Chapter 2
"Edmund," Peter said being careful not to show how worried he was his little brother's return. "You shouldn't have returned for at least three more days so why are you here?"
Edmund's face shone with pride and that only worried Peter more, he was too young to know what he should be proud of and the fact that he was as proud to show Peter whatever he had done only made all the worse.
"When we were patrolling the border we saw a Calormen convoy that had crossed the border, we checked in on it and it turned out to be a small raiding party in disguise. We engaged the men and the others back to the Calormen empire," the younger king's face still radiated pride but Peter was getting hopeful. If all Ed had done was destroy a raiding group then this may not be so bad.
He had turned to look out over the eastern ocean to think about what he was going to say to his brother, the act of warring was not something to be proud of. It was one thing to be glad you have protected your own people but it was another to set out with the intent to kill for the sake of killing. Then there was a sick and distinctly feminine cough from behind Edmund.
Peter's head snapped around to look at his brother, "Ed, what was that?" he asked his tone even and controlled but on the inside, he was growing more and more concerned.
"Well," Edmund said awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other. He may have noticed that Peter wasn't happy and was now getting worried himself. "We didn't send everyone back?" he said as he stepped to the side. There was a woman on her knees, Peter wondered how he had not seen her before but that did not matter.
Peter's formerly rising hopes sank into the ground as he saw the prisoner. "Ed," he said holding his left hand out to the woman who had yet to even look him in the eye. "Why is she here?" his tone while still, even no doubt began to show that while he was trying to give his brother the benefit of the doubt he was still ready for the bad news.
"Well you see, we need to keep the royal family going so I thought that maybe you and her could…" as Edmund began to try and find a good way to spin was he was saying he was interrupted by his brother who had dropped the tone of even calm for one of anger and disappointment.
"Edmund Pevensie," he said in a voice so low that Edmund could barely hear it. "I think it would be best if you left the room," after a moment of pause where nothing happened he added "now!"
He could see that his brother was thinking about refusing but then he saw that his brother had done the same math he had, Edmund was a king of Narnia but Peter was the high king, his word was law. And while he had never had to directly punish his brother or sisters it was known that his was the final word in Narnia.
With his head hung low in shame and submission Edmund left the room. Cetus and his men were also waiting with their head low in shame for their part in the king's actions.
"Cetus," Peter said. "Your men did as they should have done, they obeyed their king. Now take them back and let them rest they have fought and I will conclude that they have fought hard."
The satyr nodded and lead his men out of the hall leaving Peter and Oreius with the girl. Peter turned to the centaur and said. "Oreius please see to it that my brother is given an extra round of practice for his sword training, I will be by to give it to him." the centaur nodded and silently left the throne room.
Leaving his sword resting on his throne Peter approached her. He held out his hand to help her to her feet and she refused to look at him. He could understand why she would feel this way, his brother had kidnapper her and apparently intended to give her to him like she was a sharp sword or fast horse.
He saw that her hands were bound with rope so he cut the rope and used his free hand to lift her head by the chin. He wanted to see who she was after all. The moment that her eyes meet his he felt his heart skips several beats.
She was by far the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life, both here and in England. He knew that he should not be staring at her like this especially after what his brother had said.
It took most of his willpower but he managed to tear his gaze from her an instead plastered them out the windows overlooking the eastern ocean. He was still looking off into the distance when he heard the unmistakable sound of a knife being drawn from a sheath.
His hand shot down to his waist where he felt his knife before he looked to see that the woman he had just been trying to help was trying to stab him with a knife that she held in an icepick grip in her right hand.
Acting fast he caught her arm and grabbed the back of her right hand with his left hand and pulled it back behind her head. He then threaded his right arm behind her bicep and grabbed her forearm locking the joint at an angle that while uncomfortable wasn't going to injure her anytime soon.
He grabbed the knife from her hand and tossed it away from them. "I am going to have to ask that you please not try that again," he said doing his best to sound like a king.
She did not respond with words she simply jerked her hand free form his grasp and went back to looking at the floor.
"What is your name?" Peter asked her trying once more to start up a conversation.
She was silent for a moment before in a quiet voice she said. " my name is Falaah, my Lord."
