Further Up & Further In

They Used to Dance

Peter was not much of a dancer. He attended to the dance floor with as much duty as he did the battle field, never finding much joy there. If, perhaps, a noble lady was daring enough to invite him, he would politely smile, but lead her begrudgingly among the swirling couples. There his dancing was simple: a step to the left, and a step to the right, and only a slight swaying with each step. He had neither the rhythm nor the interest in learning to do more, and after a time, attendees caught on. The only ladies who would dance with him were those who cared more for the High King than they did for the dancing itself, (and his pitying sisters.)

Susan, on the other hand, loved the art of dance. She was familiar with many dances from both her home and Narnia, and she tried nearly in earnest to teach her siblings the movements. Not that she needed them to dance with, of course. There were more than enough willing gentlemen who were eager to take their turns dancing with the radiant queen. Susan best liked dancing with those who knew how to dance as well, and those who lacked the skill were quickly forgotten. Together, they would twirl across the floor, quick in step, and light in conversation. But as much as she loved dancing with princes, her siblings worried about her, and nearly the only time Peter danced willingly was when he walked over with twinkling eyes and bowed. "May I cut in?" No one dared refuse the High King of Narnia, even for a moment with Queen Susan, so they would bow in return and trudge away to the walls.

The only sibling Susan's teaching had any impact on was Edmund. Edmund didn't share her absolute joy for dancing, but he did appreciate knowing it and understanding it. He liked having the ability, and so did the princesses and duchesses who attended their Cair Paravel balls. He often had a line of partners nearly as long as Susan's, and although he liked their company fine, and met some girls worth getting to know better, his most fierce attention was on Lucy instead. Because as Lucy got older, the princes noticed, and as they noticed, they began to pursue her. Edmund was often at his wits end, feeling protective not only of his older sister (who had nearly always been chased,) but now his younger sister as well, who was still the baby of the family no matter how much she grew. So, though he knew very well that Lucy was far too clever for any of the men who haunted the ballroom, Edmund spent most of his time offering her his hand, and glaring royally at anyone who dared to cut in.

Lucy didn't mind it. Perhaps it was better she dance with Edmund anyways. Lucy, of course, loved to dance as much as Susan did. She did not, however, like the same sort of dances. She preferred the wild, graceful movements which she learned dancing with the trees, and the wild, fiery dances of the fauns. The spontaneity of branches caught in the wind, the gentle growing of leaves and blooming of flowers, the trotting of feet, and the flicker of the fire appealed to her far more than Susan's waltzes. So when she danced with princes and nobles and dignitaries, she found it very hard to maintain the controlled movements that were expected.

Edmund was not nearly as controlling, and he almost never tried to lead her. Instead, he would hold her hand and twirl her, and follow her natural waving with more subdued movements of his own. Or sometimes it was Lucy who stole Susan away from her suitors, with a hopeful childishness that they couldn't deny. And Lucy would lead Susan in wild dances, and Susan would laugh through her embarrassment, because even though she felt she must be more reserved, she couldn't help but love her sister's cheerfulness. Finally, when Peter saw the fun they were having, he always felt convicted to seek out the joy in dancing that his siblings seemed to know so well. He would step forward and bow to Lucy, and she would curtsy in return. But instead of the feral dances of the woods, Lucy would laugh and throw her arms around his neck and just hug him. She knew well enough that he wouldn't really attempt to join her in her wild ways, so she took it upon herself to join him in his subtle steps from side to side.

And it was only then, with his little sister in his arms, and Edmund and Susan smiling around him that Peter thought that maybe, just maybe, dancing wasn't so bad after all.