Thanks for reading
Chapter 3
The trip to the castle was long, most of it I spend reading or looking out the window. We would pass other villages and towns, forest's, we even drove along the shore of the river we're the mermaids lived. They would pop out of the water and wave at us. Trying to race with the carriage to see who were faster them or us.
Sometimes when we pass villages people would look at the carriage curiously, waving and forcing smiles. Some of them would point and talk, I looked at the town curiously back. Wishing to know what they were saying was it about me or Edmund.
"There wondering how you look." Simon explained I looked at him. Why would they want to know how I look?
"Why?" I asked looking more closely at the people outside.
"Word has gotten around Narnia that King Edmund is to marry and that there will be a ball were he will choose who to marry." Simon explained slowly.
I looked back at him still not fully understanding why there curious about me.
"Emma you're the only one his picked to go to the castle until the ball." Simon told me looking me in the eyes.
Wait am the only girl out of all the women in Narnia that he picked to go stay at the castle until the ball. Suddenly am feeling more and more like a finalist in a contest then a girl going to stay at a castle. My mouth dropped and I looked at Charlotte who gave me an I-told-you-so look.
Then I turned my attention at Helen and Grace who (believe it or not) were sticking there hand out the window and waving at the crowd. Helen saw me looking and took her hand back blushing madly. Slowly I looked next to me at Arthur who rolled his eyes at me and gave me a disappointed look.
He was obviously thinking the same as me; was I actually okay with this. Being treated as if I'm nothing but a bride for the King.
"So basically I'm Narnia's new celebrity?" I asked Simon disgusted with myself. Wow I'm actually allowing myself to be treated like this.
"Yes." Simon told me, his voice had an edge that implied that he was sorry for me. I looked back at the people suddenly wishing they go away, wishing to be back home.
"But you don't have to be just that." Simons said, making us all turn to look at him. But Simon just looked at me, giving me a look of empathy.
It got quite after that, everybody off to there own thoughts.
My mother had always told me to be my own self and stand up for what I believe in. This never really worked for me because even though I did want to stand up and put my foot down. I was always too scared, intimidated, or simply doubting what I thought was right, to do anything.
Also I'm shy and the kind of person that hides's behind a book. Nobody pays attention to me (I guess until that King Edmund showed up at my doorstep!).
This whole situation with the King makes me feel as if am letting go of all that my mother told me. Letting them choose who I am and what I believe in.
Also since King Edmund left, I've been on a whirlwind of different emotions. The most usual ones are frustration, anxiety, and happiness. All of which am not very familiar or in awe with.
I've never felt anxiety before in my life, not even when my dad was at war, or when the White Queen would visit the town. I'm usually the calm one in my family. I've never been like this before and honestly have no idea if it's normal.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as the familiar headache was coming back. Whenever I try to solve the mystery behind my unstable emotional state a headache comes along. Something in me tells me to forget about finding out why I feel like this and just go with the flow.
But as you guessed I'm not one to go with the flow. My headache got more intense and I opened my eyes.
Oh just shut up! I tell myself.
I grab my book and open it; landing on a page full with tales of my ancestors. All of which are too far stretched from the truth to be true…
I smile at myself and start reading.
We stopped a few miles away from the castle for the driver to have a break. According to Simon we're making good speed and will be there before sunset. I sit on a rock close to a river bank and breathe in the fresh air. I closed my eyes and listened to my breathing feeling peaceful.
I was too concentrated on my own breathing to hear the fish tail splash next to me. But when I opened my eyes I saw, a women with long blonde hair and a slivery tail. Her eyes were endless blue and she had an angelic face.
I stood up abruptly and fell on the floor; the mermaid looked scared and waved her hands around. I raise an eyebrow and stood up slowly, she looked back at me.
She pointed at my family and Simon and put her index finger to her lips, I nodded understanding. She moved to the back of the rock and motioned for me to sit back down.
I slowly followed and asked her.
"Can you speak?"
"Yes." Her soft voice said. She looked back at the others making sure the won't see her.
"My names Elisa." she told me.
"I'm Emma." I told her, she smiled and looked at me.
"So you're really the Emma Smith?" Elisa asked me with glee and hope in her eyes. Oh great am even a celebrity to the mermaids!
"Yeah…" I responded to her suddenly wishing I was talking to my sisters instead.
"You're the new princess…" elisa started. Wow, hold up.
"No!" I told her, she looked at me confuse. "I'm one of the… um"
What do I call it? I bit my lip and looked down at the water.
"I see." I heard Elisa say.
"I wanted to see you in real life." Elisa explained after a moment.
I just nodded and after a while I left. I walked up to Simon who was taking care of the horses and asked.
"Who told the mermaids?"
He looked at me and then back at the horse. "The same person that told all of Narnia."
I rolled my eyes and put my hands on my hip.
"That's not answering my question Simon." I told him, he looked at me and then looked defeated.
"Queen Susan." He answered me.
