𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘, s. pevensie

x. many kinds of surprises

EXACTLY AT eight o'clock in the morning, Susan Pevensie opened the double winged doors to the dining hall and entered gracefully.

"Look who finally decided to show up!" The High King snickered as he interrupted a conversation he had with his brother about another, new battle strategy.
"I am on time," Susan shot back and seated herself in the chair left to her older brother's.

The moment she sat comfortably, servants rushed in to serve the food. Eggs, bacon, bread, dozens sorts of tea and anything else the royals had wished for.
The siblings ate alone in silence, only the scraping of silver knives on porcelain plates and slurping of tea could be heard.

Susan's thoughts drifted off to James. She was probably on her way back to Westbrok right this second. As the queen's gaze fell upon her half empty plate and the silvern knife in her hand, she stopped eating. James had one of these in her pouch, did the chefs notice the missing knives and spoons? They surely would have let the Kings and Queens know, right?

"Su, you 'right?" Her younger sister slightly nudged her with her elbow. "Is the food not good?"
Lucy's eyes were filled with worry, but Susan rapidly calmed her.
"Don't worry, I just lost appetite."

This statement made the two brothers look up with wonder. "But you always finish your breakfast. You're the one who says it's the most important meal of the day?" The Just King questioned and Peter nodded in agreement.
"Shut up!" Susan retorted, glaring at him.

Out of a sudden, Edmund almost choked on his toast as he remined himself of what he originally wanted to tell his siblings. "I completely forgot!" He exclaimed as his coughing finally stopped. "Susan swore! She said 'shit'!"
"What?" The three siblings laughed together, while the High Queen just glared at them, her cheeks heating up.

"It's not funny!" She muttered to herself, but Peter heard her words.
"It is a little bit, at least. You almost never swear, Su!"

The girl huffed, ignoring her siblings who were able to slowly calm their laughs.
Susan got up to leave the dining hall, but got held back by Edmund.
"I know you don't fancy going outside much, but I am planning on taking a ride around the towns nearby, to check up on them."
His sister raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"Well, I wanted to ask if you'd care to join me?"

Susan shook her head, "No."
But then an idea popped up in her head. "Which villages?"
The Just King sighed, "Er, I think Aire, Jejan, Eastleigh, Kweln, Westbrok-"
Before he could continue counting up all the towns he would want to visit today, Susan abruptly interrupted her brother after he had mentioned Westbrok. "Yes."

"What?" Edmund looked at her with a confused expression covering his face.
"I will join you on your check up round," Susan cleared up. Edmund grinned upon that answer and cheerful let her know to meet him at the stables in half an hour.

The queen agreed and left the room to go straight to stables to prepare her horse, Jul.
The next thirty minutes she spent talking to him and preparing him for the ride.
Jul was a strong, three year old, entirely white full-blooded male horse. He was by far not the fastest or the strongest horse in Narnia, but he meant everything to Susan. Jul got his name because he was as captivating as a jewel, though the queen changed his first name 'Jewel' up and that's how Jul's name was born.