A/N: I've been wondering for a while what would be the reaction if someone in England learned that the Pevensie's are royalty. Coupled to that was my idea of sharing secrets, as you can tell from my story Can You Keep a Secret?. From my rambling thoughts about that sort of thing came this - originally meant to be no more than three pages of my notebook, it kept expanding until it's what it is today. I'm not going to tell you much more than that.

Now, I'm not completely sure about the age children would leave school. I know C.S. Lewis said that the Pevensies were all out of school at the time of the Last Battle (or, more specifically, Eustace and Jill were the only two still in school). I looked on the Timeline that C. supposedly created, and it says that Eustace and Jill were only a year younger than Lucy, and as they are sixteen at the time of the Last Battle, I have deduced that sixteen must be the age that they would be for their last year at school. That being said, I decided that the year for this story would be 1943. Susan at this time is 15, Lucy 11, Peter 16 and Edmund 13. If I have made a mistake in my reasoning, PLEASE let me know.

And now I'm sure you are sick of my chattering, so here we go!

England - 1943

Marjorie Preston was giving Lucy a strange look, one that made her want to wiggle uncomfortably. She resisted the urge, though, and waited as Marjorie made her way through the desks to sit beside her.

"Is something wrong, Marjorie?' Lucy asked uneasily. Her friend's look was beginning to give her shivers.

Marjorie started, as though unaware of her scrutiny. "N-nothing, Lucy," she answered quickly, a blush colouring her cheeks.

Something was most definitely wrong. "You aren't a very convincing liar," Lucy commented, doodling on the page before her.

Marjorie stayed silent for a moment. Lucy was tempted to ask her again what was wrong, but she could sense that Marjorie was struggling with something, and it would be best if Lucy waited.

"How did you learn to read people so well, Lucy?" Marjorie asked suddenly. The question startled Lucy, and she missed the off note in Marjorie's voice.

"I, um, I suppose it comes from having older siblings," Lucy answered quickly. I suppose it comes with ruling a magic kingdom for fifteen years.

Marjorie's eyes narrowed. "I'm the youngest as well, and I can't read people nearly so well as you can."

Lucy bit her lip in dismay. She had been so unsettled by Marjorie's unexpected question that she'd let down her guard.

"Perhaps some people are better at it than others," she shrugged, praying Marjorie would let it go. "And you never told me what was wrong."

Marjorie gave a strange sort of laugh and turned away quickly. Lucy looked back down at her doodles and saw the crown she had drawn. "Marjorie," she said imploringly.

Marjorie turned back quickly. "I know your secret," she spat, jabbing at the crown on Lucy's page. Then she stood up abruptly and moved to another desk just as the teacher walked in.

Lucy's eyes stung at the harsh tone, so that at first she couldn't even absorb the words themselves. She turned to look over to her friend, but Marjorie sat with her head looking down, refusing to meet Lucy's gaze. Lucy looked down to her own page and scribbled over the crown as the words sank in. Marjorie hadn't been pointing at that. She couldn't have understood what it stood for. She must have meant something else.

But although Lucy spent the entire class telling herself so, the worry didn't leave her mind.

- - -

Lucy found Marjorie sitting beneath a blossoming cherry tree. She had a book in her hands, but wasn't reading, just staring into the distance as though deep in thought. Lucy walked over uncertainly, praying that Marjorie would not mind her presence.

Marjorie did look as though she wanted to leave, but stayed seated as Lucy sat down. Instead she slid her book off her lap, putting it on the grass to her left as Lucy sat down on her right.

Only once before had Lucy had a conflict with Marjorie. Lucy had been avoiding her friend because of a mistake she had made during her time in Narnia. She doubted Marjorie had even noticed. Now, however, Marjorie looked as though she didn't know what to say, and Lucy felt the same way.

"Susan's changed, hasn't she?" Marjorie asked suddenly. "Everyone's noticed. She's different somehow."

Lucy grimaced. Of all the topics there were to talk about, this ranked near bottom. "Yes," she said quietly. "I don't understand it."

"I do," Marjorie told her, and some of the bitterness crept back into her voice. Then she handed her book to Lucy.

Lucy took the volume carefully, studying the red leather that covered it, and wondered where she had seen it before. She opened the cover and read the handwritten words on the first page.

Private Diary of Susan Pevensie
Gentle Queen of Narnia

Lucy closed the cover of the book, and set it on her lap. "Where did you get this?" she asked quietly, resisting the desire to read her sister's thoughts.

Marjorie avoided Lucy's gaze. "A few of the girls were wondering why Susan was acting so different, so they snuck into her room and found this. They told me about it, and I… I wanted to see too. I mean, after they mentioned some of the stories in here."

Lucy felt a release of tension in her neck at Marjorie's words. Stories. That's all they were to Marjorie and the other girls. Suddenly this whole situation seemed a lot easier to deal with.

"She does write some fantastic stories, doesn't she?" Lucy commented, idly tracing the design on the binding.

Marjorie gave Lucy a side glance. "Yes. A whole different world where the four of you reigned as kings and queens for fifteen years, only to return to England as children again."

Lucy felt a pang at hearing the story of her life told in such an off-handed manner. She attempted to swallow her reaction, speaking through half-choked words. "I wish Susan would write more of these stories. They're so beautiful."

"Yes, it's certainly too bad they aren't true."

Lucy looked up in alarm at the tone of Marjorie's voice. "Yes," she whispered. "It's too bad."

For a moment there was silence, before Marjorie heaved a sigh. "Are you going to say it or must I make you?"

"Say what?" Lucy asked in a tiny voice.

"That the stories are true. That you did go to Namia-"

"Narnia," Lucy corrected, before inwardly wincing.

Marjorie raised an eyebrow. "See? The other girls may just think of these as stories but they explain so much about you – and your siblings! And besides, these stories, they're… too good not to be true. I think I'd cry if it wasn't real."

"I would too," Lucy whispered, before wincing again. Why did her guard keep slipping? She had promised the others never to tell, but it seemed she was unable to uphold that promise.

"Lucy? Just tell me it happened," Marjorie implored.

Lucy sat silent for a minute before standing up. "I need to talk to Susan," she decided, and with the journal in her hands, she made her way back across the lawn.

Next chapter: Susan! And a rather funny telephone conversation with Peter and Ed. And that's all I shall tell you for now! Ta-ta, and please help me improve as a writer by using the remarkable tool known as THE REVIEW BUTTON! Thanks a billion!