Peter waited quite a while outside the throne room with Imira's cousins, wondering, as were they, what was going on behind those big green doors. 

"What do you suppose they're talking about? Imira and James," Peter asked Maxwell.

"Nothing I'd like to have a part in, that's for sure," Maxwell replied. Some distant shouting could be heard from the inside. It had everyone's ear up and got everyone whispering.

"I wouldn't give it much thought," Darren told Peter. "They were always fighting when we were children,"

"Yeah, it's probably nothing," Dean added, but Peter didn't look too convinced.

"So where's your sister?" Darren asked him, trying to change the subject to something more cheerful.

Peter had completely forgotten about her. "I suppose she's still asleep," Darren nodded.

The shouting had stopped now, but the silence only made Peter more anxious. "Did you know he was back?" Peter asked the three men.

They all shook their heads. "No," Maxwell said, hands in his pockets.

"Not a clue," Dean and Darren said in unison.

"It was rather odd, don't you think?" Peter shared his worries with them.

"Oh, absolutely," Maxwell said. "Totally unexpected," the twins echoed each other.

"And what's with the Lycian guards?" He asked them. For Peter that was the strangest thing of all.

"Right?! That's so bizarre," Dean agreed.

"The bizarre thing is that Hayley isn't even here," Maxwell said.

"She must be on one of those ships out there," Peter said, nudging his head towards the direction he believed the sea was.

"Or in Lycia," Darren suggested.

"She just might," Maxwell said.

"Maybe they're getting divorced. That could explain all the guards," Dean suggested.

"Yeah, they weren't getting along a few months ago," Darren said.

"They have never gotten along, but I don't see them splitting up. It's in no one's interest," Dean said.

"It'd be in James' interest," Maxwell said.

"Susan said they were getting just fina back in Cair Paravel," Peter told them. "Though I suppose things could have changed on the way here,"

"Yeah, they probably stopped in Lycia and had a fight or something," Darren suggested.

"That would explain the Lycian guards," Peter said. "But what would he come back unannounced?" Peter asked them.

"We all know James has always had a bit of a flare for the dramatic, but even this is a bit too much for him," Dean said.

"He must have thought something was wrong," Maxwell said. "He wouldn't have done so otherwise,"

"You mean trouble here?" Peter asked. "What would give him that impression?"

"I don't know. Maybe they stopped at Lycia and found out about Lord Gasarell," Maxwell suggested.

Lord Gasarell was James' most trusted advisor. He had served under James' father and then under James. Whenever James found himself in need to leave Datram, it didn't happen very often but whenever he did, he would always leave his most trusted advisor as regent. Except for that time he let Imira rule. James left him as regent for the extent of his visit to Cair Paravel, but the old chap fell terribly sick and could no longer carry on. So naturally, when Imira came to Datram looking for James to apologize Lord Gasarell urged her to take the posting, the man could barely move. She didn't want to, knowing how her brother might react if he saw her ruling in his absence, but she couldn't exactly say no. She was next in line and the law dictated that whenever there was a power vacuum next in line would assume the regency. So, she postponed her vacation and took her brother's spot leading the kingdom.

"Makes sense perfect sense," Peter said realizing what their actions must have looked like. "If he would have found out we were here, visiting the country with plenty of Narnian soldiers... it all makes sense now,"

"It does?" Dean and Darren asked at the same time.

"It does," Peter said. "Especially if you knew what I know," he ran a hand through his hair. "Bloody hell, he must have thought..."

Just then one of the doors to the throne room opened and out came a guard sent to fetch Peter.

He followed the guard into the now-familiar throne room and tried to come up quickly with something clever to say that would clear things up.

He found Imira standing before James, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. Visibly upset about something. James also seemed upset. He had a scowl mirroring his sister's and was pacing in front of his throne looking very irritated.

Peter wouldn't have chosen to walk in on their conversation, but he could not leave Imira alone. She probably had no idea what was going on. They were a team now, he had to support her. He felt like he should say something, but he wanted to understand what had happened between the twins first. Clearly there had been a fight, but the nature of it was an unknown. The last thing he wanted to do was to make things worse.

"James, what an unexpected surprise," Peter said, keeping his tone as cheerfully polite as he could.

"I don't see what's so unexpected about a King returning to his Kingdom," James said, not fooled by Peter's diplomatic attempt.

Imira was about to say something, probably something nasty, but Peter placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke before she could. "You're right, nothing unexpected there,"

"What is unexpected, however, is finding you two here. With your little army. Sitting in my throne," he said looking intently at his sister.

