Once a Queen

Knighting Peter

The Pevensies had been taken around the camp, introducing themselves to the Narnians and still not getting used to being referred to by a title. At least, Elise wasn't used to it. Lucy seemed to find it funny, and Peter appeared to enjoy it a little bit. Susan didn't seem to mind either way, though when a crowd of fauns had gathered and were all shouting "Queen Susan," she had gratefully taken Elise's hand as they were led away and to a tent near the edge of the camp. This would be the girls' tent. They were quickly provided with food and dresses – Lucy's a light blue with sleeves that slightly flared, Susan's a dark green with a brown belt, and Elise's a deep red with gold trim along the bottom and on the sleeves – which Lucy had eagerly changed into.

Elise had helped both girls tie their dresses, and had managed to fix her own as well. She then made Susan sit down in a chair and stood behind her, gathering her sister's long dark hair in her hands. She ran her fingers through it to detangle it, and experimentally twisted her hair this way and that, trying to figure out what to do with it. Eventually, with the lack of real hair tools that they had, she merely took two sections of Susan's hair at the front and carefully twisted them back, securing them with a pin at the back of her head. After wrangling Lucy away from where she was peeking out of the tent and watching the Narnians at work crafting weapons and sharpening their blades, she managed to execute quite the same look for her as well. With her own hair, she gathered the dark brown waves over one shoulder and combed through it with her fingers, making it as smooth as possible. Wanting to match with her sisters, Elise grabbed another pin and placed it between her teeth, twisting back two sections of hair from the front and securing them.

"There," she said victoriously, examining each of them with a careful eye. "Now we all look beautiful," she said proudly.

Lucy grinned widely and gave Elise a hug, to which the older girl laughed and returned it before turning to the tray of food that had been provided for them. She was hungry, but she had no intention of eating in the tent. She eyed a set of towels that had been brought for them as well, and turned back to her sisters with a conspiratorial smile. "How about a picnic?" she asked.

Susan and Lucy shared excited looks and giggled, grabbing towels and rushing out of the tent while Elise packed crisp red apples and gorgeously brown rolls and some cheese in a satchel, placing the strap over her shoulder. After a moment of examining the small space, seeing if she had forgotten anything, Susan came back in, going straight for her horn. She grabbed it and gestured to ask if Elise could carry it in the satchel, to which the older sister smiled and opened the flap, placing the ivory horn inside.

Now, if Susan was going to bring her horn, which was a smart thing to do, Elise figured she should bring something just in case as well. She grabbed one of her blades and threw the strap over her other shoulder. She doubted anything would happen, especially since they weren't going far from Aslan's camp.

The three girls enjoyed the trek down to the river, basking in the warm sun and the cool shade from the trees. Once they could see their destination, they quickly abandoned their shoes and Elise, her satchel and sword, and ran for the riverbank. They splashed and played, enjoying these free moments that they hadn't had in a long time. They broke for lunch, sitting on the ground and not caring if they got dirty as they broke the rolls and passed cheese around, indulging in the delicious meal. When their hunger was sated, a calmer energy took over them, and they stood at the edge of the water in silence.

"You look like mum," Lucy suddenly said to Susan. Elise eyed the second eldest girl and realized that Lucy was right. Here, where Susan was carefree, if only for a moment, with a content smile on her lips, in her beautiful green dress, and her long, straight dark hair shining in the afternoon sun, she did look strikingly like their mother.