Guilt in Life
Chapter Twenty-One
"Thank you for everything," Edmund whispered in the dark night. He was at the door, paused and hugged Holly before heading to the empty, raven street.
Edmund spent the day at Holly's shop, waiting and preparing himself. He didn't know what to do next, but as approaching to the same alley the hooded figure disappeared, he knew he should start by finding the hooded man.
Edmund's tried to open the right door, but it was locked. All left was the door on the left. He had checked that light was out in Goata's house. There was something strange about Goata, he just wished he knew more.
Gingery, Edmund opened the door and found no light was lit. He slowly closed the door behind him, eyes were gazing in the dark.
Edmund walked, but he tripped on something, it was too dark for anyone to see anything. Edmund's hands marvelled on the floor, wondering what that was, and he felt it. It was something like a knob. He kicked it gently, and "cloom" .
Instead of the smooth floor, the floor sank. A stair was visible, there were light and noise down there. Taking a deep breath, Edmund slowly descended down the stairs. There were lots of tunnels with candles lining up on the walls. Edmund kept walking, he saw cells, empty cells with iron cage. Edmund's heart was racing.
"We have to find him!"
Edmund had the impression that the 'him' was he himself. He paced to the end of the celling corridor, there was a door with a small gap. Goata was there, trouble-minded, head on his hands in deep thinking. There were also the other men and women.
"We need him now! Everyone is ready," a woman said emotionally, "those wicked men are torturing our boys."
"I say we raise an attack now!" a man pounded his fist on the table.
An attack?
"We have to wait, just as what Caspian and the High King are doing," a thin woman said, "we have to wait for the arrival of the Just."
"Me?" Edmund mumbled.
"He's the key to our success," the emotional woman was raged, "but he's nowhere to be seen after this morning. Does Beth know about him, or the AS?"
"I think not," Goata said at last, stroking his beard, "we need to find the King. No one knows what happened back in the Flatteren Woods. Only the Narnians know. Reepicheep left a few days ago, he's trying to bound the cities together. We just have to contact our men in Arrc, Ristold, Rolden and Yena."
"But what about an attack now?"
"Nizal will know then, we can't let that happen until we find the King," Goata sighed.
"What exactly happened to him? I heard it had something to do with Natasha," a fat man said.
"Natasha the Spy?" There were lots of murmuring.
This name hadn't been heard for a long time, Edmund felt his head was pounding somehow, with the name Natasha ringing. He tried to pull himself back together.
"Yes, I heard she was looking for him," a woman said, "the rumour says she is trying to track him down and she says something weird."
"What does she say?" Goata raised an eyebrow.
"She spread to some Telmarines in secret that if we ever see the Just, she wants him to know that she loves him, always and forever."
"She is lying!" Edmund pushed the door open, every man and woman in the small room shot up with sword blade pointing at him, "That woman is lying!"
"Ed-Ed-Edmund the Just?" Goata was shocked, he quickly dropped his sword and bowed, "Long live the king!"
'Cling' 'Cling', weapons were being dropped to the ground.
"Long live the King!"
"We've been waiting!" The fat man cheered.
"At last!"
"Thanks Aslan!"
"We have to stay quiet my lord," Goata said, "we are the-"
"Ancient Shield," Edmund added, "you founded this, Goata?"
"I did, I remain, always and forever, to King Caspian and the ancient Kings and Queens," he bowed.
"What about the slave trading?" Edmund remembered those poor lads and lasses.
"They are spies, slave trading is a cover. We send young, skilled people to the business men and nobles' houses, and gather information," Goata replied.
"And cells outside?"
"We capture some nobles and lords," the thin woman said, "for information."
"I'm not the one who is going to bring peace back to Narnia, as much as I want to, but I am the right lad!" Edmund said loudly without managing to shout.
"But-"
"All I want is to save Beth," Edmund said, "Please. I appreciate the Ancient Shield and everyone, but you should find Caspian and Peter."
"The prophecy-"
"The prophecy is just some kind of false legend," Edmund denied, "please."
"The time will come when you believe what you can do," Goata said, "As I predicted, it has something to do with Natasha isn't it?"
"It has nothing to do with her or anyone," Edmund lied, " just let me get Beth out."
"My lord-" the thin woman started.
"We will gather the army for you, and we will wait here for you," Goata concluded, "We are always ready."
"I'm not," Edmund said.
"You will be, my king."
"Where are you going to go then?" The beefy man asked in concern.
"Going to other towns, trying to figure out what to do," Edmund replied.
"On one condition please," Goata said, taking a deep breath, "take Beth with you. After saving her, she will be all alone and we both know you need a company."
Goata's eyes flicked a fire that Edmund had once see in Aslan's eyes.
"And keep her safe," the thin woman said, "please."
"I promise."
"There's a back door here," Goata gestured Edmund to follow him, "can you save her on your own?"
Edmund nodded.
Goata gave him a fatherly hug that Edmund hadn't received for years, he fought back the memories of home and shrugged off the thin man.
"You look like my son, my lord," Goata rubbed Edmund's head.
"What happened to him?" Edmund asked curiously.
"Nizal's man killed him."
Edmund nodded grimly and headed into the night. It was a starry night with stars twinkling above, Edmund remembered her sitting on his laps, gazing up at the skies...Edmund sighed and hurried to the mansion.
Edmund climbed up the building, he found Beth sitting on the bed of the first floor, crying with her face in her hand. He broke the window knob with his sword hilt.
"Ed? Edmund?"
"Hey," Edmund hushed her gently as she flung her arms around him, sobbing in his shoulder, "It's all right."
"I thought you wouldn't come back-" her body was shaking.
"I promised, right?" Edmund smiled at her faintly, "come on, let's get you out of here."
Edmund noticed the chain on her leg, he hit it hard with the blade and after struggling for about fifteen minutes, Bet broke free.
Edmund helped Beth got down, but he knew something was wrong. It was too easy...
When their feet hit the ground, they heard someone shouted,
"Guards!"
Edmund looked at the mansion, soldiers were pointing crossbows at them, there was no way escaping.
Beth was panting, Edmund's sword was out.
Instead of being stabbed by arrows, a man was shot in the third floor, Edmund looked around, a hooded figure was shooting arrows at the mansion. Her skills resembled Susan's...
"Here!" she shouted...it was a she...it was she.