Chapter Five

Edmund stared in shock at the sight before him. This beautiful nymph, one who had sparked such lustful feelings deep within him, was none other than his youngest sister, Lucy! The realization that he had just lusted so thoroughly after her sent a jolt of horror coursing through his system. As he watched her stand there, with the sparkling water shimmering around her legs, and the early morning rays coloring her skin with a warm golden glow, he again felt a rush of hot desire shoot straight to his nether region at the picture before him. Horror and disgust crashed over him like a wave breaking upon the shore, as the realization of the situation settled over his mind.

Lucy could count on one hand the few times she had been shocked into sheer absolute speechlessness; when she was a young girl and first discovered Narnia at the back of a wardrobe, the first time she walked into Aslan's war camp during the time of the Great White War, the first time she stood in Aslan's presence, and of course during her coronation. Those moments would forever be ingrained in her memory as joyous, beautiful events that led her to the life and the person she was now. They were part of the remembrances one took out on cold lonely days to bring sunshine and joy back into their lives. They were never jaded and never a negative feeling was mixed in.

This was not going to be one of those moments. This moment was the type that made time come to a screeching halt. It was the type where the mind could not comprehend the reality of the moment. The actuality of what had occurred simply did not exist.

Lucy stood in her secret cove, staring across the distance at Edmund in such a state of shock and disbelief, her mind frantically trying to process the scene before her eyes and failing. It was not possible. He simply could not be standing there, staring at her in as much shock as she was at him. It could not be reality. A heavy silence settled over the cove as the other occupants began to notice the lack of enthusiasm their companion was showing and the cause of her abrupt pause.

"Edmund?" Lucy whispered, still attempting to grasp the reality of the situation. She watched the play of emotions cross his face as he went from shock to horror to disgust, finally settling on a mixture of the three.

"What are you doing here?", she asked, tentatively.

"What am I doing here?! How can you even think to ask that while you stand there as you are? You are a Queen of Narnia, yet you cavort around as though you are no more than a silly village child! What if someone saw you? How would that look as a queen of the realm? Did you not think of your reputation or that of your family's? How did you think this would not affect us?" Edmund bit back at her.

It was like he had just slapped her. His words snapped her back to the scene before her. To the reality that she was standing in front of her brother, as naked as the day she was born, in a place she had learned to be unashamed of her body and who she was, and he was yet again scolding her and calling her a child, diminishing her as a woman. The feelings of the night before, ones she had managed to push aside, if only for the moment, came rushing back to her; the hurt and betrayal of her brother breaking her trust and using information told in deepest confidence against her and the anger that inevitably followed after.

As she stood there, gazing at him across the distance, surrounded by the women who had taught her to be proud of her body and femininity and to never be ashamed, she realized she would not allow Edmund to ruin her morning with his overbearing attitude. She straightened her spine and crossed her arms in front of her. She was Lucy Pevensie, one of the queens of Narnia. She would not be made a fool in her own retreat.

"Forgive me, my lord, for not making my meaning more clear. I meant why are you here, in my cove?" She asked regally. "This place does not welcome strangers nor uninvited visitors."

"I am not a stranger on my own grounds. This cove is part of the palace lands and thus open to all those who reside within them. Any person may stumble across it, as I did. Which is part of the problem. Imagine what would happen if an enemy of the kingdom were to find you, a queen and ruler of Narnia, here unarmed and defenseless. You would become easy prey to any who seek to capture you and hold you for ransom against the kingdom." Edmund heatedly responded.

Lucy glided through the water towards the shore, crystal beads rolling down her sun-warmed skin and Edmund fought not to follow the glittering paths as they made their way across the planes of her stomach down to the glistening curls at the meeting of her thighs.

"I am perfectly safe here within this cove Edmund. Do you honestly believe that I would take such a chance with my life and the lives of everyone here? I have not forgotten, and nor shall I ever forget who I am and what I represent." Lucy responded indifferently.

She made her way up the sands of the cove to be greeted by Storm and a towel draped across her back. She removed the covering and wrapped it around her naked body. She was not ashamed of her nakedness nor would she allow Edmund to make her feel as such, yet to continue to have this conversation with her brother, it was better to dawn some clothing. Lucy turned back towards Edmund and crossed her arms yet again.

"You would have me believe that you do not place your life and all the lives of those here in unmitigated danger? You are in a cove open to the sea! A dozen long boats could come ashore and take you by surprise before you are even able to reach any weapons." Edmund continued avidly.

