Hey! This is just a small little one-shot conversation between Peter and Susan, later joined by Lucy. It takes place after the Battle of Beruna during their first night at Cair Paravel. NO SIBLING ROMANCE! No offence, but that's just wrong.
Hope you like it. Right By Your Side should be posted soon. I personally think this story sucks, but you might not.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters!
HOPE YOU ENJOY!
The round florescent moon shone over the beautiful land of Narnia. The White Witch had been defeated and peace was being restored to the land. Tomorrow morning, the Pevensie children would be crowned as the rightful Kings and Queens of Narnia. They all had to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for the next morning, but two children could not get to sleep.
Thirteen year old, Peter Pevensie stood on the balcony of his room looking out into the bright sky above. He couldn't stop thinking about the battle that had happened the day before. The Witch had almost killed Edmund, and Peter couldn't stop thinking about what could have happened if Lucy hadn't been there with her cordial. Ed probably wouldn't be sleeping in the room down the hall if that had been the case.
Sighing in displeasure, Peter moved off the balcony and into his room. It was a large place with an overly sized king four poster bed, with red drapes and gold blankets. The frame was made of solid gold encrusted with jewels of rubies and diamonds. Off to the left of the bed was a large mahogany bedside table with a small white-gold lamp. To the right of the bed lay an oak bookshelf with books upon books upon books piled onto it. There was a large wardrobe off to the right wall, near the large glass door leading to the balcony. In it were dozens of different clothing, hanging neatly in a line. On the south wall, a few feet from the bathroom door, was an old style black marble desk, aligned with quills, papers, and sealing wax. The floor was covered by a soft blood red carpet, set to match the golden walls. As Peter walked towards the door, almost tripping over the gold-framed, red cushioned, lounge chair, he just couldn't get the pictures of Edmund dying out of his head.
He saw the Witch run his brother through with her broken ice spear, he saw Ed falling to the ground in pain, he saw him gasping for air as he lay dying. Peter saw the little streams of blood pool out of his baby brother and onto the cold grass below. Then he saw an unreal picture of a dead Edmund, pale and face still contorted in pain.
"NO!" Peter quietly screamed while clenching his eyes shut and willing the images to go away. Quieter, he whispered, "Edmund isn't dead he's asleep in his room, alive." Still not satisfied, Peter tip-toed out of his room, and walked silently down the hall.
Stopping at his younger brother's door, Peter quietly turned the knob and walked inside.
The room was as large as Peter's and had the same type of format. The bed was made of solid silver and embedded with sapphires, with royal blue drapes and soft sheets and pillows. By the large crystal window/door that led to the balcony was a window seat padded with blue and silver cushions. A white desk, stood at the other end if the room near the huge pile of ancient Narnian scrolls. How Edmund got them so quickly, Peter would never know. By the full bookshelf was a closed closet, full of clothes Peter was sure Edmund would have to be forced to wear. The walls were as blue as Ed's drapes and the floor had a large, fuzzy, creamy white rug. But what caught Peter's eye was the lone figure sitting in the lounge chair that had been pulled up beside the bed.
The figure looked up, startled at the sound of the door, but soon relaxed when she realized that it was Peter. The older boy looked at Susan in surprise. He had not expected to see his younger sister in Ed's room at this time of night; actually he had not expected to see her in his room at all. He took a seat by her on the chair and they sat in silence for a few minutes. Until…
"So, what are you doing in here, Su?" Peter turned to look at her in question. She slowly raised her head and looked into his eyes.
"I couldn't sleep." She replied simply, turning her head ever so slightly towards Edmund.
"So you decided to come in here?" He sent her a suspicious look.
"I had to make sure that he is really still here and with us." Looking up at him again, she continued. "Just like you."
"What do you mean, 'Just like you?'?" Peter said, trying his best to lie; something he wasn't exceptionally good at.
"Peter, please," She sighed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world(s). "I am one of the only people, aside from Ed and Lu; that can read you like a book. You came in to check on him too." Susan replied, but not in a 'haha, caught you' type of way, more of a gentle and loving way.
