Sunlight filtered through the window in Edmund's room. He raised his arms in a stretch, accidentally hitting something in the process. He figured it was simply the bedpost. Now that he had hit his growth spurt, his bed was too short for him - his feet lingered close to the edge. Edmund rolled over. Somebody was there.
"Hullo, Lu?" Edmund said. It came out more like a question then a greeting. "When did you get here?" He threw back the sheets and stepped over to his clothing chest. Edmund got fully dressed. He often slept shirtless but Lucy's presence made him embarrassed, even if she was only his sister.
"I was worried about... well you know," said Lucy.
"Drat!" Edmund pulled on his boots in a hurry, knocking over his sword in the process. "I forgot!"
"Sorry?" Lucy sat up in Edmund's bed. Unlike her brother, she was fine in the thin nightgown she wore, oblivious to Edmund. Their difference in embarrassment most likely had something to do with their ages, being that Lucy was thirteen while Edmund was fifteen going on sixteen.
"Peter's probably gathered an army by now..." mumbled Edmund. He strapped the fallen sword around his waist then started to leave. "Any idea what time it is?" he asked Lucy.
"Morning." Lucy was still half asleep. She yawned, swinging her bare feet onto the cold stone floor. Edmund made an exasperated face. Leaving Lucy to ponder what had just happened, he ran out the door. Athylt and Peter were having a serious talk in the courtroom.
"G'morn," said Peter. Edmund gave a curt nod in return. "Can we help you?"
"No," Edmund said, "I just came to grab something." Peter watched Edmund with the eyes of a hawk. Edmund went to the far end of the courtroom, where all the law books were kept. Peter strained his eyes to see the book that Edmund grabbed. The boy was too far away, though. Edmund didn't have to see Peter to know that his older brother was watching, so Edmund made it a point to leave out the rear door.
"Strange," Peter mused.
"If I may?" Athylt said once Edmund had left. Peter looked at the centaur expectantly. "I don't think King Edmund's behavior is any different than yours, High King Peter. Not that there's nothing wrong with being prepared for attack, but Aslan's coming is most likely the source of the King's mysteriousness. That, and the fact that King Edmund is always quite shady." Athylt chuckled. "Now, do you want these troops gathered now, or later?"
"As soon as possible," said Peter. He left the courtroom, then stepped into the throne room. Edmund was slouched in his throne, reading. Peter tip-toed closer. He could now read the title of Edmund's reading material, Constitution of Galma. Peter stepped to the backside of Edmund, who was still content and undisturbed. He tried to see the passage Edmund was reading, to maybe get a clue into his worries. Upon examination, there were several amendments on the page. Peter groaned in frustration.
Edmun closed the book. "Second time today," he muttered, then, to Peter, "Yes?"
"Nothing."
Edmund had a hint of a smile on his face. "Sure, after you gather an army and start spying on me, nothing's going on."
"I just want Narnia to be protected," said Peter.
"As do I," Edmund said. He waved the book in Peter's face. "And also, did you honestly think you could sneak up on me? C'mon, Pete, you're smarter than that. You know I'm head of the secret police for a reason." He gave a full-out grin. "I'm starved, let's go eat."
"Sure, go ahead, I need to ask Athylt one more thing," fibbed Peter. Edmund knew Peter was lying, although he continued walking away. Peter picked up the book Edmund had left behind. He opened to the page that his brother had been reading. Peter skimmed through it. Why was Edmund reading this? wondered Peter. The amendments varied - some were random and seemed irrelevant, others about rights of the kings, and still some about creature rights. Peter shrugged. He probably just got a bit about mistreated animals in Galma, and wanted to do some business about it.
When Peter reached the Oda Yeme, he found that all three of his siblings had finished eating. They had made sure to leave some food for him. Some, but not enough. Edmund smirked. He sat back in his chair.
"Find what you wanted?" asked Edmund. Peter swallowed a forkful of food.
"Maybe."
