talk to the king after lunch. I want you to be there. I'll send for Susan to be there as well. Is everything ready?"

"Not as well as we could hope. We need several days to prepare to get a decent army ready. We have a head start at least. Lucy's coming home tonight, late afternoon at the earliest. King Lune has promised any assistance he could extend."

Peter nodded and they both got up and parted ways. Edmund went to check on the armory, while Peter headed off to inspect the status of the magical beasts that have been preparing for battle. Shortly after noon, Edmund joined Peter in the courtyard. Susan wasn't there but Peter told him he had sent word for her to join them. They proceeded to one of the gardens where Minax, Ignavus and their courtiers were all lounging in comfortable chairs, just finished with their luncheon.

"I trust you have reached your decision," the king greeted.

"Yes, I have."

Edmund and Peter were startled. The voice was Susan's. She stood a few paces behind them, attired in the most elegant dress she owned. Her hair was made up and she looked stunning in the early afternoon sun. She gave the king her most dazzling smile as she approached him.

"I consent to a marriage to your son," she declared cheerily.

Edmund's jaw dropped open and he saw Peter was looking just as amazed.

"Wonderful," said Minax. "I knew you would see reason." He looked at her brothers with a triumphant smile.

Susan sat on the empty chair next to the king and let him kiss her hand. She proposed a toast and the nobles of Potens eagerly joined. Edmund and Peter stood at a distance away by the trees.

"Is she serious?" Edmund whispered to Peter. "Did you talk to her last night?"

"No," replied Peter. "I haven't talked to her since she walked out on me in the throne room yesterday."

"I propose another way to celebrate our engagement," said Susan in an unusually girly voice. "If you may indulge me, O King Minax, as your future daughter-in-law."

"Why of course, my dear," replied the king, obviously beguiled. "What do you propose?"

"Oh just a silly little game I play with my family and when I'm bored."

"A game," said Minax pleasantly. "By all means, let's have it."

Susan nodded and motioned to a dwarf to come forward. Edmund saw that he was carrying Susan's bow and a shaft of arrows.

"I like to have a shooting game every now and then. A fine contest and a good form of exercise, don't you think?" she said.

Minax looked amused at her but nodded.

"Perhaps my beloved would like to join me?"

Edmund wanted to throw up. He admired his sister's stomach and the way she could lie through her teeth. He knew there was no way she had changed her mind about the prince. She was up to something.

Ignavus looked uncomfortable. "Well I'm not much of an archer, though I am learning," he said.

"Oh don't worry," Susan flattered him while stroking his cheek coquettishly. Edmund fought the urge to gag. "I'm sure you'll do loads better than me."

"Of course," replied Ignavus, cottoning on and grinning stupidly at her. "I'll go easy on you, don't worry."

"Thank you, you're a darling," she sighed in a perfect imitation of Scarlett O' Hara, minus the accent.

"Now what's the target?"

"Oh I always make it interesting," said Susan. She turned to look slyly at Peter. "My brother, the High King's clothes."

Edmund frowned. That didn't make any sense.

The prince gave an ugly snort. "I don't think I understand you. You mean you get his clothes and hang them up as target? I don't really see how that makes it interesting."

"Oh it is," said Susan airily as she fitted an arrow into her bow. "I'm talking about the ones he's wearing right now… beginning with his cape." Without warning, she pointed the arrow at Peter and shot at him. Edmund watched in horror as the arrow whizzed in the air and grasped the right side of Peter's cape pinning it and him to the tree behind him.

Everyone else stood in shocked silence.

"And now for his left collar," Susan went on as if she was talking about the weather. "She fired a second shot and it effectively hit the loose part of Peter's collar without grazing his skin, pinning Peter further.

"Susan!" Peter gasped in a barely audible voice. "Are you mad?"

Edmund thought she really was, but not in a crazy way. He was beginning to see where this was going. He never doubted his sister's archery skills.

"And his right collar," continued Susan just as she let go of another arrow. It lodged where she just said it would. Peter opened his mouth to say something but no words would come out.

"Would you like to have a turn?" Susan said offering her bow toIgnavus.

"SUSAN!" cried Peter in alarm.

The crown prince was looking at her with his mouth hanging open. Edmund thought he resembled a codfish. "Wh-what if I hit him?"

"That's the exciting part," grinned Susan. "If you do, your clothes get to be the target for the next one to shoot. That will be Edmund. He's still learning to use the bow too, aren't you brother?"

Edmund decided to play along and nodded at Ignavus.

Ignavus backed away to hide partially behind his father's chair. Edmund could see he was positively panicking.

"Well, then if you wish, I'll finish my turn." She faced Peter again and loaded another arrow. "His crown."

For some reason, Peter no longer appeared frightened to Edmund. He was staring calmly and trustingly at Susan.

The arrow sailed through the air amid gasps from the Potens nobles but it hit right on its mark to dislodge the crown from Peter's head and pin it to the tree trunk.

"Oh bravo, Su!" Edmund cheered. He was the only one doing so. Edmund noticed the codfish in their courtyard seemed to have multiplied.

