T H I R D   P E R S O N   P O V

"Could she be more annoying?!" Imira exclaimed, slamming the doors open. 

Peter walked behind her, trying his best to hide his amusement at her reaction. He just couldn't understand why she got so upset with Danielle. As far as he had seen, she hadn't done anything to Imira. Sure, the girl was obnoxious and he didn't particularly like her, he knew she was a spoiled girl, but it wasn't like she was doing it on purpose. That just seemed to be her overall personality. 

"She's just driving me dotty," Imira said exasperatedly kicking off her shoes and placing her earrings on the tea table. She was a bit messy like that. "Ugh, she's just so...with her..and then she...agh!" 

She was trying not to curse lately and it was proving a challenge. One Peter was very much enjoying. "Don't you think you might be overreacting just a little?" he suggested as he got out of his boots. 

Wrong move. She was on her way to the dresser, but as soon as Peter finished his sentence she turned to look at him with wide eyes and a red face. 

"Didn't you see her?!" She exclaimed, arm raised and hand pointing towards the doors. "She kept giving me a nasty look only to smile and laugh the second anyone paid her any attention," Imira complained as she changed clothes. "She's just so impertinent," 

But of course, Peter had not seen her. Danielle might have been many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. The girl was discrete with her belittling remarks and looks. "Come on, love, you can't expect everyone to like you," Peter said from the other side of the room. 

"Of course I don't expect everyone to like me," Imira said exasperatedly. "What I do expect is for everyone to respect me," 

"It's just so strange, she's never been hostile with me," Peter said as he took off his shirt. 

"You're the King, and a good-looking one," she said, eyeing his torso, "Of course she's never going to do anything but suck up to you," 

Peter chuckled, "I'm just saying, I've never heard her or seen her be unpleasant to you. It just strikes me as odd," 

"But you believe me, don't you?" she said seriously. 

"Of course I do, love. I'll always believe you," he reassured her. 

"You better," she threatened playfully. 

"Ah, she probably just wants to get a reaction from you," Peter said, walking towards her. "Don't give her the satisfaction," He crossed his arms as he came to stop before. "If she takes notice her behaviour has no effect on you then she'll give up," 

Imira thought about his words before saying something. She could, like her brother often did, ignore her feelings and simply do what was proper, or she could make a fuss every time the red-head provoked her. She couldn't keep loosing composure in public, that would not reflect well on her. But she also couldn't just smile and carry on allowing Danielle to be rude to her. Alternatively, she could try and convince Peter to something about her. 

"Can't you send her away or something?" she asked innocently as she walked slowly towards him. "You're the King," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair as she hovered her lips in front of him. 

"I, uh..." he was at a lost of words. She kept walking forward until he felt his legs hit the bed. "That's not how it works, love. You know that," Peter replied with a sore throat. 

"All I know is that you're the King," she said, placing her hands on his shoulders before pushing him down. "The most powerful man in all of Narnia," she said, straddling him. "That ought to count for something," 

"I guess I could do something about it," Peter replied. "But I might need some convincing,"

SUMMER 1003

I M I R A ' S   P O V

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Susan asked us over breakfast.

The name. We've been pondering that question for the last month, unable to compromise. "We have a few options," I say, looking at Peter. He is unrelenting on his choice if it's a boy.

"But we haven't settled on anything yet," he adds, still hoping he'll convince me. We'll see.

"Like what?" Lucy inquired.

"Well, if it's a girl I'm thinking Helena, like my grandmother. Or Sisley. Or Lætitia, that one's nice. Mélanie is an option as well. But Peter fancies Nissa, Theara, Charlotte..."

"Charlotte Pevensie... I like it," Lucy said.

"What if it's a boy? Would you name him Peter?" Edmund asked. It was more of a joke by the tone he said it, but Peter jumped right up at the mention of it. Not again!

"What a wonderful question you ask, brother. Now I think naming our son Peter would be the most logical thing to do," he starts. Perfect! Now he won't shut up about it. Thanks Ed, I think as I give Edmund a pointed look, but he just seems amused at the beast he's unleashed. "It is a great name, goes along perfectly with our last name, just picture it," he tells me, "Peter Pevensie II," he says dramatically. "It's the perfect name!"

"It'd be confusing!" I tell him. "Like, when I was a child and my mother would call out James, we never knew if she was referring to my father or my brother,"

"Then what do you have in mind? And please don't say James," Susan said, interrupting our small fight.

"Now THAT would be confusing," Peter said, still on about the naming.

"And naming our son Peter wouldn't?"

