Cair Paravel: The Salle and the Beach - Sunday Afternoon
Peter offered Lucy a hand up off the ground, shaking his head with amusement. "You backed up so fast you tripped over your own feet, Lu," he teased.
She wrinkled her nose at him but accepted the hand, hopping up off the ground and checking her wooden practice blade immediately. "It worked," she said haughtily though her eyes were sparkling. "You're just jealous."
"Jealous that I didn't end up on my butt?" he asked, devoutly hoping Orieus was still busy with reports and wouldn't show up to regale Lucy with a recitation of the five thousand times Peter had fallen on his ass while training. "That doesn't make any sense."
"Jealous that I got out of the way," she smirked, tossing her hair before bring her sword up to guard again. "Come on, try it again."
He shook his head, glancing up at the windows of the palace. "One more time then," he agreed. "But you actually have to parry, Lu. Falling over won't work if you're actually fighting with someone who won't stop."
Frowning, Lucy tilted her head, studying her brother's face. "Thought you said you wouldn't let me go fight, Peter."
"You never know," he said, his fingers flexing on the practice sword's hilt. He looked back at his sister, eyebrow raising as he watched her sword sag lower and lower. "Ready or not?"
"Ready," she said, still thoughtful but concentrating on the swordwork again.
He nodded once and feinted to the left than attacked, startling as he felt the rattle of Lucy's blade against his, forcing it out of the way. "Good job, Lu!"
She lowered her sword, looking annoyed. "You weren't even paying attention."
He considered for a moment, ducking his head sheepishly. "I wasn't. Sorry, Lu, can we stop for today?"
"You're all wrapped up in whatever it is you've been thinking about all month," Lucy said, crossing her arms in front of her. "Maybe it's time you tell me what's going on."
Peter shook his head, pacing over to the side of the salle to lay down his sword and pick up an unneeded towel. "It's nothing to worry about. Just regular business." He looked down in surprise as a small fist reached up to punch him just over his elbow. "What?"
"I'm not stupid," she said, glaring fiercely up at him. "And I'm a Queen too. This isn't all you. I don't think you're just worried about Willow and the baby; I think there's something else going on, and you're too intent on being High King to remember you're not the only one."
"I am -" he scruffed his hand through his hair in frustration, and Ed would be better to have this conversation with. Except he already had. "Walk with me?" Lucy glanced around then nodded, hooking her hand in Peter's elbow as they walked slowly towards the beach, talking of inconsequentials.
As soon as the waves were loud enough to cover their words, Lucy turned to Peter, her hands on her hips. "Tell me, Peter. Or I'm going to get Su involved."
He held up his hands in mock-defence. "I'll tell you. On my honour." He rubbed his hand through his hair again, trying to figure out the words that would satisfy Lucy but keep her from going straight to Susan and Willow. "There's been activity in the mountains recently," he said finally. "More than we've seen in a while, and the word our people are picking up is that it's focused on - focused on the fact there'll be a Pevensie heir."
She caught her breath, eyes going flinty. "Are we riding out? Is that why you meant about fighting?"
"Not yet," Peter admitted, giving her a sidelong glance. "I wish we were, Lu. But they're not massing an army. Seems to be more undercover than that." He really wished he'd taken some of those spying classes at Fandom. "More like assassination attempts."
"So that's why you've called all the regiments up to Cair Paravel," Lucy said, frowning up at him. "And why Orieus has been looking so annoyed for weeks. Why haven't you called out guards on our family - or at least on Willow?"
"Don't want to worry her," Peter mumbled under his breath. "She'll want to know everything, and it'll be bad for the baby."
The frown turned into a glare. "You're an idiot, Peter."
He frowned back at her then let his shoulders drop slightly, looking less the High King for once and more just a frustrated young man. "Perhaps."
She wrinkled her nose at him but accepted the hand, hopping up off the ground and checking her wooden practice blade immediately. "It worked," she said haughtily though her eyes were sparkling. "You're just jealous."
"Jealous that I didn't end up on my butt?" he asked, devoutly hoping Orieus was still busy with reports and wouldn't show up to regale Lucy with a recitation of the five thousand times Peter had fallen on his ass while training. "That doesn't make any sense."
"Jealous that I got out of the way," she smirked, tossing her hair before bring her sword up to guard again. "Come on, try it again."
He shook his head, glancing up at the windows of the palace. "One more time then," he agreed. "But you actually have to parry, Lu. Falling over won't work if you're actually fighting with someone who won't stop."
Frowning, Lucy tilted her head, studying her brother's face. "Thought you said you wouldn't let me go fight, Peter."
"You never know," he said, his fingers flexing on the practice sword's hilt. He looked back at his sister, eyebrow raising as he watched her sword sag lower and lower. "Ready or not?"
"Ready," she said, still thoughtful but concentrating on the swordwork again.
He nodded once and feinted to the left than attacked, startling as he felt the rattle of Lucy's blade against his, forcing it out of the way. "Good job, Lu!"
She lowered her sword, looking annoyed. "You weren't even paying attention."
He considered for a moment, ducking his head sheepishly. "I wasn't. Sorry, Lu, can we stop for today?"
"You're all wrapped up in whatever it is you've been thinking about all month," Lucy said, crossing her arms in front of her. "Maybe it's time you tell me what's going on."
Peter shook his head, pacing over to the side of the salle to lay down his sword and pick up an unneeded towel. "It's nothing to worry about. Just regular business." He looked down in surprise as a small fist reached up to punch him just over his elbow. "What?"
"I'm not stupid," she said, glaring fiercely up at him. "And I'm a Queen too. This isn't all you. I don't think you're just worried about Willow and the baby; I think there's something else going on, and you're too intent on being High King to remember you're not the only one."
"I am -" he scruffed his hand through his hair in frustration, and Ed would be better to have this conversation with. Except he already had. "Walk with me?" Lucy glanced around then nodded, hooking her hand in Peter's elbow as they walked slowly towards the beach, talking of inconsequentials.
As soon as the waves were loud enough to cover their words, Lucy turned to Peter, her hands on her hips. "Tell me, Peter. Or I'm going to get Su involved."
He held up his hands in mock-defence. "I'll tell you. On my honour." He rubbed his hand through his hair again, trying to figure out the words that would satisfy Lucy but keep her from going straight to Susan and Willow. "There's been activity in the mountains recently," he said finally. "More than we've seen in a while, and the word our people are picking up is that it's focused on - focused on the fact there'll be a Pevensie heir."
She caught her breath, eyes going flinty. "Are we riding out? Is that why you meant about fighting?"
"Not yet," Peter admitted, giving her a sidelong glance. "I wish we were, Lu. But they're not massing an army. Seems to be more undercover than that." He really wished he'd taken some of those spying classes at Fandom. "More like assassination attempts."
"So that's why you've called all the regiments up to Cair Paravel," Lucy said, frowning up at him. "And why Orieus has been looking so annoyed for weeks. Why haven't you called out guards on our family - or at least on Willow?"
"Don't want to worry her," Peter mumbled under his breath. "She'll want to know everything, and it'll be bad for the baby."
The frown turned into a glare. "You're an idiot, Peter."
He frowned back at her then let his shoulders drop slightly, looking less the High King for once and more just a frustrated young man. "Perhaps."