Thanks to Callie, who has most graciously agreed to beta read the chapter I'm working on presently, I'm able to post another chapter. My thanks to everyone who has sent me feedback. Your enthusiasm has fired my own and I'm so glad you're all enjoying this!
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Chapter 3: Council
Noon the next day found us four monarchs of Narnia sitting in the pillared, marble pavilion right beside the Eastern Sea. Oreius and Celer were there, along with Sharet, captain of the big Cats, representing the military. Kellerbeam and Blait, the chief Dwarfs of the Red and Black clans respectively, Chuloor, eldest daughter of the River God Callum, Tumnus, an ancient oak Dryad named Querq, a sage old Raven known as Sallowpad, and the head of Parliament, a Great Horned Owl called Lewiston, were already assembled when we arrived. Princess Eo was present at my request, as were the Beavers, Sir Giles Fox, and Cheroom. When we all sat or perched or stood or lounged according to our tastes, Mallo, the leader of the Merfolk, raised her bluish head out of the sea and sat on a nearby rock washed by the waves. One whole wall of the pavilion was open to the ocean so as to accommodate her people.
"Thank you all for coming," Susan said, standing up and starting the council. Everyone was silent for their queen. "We realize that this is unexpectedly grave at so merry a time, but we are greatly in need of your wisdom. A most disturbing occurrence befell my younger brother last night and we seek answers as to how this happened and how we can prevent it from happening again."
Edmund, all of eleven years old and looking it, drew a deep breath. He had clearly thought out what he was going to say beforehand and for the most part he dispensed with the courtly language we were laborously acquiring. "Last night, at midnight, I experienced a wound identical to what I received at Beruna a year ago. For those of you that weren't there or were engaged at the time, the White Witch was moving towards Peter to turn him to stone with her wand. We fought very briefly and...she bested me," he acknowledged.
I shifted uncomfortably, remembering losing my own duel with her and getting stabbed through the arm by Shafelm, Edmund's sword that Jadis had taken when he fell. All around us, Oreius, Sir Giles, Tumnus, Sharet, Mr. Beaver, Blait, Lewiston, and Cheroom stirred as we all recalled our own dealings with the Witch. With the exception of myself and Mr. Beaver, all of them had been turned to stone either in the Witch's castle or around Beruna. Edmund cast me a skeptical look at the effect of his simple admission and I fought down a smile. Only he could make a roomful of battle-hardened warriors squirm.
"I did, however, manage to break her wand with my sword," he continued to everyone's relief. "She used the broken end to stab me. I only survived because of Lucy's cordial." He drew a deep breath again and I could see why he had rehearsed this. It was difficult to hear, how awful was it for him to tell? "Last night, at midnight, the same wound appeared. If felt identical in every way to when she stabbed me on the battlefield. The shock of it, the feel, everything was the exactly the same and again, I only survived because of the cordial." He stopped, remembering, unable to go on. His older sister spared him any further statements.
"And now we ask you for any words of advice or thoughts you might have on this matter," Susan said.
Everyone was silent, pondering. I could hear the banners on the pavilion flapping in the ocean breeze and the waves pounded the shore with lessening ferocity as the tide went out. Seagulls, both talking and dumb, soared overhead. All of them were calling out to their fellows, but the Talking Gulls, the more numerous, were actually singing, using the waves to set their tempo. It was always a pleasant sound, but today I barely heard it.
"The shards of the wand are untouched and unchanged," Mallo abruptly announced in her high-pitched voice. "Where they lie I will not say, but cold, shattered crystal they remain."
I was actually disappointed at her words since a reaction out of the wand would have given us a place to start. I knew from that point on the council was doomed to failure, though the Mermaid's words started the councilors talking. There wasn't a lot of information to go on and many of them agreed that we lacked enough knowledge of the matter to draw any conclusions. Had Jadis meant this to happen just once, or at intervals, or every night? Was there a means to counter her works? Where had she learned to perform such horrible enchantments? While I listened closely for an hour and more as the wisest people in Narnia discussed the issue at length, I knew in my heart the only possible answer.
