So, since you guys would like, I'll tell you a couple of things I tucked in into my story. This one is all the way back toward the beginning of the story: chapters 6-9 are named (6) "The Angel", (7) "The Slave", (8) "The Gentle" and (9) "The King". The Angel refers to Lucy, The Slave refers to Edmund, The Gentle refers to Susan and the King could refer to either Aslan or Peter, but saying it's Peter that puts Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter in order of youngest to oldest. The Slave was referring to Umed in that chapter and he had not yet been revealed, so anybody taking a close look would see the prediction of Umed becoming Edmund.
Second, Zebah's name means sacrifice. Third Ziddim means betrayal.
That's all I got for you guys. Did anybody catch onto these before? And what part of my story brought out the most emotion in you? Joy, sadness, excitement, anticipation, etc.
Edmund's heart beat heavily inside of him. He'd left the courtroom as soon as he was aloud, avoiding the gazes of the creatures as he passed by. Edmund could hear Peter's footsteps patter against the stone as he ran to catch up to him; the footsteps slowed once his brother was walking beside him.
Edmund said nothing, but he could feel Peter's wary stare upon him, deciding if it would wise to speak. After a few long moments, it appeared that he'd decided.
"Are you alright?" Peter asked, concern lacing the edges of his voice.
Edmund nodded, but he still kept his eyes averted. "I'm fine."
"Well," Peter began, his voice still seeming a little unsure. "If you are so sure that you're fine, I have a few things to discuss with you."
"Such as?" Edmund's feet still kept in a constant stride, directing him toward their private quarter hallways.
"We both know that Ziddim couldn't have acted alone. He's got an accomplice or possibly more than one. We have to decide our next course of action."
Edmund stopped before the door to Peter's study and opened it, allowing Peter then himself to enter in. He threw himself down onto one of the chairs - the same chair, he realized, as the one he sat in when he revealed himself to his brother just a few months before.
Peter remained standing. "So, what do you think we should do?"
"Why are you asking me? You're the High King, you can decide that." Edmund grumbled.
"Ed!" Peter's voice nearly made Edmund jump in surprise. "You're my brother. I care about your opinion in this matter and every other. Nobody was hurt more by their actions than you."
Edmund cast his eyes down. He knew he wasn't acting the way that he should as a king of Narnia. Though he still didn't exactly consider himself king yet, he knew that his behavior was bad off and entirely inappropriate. "I'm sorry, Pete."
Edmund could hear his brother sigh heavily and he looked up to meet Peter's eyes directly. "What would you like to do about our problem?"
Edmund thought for a moment. There were many different courses of action they could take. He could only imagine - though he was sure he could guess fairly accurately - what Peter's own opinion would be. If Peter could choose for himself, he would send the army on a hunt across the country to find anybody responsible, having them executed on the spot. It was a bold thing to think, but Edmund knew it was true. Peter would never go as far as to go through with an idea such as that, but he would certainly want to. Edmund had a rather different idea from what his brother would be thinking.
"We make an announcement." Edmund said at last.
"An announcement?" Peter seemed confused by now, which he should be.
"We offer grace to whoever comes forward on their own. We hunt down the ones who think they can hide." Edmund braced himself for what he knew was coming.
"What? You want to give them mercy?"
Edmund nodded. "I do."
"How? They're traitors, they deserve to die." Peter said, an icy tone in his voice.
"So did I." Edmund could see the affect his words had on his brother. Peter froze his movements, the look in his eyes changing from one of confusion to one of guilt. Edmund did his best to hide any emotion from his eyes. Those years were long passed. Hardly anybody thought of them before today.
"I'm sorry, Ed. That was unfair of me to say."
"It's okay, Pete. I can't imagine being you," Edmund stared past his brother, becoming so suddenly lost in his thoughts that he was barely aware that he was even still speaking. "Not knowing what it's like. Not knowing what it's like to feel so lost. I can't imagine not knowing the feeling of coming home and feeling as though I don't belong. I can't imagine not knowing what it's like to be a stranger among friends. Everybody has treated me as if I've done some great deed. I can't imagine not knowing the feeling of- of-" Edmund couldn't find it in him to continue. His throat constricted and tears stung his eyes.
"The feeling of returning home and being the hero that feel you cannot be. The feeling of seeing peace while you're still fighting a battle that you know has already been won. It's that it, brother? Is that the feeling?" Peter asked.
Edmund stared blankly at him for a few moments. Had he judged Peter wrong? "How could you know?"
"It is how all the old Narnian warriors speak of coming back from long fought wars. I, myself, have only ever fought small battles and campaigns; I could never really know the feeling. I know only what I hear from those who sacrificed the most for Narnia."
Edmund shook his head. "I've never fought through a war. I'm no warrior like they are. I don't deserve the title or the praise I am given."
"You did fight a war, Ed. You've been through as much pain and abuse as any of them." Peter assured, though Edmund couldn't say that it was comforting.
"And how did they get trough it?"
Peter knelt down before Edmund's chair - an eerie reminder of the last time they had sat this way. "They got through it the same way you will: by letting your family help you, even if we can't understand what you've been through."
Edmund nodded. He wished he could just say yes and throw himself into Peter's arms, making everything okay, but that wasn't the reality of it. Edmund knew that his brother was right, but he wasn't sure when or even if he would be ready to talk about what he'd been through. Everybody always says that talking helps, but was he willing to lay such things upon his family's shoulders? They had all helped him pull through and get over his time with the White Witch, but they still didn't know all the details of his captivity with her; Aslan had told them not to speak to him of what was passed, so they never did unless it was Edmund who had initiated it.
One thing Edmund knew was that he was ever so grateful that his family was here for him, even if he couldn't yet accept them. The thought that there was someone for him whenever he felt in need was a comforting one.
"So is that a yes to my idea?" Edmund asked, allowing a small smirk to play on his face.
Peter smiled back. "You sure have a way of getting what you want."