In Spite of the Arrow Book #9

Chapter 5 A Dinner Upset

It was just Lucy, Ruth, Susan, Caspian, and Leona who had dinner that night in the dining room. Thornea came in dressed in her dirty clothes, her face streaked with dirt and her hands grimy and she looked like another Verity.
Lucy almost dropped her fork, Susan would never allow her to come to the table with such an appearance.
"You promised food, Queen?" She asked gruffly.
"Yes, of course, sit down," Susan nodded.
The girl walked over to Ruth, "Get off, girl, I want to sit here."
"But I sit here," Ruth answered stuttering.
"It's closer to the chicken," she pointed out.
"Thornea, we'll pass the chicken to you," Leona told her."Sit down beside me."
The girl sat down beside her, "Fine, but scaredy cat's gonna steal all the chicken."
"Ruth's not scared and she's not a cat."Lucy stood up for her older timid sister. It would be exactly what Verity would do.
"I didn't ask your opinion, bat," she whispered in the last word loud enough for Lucy to hear.
Lucy wanted to fly at her and shake her and ask her why she tried to kill Verity; her look alike. She knew why Edmund hated her.
"When do we eat, my stomach's growling something awful," she turned to Caspian.
"First we pray and thank Aslan for the food," Caspian explained.
"Who's Aslan," she asked confused.
"The king of all kings, he saved Narnia and he created it," Lucy said."The son of the emperor across the sea."
"So?"
"Let's pray," Susan sighed upset.
After grace, they passed the food around. Lucy watched the young girl eat. She devoured the chicken chewing loudly and licking her fingers.
Susan was now shocked at her behaviour and cringed in disgust as she wiped her mouth with her hand instead of a napkin.
"Any more chicken?" She asked.
They all looked at her plate, it was piled high with twelve chicken bones.
"Haven't you had enough?" Caspian asked.
"I'm hungry," she stated."You don't dare starve me or I'll throw you into the wall."
"Thornea," Susan scolded, "Don't talk like that, especially not at this table."
"I want more chicken," she insisted.
"Here," Leona handed her some.
"So," Thornea continued, talking with her mouth full."Queen Susan, have you told Caspian?"
"Told Caspian what?" Susan asked.
"That you love him," she answered."Like you told me, you want to marry him. Or has he proposed now?"
A red colour came to Susan's face, she avoided Caspian's gaze, whose face was just as red.
"Oh, you haven't told him," she was shocked.
"Well, I'm sure you'll tell him soon."
Susan got up and fled from the room, "I don't love Caspian, Thornea," she told her curtly,
"Would you just shut up that big mouth of yours, it's even bigger than my sister..." Lucy choked on a sob, "The one you tried to kill."
"Sorry about your sister, is she better yet," Thornea inquired, "Or is she dead?"
"Stop!" Ruth cried; she, too, left the room.
Thorne looked at the rest of them in the room,
"What did you all say?"
"You said it all, Thornea," Caspian answered coldly, getting up.
"Caspian!" His sister, Leona followed him outside.
Lucy realized she was alone with the terrible girl, "How could you?" She asked, "You're the most horrible person in the world."
"I don't care; everyone here is so sensitive, especially Ruth," she replied, "Pass the rest of the chicken."
"No," Lucy got up, "Get it yourself." She walked out of the room, to Verity's room.
She found Peter sitting by her bed, talking to her.
"Peter, I want water," she cried.
He sighed and turned to Lucy, "Get her water."
She obeyed and handed the glass to her brother,
"You were talking to her, is she better."
"No," he shook his head, "It was another dream."
Lucy leaned her head on his shoulder, a tears slipped down her cheek, "Is she dying?"
"Lu, don't talk like that," he said, "She will get better, just don't stop praying."
"But we've been praying for so long," she cried,
"Wouldn't Aslan have answered yet?" She asked discouraged.
"Lucy, sometimes we have to wait remember, the battle we fought? He didn't come right away, but in the end, he did come?" He told her.
Lucy nodded; she looked over at Verity, her forehead sweaty with fever, and her face was red. She groaned and moaned and tossed and turned.
Lucy turned away and hid her face on Peter's chest, she felt him wrap his arms around her, gently stroking her hair, trying to console her sobs.