Yaaaaaay so I'm back after only 2 weeks! This is an achievement for me so everyone be proud of me! It's been so wonderful to get so many good reviews and I've had people inboxing me about how good this story is and begging me to update and it's sooooo nice to know that this story is so loved. I really hope that I continue to please everyone with the storyline. As always, please review because it makes me happy...I was so so so happy after all the positive feedback of the last chapter and I'm pretty sure this has made me update soon so keep it coming! Enjoy!
Edmund spent a few minutes clutching his groin in pain before, regardless to his body's protests; he set of stumbling towards Esha's room. It was time for him to do some serious grovelling.
He nodded politely to everyone in the corridors and smiled at the Narnians he recognized before wincing in pain as soon as he was out of sight.
"Esha?" He asked, knocking on the door. Receiving no answer he knocked again, this time more loudly. "Esha?" He called again, waiting a few moments before opening the door and poking his head round. A quick scan of the room assured him that she wasn't there but a small trail of clothes led to the adjoining room that had her wardrobe in it that she used as a dressing room. "Esha?" he called for the third time, slowly walking forwards and hesitantly peering into the room. Nothing.
But the bath water was steaming...where was she?
He walked over to the bath, stretching out a finger to test the bath water and make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. He noticed the dark shape and red tinge to the water and froze for a moment, one finger pointing towards the bath tub. With a gasp he leapt forwards, ending up half in the bath as he tried to haul her head above the surface.
The water slowed him down and he stepped into it, nearly crushing one of her hands as he straddled her, trying to get her in the air. He finally managed to and pushed the hair out of her face, slapping her cheek to try and get her to wake up. When she didn't he struggled some more to pick her up, her body lolling helplessly in his arms.
"HELP!" He shouted, hoping one of the guards nearby would hear.
He ran her through to the other room and dumped her awkwardly on the bed, just as wet as her now. "HELP!" He called again, hearing hoof beats outside. A female faun tottered in and immediately took control of the situation, rushing to Esha's side and pushing Edmund out of the way. He stood back helplessly, clutching and pulling at his hair.
"Esha it's-" Peter began, coming into the doorway. "Aslan, what happened?" He asked, his eyes round as saucers as he hurried over.
"She was- the bath- and I-" Edmund gabbled as Peter did the sensible thing and covered up her naked body with an extra bed sheet from the foot of her bed.
Edmund was still speaking in incoherent sentences until Esha coughed. He hurried to the bed and stood beside the faun with Peter on the other side of the bed. She kept coughing. And coughing. And coughing.
The faun stroked her forehead reassuringly and spoke to the two Kings in a low voice. "She's clearing her lungs from all the water she swallowed." Esha's coughing subsided to retches and the faun finally removed her hand, moving some of her hair away from her face and neck as she tried to breathe normally. The faun looked at her hand a moment, as did the two Kings.
"Blood." Peter said simply before catching on and putting his hand to the back of Esha's head. She flinched as he touched her head and his hand came away covered in blood. The faun immediately leapt into action yet again while the two Kings, who could handle any battle, just stood there stupidly.
The faun looked at them expectantly; she had been one of the archers with Susan in the battle. "Well go get Queen Lucy then!" She exclaimed as they both dithered.
"I'll go." Peter volunteered, glad of something to do.
Edmund dithered some more, finally deciding to bring the chair from Esha's dressing room in so he could sit at her side.
He slumped down, leaning forward on his knees tiredly. He was still soaked, his clothes clung to him everywhere and he shivered slightly as a cool breeze chilled him to the bone. A drip of water ran down his nose and he wiped it away, realising with numb surprise that he'd somehow got even his hair wet in his struggles.
Esha was finally resting; her hair clung to her face and neck, dampening the sheets around her. A bloodstain was slowly spreading on the pillow beneath her head. The combined colours of her dark hair, the white sheets and her red blood swam together in Edmund's vision as a drop of water ran down his forehead and into his eye, making him blink rapidly. Her breathing was deep and even now, though her skin stood out against the white sheets she was pale. And small. The huge bed seemed to engulf her small frame and Edmund felt further and further away from her with every passing second.
Lucy and Peter hurried in, their sudden movements breaking his trance.
Lucy already had her cordial out and open and Edmund could only that Aslan that the stuff never ran out.
The faun lifted Esha's head by her neck so she could swallow the drop as Lucy tilted it slowly into her mouth.
Esha coughed once more and then went back to resting.
All four of them sighed in relief and Edmund sagged a little more in his seat.
Peter noticed and walked over to him. "I think you should go Ed." He said quietly.
Edmund shook his head, spraying droplets of water. He wanted to stay with Esha.
"Ed! You're shivering! Go get changed! I'll look after Esha until you come back."
Edmund shook his head again, adamant that he wouldn't leave.
"Could you two give us a minute?" Peter asked Lucy and the Faun, dragging his struggling brother out and shutting the door behind them.
"I just need to stay with her." Edmund whispered, his eyes not moving from his feet.
"Why can't you leave for two minutes? That's all it takes to get changed."
"Don't you see?" Edmund hissed, suddenly coming to life, his eyes alight with a feverish brightness. "This is MY fault! It's my fault that she's lying here!" He said in a whisper, his eyes returning to the floor.
"But-" Peter started.
"I banged her head against the wall. I didn't mean to. It just happened." Edmund interrupted before Peter could start. "We were fighting and I pushed her, I was trying to make her listen to me! I forgot how light she is, and when I pushed her back she hit the wall hard. It's my fault." He was whispering again. "If something happens to her now, I have to be here, because it's my fault."
"Nothings going to happen to her, she's had Lucy's cordial and that can bring someone back from the edge of death. You go. I promise I'll look after her."
Edmund shook his head again.
"Ed…has it occurred to you that…Esha might not want you here when she wakes up?"
Edmund looked up at Peter slowly, realisation dawning on his face.
"Do you…do you…do-" He stuttered desperately.
"I don't know." Peter replied, trying not to look at the sadness in his younger brothers eyes. "I'll stay with her and let you know when she wakes up."
Peter opened the door, watching as the Faun and Lucy finished pulling new sheets up over Esha, they'd dressed her in a light blue nightdress, changed the bloody pillow and cleaned her up whilst the two had been talking outside.
Lucy and the Faun hurried out, talking in hushed voices about Lucy's cordial as Peter walked back into the room and sat on the rather damp seat Edmund had vacated.
Peter looked back at the door and Edmund, who was stood there looking at Esha. Peter recognised the heartbroken look on his brother's face. He'd had to look at it every day for a year until recently. And now it was back.