The Two of Us

Disbelief

Alice did not understand why, but she was shaking. And her chest was hurting. She had not realized that she had dropped the card onto the floor. Seconds later, she feels her knees get weak. Before her knees hit the ground, she makes her way towards her velvet couch.

Alice felt tears streaming down her face. She touches her own cheeks with her cold fingertips in shock. She has no control over her own body. She felt like crying aloud, but knew she had to hold it all in. The servants and guards would hear her.

Whatever kind of pain she was feeling did not need a doctor to tend to her. The whole feeling itself was a mystery to her. Why was she feeling this way after all this time?

She felt anger towards Peter. Throughout the past months, her anger towards him continued to build up until it finally became hatred.

What she was feeling right now was far too irrelevant.

She regained her balance, picking up the invitation she had dropped by the balcony. She read it over and over again, wishing she had misread it. Hoping that it was not him getting married. It couldn't be. He said he loved her.

Elizabeth.

The name of his future wife seemed familiar to Alice. The name continued to replay in her head constantly. Where had she heard this name from?

"Elizabeth is a very common name." she tells herself, although trying to persuade herself. She was hoping that this girl was a complete stranger to her.

Later that day, she decided to tell Edmund about the news.

"He's getting married?" Although it had only been five months, Edmund's voice had deepened by a couple of pitches. "And he invited us? What is going on?"

Edmund seemed just as agitated as Alice. Alice felt her hands ball into fists. She had the feeling to bash something for some reason. Edmund probably noticed her troubled expression. Her expression was far too soft to represent anger. Alice looked more hurt.

"Alice, are you alright?"

Alice looked up at the younger boy, almost sighing. "Of course. Why would anything bother me right now?"

She almost sounded sarcastic.

"I know you love him."

Alice shot up in surprise. "Edmund, what are you saying?" She probably needed to hear it twice. Edmund knew how Alice felt more than she knew herself.

"I know you love my brother. You can't hide it well enough for me not to see." Edmund rested his arms on the table in front of him. "Listen. If this is going to hurt you, going to this wedding, then we don't have to go."

Alice straightened herself up. "I don't know what you're talking about. Those feelings are long gone, Edmund. We're going to this wedding. Nothing about it hurts me at all."

She stood up from her seat, leaving the dining room. It seemed as though she wanted to attend the occasion only to prove herself right about her feelings; that she didn't love Peter anymore.

Alice left to go to her room. She wanted to rest much earlier than usual. Her short conversation with Edmund tired her out way too easily.

Although Alice had always denied it, she had wanted to go back to Cair Paravel for a long time. She didn't only miss the castle, but she missed the royals. She missed Susan and Lucy. Probably Peter, too. But she knew it was far too dangerous for her to be there.

Since the day she left Cair Paravel, her life had never been threatened again. There were no creepy attacks at night, or any murder attempts. Those dangerous acts had only occurred during her time in Cair Paravel. Regardless of this fact, she still wanted to go back. It was almost like suicide.

Two hours pass, and Alice is still not asleep. She constantly tosses and turns in her bed, thinking about her time in Cair Paravel from five months ago. Although so many dangerous incidents had happened to her, she felt as though it was worth it.

Something about Cair Paravel had made Alice want to stay for as long as possible, and there was no denying that the reason was Peter.

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in ages! Although the last two chapters are pretty short, here's a double update as an apology from yours truly. The next chapter will be a special chapter, so please anticipate it. (Don't worry, it won't take me a million days to write.) Love you all for voting my chapters. And most of all, thank you for reading! (Fortunately, the story is no way near over yet!)