CHAPTER
Edmund loathed parties. Things weren't so bad when it was being hosted at Cair Paravel, but he still hated them with a burning passion. Tonight was no different.
The kings and queens of Narnia were hosting a Tarkaan, and of course no expense was spared in preparing the affair for the sake of Narnian and Calormen relations. Edmund couldn't wait until everyone was finished being presented so he could go skulk in the corner and stuff his face with all the wonderful Narnian delicacies he had been smelling for the past week. He looked over at Peter who was seated beside him and noticed that his shoulders were drooping. Peter was tired too apparently.
Finally, the last in line, a lark hulk of a man, came forward wearing the standard dress of a rich Calormen merchant. Beside him was a small individual, dressed in black pantaloons and a black tunic, a black burqa like head garment covering all but piercing silver eyes that seemed to take in the entire room. The large man moved with an air of self-importance acquired from being successful in business, whereas the smaller man moved with the grace and strength of a leopard. "Your Majesties," the man said, bowing deeply. Edmund was on edge immediately, the man was obviously a smooth talker.
"May I present the best bodyguard this side of Aslan's Country!" The man indicated his companion. "He has served many Tarkaans and even, for a brief period, the Tisroc (may he life forever) himself! Not one man has ever died under this guardian's care, though the attempts on his life be many and the assassins be strong!"
The man's companion bowed. "A truly impressive record sir," Peter said, inclining his head slightly.
"That it is Your Majesty! Only the best for you and your family!" The man said, bowing again.
"Thank you sir," Peter stated. He then addressed the man in black. "Guard, if you would please, from this day forward you shall guard my brother, King Edmund the Just."
Edmund almost got whiplash from jerking his head in Peter's direction. The man in black bowed, before being led away in the direction of the other "gifts". The man who had presented the guard excused himself. Peter smiled.
"Well, I think that's everyone," he said, standing and bowing before the assembly before walking away. Edmund followed.
"Peter you cannot be serious," he cried, as they weaved through the couples on the dance floor.
"Of course I can Ed. You're constantly almost getting yourself killed. Maybe with this man guarding you, you'll finally stop needing a drop out of Lucy's cordial every week," Peter stated, walking briskly to the refreshments table.
"But Peter you can't possibly trust him!" Edmund said, knowing he wouldn't win if he stated that he didn't need one. He was frequently almost getting killed. "I mean, he was presented by a Calormene at a ball thrown for a Tarkaan! What if he's just an assassin out to kill us?" Edmund demanded.
Peter sighed and turned around. "The merchant informed me of his intention a few weeks ago after I inquired if he knew any trustworthy bodyguards. The man presented tonight has a spotless record of loyalty, remaining true only to the person whom he guards. He doesn't even accept payment so as to insure that bribes will be ineffective. And, as the man said, no one has ever died on his watch," Peter said, before turning back around and walking away. Edmund followed.
"But Peter!" Edmund cried.
"No buts Ed. You and I both know that had Lucy been five seconds later with the cordial that last time, you would've died. And that was just the most recent time! You can't keep going like this and if you won't take some concern for your life then I will," Peter said harshly.
He turned around and sighed. "I know it's difficult Ed. But we can't lose you, not again. So promise me you'll at least try it? You don't have to like it, just put up with it."
Edmund looked into Peter's eyes, not entirely surprised to see them filled with sadness at the memory of how he'd almost lost Edmund. "Fine. But I don't promise to be nice to him. And I don't promise that I won't try to get rid of him," he said. Peter's smile turned mischievous.
"And I wish you the best of luck with that. From what I've heard, you'll need it," he said with a wink before walking off.
"Wait, Pete what's his name?!" Edmund called after him.
"I've no idea," Peter called back over his shoulder. Edmund's shoulders slumped. Great, he thought walking off. He'd had bodyguards before. Normally, they followed his every move, stood by his bed when he slept and did their best to keep him from doing anything even mildly dangerous and therefore, fun. Obviously, it was always a huge cramp in his style and it caused no small end of annoyance.
He put up with it when it was necessary or expected of him, but he spent every possible moment trying to escape them. Peter used to try to have the body guards stay on when the trips were over but, once safely home in Narnian territory, Edmund lost them in a heart beat. He'd yet to meet a guard that could keep up with him and after a while, Peter had stopped trying to find one.
