Charles spent the rest of the day in Edmund's room, entertaining himself by rediscovering his best friend and asking Olvin questions that he reluctantly answered. At about four o'clock he found a book titled The Complete History Of Narnia: Children's Edition which he took to reading. It read more like stories than a history book, but it was long and so when Charles found himself being summoned he had only just begun reading the section entitled The Hundred Year Winter. He had seen Edmund's name a few times so far when he had skimmed the book but this was the first time that he had been written about as a historical figure.
Olvin escorted him down to the kitchen, Charles still not having his bearing in the huge place. As Charles walked the castle he noticed that before it felt empty, but now it felt deserted.
The kitchen was on the bottom floor, and when Charles opened the door he was struck by the warmth and light that was missing from the rest of the castle. It was a quaint kitchen, empty except for the nymph that had brought him lunch before, Edmund, Trumpkin and Gurdin.
Charles looked at the wolf laying over Edmund's feet bitterly, Edmund seemed quite at peace with the wolf but Charles hadn't forgotten his long teeth and how close he had come to imprisoning them forever.
"Queen Susan's Horn!" Trumpkin suddenly yelled as he waved his hand about, going over to a bucket of water where the nymph sat and plunging his hand in it. He had been chopping vegetables, which Charles thought was strange for a Lord to be doing. Charles sat down next to Edmund and Olvin lay by the door, watching Gurdin intently.
Edmund smiled at him and then passed a heavy book to him.
"I thought you might enjoy the adult edition over the childrens," Edmund laughed as Charles looked at the cover, a carefully painted picture of four thrones with four small people next to them. Charles had thought they were dwarfs at first but then he realised that they had no beard, and were just children. One of them looked vaguely like Edmund and Charles wondered if the rest of the children were his siblings.
"How did you know I was reading that?" Charles furrowed his brow and looked at Olvin, but the tiger couldn't possibly have told Edmund this.
Edmund smiled, "in my experience it is best to know exactly what is going on in your home," Charles was not any less confused by this.
Instead of asking more questions he knew Edmund wouldn't answer he continued looking at the cover, noticing the finer images on the border that seemed to tell a story, he could feel Edmund watching him, he knew that Charles wanted to ask something. He turned the cover over and began looking at the back, it was a circle of animals with a great lion in the middle. Charles felt Edmund's eyes slip off him and move to something else.
"Is this you?" Charles pointed a long finger at a black haired boy at the last throne.
Edmund, apparently no longer interested in Charles and watching Trumpkin cook intently nodded his head, "and my siblings. The Narnian's called it Coronation day and we'd have week long festivities," Edmund hadn't turned to Charles, he was still watching the dwarf. Charles turned his attention back to the details of the cover.
"How's supper coming along DLF?" Edmund spoke suddenly.
"Fine, just fine, thank you," Trumpkin said gruffly as he cut lettuce roughly, and it seemed to Charles that Trumpkin wasn't quite cutting it, but attacking it. Edmund had always taken his food seriously and Charles stifled a laugh as he realised that Edmund was trying to hide that he was most displeased by how dinner was turning out.
"Those Paveanders you cooked down at Cair Paravel were excellent you know Trumpkin," Charles had known Edmund long enough that he knew Edmund was trying to make a subtle point. Clearly, Edmund had thought Trumpkin a better cook than he was.
"Those kitchen staff were excellent too!" Trumpkin shot back Edmund's own words as he went to what looked like a wood oven.
"You can hardly say you are in a lock down when half the staff are still here," Edmund reasoned. "Caspian will be back this time this afternoon if he keeps a good pace, then the castle may resume."
"If your version of a lockdown continues I'll be sending for Trufflehunter, I'm not cooking your meals," Trumpkin protested again as he started cutting what looked to be ham.
Charles felt that he ought to get up and help the dwarf who looked largely out of touch with his cooking ability when Edmund sent the nymph a meaningful look and she got up and began to help Trumpkin. Edmund was an ever helpful boy, and Charles thought it was strange that Edmund had not offered to help himself, but then wondered that if Edmund was King, did that mean that he thought it below himself. He had known Edmund since they were boys, and never had he thought Edmund to be better than anyone, he was just Edmund. Content to be.
"We're on lockdown, you can't bring Trufflehunter in here," Edmund sighed.
