Well, here it is. I won't have such a long author's note this time. I apologize for the long wait on the update, my book is so adddictive. This will be the typical wait time between chapters, unless I get really inspired. I decided to push to torture chapter to chapter five because I felt like you guys needed to be exposed to Edmund more. You know, you have to feel his emotions and suffering to really get to know them. What do you guys think? Please let me know, I love hearing your input. Negative and positive criticism is welcome!
Special thanks to my wonderful Beta, Shadow_Elf_Warrior. Another appreciative thanks to my consultant, JBmusiclover08! And finally, a big hug to Alice and Victoria. You guys are such a help. Thanks for all the support and love.
Negotiations
Chapter Four
Storming through the camp, two Telmarine soldiers struggled to keep their grip on their young captive. Edmund thrashed about, throwing himself around recklessly. He was desperate to be free from the merciless grasp of the duo. His mind was frantic with escape plans, but to no avail. The men were not about to let Edmund go without a fight.
The trio closed in on a large wooden structure that stood in the middle of camp. With a narrow base, two splintered, wooden poles rose high in the air from the opposing ends to be connected by another long post of wood. The structure looked harmless enough.
Edmund's stomach lurched in a nostalgic rush and his eyes widened in disbelief as they got closer. There, hanging from the top beam, were three sets of manacles that hung down from chains that had turned red from rust. The rectangle frame was a structure used for restraining prisoners, for restraining him.
Refusing to let himself be controlled, Edmund shook his head to clear the shock that muddled his thoughts and returned with a new fury to squirming.
Unfazed, the two soldiers hauled Edmund onto the platform and tugged him by his arms, with quite a bit of effort, to the middle set of shackles. Yanking the boy's hands above his head, the two then proceeded to close the crude metal clasps shut around his wrists. They bit into Edmund's skin, not because they were too tight, but because he was too short. His feet did not quite reach the base of the structure and he was left to hang by his wrists.
He held his head high, despite his obvious discomfort, and glowered at the two men as they scurried away. His eyes burned holes in the backs of their heads until they were out of sight.
He held his rigid posture until he was positive no one was looking, Edmund hated vulnerability, and then slumped into his restraints. Edmund stretched his aching limbs and sore muscles, shifting his weight onto different parts of his body. After much experimentation, he decided that the best he could do was stand on his toes to balance his weight. His arms trembled and screamed at him, but he shoved the pain to the back of his mind and tried to focus his thoughts elsewhere. Despite how rusted the chains above his head appeared, the Narnian king discovered that they were quite strong. They would have no problem holding his weight.
He sighed heavily, discomfort setting in. His arms were not the only thing that bothered him, his cheek burned in reminiscence of Miraz's open palm, and his clothing stuck to his sweat drenched body in odd places, adding to his humiliating suffering.
The sun melted into the trees like molten lava. Shining high in the sky, the moon kept watch on the young king as he waited out the night. Edmund stood silently in his bonds. His mind wandered absently and kept him occupied with fantasies of a happier time. Exhaustion eventually overwhelmed the boy's body and he began to drift of to sleep. He faded slowly and his body slumped against his bonds, allowing himself to slip into his dreams. The wind traced his features with gentle caressing breezes and the stars twinkled brightly in the skies. The camp was silent. Soldiers were fast asleep in their tents and the nocturnal animals dare not sing in such vile company, conscious or not.
Tranquility did not last long though, a scream ripped through the camp and Edmund's eyes shot open to the shrill sound. The noise pierced his ears like a blade to the flesh, tearing through his heart and bringing tears to his eyes. He was disoriented and could not bring himself to locate the source of the blood-curdling squeal. A shiver of fear laced through him as his senses returned and he realized that he was the one screaming.
Quieting himself quickly, Edmund's eyes scanned the campsite within his view in a frightened sweep. The breath he hadn't known he was holding was released and the constant pain from his wrists snapped him out of his search. She was gone. Aslan had killed her and she wasn't coming back. He shuddered at the thought, but he knew the horrible terror of ancient Narnia was long gone. Jadis could not hurt his family anymore.
He forced himself to change his train of thought. After all, it was no use getting himself worked up; he would need his energy tomorrow. The raven haired king tilted his head back to stare at the entrancing Narnian sky. To Edmund, everything in Narnia was so much more vivid than it was in England. He loved how the colors would meld and mix together so brilliantly that it took your breath away, loved how irresistible the taste of the sweet sea air clung to everything, and loved how melodic his voice sounded, along with everyone else's. The young king wondered vaguely how he had ever readjusted himself to England.
In this fantastical land he called home, the Narnian sky had always fascinated the Just king the most. During his family's reign, he would often escape from his window to the beach where the tide could lick his toes and he could lose himself in the endless heavens. He would hide in the nearby wood, high up in a tree and listen in a trance to the melody of the Narnians, to escape the pressures of his life. Unlike the pitch black emptiness of the night in Finchley, Narnian skies were a deep blue that seemed to carry on forever. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Edmund chuckled lightly at the triviality of his thoughts. Here, dangling from chains in an enemy camp, he still could distract himself with life's simplest indulgences.
He longed to be by his brother's side on such a glorious evening. The brothers had often laid flat on their backs of an evening and discuss the tales of the various constellations. Susan would be nagging them, without much expectancy for compliance, to get on to bed and Lucy would be giggling as she watched her family and their antics, relishing in the simplicity of it all. How it all seemed so distant to him. Like a dream.
With a half-hearted smile and a single tear, Edmund quieted his mind and slipped back to sleep without even a thought to what might be in store for him tomorrow.
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