It was a calm cool morning in Narnia. The trees were gently swaying in the soft breeze that glided onto seashore making soft ripples in the water. All the creatures were out enjoying the beautiful sunny weather.
That morning King Edmund along with King Peter went for a morning ride. They rode all through the western wood, greeting all creatures that they came across.
This is was one of the reasons why Narnia's people loved their Kings and Queens so much. They were always so kind and caring. They would not treat anyone unequally. Everyone was treated as equals.
Suddenly out of nowhere an arrow pierced Edmund's chest, knocking him off his horse. "Edmund!" Peter screamed as he jumped off his own horse running to his brother's side. He took the bleeding boy into his arms and placed his hand over the gushing wound. The arrow seemed to have severed a major artery in Edmunds neck. Edmund whimpered in pain "It hurts, Peter."
"Don't worry Eddy I will take care of you. You will make it. I won't let you die." He could still feel the blood ooze out under his hand as he attempted to stop the bleeding. "We need to get you back to Cair or you will die, Ed."
Edmund then said the unthinkable to Peter.
"Let me die."
"You can't just expect me to let my only brother die. I would never be able to forgive myself." Peter started scoop Edmund up into his arms. "Yes you would, Peter with time. It's my time to go Peter. I have already gotten my second chance." Edmund struggled to take every breath. "It is time for me to go. Tell Susan to always be the gentle queen I know and love and not to get married to quickly."
"There's no need for that, Ed you are not dying." Peter's eyes started to get cloudy. He bent down and placed his forehead on Edmund's so he could hear him. "You are not dying. Do you understand? You. Are. Not. Going. To. Die."
"It's time so let me finish please. Tell Lucy to stay valiant and not to mourn over me, for I will always be watching over her." Peter wiped up the blood that he coughed from his brother's mouth, and then wiped away the tear that had escape from Edmunds eyes. "As for you my dear brother, I will miss you greatly, but do remember that someday we will be reunited in Aslan's Country. I love you, Peter. Always stay magnificent brother. Never forget me."
The High King pulled his dying brother into a gentle yet fierce hug. "I love you too, Ed. You will always be in my heart little brother." He kissed his baby brothers head. Peter held Edmund as he cried and bled out, whispering memories and words of comfort into his ear.
The Just King chest fell still. Edmund had died right before his eyes just like after the battle, only this time he wasn't coming back.
Peter's whole body began to shake with violent sobs. "No…Edmund please wake up. Don't leave me." He let out a blood curling cry of grief. Everything in the wood fell silent. Narnia just lost a king. He had failed his mother. He didn't protect all of his siblings. "Oh Aslan, it should have been me. I can't live without him." More importantly than that how was he going to tell the girls that their brother was dead?
Peter stood up, wiped away his tears and lifted his brother's dead body into his arms. "I'm so sorry I let you down Eddy." He looked up to his surprise many of the creatures where gathered around him. All had tears in their eyes. A centaur cried out. "May King Edmund find peace in Aslan's country."
All Peter could manage to do was nod at the creatures, unable to say anything. He then started his painfully journey home. As he trudge on he thought through every memory he had with Edmund good or bad. Peter held two memories most dear. The first is when he first held his baby brother for the very first time. The other was when Edmund fought death and came back to Peter after the Battle of Beruna.
He carried Edmund all the way home to Cair Paravel occasionally placing kisses on his cold check.
His sisters were sitting in the garden awaiting for their brothers' arrival. As he headed towards them Peter's heart started to beat frantically. It was Lucy who first spotted him. "Susan, there is something wrong with Edmund!" she yelled at her sister panicked.
The girls ran to their brother. Lucy looked up at Peter's face and saw pain and grief. She then switched to Edmund's face, which was pale and cold and seemingly lifeless.
Little Lucy's heart dropped. "Peter what is wrong with Ed? Why is he so still?" she cried.
"He…badly…" Peter tried to explain to his sister but he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. She placed her hand on Edmund's cold check.