"Well you can cook your own meals!" Trumpkin yelled as he slammed down a fry pan on the bench angrily.
"I'm sure your cooking will be splendid," Edmund said quickly, the words tinged with doubt. He lent into Charles now and whispered, "somewhere between jousting, tax laws and sailing lessons they forgot to teach me how to cook, the girls can't do much better you know, but you can't beat a dwarf's cooking. Usually."
Charles was slightly alarmed, he knew how to cook basic food, but he thought that in Narnia it would be much harder, and who was to say that they had the same kind of flour as England did.
Edmund struck up a conversation with Charles about an assignment they had in geography and Charles felt much more comfortable, it appeared as if the Edmund he knew was sitting before him for the first time since he had come to Narnia.
The meal was cooked not long after and Edmund's doubts on Trumpkins cooking ability were not lost. Some things were quite fine (here Charles suspected the nymph had been helping), but most things tasted slightly wrong. Charles thought that maybe they tasted wrong only because he was eating breakfast foods for dinner, and the assortment of eggs, bacon and beans with some kind of half-made salad was just not what one would call dinner food.
"Not a bad days work there Ed," Trumpkin looked pleased with himself as he finished his meal and pulled out a pipe.
"If Peter was here it would all be done already you know," there was a momentary sadness in Edmund's eyes as Trumpkin chortled, clearly imagining the amount of work that would be done. Charles thought this rather odd, he had not thought Trumpkin to be one to enjoy working.
"Still set on your plans then? We're not to do anything meaningful tomorrow?" Trumpkin asked as he puffed rings of smoke and Charles realised suddenly that Trumpkin was trying to steer the conversation towards a certain point.
Edmund ignored the latter of his remark, "no, no, there isn't anything left to do. Not without Caspian at any rate. I'll be with Charles." Edmund smiled at Charles and Trumpkin scoffed, clearly under the impression that there was much work to be done, with or without the King.
Charles suddenly felt like a huge burden, "it's okay Ed, you do your stuff. I'll entertain myself, you don't need to worry about me," Charles protested.
"The boy's right. You'll spend all this time and effort to train him up only to send him off again, it'll all be for naught," Trumpkin said bluntly, and it was clear that Charles had been discussed before dinner. Edmund shot Trumpkin a look.
"I suppose you would rather that I send him off on his own with a knife and a good luck," Edmund said accusingly, growing angry. Charles was warmed slightly that Edmund seemed to care so much about him.
"I'm just saying lad, your efforts will be lost, and your talents are needed here," Trumpkin was not phased by Edmund's words. He opened his mouth to say more but Edmund shot him a glare that Charles hoped he would never receive.
"We best be off to bed Charles, we have a big day ahead of us," Edmund said as he rose and everyone else followed immediately after.
Edmund took Charles a small room that Edmund declared was his and bid him and Olvin (who put up a small fight,) goodnight and left for his own room.
Charles awoke the next morning well rested with Edmund rapping at his door, "hurry up Charles! If your not up in five seconds I'm coming in."
Edmund did come in, laughing at bleary Charles. He put down plates of bacon and toast on the table and threw some clothes at Charles.
Reluctantly, Charles got up and dressed in the clothes, which were mildly different from yesterday and much softer.
Edmund nodded his approval as Charles joined him at the table, "you could pass as a knight of the western march you know."
Charles noticed that he was wearing the same design as Edmund had been wearing yesterday (today he wore a white long sleeved shirt with a leather vest on top.)
Edmund entertained him with a story from when he had been King and lead an attack on the giants in the north, much to the amazement of Charles as they ate breakfast, before leading him down to the stables, without Olvin, who Edmund said had to stay and protect the castle (Olvin protested to this.)
The stables were filled with animals, and the nymph from yesterday was there feeding them. The air wasn't nearly as stale as one would have imagined and Charles found that he enjoyed the company of the animals, they were familiar to him.
"Hello, how are you?" Charles asked of one of the horses. Edmund laughed before quickly forcing himself to stop.
"These are dumb horses, they don't talk," Edmund pointed out and Charles felt rather silly.
Charles went around and started stroking different horses' noses, he had ridden them once when he was younger, before the war, but it had been some time. He could see Edmund saddling a horse out of the corner of his eye as he rhythmically stroked a black horses' nose.
Edmund, leading two horses came over to him.
