Why do we even bother?
Disclaimer: Don't own. No. Nonono. Wish I did though.
Edmund and Fae don't know much, but they do know eachother. Outtake Back of the Wardrobe. Can stand alone if you have at least read BotW ch 10.
She hang around him like a haze, filling his body with a content feeling that made him a tad tipsier than he already was. Which means he was starting to get trouble walking straight. One of the things he liked most was to search for details. To find the little things that made the great lines so worth it. Like the way her eyes shimmered dangerously when she was irritated. Or how she pretended not to look at him, because she felt so awkward because after all he was royalty. And she had sex with him. And how he could read exactly that on her face.
On her turn she couldn't keep her eyes off him, no matter how hard she tried. She sensed him so close, almost feeling his breath on her skin, even though she sat at least seven meters away from him at the other side of the dancinglawn. She had the feeling she wasn't allowed to like him the way she did, because she had had something with his so called 'brother-in-law'. But at the other side that feeling made it even more fun. And she liked fun. She loved everything that could possibly entertain her. That was exactly the reason why she adored him so. He could drown her in laughter, lifting her up in the skies and dance with her until they both couldn't go one step further.
But not now. Edmund and Fae hadn't spoken since after the coronation. Their mutual deflowering had been wonderful, in the empty dancinglawn under the starry skies, but afterwards it was rather awkward. Fae never had sex with Peter, but she had been his girlfriend and having some kind of relation ship with your brother's (real or not) ex, was really sort of 'not-done'. But now it was a week later. The dancinglawn was filled with dancing people, celebrating the marriage of their King Peter and Queen Susan. Edmund and Fae stared at eachother across the place where it happened, and they both knew they were both awkwardly thinking about it. Edmund wasn't sure what to think of it. It was definately not over, whatever there was between them, but it wasn't exactly going either.
"Hey," a pretty tipsy Peter sat down next to him, "I didn't expect you to be here. Why haven't you sneaked off with Fae after five minutes and three barrels of wine?"
"I don't know, man," Edmund muttered and he shrugged, "She's been staring all night."
"So have you," Peter snickered, "Come on, give it a try. You already made sweet looooove to her before. And tonight is a night for love, I tell you," he threw Edmund a mischievous look, "You know you want it."
"I don't know anything," Edmund replied, "I don't even know if we're still on."
"You're not even official?" Peter asked, and he raised an eyebrow, "Together, I mean."
"No," Edmund shook his head, "I mean, there is something, but what... hell, I don't know. Let alone official."
"Oh! Well, I didn't know that," Peter said, "I thought you were happily together forever and ever and ever and ever till death do you part."
He grinned at Edmund's face. He knew Edmund loved his freedom and although it wouldn't surprise Peter if Fae was everything he'd ever need, he knew Edmund didn't like thinking about things such as forever. He was only sixteen after all.
"However, it does make things a bit easier," Peter said, "Like I told you just now, tonight is a night for love. Give me a second."
Before Edmund could even wonder what he could possibly mean, Peter was back with two beautiful Naiads at his sides.
"As High King of Narnia I command you to entertain King Edmund here," he said, smiling mischievous. The two waternymphs chuckled.
"With pleasure, your Majesty," they said, batting their eyelashes and throwing Edmund flirtatous looks.
"Have fun," Peter said, and he winked at his brother-in-law/fosterbrother/co-ruler. Then he left and Edmund was alone with the two Naiads, who obviously had wild plans with the boy.
I can't believe he just actually did that.
Edmund stood up and slowly started to back away, but two seconds later the Naiads were all over him, kissing his neck, fumbling at the buttons of his shirt and firmly pushing him towards the shadows of the forest.
"No, no, really, I – no... I really don't want... no, please," Edmund begged, but the chuckling nymphs were merciless. He threw a look for help to Fae, only to discover she was dancing with a disturbingly handsome faun. She didn't even seem not to be having fun, and that pissed Edmund off.
What he didn't know, was that Fae had started dancing with the faun, because she thought he was having the time of his life with the two Naiads. In fact she wasn't having fun at all, because she was too busy throwing quick glances at Edmund to see if he had already spotted her. Ofcourse she missed the furious look on Edmund's face, as he thought of the slowest, most painful and disgusting way to kill the faun, just as he missed her anxious glances.
"Come here," Edmund hissed to one of the Naiads as Fae and the faun came closer. He was determined to show that bloody treewoman that he didn't need her. At all. What he didn't expect was that the Naiad decided that that was the perfect moment to kiss him. Causing Edmund to be so startled, that it didn't even occur to him to pull back. Behind the Naiad he saw how the faun bowed slightly forward and kissed Fae.
WHAT?