"Ah, yes. I do understand why that would be confusing," Peter said, trying to keep things on the light side, but James wasn't having any of it.

"Do enlighten me, please?" James said, stopping his pacing to sit on his throne.

"You're just unbelievable," Imira said, starting to pace, but Peter spoke before Imira could say something.

"I understand how this must all look, James," Peter said, earning a scoff from the King. "I really do. But this is not what it looks like,"

"And what does it look like Peter?" James asked.

"Like we're here for your throne. But I can assure you, we are not," Peter said.

"Then what, if I may ask so myself, were you, Imira, doing sitting on it and ruling my kingdom while I was away?" James asked.

"Doing your work, what do you think?" she shouted at him only making things worse.

"No one asked you to," James spat back.

"Actually," Imira started to say, but Peter knew that with her tone it would only make things worse, so, he interrupted her.

"Yes, that does seem off, but Imira was only doing that because your regent fell terribly ill," Peter explained.

That got James' attention.

"We were actually quite happily touring Datram for our post-wedding getaway when we received the news. Lord Gasarell had fallen terribly ill, they suspected Spring fever, so they isolated him to prevent the disease from spreading and, seeing Imira is next in line, it was your advisors who suggested and actually urged Imira to step up and fill in the power vacuum. She suggested Dean or Darren for the post, but everyone insisted on following the protocol,"

James was silent. If there was one thing he understood it was following the law. But that still didn't explain the army they had brought with them. "And how does that explain the Narnian regiment living in my grounds?" James asked suspiciously.

"Yes, that. We ran into some trouble on our way here. Some wolves in the southern border, you know how those bother Imira," a reference to his sister's capture and consequent demise couldn't hurt, "We needed a little back up to deal with them," Peter explained.

James felt incredibly stupid. "So you two were not trying to..."

"No, never. We signed those accords, remember? No, we are here sort of against our will if you can believe it. The plan was to stay in Ardenton," Peter explained. "But I get where you're coming from. My brother, he, uh, let's just say he gave me the wrong impression once as well. But we would never make a move against you, James,"

"Told you!" Imira said to her twin who was seriously regretting his choices.

"Not helping, love," Peter whispered to her. "I understand you must have thought Imira here wanted your throne after that bit of information you revealed to back at Cair Paravel, but I can assure you she did not. She does not. She, uh, actually wanted to apologize back then. But you left, so..." the room fell into an uncomfortable silence. "You wanted to apologize, right love?" Peter turned to look expectantly at Imira.

"I did," Imira said quietly. "But I did nothing wrong so I think it's you who owes me an apology," she crossed her arms and stared arrogantly at her brother.

And just like that, everything Peter had said lost its effect. Imira and James went back to bickering until at last Imira grew tired of it and left threw a secret passageway.

Peter, however, remained there. Perhaps there was something he could say or do that would help the situation.

"Is it true what you say?" James asked Peter sternly from his throne. 

Peter nodded. "We didn't come looking for trouble, but I see we have found it nonetheless,"

"Ah, it's just.. when the Lycians told us you were both here, with an army, I couldn't help but wonder... She would have been in all her right to come and claim it. I feared the worst," James admitted.

"Would you have gone to war then? Against your sister?" Peter asked him.

"I would have, yes," James admitted, "But that would have been the worst mistake of my life,"

"Then tell her that," Peter urged him.

"Have you met my sister?" James chucked. "She's stubborn as hell, won't listen to me unless she wants to," he walked down from the throne so he could talk more comfortably with Peter.

"I'll just wait for her to come around,"

"It might take her a while," Peter said.

"I can be patient," James said, but Peter gave him a doubtful look. They both knew James wasn't the patient type. "Alright, I can try," James said with a laugh. "Have you had any breakfast yet?"

"So what took you so long, James? We were expecting you weeks ago," Peter asked over breakfast. They had invited Imira and Susan, but expectedly Imira refused and Susan thought it best to stay with Imira. Perhaps she'd be able to make her reconsider.

"I know, but we had to stop at Calormen for some provisions and we got invited by the Tirsoc for a brief stay. Hayley insisted on going so I couldn't exactly say no," James explained. 

"Is he really as awful as everyone claims?" Peter asked. He had never been to Calormen but everyone he knew always warned him Calormene were not to be trusted easily.

"Not awful. He was alright, but I wouldn't trust the Tirsoc to help out in a time of need or anything," James said. 

"Good thing you left. But I say, where is Hayley?" Peter asked. He had been wondering when she'd show up.

"Oh, bother! I forgot about her!"  

[15/FEB/2020]