Chapter 10

"She cries every time I talk to her," Edmund said sullenly.

Peter chortled.

"It's not funny."

"No, no you're right. I was just thinking of what a wonderful husband you must be…if your wife cries every time you're near," Peter finished with a laugh.

"Yes. That's hysterical, dear Brother," Edmund deadpanned, eyeing Peter sharply.

"All right, all right, I'm sorry, Brother mine." Peter held up his hands in surrender. "Earnestly, I do not envy you in this situation." Peter took a moment to pour them each some ale. "I mean, you have this proof of another life, a future life, with a beautiful wife and two beautiful daughters, but you, of course, have no memory of it. It is difficult enough for me to comprehend and I'm just the favorite uncle."

"You're the only uncle…I think."

"That's irrelevant," Peter waved off. "I think instead of fretting about it, you should stop to think of how lucky you are. Ileana is…remarkable."

"She is, isn't she? She's beautiful sure, but there's so much more to her than just that. She's witty, intelligent, fluent in multiple languages, she makes no apologies for who she is, and she's strong, damn near unstoppable. The atrocities of her past should have destroyed anyone, but she…she found a way to use them and she became stronger because of it."

"What better fit could there be for the Just King of Narnia?" Peter asked, and Edmund wrinkled his face in thought.

"If I may make a suggestion, My King?" Nalsa asked.

"Please, Friend, speak. I think our dear Ed could use all the advice he can receive," Peter replied.

"If the Lady Ileana is your Mate, then why not just mate with her? Why complicate things?"

Peter laughed and clapped Edmund on the back. "Why not indeed? A sound piece of advice if ever I've heard any."

Edmund did not share Peter's amusement. "It's not that simple, Nalsa."

"Because you refuse to make it that simple. It is clear to us Beasts that the two of you are… what's the word you would use?"

"Perhaps you are looking for the word 'attracted,' my Friend?" Peter supplied.

"Thank you, High King. I do believe that is the word I was looking for."

"Yes, they look at each other and they wish to see what lies beneath the gown and robes? Except, in this case, Ed, you are at a disadvantage for she knows what lies beneath the robe."

"You are not helping, Peter," Edmund said irritably. Peter simply laughed. "I cannot just mate with Ileana, Nalsa. For one, I believe that mating should be about more than just fulfilling the carnal desires of the flesh. And two," Edmund took in a steadying breath. "I am not yet the man she wants."

This, at least, shut Peter up.

1950, Somewhere over Eastern Europe

"I don't understand why men get so bothered by sex," Lena said rather abruptly. The woman sitting on Edmund's right bristled and took in a sharp intake of air. Edmund, too, was caught a bit off guard.

"What?" he asked, his voice squeaking a little.

"Men will lose themselves, lose their principles for the chance at one night with a beautiful woman. I've had sex loads of times and I don't see the appeal in it."

Again, the woman sitting beside Edmund huffed and puffed. Clearly, she was disgruntled by the use of the word 'sex' on a public plane. So, Edmund continued his conversation with Lena in Italian.

"Ileana, please, lower your voice. There are some people who are not so open about the discussion of sex in public." He looked pointedly over his shoulder at the woman. "Or at all possibly," he amended. "Secondly, I wouldn't label what you've had as sex, but rather men forcing themselves on you against your will and consent."

"I didn't fight them; I didn't resist them," Lena argued.

"And what would they have done to you if you had? Kill you?"

"If I was lucky. They would have beaten me more likely, taken what they wanted, again and again, and…then they would have killed me."

Edmund had to control his breathing, and flex his fists until his nails dug into the palms of his hands and the anger subsided. If he had known everything Miraz had done to Lena or everything he was capable of doing to her, Edmund would have killed Miraz in that tent the moment he saw him. And he did just that, a thousand times over in his head before he was ready to speak again.

"You did what you had to in order to survive, Lena; that is not the same thing as being willing or compliant." He sighed and looked at her. "But you are right. Some men will throw their honor aside for one night of mediocre sex…"

"I was never mediocre," she defended quickly. Edmund grinned; no, she wasn't.

"But sex, true sex the way I believe it is meant to be, when done between two people who genuinely care for each other, who love each other, well it's… it's greater than anything you can imagine."

