AN ENCHANTER'S FORETELLING. [NARNIA]

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN | UNDERSTAND

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
UNDERSTAND

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There were far too many moments for Rose Lovell to count that she would be eternally grateful for, but one of them could be credited to the one she found herself living in right about now. The most joyous of laughters swept in the room and lifted the spirits of all around them as the dearest of friends gathered together to prepare themselves for the upcoming winter ball. It was this certain euphoria that could even melt the coldest of seasons with the warmth and the happiness of their laughters; a moment Rose would forever be thankful was being shared between her dear friends.

Moments such as these were part of the reason she was so committed to her duties—to spending time with the friends she had never been able to make back in her former life and world.

By the time Lady Anne Ripley had finished the tale of her younger brother and his incident, the girls of Cair Paravel had been clutching their stomachs with the ache of their roaring laughter and the stiffness in their cheekbones from having smiled too much. At least, that was what Rose Lovell experienced, as she spun to face an amused Susan Pevensie upon the dresser mirror and wove intricate designs into the long mass of dark-brown curls resembling her own.

"I shall never forget that tale!" Anne expressed, her words cut short with erupting chuckles belonging to her friends around her. "I terribly miss him, and it is memories such as those that make it too difficult a task for me to not return home."

When Lucy Pevensie urged Anne to tell her of more stories of her former hometown, her older sister turned away from the conversation to admire the beauty of her Lady-in-waiting through her reflection in the mirror. She said, pleasantly, "I rather like the arrangement you did on your hair, Rose. It's quite stunning."

At this, Rose halted in her movements and smiled prettily at her queen and dear friend. "Thank you, Susan," she replied, her hands jittery and careful with their handiwork. Not because of Susan's nice, yet unexpected, compliment, but because of the impending ball tonight and the prospect of it.

However, Susan Pevensie still seemed to study her appearance as Rose focused on the braiding of her hair. She noticed the symbolic hairpiece woven into the crown of Rose's taking after the qualities of a delicate tiara, making a stark reference to her own younger brother's silver crown. If the complexities of her gown of pooling silver and ivory hadn't made it clear, surely the subtle designs that partook in the making of the dress would. It only proved just how much of a match Rose Lovell and Edmund Pevensie were for each other.

There was a possibility it hadn't been entirely intentional, but then again, as of late Rose wasn't exactly being the most subtle about her fervent affections for Edmund. It wouldn't really surprise Susan if they had gone matching at all.