"Why is he so cold? Peter, answer me!" Susan placed her hand on Peter's shoulder.
"What is going on?" she asked gently.
"He is d…de…dead." he whispered looking into his sister's eyes. Everyone flinched at the deafening screech that came from Lucy as she wilted to the floor weeping. The sight shattered Peter's heart into a million little pieces.
The young King fell to his knees with his brother still in his arms.
Susan came over, bent down and buried her face into her dead brother's neck and did not make a single sound. "I'm so sorry Susan it's my fault." Peter whispered to his sister.
"How?" she cried.
"Someone, an assassin, shot an arrow at his chest and he bled… I killed our bother. I could have had him here in time but…" The guilt Peter felt was indescribable. He didn't realize how hard he was crying until Susan came behind him and pulled the broken boy into her chest letting him soak her dress in tears.
"Hush Peter, it's not your fault." Susan cooed petting his hair trying to comfort the grieving king.
They all raised their heads at the sound of Oreius galloping through the gates over to the monarchs. "I have just received word that King Edmund has been severely injured and came as fast as I could your majesties."
No one even had to tell Oreius something was wrong. He saw the rulers red puffy eyes and the lifeless body of King Edmund and knew that Oreius the he was dead. He has only once seen Edmund so pale and that was when he rescued the boy from the White Witch. He stayed silent for a moment before offering. "Is there anything I can do at this moment? I am very sorry for Narnia's loss."
"I am too, dear friend." Peter replied.
"We should get back to the castle. Oreius, could you…?" Susan did need to say any more. Oreius bowed and scooped Edmund into his arms such the same way he did in a time before. Peter agreed and recollected himself. Lucy walked over to Susan and took her elder sisters hand.
King and Queens of Narnia walked back to the castle together, Oreius leading with Susan, Lucy and Peter flanking him.
Two days later was the funeral. On that day there was no sign of Aslan, which shocked all the Pevensies. They thought he would show up if one of them was to die, but apparently that was not the case.
Edmund's funeral was simple nothing to elaborate, knowing that was what he would have wanted. No one wore black, but just darker colors. Peter did not believe in wearing black at funerals for they are a time to remember life not to mourn it.
Edmund wore his coronation crown and was dressed in a gold and red tunic with his sword and shield lying next to him. His coffin was pure gold and had a majestic lion carved on one side and the broken wand of the witch on the other side. Lucy wore a deep royal blue dress with gold embroidery. Susan wore a dark purple dress similar to Lucy's. Peter wore a tunic similar to Edmund's but much darker in color. They all wore smaller versions of their coronation crowns.
No one said much. Almost all the creatures had cloudy eyes, including Oreius.
As the two Centaurs lowered the coffin into to the ground Lucy clung to Peter, her face buried into his chest. Susan came over to his other side and took his hand. He finally broke down and silently let tears roll down his face. The pain he felt in his chest as unbearable.
It was finally real for Peter. He finally realized that he would never hear his brother's voice again. He would never feel his touch. Edmund wouldn't be there to help rule their kingdom, be the best man at his wedding and any of those other things brothers do together. He was gone and never coming back.
Peter kept skimming over Edmunds tombstone that read:
Here lies King Edmund, the Just
Loving son, brother and friend
Gone but not forgotten
No one said much. Almost all the creatures had cloudy eyes, including Oreius.
Everyone was on also edge. They didn't know if Edmund's death was a tragic accident or an assassination. If it was an assassination who was behind it? Was it for Edmund or were they planning on killing Peter and missed?
The Narnian's couldn't think of anyone that would want their monarchs dead. They did have enemies, but none ever attempted to murder them.
These were questions that many were pondering in their minds.
Near sun down everyone left and it was only Peter and Oreius at the burial site near the castle.
"He was a fierce warrior." Peter whispered.
"And so are you King Peter." Oreius replied. "Aslan would not have let this happen if He did not know you were strong enough." The Centaur turned around and walked away leaving King Peter alone.
TBC