But apparently the last "incident" had scared Peter more than Edmund thought because here was a shiny new bodyguard ready to "protect" him. Edmund sighed. He was not looking forward to this.
He'd put up with it tonight while the guests were here, it would give him some time to plot after all, but tomorrow he would get rid of the new guard. Where is he even? Edmund wondered. He turned around, finding himself in one of the lesser used corridors of Cair Paravel.
It was actually one of his favorite places in the castle. Hardly used by anyone, it was a good place to slink off and think and not be disturbed. A window seat at the end of the corridor gave one of Narnia's best views that made for pleasant entertainment when one wanted a break from thinking. All in all, it was a sort of haven for him.
Whatever, Edmund thought, discarding all thoughts of his new "bodyguard" as he walked towards the window with his hands in his pockets. He wanted a moment to gather himself, away from the crowd. He leaned against the window and looked out, enjoying the sea and land view provided, side by side, by his perch. It was a peaceful evening outside and the wind blew in to ruffle his hair. Faint strains of music curled through the hallways from the party to him, caressing his ears.
It had been almost eight years since they had come to Narnia. Sometimes, Edmund couldn't believe it. Other times, it felt like England had never existed. Sure, sometimes he missed his parents and there were times when he wondered how things in England were, was the war over by now? Was father home? But these things never occupied his mind for long.
No, Narnia was home. And tonight, it felt like it always had been. As he stood by the window, Edmund felt a sense of peace come over him. Yes, there was a party he'd have to go back to and yes, there was a new bodyguard to deal with tomorrow, but right now he was alive,(That last time really was a close call) on a beautiful Narnian night and he was going to enjoy it, if only for a minute.
If his reign had taught him nothing though, it was that peace never lasted for long. He was standing by the window for five minutes before the uneasy feeling crept over him. He turned around. "Anyone there?" He called. Silence answered his call.
He pushed away from the window and began to walk slowly down the corridor, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Pete? Is that you?" He called.
Again, his only answer was the silence of the night. He knew better than to discount the feeling entirely however. I'll return to the party. Safety in numbers, he decided, grabbing the hilt of his sword and picking up his pace.
He was almost to the end of the hallway when a hand clamped over his mouth and a strong force grabbed him from behind, dragging him into an alcove. He felt himself pressed against a strong body significantly smaller than his own, held by arms it would be impossible to force his way out of. The smell of cloves and cinnamon permeated the small space.
As useless as it was to escape, Edmund still struggled, hoping that if he could at least delay the assassin then maybe someone would notice he was missing and come for him. He opened his mouth quickly as wide as he could, causing the assassin's fingers to slip inside, and bit down as hard as he could. Edmund felt the sound of teeth connecting with bone in his mouth as he clamped down. The assassin tensed slightly but made no other sound or movement. Great, he thought. Now I can't even slump over because it won't fool them. Smart move Edmund, he chided himself, keeping his hard hold on the assassin's hand. Said assassin didn't seem to care about having his hand released however, so it wasn't difficult.
Edmund didn't know how long they stayed there with him attempting to escape. The assassin holding him seemed to have no interest in killing him, or removing him. What in Aslan's name is this man thinking? Edmund wondered. He was breathing hard from his struggling.
Aslan help me! He cried internally. A few seconds later, the sound of soft footfalls reached his ears. Excited, Edmund began to struggle even harder than before. "Hss!" His captor cried quietly, almost in his ear.
Edmund had no idea why, but he stopped then, going completely still. "Do you see him?" One voice asked softly.
"I thought he came this way," another voice replied quietly. Edmund froze, recognizing the hushed, conspiratorial whispers with malicious undertones. Obviously, the men in the corridor weren't coming to save him. In fact, they seemed to be here for the exact opposite reason.
As the two drew closer, the arms wrapped around Edmund drew him closer, bringing him further into the alcove. Why is this person doing this? And who is he? He wondered as his subduer turned them both slowly and quietly. As soon as their positions were juxtaposed, his captor released him, taking the front and forcing Edmund to the rear. Edmund contained an exclamation of surprise.
The individual who had been holding him captive was his new bodyguard. You've got to be kidding me! Edmund thought. The man pushed him farther into the alcove with a nod of reassurance before turning to the hallway and drawing a knife from a sheath attached to his calf.
