Unconventional Love ~ Peter Pevensie

1

"Your majesty." I curtsy in front of the High King Peter as he entered the library in the castle which I was cleaning as a part of my daily duties.

"You don't have to curtsy every time, you know. It looks rather uncomfortable." The blond king gestures for me to rise, and I obey his non-verbal order, giving him a small smile.

"It's custom though, your highness. You're superior to me, I have to follow the rules and be pious to the Kings and Queens of Narnia." I place the candleholder back on the desk as I had finished cleaning it.

"Yes, but I'm still not used to it, besides, I'm not a massive fan of it either, I think society should be more equal." The King smiles sweetly at me, and I smile back.

"I guess I shouldn't delay your work any longer, I don't want you to get into any trouble. Good afternoon..." The king paused, and then he frowned. "I'm awfully sorry, I don't know your name."

"Maid Lupe." I respond, not giving the boy my actual name due to it not being proper, I'm only a maid and I'm not even supposed to be talking to him at all, it could get me into a lot of trouble.

"Your first name?"

"I cannot tell you that Sire." I bow my head.

"Why ever not?"

"Sire, with all due respect, I'm not even supposed to talk to you, it's part of my agreement as my role of castle maid, I'm not supposed to talk to your, or your brother and sisters. It could get me fired. I cannot tell you my first name, as when you're a maid, your identity goes, no one refers to you by anything other than your surname." I explain quietly.

"I am aware of that, and I'm so sorry that you have to work like this. I understand you do not have a say in the matter, but please, I promise I won't report you, no one will find out that we have conversed with one another. Please, allow me the pleasure of knowing your first name." King Peter put a hand on my arm, and I tensed.

"It's Lili." I whisper, scared of any potential consequences I could face from the Matron if she discovered that I had spoken with King Peter, and told him my first name. He whispered my name back to me, with a tiny grin on his face that I would have missed had I not been staring directly at his face in sheer terror that he'd tell Matron that I'd disobeyed the rules.

"Well, Lili, it was lovely to talk to you, as I said, I promise that I'll keep this a secret, nobody will know. I hope to see you around soon." Peter tapped my arm before crossing to the other side of the room and going into the secret nook that was created for the purpose of reading.

I curtsied once again, just before he left me where I was standing, and then I continued to clean the last few bits of the library before I needed to move on to starting to prepare the meal for the Kings and Queens that evening.

—----

"Faster Lupe." Matron shouted down my ear as I was peeling and slicing the potatoes into decent-sized chunks to roast them.

I quickened the pace of the peeler, piling my potatoes on the opposite side to the waste skin, I then chopped them as quickly as I possibly could before coating them in a layer of garlic butter and placing them on the tray, ready to roast.

"Meat. Now." The Matron barked as I closed the oven door on the potatoes. "Yes, Ma'am." I sigh, crossing the kitchen to get to the fridge and pull out the chicken breasts that were to be prepared for dinner that night.

After hours of preparing and cooking the food, it was at last time to move it from the kitchens to the Great Hall where the Kings and Queens were to dine, like normal.

I pile some of the vegetable dishes onto my tray and begin the walk from the kitchen, once I reach the hall, I was directed to place the dishes down in specific spots on the large oakwood table.

Unfortunately for me, the peas were meant to be right in front of King Peter which meant I had to stand next to the King for a brief moment of time. He looked up at me and smiled.

"Thank you, Lili." Peter whispered to me, I gave him the smallest smile possible, not wanting to get caught out by the Matron

—--------------

"Excuse me, is a Maid Lupe here?" I hear a voice question the Matron from around the corner of the maid's quarters.

I'd begun to get ready for bed, so my hair was loose and I was in my pale white nightie. I'd started brushing my teeth in the communal sink that we had at the end of the rows of beds within the large dormitory.

"Lupe!" Matron yells from the doorway. "The High King requests your presence."

I felt the eyes of the other maids burn into my back as I crossed the room from the sink back up to the doorway.

"Your majesty." I curtsy before the blond king.

He smiled, and gestured for me to step out of the room, he closed the door behind me.

"Would you care to take a walk around the gardens?" Peter asked, putting out his arm for me to take, I accepted the arm with a grin.

"I'd love to."