Author's Note: So, here it is! The fifth chapter! =) I hope you guys like it =) Oh, and please do review =)

I thank my beta, Evanescence2189, for correcting my mistakes. Much thanks goes to you =)

CHAPTER 5

SET SAIL FOR CALORMEN

After the ceremony had finished, the guests were ushered into the reception area in the main ballroom. Irene marveled at the sight of Narnians and Telmarines dancing, eating, laughing, all enjoying the lively music being made.

"Milady," Peter said, offering his arm. She took it in what she hoped was a grateful manner.

"Thank you, King Peter," Irene replied slightly cheekily, giving a grin. He led her outside, where the reception still continued in the gardens that had been decorated for the wedding.

"Now, Milady, you shall experience your first Narnian party," Peter said with a smirk.

"Is it as wild as your tone seems to suggest?"

"Oh, much," Peter said. He waggled his eyebrows jokingly, making her laugh. Lucy and Edmund followed closely behind them, their arms linked together as they talked and laughed with Peter and Irene.

Peter led them to the center of the gardens, where several tables had been laid out for the event. And to the left was a more isolated table with only two chairs for the recently wed. Fauns, naiads, and dryads were playing their pipes at the entrance of the clearing.

Before they were able to sit, they heard a round of applause as Caspian and Susan entered, holding hands as Aslan led them. As the two made their way through, they accepted congratulations from various guests. It took them a while, but they finally reached the front, where Aslan was already seated in front of their table. And after long, food was served hot and most delicious, even by Narnian standards.

"This is excellent!" Irene exclaimed in the middle of her meal.

"Well, beavers cooked it," Peter said. "They definitely have a gift for cooking."

The other two nodded their agreement.

The music changed, and everyone stopped eating to watch the newly-weds dance.

"They look very happy," Irene commented as she watched the couple dance.

"Not just look, they are," Lucy sighed, happy for her sister.

After a few minutes, Peter stood and replaced Caspian, who then danced with Lucy. After a few more minutes, Edmund stood and replaced Peter, who then danced with Lucy, leaving Caspian in want of a partner.

Irene had gone back to eating, occasionally drinking wine, and so a hand appeared in her view and she looked up to see Caspian.

"Would you like to dance, milady?" He said smiling.

"Shouldn't you be dancing with Susan?"

"I've been usurped by her brothers," Caspian sighed as he glanced at his dancing bride.

"All right," Irene agreed taking his offered hand, "but I cannot guarantee the safety of your toes." He laughed and led her to the dance floor.

"Just follow my lead, Irene."

The music changed, and she found herself following Caspian in what seemed to be the Narnian version of a waltz, similar in step but somewhat more peculiar in rhythm. It took her a few minutes to adjust, but Caspian was patient, talking her through the steps for a while.

"I must say, you're doing all right," Caspian said.

"Thank you, Caspian," she replied as he twirled her under his arm. "I'm somewhat familiar with the dance, I suppose."

"That's good then," he commented as she returned from her twirl. "You would survive court life."

"Hardly, but congratulations, Caspian. I'm very happy for you," she said with a smile.

"Thank you, Milady," Caspian said, he glanced at Susan and continued. "I'm just about to burst with joy."

They talked while the music and dance continued, but when it was over, Peter had approached to replace Caspian.

"I must get back to my bride, Milady," Caspian's smile grew wider at the prospect of returning to Susan. He placed her hand on Peter's as the music started.

"So, High King Peter, to what do I owe the honor for this dance?" Irene said as she raised an eyebrow at the High King. The dance started with a bow and a curtsy, but she was a bit late to that and hurried through the curtsy.

"I'm sorry, I don't know this dance," she added.

"Nor I," Peter said. "I never really danced at balls, except for the dances I knew. Even then, I only danced with Susan and Lucy."

Irene followed Peter's lead, and she looked at the other women to imitate their movements.

"So, I'm a last resort then, am I?" Irene teased, trying to look offended, but the corner of her lips quirked into a smile.

"Not at all," Peter answered.

"I hope not."

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Peter asked after a few moments.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Irene said. "There's nothing more that can be done, really."

"I hope that you'll be all right on your journey," Peter smiled. "Be careful."

"I will," Irene said. "I even think I'm the one who's going to keep people out of trouble."

