Disclaimer: The Chronicles of Narnia is the property of both C.S Lewis and Walden Media
Forgiven is the property of Within Temptation and their partners
Alright, here is my second one-shot. I like this one better, the words flowed much easier. I loved writing this and I hope it brings you to tears, much like it did for me. This is a one-shot from Susan's point of view to Within Temptation's Forgiven. Please review.
What He Didn't Deserve
Crawling through the woods silently, tears streaming down my face, I made my way to the Stone Table, still numb from the day's event
I had just begun to get the hang of my bow when Mr. Beaver rushed over to my brothers in a flurry of words. Panting hard, Beaver scrambled to regain his bearings. I stopped my battle preparations for a moment and listened carefully to the beaver's words.
The message was shouted in a panicked tone. "Peter, the witch has demanded council with Aslan! She's on her way here as we speak!"
My heart seemed to skip a beat when the news registered in my mind. The woman who had caused my family so much pain was coming here. I wasn't sure I could keep my composure if she got too close to me. In a hurry, I swung my bow onto my back and collected my arrows from the target I had been using. I grabbed for Lucy's hand and we took off to Aslan's tent, racing after Peter and Edmund who had taken off ahead of us with Mr. Beaver on horseback.
Lucy and I arrived at the great lion's tent to see a mass of animals, centaurs, and fauns gathered around. Aslan himself stood proudly outside of his tent, ready to counteract whatever the witch had planned.
Spotting our brothers standing proudly next to the lion, Lucy broke free of my grasp and made for Peter, catching him from behind with a frightened hug. Peter turned around to face her and, bending down to her level, returned the embrace.
Edmund stood behind them, colorless and eyes wide. He also had his fists clenched impossibly tight, turning his knuckles whiter than his face. I approached him cautiously, afraid of scaring the boy clear out of his skin. I laid my hand on his shoulder gently once I had given him a chance to recognize that it was me behind him. He seemed to relax a little at my touch and turned to face me. His expression almost made me take a step back, but I reminded myself solemnly that it was him in need of comfort, not me. I closed the space between us and wrapped him in a comforting hug, rubbing small circles on his back and whispering soothing words in his ears. He seemed like such a small being in that instant.
Edmund had always been small but his days with the witch had taken its toll on his body. His lithe form seemed incredibly undersized and it reminded me of him in his early childhood. He was an easy crier and was always looking for someone to help him overcome his tears. My heart ached for him as I pulled back and positioned myself beside him.
Just as Peter had stood back up, with Lucy still glued to his right hip and I to his left, the White Witch came into view. A path was made for her wordlessly and she emerged from the crowd with an icy presence.
She came forth, dressed in a gown of furs and fabrics that had been elaborately draped around her thin figure. Her eyes looked assured, despite the temperature's effect, and she had a malicious sneer arranged on he features. Seated on a throne being carried by four particularly gruesome looking minotaurs, the White Witch rode into camp. To my left, Edmund stiffened and let out a quiet whimper that I was positive only I heard.
The throne was lowered to the ground and the false queen stood with an arrogant huff before the great lion, Aslan. Taking a quick glance at my siblings and I, lshe let our emotions fuel her confidence. Peter's rage, my anxious dread, Edmund's terrified and pallid expression, and Lucy's tears were all feeding her mind and giving the wicked women the push she was looking for.
"You have a traitor in you midst, Aslan." Jadis began, stealing one more glance at my little brother. Peter caught the glance and his hand moved to the hilt of his sword,
Jadis smirked at Aslan and said, "By law, all traitors belong to me or Narnia shall be engulfed in water in flame."
"Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, witch." Aslan growled, clearly infuriated.
"Well then, by law, that boy," she accented the last word by swinging her scepter in Edmund's direction, "Will die on the Stone Table, as is tradition."
I almost fell to my knees but reminded myself that I had to be strong for my brother's sake. Gasps and enraged snarls and shouts were cast from the mob of Narnians. To my right, a devastated Lucy struggled for breath and tears raced down her face.
Peter whipped out his sword and directed its point to the evil witch, daring her, "Then try and take him!"
Wisely, Aslan commanded Peter to relax in a gentle tone and then turned to respond to Jadis. After a couple seconds contemplation, he told her, "I will speak with you alone."
Jadis looked unsure for only a moment, but eventually followed him into the tent, albeit reluctantly.
Silence fell over the area as everyone awaited the two's emergence. Peter angrily tore at the grass and Lucy sat ion stunned silence. The worst of the three was Edmund, who sat, unmoving, next to me. He seemed afraid to speak, as though he didn't trust his voice. If not for the obvious fact that he was still breathing, though the breaths were heavy and strained, I would have thought him to be dead.
I could not accept the fact that my brother was going to be killed. Aslan would do something to save him, he had to. I had forgiven my brother the instant I saw him back in front of my eyes. The bruises and scrapes told me he had more than paid for his deed and his eyes told me he was ready to rebuild what we had destroyed together.
Suddenly, the false queen stormed from the tent, crossed straight to her throne and took a seat irritably. The whole camp seemed to be aroused by her reappearance and everyone was getting back to their feet. Aslan followed her closely from behind; his face was apologetic and sad as he looked me in the eye.