"No, they could not." Lucy answered plainly.

Edmund stared at her incredulously. Although he was relieved that she had hidden her distracting nakedness from his sight, he could not believe that his sister could be so naïve. She was a queen, one who had seen and survived battle. She had sat in on intelligence and strategy meetings. Had she learned nothing in all those years? This cove, although beautiful, was extremely indefensible. There were too many means of egress and too few defensible areas. She could not be that irresponsible.

Schooling his features into his familiar mask of indifference, Edmund crossed his arms and leaned against a mossy tree trunk. He gestured for Lucy to elaborate on her statement.

"Please, dear sister, do enlighten me on why you believe that to be so. As far as I can see, you overestimate the defenses of this cove."

"And because you know all, or are supposed to have knowledge of all, it means you are aware of everything. Is that what you are inferring?" Lucy intoned, responding to his unspoken arrogance.

"I said no such thing." He countered.

"Then you can have no interest in the security of my cove." Lucy challenged.

"I merely wish to make sure my subjects and that of my sister's life are not so foolishly unguarded. It is my duty as king and elder brother. Even away from the palace, I do not forget my oath to protect the people of Narnia from any threat." He responded, pointedly.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty." Lucy replied, as she mockingly gave him a sweeping curtsy. "I must have forgotten my place. I am, always and forevermore, your humble servant." She replied flippantly.

Edmund raised his eyebrow, unamused.

Lucy stared Edmund down, watching for any ease in his stone faced demeanor. She knew exactly how stubborn Edmund could be and that when he made up his mind about something, especially when it had to do with a piece of information, he was as immovable as a stone wall. She would hazard a guess that he had been surprised to find this cove secreted away, especially when he thought he knew every acre of the lands surrounding the castle, and he was not a man who enjoyed surprises. He had taken it into his head to learn as much about this place as he could, and he would not let up until she gave up that information.

Lucy sighed, frustrated, knowing that if she did not give him something, he would either start interrogating her companions or they would continue to stare at each other for hours. She turned towards the nymphs still in the cove.

"Amethelia, will you kindly show His Majesty why this cove is so protected." She said, resigned.

One of the blue skinned nymphs nodded at the queen and turned towards her other companions. "Ladies, if you will?"

"Just a brief demonstration, please." Lucy called.

"As you wish, your Majesty."

Edmund watched as the nymphs in the water, all various shades of deep ocean blue, turned to the opening of the cove, opened their arms, as if welcoming the sun and began to sing. It was a beautiful melody, one that spoke of summer winds upon the sea, cool nights under the stars and fast currents sweeping through the water. Edmund became mesmerized by the very sound of it. The notes seemed to flow as freely as a gentle stream flowing through a meadow. He was so mesmerized by the haunting beauty of the nymphs' sound, he did not see the jagged stones beginning to rise from the floor of the cove, effectively closing off the opening to any who would approach. He also did not feel the vines slowly wrapping around his legs and torso, as the dryads in the clearing began to add their own song to that of the water nymphs. The two songs mingled and played with each other as clear and bright as the sun shining down on them. It dipped and sprang forth like dolphins playing upon the waves or deer frolicking in the long grasses of a meadow. It captured his attention so thoroughly that he failed to notice any of his surroundings and by the time the song had reached its final swell, he was thoroughly and completely tied to the tree he had been leaning against.

It took him a few moments after the last notes of the song faded into the morning glow, to become fully aware of his surroundings and the definite differences that had changed the cove in a matter of minutes. The wide opening that had marked the beginning, had been completely closed off, as though it had never existed in the first place. Six foot high rock formations, covered in seaweed and razor sharp shelled mollusks, stood blocking any path leading out to the open sea beyond. The sides of the cove had grown dense, thorny foliage, making any passage nigh impossible. The only way anyone would be able to get in from the outside, was to hack their way through, and it would be a long arduous task.

The tree line behind him had completely been shrouded with vines so painstakingly interwoven, only fire would clear the path. The open spaces under the low branches of the mighty maples and oaks had disappeared. It looked as though the vines had been growing, undisturbed, for years. The once beautiful cove, had become a hidden pond.

Edmund stared at the changes the cove had undergone, his eyes traversing from one defensive change to another. After he scanned the entire cove in front of him and the tree line behind him, his gaze dropped to the vines currently confining him to the trunk of a tree. As he began to struggle, trying to free himself, Lucy spoke up;

"I would advise against doing that. The vines only get tighter the more you struggle."

