Family Bonds -STORY UNDER REVISION!

Wedding Planning

"Blue or purple?" Lucy held up two swatches of fabric. 

Susan, Lucy, and Elizabeth Jane were currently working out the details for Susan's upcoming wedding as they say around a table in the study, sipping tea. It had been a week since the proposal, and Susan and Caspian wanted the wedding to be as soon as possible. They had the flowers figured out, and had discussed music with the fauns, but they had yet to decide on the accent color for Susan's gown and the color of the bridesmaid dresses and groomsmen outfits. 

Susan took the fabrics and held them up to Elizabeth Jane and Lucy to see how they looked with their complexions. "Hmm... I think the blue."

Lucy nodded and took her blue pencil, sketching in the design of the gown where it needed to go. Susan knew Lucy's skills with design were beyond compare, and so she had her little sister helping with both her gown and the gowns that Elizabeth and Lucy would be wearing. The dryads had already offered to assist with sewing, and Susan knew her sister was glad to have their help. 

"It'll look lovely with your eyes as an accent for your dress." Elizabeth chimed in, eyes merry. "And with as much as Caspian already gazes into them, it's no question that he'll go wide-eyed with awe at the sight of you."

"Sort of like how Peter was gazing at you. It seems the two of you were quick to catch up."Like the rest of her family, Lucy had been overjoyed to hear of Elizabeth Jane coming to Narnia, and the girls had picked up their friendship as if they had not spent any time apart.

"It seems you and that faun are close as well." Elizabeth shot back quickly. 

"We are." Lucy smiled, but sighed as well. "We're keeping quiet about it, but I know Edmund knows. I've seen him watching us, and he looked about ready to interrupt us on a very casual walk just because Tumnus reached out to steady me when I stumbled from carelessness. It's almost as if he's become more protective than Peter these days." 

"If Edmund were here, I could hear him saying he's become 'a younger, and handsomer, version of Peter' and laughing about it without realizing how horrifying that thought is." Susan chuckled, knowing her younger brother would do something just like that. 

Elizabeth Jane snorted. "Peter hasn't said anything but kind words about Susan and Caspian, and I'm sure he'd be nothing but accepting of you and Tumnus if he knew about it, Lucy, and wouldn't act rash or protective."

"That's because Peter has been so distracted these past few days that he hasn't had the chance to act protective or me or to even think of his imagined rivalry with my soon-to-be husband." Susan shot a teasing look to Elizabeth. "Tell me, is Peter planning a proper courtship, or has our honorable brother decided he needs to wed you as soon as possible?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Believe it or not, neither of us have spoken of marriage. It's just the two of you projecting. Really, we've kept things friendly between us."

"I'll believe you just this once." Lucy teased. "Since if Peter had so much as accidentally brushed your hand with his, he'd likely have already started a plan for how to wed you at the fact he may have offended your sensibilities."

"You two talk as if Peter actually buys into the ideas of Arthurian romance novels."

Lucy and Susan shared a look, being very much serious. "He does. He lectured us for nearly a week on proper courtship etiquette after Edmund had danced with a woman a bit too closely."

Elizabeth laughed. "Okay, now I know you two are teasing, so we can drop the subject." She glanced at the notes before them. "Susan, who's going to walk you down the aisle?"

"I walk myself down. It's a Narnian custom that the bride walk herself to the groom unaided, as that way it does not feel as if the woman is being exchanged but instead is making the choice out of her desire to wed. I'll be following after you two and Pete and Ed, though, since we're having you stand up in the wedding." The idea of bridesmaids and groomsmen was one of the customs Susan brought from her home country into all of this, as neither Narnian nor Telmarine weddings had the tradition, as well as the idea of a dress that was pale, as brides from Telmar wore bright colors and Narnians earthy rich tones at weddings.

"Knock knock," Caspian's voice rang out as he entered the room. "I hope I am not interrupting, but I wanted to see how things were coming along."

Lucy quickly covered the design for the dress as Caspian crossed the room to stand behind Susan's chair. He bent down, placing a quick kiss to her cheek before looking over the notes the women had made. 

"If you three keep this up, we'll have everything set before the week is done." Caspian picked up one of the papers and grinned. "Are these the traditions you selected from our different backgrounds?"

Susan nodded. "I thought these ones best represented us."

"I agree." Caspian then turned to Lucy. "Have you selected the accent colors for the outfits, or am I not allowed to know that in the same way I'm not allowed to see the dress?"

"You'll be having blue accents." Lucy grinned. "Which reminds me... aren't you supposed to be getting your measurements done right now with Edmund and Peter?"

"You caught me." He laughed, and pressing another kiss to Susan's cheek he started for the door. "I just thought I'd stop in and see how things were going here before I went there."

Susan smiled softly at him, though she raised her brow in jest. "You're just trying to prolong having to stand still while there are pins near you, aren't you? Not afraid of battle, but a tiny pin..."

Caspian just shook his head and right as he walked through the door turned and shot her a wink. "It's not the pins I fear. I just don't want hands that aren't yours anywhere near me."

Elizabeth Jane and Lucy laughed while Susan flushed, hearing the echoing steps of her fiance move further away as he left her on that note. 

"Be glad Peter didn't hear that!" Lucy said after she and Elizabeth Jane had stopped their laughing. 

"Oh, I am." Susan replied. "I don't need him threatening Caspian with a sword."

"Again." Lucy added, thinking to how the two had almost come to blows in the past.

"Yes, again."

Elizabeth Jane shook her head and looked back to the lists they were making. "You two do know that Caspian was right. If Lucy and the dryads can have the outfits done by then, this wedding could take place by the end of the week."

Susan and Lucy quickly scanned the list, their eyes wide with excitement. 

"What do you say, Su? Should we set the date for the end of this week?"

Susan grinned widely. "I think that would be perfect!"