Chapter Twenty Six:

Reunion

Edmund and Crystalline walked into the castle's courtyard the moment the three royals entered it, on the opposite side of the courtyard. Edmund recognized them at once. Crystalline saw that he wanted to run to them, but restrained himself because she was holding onto his arm. Crystalline smiled and let go of Edmund's arm. He gave her a confused look.

"Go on, Edmund. Run to them. I'll follow."

Edmund smiled and nodded before he turned in the direction of his siblings and bolted across the courtyard, yelling,

"Peter, Susan, Lucy! I'm here!"

Edmund's heart soared as his siblings ran to him. The four continued running until they had all collided at once, where they fell in a heap of limbs form the impact. It didn't faze them in the least, and they all scrambled to their feet almost as soon as they hit the pavement.

"Eddie!" Lucy cried, latching onto her brother's waist, which was thinner than she remembered.

"Dear Edmund!" Susan began to cry as she held her brother close. He was, overall, much thinner then when she had last done this.

"We're here, Ed! We won't let anything happen to you again!" Peter promised as he bear hugged his reunited family, tears filling his blue eyes so much that he couldn't see clearly.

The four stood in the middle of the courtyard, all shedding tears of joy and expressing their jubilation at the same time, so that no one nearby could decipher what they said to one another. When the overjoyed siblings finally pulled away from one another in order to get a better look at each other, they had wet patches on their clothes there tears had fallen, flushed cheeks, and smiling faces. This was when Edmund turned to Crystalline, who was standing a few feet away.

"Peter, Susan, Lucy, there is someone I would like you to meet," he said, running over to Crystalline, gently grabbing her by the arm, and leading her to his siblings. Crystalline was completely overwhelmed, but tried not to show it.

"And who is this?" Peter asked, not recognizing Crystalline now that she was clean and dressed like a noble.

"This is my friend, Crystalline," Edmund said, beaming.

"Oh, Ed!" Susan teased, ruffling Edmund's hair, "you're away from us for five minutes, and you already have a girlfriend! Let your older siblings marry first, will you?"

Crystalline would have normally blushed at being referred to as a girlfriend, if she knew what this meant. She hadn't heard terms from our world before. Edmund, however, did blush a little, and Peter laughed.

"Maybe it's the long hair, Susan," Peter teased, gesturing to Edmund's now untidy ponytail, "I guess ladies find him attractive that way."

Crystalline smiled as Edmund cheeks flushed a deep scarlet.

"Oh, do stop teasing him!" Lucy said with a smile, before turning to Crystalline. "Nice to meet you, Lady Crystalline."

Crystalline wanted to say that she wasn't a Lady, just a common girl, but decided against correcting the young Queen. This is why, from that moment on, Crystalline became known as "Lady Crystalline."

"It is very nice to meet you as well," Crystalline replied before addressing Peter and Susan, "All of you. I have heard so much about all of you, and… I'm at a loss for words."

Peter smiled. "We seem to have that effect on everyone." He bowed to Crystalline.

Susan's blue eyes sparkled warmly as she curtsied to Crystalline. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Crystalline. If I may be so bold to ask, have you known our brother long?"

Crystalline bobbed a curtsy to both Peter and Susan, "Ever since he went missing in Tashbaan, my queen. He didn't tell me who he truly was until he revealed to me his plans to escape."

Susan's look darkened ever so slightly, as if she were troubled. "Ah, yes." She looked to Edmund. "Are you alright?" she looked back at Crystalline again. "Both of you?"

Edmund nodded. "We're fine, Susan. Truly, we are."

Susan nodded with satisfaction, and her look returned to normal.

"King Peter! Queen Susan! Queen Lucy!" the five turned at King Lune's greeting.

"Greetings, King Lune!" Peter called. He, and Susan walked over to King Lune, and they began a lengthy conversation. Lucy, who had greeted King Lune with a quick word of hello and a polite thanks, ran to Edmund and hugged him again.

"Oh, Edmund! I am so happy you're safe! I prayed every day that you'd return to us, and now you have!" Her eyes filled with happy tears. "It's just like a happy dream that one wishes never to wake from!"

"S-h-h-h-h, Lu. It's alright. I'm safe, and I'm not going anywhere," Edmund said softly, rubbing his hand in circles on Lucy's back. Crystalline, who felt like a third wheel, curtsied to Edmund and was about to walk away and give the two some privacy when she heard Lucy's voice beckon to her,

"Lady Crystalline?"

Crystalline turned to face the sixteen year old queen. "Yes, Queen Lucy?"

Lucy's eyes, which still had tears in it, twinkled like stars. "Thank you."

"What is there to thank me for, your majesty?"

"For keeping Edmund company." Lucy grinned. Behind her, Edmund smirked and gave Crystalline a look that seemed to say, you did more than keep me company.

"You're quite welcome, Queen Lucy," Crystalline replied, curtsying to Lucy and returning her smile.

"Come along, Lucy, Edmund! Let's go to tea, shall we?" Susan's voice made its way across the courtyard.

"Coming!" Lucy called before turning to Crystalline again, "Would you like to come too, Lady Crystalline? I would really love to hear your adventures."

Crystalline smiled. Lucy seemed to have the same personality as she did. "I wouldn't want to intrude on your reunion…"

"We wouldn't mind in the least, Lady Crystalline," Edmund said, locking eyes with Crystalline and giving her a look that made her heart leap.

"Then I would love to join you, your majesties!" Crystalline replied, giving Edmund a similar look. She didn't know it, but his heart leapt in the same way as hers had.

"Come, then," Edmund said happily, holding both his arms out to the two ladies in front of him, "let's go to tea, shall we?"

The two laughed, and all three set off after Susan and Peter. When the eldest Pevensies turned to see how far the three were behind them, they quietly laughed. For Edmund was gaily marching behind them, a girl on each arm.