Disclaimer: Edmund Pevensie and all the characters and situations in The Chronicles of Narnia belong to C. S. Lewis and not to me. Romulus and Remus appear by the kind permission of Lady Alambiel.
Chapter Eleven
On Seventhday, Edmund and Elain walked along the beach below Cair Paravel. It was early enough for the morning sun to still be sitting like a ball of fire at the horizon with its low rays turning the sea to molten gold. Somehow, night owl that he was, Edmund didn't mind the hour. The snow had fallen thick in the night and the Nor'wind air was cold, but the sky was clear and it was promising to be a beautiful day.
Edmund glanced back to where his Wolves were chasing Seagulls and being scolded in return by one particularly snappish female. The rest of the Gulls were swooping and squawking as the Wolves bounded up in futile attempts to catch their tail feathers.
"They've never got one yet," he said, shaking his head. "And I don't know what they would do with it if they did."
"I don't think Mrs. Kittiwake would let that happen anyway," she told him confidently, her dark eyes shining.
He stopped short. "You've met her?"
"Oh, yes. She was perched on my balcony when I woke up yesterday. I gave her some of my kippers and a blueberry scone and she brought me the loveliest seashell I've ever seen. And she begged my pardon and said to tell you that she would thank you very much if you would keep your Wolves away from her little ones, so as to not set a bad example."
Laughing only very softly, Edmund looked back again. Sure enough, there were three half-grown Gulls following Romulus and Remus around, bouncing up as if they couldn't fly and thoroughly affronting their elders.
"Romulus!" Edmund barked, forcing his expression into more dignified lines. "Remus! Come here at once!"
The Wolves ducked their heads and slunk to Edmund's side. The three young Gulls waddled after them.
"Your Majesty!" Mrs. Kittiwake called, her wings thrust out and turned over, looking for all the world like one of the neighbor ladies Edmund remembered from that Other Place standing with her hands on her hips. "If you please, Your Majesty!"
Edmund leaned down to the little miscreants. "You'd all better go back before your mother comes after us both."
The Gulls, in perfect imitation of their canine cronies, ducked their heads and, grumbling, waddled back to their mother. Elain consoled the Wolves.
"Next time," Edmund said sternly, "you two stay back at the Cair."
"But the General says we have to protect you," Romulus said indignantly.
"We have to make sure nobody gets you," Remus added.
Edmund didn't hurt their feelings by mentioning the two Gryphons and the Satyr that Oreius had sent to stand guard over them at the top of the bluff. "Then you'd better stop annoying the Gulls and pay attention."
"But how come we're here this early?" Romulus asked, yawning.
Remus nodded, yellow eyes bright. "We thought you didn't like to get up at the crack of stupid like King Peter does. Do you think Lady Linnet likes to get up at the crack of stupid?"
"Queen Linnet," Romulus corrected him sternly.
"But won't King Peter wake her up now?" Remus asked, his head tilted to one side. "I mean, won't they be sleeping in the same den? Now that she's his mate?"
Elain giggled.
"Remus," Edmund warned.
Elain took his arm. "Lucy said you wouldn't mind taking me here."
"I don't," Edmund assured her, remembering how her eyes had shone at dinner the night before when Lucy was describing sunrise on the beach. He hadn't even minded the smug looks his sisters had exchanged when he'd told Elain he'd love to take her to see the glorious sight for herself. "Not in the least."
"But she was right when she said how beautiful it is down here at dawn. Is there anyplace in Narnia that isn't gorgeous?"
"A few," he said, not liking to think of those particular places, "but not many. Remind me to take you to the Mermaid Grotto later in the year. It's really too cold and damp right now to be very nice."
"And we'd guard you better than Babur did King Peter," Remus said.
Elain's smile faded. "Is it dangerous? What happened?"
Edmund glared at the Wolf and then shook his head. "It was bad, I grant you, but the Grotto is generally very safe, and it's really beautiful when the water is warmer and the Merfolk come up to sing. Peter was just a nitwit and went off without his guard." He tucked Elain's arm more firmly under his. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
She smiled, but there was again that fear in her eyes, a fear he had noticed before.
He leaned a little closer. "Don't say anything aloud," he murmured into her ear, "but if you'll look up to the ridge above us, you'll see we're well guarded. Nothing is going to catch us unaware."
She looked up and then glanced over his shoulder, and her smile returned. This time there was a glint of mischief in it. "No, of course not." She put her other hand on his arm, holding him where he was. "How could anything get past you, Your Majesty?"
"Oh!" Romulus said, lifting his head, and Remus stood up, eyes widening.
"Now," Elain scolded playfully, "you two mustn't interrupt while I'm speaking to your King."
"They're as bad as the Kittens for interrupting," Edmund said, smiling into her eyes. "But, as I said, we are safe here. I don't want you to ever feel like anything can hurt you here, no matter what happens."
"Of course not."
She put one soft hand up to his face, and he couldn't possibly turn his gaze from her, from those sweet lips and mesmerizing mahogany eyes.
"I know things are different here," he said, "but we are well protected, too. You needn't worry about anything that might–"
A suffocating hand clamped over his mouth, and an iron-muscled arm caught him around the middle, pinning his sword arm to his side.
Elain took a step back and laughed.
Author's Note: Uh-oh.
