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A Problem In The Golden Age

Chapter 1. A Day Like Any Other

"It has been a great 5 years hasn't it?" Susan said with a faraway look in her eyes.

"Yes it has" Lucy replied.

Susan and Lucy had grown up so much in these 5 years. So had Edmund. Truth was we all had. We were alot closer than when we first entered Narnia. And Lucy and Edmund were spending alot of time together lately. I don't know what it is. He's just been more... brotherly lately. Not that he hasn't been but even more so now. I'm starting to wonder if THEIR the closer ones now.

"So what do you think Peter" I heard Lucy ask. I had been staring out the window at Edmund washing Phillippe. And Phillippe was messing with Edmund. As soon as he would get him nice a clean Phillippe would roll around in the dirt so Edmund would have to start all over. And he kept shaking his mane getting Edmund soaked. Eventually Edmund just walked away.

"What" I asked looking back at them. They were both staring at me with concerned looks.

"Horseback riding later." Lucy repeated.

"Oh sure" I said.

"You don't sound to excited" Susan said.

I was about to reply when the door opened. Edmund walked in soaked and with an angry expression.

"Been taking a bath" Susan asked.

"Yeah I thought you took them later in the day" I said.

"Hahaha" he replied a smile appearing on his face. Lucy giggled. "What are you lauging at" he asked.

"Do I have to answer" she asked. He swung his dark wet hair at her getting her wet. "Hey" she shreiked "that's cold water."

"I know" he replied.

She chased him out of the room both of them cracking up.

"And their off" I said commentating the event as they passed by the door again "Edmund has a small lead, probably a good thing for him, but Lucy is right on his heels." They passed by the door again this time Lucy just a bit closer with sheer determination on her face "Oh King Edmund is in for it now because Queen Lucy looks as though she wants to kill him" I said once again commentating the event.

Susan was laughing uncontrollably by now. "And Queen Susan finds this hysterically funny" I said sending her into another fit of giggles. We heard a blunder right outside the door. Susan and I walked to the door and apparently Lucy caught Edmund but it didn't go like she thought. He was tickling her and she was now wet concidering he was still wet.

"Oh and now Queen Lucy has caught King Edmund. Oh wait... it's the other way around." I said. Susan was still cracking up even more now. Especially at the sight of Edmund tickling Lucy. Then Susan joined in. Lucy was defensless. Her eyes were nearly bugging out. So I decided it might be nice if I helped Lucy. It was a fight between the oldest youngest, and the middles. I'm not sure who won in the end. We hadn't had this much fun in I don't how long.

"Peter" Edmund said in an odd voice "are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Well" I replied finally seeing where he was getting at "I'm thinking these girls look like they need to cool off."

"What" they shrieked. I grabbed Susan while Edmund grabbed Lucy and we ran outside, people watching us all the way. We ran all the way not stopping until we got to the stream. We went to the deepest part and with the girls still in tow jumped in. The last thing I heard before going under was two squeals from Susan and Lucy. I came back up and Susan and Lucy were trying to stay afloat with their dresses on. Edmund and I had forgotten about that. But they seemed to be getting along quit nicely. In fact Lucy tried to dunk me. It was probably interesting for someone walking by to see their 20,19,17,and 15 year old Kings and Queens trying to dunk each other.

Soon, too soon, Orieus called Edmund and I for an emergancy so we had to leave our sisters for our Kingly duties yet again. It was hard to do it sometimes but they understood and at least we did get time together sometimes. They were still swimming when we left.

"We have a problem Your Majesties" Orieus said.

"Well we understand that, we just need to know what it's about" Edmund replied getting a worried look. I was getting worried as well. We had lived here long enough to know the tones in Orieus's voice. Or at least when problems occurred we could usually tell what it was about. It wasn't a battle tone. It wasn't a single combat tone. And it wasn't a threatening suitor tone.

Even Lucy was starting to get suitors at 15! Although she doesn't get quit as many as Susan. Not because she's younger or they don't like her, but because Edmund nearly killed the first suitor. Of course it had shocked us all concidering she was 11 when the prince came...

It had been 3 years since our coronation. It was Edmund's birthday and everybody was trying to figure out the best way to celebrate it because he, just like Lucy, hated party's. We were in the throne room asking Edmund what he wanted for his birthday. After all 13 IS a big birthday. My little brother was becoming a teenager. We had asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he was thinking. We were sitting there, somewhat impatiently, and the door opened. We all looked up.