Of course the girly girl out of the two sisters', the beauty, the perfect, and obviously the gossiper. People always would say that if you told Susan something all of Narnia would know in less than hour.
We got back in the carriage, for the rest of the ride. All I could think about was: what have my sisters gotten me into?
The carriage came to a stop fifteen minute's after we left the lake. The castle was huge and made of white bricks; it had eleven towers' which shaped the center of the castle like a square. The tower reached so high that they seem to disappear around the clouds.
The carriage pulled up to the two huge double doors. There we're two women there dressed in Narnain maid uniforms. I heard the driver get out of the front of the carriage and move to open the door s of the carriage.
I heard noise's all around the carriage. Simon fix's his uniform, Grace fix her hair and checking it in the mirror, Helen making sure all her medicine is in her bag, Arthur closing his book and shifting uncomfortably, Charlotte fixing her dress.
But my heart beat was the one I was most aware of in fact I was so aware of it and how fast and loud it was. That I thought the others could hear it. I was nervous and feeling jumpy, I slowly closed my Narinan book and held it tightly.
The doors opened and everyone started getting out I (of course) was last. Before I got down of the carriage Simon gave me his hand which I actually accepted (not wanting to fall on my face.). Once I was out I moved behind my sisters and next to Arthur who was waiting for me.
I looked at him and signed.
"Please don't let me make a fool of myself."
He smiled and signed back.
"Only if you promise to punch me if we have to stay with the Kings and Queen for tea time."
I nodded he hated tea almost as much as he hated the royal family. I reached out a hand and he took it, I leaned down close to his ear and whispered.
"We'll get threw this together, Sir Arthur." He laughed.
I was grateful for having Arthur here. Aslan knows that if he wasn't here I would be running back to that carriage begging for them to take me home.
After introduction to the two maids (Georgina and Alice) we made are ways inside the castle. Arthur and I were behind the group and didn't have to do much talking until we were in front of another pair of double doors.
"This is the throne room. The King and Queens were talking to some people from close villages this morning." Simon explained looked at us and continued. "I well go in to tell them you've arrived."
Simon scouted us the left , opened a door, and disappeared in. I gripped Arthur hands a little stronger as reality sunk in, I'm in the castle.
Arthur looked at me worryingly, he looked back at the rest of my family but they were to busy talking about other things to pay attention to him.
"Don't worry." I heard next to me, I moved my head to see Alice.
"King Edmund is probably more scared and nervous then you are. Been talking about you all day." Alice told me whispering the last part. I smiled feeling better knowing that Edmund was as afraid as I was- Wait WHAT!
Never mind… but I still smiled at her.
Simon came out and nodded at us, I looked back at Alice who was standing behind me.
"Any last words of advice?" I asked her jokingly, she actually consider this.
"Try not to look at King Edmund, it may make you more nervous, oh maybe speaking isn't your friend at the moment. So just let your family or Simon talk." She whispered to me truthfully, I nodded.
"Keep holding your brothers hand." I heard Georgina tell me. I hold Arthur's hand a little more softly.
Simon opens the door and we go in. Honestly not looking at Edmund is pretty easy since I stayed to the far right with Arthur, which is Queen Susan and King Peter are at. I avoided Queen Susan's eyes since I was basically cursing her name, for the most of the ride. Look I really like being a nobody and she's kind of taken that away.
But of course Queen Susan is the one that got up and welcomed us.
"Welcome, I'm Queen Susan and you are?" She asked looking at each of us; her voice was delicate and elegant.
"I'm Charlotte. This is Helen, Grace, Arthur, and Emma." Charlotte said introducing us, of course I was last. Susan examined me and then smiled politely.
"Well it could have been worse." I heard her say under her breath as she moved to examine the rest of us.
Helen and Arthur chuckled. I looked down at Arthur and signed.
"You heard that?"
"No but I read her lips. I can't wait to meet the little one!" he signed back smiling widely. I rolled my eyes, but felt fear that Lucy might be worse than Susan.
Susan went back to her sit, well let me just get this out of the way her "sit" is actually a huge throne. Peter gave her a look, that she just ignored, and Lucy stood up and walk straight to me. I felt Arthur's grip on my hand become stronger. Oh he chooses now to be brotherly!
"I'm Lucy." She tells me extending her hand. I notice how she left the Queen part out of her introduction, how she's smiling, and finally the vibe of happiness she gives off. I gave her my hand which she holds for a moment and smiles.
"You're an archer aren't you?" She asked me smiling.
I give her a small smile, she's my favorite its official. She moved on to Arthur who she said was good with crops. As she was doing the rest to my family Arthur turned to me and signed.
"What is she physic?" I just shrugged.
"I'm not physic, am something like a warlock." Lucy said. I and Arthur looked at her surprise, was she just reading are conversation. We glanced at each other, checking to see if we were thinking the same thing. We were.
"I'm sorry; I know it's rude to read the conversations. My apologies." Lucy explained moving closer to us .
