I am so sorry the wait was so long everyone! College demanded attention and I had a huge case of writers block. Hope you like!
Chapter four: Lessons
"How is it, you're not starving, Peter?" Edmund complained. He reached for the snozberry jam, a piece of bread already in hand. My own stomach rumbled, and I debated letting him get away with eating just so I could join him, and quiet my hunger before our sisters finally decided to arrive.
"Ed, save it." My brother shot me a dirty look, and I grinned.
"You know you're hungry too, Peter."
"Of course I am. But we wouldn't finish it all before the girls arrived, and that would be rude."
"So it wouldn't be considered rude if we finished the meal before they got here?" Edmund teased, and I rolled my eyes good-naturedly, clapping him on the back.
"It would be, but we could claim innocence."
Edmund sighed heavily, looking longingly at the food laid out before us. "What takes girls so long to get ready?" he muttered sourly.
I couldn't resist shooting back, my tone light, "The day I understand what goes through a girl's mind, Ed . . ."
"You'll be a girl," he snorted, and I chuckled. "Maybe there's some sort of hair emergency. One of Lucy's curls won't lay right or something silly like that."
"Anything but that," I said in mock horror. Edmund nodded seriously.
"I'm afraid so, Peter. Of course, we wouldn't know anything about that."
"That's because you'll put on anything that Martil and Silvo lay out for you without a thought to what it looks like." Susan glided into the room, with Lucy following behind her.
I crossed the room in several strides and kissed each of my sisters on the cheek. Edmund did the same, and I smiled at Lucy, remembering what Silvo had told me just before I left. "Is that a new gown, Lu?"
My littlest sister glowed with pleasure. "It's the one Susan gave me for my birthday."
I saw Edmund make a face, and smiled at him as Lucy twirled to show it off. He was still sore that he had missed her birthday, as was I. No one had thought the trade agreement with Calormen would have taken so long. I jerked my head in Susan's direction, reminding him that Susan had also changed something, at least according to our valets.
"Did you try a new hairstyle, Su?"
"Honestly, Ed. You saw it yesterday!"
I chuckled. Poor Edmund, he hadn't been home long enough to catch up on everything that had changed. Neither of us would notice unless Silvo and Martil told us anyhow. It was just nice to have Edmund home again, and I knew my sisters agreed.
"Seeing it in a new light helps of course, and it looks lovely, Su." My brother flashed Susan a disarming smile and I winked at Lucy. She stifled a giggle as we watched Edmund charm our sister. It was good to have him home. I saw my youngest sister bite her lip to hold back her laughter as he continued to try to talk his way out of ignorance. Lucy's stomach rumbled, and she flushed pink as we turned to glance at her.
"Not to interrupt or anything, but do you suppose we could eat?"
I chuckled as Edmund looked indignant. "We've been waiting for you!" he grumbled as we sat down.
"Our thanks, mighty Aslan, for this bounty set before us," Lucy murmured. I nodded, and glanced up in time to my brother grab the snozberry jam from under Susan's outstretched hand.
"Ed!"
Edmund smirked and covered his bread with the sticky jam before handing it over to Susan. "I'm a growing boy, Su, I need to eat. And more importantly, I need to eat a good Narnian meal again."
"Do you ever stop growing?" Susan teased, before spreading the jam on her own roll.
"You ate dinner here last night too," Lucy pointed out, helping herself to some eggs. I started piling eggs and sausage onto my plate, now that my siblings all had something to eat too. I chuckled.
"She has you there, Ed,"
"That was dinner. This is breakfast, which is a completely different meal. And I have not had a Narnian breakfast in too long. Calormene breakfasts are quite different." Edmund made a face as Lucy helped herself to some rice. She grinned, and held out the serving spoon.
"Want some rice, brother dearest?"
"No!" Edmund yelped, shooting a dark glare at the bowl of rice.
"It has raisins," Lucy smiled innocently.
"I hate raisins."
"You didn't last year."
