The Golden Witch || Peter Pevensie x OC

70. Tea Party

Valera should have expected a delay.

She had put a crack in the dam, believing it to be enough to bring the structure down and the crashing waves of freedom spilling out.

But a single crack wasn't going to do that. Not even close.

Peter agreeing to allow her to see a select group of his friends at a time and place also of his specified choosing was that first crack.

Valera had been so excited, and partially relieved, to see it that she had failed to take into account her husband's predictable following behaviour.

Delay, delay, delay.

Stop another crack in the dam from forming.

Excuse, excuse, excuse.

Keep the freedom at bay.

Valera understood why he did it. Why there was cause for the delays she hadn't anticipated.

He was concerned for her. It came from a place of heart, a good heart.

However, it had taken her over a year to create that first crack in the dam.

Another month had passed since then, and Valera had decided she wanted to create a second.

The opportunity presented itself perfectly.

Valera was hosting a tea party.

An event that would allow her to show Peter, first-hand, what she planned to do, how she planned to act, and that all would go well and smoothly when she met his friends.

It was a practice round, as it were. A test, like the one he had given her on the train before she had met his mother.

To carry it out at all meant the guests at this tea party would have to be ones approved by Peter. Not to mention ones Valera knew would be in her corner when it came to pushing Peter to take steps in letting her have more freedom in this world.

Hence why Edmund and Lucy had been invited.

They were due to arrive at noon at Diggory's country house, joining Valera and Peter for a spot of afternoon tea.

The reason for their invitation was layered. It wasn't only as a means to serve Valera's personal agenda of getting Peter to crack and set a date for her to meet his school friends.

No, there were other reasons for Edmund and Lucy's visit.

Given each of the Pevensie's were now back at their respective schools after the end of their Christmas break, each of them were eager to spend some time doing something that didn't involve books, academics, writing, or reading.

A day in the countryside sipping tea and feasting on freshly baked goods was as far from it as one could get.

Another reason was the company involved.

Ever since Susan and their parents had departed for America, Valera thought it would be good for each of them to spend time around each other. Around family.

Peter, certainly, had found it difficult to be so far from his dear mother and sister. And even if he hadn't relented on his distaste for his father quite yet, Valera knew a silent part of him missed the man too.

Upkeeping the time he spent with Edmund and Lucy would hopefully make them each feel better.

United and close, missing the rest of their family together but remembering that they still had each other.

However, the most important reason for this tea party being held came as a result of Edmund's most recent letter to Valera.

Staying with their aunt and uncle was proving to be a disaster. Both Edmund and Lucy had written hundreds of words in letters describing their never-ending state of misery.