Chapter 6 – Apology Accepted
Disclaimer: Hehehe! I own absolutely everything that you're about to read about! Not. Just kidding… I own absolutely none of it, but I wish I owned it…
Author's Note: Finally, Chapter Six is up. I know, it's been close to forever… But I really have been gone on vacation all this time. I'm going to try to get this chapter and maybe one more up before I leave again (ahh, I know) in a week.
-----
Narnia – September, Year 1006
-During the time in which Peter was 19, Susan was 18, Edmund was 16, and Lucy was 14.
-----
"Ed, won't you please come?" Lucy begged him, tugging on his arm. "I'm sure Mr. Tumnus would be delighted to have you!"
Edmund did not want to go to tea at Mr. Tumnus's with Lucy.
"I've already told you, Lu, no. I'm not going, and if you ask me again—"
"But Edmund! Why not? You aren't doing anything today anyway!"
"That's not true at all, Lucy. I have plenty of important… uh, business to do… Yes, I have lots of work that needs to be done and I can't be running around with little girls and fauns and having tea!" Edmund said, thinking on his feet. The truth was, Lucy was right. He really didn't have anything to do that day.
"Oh, blah, blah, blah, work, work, work. You don't have anything to do today, Edmund, and you know it! Just tell me why you won't come, please?"
Edmund sighed, knowing that his younger sister had won. Peter had told Edmund himself to take the day off and have fun, and truthfully, there wasn't anything important happening in Narnia at the time that needed Ed's individual attention. There really was no reason that he shouldn't go with Lucy to Tumnus' place for tea.
But he did have a reason.
Edmund had always felt uncomfortable around the faun, even after all these years. Every time he saw Tumnus, all he could think of was his betrayal of the faun to the White Witch. In the end, Jadis had frozen Tumnus, and Edmund couldn't even begin to imagine how awful that must have been.
He didn't know if the faun had forgiven him, but Edmund hadn't yet gotten up the courage to apologize. Ed knew that what he had done was terrible, and even after the six years that it had been since his betrayal, he believed that it would be fair if Tumnus was still angry. Edmund figured that if he was same situation, he would still probably be mad. At least, he would have been, if he hadn't 'changed,' as he used to hear his brother and sisters phrase it in their whispers.
But Edmund knew that Mr. Tumnus deserved an apology. It was the honorable thing to do, even if he didn't feel quite brave enough to say he was sorry yet.
And really, what was the worst thing that could happen? At first, Edmund couldn't think of anything bad that might come out of the situation, but then he let a possible scene play in his mind.
The faun might get very angry, having the incident of so many years ago brought forth again. Some old wounds never really heal, or at least that was what Edmund's father used to say. Ed could envision Lucy crying, Tumnus shouting, and himself shouting back.
But still, he knew that he had to apologize. It was the right thing to do. So he agreed to go to tea with Lucy.
"Oh, yay! Thank you, Edmund! It will be so much fun, I promise!" Lucy said in glee, taking Edmund's hand and pulling him out the doors of the castle and into the crisp, cool September day outside.
He hoped that he wouldn't regret this.
-----
Tumnus finished tidying up his little cavern home. He straightened the books on the bookshelf and dusted off the mantle. Everything had to be just perfect, because after all, Queen Lucy was coming for tea, and he wanted the house to be clean for the important presence of his old friend.
He was just going to check that the tea was boiling properly from where it was hanging over the fire when he heard a sharp rap on the door. One knock, a pause, and then three shorter knocks. He knew right away that it was Lucy, because that was her signature knock.
He rushed to let her in. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find her brother Edmund with her as well.
"Queen Lucy! I'm glad that you're here. And King Edmund as well, what a pleasure!" At that point, the two children came inside. Tumnus noticed that the boy, who had a naturally pale complexion, was looking even paler than usual. He wondered if the boy might be sick, since it wasn't really all that cold out.
"Why don't the two of you sit down and make yourselves at home, while I go fetch the tea?" Tumnus suggested, and the children nodded. Lucy plopped down on a chair, and Edmund sat down more carefully on a seat next to her.