Edmund pushed the naiad away. She followed his gaze, saw Fae and immediatly knew what was going on. But as nymphs are rather possessive creatures, she would rather die than have Fae ruin her night with King Edmund. Hoping it would distract him, she tried to kiss Edmund again, but he roughtly pushed her away from him.
"Back off," he hissed through gritted teeth, unable to tear his gaze away from the scenery in front of him. Suddenly he started to move. With firm steps he walked towards the kissing pair and shoved the faun aside, sending him to the ground.
"Why are you kissing him?" he exclaimed. The faun stood up from the ground with an indignant expression.
"Why were you kissing her?" Fae exclaimed right back, not even slightly intimidated by the agressive tone in his voice.
"She kissed me!" Edmund replied yelling.
"But you didn't pull back!" Fae yelled even harder. The faun tapped her shoulder, trying to get her attention but she completely ignored him, "Why did you neglect me all night anyway?"
"I neglect you?" Edmund hollered, "Yeah right! You could've come to me!"
"But you're the gentleman, aren't you?" Fae shouted . The faun was still doing his best to draw her attention.
"Oh, yeah, sure, and that automatically means you can't take ten paces to talk to me!"
"Well, you didn't do it either, did you? You didn't talk to me like – What do you want?" Fae shouted, now adressing the faun, who was so startled by the sudden outburst that he almost tumbled down. He quickly backed away and Fae turned back to Edmund.
"Where was I..." she muttered, face flushed with frustration and slightly panting, "Oh yes. You haven't talked to me all week!"
"I was busy!"
"Oh, right. You were busy," Fae's voice dripped with sarcasm and she threw him a mocking look, "You know what I think?"
"What do you think?" Edmund asked challenging.
"That we're OVER!" Fae shouted.
"There never WAS anything!" Edmund hollered. They were starting to draw attention, but they were so taken by eachother that they didn't notice.
"Than WHY can't I kiss him?"
"Because he's a bloody goat!"
"Must be so painful for you," Fae said challenging, "He kisses better than you do."
Edmund fell silent, face bright red.
"Oww, bullseye," Peter whispered to Susan. They had been watching the fight from a distance.
"Nah-ah," Susan replied, "I think he'll get her back on this."
"The loser can't drink anymore wine the whole night long,"
"Deal,"
They watched as Edmund obviously tried to calm down.
"Yeah?" he said, voice trembling with anger.
"Yeah," Fae replied.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah,"
Suddenly Edmund took her face in his hands and crashed his lips to hers. Their mouths opened and tongues represented a week of waiting and wondering, until they broke apart. Peter and Susan held their breath. Fae's reaction would now decide their bet. Edmund and Fae both opened their eyes smiling, but as soon as they saw eachother, they seemed to remember they were actually angry at eachother. Their faces clouded.
"Please Fae, please make some clever remark," Peter prayed. But Fae just glared at Edmund.
"You didn't just do that," she said, "Tell me you did not do that!"
Edmund smirked in triumph.
"Bastard!" Fae screamed, stamping on the grass, "That's unfair! You can't do that!"
"But I did," there was furious triumph in Edmund's eyes and trembling, but calm voice, "Didn't I?"
"Bastard!" Fae shouted, "Bastard! I hate you!"
She turned around and marched to the other side of the lawn where she sat down in the grass and started sulking. Peter let his head down and Susan smiled widely.
"Way to go, Ed," she said contendly, "Oh err, Peter, could you get me a glass of wine please?"
"Whatever you say, ma'am," Peter grumbled, and he went to get her a drink. Suddenly everyone stopped dancing and sat down at the sides of the dancinglawn, males at one side, females at the other. It was silent and everyone seemed to be excited. A faun with a flute stood up and started to play a tense melody. Then Susan stood up. She had four flowers in her hand. First she walked towards a Naiad at the far right and gae her one of the flowers. She laughed happily, stood up and walked to the middle of the lawn, where she started dancing. It was some kind of ritual dance; she seemed to know exactly what she was doing and Edmund noticed a strange change in the air around her.
"What's she doing?" he asked the treegod next to him.
"This is a traditional game," the treegod replied, "Females sit at that side, males at this side. The bride chooses two Naiads and two Dryades. They stand in the middle and dance a ritual, that wakes mother Nature. You see that?" he pointed at the glittering change in the air that Edmund had noticed earlier, "When that turns into a wall of water, we stand up and walk towards it. Only one of us can get through. He's the one to be her lover tonight."
Edmund stared in awe how the glittery air turned to water, and surrouned the Naiad until she was no longer in sight.
"Stand up," the treegod said, and Edmund obeyed. The whole line of males walked towards the waterwall. Edmund found it an exciting moment, wondering whether he would get through or not. They stopped about one step from the waterwall, and stuck out their arms.
