I know.. I know I promised something I couldn't keep.. but I've finally returned to this story and I've already written ahead to the next 5 chapters! So this time you guys would for sure be getting your weekly updates! I really thank you all for the support and enthusiasm that's the only thing that's made me return and I assure you I intend to complete this journey I embarked on with Ed Aline! Hope you have fun reading!

Chapter 15; that's my girl

"A spineless sap is what he is, I don't see-" the Just King exclaimed to be cut off-

"That's enough Edmund, he still is my brother and I would thank you to not speak that way in front of me the least," she spoke up. Aline had enough of this. They'd gone over this so many times over. "He was a jerk I'll be the first to admit. But we've been over this so many times," she looked around at the Circle of Royals, "I don't know how I got here, a moment I was- I was just.. there and the next, here. The confusion and the shock I guess it was luck that I ran into friendly hands. Sam's story tallies and if there's any a crime he should be charged with it would be for being a spoilt brat nothing more nor less."

"She does have a point," Susan conceded. "I remember how I'd felt our first time here, don't you Peter?"

"Yeah we all do, Su." Edmund cut in before his brother could respond, "But the question remains. We have no idea of the power that overtook your brother nor do we have any way of assuring it never repeats again. We need to know more. And till then, we need to decide what to do with him."

"Until then I propose he be kept in house arrest, under humane-" Queen Lucy made a point to stress that out her gaze at her siblings intent, "-conditions, we'd treat him as a special guest, you see, always accompanied by two Centaurian guards at all times under their watchful eye, little could go wrong. Everybody deserves a second chance."

Aline visibly breathed out a sigh of relief at that, her shoulders sagging. "However we will have to send in an investigative party to the location we suspect your brother landed in Narnia and Aslan help we curb this evil before it raises its head."

"So that's a matter settled then. And the folks have bought our announcement that it was a group of rouge Pirates that had attempted the attack, we've strengthened enforcements throughout the land and Raven patrols stationed at each county that way we'd be alerted if anything were amiss throughout the land." the High King spoke this time.

"The dryads would report directly to me at the first sign of anything suspicious but we need to go about our routine as if nothing was amiss. Because if I'm right about this whole mess, it is not just our precious country in danger but all her neighbours mayhap even this whole world. Narnia would need her allies now more than ever before."

A sombre mood set in.

The rest of the Royals nodded their gazes falling on her. Aline's hand instinctively went over to her necklace the way she did as if the object was somehow a source of comfort, "And," Peter continued, "Aline, as for you I not only want you to keep up your training with Ed, I want you to be trained in the customs of the Narnian Court and schooled in the traditions, politics and history of Narnia and her neighbours." She was stunned at that, "We have no idea what your arrival here means but it definitely ties with recent events, it cannot be a coincidence. Moreover you aren't any local human, you are a Daughter of Eve and for better or for worse, that carries meaning around here. I think it's high time we stopped wasting around and took things seriously, I will not allow Narnia to fall again and long as my siblings and I sit on this Throne."

"With that said, no-ones allowed in or out of the Castle without without entry passes and all Nobel descent would be prohibited from leaving the Castle grounds without a Centurion escort. This has already been relayed to the nobles under our care and Edmund? This applies to you too."

She could see exactly what made Peter High King material, his every word oozed command power and attraction if she wasn't so into his much more broodier brother that speech would sure have turned her on least a bit.

"If everythings clear, you're all dismissed."

She felt a presence behind her as the Royal Siblings made their way out of the Royal Council Room. "You lied," his voice was low yet came out with utter conviction.

"What do you mean?" she turned to face him.

"There was blood."

He took a step closer to her. "I.. I don't know what you're talking about."

Edmund's hand brushed her hairline working its way down to her jaw. His gaze was soft though his voice stern, "That night I found you at the Beavers' you were bleeding. What happened to cause that?"

"I- It might be, I don't know I wasn't aware of it, perhaps I fell down somewhere? Hit my head on a rock? I don't know."

It was as clear as day she was lying.

"You were found in the middle of a wildflower clearing some distance from the Beavers', a nice place though I might take you to see it someday. However, I don't see how you could injure your head to a cut that deep with the ground covered in meadow grass as soft as baby's feet or why you'd be screaming to stop when there was no danger to you in close vicinity."

"Are you suggesting I'm lying?"

"I know you are Al. And I understand better than anyone the burden of secrets. I'm simply asking you to trust me. So can you please, tell me what happened?"

She had two simple choices, lie or tell the truth. She had nothing to gain by lying and the truth would only prejudice her brother towards the King who already seemed to have no small hate for him.. But she was tired of it all. And more than that, she could never look into his eyes and lie. Not when they were staring back at her, his thumb still frozen on her cheek.

"I-" Aline started but even as she did words left her. How was she going to tell him that she suspected herself dead back on Earth and some sort of an interdimensional miracle probably transported her to this?

"It was him. I was back from the bakery I worked at after school. He knew I'd have money and our Mother wasn't home, and he-" It was pretty implicit to Edmund who she meant she took in a deep breath to keep the tears at bay. "He needed money to drink, he had an addiction you know, not that I blame him it wasn't something he could control to be honest. So he-" she could feel herself cracking, everything she'd held in for so long coming out. She wanted to bold away but then happened something they'd both never anticipated. Edmund pulled her into his arms, he could breathe in her lavender hair oil. "I won't ever let him hurt you again," he pulled away, "You hear me? He'll never lay a finger on you again."

"I know," she whispered into his embrace, "And no, you're wrong, I won't let him do anything to me ever again."

That's my girl.

A/N: I'd absolutely LOVE to hear what you thought of this chapter and please don't forget to follow f favourite, who knows, maybe you'll get the next chapter tomorrow itself! *Wink wink* Anyways, I really want to know if I've still got any of my original readers so if you were here with A Place in this World from the beginning, please do drop a message you could also PM me your socmed accs if you wanna further keep in touch. I'm just excited that after years this story is getting somewhere so forgive me if i seem a bit too enthusiastic aha XOX