"Are you sure the body guard presented by that merchant from Calormen won't make things more difficult?" One of the voices asked.
"Provided the body guard is actually a bodyguard, he won't be any trouble. No one can acclimate to new circumstances that fast. There's no way he'll have found out about this, or be able to stop it."
You would think, Edmund thought, watching as the figure in front of him pounced on the two men in the hallway. The two men were significantly bigger, both burly and both dressed in Narnian uniforms with Calormen weapons. But as soon as the figure in black threw a punch, surprisingly not leading with the knife in his hand, it became clear who the stronger of the three was.
The black figure landed on the shoulders of the closer man and wrapped his legs around his neck, dropping his body weight and swinging into the second man. Both tumbled to the floor, black quickly getting the better of the Narnian uniform as two rolled on the floor. The first man gathered himself off of the floor and grabbed the bodyguard, lifting him off the other man.
The move turned out to be a mistake as the black figure lifted his legs over both of their heads and wrapped it around the man's neck, pulling downwards so that the large man flipped over. In the process of falling, the black figure managed to escape, dashing to the side. He turned and charged, launching a kick at the first man to stand. The man flew into the wall and smacked his head, falling to the floor completely limp. The second man threw a punch but the bodyguard ducked to the side, leading with a kick to the man's back. He tumbled into a pedestal with a vase on it and both crashed to the floor.
The bodyguard took a stance, not in the least winded, as the man in the Narnian uniform slowly picked himself up, breathing hard and looking the worse for wear. That didn't stop him as he launched himself at the figure in black. The bodyguard raised his fists and sent them hard into the man's chin, knocking into the man's jaw and throwing him off-balance. He then kicked up into a hand stand and kicked his legs into the man's head, forcing him off his feet and to the floor.
"It came from over here!" Voices called. They were familiar to Edmund, thank the Lion, so he called out to them.
"Over here!" He called.
"Your Majesty! Are you ok?" The guards asked, looking at shards of broken glass, knocked over pedestal and the two motionless bodies on the floor.
The figure in black sheathed his knife before grabbing one and dragging him over to the other body before depositing him on top. "Your Majesty, what happened?" Orion asked.
"An assassination attempt. Have these two men taken to the dungeon and inform me when they wake up. In the meantime, I will return to the party with my new bodyguard," Edmund said, looking at the figure in black. He was standing at attention two feet away but inclined his head slightly when Edmund caught his eyes.
"Your Majesty, shouldn't you exit the party and get somewhere safe?" One of the guards said. Edmund looked over at the bodyguard and, seeing that the guard made no move to agree or disagree, made his decision.
"I believe I'm fine returning to the party. I'm confident the danger has been neutralized and therefore there shouldn't be anymore trouble. If there is, my guard can handle it. In the meantime, I would ask that you keep this incident quiet as I'm not eager to disrupt the party. I will inform the High King when I deem it necessary. Understood?"
"Yes sir," the guards replied, taking the two almost assassins and dragging them off. Edmund turned to the figure beside him.
"Thank you," he said, gratefully. The figure nodded.
"How did you know what they were plotting?" The figure raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Will you at least tell me your name?" Edmund asked, growing exasperated at his silent companion. The figure shook his head, before walking away in the direction the unconscious assassins had been dragged in. "Hey! Where are you going?" Edmund called after him. The figure gave no indication he had heard Edmund, reaching the end of the hallway and turning out of sight.
Edmund sighed, now entirely exasperated. "Great Peter, just great. Doesn't even talk! How is that supposed to work?!" He muttered making his way back to the party.
Hiya luvs! I'm... not really sure what to put here. I've had this idea for a while but I've never really gotten around to posting it. BUT it's SUMMER now so no school so why not?! Edmund is totally my favorite from Narnia and, let's be honest, I totally have a fantasy crush on him! XD This first chapter is kind of awkward with pacing and storyline and stuff like that which I apologize for. But I promise it'll get better! Especially when I finally give this dude a name UGH! So hard writing him with no name! But next chapter will see the advent of a name because, seriously, "hey you!" does not work. Apologies for spelling and grammar errors, I got a new computer and it has this stupid text prediction thingy and stuff that I absolutely HATE WITH A BURNING PASSION! I'm going to figure out how to turn it off soon. Anywho, hope you like, leave a comment if you like and suggestion for things I can fix! Tschuss for now!