Chapter 2: Curse Awoken

I didn't recognize my own voice as I screamed.

"Edmund!"

I dove to catch him before he fell. As I grabbed his limp body Lucy shrieked, seeing the blood spreading across Edmund's front as I lowered him to the ground. The dancers stumbled to a halt, shocked, unsure of what had happened or what to do. The music continued a few beats and stopped. Voices rose in alarm until Oreius's powerful command for quiet cut through the tumult.

"Get the healers!" I screamed, never looking away from Edmund, searching for the source of this wound. Had he been shot by an arrow? Were there assassins about? I shouted out for the army's general. "Oreius, a perimeter!"

I yanked his belt off and someone, Tumnus, I think, helped me to pull off his tunic. I instantly had my hands applying pressure to Edmund's chest, hot blood swelling between my fingers. Someone gave me a cloth that I pressed to the bleeding wound. Susan came rushing up, her face obscured by the shadows, her crown of roses askew.

"Lucy, your cordial!" ordered Susan. There was blind panic in her voice, but thankfully she could still think more clearly than I. She looked around and spotted Phillip in the crowd. The Horse looked ready to frenzy. "Phillip, quickly! Get us to the Cair!"

She leaped up, straddling the Horse, and many hands lifted Lucy up behind her.

"Hurry!" I ordered harshly as Phillip dashed away up to the castle. A dozen big Cats and as many Centaurs followed closely after them.

Oreius had already organized parties to search the immediate forest for possible assassins and set up a tight guard around me and Edmund. The Dryad, Dwarf, and Centaur healers in the crowd were beside me, helping to stabilize my brother. There was no visible source of this. No arrow, no bolt, no blade, nothing. There hadn't been anyone near enough to us to stab him and there were far too many revelers between where Edmund had stood and a clear shot with any weapon, especially for a wound that went straight into his body, not angled from above. His breathing was labored and he fought for every gasp of air. The sound was horrifying. It sounded like...

Like Beruna. When he lay dying in the field. Then it struck me. The wound...it was identical to the one Lucy had healed on him a year ago today.

I stared, hardly able to believe what I saw with my own eyes. Why? How? What sort of evil was this?

Around us the citizens of Narnia were standing close, every anxious eye upon us. Some people were crying, others holding each other tightly. I sensed the Beavers nearby, quietly attending me and comforting each other. Princess Eo was close, not interfering, but ready to help. Tumnus crouched right by my side, silent.

"Ed," I whispered. He reached for my hand and I gripped his tightly with my bloodied fingers, leaning close to his ear. With so many people standing between us and the fire, I had little light to see by, but I knew full well what I had seen. "It's like the wound from her wand," I said for his ears only.

He gasped, alarmingly pale, but he held my hand a little tighter and he nodded, panting, "Same."

What could this mean?

It seemed an age and more before we heard the sound of hoof beats and Phillip came right up to us. I later learned that Phillip had run straight through the palace, up to Lucy's room and back. Susan slid off his back and helped Lucy down. She had her cordial around her waist and she pulled out the small bottle with hands that visibly shook. A single drop she let fall in Edmund's mouth, and within moments he drew an easy breath, then another, and I felt him relax beneath my hands. I drew a breath with him, suddenly exhausted as I helped him to sit up, seeing only now a much smaller exit wound on his back. He was restored, his wound healed.

Only now I realized I was crying. I ran my hand through my hair, knocking off the ivy crown, and I pulled Edmund in close. He hugged me back as Susan and Lucy tackled us both.

"What happened?" I asked, conscious of everyone watching us, the blood on my hands, the smell of the roses in Lucy's hair.

Edmund shook his head, pulling away. He looked mostly calm, but I could tell he was as rattled as I.

"I-I'm not sure," he said. He sniffed, mastering himself, and he looked to his sisters. "Thank you. Sorry for the fright. It felt...it was exactly like when the White Witch stabbed me at Beruna. I can't explain it." He swallowed, then looked at the crowd of apprehensive Narnians. His voice shook as he said, "I'm sorry. I've spoilt the celebrations."

Oreius strode up through the crush of people. He shook his head. There was nothing in the nearby forest. If there had been anything or anyone to find, I knew his troops would have located it. Beside his nephew, Cheroom stamped one mighty hoof as if defying anyone to agree with Edmund. "Not at all, just king! You have been restored to us once again. We have even more to celebrate tonight!"