Lena stared at him for a moment. "You are a better spy than you are a poet, Little King."

He laughed. "Very astute of you."

"And… thank you, Edmund," she said softly. "Most men do not see that a woman being forced is not compliance."

"Well, as someone once told me, most men are idiots. And I've learned to trust her."

Lena laughed. "Smart girl." Edmund simply smiled to himself.

Narnia

"How did we meet?" Edmund asked as he leaned against the rail post nearest to Lena.

It was a late autumn day, warm sun and brisk breeze. Meri had asked Lena to come out and see how she was progressing in her horseback lessons. Lena would have rather not seen because every time Meri changed directions or went a little faster, Lena's heart skipped a beat or two. How to ride a horse had not been a part of her teachings at the House of Labugia.

"Shouldn't you be watching Meri, and making sure she doesn't fall?" Lena asked, jumping slightly and pinching her eyes shut.

"Nah, she's fine." Edmund waved off her concerns. "She's on Philip; there's no better Horse to be on, and really, she's a natural."

"Ugh. Please, I hope you did not tell her that. She seems to be a natural at everything she does. There has not been an instrument she has picked up that she hasn't learned in a week."

"She does seem to be overflowing with talent." He almost sounded a little proud. "Where's Sara?"

"Down for her nap, finally. Bea is with her. She really fought me on it this time; I don't know how much longer I'll be able to get daily naps from her."

Edmund nodded. "Naps are nice. Maybe I can sweet talk her into holding on a bit more for you. So! How did we meet?" he said, abruptly changing the subject.

Lena looked at Edmund curiously. "I've already told you how we met. We meet in France when you come to recruit me."

"Ah, but—correct me if I'm mistaken, Nalsa—you also said we met once before but that we did not speak. It is of that meeting of which I inquire."

"Did I say that?"

"You did, Lady Ileana," Nalsa replied. Edmund grinned victoriously.

"I am wondering if perhaps I might have said too much. If you know what happens in your future, does that make it happen?"

"Or will we change things accidentally and keep them from happening? I can see your concerns, Ileana," Edmund paused in thought for a moment. "Perhaps if you only told us the good and not the bad. We are not likely to want to change the good."

"Sometimes, particularly between me and you, the good and the bad are…inseparable."

"Well then, in those cases I will leave the judgment to you." There was a pause. "Is our first meeting one such occasion?"

Lena laughed. "As annoyingly persistent as ever, I see."

"You might want to get used to that," Edmund smirked.

Lena sighed but smiled. "We first saw one another…in Narnia, underneath the tent at the Telmarine war camp."

Edmund was confused. "Telmarine war camp? But how…?" His eyes went wide as he pieced it together. "We come back! Lady Ileana, you neglected to tell us that we come back." His words were crisp and pointed.

"Yes. I neglected to tell you that after you leave here you'll return within a year of your time back there only to find that thirteen hundred years have passed here and everything you hold dear is dead or destroyed including this castle which lies in ruin. Forgive me for trying to spare you that detail." Lena returned his sharpness with her own.

Edmund sighed and bowed his head in shame. "You are right. Forgive my anger, please."

Lena's anger was not so easily abated, but after a short pause, she nodded.

"Now, back to the matter of our first meeting, why were you at the war camp?"

"Because one of the ways Miraz liked me best was when I was on display. He wanted every man to see the young beauty he bedded each night. It was one of his ultimate power plays. Look at her, see her, desire her even, but do not touch her for she is mine and mine alone.

"I was sitting on his lap when you walked in. You did your thing, delivered your speech, a very nice speech. I wish I could tell you I felt some sort of hope of salvation; here was this young Prince come to rescue me…"

"King," Edmund corrected habitually.

"Just King though."

Edmund quirked his eyebrow.

Lena smiled. "It's nothing. Anyway, Miraz asked me what I thought of your proposition. Mind you, I wasn't often allowed to speak, but when I was I could only speak Telmarine, so you would have had no idea what I said."

"What did you say?"

Lena's smile turned to a smirk. "'Big words for a Little King.'"

"Ouch, harsh." Edmund pulled back with mock hurt.

"Miraz thought, as you do now, that those words were meant for you."

