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Chapter 20; Part 1; into the woods

"Your Majesties!" Edmund heard a voice address him and his Royal sister, turning around in time to see the guards struggle to restrain a certain someone before he got any closer to them. It was Sam.

"Queen Susan!" he screamed, "Please, a minute. I mean no harm I promise," just as the guards in charge of him stepped forward, "Apologies, your Majesties. He somehow managed to give us the slip when the meals were brought over."

"It's alright." Susan commanded. "Let him go. Let's see what he has to say." And so Sam stepped aside, shrugging away the remaining hold on him.

"I-" he paused as if looking for a way to phrase what he wanted to say, "There is something I need to tell you about."

Now normally Edmund was the one who always had his wits around him, no matter what the situation was. But now, seeing this man, the cause behind all the sadness and pain in the eyes of the girl he cared so much about, Edmund snapped, "Cut the crap, and get to it quick, we don't have all day."

"Edmund!" his sister admonished, to which he had a hard time resisting the urge to roll his eyes, "That was rude!"

"Sam," his sister then called, turning towards the wolf-in-a-sheep-skin, which made Edmund wish his sister did not always live up to her royal title. "Come, take a seat. Now, what were you saying?" she asked kindly.

"Your Majesty. Its Ali-"

"What did you do to her, you treacherous bastard?" he yelled and before he knew it, he had the frightened boy backed up against the wall his fist clenching at the collar of his shirt.

"Edmund!" Susan's shrill voice rang out, "I said, that's enough!" she yelled, a noise which made him question the extent of her title. The Just King reluctantly obeyed, letting him go. He could not expect Susan to know the true extent of the evil that was in front of her, least not without disrespecting Aline confiding in him. This wasn't his tale to tell, therefore all he could do was comply and make sure his sister was safe from his treachery.

The now-not-so-Gentle Queen turned to face the man that her brother so seemed to despise so much. "What was it that you wanted to let us know about Aline?" and much to Edmund's dismay, her face softened a little as she beheld the timid features of the person he hated so much.

Sam looked at the both of them, his green eyes so similar to someone elses' he knew that the familiarity was quite unnerving. "She and I- well, we had a little disagreement, and she seemed quite disturbed about it when she left," he paused a moment to draw his breath, "and now, am not exact sure, your Majesty, but- I think I saw a figure ride off into the woods. The things I've seen lurking in there are dangerous to say the very least and I'm worried about my sister's safety. Especially when she- when I think I'm the cause of her distress." he completed.

Edmund made a tsk-ing noise, muttering something under his breath like.

"We're glad that you let us know of this, Sam. You're dismissed." Susan said, her voice composed even with her foreheads creased in worry.

"But, you would get her right? Bring her back, make sure she's safe."

The Gentle Queen, kindly replied, "Of course, we would. And we'd be sure to send you word of it." she said, a smile gracing her lips even as her insides curled in worry. Why, oh why, did she have to run off into the woods on her own? the Gentle Queen thought miserably.

Sam hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering between the two monarchs in front of him. "Your Majesties," he began, "I may have made some extremely foolish decisions in the past, but am not blind and I do know that you don't trust me, and I am well aware of the fact that I haven't given you any reason too, either. I give you my word, I mean no harm to neither your country or my sister. I admit I have made mistakes in the past, some I could live with, some which I know would haunt me for the rest of my life. All I only ask of you this one thing, a chance to redeem myself. I know I am not worth it. But then aren't we all?"

Susan stared open mouthed at this sudden declaration, while Edmund's eyes just narrowed to slits. "You are dismissed." the Just King spoke, his voice calm and calculated betraying nothing if he was thinking anything.

The boy bowed his head in a low nod before turning around exiting.

"Susan," the Just King called his sister, rather quietly as he made his way out to the door, "I don't think Peter need know of this."

Susan nodded understandingly as to what her brother was referring to. Not Sam's sudden outburst, but rather to the fact of Aline's disappearance. With the times being hard, Susan knew only all too well what her other brother would immediately assume when he heard wind of this. Susan was not sure what this all played to, but she was sure of one thing. She wasn't going to question Aslan's judgement. Ever. After all, why would he mean harm to his own people?

"I hope she's okay," she replied quietly, "I was the one who encouraged her to make amends with her brother. He seemed quite sincere when he came to me about it."

"SUSAN!" Edmund admonished, "Why were you even entertaining him in the first place? You know he's dangerous,"

"I don't think so," his sister replied after a pregnant pause, "I think, he's okay. And whatever made him do those things the night of the Ball was when he was under the influence of the Lady in Green. He confessed it all to us, himself."

