Guilt in Life
Chapter Ten
"Do they speak English?" Edmund whispered to Natasha, wondering how much he had missed during this 1300 years.
"I think so," she whispered back. A mermaid, or whatever he was called, took out a short knife from nowhere, glaring at him.
"I am no threat to you," Edmund said loudly, shoving Natasha to his back.
"We shall see," the mermaid with fish skeleton necklace said with troll-accent. Edmund supposed he was the leader, he cleared his throat.
"I am you King, King Edmund the Just, I am hereby-"
The merpeopled laughed and sneered, their cold, high pitched laughter paralysed the silent.
"King Edmund," the lead jeered, "the TRAITOR."
Edmund's body was tense, he grabbed Yule harder and blinked, tried to hide his anger, and shame. Natasha grabbed his free hand, forcing him to look at her.
"Ignore them, Ed," her eyes locked at his, "you are not a-"
"I know what I am," Edmund said, he smiled faintly at Natasha's frowning, worried face. Edmund decided he liked it better when she smiled.
"I desire the knowledge of one prophecy that you and your people may know," Edmund continued.
"I do not speak of that prophecy!"
Leif glanced at Edmund, mouthing, "they know."
"As your king-"
"We only obey to the true King of Narnia, and that's Aslan," The leader shouted, raising his small knife and cheered, his people followed him.
"Aslan named Edmund king," Natasha clarified, "so he is the righteous king of Narnia."
Edmund noticed the male merpeople were eyeing at Natasha with their ugly eyes lustfully. An unknown animosity rose in him with no reason. Or maybe he was too blind to see the reasons.
"What is the prophecy about? Answer me in Aslan's name," Edmund said kingly, eyes scanning at those sluggish creatures.
"I shall," the leader paused, exchanged a look with the merpeople near him, "I shall tell you the prophecy. On one condition."
"What do you want?" Leif asked, Edmund stared at him, not having a good feeling about it.
"I tell you about the prophecy while that girl stays," he offered.
"No way," Edmund objected immediately, dragging Natasha to his back protectively, "She's with us."
"I'm just doing what's the best for you," the leader said, "I want her to stay here."
"And. I. Reject," Edmund spat slowly in an absolutely deadly voice, eyes burning at the merpeople's avarice.
"Tell us the prophecy, fouls!" Leif snarled.
"I want the girl," the leader repeated quixotically.
"I'll stay," Natasha burst out, walking towards the lake, "give us the prophecy now."
"No you will not," Edmund said, hating her temerity and grabbed her hand.
"You need to know this and help Narnia," Natasha shook her head sadly, sighed, "Narnia needs you."
"I don't want the prophecy then," Edmund breathed.
Edmund didn't want to know anything, or be anyone, King or the Just, without her. It had only been days, but he knew, as much as he didn't want to admit, Edmund knew he needed her. It was not only about the affinity or affection, he just needed Natasha. Desperately. Hungrily. Solicitously. He was not giving up the only person who made him open up himself, who sort of took away his guilt and shame.
"Back away Edumd," she pointed her sword at him, Edmund thought he saw water sparkled in her eyes.
What was this silly girl thinking?
"Nat..."
"Tell us the prophecy now," Natasha's sword was still pointing at Edmund.
"Very well, girl," the leader nodded, "the Son of Adam with a haunting past will raise high and fall deep. He will learn from his mistake and finish the White Witch once and for all, it is his destiny to meet his ultimate affliction. He may die, or may restore peace to Narnia once again."
Edmund petrified, staring at them, unable to move with words echoing in his brain. He was the one the prophecy mentioned. It was his fate to kill the White Witch, but how on earth he was going to do it? His failure? Well, wasn't his entire kingship was a failure already?
His ultimate affliction. What was that? Was he going to be stabbed by the Witch again, or the Witch taking away people he loved?
His mind jumped to his siblings at once, but they had got Peter. A pulchritude figure came to his mind with messy burnett hair and piercing blue eyes.
Edmund glanced at Natasha, she was, like him, wonder-struck, blinking confusedly at him and at the merpeople. Her sword was lowered. The head of the merpeople smiled, eyes gleaming on Natasha.
"So?" he sneered, his army laughed.
"Come on Nat," Edmund reached out to hold her hand.
"A King should keep his words," the leader roared, water was splashing, rumbling.
