This really isn't a long chapter, in fact it's shamefully short, but it's pretty important and I don't want o include anything else in it! Thanks for all the support for this story, I think it's very important that psychological issues are made more prominent in literature, unfortunately I'm only an amateur writing an amateur story, but if I'm one day a famous writer I will definitely write about the impact of major events on people's psychological wellbeing! Enjoy!
Tarkhaan Visirish knocked for Safie the following morning after breakfast as she had asked him to. They were going to take a walk amongst in the gardens together and Visirish had promised to help Safie memorise the names of any plants they came across that she did not already know.
"Are you sure that you do not wish to join the picnic?" He checked again when the two emerged onto the lawn.
"No. I find I'm never hungry between meals. If I sit down at a picnic I'm afraid I feel obliged to eat food I do not want.." She explained, putting her parasol up as the hot sun immediately began to beat down on the pair.
"Oh, please, allow me!" He insisted, taking her parasol from her and holding it carefully above her head.
"Oh, thank you." She answered with a smile, looking down at the floor shyly.
"The Tarkhaan seems very keen to talk to Safie...every time I see him these days he's either with her or seems to be looking for her...I wonder what they have in common." Edmund mused to Lucy, dipping his strawberry into the bowl and covering it with sugar as he watched Safie and the Tarkhaan walking along the grass slowly, deep in conversation with their backs to everyone else picnicking.
Truly the picture of a Calormene gentleman, the Tarkhaan was kindly holding Safie's parasol for her, giving them both the cool shade they needed. He seemed very concerned with Safie's well being to Edmund, constantly checking that she had enough wine, or that she'd had enough food or that the meat was to her liking.
"Well, I expect they found lots in common with each other in their letters and are now expanding on their common interests." Lucy replied languidly, not even opening her eyes or moving from her position underneath the parasol; it was such a hot day many of the guests had opted to stay inside in the cool palace rather than take a picnic in the hot sun.
"They've exchanged letters?" Edmund asked in disbelief, thinking back over the years and trying to pinpoint a time when he had seen Safie writing out letters or had told him she had a correspondence with the Tarkhaan.
"Oh yes, for years now! He kept sending her gifts, loads and loads of them, but Peter kept sending them back. Did you now know this?" Lucy asked with surprise.
"No...Safie never told me." Edmund said hesitantly, frowning over at the two now.
"Perhaps it just slipped her mind." Lucy excused Safie after a pause, sensing Edmund's upset.
"But she told me they're not close..." He shot back, trying to figure out why Safie would have lied to him.
"She didn't seem particularly bothered by his attempts to woo her. But then again you can't always tell with Safie..." Lucy trailed off, her hand groping all along the blanket they were lying on as she searched for her fan. Without moving any other part of her body she began to fan herself tiredly, her hand flopping about rather than actively fanning.
"He was wooing her? Why did she not tell me?" Edmund demanded incredulously, still frowning over at the two and trying to read their body language. Were they being affectionate? How close exactly were they? Was the Tarkhaan's arm to close to her? He was so consumed by the sudden revelations that he had not even noticed Lucy moving beside him.
"Edmund calm down, it's too hot to be getting het up about things. I don't know why she didn't, but she's not deceitful, like I said, perhaps it just slipped her mind. Oh, I should stop saying slipped, it's making me think of ice and how wonderfully cold it is..." Lucy said distractedly.
Edmund was silent, his confused brain thinking through the past and searching for any indication that Lucy's words were true. Safie and Visirish disappeared from his view down one of the garden paths, instantly hidden by a very large bush of fragrant Melissa.
"Anyway," Lucy continued, "the Tarkhaan leaves Monday morning with Duke Ronan, then you may occupy Safie's time as much as you like again."
"It's not – I'm not – I don't want to occupy her time!" Edmund spluttered. "I just wish she'd told me what was going on." He said sulkily, taking a strawberry and not even noticing that he'd forgotten to put it in sugar.
He was just considering going after the two when Peter called his name from behind him. Edmund whipped around, suddenly glad of the distraction whilst Lucy continued to lie on the blanket, her eyes shut. "Do you have a minute?"
