Edmund was sitting alone in the throne room in Cair Paravel contemplating whether or not to conduct a census survey of his dominion; the western wood.
The reasons for this thinking was simply Edmund was bored, completely and utterly bored.
The High King, Peter the Magnificent and also his elder brother along with his sisters and queens; Susan the Gentle and Lucy the Valiant had left along with the High King to two very distant kingdoms called Azeroth and Lordaeron and they would gone for months on end leaving the entirety of Narnia's rule to Edmund himself.
It had already been 15 months and Edmund had finished all of his diplomatic paperwork and since his territory was the Western Wood he didn't have much influence in his sibling's territories especially the Frost Giants that lived in the northern mountains and on top of that Edmund had to act as High King while Peter was away and let's just say that his stress levels were bordering on severe.
The Just King was in serious need of some good old R&R.
"Sire, Sire!" calls the voice of one the faun messengers
"Yes" Edmund responds trying to keep as much exasperation out of his tones as possible.
"I beg your pardon for this interruption my liege but we have a very serious problem" the faun states in a very grave tone.
"Why what's happened" Edmund answers.
"I've discovered a large military base camp on the eastern coast less than twenty meters from the Wood."
King Edmund groans
"If that's not bad enough the group was carrying Lordeanian banners"
"What the bloody hell!" the Just King roars
"Peter sailed over 8,000 miles to stop this and they do it anyways"
Edmund's stress was starting to show
"What should we do Milord?" the faun asks looking at the acting High King.
The king deliberated he definitely did not need this but this situation required his immediate attention.
"Let's try the diplomatic approach first if that fails then we'll drive them off"
the faun nods
"Who will carry out the diplomacy My Lord?"
Edmund thought for a few moments and then sighs
"I'll carry it out personally…if I'm lucky Peter and the rest will be back by the time I return"
Edmund stands and smoothes over his clothes
"Prep my horse it'll take about a day for me to reach the Wood"
"My Lord in your exhausted state it would be foolhardy to go alone."
Oreius advises wisely and the centaur was right Edmund looked dead on his feet, his exhaustion most likely coming from several nights of overnight councils with delegates from the different provinces of Narnia.
"Allow at least a few warriors to accompany you"
Edmund wasn't listening as for just as the wise centaur mentioned the Just King was hit by a wave of tiredness and stumbled
"Sire, maybe you should rest before you speak with the interlopers"
Edmund promptly refuses
"I appreciate your concern, but this must be dealt with immediately"
"By your word King Edmund"
soon the King and his trusted steed Philip are on their way to the Wood with two leopards and a centaur as a guard for the weary king.
As expected it took about a day to reach the faun's indicated location.
King Edmund sent the leopards ahead to scout the area and just as the faun messenger had told them there was a large military base camp and the banner of Lordaeron stood in the center; tall and blood red with two crossed swords.
"I'll head in alone but you all keep to the shadows if trouble arises I'll signal with this"
Edmund demonstrates the signal which is a two finger salute.
They royal guard nods
"Good luck my liege" the leopard purrs.
Edmund inclines his head and quickly strides towards the camp he is spotted by two guards
"In the name Lord Gathos who goes there?" inquires the foot soldier.
Edmund holds his head high and speaks in his practiced kingly voice
"I am King Edmund of Narnia I wish to call an audience with your commanding officer, Lord Gathos is it?"
the grunt looks at his partner
"Very well King Edmund this way"
They led the Just King through the camp until they approach a large tent in the north part of the camp.
They walk through the flap to find Lord Gathos himself seated amongst his officers discussing war plans.
"I beg your pardon for this interruption Lord Gathos but King Edmund of Narnia has asked for an audience"
The man in the center looks up and sees the young king.
He looks to be in late forties or early fifties, he was large with muscle and his beady little eyes were full of prejudice.
His eyes darken
"King Edmund the Just, why are you here?"
