I know, I know...It's been awhile. But this chapter just might make up for it. I don't know. You tell me.

Never Say Goodbye

Chapter 10

Frigid Confrontations

My fingers burned from where they had touched Edmund's bare skin. The simple touch had driven me mad, and yet it seemed to do nothing to him. I had to stop briefly in a dark corner to swipe furiously at my falling tears. How could I mean so little to him? After quickly struggling to regain my composure, I continued on my way back to the central chamber. I came across Lucy on the way.

"Edmund's just down there," I said as I pointed behind me. "He's all right, but please, will you see that he takes some of your cordial?" I knew his shoulder would heal well enough on its own, and the torn skin likely wouldn't even scar. But still, the thought of him bearing any injury, however minor, tore me to pieces.

Lucy understood, and she placed a hand on my shoulder. "Of course. Don't worry, Aaralynn, my brother will be back to his old self before you make it to the central chamber."

If only that were true.

"Thanks, Lucy." I smiled faintly. "Have you seen Caspian?"

"I'm sorry, no. Not since he helped me with Trumpkin at least."

"How is Trumpkin?"

"I've already given him some of my cordial, so it's like he was never injured to begin with." Lucy smiled freely. "Edmund will be that way too."

I tried my best to smile too before we parted ways. Lucy continued down the tunnel towards Edmund, while I went on my way to find Caspian. The problem was: I couldn't find him anywhere. He wasn't in the sleeping chambers. He wasn't in the room with the Stone Table. And he wasn't in the central chamber. No one else had seen him either. Trufflehunter hadn't seen him. The Fauns hadn't seen him. Even his tutor, Dr. Cornelius, hadn't seen him. I was really beginning to worry about him. Where could he be?

"Your Majesty?" A concerned voice suddenly drew me from my deep thoughts. I looked around and saw that I was standing in the entrance to one of the tunnels that led down to the Stone Table room. Trumpkin and Peter stood nearby, like they had been walking together; it had been Trumpkin that spoke.

"Is everything all right?" the Dwarf asked.

I shook my head. "I can't find Caspian anywhere, and I'm beginning to really worry that something may have happened to him."

"Good riddance," Peter mumbled. "Perhaps the boy has finally given up his playacting and has run home."

Perhaps it was from a lack of sleep, or the incessant worry of Caspian, or the anxiety of Edmund seeming to no longer care for me, or perhaps it was combination of all three, or maybe it was simply because I had grown tired of Peter's attitude towards my friend, but I snapped. Something in Peter's words triggered a boiling rage within me, and I could no longer contain it. I let it all out; the words came tumbling from my mouth with little control.

"You better hope for your sake, Peter Pevensie, that that is not the case. Because if anything should have happened to Caspian, then the destruction of Narnia lies solely on your hands. And if for one moment you would start being the High King of Old and stop acting like a Calormene ass you would know why!"

Peter was mad. Really mad. I could see it on his face, but at the moment I didn't care. "Pardon me?" he said stepping forward, anger seeping through his words.

"No! You are not pardoned!" I retorted. "If there was anything I learned from you in our time, it was how and when to speak. And though you have forgotten how to hear, you will hear me now. Caspian is not some child playing king; he is a chosen King of Aslan. His whole life has led to these days. The teachings of his professor and the stories of his nurse have instilled in him the hope of a Narnia united. His uncle has tried to kill him because he knows that under Caspian's rule peace would be restored.

"I know you long for the days of old; I long for them too. But our age is gone. That life is gone, and we must accept that. We did not come to take back our thrones, but to put Caspian on his. The High King I knew would have seen that from the start. He would not have been blinded by pride and arrogance. And he never would have called attention to a pain so deep in such a public and humiliating manner as what you did to me. The High King I knew would take the council of those around him and he would not shut out his siblings as you have. And I pray, Peter, that you learn how to hear them again because if you keep on as you are you will lose them. And that is something I would not wish on any."

When I was finished I could hardly believe I'd said what I did, and the look on Trumpkin's face told me he thought the same. The look on Peter's face was an unreadable mix of anger, confusion, and simple shock. The shock was rushing through me too. Wave after wave of it. It felt like the room was spinning around me and I was struggling to find solid ground on which to stand. Murmured voices drew my attention and I looked in their direction to find that Edmund and Lucy had found us, and it was apparent that they had heard at least a part of what I'd said. I locked eyes with Edmund, and like an anchor they steadied me.