Edmund glared at her, as indeed, as she had warned, the vines began to constrict tighter around his limbs. The more he struggled, the tighter they became, until eventually he couldn't move an inch.

"Are you going to release me, or is it your intention to continue to watch as I struggle?" Edmund gritted out, annoyed.

Lucy smiled and cocked her head sideways a little. "I'm not sure. It is very rare indeed that anyone gets the better of the Just King. I find it rather… titillating to have been the one to be able to put you into this position." She walked closer to him, slowly. "The great king Edmund, rendered helpless. What a sight to behold!"

She sauntered right up to the bound king and smiled. "You decided to strut in here with the notion that you would give an order and you would be obeyed because you are king. You didn't think that anyone would ever challenge you. That subtle arrogance has always worked well for you in the past, but how's it working out for you now?" She hummed, softly.

Edmund glared at her. "Release me now." He growled.

Lucy leaned in closer and smirked, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

"Oh I will. You are the king and I can't exactly leave you here tied up. But what I can and will do is thoroughly enjoy this moment of your pure humiliation because you decided to challenge me on a subject you knew nothing about. You may be the king and my older brother, but that does not make you my lord and master, a fact that you seemed to have forgotten lately and one I am all too happy to help you relearn." She said, sweetly.

"Now to end this helpful lesson, I want you to sit here and reflect on your behavior these past few days and how you can correct it." She said merrily, her voice dripping with sarcasm, as she reached up and patted his cheek. "I know someone as intelligent and capable as you will definitely figure it out.

Edmund had gone very still, when she had reached up to pat his face. His gray eyes had darkened to a shadowy charcoal as he gazed at her. Lucy felt little tingles shivering down her spine and across her skin at the dark look in his eyes. She had seen this look on him before, but it had never been directed at her. It was usually reserved for enemies of the crown. It promised vengeance and thorough retaliation. An exciting thrill shot through her, settling somewhere near her stomach.

"Lucy. I am warning you. This is not a game you want to play with me." Edmund said, in a low rumble, that caused another electrified tingle to shoot through her.

What was she doing? She was playing a very dangerous game, with a man who may be her brother, but whom she also knew was extremely dangerous. In fact he was the worst kind of dangerous. He had the patience of a rock. He would wait until just the right time to strike and it would be as devastating as a hurricane breaking against the shore. To goad him in this way was tantamount to playing with fire. Yet, she couldn't stop. The thrill of it all was just too intoxicating. It was as though she invited him to retaliate; as though she looked forward to the ensuing disaster.

Lucy's clear blue eyes met his dark charcoal ones, and she grinned, wickedly. She chuckled softly as she turned away from him. "Have you forgotten brother, I enjoy games thoroughly. I always play to win." She threw over her shoulder as she glided back towards Storm.

She turned back towards him as she began to dress. "I must get back to the castle and attend to my morning duties. As Queen, I can't dillydally all day and shirk my obligations. You understand. I would love to continue our game, but duty calls."

She finished dawning her attire and straightened to look at her captive audience once more. Again another bolt of electric thrill shot through her veins. If she walked away from him, there would be no turning back. He would stop at nothing to punish her for this grievance.

She smiled at him as she mounted Storm and turned her towards home.

"Pleione, would you be so kind as to remove the surrounding vines?" Lucy asked graciously.

"Of course, my lady." A bark colored dryad responded, covering her knowing smile. She sang a quick crisp tone, and the interwoven vines blocking any path from the forests to the cove began to shrink away. The vines confining Edmund, however, did not budge.

"Thank you. Oh, and Amethelia, would you mind seeing to it that everything else was righted back to the way it was?" Lucy pleasantly asked.

"I will see it done, your Majesty." Amethelia replied, an impish smile gracing her lips.

"Thank you. You have surpassed my expectations this morning. I will leave it all to you then." Lucy called happily.

"Have a wonderful day, your majesty!" Amethelia called back, followed my choruses of;

"May Aslan bless you!" and "Come back soon!"

Lucy threw a genuinely beautiful smile back over her shoulder at the nymphs in the clearing, as she guided Storm into the forest away from the cove.

"Thank you all!"