"That's Caspian's horse. A very loyal beast," Edmund reached out too and stroked its nose. The horse whinnyed appreciatively and nuzzled Edmund's hand.
"Been a while since you've gone out, huh boy?" Edmund smiled as the horse appeared to nod to him, "when Caspian returns I promise I'll make him come and say hello."
Edmund lead the other horses out to the courtyard and helped Charles get a leg up on a chestnut horse. Edmund was about to mount his own when he stopped and ran back inside, returning moments later with two huge broadsword in his hand. Quickly, he strapped his sword to his belt and shoved a dagger inside his shoe, handing a dagger and sword to Charles as well.
"Is this necessary?" Charles asked alarmed, the sword was huge.
Edmund grinned, "it well time that you learn how to use a sword properly."
It took Charles some time to get his bearing on the horse but soon he was catching up to the well practised Edmund, and the two made a game of chasing each other until eventually Edmund made Charles take out his sword and began to teach him some basic moves. Swing after swing, Edmund would knock the sword out of Charles hand whilst shouting advice.
After one such swing Charles sat down in the grass, his sword forgotten to the side.
"I'm terrible!" Charles said, dismayed as Edmund sat down next to him.
"You're a beginner," Edmund countered and Charles looked at his exasperatedly.
"I, may, also have been going a little hard on you," Edmund admitted quietly.
Charles looked very much like he was going to give up.
"You know, your far better than my cousin was. Caspian and I spent months teaching him and he even had Caspian's second best sword, not like yours," Edmund said looking bitterly at the sword. Charles smiled slightly.
"You mean these swords... they're..." Charles trailed off.
Edmund laughed heartily, "yours is a training sword, it isn't even sharp! It's hard to use, but that makes it all the easier when you use the real thing."
"Is that how you learned?" Charles asked, his curiosity of this new Edmund seemed like it would never be quenched.
"No. I was taught by a centaur named Oreius the day before my first battle. Peter and I spent hours dueling each other, he was a lot better at it than I, but I was only ten. As we grew older I could challenge him properly. I actually learnt to fight with two swords," Edmund said, picking at grass.
"These people, the ones that tried to kill the King and the ones we saw... you know them well?"
"Some would say too well," Edmund responded.
"What?" Charles looked startled.
Edmund smiled, "I wasn't a very good person for a time, I was terrible but war changes people, for better or for worse. Aslan showed me how to change for the better. I learnt that my family came first, and my family included all Narnians. I don't know if I succeeded in being a worthy King or brother, but I hope I did. My people, the Narnians, they deserve true happiness and if I can't give every single Narnian that I don't think I would still consider myself to be a King worthy of Narnia's love."
Charles stared at Edmund. Charles had spent years with Edmund, and he knew that what Edmund said held all the information he would ever need to know about this new Edmund. He had ridden off to battle time and time again and Charles had not been able to picture that, not until this moment when he watched Edmund soak up the sun of his home. He suddenly realised that for Edmund going to battle would be nothing if it made Narnia safe, and Charles was, for some reason, sitting on the ground next to a man who had fought proudly for a country that he wasn't even born in. What was he doing sitting on the ground giving up? Edmund had spent years in Narnia trying to do impossible things to make Narnia a happy and safe place and here he still was, hundreds of years later still trying to be the best King he can be.
"Can...can we go again?" Charles asked nervously.
Edmund smiled, "gladly."
Edmund gave him a hand up and positioned Charles hands better on the sword before swiping his sword at Charles. This time, the sword did not fall from Charles' hands, but instead made a large clang and Charles swiped back. Charles swung the sword with new enthusiasm this time, and was far more successful.
"You aren't bad, cousin," Edmund smiled at Charles after some time. It was strange to hear Edmund call him cousin, but it filled him with warmth nonetheless, he couldn't image what the beasts and men felt when their King called them cousin, but he imagined it to be something like a drink of ice water on a hot day.
It was well into the afternoon when Edmund made them stop and presented them with lunch. It was cold ham and some fruit. The food was somehow richer and tastier than anything in England, and he was glad for it. After lunch Edmund took Charles riding deeper into the forest, heading west towards his own region.
They rode around through the woods until Edmund sharply stopped his horse and dismounted, signalling for Charles to do the same. He drew his sword but made Charles stand with the horses, whispering that he would be back in a moment. Edmund bounded off into the woods after whatever he had seen and left Charles alone with the horses.