"I could avoid them at every meal a year ago," Edmund muttered darkly. I chuckled, and wondered how long it would take for my brother to willingly have rice again. Susan stifled a laugh of her own and laid a hand on Edmund's arm. He chanced a glance away from the rice to look inquiringly at her.
"Tell us about your time in Calormen. I'm sure you have some wonderful stories."
Edmund brightened considerably, a wicked smile growing. I leaned back in my chair a bit, certain that there were some entertaining stories hidden behind that smile.
"Where shall I start?"
"Tell them about Prince Rabadash," I offered, remembering one of the letters I had received, detailing the encounter. Edmund nodded and his smile grew even wider.
"Prince Rabadash? What about him?" Lucy asked curiously.
"I had a run-in with him on the training grounds one morning at the beginning of my visit. Celer had just allowed me to sheath my weapons, since it was becoming too hot to train efficiently." He shot me a look here and I returned it with a sheepish smile. We had proved that training in the heat was an awful idea, and Oreius used our foolishness as an example for the new troops. I doubted my brother had any desire to repeat the incident, in Calormen no less.
"Prince Rabadash had just entered the grounds, shouting at one of his generals and using language I will not repeat in any lady's company. He was obviously in a foul mood, and when he spotted me, began bragging about the superiority of the scimitar when compared to the broadsword. I merely pointed out that everyone had their preferences, and I felt the scimitar was ill-suited for fighting." Edmund shrugged easily and I smirked. Lucy edged her chair closer, caught up in the story. Susan shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. She was just as interested as Lucy and I were, I knew. Edmund surveyed his audience briefly.
"He offered the idea of a friendly sparring match to prove his point, and I accepted. Needless to say, he is a good swordsman. However . . ."
"You won," Lucy cut in, her voice smug. Susan was grinning now as well, her eyes dancing.
"Lucy, don't interrupt the story," Susan chided. Lucy stuck her tongue out before turning back to Edmund. I knew how they felt. When I had read Edmund's letter Silvo felt the need to inform me that I was almost glowing with pride.
"What I was going to say," Edmund rolled his eyes before continuing. "Was despite his natural skill, he is surrounded by teachers who let him win because they're afraid he'll execute them. So he hasn't really learned as much as he could. I did win, by the way, Lucy, much to his fury. He ended up challenging me to a game of chess later during my visit,"
"Which he also lost," Lucy surmised, confident in Edmund's skill in chess. Edmund reached out to ruffle her hair, and Lucy leaned towards Susan quickly. Susan leveled a glare at Edmund, who grinned and tilted back in his own chair once again. I smiled softly, content to have a normal breakfast again. I had missed the easy banter, and our room had very quiet and very cold without his presence.
"By the way, I know we asked for some souvenirs from Calormen, Ed, but you didn't need to bring us back children," I teased. Edmund shrugged uneasily.
"I couldn't leave them in the slave market, to be bought like livestock and separated from each other."
I nodded. Edmund had been right to buy the four children from the slaver. He had recounted the adventure for us last night after dinner, and I knew that any one of us would have done the same. I was just glad to have Edmund home, really, as it had been far too long since he had been here.
"We'll need to find them a tutor soon," Susan stated, sipping her tea. Edmund nodded thoughtfully, and I could practically see him going through a list of Cair Paravel's most learned scholars. I smiled and winked across the table at Lucy. She giggled and reached for her own tea.
"Their rooms are ready too," she reported. Susan smiled fondly at her and I nodded, making a mental list of everything that needed to be done regarding our new wards.
"I doubt they plan on leaving Cole's room for a while though. I can't say I blame them either," Edmund admitted quietly. Lucy bit her lip and I frowned, both at my youngest sister's reaction and in contemplation of what Edmund had said.
"I suppose the only thing we can do is wait for them to trust us," Susan murmured, stirring her tea.
"What do you think of them?" Edmund asked, folding his arms. "I've been able to get to know them over the past few weeks."
"What was your first impression?" I asked, curious.
