The trial was a painful affair for Edmund, he joined Lucy on the dias after a quick apologetic bow to King Peter and King Lune. As he watched the proceedings unfold, he kept going back to Lucy's parting shot to him that afternoon. Had he really changed so much from his first few days in Narnia? Just weeks ago he would have said yes, but now he saw the deaths he had caused that day and wondered.
His solemn musings were interrupted as a wave of energy swept the room ushering in a gold and beautiful Aslan. Edmund gripped the edge of the table to steady his hands as he looked upon the creator of Narnia, fear washing over him as the young king dwelt on the decisions of the last few weeks. Edmund meet Aslan's gaze for a fleeting second before the great lion rendered the verdict over Rabadash.
Aslan sentenced the blabbering egomaniac to the life of a donkey, large ears and bucked-teeth elongating the Calormene's head until the full transformation took place. Even then, Rabadash the donkey brayed and kicked as Aslan explained the steps he needed to take for forgiveness. That Rabadash needed to return to Tashbaan, go to the central temple to proclaim his sins before returning to human form for as long as he never went outside a 10 mile radius. Break that boundary and the eldest son of the Tisroc would truly be a jackass forever. Rabadash did indeed regain his human form and took over Calormen after the death of his father to become a most gracious neighbor to the lands of Archenland and Narnia. Since he could never leave Tashbaan for fear of transforming again, Calormen never went to war once taking the throne. The terms of the punishment led to Rabadash being known as either Rabadash the Peaceful or Rabadash the Ridiculous depending on how kindly was the historian.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Once the trial was through and Rabadash was sent on his way, Edmund slipped out a side door. Walking the corridors of King Lune's stronghold compounded the desire within Edmund to return to Cair Paravel and Rhea.
"Ask your question of me, son of Adam." Aslan's rough rumbling voice surprised Edmund. The last he had seen of the Great Lion, Lucy had her arms thrown around his neck and was burying her face in his mane.
Finding himself under the full brunt of Aslan's gaze instilled just enough terror to make Edmund find his voice, "Why did Miriam have to die?"
Aslan dipped his head as he padded alongside the young king, not in shame but seemingly from grief. "I did what I could for your daughter, but not even I have power over death Edmund. Perhaps if I had been in Narnia when the magic had first taken hold...the outcome might have been different. We shall never know and it is a burden I bear alone."
"You do not bear it alone, Aslan. I often wonder what could have been if I had stayed at Cair Paravel rather than waste my time in Tashbaan." Edmund lightly rested his hand on the undulating muscles of the great cat's back as the torches in the hallway went out, Edmund was not afraid with Aslan guiding him.
"We can never know what would have been, we can only know what did happen, Edmund. I will carry this burden in full." Aslan pivoted down another hallway, heading to a destination known only to him. "I did what I could for Rhea, giving her solace as the madness attempted to latch onto her mind. Taking the form of an ordinary house cat so I could come and go without causing an uproar. I needed all my attentions available to focus on Rhea. The illness was magic that I have not seen for many centuries, and still the instigators remain shielded from my gaze. The spell was strong but I was still able to save Princess Rheatline, albeit at the cost of your child."
Edmund mumbled to himself, "A heavy cost." His fingers strayed up to the Aslan pin on his collar and thought of his wife who had been saved. "Thank you, Aslan. I know you did all that could be done."
Aslan rolled a joyful laugh into the deserted hallway, "Edmund, of all my family, you are the only one to literally carry me with you at all times. Haven't you known me long enough to just hold me in your heart?"
Hearing the great cat chuckle stopped his hand from fussing at his neckline. Edmund blushed as he tried to explain to the dark, "My path in Narnia has had many obstacles, I find that I need a bit of reminding from time to time. Having your visage watching my daily actions...I think I make better choices."
"You would have made the same decisions without the pin, I have every faith in you." Aslan shouldered through a iron-clad door to the courtyard of King Lune's castle. The celebration was louder out in the cold night air and both the lion and the man stopped to listen to the joyous noise, looking up to the star-filled sky, squinting at the light. "And I need you to have faith in me, what I now ask will be difficult."