Edmund was not gone five minutes when he heard a wolf howl in pain. He whipped around, looking for the source of the noise but his eyes couldn't see anything in the green foliage, he was not used to the woods like Edmund.
Charles was scared. More than slightly. He was about to get up and try and find Edmund when he was suddenly violently knocked over, claws dug deep into his shoulder. The reigns snapped out of his hand and he heard them cry out and run off. Charles screamed.
Hot, dog breath warmed his face and for a moment Charles thought it was Gurdin. But then he saw the violently red eyes and behind him sat another three wolves. He screamed again, calling for Edmund.
The wolf growled, "it's dinner times boys," he snapped his jaws at Charles as he struggled to stick his fingers into his boot where he had stashed the dagger Edmund gave him, his sword still on his lost horse.
The wolf was just about to snap Charles' neck when he let out a high pitched whine as his head fell to the side and the body crashed onto Charles'.
Charles looked up to see Edmund brandishing a bloody sword, another two wolves were running towards them and Charles' shoulder burned.
"Move Charles!" Edmund yelled as he pushed Charles behind a bunch of rather large rocks. The wolves forgot about Charles and advanced on the threat, Edmund.
One of them pounced, but Edmund was quicker and spun out of the way, slashing the underside of it's belly in the process and moved towards the second. It tried attacking Edmund but Edmund's sword nicked him. Charles wanted to charge in, but he was hardly a swordsmen, all he had was a little knife and there were four wolves. He pulled it out of his boot just as the first wolf got back up to attack Edmund again. Now surrounded, Edmund began slashing his sword wildly, slicing off only whiskers but forcing the wolves to stay back. Charles threw the knife at a wolf right by him, hitting him in the back leg, a poor throw. The wolf turned and looked at Charles with its red eyes and made to dive into the rocks and attack Charles. Edmund, with renewed vigor slashed at the first wolf again, until he fell to the ground, dead and ran at the second. He cut clean one of it's legs and gave it a large incision on its back, enough for it to fall to the floor and no longer be a threat to Charles.
Charles looked at Edmund's face. He was sweating and there was dirt and blood all over him. He turned quickly back to the other two wolves that weren't yet injured enough.
Suddenly, the sound of horses came and the wolves slowly backed off, their ears pressed into the heads, looking around for the sound. It seemed Charles was not the only one unfamiliar with these woods. Edmund ignored the noise and advanced on them as well. Charles felt as if he had only blinked and suddenly there was a gold haired boy standing next to Edmund with an even larger sword slashing at the wolves. All around him surrounding the woods was a great number of beasts, many of them peering at Charles.
There was a great howl and suddenly the only wolf left was the one Edmund had left injured, lying on the floor. Edmund was hugging the fair haired boy, talking animatedly. He called Charles name.
Charles got up and awkwardly walked over. He felt like a coward, especially compared to Edmund who had made short work of the wolves.
"Charles! This is Caspian!" Edmund said excitedly.
Charles tried to bow, greeting the King. Caspian only laughed.
"Good to meet you brother. Is this your knife?" Caspian handed Charles knife back to him. He wasn't sure where Caspian had got it from, but before he could ask he turned back to Edmund. "You've left one alive. Oh, very smart brother."
Edmund didn't respond, he just walked over to the wolf, who was squirming on the ground as Caspian hung back, looking over Charles approvingly. Charles felt sorry for the wolf, he didn't know why. It just looked so pathetic on the ground, and the burning sensation in his arm seemed to dim with the image of the wolf.
"Mercy, mercy kind knight. Mercy!" The wolf squealed to Edmund.
"Aslan renounced you, you lost your chance for mercy then," Edmund replied.
"Mercy, mercy, I follow Aslan, he is the true king!" Edmund ignored this.
"Where is your mistress!" Edmund demanded coldly, Charles was almost scared, not for himself, but for the wolf.
"I have none. Please sir, I serve only Aslan," the wolf squealed again.
Charles was drawing closer to the wolf, he thought Caspian would hold him back but he didn't.
"Your friends have stolen an item that does not belong to you, how did you come by it?" Edmund demanded again.
"I would never steal. Please sir, please!" The wolf begged.