"Would anyone want a turn?" Susan offered good-humoredly.

All the men from Potens were silent. They were looking at her as if they had just seen a monster emerge in her place. Ignavus appeared to be the most frightened of all and was tugging frantically at his father's sleeve.

"Will you excuse us for a moment," said the king who seemed to have recovered first. "I think I need a word with my son."

He didn't even wait for Susan's nod. He got up and pulled his son aside to talk. It wasn't long before they returned.

Minax cast a nervous glance at Susan before turning to Edmund. "I'd like to have a word, King Edmund. Inside, if you please."

"Of course," replied Edmund and motioned Susan to follow him.

"I'd rather it be with you alone," said the king.

"Whatever it is you wish to say to me you can say in front of my sister," said Edmund firmly. "She is after all, Queen of Narnia and my equal monarch."

Susan gave him a pleased look.

"Very well," said the king uncomfortably.

---

Lucy waited eagerly at the deck of the Splendour Hyaline. She stared hard at the towers of Cair Paravel in front of her and waited with bated breath as the ship sailed into the harbor. She clutched Edmund's letter in her hands and resisted the urge to read it again. In the end she decided not to.

Edmund had explained to her via letter what happened so far in Narnia while she was away. Narnia would soon be at war, that was for certain. Perhaps by now, they were all set preparing for battle. She was deeply worried, but that feeling was competing with another more troublesome emotion.

It was rare that she had ever been angry at Peter. Usually it was Edmund who pushed her buttons. If not, it was Susan who annoyed her. This time, however, Peter had managed to earn her ire. Edmund didn't exactly tell her that Peter had deliberately deceived her about the Potens King's arrival yesterday, but she had read between the lines.

How dare he send me away and not tell me King Minax was arriving! It's just like him again, feeling heroic and responsible and not trusting me to help. Just because I'm the youngest, doesn't mean I'm worthless.

Lucy resolved to give Peter a piece of her mind as soon as she saw him. But when her ship finally embarked, her initial worry about Narnia going to war took over and she was soon running until she reached Cair Paravel. She burst through the main entrance and went directly to the throne room. She had expected to find a busy hall with centaurs, dwarfs and talking mice meeting importantly with her siblings about war plans while squirrels scurried about bringing news. What she didn't expect was to find Susan and Edmund comfortably seated alone by the side desk, talking casually while surrounded by several scrolls.

"Lucy, welcome back!" greeted Edmund gaily.

Lucy looked at him in alarm. "What happened? Has Peter gone to battle already? Oh I wish I had come sooner. I wasn't even able to say goodbye."

"Relax, Lucy, no one's going to battle," said Susan calmly.

"But why? I thought Potens was about to declare war."

Before her siblings could answer, the doors to the room opened again and in strode Peter, his royal robes were torn in several places and his crown was sitting askew on his head. He stormed up to Susan.

"How… dare… you…!" He glanced around the room. "Where's Minax?"

Susan didn't even look flustered. "On his way home."

Peter's face took on the look of pure panic. "To start a war with us? Oh please tell me you didn't aggravate him further? Ed, what are you sitting around there for? We have to be with the troops right now!"

"Calm down, Peter," Susan said in a tone that reminded Lucy of their mother. She pushed a scroll in his direction. "This may assure you."

Peter unrolled the scroll and glanced at the first few paragraphs. "A trade treaty?" He stared at the bottom. Lucy caught sight of an unfamiliar signature next to Susan's and Edmund's. "He signed it? But… how…"

Susan got up from her chair and bid him to follow her to a balcony overlooking the stables and grazing area for the horses. Peter did and Lucy curiously followed him. Susan pointed downwards for Peter's gaze to follow. Lucy peered in to have a look too and saw a dozen fine steeds she had never seen before contentedly grazing.

"Horses!" said Lucy delightfully. "Where did they come from?"

"My gift for you," said Susan, addressing Peter. "Even if you don't deserve it. But since you're the least favorite of my siblings at the moment, I'm letting Edmund and Lucy take first pick." She smiled at Lucy then gave Edmund an even warmer glance.

"But how…" Peter looked concerned at Susan. "You didn't promise to really marry him, did you?"

Susan shook his head. "No, Minax withdrew his proposal. Something about his son having different feelings about me and that he was worried Ignavus might not be able to handle a woman of my state of mind."

"He called you 'insane?'" Peter gasped, obviously offended. "He insulted you!"

"That's partly my fault actually," said Edmund. "I might have mentioned to Minax that the women in my family tended to be a bit…" He flipped his open palm several times. "I said Susan gets a thrill with games that involve sharp pointed objects and blood. And forgive me Lucy," he turned to her. "I think I might have tainted your reputation too when I told the king you're awfully fond of your dagger."

"Oh Edmund," said Susan affectionately. "You could have called both of us 'harpies' and 'witches' to Minax and we'd take it as a compliment if it gets us out of horrid marriage proposals. It was worth being thought of as a lunatic just to see that idiotic prince so terrified he was practically begging his father to go home and get away from me as soon as possible."