"I am at your service, Aslan, whatever it might be." Edmund stooped to take a knee in front to the lordly lion.
"You must release Miriam to join me in my father's country. It is understandable that you want to hang on to your daughter, but ultimately unacceptable. No, do not speak," Aslan forestalled Edmund as the man took breath to protest, "Place her in a coracle and send her on the Great Eastern Ocean. The time has come to let go."
Tears welled in Edmund's eyes causing them to shine in the starlight. "I've had so little time with her Aslan..."
"One day, perhaps, you will be able to join her in my father's country. It will not be soon, King of Narnia," Aslan snuffled at Edmund's hair, "but one day when it will be the right time. For now, return to Cair Paravel, you will know where to place the coracle when you go to the shore." Aslan licked Edmund's cheek as the tears shed in one great flood.
"You were right Aslan, this is going to be very difficult." Edmund moved to rise but returned to his lowered position to ask a question, "May Rheatline join me? I mean, to release the coracle. She will not understand if I am to do this alone."
"Yes, she may join you. And yes she can be with you to release Miriam to my care." Aslan cleverly answered both meanings to Edmund's slip-up. "I do not mean for you to ever do anything alone, Edmund. Keep the princess near and you can be sure of a long life with a partner at your side."
Edmund's heart soared to hear this, but more questions filled his mind. "Do you see children in our future? Or is that something that can not happen while we're in Narnia?"
"It is not impossible." Aslan answered before breathing a great gust of scented air over the young king. The pressure of the breath grew, swirling twigs and dust, pulling at Edmund's clothing. Before he knew what was happening, Edmund was airborne at the head of a cloud of cinnamon, sage, lavender and lilac. Dense enough to bear him away but translucent, so he could look down on the mountains that separate Archenland from Narnia. With the help of the starlight, he saw the great southern forests, untold lakes, and a huge expansive plain as the wind let him tour his country. The trip was so exciting that Edmund forgot fear and rather thought that this must be what it felt like to travel in the aeroplanes he had seen above London so long ago.
The trip was over too soon, as Edmund saw the lights of Cair Paravel sparkling in the relative darkness. The cloud under him began to dissipate, lowering him slowly to the ground just beyond the illuminated outskirts of the castle. It had been much warmer at the beginning of his flight so Edmund was shivering as he trod through five inches of fresh snow.
He only went ten steps when a sentry tackled him to the ground. He wrestled with the sentry trying to keep the larger man from drawing a dagger. The sentry got the upper hand, rolling the two of them into a puddle of torchlight at the base of the wall. The man gave up on the dagger, landing a few punches into Edmund's ribs as more guards came running up. They were roughly pulled apart, Edmund's attacker being held back so he couldn't attack again. Edmund bent over, huffing as he tested his lungs.
"I'm sorry your majesty." The familiar voice of Bronn made Edmund look up. "Davis wasn't with us before so he wouldn't know you by sight."
Edmund winced at the pain in his chest, "Well, he's very good at his job. I'll have to send Prince Eleas a letter recommending an accommodation for his thoroughness." Edmund coughed out a laugh while clapping Bronn heartily on the back. "Good to see you, I didn't know that you were coming personally for guard duty. Rhea must be thrilled." Bronn and Edmund headed for the palace, leaving Davis to resume his station.
"Yes, the girl nearly passed out when I jumped off the boat. It happens all the time, you'd think I'd be used to it by now." Bronn smirked, wrinkling up the scarred half of his face. "As you can see, we're all a bit over excited about strangers, we have double rows of sentries and I prowl the grounds like one of your panthers but we've seen nothing but you."
Bronn begged for information about the battle and Edmund was relaying Aslan's arrival at the trial when they achieved the main gate. Splitting up, Bronn went back to the snowy grounds as Edmund reentered his home.