"Naw." Edmund grinned. Gosh, Peter really hated when Edmund did this. Why did he have to be so good at hiding things? Why did he have to be so good about telling when someone was hiding something? And why did he have to be so cocky about it?
"Why do you have to be so good at being mysterious?"
Edmund shrugged. "Why do you have to be so good at being a pain?" The younger boy smiled. Again. Peter loved Edmund, but there were those times when he was a hair away from strangling the boy. Edmund's signature I-know-something-you-don't-know smile really irked Peter. He pounded his fist on the table.
"Stopeet," whined Peter.
"Stop what?" Edmund teased.
"Both of you, cut it," said Susan. She stood up. "Anyways, I'm off to the parlor. A few dryads promised to make me a new dress." Lucy watched Susan from the corner of her eyes. Once the older girl had left, she spoke.
"So she's still on the High Queen bit?"
"I suppose," said Peter, "Guess everyone interprets things differently. We interpreted our prophecies for the worst, while she - I assume - interpreted her's for the best." Peter finished his small plate of food.
"Ugh," said Edmund, seeing Peter's empty plate, "Watching you eat made me sick. I'm stuffed."
"Maybe if you hadn't eaten all my food, you wouldn't be so full."
"It was me," said Lucy. She gave a sheepish smile. "I guess I hold food better than both of you, because I feel great."
"That's a good thing," said a small voice, "You'll need it for your journey." All turned to see a small hummingbird fluttering overhead.
"Hullo, Koru," said Edmund. "Have you come with more letters?"
"Not letters, I'm afraid," she squeaked, "Sihet, your appointed ruler of Galma, and Fylder, councilman of Avra, the Lone Island, have come, wishing to speak to the Kings and Queens. What are your responses, High King Peter, King Edmund, and Queen Lucy?"
Galma? Wasn't Edmund just reading about that? Peter shook the thoughts from his head. He answered for all of them, "Please ask if they will pardon the absence of Queen Susan, although we can talk to them. In fact, now, if they would like." The hummingbird nodded, or what would be equivalent to a nod for a hummingbird. In a matter of moments, Koru returned.
"They have agreed. I sent Tumnus to show them to the throne room."
"We'll be there shortly," said Edmund, "Thank you, Koru. Oh, and I have something for the beavers. Would you be kind enough to bring this to them?" Edmund produced a slip of paper, prettily wrapped in red and yellow ribbon, Narnia's colors. "Send them my regards, and an apology for not being able to make it there." Koru flew off with Edmund's note tucked in her tiny claws. Peter gave Edmund a curious look.
"Just an apology, you know, for before," Edmund said, his tone of voice flat and uninterested. Lucy placed a sympathetic hand on Edmund's shoulder. Edmund stood up, brushing her off. "I left my crown in my room. Lu came in sometime last night and when I woke up, I was startled so I totally forgot it." Peter dismissed his brother.
"We'll wait for Edmund before starting," said Peter. Edmund returned no longer than five minutes later. His crown was askew, so Lucy reached up to straighten it. Edmund rolled his eyes. Girls, he thought, always so occupied about appearance.
Sihet and Fylder were in the throne room, seated on chairs brought in by the fauns. The kings and queen took their places at their own thrones. Siget and Fylder bowed. Edmund frowned when he saw Fylder's bow was ever so minuscule. The man appeared to have lost some respect for Narnia's royalty.
"What can we do for you, sirs?" asked Peter.
"It is one of my finest warhorses is gravely ill," said Sihet, "I was wondering if Queen Lucy would be willing to give him a drop from her cordial." Peter turned to Lucy. She nodded, holding out her cordial. Sihet shook his head, saying, "He is in the stables."
"And for you, Fylder?"
Sihet answered for Fylder. "He was visiting me in Galma, and since I was coming here, I asked if he would like to come along."
"I see. You are welcome here as long as you like. Tumnus can show you to your rooms, after business is taken care of. All are dismissed." Peter and Edmund left the room while Lucy followed the men to the stables.
