Note: This one-shot took such a long time to write, although I'm not exactly sure why. But, I am still quite proud of it and the rest of my one-shots. I finished up this group of one-shots! Yay! Anyways, no real warnings for this one, just a whole lot of puppy love and betrayal. Feedback is always welcome. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: You know the drill: I don't own any name, place, object, etc. that you recognize. And the Great Lion will totally confirm that if you'd like to double-check.

Title: A Tale of Much Love and War

Year: 1013

Narnia's own High King Peter gave a wildly content sigh, which was not unusual these days. For the High King was betrothed to his love, Izirin of the island Brenn. He was often content and very happy these days. His siblings brought joy to his heart, but his Izirin brought love that he'd never experienced as such before. And while the High King could distance his personal feelings from court and war, his subjects and his family knew how happy he was. And it was just as well, for his younger siblings had each done their part in the way of threats to their brother's intended.

Izirin had taken their threats in stride, eventually becoming close friends with Susan and a bit of a second older sister to Lucy. She'd even wormed her way into Edmund's heavily protected heart and made some sort of kinship with him as well. She'd impressed all of Narnia with her poise, loyalty, and obvious love for their beloved High King. And so, the high-born islander had won the hearts of her love's country and family.

But, in this, she was no entirely honest. For Izirin was much more than she seemed. Her family, her cousin, noble ruler of the island Brenn, was no longer a friend of Cair Paravel and all that it stood for. Instead, they were upstarts, rebels of the worst kind. And Izirin was a part of their schemes.

However, the High King had no inkling of this betrayal, and so, he sighed with contentment to his heart's desire. His siblings, no less content at his happiness, were currently teasing him relentlessly during their meal. As it was a rare occasion when Izirin did not dine with them at some meal, the other Pevensies had taken it upon themselves to take full advantage of young Peter. Trouble was, he was entirely too willing to be teased and jested at, for he was a man in love. And even his younger siblings could not spoil his mood today, for he and his beloved had a wonderful date planned for later.

Peter had even arranged for several distractions for his siblings because they, especially Lucy and Edmund, loved interrupting his dates with Izirin. Not that Izirin much minded, in fact she adored his younger siblings almost as much as Peter himself did. Disregarding the fact that they drove him up a wall many times over.

Though all four siblings were well into their twenties, none had truly lost the childish nature they'd had when they were first crowned. And Peter never wanted his little siblings to. Which was why he protected them so, knowing exactly when Edmund needed him and his endless embrace, when Susan needed him and his strong attitude and protection, and when Lucy needed him and his comfort and trust.

And so, knowing his siblings' natures, the High King Peter arranged for Sir Giles and Mr. Tumnus to go riding with Lucy while he was on his date, he enlisted General Oreius to schedule a vigorous training exercise for Edmund, and Mrs. Beaver to ask Susan for help with a particularly difficult embroidery piece. None of which any of his siblings could resist, even if they tried.

Now, all he had to worry about was containing himself until the date and continuing to romance his betrothed while he was with her. And forgive the High King, for he could be very thoughtful and romantic when he wished to be. Or when his lovely sister, Queen Susan tried to bash his head in for trying to take a lady tree-climbing as a first date. Gentle Queen indeed! But, only for the much-loved subjects of the Pevensie royals. No, when it came to being a sister, Susan was nearly merciless. Each Pevensie sibling could recall at least three times their oldest sister had chased after them with as much grace as a queen can have while running, for a wrong done, to her or to others.

And so, although Peter feared his sister's swift and often painful retribution at times, he braved it just as many for her advice. For however much Susan might chase after and threaten her siblings, she never ceased to give them wise counsel and steadfast support. Even with a topic as simple as a date.

Her wisdom had granted Peter the idea of a sweet ride through the surrounding forest with his betrothed, tracing the path of the first horse race the couple had run. Or rather, their horses had run. Peter, of course, thought it to be a wonderful idea and would have ended the romance there, but Susan insisted that Peter give Izirin some piece of decorum to remember him by in times of war. The betrothed couple had already had a very long engagement, just over a year and two months. They were set to be married next month, and Susan had felt it would be a nice gesture of love and devotion to Izirin to give her a remembrance of her lover.

