"Ettinsmoor? Is that what we're calling it now?" Imira asked.
"Better than 'the northern lands the Ettins inhabit' don't you think?" Peter asked in return.
"I suppose it's catchy," she agreed. "So what do we do now?"
Peter looked around the room...
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January 1003
It had been over three months since the wedding and Peter and Imira were ready to leave Ardenton. They had spent the most amazing two months after James apologized to Imira (again). Attending parties hosted in their honour, going on hunts, trekking in the woods, celebrating Christmas and the New Year, and having all the fun Cair Paravel's lack of privacy stopped them from having. They were free to do whatever whenever and wherever, and they were intent on making the most of it.
Logically, Susan did not want to be around them. Not that she did not enjoy being in their company, she simply did not want to be in the same residence as them while they were all in love and over each other. So, she asked King James if she could stay in Datram instead.
Seeing James had no quarrel with Susan he all but encouraged her to stay in the capital as for long as she pleased. He liked Susan. Perhaps a little too much for Hayley's taste. But then again, she was insecure about James' feelings towards her so maybe she misread the situation. Sure, their little adventure overseas had brought them closer and made them realize that after spending so many years together they had begun to develop feelings for each other. But still, Hayley could not forget how James cheated on her, repeatedly mind you, when they first got married.
Hayley however, did not voice her concerns regarding this and so clueless James had no reason not to invite Susan and organizing all sorts of activities to keep both her and his wife entertained. He figured as long as he and Hayley had something interesting to do together she'd still like him. His intentions were good, but he just didn't take into account inviting Susan to go with them might make Hayley feel jealous and insecure all over again.
Luckily for Hayley, Susan decided to return to Narnia a couple of weeks after she and James had returned to Datram. She didn't want to leave Lucy and Edmund along for the holidays.
"All set?" Peter asked as he helped Imira get on her horse. She didn't need the help, but any excuse to have him looking after her was good.
"Let's go home," Imira nodded looking down at Peter with a foolishly loving smile. She hadn't been able to stop smiling for the last two months. She was sure she looked like a lovesick idiot, but she didn't care anymore. She finally had everything she had ever wanted. Damn the world, she was happy.
"Lets," Peter said. He got on his horse, offered Imira another smile, for he too couldn't stop smiling, and the party started their journey back to Cair Paravel.
They managed to make it to The Gate that very same day, just in time for dinner.
As they arrived at the headquarters, which was where they'd be spending the night, Imira spotted William Heron up on the wall and couldn't stop herself from staring, a frown settling upon her brow. It all just seemed so unfair to her, the would-be-king shovelling horse-shit. Alright, he was not shovelling horse-shit, he was manning the gate, but she was sure he did do that at some point. It was just wrong. He was as much a member of the royal family as Dean, it hardly seemed fair to her that while one was living in a grand castle surrounded by all sorts of luxury the other had to pull an all-nighter and bear the cold night with nothing but an old cloak to keep him warm while doing peasant's work. Not that there was anything wrong with working as a peasant. Imira and James had done their civic duty too and done the soldier thing, but it had been merely a phase for them. For William, this was life.