I could not ask what they'd heard, or question their arrival because a second after spotting them an icy gust of wind rushed down the tunnel towards us.

"What was that?" Trumpkin asked.

I was wondering the same, but the look on Peter and Edmund's face told me they already knew, and that whatever it was, it wasn't good. Peter stared down the hall with a look of determination I hadn't seen in a while. His eyes then fell to the floor in an almost sadness before looking back at Edmund. There his eyes looked uncertain, and his voice sounded even more so.

"Are you with me, Brother?" he asked.

Edmund pulled out his sword before replying. "Until the end."

Without any further words they took off running, and I turned to Lucy.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"It's the White Witch. I don't know how, but I'd recognize her power anywhere," Lucy said, and then she too took off running, drawing her dagger on the way. I glanced at Trumpkin briefly before we both followed.

Trumpkin had his sword ready before we entered. I had no weapon on me, but I knew the troubles Edmund had with the Witch and I would not leave him to face her again alone. We caught up to Lucy and arrived at the room with the Stone Table together. Peter and Edmund were already engaged in battle with a Hag and Werewolf respectively. Nikabrik was the room as well and he too had his sword drawn. At first I thought he was going to help Edmund with the Werewolf, but then I saw the sinister grin on his face and noticed that his blade was poised to strike Edmund. Trumpkin noticed this as well and quickly went to Edmund's aid and engaged the Black Dwarf in battle. Lucy rushed in too, ready to help were she could. I was left to survey the rest of the room.

Between the two pillars where Aslan's image was usually seen stood a wall of ice. Floating inside the ice, like a person floating in water, was none other than the White Witch. Caspian stood alone before her. Both Caspian and the Witch had an arm outstretched towards each other, as though they were trying to reach each other. I didn't know much about what was going on, but I knew that whatever happened, Caspian could not be allowed to reach the Witch.

So I rushed forward. I dodged Edmund and the Werewolf, and just barely avoided the Hag's talons as she swiped at Peter and missed. Reaching Caspian at last, I leapt and put all my weight into pushing him away and knocking him to the ground. Our landing was rough. One of my hands landed on a jagged rock, drawing a little blood, and my shoulders hurt from where they had slammed into Caspian's armor. But at least we were out of the Witch's grasp…or so I thought.

An iciness clenched around my ankle and quickly worked its way up until I felt covered in it. I could see my breath on the air before me, and I'd never felt so cold. Suddenly images of Edmund and I together flashed through my mind and I had no control over them. I saw our happiest moments and I saw our saddest moments. Then I saw foreign images, things that had never happened. I saw children, our children. I saw our family. They were my dreams and my wishes, and I saw them coming true.

I looked up to the Witch and I knew what was happening. She was searching my mind. She was searching my desires in order to use them against me. And she found them. In a matter of seconds she knew everything she needed to know about me.

"Aaralynn, is it," she said. Her voice sounded sweet and tempting to my ears. "I can give it all to you. I can give you the life you wanted. All you ever dreamed can come true."

I saw the life she tempted me with before my eyes. I felt it within my grasp. I wanted it so badly. It was almost too good to be true.

"No. No you wouldn't do that for me…" I argued, but my voice was weak.

"What about young Heulyn and little Soffia? I can bring them back," she said, her voice more tempting than ever. My mind was filled with images of my siblings laughing and playing with my children.

A hand suddenly grasped mine and pulled it back to my body. I hadn't realized it, but my hand had been outstretched towards the wall of ice.

"Don't listen to her, Aaralynn," Caspian said next to me. "Whatever she's telling you, don't listen to her."

My mind felt heavy with a thick fog. I wanted the life she promised and yet I knew she couldn't be trusted.

"Leave her alone!" Peter suddenly shouted. He stood before the White Witch now, his sword drawn before him. The Witch turned her attention to him, and though her voice had sounded kind and sweet to my ears, her face showed nothing but malice. She didn't say anything, and yet I had the feeling she and Peter were engaged in a deep conversation.