"Not if you add the word Prince before it," Peter argues.

"So what are your options, Imira?" Susan asks, again trying to play mediator.

"I'm thinking more about Edward, or Perceval, or... I don't know, something more Narnian," I tell her.

"Peter's a very Narnian name," he mumbles as goes back to eating his breakfast, earning a giggle from Lucy and a smirk from Edmund.

"What about Frank? Like the first king," Susan suggests, ignoring her brother's comment.

"Mmm, I don't like Frank. I don't know, it just doesn't sound right. Frank Pevensie... Nah,"

"You could always go with Edmund," Ed suggested modestly taking a sip of his tea.

"One of you is enough," Peter said.

"Oh, but we need another you?" Ed retorted.

"Alright, alright, no need to get tetchy," Susan said, already sensing a fight.

"Well, you've got to name him something," Lucy said.

"I know. I guess we'll just tackle that problem when the time comes," I said, placing a hand on the royal baby bump. "Which from the looks of it is going to be real soon,"

"But we're still going to the training grounds, right?" Lucy asked me worriedly. We have spent almost every morning together after breakfast, working on our knife-throwing skills. She's a natural, but practice makes perfect and I am not very good with my left hand so...

"Oh, yes, of course," I said reassuringly. "Just help me stand up and we'll show the target who's boss," I said, getting ahead of myself trying to stand up and failing completely. "Oh, how I long for the day when I can see my two feet and stand by myself," I tell them as Peter helps me up.

"I'm sure it won't be too long," Peter tells me, "But if you want we could get a seer and-" but I stop him before he can finish the sentence.

"No. No seers," I tell him abruptly. "Knowing too much about your future is never a good idea,"

"But don't you want to know if-" he starts to say before I rudely interrupt him yet again.

"No, I'd rather be surprised," I can see he's going to protest, he's suggested going to the centaur Starguide before but... "I just don't want to risk it. You know what happened when Queen CeCee and King Lune went to Starguide. They found out great things about their son and then he got taken away," I remind him. "I just don't want that to happen to us," I already feel emotional just by thinking about it. Damn these pregnancy hormones. I have never cried so much in my life.

"Oh, I never thought about it that way," he says understanding now my fervour on not seeing a seer.

I just nod at him.

"We'll just wait then," he adds.

Aww, he's so understanding! I feel tears forming in my eyes and already know if I don't get out of there I'm going to start crying.

"Thanks, I-" Oh stupid feelings! Perfect, NOW I'm crying. "I'm just going to go with Lucy now,"

"Then I should say goodbye right now," Susan says, standing up.

"What do you mean?" I ask her. "We're going to see each other at lunch,"

"Imira, today is Wednesday," she reminds me.

"I'm aware," I tell her sarcastically.

"She's leaving for Archenland, remember?" Edmund clarifies.

"Oh, that's THIS Wednesday? I thought it wasn't until the next week!" Everyone starts to laugh at my cluelessness.

"Yes, it's today," Susan tells me, offering a kind smile as opposed to Edmund's sarcastic smirk.

"Huh, well, in that case, I wish you good luck with your trip," I tell her, ignoring the smirk Edmund's giving me. "And send my regards to King Lune and Queen CeCee," I add as I hug her goodbye.

"I will," she tells me, reciprocating the hug before moving on to say her goodbyes to Lucy.

"I'm going down to the docks with Sue, but we can eat together if you want," Peter offers.

"Yes, that'd be nice," I beam at him.

"Good,"

"Good," I repeat.

"Shall we go now?" Lucy asks impatiently. I know how excited she is about this part of the day, so I say goodbye to Peter and follow Lucy out the door.

As we walk to the gardens where the target area has been set up, we spot Darren and Lady Danielle, flirting. Fighting back the urge to gag I look away from them making a face.

She must find me amusing because she starts to titter.

"I have never understood why you dislike her so much,"

"She's rude," I said simply. That pretty much sums it up.

"She's never been rude to me," Lucy replies. Well of course not, Lu, you're a dear. "What did she do to you?" she asks me.

"Her overall attitude towards me, she's just so... ugh," I grunt just at the thought.

"Come on, Imira, tell me," Lucy pushes on. "Please?"

"Oh, how can I say no to you," I reply. Seriously, it's impossible to deny her anything. Just one look of her pleading, playful eyes and you have to give in. "Just don't tell Peter,"

"Why?" Lucy asks.

"Because... just don't tell him, alright,"

"Alright, I won't," Lucy agrees.