"They all seem sweet and extremely close. Cyrus and Cole are quiet, but once we get passed that fear they'll be curious of everything, I think. Jarid is just as protective as you are." He nudged my foot under the table and I grinned. "But we just have to show him that his siblings are safe and he'll follow soon enough. Oliver is going to be trouble though, I can tell. He'll be a handful."
"I agree with you," Lucy piped up, and Susan nodded. I shrugged.
"I think they'll come around given time. I also think we need to find them a nursemaid. Someone who's had children and knows how to handle several at once."
"Let me handle that. I want to find them a tutor too," Edmund offered. My smile widened, and I nodded.
"Come on, we're going to be late for classes if we don't hurry," Susan chided, standing gracefully. Lucy, Edmund, and I followed suit.
"Why don't we take the children down to the beach this afternoon? We don't have court today, and they seemed to really enjoy the sea last night at dinner." I looked up to see Lucy brushing crumbs from her skirts before looking expectantly at the rest of us. Susan smiled, and I saw Edmund's eyes brighten.
"Good idea Lu, I think they'll enjoy that. And so will we!" I grinned. Edmund laughed and pushed me towards the door.
"Lets go before we're late!"
OoOoO
Edmund didn't so much receive a lesson as give one to Cheroom that morning. Calormene customs, culture, food, politics, astronomy, and religion were all explained in as much detail as my brother could give, and it seemed his teacher always had another question ready whenever Edmund drew breath. My own teacher, a Great Horned Owl by the name of Lewiston, had fallen asleep less than half an hour into my lesson, and I had been more than happy to join my brother.
"They don't consider the stars a living race either. To them, they're balls of gas that shine simply because of the gas they give off, and not because they choose to. They don't really believe in the song or dance of the stars. Their constellations are more about great heros and weapons, and they have several which are dedicated to the Tisroc currently residing on the throne," Edmund explained.
There was a knock on the door and we all turned as one to see a Faun, Captain Erasmus, enter. Edmund and I exchanged looks, confused by the interruption. Unless it was important, we were never interrupted during lessons. I frowned, running through several imagined situations in my head, trying to guess what the problem could be.
"Captain Erasmus, what seems to be the trouble?" I asked, standing up. Edmund followed only seconds after me, watching the Faun with concern. Erasmus took a deep gulp of air, trying to catch his breath. We waited patiently, letting the guard take several deep breathes.
"I was sent for King Edmund. His presence is needed on the east balcony."
I glanced at Edmund, who shrugged in return before facing Erasmus. "What's wrong?"
"Your wards. They seem to be frightened. We can't calm them down. We were wondering if you had any suggestions."
Edmund nodded and we both looked to Cheroom. The Centaur smiled to himself, watching us both with a thoughtful look. He folded his arms, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "These would be your charges you brought back from Calormen?"
Edmund nodded to the affirmative again, watching his teacher curiously. Cheroom nodded as well, seeming lost in thought. My brother waited patiently, used to this type of behavior from his mentor. Erasmus shifted, already nervous enough by the change in schedule that the children had caused.
"What do you intend to do about this situation?" Cheroom asked. I watched as Edmund's eyes lit up, and felt my own smile grow in response. I knew my brother well enough to know he had missed these kinds of challenges, these quizzes. He stayed silent for several moments, thinking through several scenarios.
"I think, this is the type of situation I should handle in person," he answered. Cheroom's smile widened slightly, and he nodded.
"I agree. That sounds to be the best course of action. You're both excused." Edmund and I both nodded and offered bows before turning to follow Erasmus to the east balcony. "Oh, and King Edmund?"
Edmund paused, halfway out the door, and I in turn waited for him in the corridor. "I expect to meet these children very soon," Cheroom added. Edmund grinned, chuckling to himself.
"I wouldn't have had it any other way." Cheroom nodded, dismissing my brother again, and we both hurried towards the east balcony.
Our pace slowed slightly as we neared our destination, deafening silence hanging in the air of the stone corridor. I arched an eyebrow, giving Edmund a look. He shrugged and grinned as the sound of one-sided threats being hurled by one party joined the screaming.