A faun walked into the room. Edmund, Lucy, and I grunted. Susan just sat up straight. Not without rolling her eyes though. Usually a faun came when we had a suitor for Susan. Although this faun seemed a tad paler than they usually were. And we had been right. There was a prince. But we got one thing wrong.

"He... He... Hello You.. You.. Your Ma.. Majesties." he studdered.

I took a deep breathe. "What is your business here" I asked in my, as Lucy and Edmund called it, High King voice.

"I a..am he..here to a..ask for th..the ha..hand of Que..Queen Lu... Lucy." he studdered.

Edmund and I jumped up. "Queen WHO!" we screamed. The prince stepped back a few steps. Lucy's mouth was open. She looked over at Susan. Susan just shrugged. She was just as shocked by this as we were. Our little sister, our ELEVEN year old LITTLE sister had her first suitor! Edmund took a few steps forward.

"Did you just say Queen LUCY!" he half asked half screamed.

"Ye.. Ye... Ye... Ye.." the prince studdered.

"WELL!" this time screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Yes" the prince finally managed.

Lucy stepped up. "May I speak dear brother." she asked using her court voice and looking at me. She only used it when absolutely neccessary or when she was nervous(usually to HIDE being nervous).

"Ye.. yes" I stammered. I was REALLY shaken up by this!

"I am only 11. I am not ready for marriage yet. So if you would please go back to your kingdom" she said.

"Yeah, what she said" Edmund said gritting his teeth.

"But" the prince started.

"GO" Edmund screamed louder than I had ever heard him yell before. That prince took off as quick as he possibly could. As soon as he was gone Lucy and Edmund cracked up.

"That was interesting" Lucy said through tears.

"I know. Did you see the way he took off." Edmund said also through tears. Though tears from laughing to hard.

"Ok. Best birthday EVER!" Edmund said...

Orieus took us to my office and we sat down.

"I think there's a threat to your sisters" Orieus said.

"What" I asked sitting up.

"I can't be sure but I think the Calormene's are after your sisters. And not for wifes" he said. Edmund and I exchanged glances.

"What exactly do you mean" Edmund asked. We were both definitely worried by now.

"I don't know yet but I don't think they should go anywhere alone for a while." Orieus replied.

"Then is it a good idea to have them out there swimming alone" I asked.

"I don't know Your Majesties. But I wouldn't leave them alone for long" Orieus replied.

Then Susan and Lucy came bursting in the room out of breathe. It looked like Lucy was crying. And Susan was nearly so. Edmund and I jumped up. Orieus was right behind us.

"What happened" I asked.

Susan fell into me. "They tried to take us" Susan whimpered.

Lucy collapsed amd Edmund ran to her side.

"What is it Lucy, did they hurt you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Just rea...really shaken u...up. I...if it wasn't fo...for Su..Susan th...they would ha..have go...gotten me th...though." she sobbed into his shoulder "th...they h...had a grip o...on m..me b...but S...Susan g...got me b...back."

"Oh Lucy" he said holding her a little closer as if to make sure she was still there and wouldn't leave. He looked up at me. I looked down at Susan who was crying hard too.

"I haven't bee...been th..this scared i...in a l...long time" Susan said. I held her tighter. Both Edmund and I had a crying, frightened sister in our arms. I didn't know what to do. I knew I couldn't be around them all the time. I knew they would be alone at times. What would happen if they were ALL alone. Not a single person around. Not even each other. What would we do then?

"Just stay with us at all times" Edmund said.

"Ok" they sobbed.

"It has now been confimed" Orieus said shaking his head. We all looked up at him. All of us understanding what he meant. Even the girls who hadn't been in there for the conversation.

"The Queens of Narnia are in danger. You know this may mean battle?" he asked. The girls looked up at us. They hated having battles over them. They didn't like their subjects dying for them. Even if their subjects were more than willing. They especially hated Edmund and I going off to battle because of them. Or going off to battle period. But it wasn't THEIR fault. They couldn't help it. Edmund looked down at Lucy, held her a little tighter because she was in a new set of tears, then looked back up.

"Whatever it takes" he said.

"My answer is the same" I said "whatever it takes."

This sent Susan and Lucy into more tears. Edmund and I just comforted them as well as we could.