"Somehow, I could believe that."

"Though I may slip up, especially in official meetings. Do I even get to go to those?"

"Yes," Peter answered, "I've prepared a letter for your arrival. It says that a Lady Irene Cade will be accompanying Queen Lucy and King Edmund of Narnia."

"So, I'm a 'Lady' now?" Irene said, looking at Peter in disbelief, nearly stopping the dance. "Isn't that lying or something?"

"I'm the High King of Narnia," Peter said, as if that would explain everything. "Besides, I don't know if you've noticed, but that's what the people in the Cair call you."

"I thought that's just how they call every other guest here," Irene said, "just like how they call people 'Sir.' Just like how people in our world call others 'Miss' or 'Mister'."

"Not everyone, Lady Irene," Peter shrugged.

"When you call me that, somehow," she sighed. "I feel like I'm an imposter or something."

"But it's true!" Peter laughed, "I don't see why you object to it. You are a lady aren't you?" She gave him a dry look.

"I'm not objecting to it," Irene said. "I just don't see why you had to do it."

"So you like it?"

"Not entirely," Irene argued, "I just feel like I should have done something to deserve such an honor. Like save people from a war, or what not. Appearing in Narnia and staying here with no responsibilities does not deserve the title of a Lady."

"Think of it as...as…" Peter looked to the side, thinking of a word, "as an investment."

"For what?"

"That you'll help us," Peter said, "like a payment received early."

"That's an odd way to go about it."

"You are not in Spare Oom," he reminded. "People here go about things in ways that would seem odd to you."

The song ended and Irene and Peter went back to the table, where Edmund was sitting. Lucy happened to be dancing with Trumpkin, who seemed fairly uncomfortable with the situation.

"Shouldn't you be dancing?" Irene said to Edmund as she sat down.

"Shouldn't you?" He returned, looking at Peter.

"Scarcity of partners," Peter reasoned as he sat.

"There're a ton of partners all around, Peter," Edmund smirked, motioning to the guests.

"You know what I mean, Ed," the older man replied. "I can't dance without starting a rumour that the whole of Narnia is sure to hear."

Irene looked at Peter, her expression asking him to elaborate.

"Really, Irene, I do not exaggerate," Peter said.

"He isn't," Edmund nodded in support.

"You should hear some of the things people say," the High King explained, he leaned forward and in a high-pitched voice he continued. "'Have you heard? King Peter has danced with my daughter, I shall wait for the day when my daughter is consort to the High King.' Or 'High King Peter may have found himself a wife! I saw him dancing with so-and-so at the ball,' or 'he danced two sets with who?' People are insane." He sat back on his chair.

"It's just a dance!" Irene exclaimed. "People take it that seriously here?"

"Even more," Edmund said, cringing.

"Nonetheless, it looks to me that Narnia is not as different as our world," Irene said, watching the dances.

There were some really interesting pairs. A dryad and a centaur, a badger and a dwarf, a naiad and a faun, a human with a beaver, and even a Minotaur and a human. Talk about variety.

"Will you dance again?" Edmund asked.

"Probably not," Irene said.

"You don't like to dance?" Peter looked at Irene curiously.

"Not really," she replied. "Back in England, I didn't often dance like this."

"You said you were an engineering student, right?" The Just King interjected.

"Yeah, I studied a lot about how things work. I didn't really have time for things like this," Irene said, getting carried away as she thought about England. "But Michael was into that kind of things, gatherings and parties, I mean."

"You often mention Michael," Peter observed, "who is he?"

Irene hadn't realized that. She swallowed, and then answered.

"A distant relative."

There was silence.

Peter opened his mouth to ask another question, but Irene stood up.

"I'm going to get more food, delicious stuff." She walked away, and after she was out of earshot, Edmund commented.

"She's really uncomfortable with that topic."

"Do you know who he is?" Peter asked, quite curious.

"'A distant relative,'" Edmund quoted. "She never elaborates on it."

"Sounds intriguing," Peter said, now very much wanting to uncover the mystery.

"What are you two up to?" Lucy said, coming back from her dance with Trumpkin.

"Do you know who Michael is?" Edmund asked, looking at Lucy.

"Irene's distant relative. Why?" she asked after sipping her wine.

