A/N: Sorry for the late update, Ive been busy with school thanks to everyone that reviwed last chapter, you guys are awsome, hope you like this one, even if it´s more of a filler chapter ^^
Chapter 4: The Start of a Journey
The sun was already blazing bright and warm over the morning sky once Edmund made his way to the front gates of Cair Paravel.
There was a lot of movement as soldiers and menservants hurried to finish loading the carts with sacks of wheat, rice, oats, corn, and barrels filled with ale and fresh water. Others were busy gathering the livestock: the hens were being transported in small wooden chicken crates and placed swiftly in the barrows while young boys were gathering the pigs and a few sheep with the help of sheepdogs.
Edmund looked around, as he walked by the side of captain Agion. He hadn't seen Isabel since yesterday´s morning when she had banned him; she had stayed in her premises the whole day not going out, not even to take her meals (which was nothing out of the ordinary for her) but it still annoyed him whenever she did so, giving such importance to such trivial matters…
"When are we going to be able to part?" The Just King inquired, he wanted to have an early start on their journey so that they could take the best advantage of the sunlight hours.
"We are just about ready, Your Majesty," said the centaur, overlooking the work of his men. "We are just finishing with the provisions and then only Queen Isabel´s luggage will be left to load."
As if on cue, Edmund caught sight of Isabel walking through the various men and carts with her horse which she was directing by its reins, she wasn't wearing one of her usual dresses; it was common and plain, boring if one must say, it was what was usually worn by a peasant´s daughter to go shopping to the village´s market.
"Morning, Edmund," she said slightly as she approached him.
"Morning," he said quietly "So, I see we are in speaking terms once more," he said with a small smile.
"Well, I never said I wasn't going to talk to you," she pointed out.
He chuckled "Pray, what was I expected to think when you lock yourself all day?"
"I was working, Edmund, with all due respect, not everything I do is specifically related with your person," she said offhandedly.
"I see….not everything, huh?" he said smiling, feeling oddly pleased with her choosing of words.
"Don't get so full of yourself, it doesn´t fits your title."
He bit his tongue not to laugh.
"Edmund!" he heard someone calling him, he turned around to see Lucy along with his older siblings approaching the gates to be able to see him off.
"I see that you are almost ready to part," commented Peter eyeing the work that was being done around him.
"Morning Isabel," the Valiant Queen said looking to the girl next to her brother "We were sorry not to see you during breakfast," she said with a small smile.
"I apologize, Queen Lucy, I was working and didn't acknowledge the hour."
"Well, that is quite understandable," the young Queen said with a smile, which Isabel felt the necessity to reciprocate.
"I brought you this for the journey," Lucy said handing Edmund a small batch of cookies for him to enjoy later.
"Thanks, Lu," Edmund said.
As the siblings started to talk between themselves, Isabel started to walk away slightly feeling she was crashing into a private family moment, also she could tell that both Peter and Susan were uncomfortable with her presence. None of the four noticed her slipping away and going back to the side of her horse.
"…please, take care," Susan was saying as she hugged her brother tightly "make sure you are wearing your socks when you sleep."
"¡Sue!" Edmund protested felling quite embarrassed.
"Promise, you will," she demanded.
"Fine…I will… "
Those made Suasan wear a pleased smile.
As Peter was saying his goodbyes they sighted the men carrying three large trunks which happened to be Isabel´s.
Edmund looked at the vast luggage that belonged to the Queen, the amount was simply superfluous, he would expect such of his older sister, maybe even from Lucy, but… Isabel? The girl that didn't minded to show herself at curt with a hair that resembled a wild animal living on top of her head?, it just didn't made sense to him.
The sound of glass breaking made the monarchs to turn their heads in the direction of where the sound had come from..
Grace and another of the maids that worked at the kitchen where standing there in disbelief, looking at the half open trunk which they had let slipped from their grip as they had been taking it to the cart.
Glass shards were sprawled all over the place, reflecting the sun rays in a beautiful display of colours, though none of the ones present were paying attention to that detail.
People moved to let the Queen who seemed to be in a kind of shock pass, Edmund could see the horror in her eyes to the sight in front of her, all of her vials, bickers, glassware, and flasks that had been in the trunk were shattered.
"Who did this?" she asked, the anger in her voice was quite palpable making most of the ones in the scene want to give one step back. "I won´t ask again, who did this?" she didn't shout, she never did, for she had not a need to, her firm stance and intense gaze were enough.