Edmund jumped up by way of reply and the two set off across the grass. "If you see Mr Tumnus, send him out please, I can't finish these strawberries on my own and I want to continue our debate from yesterday." Lucy called out after the two, quickly fanning herself as though the mere effort of calling out after them had caused her to break out in a sweat.
"Will do." Peter called back over his shoulder.
"Is it true that Tarkhaan Visirish has been courting Safie for years?" Edmund quickly demanded, trying to keep his voice quiet as other picnickers smiled and waved at the two kings.
Peter forced his lips into a smile back at them all. "No. He tried but I wouldn't allow it."
"So it's true? He's been sending her gifts and they've exchanged love letters." Edmund practically accused Peter, already building up the facts Lucy had told him in his hurt at having been excluded from the proceedings.
"Edmund, would you calm down? As far as I know there've been no love letters, and I sent each of the gifts back." Peter shot back, still smiling the whole time for the benefit of their guests. "It's actually Visirish I want to talk to you about."
"What is it?" Edmund immediately asked, suddenly sensing Peter's unrest.
"Not here." Peter replied, looking around as their voices echoed in the stone hallway almost as though he expected to see his voice bouncing off the walls like a ball.
Edmund silently accepted Peter's order and followed him to his study, shutting the door behind him and waiting wordlessly whilst Peter began to pace the study in front of him, his gaze firmly on the floor and his arms crossed.
"Edmund, something has been worrying me recently, and I feel you are a better judge of how I should handle this situation..." He finally said, stopping his pacing and leaning back against the front of his large desk.
Edmund remained silent, watching Peter intently as he waited. Peter stared back at him absentmindedly at him, trying to bring himself to say the words. He did not know how Edmund would react. His personality and character had improved beyond measure since his betrayal to the White Witch, but sometimes there was a hint of darkness in Edmund that Peter worried about.
"It's about Safie and Tarkhaan Visirish." He finally said, elaborating on his earlier information that this would be about the Calormene.
Edmund took in a sharp breath at his words as Peter pushed the Tarkhaan and Safie together, his mind immediately turning to the worst as he considered the unknown letters Safie had sent him over the years. How long had their engagement been? And how could he put an end to it?
"He..." Peter paused again, still unwilling to reveal his knowledge out loud. "You are aware of course that Lune has been unable to attend the festivities because of a recent development that I could not tell you before. Well, two days ago a messenger arrived during the night and handed me a note from Lune that declared that what I had hoped to be untrue is in fact true..."
"Which is...?" Edmund asked with bated breath, dreading the answer but at the same time needing Peter to declare the engagement.
"Visirish is the one behind the attacks on the Archenland villages." Peter finally said, watching Edmunds reaction closely. "Safie's parents are dead because of him."
At first all Edmund could feel was relief surging through his body, but within seconds his gaze was on the floor as he internally berated himself for his selfish feelings that the two were not engaged. Disgusted with his reaction he fought to concentrate on Peter's words and formulate a reply.
"You are sure of this?" He finally asked in an odd, strangled voice.
Peter merely nodded and began to pace slowly around the room again.
Edmund ran a hand through his hair silently, his brow furrowing with anger at Visirish, concern and worry for how Safie would take the news and a crushing weight that settled in his heart at what he had to do. He trusted Peter completely; the High King never lied.
"Why did you tell me?" Edmund suddenly turned on a slightly bewildered Peter angrily. "Now I must tell Safie! How am I to do that!" He demanded, hiding his face in his hands in horror at what lay ahead of him and of Safie too.
"I wasn't sure if I should tell her, or - " Peter was unable to finish his sentence as he watched Edmund turn one way and then another, his anxiety evident.
He stopped suddenly and took a deep breath. "Leave this with me. If anyone should tell Safie, it should be me...it'll be better coming from me. Tell no-one else about this; I need to find the right time to tell her." He ordered Peter, waiting only a moment for Peter's nodded reply before walking quickly out of the room.