"But don't you wonder who he is exactly?" asked Peter. "I know I do."

"Ask her then," Lucy suggested.

"She doesn't want to explain, it seems," Edmund explained. "She always finds a way to leave or change the subject, or she just stays quiet."

"Then maybe you shouldn't be talking about it," said the Queen. "It doesn't seem to be an issue with Irene. Just keep out of it."

"Oh, it's definitely an issue with Irene," said the eldest as he leaned back on his chair. "She's uncomfortable with the subject, so it must be an issue."

"You two are going to get her very angry if you keep digging like this," Lucy scolded.

"We care for the girl," Edmund shrugged. "We just want to know what is bothering her."

"No, you just want to satisfy your curiosity," Lucy admonished. "Really, if you two care about her, stop talking about it."

"Stop talking about what?" Irene asked as she came back to the table, carrying a plate of food.

"We've already stopped talking about it, you're a little late," Edmund smirked.

Lucy stood and, unnoticed by Irene, glared at both her brothers, mouthing. "You stop whatever you're thinking of!"

"I'm going to go greet some people," said Lucy aloud, rather strongly. She glared at the two brothers again. "I'll be back in a while."

When Lucy left, Edmund stood and extended his hand to Irene.

"Dance with me?"

"Edmund," Irene said, stopping her fork midway to look pointedly at him. "I'm eating."

"Well, that can wait," Edmund said. After a short moment's hesitation, she ate what was on the fork and stood.

"One dance, and then I'm going back to my food."

"Whatever you wish, Milady," Edmund said with a smirk. He bowed slightly, before extending his arm to her and led her into the fray of merrymaking Narnians.

"So, Irene," Edmund said. "Tell me about yourself."

"You're becoming way too curious for our level of friendship again, King Edmund," Irene sighed.

"I'm trying to deepen our friendship," Edmund replied, smiling. "And you don't have to call me that unless we're in polite company."

Irene looked at him, trying to figure out what he was up to. She took a deep breath in preparation.

"I lived in Hertfordshire, when I was a child, with my parents and older brother," she began as they moved past a swaying couple.

"When my parents died, I lived with one of our relatives on my mother's side, and my brother lived with our father's relatives."

"How did your parents die?" Edmund asked after a few moments.

Irene looked at him, and then looked away, taking a few moments to answer.

"In a fire."

"And they separated you and your brother?"

"Our relatives didn't want two children, just one," she replied, clenching her teeth.

"Are you in contact with him?"

"Not really."

"That is very tragic, then."

Irene glanced at Edmund once again, what was he doing?

"Are you going anywhere with these questions, Edmund?" Irene questioned, glaring at the youngest King.

"Not at all," said Edmund, his face neutral. "Just trying to get to know you."

A while later when she had turned, she faced the table of Susan and Caspian. The two were looking at her and smiling as if they knew something she didn't, which they probably did.

"Don't mind them," Edmund said as he saw where she had looked. "It's probably just a newlywed thing."

"Thing?" Irene commented with a raise of a brow.

"Yes, it's a thing," Edmund sighed and shrugged. "They feel all special because, you know, they just got married."

Irene laughed shortly, and they slowed with the music that came to a steady close. They curtsied and bowed, and he led her back to the table, where her food—and Peter—was waiting.

"You left me alone," Peter said in a teasing manner, but he still shifted his eyes warily. "It was quite awkward; women were glancing my way and giggling." Irene laughed again and took her seat.

The reception lasted well into the afternoon, and by the looks of it, things were definitely going to continue until sundown. Three-legged stands supporting a large bowl were brought out and placed along the pathways, near the tables.

"Is the reception going to be until dinner?" Irene asked worriedly as she saw the stands being brought out.

"Yes," Edmund said as he looked around, and brought a goblet near his lips. The crowd had hardly diminished, and it actually looked to be even bigger than the one at noon.

"It'll probably even last until well after dinner," he added, taking a swig of wine.

The sun was starting to set, and the torches were brought out to light the logs on the stands.

"I think I'm going to go," Irene said as she stood up.

"Why?" Lucy asked in concern. "You haven't eaten dinner yet."

"I've eaten so much that I won't go hungry until noon tomorrow," Irene joked nervously.