"W-we are…we are very sorry your highness," said Marianne as she and Grace bowed to the Queen, not daring to look at her in the eyes.
"What kind of inepts can't even carry a trunk without smashing its contents?" Isabel asked madly not caring if she was being too harsh, with the young women before her. "I don't believe that to be a hard job, so what´s your excuse?"
"Please, we—it wasn't our intention Your Majesty," Grace said, as her face flushed red due to embarrassment.
"Not your intention?" Isabel asked enraged, "Do you have any idea of the value those possessions had ? This is just inexcusable! I will see that both spend the rest of your lives in-" she was cut short of her statement as she felt a warm and rough hand on her shoulder, she turned around to see who had dared to touch her in such manner to find the Just King looking at her sternly saying without a word that he had had enough of her behavior.
It wasn't the first time that Edmund has seen her loose her temper in such way, he would have preferred not to intervene, for he didn't wanted to overshadow her authority, much less in front of the servants and maids. Then again he couldn't allow her to treat the maids in such way over a simple mistake, all of her vials and flasks could be easily replaced.
Isabel huffed in annoyance, but took a deep breath to calm herself, she knew that sometimes she had trouble keeping her temper in check and she could see in Edmund´s eyes that all she was doing was making a fool of herself in front of everyone.
She suddenly felt quite discomfited. Not that she would ever admit it.
"Just… clean everything up," she said sternly removing herself from Edmund´s grip and taking the reins of her horse once again as she walked away, proud with her head high, even if there was something that inclined her not to feel as such.
Grace and Marianne quickly started to clean everything with the help of other maids that had come to assist them.
Edmund started to walk away as well, joining his hands at his back.
"Did you see that?" Edmund heard one of the soldiers whisper to one of his mates. "She looked so intimidating; I thought she had gone mental, and please it was just glass, it wasn't some ancient vase… "
The second soldier nodded his head in agreement "I wonder why she´s Queen… she is nothing like the others, she wasn't present when they defeated the Witch, so I don't see why she has the right to rule."
The first soldier chuckled "Aye, I´ll tell you what I believe, they should just marry her off to a rich prince, that way she would be the trouble of another country."
Edmund cleared his throat to alert the soldiers of his presence, he had as well heard comments of the like about himself back in the days, and he knew how much it could sting a comment like that.
-You shall better go back to your work, gentlemen,- he advised as he passed.
Eventually everything got packed and ready to go and the party commenced their journey.
Edmund rode over Philip´s back for a while, taking in Isabel´s figure which was just some three meters in front of him , for the last hour they had been traveling in silence, which was something that he welcomed happily.
She seemed like a different person to him, carefree and jovial, it was like watching an animal going back to their natural habitat after a long time, and it was refreshing to him to see such level of freedom on his dear friend, it was a great contrast of how she had seemed when her flasks had been broken
He hurried Philip to trot a bit faster to catch up with her.
-You seem to be enjoying this,- he said casually as he and Philip trotted just side by side to Isabel and her horse.
-I am, it´s refreshing to be out of the castle.
-What happened? Back at the Cair, when your flask were broken, you usually don't get upset over those type of things- he asked, carefully not knowing how would she take his inquire.
Her face changed and became really quite, Edmund cursed under his breath wishing that he had kept quiet. It seemed that it was something that she didn't wanted to talk about.
They rode side by side in silence, until she gave signs of talking again.
-Those flasks where….they were a gift,- she said quietly – They were given to me by someone very dear to me.
Edmund looked at her quite surprised, it was the first time that he heard her talk or even imply of something of her life before arriving at Cair Paravel. He wanted to ask who this person was, but decided against it, he had the feeling that she would tell him, when she felt fine doing so.
-In that case, I'm sorry about the accident, where you able to save any pieces?
-No, unfortunately it was all shattered, and I deem necessary to thank you, you….you might have stopped me of making a greater fool of myself.
Edmund chuckled. – There is no doubt about it.
She blushed out of embarrassment but shoved him playfully.
-000-
Soon it was midday and they decided to rest to have some lunch and take shelter under the shade of the trees of the hottest hour of the day.
They dismounted their horses and noticed that many of the men were getting around of one of the carts.
Curious Edmund walked in that direction to find one of the chicken crates shattered by what seemed powerful teeth, and a trail of blood...