Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia. The world came out of C.S. Lewis' head, God rest his brilliant soul, and all profit made off it is now the property of the C.S. Lewis estate. This is strictly an amateur, non-profit work, written in fun.

I walked around after the wedding, greeting guests, receiving wishes for good fortune in my marriage to Prince Cor of Archenland. Cor was talking with King Peridan of Narnia when Lady Lauri came up, a mountain-bred cousin to Lord Gregor. I had only seen her once before- at a ball a year or so ago.

She was fair-skinned, as an Archenlander ought to be, but with dark hair that rivaled mine for unruliness She was tall, too, and curvy- about my own age. She curtsied clumsily when we met.

"Princess Aravis," she said in a low, musical voice, looking down at me with a measuring golden gaze.

"Lady Lauri. Welcome back to Anvard. How do you find us?"

"Quite well, though not near as well as you, Your Highness. Allow me to add my congratulations to the superfluity you must already possess. Is there a heap somewhere I may put them?" She raised her eyebrows comically and I took a step back.

I didn't know exactly what to say. She was not mocking me. Her gaze wished me earnestly well, but how was I to respond to such a question? I decided to ignore it. "You are a cousin of Lord Gregor's, I believe, niece to Lord Ansel?" I asked politely.

She rolled her eyes. "I did write myself that way, yes," she said. "Really I just wanted to meet you."
I blinked. "Pardon me?"

"You're one of the more interesting characters I've worked with."

I took in a breath, and looked at her sharply. I grabbed her arm. "You…you aren't the author?"

She let out a laugh. "Bless you, no. Didn't I write a disclaimer saying I wasn't? But I have known you since I was six. I'm a fanfiction writer. I hope you feel I've treated you kindly?"

Her golden brown eyes danced with humour. I shook my head slowly, taking it all in. "Honestly, I didn't notice," I told her. "Isn't this what happens in canon?"

"Exactly," she said, satisfied. "I just…expanded it a little."

"So, are you really Lady Lauri?" I asked.

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course not. It doesn't matter who I am. I just wanted to say hello, Aravis. And that I am very glad you let me let you be happy. You don't deserve it, of course, but that's why we all cheer for you."

She spoke briskly, bluntly. I might have been offended, but she had handled me so kindly I hadn't noticed I was being handled, not deviating from canon at all. I was always annoyed when I was forced into those other stories, where I spoke and acted against my nature and principles and even against what might be expected of a citizen of the world. I supposed she knew what she was talking about, and she obviously respected me, for all her rudeness. "Is there anything I can do for you, Lady?" I asked. "Would you like to meet Cor or Corin or something?"

She shook her head. "I never call him Cor. I'd like to disagree with you, by the way-Shasta's a much nicer name. Prince Shasta isn't bad, though I suppose King Shasta would sound a bit odd- but 'Cor' sounds like an uncivilised exclamation. And I'd be a bit nervous to meet Corin. I'm not sure I've handled him as gently as I've handled you. I'm sure I've taken liberties with Hwin and Lasaraleen. I'd be ashamed to look Bree in the face. No. I just wanted to pop in, shake your hand, and say hello and congratulations on your marriage." She shook my hand heartily, gripping me tightly in her long, elegant fingers. "Good luck with the quarrelling and making it up again." She grinned. "And that's it. After all, what's Narnia without a good self-insert?"

She began to shimmer. "Wait! Shouldn't someone fall in love with you?" I hollered.

Her voice came, laughing, as if from a distance. "That fic will never see the light of day, dear. Poor Edmund!" And with that, she was gone.