So, Peter had gone and found the very first ring he'd worn as a newly crowned king to symbolize his royalty. Susan had even helped her light-haired brother by quietly measuring Izirin's current rings while she was away from her rooms. But Susan, not any kind of royal snoop as Lucy may have been, failed to read the open letter on the Lady Izirin's desk. If she had been just a little less concerned about propriety, she may have prevented certain panic and fear for her fellow brother and High King.

Alas, Susan simply gained her information about rings and left to let Peter know that his ring would do just fine for his betrothed to wear and to cherish. Leaving and missing the signs that day were something that Susan would not soon forgive herself for, although each other her siblings said there was nothing to forgive.

So, Izirin rejoiced that the date was on track, and her traitorous heart would not be stayed so soon. The previous island lady and her magnificent king set off in the early afternoon for some of the most difficult hours of their lives.

At first, the date began wonderfully and romantically, just as Peter and Susan had intended while planning. Peter had even allowed many sweet words to escape as he explained the inspiration behind the ride and Izirin had even allowed a smile to escape that meant she knew exactly who had given Peter the idea. For, although Peter could be romantic and spontaneous, this she knew was not one of those times. She also knew that one of those times was coming up very quickly for both of them.

She knew this, not because of her own untrue heart, but because Peter's heart was pumping blood as quickly as she'd ever felt it beneath his chest and her pale hands. Something that only happened when he was nervous (rare), awaiting something rather important (much more often). And so, Izirin patiently waited out the ride, actually looking forward to the surely romantic gesture that was soon to be coming her way.

At the end of their leisurely ride, Peter pulled his magnificent steed to a halt and asked Izirin to do the same. She obliged, smiling disarmingly at her husband-to-be. Peter returned the smile with a nervous one of his own and fumbled with the small box in his breast pocket. Izirin giggled at his nervousness as he blushed scarlet, for not many knew how clumsy the High King could get when he was truly nerve-racked.

In the end, his clumsiness was no matter, for the ring was procured and thankfully ended up on his beloved's finger, right beside her engagement ring. Izirin gushed and giggled and blushed all throughout the giving, but anyone could observe her excitement at this new turn of events. Though most would not have interpreted it correctly as her excitement at his full trust in her.

Izirin now saw fit to ask Peter to return to her rooms with her and before he could protest the impropriety, she told him in a voice barely above a whisper that she had a gift for him as well. That just about did the High King in, he blushed like a young schoolgirl on her first date, as his mischievous little brother would say, and agreed to accompany her to her chambers quietly.

They exchanged smiles and slowly returned to the castle, Izirin examining her new jewel fervently. Each had lovesick expressions on their youthful faces.

Finally, the couple reached Cair Paravel, and each unmounted and brushed down their horses themselves. This was an achievement in itself, one the Pevensies had fought valiantly for during the first few weeks of their reign. The royals were permitted to brush down their horses only if they were not immediately needed somewhere else, or just returning from a long travel. Since neither were the case for Peter and Izirin, each happily brushed down their respective horse.

The youthful couple retired to Izirin's chambers with a certain amount of propriety, informing Izirin's guards that Peter was simply there to receive a gift in private and not to worry. Even so, news spread quickly amongst animals with awe-inspiring hearing and soon the younger Pevensies were informed by a chuckling Cat that their brother was in Izirin's room. Lucy and Edmund exchanged glances from across the training courtyard to the stables, where Lucy had just returned. They grinned at each other, at one with their schemes.

Edmund swiftly asked Oreius if he could receive a break for his poor aching shoulder, which had been injured just days earlier in a battle with rogue Calormen pirates. Because King Edmund was not known for lying any more than Lucy was for giving up, Oreius let him leave with only the promise that he'd return later, preferably with King Peter in tow. And so it was agreed.