"So," I start telling the story, "back when I first came to live here and didn't know anyone but yourselves I organized a small lunch to get to know everyone. I went personally asking everyone, alright. I didn't have to, but I did. And do you know what she said? She said she was busy. And do you know what she did that day? Nothing! She did nothing because that day everyone came to my lunch,"

"So you don't like her because she didn't have lunch with you?" Lucy asks puzzled as we reach the practice area.

Sitting by a tree are Orithia, Alcibe, and Nick with the tigers, today's Eurybe's day off. I allowed Alcibe to name them considering all my options were uncreative, so Azzoz and Angron it is. As we approach they come running up to greet us and jump at our legs, they're awfully enthusiastic and spend all their time playing around. All things considered, I'd say we've done a good job at training them.

"No, that was just the start," I continue telling Lucy after I greet my three guards. "The next day I found out she's been saying I'm only here because my brother didn't want me around anymore and that I'm not even a real princess anymore because I died," I tell her. "Who does she think she is?!" I say a bit too enthusiastically. "Oh, but that wasn't all. A few days later I hosted a party and, well, I had to invite her. Doing otherwise would have been incredibly rude and that's just not how I was brought up. So I, again, invite her personally and, do you know what she does? She looks me up and down and says I'll see if I can fit you in my schedule. Who the F-" I stop myself shortly, fighting the rude word I was about to finish. "Who does she think she is? The Queen of Calormen? I know you're sort of new to all this royalty thing, but when a Princess asks you personally to go somewhere, you go. Doing otherwise would simply be rude. Unless you're royalty, then you are in all your right to do as you please,"

"So she didn't go," Lucy assumes, throwing the first knife. It lands perfectly at the centre of the target. Good job Lu!

"Oh, she went, alright. She went and she spent the entire night looking at me the wrong way while she ate my food and drank my wine. And guess what I find out the next morning she's been saying?"

"Nothing good I suppose," She throws the next, this one lands a little further down.

"She said I was a spoiled girl looking for attention and that I had put out with all the men who attended, including your brothers,"

"Oh, that's not nice," Lucy frowns, looking at where her second knife landed.

"I know! Just because I get along great with men doesn't mean I'm putting out," I reply with a frown of my own. "I grew up surrounded by men, it only makes sense," I explain myself. So obviously I just gave up on befriending her. I thought, why even bother? And, you know, I thought if I stopped trying she'd shut up about me, but nooo,"

"What did she do?" Lucy asked as she prepared to throw the next knife.

"Well, she's always liked Peter, not that I blame her, and, like every other Lady in here, she flirted with him to get his attention. And may I just say, your brother loved the attention," She starts to giggle.

"Yes, he does,"

"Anyways, as you are aware, while we started seeing each other secretly,"

"Because you didn't want anymore gossiping?" Lucy concludes.

"Amongst other things, but yes. And, well, you know your brother's a bit territorial,"

"Yeah, I know," she says with a small smile.

"Well, after I started training with Nick, she started saying I fancied him and... well some other low things,"

"Oh," Lucy nods understandingly. "And did Peter know?"

"He heard some things, but once he got to know Nick he got over it. Still, she caused me a few conflicts,"

"But he never figured out where the rumour had come from?" Lucy asked.

"No. And I just didn't want to tell him and give her more attention, which is exactly what she's after. That'd just validate her and that's the last thing I want to do. But then she went on and on and on flirting with Peter and even Edmund, annoying the heck out of me until I snapped and kissed your brother in the yard,"

Lucy laughs, "Ah, so that's what happened!"

I offer her a silly smile, "Well we'd been wanting to go public for a while and it just seemed like the perfect chance to kill two birds with one stone. And her face, oh her face was priceless," I remember, laughing a bit at the memory. "I figured she'd back down after that but she's one tough cookie, that one. And now she's got her hooks on my cousin," I let out a loud sigh. "I love Darren, and he's a great man but... ah, when it comes to girls he gets carried away and stops using his head for thinking. I just don't know how they've managed to stay together this long," I let her know as I pick up a knife of my own.

"Maybe he really likes her,"

"That's what worries me,"

"And maybe," Lucy says, placing down the knife to face me, "she really likes him,"

"No, she's just doing it to annoy me," I reply. "Why else would she be after him if not for that? It's either that or his wealth,"

"Or," she took the knife away from me. Good choice, "maybe she genuinely likes him,"

"No, she can't. She's just trying to annoy me," I repeated. Isn't she listening?

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[PUBLISHED MARCH 17, 2020. I HOPE EVERYONE'S STAYING SAFE]