There was no wince, flinch, or even anger flashing by the guardsman now. Oddly enough, instead, there was was a glint of satisfaction, a hidden mystery. Dumas chuckled darkly, lips pulling into a sneer.

"The fate of the former princess is sealed," he said, voice smooth. "She'll learn to accept it when the time comes."

Dumas turned sharply, purposefully making a difficult step to make the prince trip up. He came to two sets of doors, once painted like a green forest, now covered top to threshold in frozen ice crystals.

Dumas knocked. "A missive from Narnia to see the queen."

The doors were pulled open, just as the fight back home was drawing to a close.

Celine was more than impressed with Caspian's technique, fighting now the hardest she had in her life. The earlier exuastion from the match with the mouse was also taking it's toll, forcing the red-head to go on a defensive stance. She, too, noticed that her partner's strikes were wide and well-pronounced, over-emphasized. She smirked.

[i]He wants to...impress me?[/i] she thought, her blush thankfully obscured by her tired cheeks. [i]Wow...[/i]

But his over-done strikes did him in. His foot caught, and he was wide open. She drew in, but stopped just short of letting the steel hit his neck. They were near nose to nose now, her chocolate brown eyes staring deep into his.

"Checkmate," she joked, smiling. "Well fought."