Disclaimer: One day, long ago, I owned Edmund Pevensie, and the sun has appeared dark in my eyes since the Barbarian-King declared slavery contrary to the laws of his land. And though the poet once said that the fountains of prosperity irrigate the gardens of wisdom, even yet my wisdom has not been recognized, O my elders, for verily I remain without a minim in my purse.
AN: I got this idea in church (that's when the plotbunnies strike) and liked it. I haven't yet seen a bookverse Peter/Edmund reconciliation fic, so that's what I was trying to do here. I'm not as sure of this as I have been of some other pieces, but I'm not sure how to make it better. I'm open to suggestions! It's echoing one of the parables, but isn't an exact parallel. Let me know what you think!
A Page in Thy Army
Once there were two brothers, the younger of whom believed himself mistreated by the elder. And the younger, walking in the woods one day, met a certain sorceress, who entrapped him with sweet words and beguiled him with flattery. She offered unto him a throne and promised him a kingdom with empty promises. And he said to himself, Why should I not take the kingship, as she offers? and my brother and sisters shall be my subjects, as servants under me. And he joined with the sorceress, to entrap his family.
But when the devious web was spun, the boy found himself the one entangled, and when he had fulfilled the purpose of the sorceress, she cast him off like an old garment, and he saw all her promises of games and feasts to be nothing more than smooth and empty words, which were sweet in his mouth but turned bitter in his stomach, and left him so weak with hunger that he fain would have filled his belly with the dry and mouldy crusts which earlier he had spurned. And when he came to himself, he said, Here am I, fainting with hunger and lacking covering from the cold this winter night, while my brother and sisters are in service to the Lord, and the lowliest page in my brother's army has food to spare and sleeps warm in a tent withal. And he despaired, for he was unable to escape the net of the enchantress, and he counted himself certain of death.
Yet the Lord had not forgotten the boy, and certain of the army were sent for him, and freed him from his bonds, and came with him to the camp. But when they were yet a long way off, the Lord saw them, and came bounding to meet him, saying, My son is returned; and bore him back to the camp and said, Quick, bring oil and wine for his wounds and water for his feet, a warm robe for his shoulders and a circlet for his head.
Now the elder brother was sleeping, and he awoke and inquired of an attendant as to what manner of commotion it was, and he said unto him, His Highness, even thy brother the Prince, is returned unto us, wherefore we rejoice. And he was angry, but said nothing, for a herald from the enemy arrived to parley, and after parleying the camp was broken. Yet during the march, the elder boy spoke with the Lord of many things, and his heart was softened and warmed toward his brother.
And at even, when camp was pitched and the boys were left in the solitude of their tent, the younger fell at the feet of the elder and said, I have sinned against you and my sisters, against the Lord and the Emperor-Over-the-Sea, and am no longer worthy to be called thy brother. But let me be a page in thy army, and I will serve thee forever.
But his brother raised him up, embraced him, wept on his neck, and kissed him, saying, My brother was dead, and is alive; was lost, and has been found. Praise be to the Lord!
~ consumatum est ~