"King Peter?"
I looked over at Mr. Beaver as he put a paw on my knee, realizing I had not spoken a single word since we arrived. I managed a faint smile that didn't fool him in the least as I covered his warm paw with my hand. Finally I rose to my feet. Silence fell, and when I spoke the words just seemed to flow slowly and surely as if I had practiced them before.
"Honored guest," I bowed to Eo, "dear friends, and noble councilors, we thank you for your wisdom. I think, though, we are wise enough to accept the fact that we are ill-equipped to challenge any enchantment cast by the likes of the White Witch. She was evil, we are not, and her motivations and conduct are beyond our ken. Her magic was of a sort that cannot bring joy, though it wore the trappings of joy at times," I said, thinking of dark promises and Turkish Delight. "This last act of vengeance against our brother stems from a power deeper than we can know, and I believe Aslan is alone in being our hope for the breaking of this curse. Therefore, as you pray for Edmund's deliverance from this cruelty, I ask that you pray for Aslan to return to us, for our need is such that none other will suffice."
Edmund's dark eyes stayed upon me the whole time and I knew that he had been having identical thoughts, though with much simpler wording, I was sure. Indeed, it seemed as if I had voiced the thoughts of everyone present. The council concluded soon after. Tumnus and the Beavers escorted Eo back to the palace and everyone else dispersed or lingered to talk some more. I followed Lucy out onto the beach and our brother and sister caught up.
"Well, that was good for raising questions," commented Edmund, peeling off his boots. He set them on the shore and laid his crown atop them before wading into the gentle turf.
Lucy followed suit, hitching up her skirts as she followed him. "Do you think it will happen again?" she wondered softly.
"I hope not," I said.
"I pray not," Edmund added, eyeing some seaweed I knew he was longing to wing at any one of us.
"We'll have to wait and see," Susan said, ever pragmatic.
Annoying as it was, she was right. I sighed, gazing out over the calm, glistening water, listening to the waves and the Gulls calling to each other. A prayer rose up in my mind, simple and pleading.
Help us, Aslan. Help me to save my bro-
Suddenly something wet and salty and slimy slapped into my face and I sputtered, my crown knocked askew. Lucy was giggling uncontrollably and Edmund's eyes were wide with surprise as he stared at her. I made a face as I pulled the seaweed off my face and neck and she laughed harder. I had forgotten what a good shot she was. Deliberately handing my crown off to Susan, I stepped towards her, hefting the clump of slippery plants. She shrieked, knowing what was about to happen. Before I could throw it, Edmund nailed her in the stomach with more of the stuff and the fight was on.
It felt good to forget our cares for a while as we splashed and played in the sea. I made certain to throw Lucy into the waves regardless of her dress. Edmund saw fit to shove a handful of sand down the back of my tunic, the little beast, so I threw him shouting into the waves as well. Susan stayed high and dry, watching our antics from a safe distance until we dragged ourselves onto the beach and dropped down beside her. I had forgotten to take my boots off before I chased Lucy into the water and I could already see Silvo's expression of dismay. It was worth it. We lay laughing in the sunshine, watching the Gulls dance on the breeze and trying to sing with them as they started a new song. I wished it could have gone on forever.
"We have the army's celebration tonight," Susan reminded us, handing back our crowns. "Perhaps we should cancel it."
"Not on account of me," Edmund answered sharply. "I'm not going to stop living because I happen to be cursed by a dead witch. She'd like that, so she would."
"She would," I murmured. "As you said, Su, we have to wait and see. We don't know what will happen later tonight. In the meantime, it's still the anniversary of Beruna and our people deserve to celebrate, especially the army." Despite my words my anxiety was mounting. Tonight would be difficult beyond reckoning and I could feel a sharp twinge of fear for what the night might bring.