"Are you sure?" Peter inquired. "You're going to miss the best part."

"I've seen enough." Irene smiled uneasily.

"Are you ill?" Edmund asked as he saw her hands and lips quivering.

"I'm just tired, that's all," Irene said weakly, starting to walk away.

"I'll take you there," Peter said, standing up and placing his hand on her back.

They walked into the castle fairly quickly, and Edmund made a mental note of how jittery she seemed.

At last, the guests finally departed, and all that were left were the residents of Cair Paravel.

Susan and Caspian had left early, right after dinner. They departed to a cottage near Glasswater Creek for their honeymoon. Amongst the siblings, for Caspian was now lawfully part of their family, the goodbyes were short. After a few jokes from Edmund, a few threats from Peter, and a fairly embarrassed goodbye from Lucy, they left.

"Well, life won't ever be the same," Lucy commented, as she sat at the table they occupied, while all around them, the people started to tidy up.

"One of us is married," Peter said. "Nothing's supposed to be the same."

"They're so in love, it's nauseating," said Edmund.

"You're going to be gone by the time they get back," Peter argued. "I'm the one who'll have to deal with them when they get back a week from now." He cringed at the thought. "Can you imagine how insufferable they'll be when they get back?"

"No," Edmund replied, "and I'm grateful I won't be here for that."

"That makes the both of us," Lucy said as she stood and yawned. "Good luck, Peter."

Edmund followed Lucy's lead and stood up. "Will you see us off tomorrow?"

"Of course," Peter smiled.

The two youngest Pevensie siblings left, walking arm in arm to the castle.

"Do you think we'll be all right, Edmund?" Lucy asked, unsure all of a sudden. "In Calormen, I mean."

"We will be, Lucy," Edmund said, confident. "We have Aslan with us, remember?"

Lucy smiled, hearing about Aslan always made her calm.

"Thank you, Edmund," Lucy smiled when they stopped in front of her room, "for letting me take the lead on this trip."

"It's your trip, Lu," Edmund said, "it was from the very start. I'll be there simply as an adviser." Lucy bit her lower lip, nervous once again. But she sighed, and calmed herself.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then, Ed."

"Goodnight, Lu," she heard Edmund say as she entered her room.

"Goodnight, Ed," Lucy replied as she closed the door.

After changing, she lay on her bed, thinking about the days next couple of days. What was she going to do? Would she succeed? Would she be able to help the Narnian soldier? What happened exactly? With those questions and imaginary answers swimming in her head, she fell asleep.

There a very loud knocking on Irene's door, and she groaned as she opened her eyes.

Who in Aslan's name was that?

She rolled out of bed and landed on the floor on all fours. She slowly stood, the banging on the door getting faster and faster. The room was still dark, which meant that there was still a very long time before the sun would rise.

"Are you kidding me?" Irene growled as she opened the door.

"We're leaving!" Lucy exclaimed, ushering Irene to change. "Goodness, you are so hard to wake up, you know that? I've been knocking on your door for a while."

"More like banging on it," Irene corrected.

Lucy scoffed, and then shook her head. "Do you want to wear trousers or a dress?"

Irene looked at Lucy. "You're allowed to wear trousers here?"

"Of course," Lucy said, as if it was common knowledge. That was when Irene noticed that the younger woman had her hair tied up in a tail. She wore a white long sleeved shirt, which was tucked into her grey trousers and were secured into a pair of black boots.

"It's practical for journeying by ship. But it is not so accepted on the mainland."

She handed Irene the bundle she was carrying and ushered her to the washroom. She came out wearing much the same clothes as Lucy.

"You wouldn't happen to have a big handkerchief would you?" Irene asked, running her hand through her hair.

"They're already on the ship," Lucy replied, motioning to a direction.

Irene sighed and tugged on her shoulder length hair. It was still black, but her hair was growing, meaning that her real hair color was starting to show. She had noticed it yesterday, when she finally got a good look at herself in the mirror.

"Let's go," Lucy said as Irene tried to fix her bed.

She took one last look at the bedroom and, with a sigh, closed the door.

They met up with Edmund and Peter at the beach, where a small boat was waiting for them. The Aurora was anchored farther away.

"Well, this is it, Lu," he said, looking affectionately at Lucy, "I hope you do well."