"You are right," Peter said suddenly, as though confirming what she'd told him. "I can't do this alone." He dropped his sword to his side. "But then…I'm not alone."

Suddenly a sharp blade pierced the wall of ice through the Witch's heart. A deafening screech was heard by all in the room as the Witch threw her head back and the ice began to crack. Then it shattered forcefully. Caspian curled his body around mine and threw his hands over our head, shielding me from the falling ice that rained down upon us.

The moment the ice stopped falling though, we sat up. The fog was lifting from my mind and the images were fading. The life I wanted was once more slipping away from me. I looked to where the Witch had been, but she was no more. Instead, Edmund stood in her place, his sword still raised where it had pierced the ice, his head turned to the side to avoid the falling shards. As he lowered his sword and turned his head back around, he looked first to Peter who gave him a brief nod of gratitude. Then Edmund's eyes fell to Caspian and I, and I was still somewhat cradled in Caspian's arms. I could not miss the hurt that passed through his eyes as they bore into me.

Without a word he turned and fled the room. I watched him go, and with him went the last hope of the life I'd dreamed of. It was fleeing before my very eyes, but I couldn't let it go. Not like this. I pushed myself off the ground and hurried after Edmund.

"Edmund!" I called after him but he didn't stop. "Edmund, please!" He continued on his way quickly. "Edmund! Would you just stop! Please!"

Finally he stopped, but he kept his back to me and his hands remained in fists at his side. I could feel the anger radiating off of him, but I couldn't understand why he was angry. I walked up and stood before him; he averted his eyes so he didn't have to look at me.

"I have tried to let this go," I said. "But you have to know how it hurts me."

"Perhaps you should go back to Caspian, so that he can ease your pain," he said through his teeth.

His words stung, but no more than my dreams fleeing.

"He could never do for me what you did," I said truthfully. Edmund's face seemed to soften a little and at last his eyes found mine. "Caspian is only a friend, and he could only ever be a friend to me. And he knows that. He respects you too much, admires you even, to ever wish to be more."

"Well the two of you seemed pretty cozy together a moment ago." Though his face had softened, his voice was still hard and bitter.

"What's this all about, Edmund? Why are you so angry? I didn't even think you noticed me these past few days. And I didn't think…" I paused unsure if I should continue and fearful that he would confirm my fears if I did.

"You what, Aaralynn? You didn't think I'd care that you were cozying up to some other guy beneath my very nose!"

"No! No I didn't think you'd care!" I confessed. "What reason would I have to think you'd care? When have you given me a reason to think otherwise in the last four years? I mean, let's be real Edmund! What are we? We were married once, but then we were only children and I know we both forgot such marital things! And though those thoughts and feelings are returning for me, you've made it perfectly clear that's not the case with you. And I…"

My words were cut off suddenly as his lips were squished against mine in a kiss. It was sloppy, and wet, and a bit awkward, but beneath that there was a hint of the kisses we used to share. I slowly melted into the kiss as my eyes closed and my hands found his arms. His hands came to rest softly on my face as he pulled back. He was breathing a little heavier and I was left without words. We were silent for a moment before he spoke.

"You are my wife, Aaralynn," he whispered softly. "Though my body is too young to show it, my heart knows it." His thumbs rubbed softly beneath my eyes, brushing away the few tears that had fallen.

"I…I didn't know you felt that way."

"And that is my fault. I am sorry for making you doubt. It's just…I thought…I thought you blamed me for making you young again, for dragging you from your world and your family."

"You were my family too, Edmund. And you forget, it was my choice to follow you. It was my choice to chase the Stag. I had to convince you of it."

He smiled faintly. "As I recall, it didn't take much convincing. We all wanted to go on the hunt."

His hands slid down my arms to hold mine. The feeling brought a flood of welcomed memories, and I smiled.

"Do…did you need to go see how Caspian was doing?" he asked, sounding a little worried.

I shook my head. "No. I think…I think, right now, I need to be with you."

I squeezed his hands gently and he smiled in relief. With one hand he tilted my lips up to meet his again in a kiss that was a little less awkward and little more like the ones we used to share. Then he led down one of the tunnels to a chamber where we could be alone.