Peter scoffed when she spoke which drew attention she looked ready to say something but Peter cut her off saying. "You are not one of my subjects, to you I am only Peter"
He could see the shock on her face when he told her to address him by his name and not his title. It certainly wasn't a luxury Tisroc would allow to anyone. "I know that you are here against your will so I want to return you to your people as soon as I can, where are you from Falaah a border town or are you from farther inward. I need to know how much money it will cost to pay for your trip home."
She seemed to be trying to find an answer when he started to notice that she had several bruises and small cuts.
He looked at her for the first time since she had tried to stab him. "Did my brother do this?" he asked his voice thick with both worry and the beginnings of anger.
"No my lord I have not been touched by a…" she would have kept going but Peter cut her off once more saying.
"I told you not to call me that, of course it is odd that my only right to tell you what to call me is the title I am telling you holds no authority over you so I guess I am just politely asking you, Please call me Peter" by the time he was done he had his hand on his chin and his growing stubble.
She smiled and gave off a small giggle. It seemed that she found his self-contemplation to be amusing. Whereas Peter found her giggle to be almost entrancing. He could barely keep himself from asking her to do it again.
It was also when he saw her laugh that he saw that she had cuts and slight bruises on her neck. He reached out and ignored how she may have reacted he gently touched one of the bruises. The way she flinched told him that it was a fresh bruise.
"Who did this to you?" he asked his anger clearer than it was before.
She almost shrank back when she heard just how angry he was. "It was not one of your soldiers or your brother but I would rather not tell you."
Peter didn't like that she was hiding someone who was clearly abusing her but he had asked her to treat him like an equal and now he needed to honor his end of that request.
He took her hand and gestured down one of the hallways. "My sister should be able to treat those injuries, she should be in her library." he made a fact of not asking if she wanted to go since he was hoping his commanding presence would mean that he did not need to.
His gamble paid off as Falaah followed him without any argument. They soon made their way to the library where Lucy and Susan were most likely reading. When he got there he knocked on the door three times. First, he was gentle but after there was no response he knocked three more times just a little bit louder. He was about to start banging his closed fist on the door when it opened and Lucy's aid the faun named Tumnus.
"Yes your majesty how may I help you?" he asked with his ever-present smile.
"I must find my sisters do you know where they are?" he asked trying to both look around the faun without being rude.
Seeing Falaah behind Peter while still holding his hand Tumnus came to his own conclusion about what was happening and with a somehow brighter smile he said "High Queen Susan is here and Queen Lucy should be back at any moment." the faun headed into the library leave the door open just in case Peter had any doubts about whether or not he should enter into his sisters' library.
They followed after Tumnus who lead them deep into the library until they came across Susan was sitting in a chair with a book in her hands. It was a common sight nowadays to find Susan with her face buried in a book at every chance she could get. Narnia had existed for about nine hundred years before Jadis took over and in those years there had been many great writers. Susan had made it her mission to improve the education of as much of Narnia that she could and she needed to read on the history and literature.
She looked up from her book and saw Tumnus, Peter, and Falaah. She placed her bookmark into her current read and delicately placed it on the table next to her. She rose to her feet and said.
"Hello, I am High Queen Susan I see that you have met my brother if you do not mind my asking who are you."
Peter could tell without looking that Falaah was confused she was holding his hand a little tighter than she was before. After a moment she managed to offer an answer to Susan when she replied with.
"I am Falaah your majesty." as she spoke she bowed her head to the High Queen of Narnia. " am here as a gift to High King Peter."
Peter did not know if Falaah knew what she had just said but since he did not know the Claromen empire he guessed that she may not have gathered just what kind of person he was.
Peter had not the time to think about it was both Mr. Tumnus and Susan looked him. Mr. Tumnus looked betrayed while Susan looked furious. "Peter," she said doing all she could to not kill her brother with the nearest weapon.
Peter wanted to say something but he knew that saying anything right now would only make things worse. He would need to let Susan have her anger and then he could tell her the truth. He saw his sister begin to formulate what she was going to say when a voice from the doorway interrupted her.
"It's my fault," they all turned to see Edmund with his head hung low and Lucy standing next to him tapping her foot with her arms crossed as she looked at her younger brother who was now rubbing his left ear. 'I attacked a Calormen convoy that was hiding a small raiding group and in the chaos, I took Falaah captive. By the time I got back I panicked and…" he trailed off to ashamed of himself to even finish his sentence
"Peter," she said. "Edmund has new for you"
The younger King his head still low said. "We have received reports that a Calromen attack force has raided a small village at the border."