Edmund looked to Caspian. Their eyes met briefly. Edmund looked at Charles who was almost by his side now.
"Someone attempted to kill your King. Who was it, how did they get into the castle?" Edmund asked again, his voice sterner.
"Never sir, never. Curse the one who brings harm to the crown," the wolf squawked.
"You refuse to answer my questions, Fell. I know what you are and who you belong to. Answer, or be sentenced to death," Edmund eyes were dilating now. Charles wanted to save the poor thing, it seemed as if he did not know at all what he had done.
The wolf said nothing, it just whimpered.
"So be it. I, King Edmund the Just, by the will of Aslan, under the High King Peter, sentence you to death," Edmund spoke clearly and loudly.
"Traitor! Traitor to Queen, traitor to King, traitor to country! Your blood will spill upon the Stone Table! Your blood will return the winter!" The wolf suddenly snarled, but he was quickly subdued by Edmund's boot on his wound.
"Look away Charles," Edmund whispered. Charles' didn't, but he regretted it later.
Edmund brought his sword down hard and swift against the wounded beast's neck and it let out a great howl that made Charles' hair stand up on end.
"I pray Aslan refuses you entry to his country," Edmund whispered again. Charles didn't know what that meant, but he hoped for the opposite.
Charles looked at the blood staining the once-green grass, where the now dead wolf lay and swallowed hard. Edmund had been right, he didn't want to see him kill a defenseless creature like that, he could feel Edmund's eyes on him now.
"Come on men, to home! I'll send for their bodies to be burnt once we return," Caspian called to the creatures in the woods. There was a great amount of movement and Charles watched as they all went on back towards the Castle, Caspian staying behind. Charles didn't move. Nor did Edmund.
"You were the subject of that wolf's last words," Caspian looked at Edmund hard. "Edmund, I'm not versed in the stories or language of the Fell but -"
"Good, you'd do well to stay unaware," Edmund's voice was icy and Caspian was silenced.
"Edmund," Caspian started again but stopped quickly.
Charles was barley registering the conversation, he was still staring at the limp wolf. In his mind it was still begging for mercy. Dimly, he was aware that Benjmar had said something similar of Edmund only the morning before. Edmund was staring at him, and Caspian at both of them.
"You understand Charles, that I was named the Just, not for a title, but for the responsibility," Edmund said carefully as he wiped his blade clean on the grass, "so when I denied this creature mercy, it was in the name of justice and Aslan."
Charles nodded, staring at the beast. He realised for the first time that it wasn't a wolf. It was like a human imitating a wolf and looked startling similar to the creatures he had seen on his first day in Narnia.
"These aren't wolves," Charles remarked as Edmund began dragging their bodies together into the rocks where Charles had hidden. He had either forgotten that Caspian was going to send someone or wanted to do it himself. He wasn't sure. He didn't care.
"No. These were once men who refused Aslan's commands."
"So he turned them into this?" Charles was horror struck, he had thought that Aslan was a good king.
"They turned themselves, they agreed to be bitten to be turned into this, to become a Fell creature. Aslan will deny them entry into his own country for their crimes." Edmund was methodical, this wasn't the first time he had done this.
Edmund had begun heaping leaves and branches over the piles of fur and Charles and Caspian watched silently on.
"Your throw was good, I'll make a marksmen out of you yet, how is your shoulder?" Edmund smiled encouragingly at him as he clapped Charles on the back. He felt sick.
"Painful," Charles had almost forgotten about his shoulder, but now he realised that it was throbbing with pain. Charles thought bitterly that his pain was nothing to the wolfs, begging for mercy.
Now covered in leaves, Edmund worked hard to start a fire with stones. He set the leaves and bodies alight, guarded by the rocks. Clasping him, Edmund lead Charles after the Narnians, starting up a cheerful conversation with Caspian about his time in England since they had last seen each other, Caspian's questions unanswered like Charles.
Charles tried to listen to the conversation, to participate, he really did. All he could think about though was the crackling of the fire burning the bodies of those men and wolf hybrids that had been breathing not so long ago. Charles almost didn't care that they had attacked him. It somehow didn't matter now, not after he had seen Edmund snatch that wolf's life away as it begged for mercy. Justice, that's what Edmund called it. He knew Edmund was right, but still, inside him, he thought it was wrong. He suddenly realised that he might not want to know this Edmund.
