Edmund was glad to find his siblings and Peridan after a night circulating amongst the nobility of the Lone Islands. Their overly formal manners reminded him a little too much of the Calormene Tarkaans. But even his siblings didn't provide much of a respite. Peter soon turned to him and said, ‘What’s all this I hear about you being in the warrior’s dance, Ed?’
‘Yes, it seems everyone is talking about it,’ Lucy observed.
‘Oh. That must have been what I agreed to. I wasn’t really listening to the governor properly,’ Edmund said, taking a swig of wine as if this were no matter.
Peridan choked on a laugh and pressed a fist to his mouth to hold it back.
Edmund wheeled on him. ‘What’s so funny?’
Peridan shook his head, unable to speak for fear of laughing. Finally he composed himself enough to say, ‘The dance opens every tournament. It is a long standing tradition in the Islands, going back to before the Time of Exile. You honour the people by performing it.’
‘Then why,’ Edmund said, stepping closer to search his face, ‘Do you look so merry about it?’
The next day Edmund stood in the middle of the tiltyard, waiting awkwardly by himself while Peter, Susan, and Lucy looked on. ‘Oi, Peridan!’ He called into the weapons shed. ‘How long is this going to take?’
‘A mere moment, Sire!’ he called back.
Edmund blew air out of his cheeks and started to pace in circles, putting one foot in front of the other.
‘I thought I should give you the full effect,’ Peridan announced as he emerged, spreading his arms. As he reached them he struck a pose, his hands on his hips. Peter, Susan, and Lucy fell to laughing.
‘What on earth are you wearing?’ Edmund frowned.
‘The traditional costume!’ he said. ‘Look. Here is the embroidered waistcoat—usually done by the lady of the house—and the starched cotton for the skirt, and the sandals which lace up the calf, and the hat.’
Edmund knocked Peridan's cap askew as he pulled a face. ‘Do you know what you look like?’
‘You, when you take to the dance floor a few nights hence,’ Peridan replied with a grin. ‘Now come—you’ll need to perfect your backflip before then.’
More laughing from Lucy, Peter, and Susan. Edmund frowned at them.
‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you,’ Edmund said to Peridan.
‘Well,’ he said, ‘I admit you’ll look very fetching in this yourself.’
A/N: Ok, so admittedly this is the second fill where I've used part of the story I'm currently posting, but it just fit the prompt so well.
Dance lessons
‘Yes, it seems everyone is talking about it,’ Lucy observed.
‘Oh. That must have been what I agreed to. I wasn’t really listening to the governor properly,’ Edmund said, taking a swig of wine as if this were no matter.
Peridan choked on a laugh and pressed a fist to his mouth to hold it back.
Edmund wheeled on him. ‘What’s so funny?’
Peridan shook his head, unable to speak for fear of laughing. Finally he composed himself enough to say, ‘The dance opens every tournament. It is a long standing tradition in the Islands, going back to before the Time of Exile. You honour the people by performing it.’
‘Then why,’ Edmund said, stepping closer to search his face, ‘Do you look so merry about it?’
The next day Edmund stood in the middle of the tiltyard, waiting awkwardly by himself while Peter, Susan, and Lucy looked on. ‘Oi, Peridan!’ He called into the weapons shed. ‘How long is this going to take?’
‘A mere moment, Sire!’ he called back.
Edmund blew air out of his cheeks and started to pace in circles, putting one foot in front of the other.
‘I thought I should give you the full effect,’ Peridan announced as he emerged, spreading his arms. As he reached them he struck a pose, his hands on his hips. Peter, Susan, and Lucy fell to laughing.
‘What on earth are you wearing?’ Edmund frowned.
‘The traditional costume!’ he said. ‘Look. Here is the embroidered waistcoat—usually done by the lady of the house—and the starched cotton for the skirt, and the sandals which lace up the calf, and the hat.’
Edmund knocked Peridan's cap askew as he pulled a face. ‘Do you know what you look like?’
‘You, when you take to the dance floor a few nights hence,’ Peridan replied with a grin. ‘Now come—you’ll need to perfect your backflip before then.’
More laughing from Lucy, Peter, and Susan. Edmund frowned at them.
‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you,’ Edmund said to Peridan.
‘Well,’ he said, ‘I admit you’ll look very fetching in this yourself.’
A/N: Ok, so admittedly this is the second fill where I've used part of the story I'm currently posting, but it just fit the prompt so well.