"Me, too," Lucy replied, a moment later, she was hugging her brother tight. "I'm going to miss you."

"So am I, Lu," Peter whispered against her forehead. "But you'll have to write." He looked at his younger brother and Irene.

"I expect you two to write as well," he continued, releasing Lucy. "I don't care if it's about the same thing, it's better to hear it from different perspectives."

"Yes, sir," Irene teased, making a mock salute to the High King. Peter gave Irene a sisterly hug, and she returned it.

"I'm going to miss our walks in the gardens," she whispered as she pulled back.

"Same here," Peter said smiling at her.

"You'll just have to find a substitute until I get back," Irene joked.

Lucy was climbed into the boat, along with the oarsmen. Edmund helped Irene get on the boat, and she sat next to Lucy.

"You take care of them, all right, Ed?" Peter said hugging his brother. "I'm counting on you."

"Of course I will," Edmund replied.

"Write to me, all right?" The High King reminded.

"You're beginning to sound like Su," Edmund teased as he climbed onto the boat, "Maybe you should find yourself a wife."

"Goodbye, Ed," Peter replied in a monotone.

The boat gave a lurch backward, and Irene attempted to accustom herself to the gentle (or not so gentle) bobbing of the vessel. When she did, Peter was a dot on the shore, and the Aurora was getting closer.

The sky was starting to lighten up by the time they reached the side of the ship. A board was lowered, attached by two ropes. Lucy and Irene stepped onto it and were carried aboard. Irene felt as if she were on an elevator. It was slightly more disturbing though, looking down at the cold, green-blue water.

"Your majesties," the Captain said, bowing to Edmund and Lucy.

"Milady," he nodded to Irene. Irene managed to give a small smile.

"Irene, this is Drinian, captain for our trip," Edmund introduced. "Drinian, this is Lady Irene." The Captain bowed, and Irene hesitantly did the same.

"Let's set sail," Lucy instructed.

As Lucy and Edmund spoke with Captain Drinian, Irene leaned against the ship's railing, watching as the crew worked. They were taking the anchor up, and fixing the sails on the ship. There was a strong wind, so Irene guessed that they'd get far that day.

As the sun began to rise, Irene felt the ship start to move. Lucy came up beside her, and both women watched Cair Paravel disappear from view.

"How many days will we be at sea?" Irene asked. "How far is Calormen, anyway?"

"We'll be at sea for at least two weeks, if the weather's kind enough," Lucy commented, looking up as if the sky would give a sign of what the weather would be like in the next couple of days, she frowned. "A month and a half, if we're unlucky."

"We'll also be docking at ports every now and then," Edmund added, joining the conversation. "And that'll probably take a day or two at each port."

"Are you serious?" Irene asked, stunned. "Two weeks at sea?"

She had thought that they'd be there in a week at most, and then she remembered that it was a wooden ship, with paddles, oars and sails.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to keep ourselves busy then," Irene said, as she walked away from the railing, and thought, before we all get bored and kill each other off.

Lucy curiously looked at Irene, well, more the top of her head. "Is your hair…?"

"What about it?" she said.

"It's growing red at the roots," Edmund observed.

"My hair's getting longer," Irene explained. "The hair dye doesn't cover newly growing hair."

"Hair dye?" Lucy inquired curiously.

"Yes, hair dye," Irene confirmed. "It's a chemical to change your hair color."

She paused, looking down, before returning her gaze upward.

"Which now reminds me to ask you for that handkerchief."

If Lucy or Edmund didn't know what hair dye was, they didn't speak up. Lucy turned and ushered Irene to follow.

They went below deck, and down a corridor with three rooms. There were two doors to the right and one on the other side.

Lucy entered one of the rooms, came out and checked the other before entering, and then returned a few moments later holding a big green handkerchief.

While Irene used the handkerchief like a bandana, Lucy showed her to her room, which was the last in the small corridor.

"What are all these?" Irene asked as she saw the three extra trunks inside the room, beside the one she had packed. She opened one of the trunks to find it full of clothes, and she sighed as she realized. "Did Susan—"

"Yes," Lucy answered the unfinished question. "She said you needed more clothes than you had, and she wanted to give them to you after they were made, so you couldn't object."

