A/N: so sorry it took forever to get this up. enjoy.
Mid-April before a traditional Narnian festival (I made it up). Three months after the meeting with the ambassadors. Peter has been courting Callida against his better judgment. Kemen is still nowhere to be found.
"Yes, a lot of reds and golds," Susan was saying to Edmund and Peter. Lucy was making arrangements with music. Edmund was waiting with anticipation for Elaina to arrive. She had said she would be there to dance, if she made it on time. "Edmund! Are you paying any attention to me?"
"What? Oh, yeah, sorry, Su." The festival was tomorrow and everything needed to be in its place as soon as possible. Elaina's ship arrived about two hours later. This time, she stayed in the castle.
Edmund sat outside, looking up at the stars. Where was Elaina? She was supposed to have been here an hour ago. They agreed to meet under the oak by the riverbed. Well, here he was. Where was she? There was a rustle in the branches. He looked to it. From above fell a body into his arms. Elaina, bloody and beaten. She was not breathing. There was a cackle in front of him. He turned to see a tall figure, cloaked in night.
"Who will you kiss now?" It said. Edmund tried to move, he really tried, but he was rooted to the spot, frozen. The figure charged him, sword drawn…
Edmund sat bolt-upright in bed, his body covered in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. He hadn't had a nightmare like that in years. Just to be sure, he jumped out of bed, put a robe on and walked quickly and quietly to Elaina's room. He pulled the door open silently and crept in. From the moonlight that fell from to the bed, he could see her there, unharmed, asleep. He heaved a sigh of relief. Her eyes fluttered open. Oops, that was a bit loud. She looked at him, confused for a moment, and then jumped out of the bed, pulling a sheet around her. After studying him frantically for a moment, she realized,
"Edmund?" she let her guard down, but not the sheet. "Are you mad? What are you doing in here? And don't say sleepwalking because I've heard it ten too many times."
"It-it was…a dr-dream," he stuttered, now feeling utterlyridiculous. "Honestly, I had no idea you were naked."
She cocked an eyebrow at him.
"No, really I had this dream that I was waiting for you but you were dead and then there was this voice. I think…" he trailed off then abruptly came back to his senses. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Sorry to bother you." He started to walk out.
"Wait a moment," she walked to him, sheet still secured around her. She kissed him gently. "Thank you. Goodnight." She smirked as she closed the door. Edmund walked back to his room.
"Ah," he sighed to himself, climbing back under the covers. "That went well." He drifted off to sleep, grinning.
"Ugh, don't tell me you got drunk again!" Peter said, trying to wake Edmund up. "Wake up you imbecile!" Edmund swatted at him like he would a fly.
"What!" he sat up, squinting his eyes against the bright morning sun. "What time is it?"
"Almost eleven o'clock! Get up you lazy a—"
"Is he up yet?" Lucy called.
"Barely!" Peter responded. He turned back to Edmund who was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Everything isn't ready yet."
"That made no sense. Hullo, I'm up! Now get out of my room you rancid fruit bag!" All he got was a short-lived, gawking stare. Then he left. "Always opening those bloody shutters. I'm going to nail those shut one day…" he muttered to himself as he got ready. Then he realized why Peter was in such a fuss. Callida was going to be here, observing everything that went on, despite the fact that Peter was courting her. Everything had to be perfect, because if it wasn't, all hell could break loose. All though he could not imagine why it had to be perfect. After all, Peter had tongued the girl in the open within 4 hours of actually knowing her.
They all sat and watched Elaina's performance on the center stage. It was even more enticing than the routine at the solstice festival on Dimitius. She wore a sheer black skirt that moved and swirled with each step she took. When the fabric shifted, the underside was revealed to be purple. The forest green blouse she wore was tight and cut low in the back. Her hair was pulled up.
No one in Narnia had ever seen such art. It looked to be a combination of belly dancing and ballet, from what he vaguely remembered from England. One moment, her hips were at it, turning so fast it made him dizzy; the next, she had composed a grace that reminded him of a swan. Then, all ballet aside with her hands high above her head, bare feet moving in complicated steps, she pulled the single pin holding up her hair and let the long, ebony tresses overflow her shoulders. Edmund watched with intensity, loosing himself in her movement. Most of the time, Elaina had been dancing with her eyes closed. Suddenly, as the drum beat loud and hard, her eyes snapped open and looked right at him. Edmund's eyebrows rose slightly. She winked.
After her act, Elaina joined Edmund in walking through the market, accepting gifts from those who had watched her; most were men, of all species. Out of the blue, Edmund pulled her into a back alley and planted a long kiss on her lips.
"I assume I did well." She said quietly after a moment.
"Needless to say, yes."
"Well, I have a little secret to tell you."
"Oh really?" She nodded.
"The one I danced at the solstice festival is called 'The Mystery'. The one I danced tonight," she kissed him softly, bit his ear, then whispered. "Is called 'Seduction'." She walked farther into alley, looking over her shoulder, tauntingly. Edmund stared after her a moment.
"Well, I do believe you have succeeded, my dear." Then followed after her.
A/N: ok, so i guess that this is chapter 8, but it was meant to be chapter 7 but this is how it worked out. so yeah. ok, i want 10 more reviews for real this time. so, that means tell your friends or else you will not see chapter 9 for a long time. and chapter 9 is a REALLY good chapter. it was one of my favorites to write. so PLLLLEEEEEEAAAAASSSEEEEE review! OR ELSE! er, i meant to say please again...