Lucy, however, quickly brushed down her horse, as thoroughly as she always had, and then went to retrieve Susan from Mrs. Beaver's clutches. Susan was all too happy to take a short break from embroidery, though she enjoyed it immensely when she had company.

Susan and her clever younger siblings agreed to wait in Peter's room to ambush the poor young king, not wishing to interrupt what Susan believed to be the giving of Peter's ring to Izirin. However, if the young royals had not soon realized that something was not right, all would've been lost. Thankfully, each of the Pevensies had been gifted with extremely intelligent heads on their royal shoulders and soon went to retrieve Peter from Izirin's rooms the third time one of the islander's guards asked if they wished for anything.

Though the Pevensies were unwilling to believe that anything was wrong, they were quite curious enough to investigate. And it was rather fortunate that they did so, for what they found shocked each to their core.

Edmund, who had raced inside after Izirin's guards had pulled a sword on Lucy, saw the betrayal first. Izirin was standing over his brother's unconscious form, holding a long hunting dagger, blade down over Peter's still form. Edmund gave a roar of fury unlike any the Cair had ever heard before and struck such a fear within Izirin that she almost dropped the dagger. Unfortunately, she did not. Instead she tried to bring it down upon the undefended king's heart.

Edmund, fury coursing through his veins, hurled himself at his brother's betrothed, slamming her against her bedside table roughly. It was at that moment that the other Pevensies rushed in. Susan was wiping a blood-splattered arrow off on her dress, as Lucy replaced her dagger for her cordial.

The Queens assessed the situation for less than a second, before Susan charged at Izirin, who had taken advantage of Edmund's relief that his sisters were unharmed. Lucy, in turn, raced to her oldest brother's side, cordial already unstopped.

Susan smashed Izirin's head around with her bloody arrow, as Edmund searched her drawers for the bit of rope that was in every room of the Cair. One incident of Lucy sneaking out to go riding by climbing down the Cair's steep walls without a rope had been enough for all the inhabitants. Particularly because she'd fallen and been injured in the process. However, this was the farthest thing from Edmund's thoughts as he rummaged around in the drawers as Susan knocked Izirin unconscious.

Edmund managed to find the rope just as Lucy poured a bit of life into Peter's lips from the cordial. In a matter of seconds, Izirin's hands and ankles were tied tightly and Peter was coughing awake, looking around in confusion.

It was a testament to his state of mind when he caught sight of Izirin that he did not immediately register that she was tied up and instead tried to pull Lucy behind him bodily. Lucy stayed her brother's arms as they wrapped around her and silenced his cries to be careful of Izirin to Susan and Edmund. As Peter's warnings died down with his youngest sister's ministrations, Susan went to retrieve a loyal Narnian guard to do away with the bodies and Izirin.

Peter's eyes were still wide with fear and betrayal when Susan returned, though her younger siblings had managed to get him to his feet. Now, the Pevensies, as they had many times before, returned to the room they all felt entirely safe in: Peter's. As guards took away the blood and bodies and betrayal, the royals curled up around Peter, each safe in another's arms. Peter eventually let loose several cries of betrayal and pain, which Lucy gently silenced as she had earlier. Edmund steadied Peter's hands while the Gentle Queen wiped away his hurt tears. It was their turn to care for their older brother, and they were determined to do a magnificent job of it.

Later, when Oreius had overseen all the imprisonments and cremations of the traitorous islanders, he quietly headed up to the High King's bedroom and peeked inside to check on the siblings. Inside he found only peace; Lucy wrapped entirely around Peter's middle, while Susan had claimed Peter's chest as her pillow, and Edmund's hands were wrapped in his High King's. Oreius let a small smile escape, for he knew that each royal was safe and comforted at last.

Note: Wow! The end, I guess. It feels like I started this series of one-shots forever ago (which I did), but now it's all over and I'll have to find some other characters to hurt and comfort. I sincerely hope you all enjoyed, and I hope you'll check out more of my stories once I have them uploaded! I'll see you next time!