Disclaimer: I own nothing except Gladice, Mortam, and Hadam!
Authoresses Note: Well this story just keeps coming and coming! I'm actually getting ahead of myself. But sadly the ideas are in my head and not yet written. *sighs* But they will be written soon! I promise! And let's just say this story will seem never-ending. But it will come to an end, that I promise. It just may take a few months... maybe a year... anywho... REVIEW! Please!
The Valiant and The Just
Part 3. Scarlet Birthdays
Chapter 2. Left Alone
Yesterday we were laughing, today I'm left here asking
Where has all the time gone now, I'm left alone somehow
Growing up, and getting older, I don't wanna believe it's over
Don't say goodbye, 'cause I don't wanna here those words tonight
-'Say Goodbye' by Skillet
"Peter." Susan called, knocking on her eldest brothers door.
"Come in." he called in reply. She entered the room and Peter immediately recognized how pale she was. "Susan?" he asked, standing to his feet.
"Peter, Edmund and Lucy are sick... really sick." she said.
"How sick?" he asked.
She bit her lip and closed her eyes tight for a moment. "Exactly like they were... five days before the nearly died."
For a moment Peter didn't understand. "What..."
"The Scarlet fever, Peter! Hadam thinks they have it again!" Susan blurted out.
Peter staggered backwards as if someone had just struck him across the face. "You're... not serious." he said, holding onto the last thread of hope.
"I wouldn't joke about something like this, Peter!" Susan exclaimed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
And then the last thread of hope was cut. "NO! This can't be happening again! Not after all we've been through... all they've been through!" he exclaimed, slamming his fist onto his desk.
"Peter..." Susan started, causing Peter to look at her "... this isn't going to help them. It'll only make them feel worse. If they're going to pass away... they should do it while being happy."
He sighed and sat down in a chair. "But... they're only children... they can't..."
"Would it have been so different had they not woken up the first time?" Susan said gently.
"That's just the point! They woke up the last time because they had a purpose! They had a country to save! A country to help rule!"
"And maybe you're right, and that's just the point. Maybe they've served their purpose... maybe it's their time."
"But it can't be! We need them!"
"I know..."
"Your Majesty's."
Peter and Susan looked to Gladice who had since walked in the room.
"Yes?" Peter asked.
"Hadam wishes to speak with you. Tis about King Edmund and Queen Lucy." she replied with a swift curtsey.
Peter was out of the room before she even finished the last sentence.
"Excuse my brothers... anxiety." Susan said with a swift curtsey of her own.
"Tis alright, my lady. Queen Lucy and King Edmund are good friends, I can only imagine what it would be like if I were their sister." Gladice replied with a smile.
Susan smiled in reply. "Come. Let us go see how they are."
Through the night, Susan held vigil over Lucy as Peter did the same for Edmund. No sleep came for either of them.
Susan found herself nodding off until she felt someone shake her awake. She opened her eyes and in the flickering and faint light of the candle on Lucys bedside table, Susan realized the person who had awoken her was crying.
"Peter?" she asked, sitting up further.
"Come on." he said, his voice hoarse. She took his arm holding onto the last shred of hope that it wasn't about Edmund. But when she entered into his room, she knew hope was no longer available. Hadam and Edmunds valet, Mortam, were constantly moving.
"Gladice!" Mortam called. In an instant his sister was at his side. "Go fetch some water, and quickly." he said.
With a nod she was gone again. Had Peter been looking closely, he would have seen the smirk that quickly passed across her lips. When she returned Hadam quickly, or as quickly as he could, put a brew of tea together.
"Take this to Queen Lucy." he said, pressing a cup into Gladices hands. She nodded and quickly walked to Lucys room.
With some struggle they managed to get a bit of the tea down Edmunds throat. "We can only hope this works. If not... he will be dead before sunrise." Hadam sighed.
Susan smothered a sob while Peter kept his gaze locked on Edmund.
"Your majesty, lay back down." came Gladice's exclaim from Lucys room.
"No!" came Lucys stubborn reply.
Susan gasped and whirled around to see her little sister standing there. Her face was flushed, and she was quite a sight, but she was whole, she was breathing, and she was alive. And Susan couldn't want her any other way.
"Lucy!" she exclaimed.
Before she could embrace her sister, Lucy ducked and ran to Edmunds side. She cast a glance to Hadam who nodded. Lucy then looked back at Edmund and saw he wasn't breathing.
"I... think I know how to wake Edmund." she stated unsure.
"How?!" Peter and Susan asked in unison.
Gladice had since entered the room and turned with her back to everyone, smothering her sobs. Mortam walked to her and together they cried for a loss that was soon to come.
"Well... you remember those stories back in that other place... where the prince... or king... kissed the person to wake them up?" Lucy asked.
"What are you implying?" Peter asked nervously.
"Peter... you have to kiss Edmund." she replied.
"WHAT?!" Peter exclaimed.
A wide grin swept across Lucys face and she burst into laughter, Hadam soon followed, and Peter could hear Gladice and Mortam laughing as well.
"Lucy... why is Edmund turning red?" Susan asked.
Between her laughter, Lucy said "You can breathe now, Ed."
Edmund opened his eyes and looked at Peter. "Oi, Pete, you look like a right madman right now!" he laughed.
"What... I don't understand... you're not dead?" Peter said.
"Nope. And I was never at risk." Edmund replied.
"But.. Gladice... and Mortam... they were crying." Peter stammered.
"We weren't crying we were laughing." Gladice sad between her laughter.
"What did you 5 do?!" Peter demanded. "
Ok, we knew that you were overwhelmed. And crying always helps those situations. But you being the big idiot you are would never cry. In private or otherwise. But if you thought Lucy and I were dead... then you'd cry. So, we did get sick, but decided to use it to our advantage. Hadam could easily make us well, but instead we prolonged it and acted as though it were scarlet fever. I started going downhill faster than expected, but it was quickly cut off. That tea had a drop of Lucys cordial in it, so that it made us well quicker than the tea alone would solve. Hence our current state. Not all the way well... but well enough to go on that hunting trip. Bye!"
As soon as Edmund finished explaining, he and Lucy were out the door, rushing to the stable where bags of food and clothes, with their horses tacked awaited them. Peter ran after him but by the time he got to them they were racing past him.
"See you the morning of our birthday!" Edmund called over his shoulder.
Peter growled. "Ok, so I get to kill them in... 5 days."
