Ages:

Peter: 19

Edmund: 16

11: A crown doesn't make you a King - Part 1

"King Peter!"

Peter's eyes snapped open at the hushed whispering, shocked to find Mr.Tumnus stood beside his bed. He glanced over at the clock, only to find that it was half past one in the morning, causing him to groan and rub sleepily at his eyes. "Tumnus?" He questioned, blinking back sleep as he slowly sat up. "What's wrong?"

"Your majesty." Mr Tumnus said hastily. "The castle, it's been taken."

"Huh?" Peter replied, trying to wake himself up enough to understand what the faun was saying.

"The castle is under siege your majesty." Tumnus replied. "They've entered the castle. We're trying to get everyone out through the underground tunnels and to safety."

Peter took a deep breath. "Who?" He questioned, climbing from the bed and grabbing his cloak and crown out of instinct. "Who's taken over the castle?"

"We don't know Sir." Tumnus sighed.

Peter nodded slowly, placing the crown on his head. "My siblings?" He asked suddenly even as he marched from the room, grabbing his sword on the way.

"Your sisters are safe." Tumnus told him, following quickly behind. "They are on their way out the castle."

Peter's heart skipped a beat when he stopped talking after that. "And my brother?" He asked slowly, almost dreading the answer.

"Peter?"

Peter looked up and ahead of him to see a group of people, including Susan and Lucy.

"Are you alright?" Peter asked quickly, rushing over to join them.

"We're fine." Susan said. "We were told what's happening and are being led out the castle."

"Can we not fight back?" Peter questioned.

"Peter they've taken over the castle." Susan told him, gripping Lucy's hand tightly in her own. "There are loads of people being held hostage, if we attack these people, then they'll all die."

"Why?" Peter asked quickly. "Why are they holding people hostage?"

"We have no idea." Lucy murmered.

Peter took a deep breath and ran a hand over his face. "You haven't seen Ed have you?" He asked slowly.

Both girls shook their heads. "Not since I said goodnight to him in the library." Susan sighed.

Peter swallowed hard. "I'll go and find him." He sighed. "And then go and see what these people want."

"Please be careful." Lucy said desperately.

"I will Lu." Peter reassured her. "Don't worry."

"Let us know when you've found your brother and then I'll send some guards with you." Tumnus said quickly.

Peter nodded. "Thank you Tumnus." He said with a small smile before heading through the corridors in search of his brother.

He kept his hand on his sword hilt the whole way, peering around ever corner before he continued walking as he headed to the library.

After all that was the last place he and Susan had seen their brother, and if he knew Edmund at all, then he was probably still there... despite it being half one in the morning.

Finaly reaching the library he stepped inside, quickly scanning the candlelit room, but finding no signs of his brother.

Frowning a little he walked over to Edmund's desk that he had there, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw a piece of paper pinned to the wood, held in place by a dagger.

Grabbing the paper, Peter realised there was writing on it, and hesitantly began reading.

Come to the throne room if you value your brother's life

Peter swallowed hard before taking a deep breath... They had Edmund, they had his brother. And they definitely weren't going to get away with it.

Scrunching the paper up he threw it into a nearby paper bin, before leaving the library and heading for the throne room... ignoring what Tumnus had said about guards.

He was going to get his brother, and him alone... he couldn't risk anything happening to him.

It took him longer than he would've liked to reach the throne room, but he eventually got there and slipped in through one of the side doors, walking a little way until he ended up standing in front of his throne, and what he saw caused tears to sting his eyes.

Edmund was kneeling at the bottom of the steps, his head down and hands tied tightly in front of him. Two men stood either side of him, each holding one end of a rope that they had wrapped loosely around Edmund's neck, and Peter knew instantly that all they had to do was pull, and his brother would be strangled. He was also extremely worried to see that there was a fairly large gash on the side of Edmund's head, blood dripping down the side of his face and onto his shoulder

Peter went to draw his sword but was stopped by a voice.

"Draw that sword or take another step closer, then he dies."

Peter looked up and behind Edmund, to find another man slowly walking up behind his brother, a dagger held tightly in his hands, a cruel smirk spread across his face.

"You came then?" The man laughed.

Peter only glared at him. "Who are you and where do you come from?" He snapped, taking a deep breath when Edmund looked up, eyes slightly wide and full of unshed tears.

"My name's Jadiel." The man answered. "Me and my men come from an extremely small country just outside of Narnia, you've probably never even heard of it."

Peter was still glaring at him as he asked: "And what do you want with my brother?" His voice was firm, but he knew it was shaking just slightly, but he was also pretty sure Edmund was the only one that would be able to hear that.

Jadiel laughed. "Well with him, we can make you do whatever we ask." He said. "Just by threatening his life."

Peter's heart began to pound as Jadiel pressed the edge of his dagger against Edmund's neck, a grin spread across his face which caused ice to shoot down Peter's spine. "What do you want?" He asked, trying his hardest not to draw his sword and just run them all through with it.

"Revenge." Jadiel said simply.

"Revenge for what?" Peter snapped. "We have done absolutely nothing to you, what an earth do you want revenge for?"

"Not for what you did to us." Jadiel laughed. "But what you did to the rightful Queen of Narnia."

Peter frowned for a second before he slowly caught on, shaking his head. "The white witch?" He asked, and couldn't help but notice Edmund wince at the very mention of her name.