Edmund laughed loudly, causing a few nearby Narnians to look at them but they took no notice. Lena couldn't help but laugh along with him. Their eyes locked and Lena began to feel that old familiar coiling in her gut. She had to look away. Unfortunately that meant her eyes were free to find Meri. She was now running at high speed across the open field. Lena gasped and covered her face with her hands.

Edmund smiled. "I assure you, she is quite safe. Come, I will show you."

He held out his arm to her and Lena accepted without pause. He led her over to the edge of the field and then called for Meri and Philip to return. They arrived much faster than Lena would have liked.

"Did you see, Mamma?"

"I did. You're going a little fast don't you think?"

"I was hardly even at half-speed," the Horse said.

"Merda!" Lena jumped and placed her hand over her beating heart. "You could have warned me it was a Talking Horse, Ed."

Edmund and Meri laughed. "I thought you knew," he said, overlooking the casual use of the nickname Ed.

"Meri and Sara know more of your Narnian tales than I do. My apologies, Philip if I offended you with my assumption." Lena had learned, in her short time there, that Talking Beasts often took offense when any reference was made to a similarity they might share with their dumb counterparts.

"None taken, Lady Ileana. You should have heard King Edmund when he first discovered," the Horse said with what could only be described as a snicker.

"That is one Narnian tale I may wish to hear, anything that would knock his ego down a peg or two."

"Then I have plenty to tell."

"Oy! There will be none of that," Edmund protested.

"We will speak when he is not around," the Horse said adamantly.

Edmund shook his head. "First my Sisters and now my Horse. What more will you take from me?"

"He is not your Horse so much as you are his Human," Meri said.

Philip snickered again. "I like this little Mare."

"And I thought we had something special," Edmund said with dramatic sullenness. Then he waved Meri down. "Come, your mother is concerned for your safety. I wish to show her she has nothing to fear. That is, of course, if it is all right with you, Friend."

"I can go a bit longer," Philip replied.

"What are you talking about?" Lena asked.

Meri swung off Philip with ease, a gleam in her eye that Lena didn't altogether trust. Edmund then entwined his fingers and held them palm-up beside Philip.

"Your turn," he said.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm going to show you there is nothing to fear."

"You want me to get up there?"

"I do."

"I'm in a dress," she said as though it were obvious.

"Mamma, come on, it will be fun."

"Show me where Meri gets her fearlessness from," Edmund added. With both of them goading her, Lena really had no choice.

"Fine," she huffed. "What do I need to do?"

"I'll give you a boost up. You'll put your left foot here and then swing your right over."

"If you drop me…"

"I won't, promesso."

"What did you say?"

"Promesso? That is the word for 'I promise,' isn't it? Did I miss pronounce it?"

"No, you said it perfectly," Meri said. Lena looked over her shoulder at her. "I've been teaching him a few phrases. He picks up Italian much easier than Aunt Lulu." Meri giggled.

"Yes…he does."

"Great! Now that that's settled…" Edmund entwined his fingers by Philip's saddle once more. "Are you ready?"

With one final sigh of disbelief, Lena picked up the skirt of her dress in one hand and grabbed the saddle with the other. With the helpful boost, she managed to pull herself up.

"Now, move forward a little; are you good?" Edmund asked.

"As good as I can be I guess…whoa! What…?"

Edmund had swung himself up behind her without warning.

"You didn't think I'd make you do this alone, did you?"

"I…" Lena swallowed and took a deep breath. She didn't expect him to get on behind her, but she wasn't entirely against it.

"There are no reigns," she said. "What do I hold on to?"

"Not my hair, please," Philip said. "I just had it washed."

Edmund laughed and rolled his eyes. "You won't need to hold on, but if it will make you feel better you can hold here or here." He reached around her to point out the locations on the saddle; Lena's breath caught in her throat at his proximity.

"You all right?" he whispered.

"Mmm-hmm."

"Now, I've got you, so you won't fall." His breath sent chills down her spine. "When you're ready. Just a gentle walk for now, I think, Philip."

Lena took a moment to steady herself before giving Philip the okay. She wobbled as they started moving, but Edmund's hands were quick to grab her waist and steady her. The blood rushed in her ears as his body was pressed against hers; she could feel his breath on her neck when he exhaled, his hands seemed to burn holes in her dress where he held her.

He wasn't Cuore, it's true, but for a moment…she allowed herself to pretend.