It wasn't until Tumnus had poured the tea and Lucy was on her second cup of it until anything very interesting came up in the conversation. Before then, the discussion had lingered around small talk – the unusual amount of rain Narnia had been receiving, the death of Archenland's King, and so on. King Edmund hadn't said much the entire time, up until then.
"Er, Mr. Tumnus, if you don't mind, could I have a private word with you?" Edmund glanced at Lucy, who took the hint that she was to leave. She skipped over to the bookshelf, pulled out Is Man a Myth? and scampered to the guest room. Tumnus smiled a bit, watching her go. She had always mentioned wanting to read that book… He turned his attention back to King Edmund abruptly, wondering what was so important that he needed to speak with the faun alone. Tumnus had never known Edmund well; it had always seemed that the boy avoided him. So at the moment, he really didn't know what the young King would need to speak to him about so out of the blue.
"I know this is very sudden and all…" King Edmund began, "but I feel that it is very necessary."
"That what is very necessary?" Tumnus asked. The boy paled even more, and inhaled deeply before continuing.
"I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry."
-----
Edmund let out the breath he had been holding. Whatever was going to happen from now on, he couldn't prevent. He had done what he had gone to the faun's place to do. He had apologized. Now he just had to wait for Mr. Tumnus' response.
Looking puzzled, the faun finally replied, "You're sorry about what?"
-----
Tumnus really hadn't known what the boy was apologizing for, but whatever it was, he could tell that it was important. He curiously waited for King Edmund to reply, but the boy had paused, as if he wasn't sure what to say.
Finally, after what seemed like minutes later, Edmund said, "About everything… About not apologizing sooner, particularly. About avoiding you and trying to escape from what I've done wrong. But most importantly, about betraying you to Jadis. It was awful of me… I don't think that there's anything that I could ever do to repay you, what I did was just so terrible… but I hope that you'll be able to forgive me."
Tumnus was stunned. Over the years, he had almost completely forgotten that it was King Edmund who had betrayed him to the White Witch, and he had most certainly forgiven the boy years ago. And now… he was a changed man. Tumnus thought that there was no resemblance between the old Edmund, who was spiteful and mean, to the kind, caring young gentleman that was apologizing to him in his living room that day.
"Apology accepted," he finally said.
"What?" Edmund asked, as if in shock. He was acting as if he had expected Tumnus to shout at him, or the like.
Tumnus answered Edmund's question by saying, "I accept your apology, and I forgive you. I forgave you years ago, King Edmund! But now that that's settled, maybe we can be friends. How does that sound?" the faun smiled.
"Great. That sounds great," King Edmund replied with a smile.
"Are you two done in there yet?" came Lucy's slightly irritated call from the guest room.
"Yes, Lu, you can come out," Edmund called back, grinning.
"Finally!" said Lucy, emerging from the room. "I thought that you'd never let me out! I was getting really bored, and Mr. Tumnus, this book is not quite as interesting as I had expected!" The two of them laughed as a rather indignant Lucy replaced the thick, dark blue-covered book on its shelf.
"Now whatever were the two of you talking about?" Lucy asked.
"Nothing that is very important anymore," Tumnus replied, exchanging a kind glance with Edmund.
A suspicious-looking Lucy replied, "Well, whatever you say…"
The rest of the evening continued in peace, and King Edmund seemed much more open to Mr. Tumnus. He smiled more, and was more willing to talk.
Tumnus truly did forgive Edmund. He felt like any wounds left from the betrayal had healed with the King's gracious apology. It really was a very honorable thing to do.
Tumnus knew now why they called him King Edmund the Just.
-----
Author's Note: This one turned out quite short, but I actually really like it… I hope you will too. Now all you have to do is let me know what you thought of it! ((hint, hint))
This chapter is dedicated to the lovely Samantha, for giving me the wonderful idea.
Any suggestions for Chapter 7? (Which, by the way, should be up within the week…)
Thanks so much to all the reviewers!