Edmund quirks his eyebrow incredulously
"Why do you think I am here Lord Gathos, I'm here to find out for what reasons you've come to the Kingdom of Narnia"
"That is need-to-know information" Gathos answers with a tone superiority and authority.
"Well you see, here's the thing; I need to know" the young dark haired king responds.
"Understand Gathos that you may be a Lord in Lordaeron but here in Narnia you hold as much influence as the grunts but if you won't give me the information I require I may be forced to use more drastic measures."
Gathos' beady eyes flash with rage
"I feel that you don't need to know" the irritating man states glaring at the king.
Edmund sighs; this was not going the way he wanted.
"Very well you forced my hand Gathos of Lordaeron as King of this land I hereby order you to tell me why you are in our lands"
Edmund gives Gathos his famous smoldering glare the one that made all the women (except his sisters) swoon and makes his foes shrink away in fear.
"I only take orders from King Arthas and no one else"
Gathos bellows and draws his sword and one swift movement dives across the table but Edmund foresaw this move and counters with his own sword.
The other officers look stunned at their Lord's sudden attack
"Gathos, stop before cause an international incident" advises a burly and noble looking man.
"This little whelp cannot be a king can he?"
Edmund readjusts his footing and pushes against Gathos' blade until the heavy man stumbles back.
"I am indeed King Edmund and this sword proves it"
The Just one holds up his sword and emblazoned upon the blade's flat surface the symbol of a lion.
Gathos eyes the weapon but then states
"You could've forged a copy"
Edmund were losing his patience
"Are you really that dense?"
The teenage king glaring more fiercley Gathos answers by attacking in which Edmund defends with a cross block Gathos with his 40+ years of combat experience begins to duel with the Just King with more fervor.
Edmund rolls under a horizontal strike and comes up on to one knee and thrusts the hilt of his blade into the enemy knight's abdomen, but the knight was still wearing his armor so the blow did nothing.
Gathos ebbs his sword into the ground and quickly grasps the youthful king by his waist and hurls him out of the tent and onto the ground.
Edmund rises to his feet while tightening the grip on his sword and sees Gathos come tearing out and releasing a vicious diagonal slash and with King Edmund only wearing leather travel clothes the blade cuts through like a knife through butter yet Edmund manages to get out of the way at the last second causing the blade to on slice the shirt.
The king responds by knocking the sword away but was encompassed by a charge that had all the grace of a small rhinoceros and was slammed into a tree.
Edmund was angry now before he rights himself he gives a two fingered salute but made it look like he was brushing his bangs out of his face.
He then uses what strength he had left to push Lord Gathos back and the flicks him in the forehead to make him stumble Edmund than grips the tree behind him for leverage and raises one foot and boots the knight with all the force he could muster which sent Gathos hurtling back and onto the ground.
Gathos rose to his feet quickly before being rammed by a leopard which streaks back under the brush
"ARCHERS! FIRE!" Gathos commands
and before the Just King could comprehend what was happening a shower of arrows rain down.
Edmund felt one pierce his shoulder and then another pierces his leg and before long the king's body is full of arrows. Before the black-haired king fell to his knees he pulls out his ace in the hole;
Susan's horn,
she had given it to him before she left.
He puts the horn to his lips and blows with all he's worth and the horn's sound rips over the trees.
Hoping aid would come as the horn promises he fell to the ground blood pouring from the arrow wounds.
"The horn's call came from this direction"
Before they reached Edmund Gathos delivers a vicious blow to the unconscious king's head causing yet more blood to spill from the wound and the evil knight has pleased gleam in his head.
Before anything else could happen the assistance arrived in the form of Oreius and his finest battalion.
"Harm another hair on Lord Edmund's head and you'll forfeit your life" two of the fauns with him scoop up the king
"This transgression won't be forgotten soon Gathos, remember that"
[Here is Chapter 1 of my Narnia story if you want me to continue please review]