"That woman needs to spend her money on more important things," Irene joked as she rummaged through one of the trunks, she felt a smile on her tug on her lips as she looked through each of the trunks, I guess I really like Susan, she's a good person. She paused as she saw the dresses in the third trunk.

A bit extravagant, though.

The rest of the day was spent mostly on planning the course of the trip with the captain. The winds were cooperative, and they were sailing smoothly towards Calormen.

In the afternoon, Irene was on deck, basking in the sun and leaning on the railing.

"So, not seasick yet?" Edmund asked as he joined her, leaning on the railing.

Irene had been doing absolutely nothing the entire day, and she was not at all exaggerating. The planning with Captain Drinian made absolutely no sense to her, and she couldn't help but drift off and not pay attention.

"No," Irene sighed, her boredom showing in her tone. "But I wish I was, then I'd at least be trying to get better," she sighed once again before continuing.

"I have absolutely nothing to do."

"Maybe you should've bought things to entertain you," he suggested.

"Well," she sighed. "I thought I could hold out for a week."

Edmund studied her face as she threw her head back and groaned. She let out a long breathe, and she faced the horizon, where the sun was already setting. The widening of her eyes and the quivering of her lips didn't go unnoticed.

"Are you going to light torches tonight?" she inquired, not taking her eyes off the horizon. "Will that not burn the ship?"

Edmund looked up, "It's cloudy, so the crew will need the light. It's lamps we'll be lighting, anyway, completely safe." He looked at her and saw that she seemed to be debating with herself, when a man carrying a torch came nearby and Edmund saw Irene flinch as she saw it. She quickly went below deck, presumably to her room.

He stayed on deck, watching as the man lit the lamps at the side of the ship. His eyes widened as he came upon a realization.

The Just King went below deck, carrying a tray of food in one hand and a lamp in the other.

Irene had not eaten dinner with them in the small dining room the ship had, which also served as the conference room.

When he got in front of her door, he managed to balance the tray and the lamp in one hand and knocked on the door. He heard a shuffling of feet inside and the door was soon opened by a groggy Irene.

"Supper?" he suggested, raising the tray.

She hesitantly nodded, and when it was clear the he wouldn't just give her the tray, she moved aside and let him in.

He set the tray down on the window's wide frame, and the lamp beside it. There was a chair next to the window, and he assumed that that was where she had been sitting before he came in.

There was another chair in the room, in the corner, across the bed. He sat on it, he saw that she had looked at him oddly before taking a seat on the chair by the window, moving the chair to face him, and she slowly proceeded to eat. He didn't let it slip that she had moved the lamp farther away from herself.

After a few moments of hesitation and silence, he finally asked the question he had been eager to know since earlier that night.

"Why are you afraid of fires?"

She stopped eating, and her fork clanged against the plate as she put it down to look at him. It took her a while to answer him, but when she did, she didn't deny it.

"You know why."

"Because of your parents' death?" She nodded slightly, looking out the window…then shifted her gaze to the lamp.

"I can deal with small fires like these, as long as they're in a container," she sighed, and looked down. "But big fires like the ones in fireplaces…and sometimes the ones on torches…I can't—" She inhaled, and then exhaled, unable to continue. Her lips were quivering and she closed her eyes.

He said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

She looked out the window again.

"I know it's a problem."

"Of course it's a problem," Edmund affirmed. "You won't be able to lead a normal life in Narnia if you're afraid of fire."

She looked at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She whispered then, her voice shaky.

"I don't know what to do."

Edmund was silent. He actually didn't even know why he cared; this was obviously beyond his curiosity. But…

"Irene, I don't know how to help you." He swallowed. "But I will do my best to find a way."

"Thank you, Edmund," she smiled after a while. "But I think that I need to find a way to fix it myself. It is my problem after all."

"If that's how you see it," Edmund replied, understanding of her need for space. "But you're not alone." She had looked down, but quickly looked up when he had finished.

"What do you mean?"

"You just seem to always think so." He shrugged. "You prefer that people not do favors for you, or you seem to think of yourself as a burden for others who want to help."

Irene blinked, he was more observant than she cared—wanted—to acknowledge.

Author's Note: So, what do you guys think? Irene has pyrophobia, so yeah. Review please!