"I don't like it," said Edmund.
"Hm?" Peter said.
"Something's not right."
"Sihet's request seemed normal enough to me. Lucy gets loads of these. Doesn't surprise me that he'd come asking the same."
"No. Fylder."
"Ed," Peter said in exasperation, "What about him?"
"His bow was hardly a bow, and he just... ugh, he just seems evil."
"His back could be hurting, and you can't judge a book by its cover. You of all people should know that - the Narnians gave you a chance, shouldn't you be giving them one?"
"Yeah, sure, but Pete, I know. I can feel it."
"Mmm."
"Fine. I'll let it be." Edmund held his hands up, gesturing surrender. "But don't tell me you see nothing fishy about Aslan's appearance and theirs within hours of each other."
"Sure. That's why we've got an army."
Edmund shook his head. He decided he ought to go talk with Phillip if Peter wasn't going to listen. He jogged to catch up to Lucy, Sihet, and Fylder, who were now almost at the stables. Lucy smiled at her brother. He walked along side her, listening to the men's conversation. They entered the stable doors. It took a moment to adjust to the dark light, though Edmund could soon make out the shape of Phillip standing in front of a stall.
A gray horse was sprawled in the hay, drenched in sweat. He made an attempt to roll. Phillip nickered - probably telling the horse not to. "Severe colic," said Phillip. He nodded his chestnut head. Lucy curtsied to Phillip, then bent over Sihet's horse. Phillip moved back to give Lucy space.
"Shh-shh," said Lucy, petting his neck. The horse's eye had a rim of white around it. "Poor thing, you're scared, aren't you?" she crooned.
"May I?" asked Fylder, to Lucy and to Sihet. Sihet agreed and Lucy handed Fylder the cordial. Flyder dropped a single drop into the stallion's mouth. Sihet raised his horse's head, trying to get him to swallow the juice. Everyone watched expectantly. Edmund, having kept careful watch on Fylder, noticed he placed Lucy's cordial too close for comfort to the stallion's hooves. Before Edmund could mention it, the stallion began to flail his legs, struggling to get up.
Edmund cringed at the sound of diamond shattering. He'd never thought that diamond could shatter, but maybe the weight of a half-ton on a centralized area did the trick. Edmund forced himself to survey the scene of the accident. It was obvious - the stallion had managed to step on the cordial. Lucy's mouth gaped open. Edmund led Phillip out of the others' earshot. "That was so not an accident," he said with venom in his voice. Fylder was annoying him more and more. Something simply wasn't right.
"What's done is done, come, let us help Queen Lucy pick up the pieces," said Phillip.
"You sound like Aslan," Edmund said. He did as told gathering the shards before the stallion could get them lodged in his hoof. Edmund reached for the lion-head stopper. Lucy's frail hand closed around it first. When Edmund's eyes met Lucy's, he could see that her face was swan-white. "Sorry," said Edmund, thinking he had caused her shock.
"The lion's head! Of course!" Lucy slipped the stopper into her right pocket, remembering her signs. "Ed, tell Peter what's happened. But wait a little. He won't be too happy that I've left. If you tell him now, he'll come after me."
"Wait, Lu," said Edmund, but Lucy was already out the door.
"Perhaps we should tell the High King now," said Fylder. Edmund was torn between wondering if Fylder disrespected Lucy or had great respect for Peter. Either way, he led the men back up to Cair Paravel, silently praying to Aslan. If Lucy's prophecy had come true, it meant his was not far off. Edmund let out a loud sigh.
"Everything alright, King?" asked Sihet.
"Just thinking about Lucy," said Edmund, "And I'm a bit worried."
"Very well, but don't get ulcers from worrying to much. I'm sure she'll be fine, wherever she's off to."
Edmund nodded, though he whispered, "But it's not her I'm worried about." Thankfully, neither Sihet, Fylder, nor Phillip had heard.