"But where did the horses come from then?" asked Lucy.

"I bought them from Minax," said Susan. "As a product of our first friendly exchange of goods according to the treaty."

"With what?" asked the still confused Peter.

Susan and Edmund rolled their eyes at him. "Peter, what are you wearing?" asked Susan.

"The best robes I've got," he replied. "Which, by the way you ruined."

"I didn't ruin them," said Susan. "You did. The arrow would only leave a small hole in the fabric if you removed it properly. But you had to tear it up by force."

"What was I supposed to do? Wait for you to come set me free? You left me pinned to a tree. It took me four hours to tear the fabric out!" he said angrily.

Lucy chuckled. She didn't know what exactly her sister did to make Minax withdraw his proposal, but she had a fair idea that it might have something to do with Peter's state of disarray. She reminded herself to get all the good details from Susan later.

"It took you that long to tear it out?" said Edmund, astonished. "Su, we should have haggled for a higher price if it's that durable."

"What are you talking about?" asked Peter. Lucy had the same question.

Susan grasped the end of Peter's torn cape and pulled it viciously between her two hands. It didn't give way but retained its beautiful luster. "Narnian silk, Peter. It's the strongest, most comfortable and elegant fabric in this world. A rare commodity as it is woven only by the nymphs of Narnia and can only be cut cleanly by special steel scissors forged by the dwarves."

"It was all Su's doing," explained Edmund. When she showed it to the king, he was so thrilled he forgot for a moment to be scared of her. He said he had only seen a single piece before in his life. It was five hundred years old and the people of Potens consider it a priceless treasure reserved only to wrap the crown jewels. We got Minax to part with a dozen of his horses for ten yards. He thought he was getting a bargain… now that I think of it, I think he did."

"I told him, we could design elegant clothes for him and his court as well," said Susan. "For a price, of course. He'll send orders soon and he's more than willing to pay handsomely for them. I've already set some of the fawns and nymphs working on designs."

Peter looked silently at his siblings. He slowly walked to his throne and sat down, his gaze on the floor.

"Not so bad the way I handled it?" asked Susan haughtily.

Peter seemed to have returned to his senses. "You humiliated me in front of a powerful king," he said evenly. He turned to look at her but his expression was unreadable. "If you weren't my sister—"

"You'd what?" Susan interrupted, her voice pitched high, ready to fight him again. "Sell me off to the next horrid prince that comes along to regain your pride?"

"No," his voice softened and his face followed. "I'd marry you myself. That way I could keep you in Narnia forever." He gave her a look of pure admiration. "You're the best negotiator I've got and I have no intention of letting you go, ever."

Susan raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms. "Oh," she said, annoyed. "And what exactly are you prepared to offer me for staying?"

Peter laughed but Susan didn't look amused. "I'm not joking, Peter. You can't just order me around. You want me as a negotiator, you have to pay."

"You're negotiating for a… a bride price?"

Lucy turned to look at Edmund. He was grinning the same way as she. This ought to be interesting.

"Sort of, but I'd like to call it a trade negotiation. What have you got?" Susan demanded.

Peter looked at an utter lost. "I've got nothing that you don't own."

Lucy thought that wasn't true. There was something he had kept from Susan that Lucy wanted herself. She was certain to demand it from him after Susan had her turn.

"I'm not asking for material things, Peter."

Peter smiled, relieved. "Would my eternal love and devotion do?" he said playfully.

Susan shook her head. "Not enough."

"What else do you want from me?" asked Peter. "Be your willing target next time you need to frighten some other monarch?"

Susan smiled wistfully. "Good offer, still not enough."

"What then?"

"Trust me," said Susan seriously as she stood directly in front of him. "Trust me to help you in any way. Don't leave me out. Not any of us, Edmund, Lucy or me. Ruling Narnia shouldn't always be your job alone, especially when it comes to diplomatic negotiations. Let us do that for you."

Lucy secretly applauded and thanked her sister for voicing out her own concerns.

Peter reached out and took Susan's hands in his own and nodded solemnly at her. "Alright, I promise." His gaze fell on Lucy. "I'm sorry for sending you away," he said to her. "Sorry for not trusting you enough. All of you."

Lucy felt that whatever Susan had put Peter through today, he was punished sufficiently. She ran to hug him from behind. Susan on the other hand, reached down and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"You have a deal, Peter. I'm not going anywhere."

End

A/N: I got the idea of using silk from a description in the Last Battle where Narnian clothes are very comfortable yet elegant, I thought it may have something to do with the fabric. For those of you who read Prince Caspian, if you noticed, Peter had sent Edmund to bring the challenge to Miraz. He didn't offer it himself. I know it may be a tradition to just send somebody on his behalf, but I thought that's an indication that Peter did that because Edmund was the better negotiator. We don't see Susan in the books showing that talent at all, but there was a chance that she did play a big role in diplomatic relations along with Lucy during the golden age.

Thanks so much for all of those who reviewed. Tell me what you think of this last chapter. If you like it so far, I might do a sequel. I'm getting a brain wave but there's nothing solid yet.