Ah, Narnia! His words had an instantaneous effect because the Animals and Creatures and Trees and Divine Waters let out a joyful noise and music and dancing started up almost instantly. Their younger king had just been horribly wounded by unknown means and their spirits were restored as swiftly as Lucy's cordial had restored Edmund. Remarkable. One thing I would say about our subjects: they loved parties and seized upon any excuse for them, and their stamina for reveling was astounding. The smallest things were celebrated, from the first snow, to the first wine, births, ends, and beginnings. The anniversary celebration had been rudely interrupted and they used that to rationalize another fete. It was as amazing as it was unbelievable.

But we were done for the night. Without a word exchanged among us I hauled my brother to his feet and we four turned and headed along a path that lead from the beach to the cobbled road up to the Cair. We drew close around Edmund. Oreius joined us with a dozen or more Satyrs to guard us. The Beavers and Tumnus, Phillip and Princess Eo all gathered around us as we walked. I was glad for a moment to think. The sound of the ocean was soothing to my ears and my wits as I fought off the effects of the wine and tried to reason out what had happened. It wasn't until then that I realized the cloth I'd used to stem the blood was Tumnus' scarfI would have to ask my valet to replace it.

"Majesty," Oreius called, not specifying which one of us he wanted, the surest bet to get all of ours attention. He was carrying Edmund's bloody tunic and by the light of the lamps lining the road he examined it closely. We all paused, waiting for him to speak.

"It's intact," said the general, holding it up. "There's no tear of arrow or blade."

We stared speechlessly at him.

What had just happened?

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Convene a council at noon tomorr- today," I ordered Oreius. The Centaur and I stood outside the bedroom I shared with Edmund, and I was never more glad of that fact than tonight. I had heard Oreius double the guards when I ushered Edmund into the hands of his valet. "We must try and figure out why this wound reappeared and how."

"The lower pavilion?" asked he, referring to a gazebo-like structure right on the water. Unlike the Naiads and their River God father, the Merfolk cannot venture far from the Eastern Sea.

"Yes, I would like the Merfolk to attend. Send out the notices tonight, please."

"It will be done. If you need anything else, send for me."

"Thank you," I said, and he understood it was for all his actions tonight. "Good night, General."

"Good night, King Peter. Do you and your brother get some rest."

"We'll try."

Edmund was in the changing room, being fussed over by his Faun valet, Martil. My own valet, Silvo, wasn't far behind and he pounced the moment he saw me. It was only then that I noticed the state of my clothes and person. I was drenched in my brother's blood. Poor, kindly Silvo. He had finally cured me of making my bed every morning and cleaning up the room after Ed and myself and now this. Most Fauns were easily flustered, valets even more so, it seemed, but in short order I was scrubbed cleaned and dressed for bed. Edmund finally escaped Martil and we stood together on the balcony overlooking the beach. The bonfire still burned brightly far below and I could faintly hear the revelry. I was glad they had continued without us. Narnia deserved to have all the joy in the world.

"Any ideas?" Edmund asked.

"Only one," I admitted. "The wand."

He nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

A week or so after our coronation a family of Red Dwarfs had journeyed to Cair Paravel from Beruna conveying, of all things, the shattered remains of Jadis's wand. The Dwarfs claimed that they had been surveying the field for scraps of iron and metal when they came across the remains. Not knowing what to do with it, but recognizing that it was both dangerous and powerful and afraid the ghosts still haunting the field might do some mischief with it, they brought it to Edmund. He in turn called a council. We did not know what to do with the shards of that strange, silvery crystal, and eventually it was decided that we would simply contain the wand and hide it away until we could consult with Aslan about it. It was Mallo, leader of the Merfolk that lived in the sea by Cair Paravel, who eventually hid it in a cave accessible only from beneath the sea or at a spring tide. I knew where it was, and so did Edmund and Mallo, but noone else. Susan had ordered me and Edmund flat-out not to tell her or anyone else where the cave lay and Lucy had backed her to the hilt. Up until now, I had frankly forgotten about it.

"Council at noon," I said.

Edmund nodded, watching the bonfire. Eventually he sighed and said, "Well, good-night."

"'Night," I replied, reluctant to let him out of my sight. After a few minutes I abandoned the balcony and entered the room we shared. Edmund lay in his bed by the windows, staring at the ceiling. I sat on the edge of the bed, unable to verbalize what I was feeling, the fear and confusion and worry. He finally turned those dark eyes towards me and without a word he scooted over to give me room. I smiled at the invitation, knowing he was glad of my presence, and laid down beside him. I didn't expect to sleep, but Edmund threw a light cover over me and the sound of his breathing close beside me lulled me into a restless slumber.