"The moment of truth," the rivergod at Edmund's left said.
"I hope it's me," a faun replied. Edmund snickered. Then they all bowed forward. The water was like a magnet, only the other way around. As soon as Edmund came close enough, he was shoved two meters backwards. When he looked around him, he saw almost everyone else had experienced the same 'rejection'. The waterwall disappeared and the naiad walked off with a faun under a loud applause. Then the silence returned while Susan stepped forward again. Everyone silently thought of the same question.
Who's next?
Susan took one of her flowers, and gave it to the Naiad Edmund knew as Annick. She dances the same dance, the line of males came towards her, and then she left with the treegod at Edmund's right. This time Susan took quite a while to consider who she would choose. She made everyone crazy with her hesitating and she knew. And she loved it. Then finally she chose Fae. Fae seemed to be happy with the distraction. She laughed as some of her friends whistled, and then started dancing the ritual, until leaves from all sides started dancing around her on the wind, like one of those little whirlwinds you sometimes see in autumn. They formed a wall, just like the water had done with the Naiads, until Fae was out of sight.
"Come," Edmund tore his gaze away from the leaveswall and threw the faun a startled look. All the males had already stood up.
"No, I'll pass," Edmund siad, while he slowly started to get aware of Susan's intentions.
"Come on," a treegod called Omin at the other side of him said, "You're not in a position to refuse."
"But I do. I refuse. I'm not going," Edmund sounded like a whiney kid and he knew it, but he wasn't going to be Fae's lover tonight. Not after his glorious victory over her. But because nobody ever listens to Edmund, Omin grabbed his wrists and now dragged him along.
"No," Edmund muttered with panic in his voice, "No, no, seriously. No, I'm not going – No... NO!"
They came closer and closer and Edmund felt it coming. Oh, God damn Susan, he thought, I knew it. I bloody knew it!
When Omin had taken him close enough, there was no escape anymore. He was sucked right in, exactly like he and everyone expected.
Oh, there goed my beautiful victory. As soon as he was in, he was lifted up like a feather on the wind. He saw Fae floating in the sky too, eyes closed and a happy smile on her face. I wonder if she knows I'm here, Edmund thought as he looked at her smile, probably not. Then they were, as if by magic, brought together and when their bodies met, Fae opened her eyes. Her face immediatly clouded. The leaves disappeared and a loud applause came over them.
"I knew it," Fae hissed through gritted teeth as if she read Edmund's thoughts, "This way."
Trying to look happy they walked off, Edmund following Fae until they came to an open spot on a small hill.
"Okay, I got a few things to tell you –" Edmund started, ready for anything. But Fae just put her hand on his lips and closed her eyes.
"Don't ruin my night," she said softly. Then she pulled back her hand and replaced it with her lips. It was a soft, tender kiss they shared, one that Edmund experienced as very pleasant. Not passionate and agressive, like the one fifteen minutes ago when they had been mad at eachother. Nor was it longing and sexually marked like the first time. It was a mild kiss, that fitted Edmund just perfectly. They paused, two pair of parted lips still slumbering on eachother.
"I would ofcourse never ever in my whole life admit it," Edmund mumbled, letting the Dryade's blossomy scent make him high, "But I'd bet on my crown that I was just jealous."
Fae chuckled softly, breathing him in and caressing the back of his head.
"And if I didn't know better," she whispered, and she played with his wavy locks, "I'd say I actually like you."
Edmund grinned and resumed their kiss. Then they parted, two pair of dark eyes refusing to make eyecontact.
"We're young," Edmund said, looking at a flower in her hair, "Why do we even bother?"
"About what?"
"Not having spoken all week,"
"I don't know," Fae stared at the trees behind her human lover, "Why haven't we anyway?"
"I don't know," Edmund said softly, "Why are you so scared of my affection?"
"I don't know," Fae sighed, "Why are you so scared of mine?"
Edmund shrugged, and then snickered.
"We don't know much, do we?"
Fae smiled.
"I suppose we don't," she said, "But we do understand eachother."
"What do you mean?" Edmund asked.
"Well," Fae hesitated, "How did you know I'm scared of your affection?"
Edmund shrugged.
"I guess I felt it,"
"That's exactly what I mean," Fae replied, "I wasn't even really aware of it, but now that you've mentioned it..." she sighed and smiled, "I couldn't put it better."
Edmund cupped her cheek with his hand and finally made eyecontact.
"We're young," he repeated smiling. Fae snickered as he brought her face closer to his.
"Oh hell yeah," she whispered, "Why do we even bother?"
Edmund winked at her.
"And who are we to go against mother nature anyway?"