Edmund starred as Lucy rode away from him, anger boiling through him. He would not give her the satisfaction of calling after her. As she disappeared from sight, he turned back towards the nymphs in the clearing. Some were already singing the stones back into the sea. Others were singing the foliage back to its usual height along the cliffs of the embankments. He met the eyes of Amethelia.

"I don't suppose you'll be releasing me anytime soon?" He asked, calmly.

"Begging you pardon, your Majesty. We wouldn't want you to get injured in the remaking. Once everything is back and your safety is assured, we will gladly release you. It's just too dangerous at this moment." Amethelia replied, beseechingly.

"Of course it is." Edmund muttered. He leaned his head back against the tree and watched as the nymphs around him reformed the beautiful cove back to what it was before. All the while, he plotted in his head the cool revenge he would enact upon his sister.

On a ship far out at sea…

"LAND HO!"

"HENRIK!" A beautiful ice blonde woman screamed from the deck of a ship.

"What in Vinrena's name do you believe you are doing?" She continued, shrieking.

A handsome man hung from the rigging, high above her. He gazed at the distant mountains, coming ever slowly closer. He brushed his white blond hair, the same shade as the woman's below, out of his face. What adventure would this new land bring him? Would he be able to find that which he sought? How many beauties would he be able to seduce along the way? He smiled at the thought of all that lay before him.

"Henrik!" The woman screamed again.

He glanced down at her and sighed. His twin, Petra, was glaring up at him, her arms crossed, demanding he pay attention to her. If he didn't answer, he knew she would just continue to scream at him until she got her way. She had always been that way. On the outside, she was as beautiful as a goddess, and she had been taught immaculate manners, as had he. Yet the image she portrayed was only a mask. One once removed showed the true form of her nature. That of a scheming, selfish, spoiled child, who must always get what she wants and will do anything to obtain it.

He sighed again and began to climb back towards the deck and the screeching woman. When he finally had two feet solidly under him, he turned towards his sister, who was already stomping towards him.

"What is it Petra?" He asked, annoyed.

"What did you think you were doing, hanging up there as though you were a common soldier?" She barked at him.

"You are a Koskinen! That is below you!" Petra scolded.

Henrik sighed again, truly irritated at her audacity to lecture him on their family name. He was well aware what their family name was and the origins of it. But with the recent scandals and their bastard father running off, the name's heights were not as lofty as they had once been..

"Is it really that far beneath us, dear sister. Or have you forgotten the events of the last few months." he drawled.

Petra's face went flame red and she growled. She stalked closer to him.

"Of course I have not forgotten. It is you who should not forget, that the reason you are not in debtors prison is because of me dear brother."

"And you who should not forget, dear sister, that the reason you weren't married off that loathsome pig, was because of me." He growled right back at her.

They continued to glare at each other, neither preparing to give, when a quiet cough broke their concentration. They turned to see a small man, wire rimmed glasses perched delicately on his slightly upturned nose, upscale, yet drab fabric draped across boney shoulders. His wispy hair blew in the ocean breeze as he looked at the siblings.

"If you two are quite finished, I suppose we should talk about what the plan is when we land." His quiet tone breaking through the tension between the two. "The captain says we will be landing in about a day." He continued.

Petra straightened up and threw back her head, her white blonde hair sparkling in the sunlight, her composure regained.

"What is this new country that we will be landing on, Klaus?" She asked snippily.

"It is called Narnia." He answered.

"Narnia? What a strange name." Henrik commented.

"It is said to be a strange country. One with talking animals, fairies, and magic. It is ruled by four monarchs, who all equally share power." Klaus maintained.

"Shared rulers? How preposterous! How can you share the throne? Why would you?" Petra demanded, appalled.

"Apparently, they are siblings. Two boys and two girls. They are said to be good rulers. They have been in power for over a decade and have made the country one of the most powerful and wealthy. They have a penchant for peace and knowledge, but it is said that they are not to be trifled with." Klaus replied.

"Two men and two women, unmarried I assume." Petra asked, distracted.

She had her arms crossed and one delicately painted finger was resting against her full lips, her head slightly cocked, she seemed to be staring out into the distance.

"What are you scheming, Pet?" Henrik asked. He knew that look on her face as well as he knew to feel sorry for whatever victim she was about to put into her sights.

"Oh don't you worry, dear brother. This will benefit you as well. It seems a solution to all our problems just fell into our laps." She replied coyly.

She gazed out at the mountains becoming clearer by the minute, her crystal eyes gleaming.