"It's too late for that now, Aslan. I will take what belongs to me and you must comply." Jadis shouted at him when he began to speak again, apparently trying to reason with her to no avail.
My stomach fell. I knew what this meant. The White Witch was going to take my brother away. Edmund was going to die. I threw myself at him and adamantly refused to let go. Lucy fell to the ground, her face a ghastly white and eyes puffy from crying. Peter simply froze in place, unsure of how to react. The reason for all our dread, Edmund stayed silent with a calm disposition. He hugged me back solemnly, without a word.
Aslan turned to us with a heartbreaking gaze and told us in a soft voice, "Say goodbye to your brother, children."
Peter, my strong, prideful, thick-headed big brother had tears rolling down his face and Lucy made a break for the great lion, burying her face in his mane. I kissed Edmund tenderly on the head and Peter and Lucy joined us quietly, the whole time, Edmund said nothing. We all told him we loved him and he nodded and hugged us back. He kissed Lucy and I warmly and then pulled away to leave with the witch. In my last embrace, I grabbed him from behind and, sobbing uncontrollably, I uttered a few words in his ears. He smiled the last genuine smile I would see and then walked away to allow the witch's dwarf minion to bind his arms.
The witch departed swiftly, dragging my baby brother behind her by a rope. I kept watching the group until they disappeared over the horizon. Peter had made an attempt to run after him but Orieus, the centaur, stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder. The silhouette disappeared from my view and I fell to my knees. Lucy had run to Aslan and walked with him over to Peter and I.
"I apologize. I could not help your brother. Keep him alive, forever in your memories." With that said Aslan walked Lucy to our tent and made sure she went to bed without a fuss, in spite of the time.
"You are forgiven." The last words I had spoken to my baby brother. I ran his picture through my mind over and over before leaving Peter to head to bed as well.'
I could not lull myself to sleep and convinced myself to seek out the Stone Table and offer what support I could to my doomed little brother. Lucy was deep in sleep, as she had been when Aslan had left her, and Peter had finally gotten to sleep after hours of rolling around in bed. I decided to go alone, to save them the pain.
Couldn't save you from the start
Love you so it hurts my soul
Can you forgive me for trying again
Your silence makes me hold my breath
Oh, time has passed you by
So here I was, hiding in the trees, preparing myself to watch the execution of my own brother. The wind held a bittersweet sting on my skin and the trees swayed far above me. Flames lit the night sky and shouts of excitement and glee filled the night air. The fell beasts jeered at a young man as he was escorted to his death. They kicked and tripped him, making him stumble over his own feet. The walk was made with great dignity on my brother's part. He took every hit without even a flinch.
Ooh, for so long I've tried to shield you from the world
Ooh, you couldn't face the freedom on your own
Here I am left in silence
You gave up the fight
You left me behind
All that's done's forgiven
You'll always be mine
I know deep inside
All that's done's forgiven
Once atop of the Stone Table, he stood proudly before the conceited witch. The witch cast a glare at him before beginning her speech; she spoke loudly though, because of the distance between us, I could not make out the words. Her words slowed and she raised her arms high above her head, dagger in hand. The knife was held in the air for what had seemed like forever to me before, with a triumphant cry, she brought it down and into Edmund's heart.
He took the hit silently and as he hit the ground he rolled over and seemed to be past the trees and the creatures and directly into my eyes as he died. He knew I was here and he knew there was nothing I could do but watch him fade. His eyes slowly closed and his breathing stopped.
I watched the clouds drifting away
Still the sun can't warm my face
I know it was destined to go wrong
You were looking for the great escape
To chase your demons away
Ooh, for so long I've tried to shield you from the world
Ooh, you couldn't face the freedom on your own
And here I am left in silence
I sat there, in the dead of night, and watched as the fell beasts cleared the area around the Stone Table. Once they were all gone, I climbed out from my hiding spot and made my way to my brother's eternally still form. Edmund had a relieved look on his now lifeless face, as though glad to be rid of the troubles of life.
I had never given him the love and attention he deserved, always casting him aside and deeming something else more important. The guilt ate away at me as I collapsed next to him and pulled his head into my lap. I would never get a chance to fix my mistakes. I noticed his ghostly white skin still held warmth, and I pulled his body to my own, ignoring the blood that was staining my dress.
You gave up the fight
You left me behind
All that's done's forgiven
You'll always be mine
I know deep inside
All that's done's forgiven
The sun began to rise in the distance and I realized how long I had been here. I released my grip on my baby brother's lifeless form and laid him down gently on the stone. I got to my feet and whispered my goodbye, though he would never hear it.
I've been so lost since you've gone
Why not me before you
Why did fate deceive me
Everything turned out so wrong
Why did you leave me in silence
"You are forgiven." With that, I turned and walked away from my baby brother, knowing he would never rise again.
You gave up the fight
You left me behind
All that's done's forgiven
You'll always be mine
I know deep inside
All that's done's forgiven
Ok,the lyrics came in at awkward points, but I hope it worked out alright for you. I also apologize for not giving you a warning, but I felt it would ruin the story. Please review, I can't wait to hear what you guys think.