"Well," Edmund glanced at the woods, noticing the pacing of their followers sped up, "you said it yourself that I am a traitor. As a matter of fact, traitors always make promises and are exceptionally good at breaking them. I suppose I inherited this. "
"This girl will STAY!" More and more rumbling in the water was heard and Edmund knew they should leave now. He turned, grabbing Natasha's hand and was ready to race out of the woods with a nod from Leif.
But someone, animals actually, and armed griffins, and fauns, and bear with white fur, and wolves with pearly fangs out , were blocking their way. Well, like the merpeople, their gaze were not exactly friendly either.
The rumbling of water never stopped, and the annoying screaming protest of merpeople were heard from the lake. A wolf that remained Edmund of the evil wolf Peter killed, jumped out from the crowd, standing right in front of him, breathing heavily.
"Ah-huh," came Leif's voice.
Right. Perfect.
Edmund was now trapped between some psycho, ugly mermaids from a lake, shouting something about releasing "the greatest fear", he couldn't hear properly as his heart was beating so fast and loud that Edmund thought it was going to pop of out his chest, while some army of the White Witch, perfectly armed, were blocking their only way of escaping.
The silvery wolf was glaring, making a sound that resembled a greatly annoyed Aslan.
Edmund's sword was pointing directly at the huge wolf, but it showed no sign of fear as its coal eyes glared back, making a louder noise.
It hopped—Edmund dragged Natasha and dived, waiting for the sharp pain of the wolf's long nails or sharp fangs sank into his body, or the heartbreaking scream from Natasha, or the panting of Leif.
None of these came.
"Charge!"
The Witch's army, or Narnia, roared, raising their weapons and charged, not at them, but something in the edge of the lake.
Rolling over from the snow, Edmund saw a huge, crocodile-like large lizard crawled out from the water while the merpeople were watching on the other side of the lake.
The "greatest fear" was majestic with horns coming out from all parts of its body with stone like scales. The giant wolf hopped and bit the monster's noise, it was swung to the water with a casual shake of the lake lizard while others were, holding weapons, doing as much damage to the monster as possible.
Edmund saw some merpeople were swimming towards the unconscious wolf with sharp small knifes.
"Stay here," He said to Natasha and dived into the water.
Icy water stabbed into every part of his body, somehow burning his every inch of his skin. He was not a good swimmer, but he put his arm around the wolf, kicking the water. It was heavy as water weighted its thick fur, and Edmund pulled him to the shore.
Edmund felt someone grabbed his ankled, he kicked and yanked, and kicked again with all his might.
"Let—go!"
Cold water flooded into his mouth, Edmund tried to swim, but his ankled was grabbed tightly.
He faintly saw Natasha took out a dagger, eyes narrowed as aiming. The next second: his ankle was free and she was helping him up from the water.
Gales came past, Edmund's limbs were frozen, yet, the roaring and inhuman shrieking was heard nearby. With body shaking, he grabbed Yule.
"Take care of the wolf," Edmund said to Natasha, "and don't go anywhere near the water."
Edmund saw the sea monster was hurt, purple blood was flushing out from his mouth, it roared, scarred, deafening the Narnians. Edmund hurried forward and stabbed its golden eyes, ignoring the shivering of his torso.
The monster crawled back to the lake and mermaids were nowhere to be seen.
There were cheering and roaring, Edmund smiled slightly as cold wind cut into his body.
"Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed," Natasha wrapped her arms around him, muttering in a effulgent voice, "We won!"
Edmund chuckled, "we did."
"You're shaking!" Natasha kissed both sides of his cheek, Edmund's nose was red, still, he smiled as his cheeks burnt.
Edmund's hands coiled around Natasha's body, pulling her close against him, he grinned. Chills and coldness didn't matter for a moment. He leaned in and kissed her.
Natasha, of course, kissed back, which made Edmund's heart ached.
When they broke apart, Edmund found everyone, the wolves, the fauns, the griffins and dwarves around them were cheering, clapping, wolf-whistling delightedly, even Leif wasn't giving him nasty looks.
Cloak and warming materials came later than ever, but as Edmund, wet and soaked by icy water, glanced at Natasha's rosy face and shy smile, and remembered how her lips brushed his, well, if you must know, it was warmer than any clothes or cloak or sweater, or jacket, or any warmer in the world.
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