"Come on Peter, we've lived long enough."
I grinned in return and we stepped around the corner, onto the balcony. I blinked, looking around the same balcony we had eaten dinner on last night. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage still sat on serving trays and plates, untouched. It was almost as if no one had been called to eat yet, it was so perfect. The only evidence of an upset of any kind was a goblet that had been knocked over, the dark juice it had contained staining the table cloth and dripping onto the stone beneath the table.
A breeze stirred, wafting the scents of the ocean and Narnia itself our way. By the railing, backed into a corner as far as they could be, stood the four children that Edmund had brought back from Calormen. Cyrus and Cole were at the back, Cyrus closer to the railing while Cole was against the wall, protected by their older brothers' bodies. Oliver stood slightly behind Jarid, just off his right shoulder. Both of the older boys looked murderous, their bodies tense. Guards and servants of all species stood at alert, some taking cover behind the table.
I nudged Edmund, letting him go before me. He'd rescued them from slavery, taken care of them, and they'd been traveling with him for a few weeks now. If these children trusted anyone here, it was Edmund. My brother took a few steps forward, stopping far enough away that Jarid and Oliver shouldn't feel too threatened, and knelt.
He said nothing, waiting for them to speak first. It didn't take long.
"I'm not letting you hurt my siblings," Jarid growled.
"I don't want to hurt you, or your siblings. No one here does," Edmund replied, his tone soothing.
"What's with the nice breakfast?" he accused, trying to pull Oliver behind him more.
"We're just slaves, we don't deserve something like this. So there has to be a catch," Oliver murmured quietly.
I frowned. I knew what slavery did to someone's self-confidence, I'd seen it before. We'd never dealt with slaves so young though, not directly in any case. It was a disturbing experience, even with all I had seen over my years as a King of Narnia.
"We like to keep those whom we serve well fed. We're nothing like the Calormene Tarkaans you've dealt with," Edmund explained, his tone still quiet and comforting. Cyrus and Cole exchanged glances, uncertainty creeping into their expressions. They obviously wanted to trust Edmund, but there brothers, still did not.
"We've heard that before," Jarid spat. "But you can hardly prove it, can you?"
"Time." The children started and their wary, distrusting gazes moved to rest on me as I spoke. "It'll take time to prove that we don't want to hurt you. But you have to give us that chance, because otherwise you'll spend your life in fear of being mistreated by someone, whether it's us or someone else. And I'm sure any of our subjects would be willing to answer your questions."
"But how do we know that we can trust you?" Oliver asked, his question directed at not me, but my brother. Edmund looked thoughtful for a moment before answering.
"Some people will always want to hurt you, because they think they're better, and they want to prove it in any way they can. And some people just want to watch the world burn, and people suffer at their hands. But my siblings and I, indeed Narnia itself, are not like them. There's a lot that Narnia can teach you though, about life, and people, and Aslan. But you have to be willing to learn."
"I'm just so tired of being hurt," Oliver murmured, looking for all the world like a vulnerable little boy. Cyrus and Cole nodded in agreement, and Jarid made a face, seeming to be lost in an unpleasant memory from not so long ago. I exchanged glances with Edmund. I understood exactly how he felt now, why he had brought these four home from Calormen with him. They needed Narnia just as much as we did, if in a different way.
"Perhaps we can help you overcome that," I said, smiling softly. Edmund nodded, his eyes resting on Oliver again. Jarid glanced uncertainly at his siblings, before taking a deep breath and nodding slowly. He didn't trust us yet, far from it probably, but he was willing to try.
"What now?" he asked uncertainly.
Edmund chuckled and stood. "Why don't you eat some breakfast first. Then, we were thinking that you'd like to go down to the beach and get a closer look at the beach."
All four of them seemed taken aback by the idea, but that slowly gave way to a tentative excitement, especially for the younger two. Oliver stepped carefully around his older brother and gave a small genuine smile. "Sounds like this could be interesting."