"You are too smart for your own good, you know that Su?" Peter smiled at her and she smiled back.
"Yes, but that's okay. Someone has to keep all of you somewhat logical." He chuckled a bit, before they both fell into a comfortable silence.
"It's hard to believe, isn't it?" Susan asked quietly. Peter raised his head and looked at her in a questioning way.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that, Edmund almost died; TWICE!" She cried quietly. "He almost died, Peter, he almost died and we couldn't do a thing about it! Sure Lucy had her cordial, but that doesn't mean that Edmund's ordeal is over!" She put her head in her hands and started to softly cry.
"I know, Su, I know. And it frightens me still, but we can't dwell on the past. All that matters is that he's here and he's alive." Peter soothed, rapping his arm around his teary eyed sister.
"But this is going to plague him for the rest of his life!" She cried harder.
"While that may be true, it does not mean that we can't help him."
"But what can we do, Peter, what can we do?"
"I don't know Su, but when the time comes when he wants to talk, we'll know what to do."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure." He smiled as they once again fell into silence. The peace was broken, however, by the opening of the door and the scampering of little feet.
"Susan, Peter, is that you?" Whispered a small voice.
"It's us Lu; are you okay?" Peter asked, opening his arms out and inviting her to sit with them. She tip-toed over and snuggled up next to Susan.
"I'm fine. I just couldn't get to sleep."
"Were you worrying about Edmund too?" Susan asked gently, despite her tears.
"Yes. I take it that's why you're in his room?"
"Yes, we couldn't sleep either." Peter said to his youngest sibling, as she snuggled up under the blanket surrounding them.
"Why is Edmund always the one to be hurt the most?" Susan questioned in sorrow. "What did he ever do to deserve it?"
"It all started with that horrible boarding school. Why did mum even send him there?" Lucy asked in anger.
Gently replying, Peter said, "Because, she wanted him to gain some friends, since he barely has any."
"It's sad. He's such a sweet child." The older girls cried again.
"He is, isn't he?" The two girls just nodded, not trusting themselves to speak.
"Remember when he used to get all those horrible nightmares and we would stay up the whole night with him?" Peter asked, looking about ready to cry.
"Yeah. He used to scream in his sleep and he would sometimes start fighting things that weren't even there."
Looking at her older sister, Lucy could have sworn she saw more tears.
"I remember. It was so sad and terrifying to see him like that."
"You don't think he'll have anymore, do you?" Lucy asked her older brother.
"He…" But Peter was cut off by Edmund's screams of terror.
"NO, PLEASE, STOP! LEAVE ME ALONE! GO AWAY!" He screamed in his sleep as he thrashed around. "PETER! SUSAN! LUCY!"
The three conscious siblings tried to calm him down, but it was no use. He just kept repeating their names over and over again, as if his life depended on it. Finally, the three other children just decided to wake him up.
Getting on the bed, Peter picked up his brother and cradled him. Susan started running her fingers through his hair and Lucy took a hold on his hand. After a bit of shaking, Edmund's eyes started to flicker open.
Upon his awake, Edmund looked around with glossy eyes, and after seeing his siblings, he suddenly did something unexpected.
Burying his face in his older brother's chest, the ten year old, started weeping in pain, fright, and relief.
"Shhh, it's okay Ed, it's okay. You're safe now; we won't let any harm come to you." Peter soothed, rubbing his thumb across his brother's cheek.
"It was so scary, so scary." Edmund managed to gasp out, in between sobs.
"Can you remember it?" Edmund paused and sniffled at his little sister's question.
"I…I…no, I can't remember." He started sobbing again.
"That's it Ed, that's it. Just let it all out. We'll be right here." Susan said in a kind manner.
Sniffling, Edmund asked, "Promise?"
"Promise!" The other three chorused together. Ed smiled and snuggled back into his older brother's arms. Peter, Susan, and Lucy each gave him a kiss on the forehead, before falling asleep in Edmund's bed.
This was a conversation to remember; and remember they did.
Hope you enjoyed it. Please review! NO FLAMES! BYE!