Jadiel nodded. "You killed her, and for that you will pay." He said.

"Aslan killed her." Peter told them firmly. "We do not take credit for what Aslan did."

"Well it seems he had a bit of help." Jadiel laughed, pressing the dagger harder against Edmund's neck, causing him to raise his head and take a deep breath. "Because if Jadis had still had her wand... things might've turned out different to what they did."

"You hurt my brother and I swear you won't live to regret it." Peter spat, taking one step forward but not going any further.

"We came to avenge our Queen." Jadiel said. "And what better way to do that by killing the little traitor she hated so much."

"Hey!" Peter snapped. "Don't you dare." He paused for a moment before continuing to talk. "So you - you believed that Jadis should've been Queen, and that we ruined it... and you want revenge?"

"But not the revenge you might have in mind." Jadiel said after nodding.

"Well what's that suppose to mean?" Peter said, worried to see the blood still dripping down the side of Edmund's face.

Jadiel smirked. "Here's the real question." He laughed, gripping Edmund's hair and yanking his head up, digging the dagger into the side of his neck and causing him to let out a sharp gasp. "Would you give up your crown for your brothers life?"

Peter was confused to say the least. "What do you mean?" He asked slowly.

"Hand over your crown... and I'll let your brother live." Jadiel said, the smirk still glued to his face.

"You want to take over Narnia?" Peter guessed. "Rule it yourself?"

"And put things back to the way they were before," Jadiel nodded. "Minus the ice and snow though."

Peter glared at them.

Jadiel nodded slightly, and the two men standing either side of Edmund suddenly pulled the ropes they held, causing Edmund's eyes to go wide and for him to let out a choked noise.

"Stop!" Peter screamed, his heart breaking.

The two men let the ropes loosen, and Edmund immediately took a deep breath, coughing a few times before going still again, forcing back tears as best he could.

"So, now you've seen what will happen to your brother:" Jadiel smirked. "Will you give up your crown."

Peter took a deep breath, made eye contact with his brother and slowly nodded his head. "Yes." He said firmly.

Edmund's eyes went wide and he slowly shook his head. "Pete no." He choked, speaking for the first time since Peter had arrived.

Jadiel chuckled. "Place the crown down in front of your brother, but don't come too close." He ordered.

Peter swallowed hard and took the golden crown from his head, gripping it tightly in his hands and taking a few steps forward, before placing it on the floor a couple steps away from his brother, before reluctantly returning to where he'd been stood. "But just so you know." He said. "A crown doesn't make you a King."

Jadiel laughed. "We'll see about that." He laughed, letting Edmund's head drop before walking over and grabbing the crown.

"Now let my brother go." Peter said firmly.

But Jadiel just laughed. "I never said I'd let him go." He said. "I only said I'd let him live." And with that he turned to face Edmund. "I've got some things in mind for you." He whispered, grinning. "Some - Very... painful things."

Peter's heart skipped a beat. "No." He choked, taking a step forward. "Let him go!"

"You come any closer and you know what I'll do?" Jadiel said, stopping Peter in his tracks. "I will run your brother through with this dagger, in exactly the same spot the "witch" did, and we'll all stand here and watch him slowly bleed out and die."

Peter felt sick, especially when Jadiel pressed the tip of the knife to Edmund's stomach, in indeed the same spot he had been stabbed 4 years ago.

Edmund looked even worse than Peter felt. His eyes had gone wide and his breathing was heavy and quick, his skin as white as paper and tears in his eyes.

"Look." Peter said quickly. "You got what you came for, now let my brother go, he serves no use to you now."

"See, that's where you're wrong." Jadiel said, removing the dagger and staring at Peter. "I have a feeling that the Narnians aren't going to approve of their new King, so here's what's going to happen."

Peter took a deep breath, not liking the sound of this at all.

"You are going to tell them what happened, and say that they are now under rule by a new King, just one this time, not two... and no Queens either." Jadiel said. "You will tell them that they only take orders from me now, that I am in charge, because if you don't... your brother dies."

Peter's heart was pounding now, and deep down he now knew he had no choice but to do what Jadiel said.

"And I want everyone who's escaped through the tunnels underground to come back to Cair." Jadiel said, almost rolling his eyes. "Don't think I didn't know."

Peter took a deep breath. "And if we all submit to your - your rule... my brother will live?" He asked slowly.

"He'll live yes." Jadiel answered. "But after a while... he's probably going to wish he was dead."

Peter swallowed hard... at least he would live. And he wouldn't stop until he was safe and back in his arms, no matter what. "Alright."

"Peter please." Edmund choked suddenly. "Don't do this! You're the high king of Narnia! You! don't give up your crown."

Peter shook his head. "I can't let you die." He whispered, before glancing back up at Jadiel. "I will do what you ask."

Jadiel smirked. "Perfect." He laughed, before turning to his men. "Take this one to the dungeons... I'm sure even Cair Paravel has some of them."

Peter couldn't do anything but watch as Edmund was forced to his feet and pushed from the room, two tears finally falling slowly down his cheeks, and Peter had to fight to keep his own tears back.

"Now," Jadiel said. "You will go and announce what has happened or-"

"Yeah I get it." Peter snapped, before turning and leaving the room, his heart breaking.

Aslan... He thought Please help us.

Um... Sorry? ahaha. Part two should be up soon!! Hope you liked part one xx