"Whatever, Susan. I just don't think it's wise. Just be careful." Edmund stood up to leave, "and now I've a runaway girl to bring back."

"Godspeed, brother."

He stopped taking a look around him despite the darkness of the night that hung heavily around him and his stead. Edmund stood still listening for a louded than normal rustling of leaves that would signal the life source of a dryad. The dryads he's spoken to so far indicated she had indeed come in this direction and now he had to find one to confirm it. "Lora, any luck?" Edmund called out to his faithful shield who growled back in return signaling a no.

That was when he heard the sound of a neigh that did not come from Phillip for sure. His heart hammering inside his ribs, Edmund rushed towards the source of the noise.

Not far off into the distance, he could make out the rough outline figure of a horse, standing on its hind legs, fore ones waving in the air as a cloaked figure tumbled down from it towards the ground.

"Stupid horse." he heard it mutter under its breath, and Edmund lowered his sword almost as if on instinct. He recognized that voice instantly. He knew he would anywhere. He closed his eyes for a moment and let himself feel the relief before it vanished just as it had appeared.

"Aline? What in hell, do you think you were doing?" he demanded, to which the figure jumped, turning around that the hood on its head falling off so that it revealed the face of the person concealed underneath. He was not wrong with his guess, it was her. Her green eyes stared at him open-mouthed and he couldn't help but notice her red-rimmed eyes and the glistening trail of tears down her cheeks.

She stared at him for a moment. Gathering up her wits, Aline frowned, "Since when was it a matter of your concern, whatever I do?" she snapped.

If he heard the sarcasm in her voice while she said her last two words, he did not let it show whilst he replied, "Anything and everything which could compromise the safety of my country and my people, makes itself a matter of my concern. Thus, it makes your activities, my concern."

"I am not one of your subjects, Edmund."

"Fortunately for you, you're not."

Before she could reply, Aline felt a sharp pain shoot through her ankle as she attempted to shift her weight and before she knew it, she felt her feet give away beneath her weight and with a gasp she closed her eyes bracing for impact, except that before she hit the ground, she felt a strong arm go around her waist as her fingers held on to something soft, for grip.

Opening her eyes, the first thing that she saw was his brown irises staring back at her and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. Or maybe it seemed so for her.

And before either of them could say anything or even move seeming locked in that position together, the heavens burst forth as if someone had torn it open, pelting over them in huge torrents of water.

"Aline?" he called his voice hardly concealing the rush of concern that he felt for her, barely registering the droplets of water that suddenly began to fall all around him. "Aline? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she replied, pulling away from him almost too quickly for his liking. "Yeah, I'm alright. It's just.. my leg." she swayed for a moment gaining her balance before she stumbled once again a cry cutting through the monotonous patter of the rain that had gained on them steadily.

And yet again, she found herself swept into his arms. God, she thought, he must think she was some desperate damsel in distress!

"It's your ankle," he said.

"What?"

"It's broken." he replied back examining her ankles.

She laid her head back against the tree trunk sighing and he could see the rain water splattering off her pale skin even in the dim moonlight, giving it a shimmery sheen.

And before she knew it, she felt his arms around her, scooping her up. "What.. what are you doing?"

"Carrying you," he replied easily adjusting her weight against him. She wasn't that heavy like he had expected. "Unless of course, you'd rather fancy spending the rest of the night out here in the rain."

"I.. I can walk." she protested feebly.

He laughed, amused. "Yeah, you sure as hell can!"

"But what about the horses?"

"Lora would guide Phillip and your mare back to the Castle stables and as for you, you're stuck with me."

"But you can't carry me all the way to Cair Paravel!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, I can." he replied, glancing at her with that smirk that sent her heart in all different directions. "But no, I won't."

Aline rolled her eyes, "What do you mean?"

"You'll see," he replied mysteriously, before instructing, "Put your arms around my neck."

She laughed, "No thank you. I think my hands like it where they are."

"Alright then, have it however you-" before he could complete the sentence she felt the grip from his hand to her body slacken and an acute sense of vertigo as she desperately flung her hands around his neck in an attempt to hold on, just as a small gasp left her lips. "-like it." he replied, his signature smirk on his lips.

"That was mature, Edmund. Real mature."

A/N: Part 2 would be up in two days and trust me that's when the fun starts!

Please do let me know what you thought about this in that lil magic box down there cause reviews are the food for a ffn writers soul! XD