Peter thought about it for a moment and as tended to happen whenever he thought deeply about something he started to scratch at his stubble.
"Mr. Tumnus are you satisfied with my actions so far?" he asked
The faun seemed to understand the question and the other meaning that it had and said. "Yes, your majesty I am."
"Good," Peter said. "Go tell Oreius to make my guard ready for battle, this attack cannot go unpunished."
The Faun nodded and ran off to find the centaur. He also made a fact of leaving through a side door to avoid walking passed, Edmund.
"Lucy, Falaah needs your medical expertise," Peter said gesturing his hand from his sister to the girl.
Lucy nodded quickly and headed over to get to work. Peter turned Susan and said. "We need to make sure that she would be safe in the empire before she can be sent home. I will explain more when I return but for now I need you to get her a room where she can stay," he paused for a moment and said. "In fact, Lucy would you like a roommate?" he asked.
He watched his little sister's head pop up from what she was doing with a large smile on her face. She had always had to share a room with Susan but once they moved into Cair Paravel she had been given her own room and it was starting to bother her.
She didn't need to answer since her face was so bright at the mention of a roommate. So he looked to Falaah and asked. "Would you mind sharing a room with my sister?"
The dark skinned woman thought for a moment before she said: "yes, I think I could live with that."
Having settled that Peter started towards the courtyard to meet his men, he thankful had enough of his armour on and any more he could get on the way there. As he passed his brother he said. "Walk with me, Ed,"
The younger followed his brother into the hall and when they were about four corners from the library and suitably alone Peter stopped and put his hand on Edmund's shoulder. "Ed," he said. He could see his brother start to say something but he cut him off by raising one of his hands and dismissively waving it. "Ed, I am very disappointed in you, I know you are still young but I never thought you would do something this short-sighted and immature."
Peter reached out and placed the right hand on Edmund's other shoulder. It was at that moment that all the guilt and shame broke Edmund and his instantly wrapped his arms around Peter and started to cry into his brother's tunic cover breastplate.
Running his hand through Edmund's hair Peter continued. " But, and am also very proud of you, not many people would be able to admit what you did, I know it wasn't an easy thing and I am proud of you for being able to recognize your mistake and that you are trying to make amends."
Edmund cried for a few more minutes before he pulled away from Peter. He didn't say anything, there wasn't anything that he could say ever say after what had just happened. It was not lost on Edmund that Peter was now his father figure and it seemed that Peter knew it.
Taking his hands from Edmund's shoulders Peter headed to the courtyard only stopping by his room the get the rest of his armour and the throne room to get Rhindon. When he made it to the courtyard he saw Susan Lucy and Falaah were waiting for him. It was custom for them to see him and the men off whenever they would leave so Peter did not think it too strange. When he mounted his horse he felt someone tugging lightly at one of his greaves and when he looked he saw a small badger holding out an apple for him. He accepted the gift and took a bit of it. Smiling at the youngster he said. "Thank you,"
He kept riding at a slow pace and when he neared with his sisters he stopped. And said. "Susan you have my full backing until I get back." which was to say that he was putting her in charge.
He turned his focus back to the gate and made ready to ride when he felt a second stronger pull at his greave. He looked down to see Falaah looking up at him. "You seem like a good person, please don't get yourself killed."
It was delivered as a joke but Peter could tell that she meant it. He offered her a solemn nod before riding out of the city.
Once the gates were closed Susan began to give orders. "Lucy they may come back with wounded start to gather medical supplies, Edmund meet with Cetus discuss how best to use the men we have to secure Car Paravel from attack, Falaah. Walk with me."
When she finished she started to walk back to the castle and most likely back to her library. After they were back inside the castle and walking around the quiet halls. Susan asked her. "How different is your culture's courtship rituals from what they were four hundred years ago?" she asked.
"Not very, Why" Falaah answered wondering what the high Queen was getting at.
"So what am I supposed to think about the fact that you tucked the scarf Lucy gave you into the back of Peter's saddle when he wasn't looking?"