I saw Arthurs mouth drop, a Queen was asking for forgiveness.
"You know sign language?" I asked her, speaking for the first time since I entered the room. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edmund smirk.
Glad to know he loves hearing my voice! ... I'm joking by the way…
"Umm yes. I took a course once at school." She said smiling looking relieved that we weren't mad. Arthur gave an even more confuse look, but I understood.
The Kings and Queens came from a different world, so she learned it in the school in that world.
She went back to her seat and my sisters gave me the same look as Arthur was giving me. I'm I really the only one that's read on they're background, I mean honestly guys! Your going to live with them for Aslan knows how long and you don't even know where they come from?
Of course this is my family were talking about. The only one that reads other than me is Arthur and it's all about plants.
King Peter got up and smiled at me. Okay seriously am at the end of the line, how come am getting all the attention.
Because you're one of the final chooses.
"Well now that you've meet the rest of us, why don't you go settle in, then you can come down for tea time." Peter said the rest of my sisters nodded. I just stood there because am not the one in charge in my family.
I heard Arthur breathe catch and remembered how he hates tea time. I held back a smile and thought: Next time you won't be so happy about Queen Susan snarky comments.
Are bedrooms were located in a long all hall that had two doors, in front of it and in the back. The front one was the door that lead to a sitting room and the back one lead to another long hall which is where the Kings (by King I mean Edmund, Peter has his own hall with Princess Beatrice) and Queens bedrooms we're at.
The hall where we were located at had five bedrooms and one huge library. The bedrooms (and library) were facing each other. Since there were exactly five bedrooms each of us got one (you should have seen the way Grace jumped up and down when she realized this.).
I got the biggest bedroom, which was also the one closest to the Kings and Queens rooms.
It had two bathrooms (I have no idea why), a huge bed (20 people could sleep in that thing.) three huge windows, two balcony, three closets (one for dresses, one for shoes, and one for sleep wear), it's own library, a seating room, an extra closet full with weapons (I have no comment to this one), and let me not mention the size of it all.
I have no idea what am going to do with half the things in here and the other half I have no idea what it is! I put my bag on my bed, and start taking out my things and putting them in trucks. I was almost done and was putting my book on Narnian history away when there was a knock on the door.
I went to open it; which can be pretty hard because the door is huge and extremely heavy. It took me some time to open it but when I did I saw Lucy standing there smiling at me. Lucy had insisted on taking us to are rooms, she's obviously the nice one in the family.
"I can't get this doors open either." She told me obviously looking for an easy way to start the conversation. I just stood there noticing how there was no noise at all in the halls.
"Every one left to there own things, tea time was a joke." She explained. Oh well there go my plans to torture Arthur.
"Oh…" I told her looking down at my feet. That's when I notice we were both barefoot, I smiled and look back at her.
"You hate shoes to?" I asked jokingly. She looked at me confused and then notices are feet.
She laughs and says. "Yeah I can't stand them."
I laugh and open the door a little more. "Come in."
"Thanks." She smiles and walks in. "You know Edmund was right about you being pretty."
I blush and pull on the selves of my dress. She notice's this and smiles knowingly; I watch her walk to one of my trunks which was left open.
She touches my dresses "There all really pretty."
I smile, reminding myself to keep my trunks close. "Thanks."
Silence comes over the room, I start noticing the sound of swords clashing. I look around, moving towards the noise. Finally I get to one of my balcony; I see were the noise was coming from. Under the balcony there is a large field, full with training dummies, archery targets, and even real people fighting, but one of them catches my eye more than the others.
The heads of one brunette and a blonde, they we're fighting each other and joking around. The moment I saw them I knew they were Peter and Edmund. I looked more closely at them and quickly noticed Edmund was the better fighter of the two.
He was quick and moved around so easily blocking the hits that came his way. He also had more energy, Peter would always call the break and Edmund would tease him that in battle there were no breaks.
"It's a good view." I heard Lucy say as she moved next to me. I blushed and bit my lip, noticing that I was leaning on the balcony rail. I moved back and looked away at the sky embarrassed.
"It's the best view of the training field in the castle." She quickly corrected herself looking down at her brothers.
Well of course they gave me the room that was right under the training field. Obviously when I am bored I'll look out of curiosity and what will I find? Edmund.
"I picked it out…" she said almost reading my mind.
I nod my head and glance at Edmund one more time. Wow I have to control myself! Wait- Oh who I'm I kidding!
"The archery range looks nice." I commented trying to break the awkwardness that had fallen upon us.
"Yeah Susan built it herself. She's quite proud of it." Lucy said nodding her head. I notice that's Susan was at the range, yeah something tells me she's proud of a lot things.
Lucy looked at me as if she was going to tell me a secret. I raised an eyebrow at this, this Pevensie's are way to trustful with me!
"Do you want to see mine's?" She asked me, I opened my mouth to respond. "I mean it's not as good as Susan's…"
I shut my mouth; Lucy bit her lip looking down at the floor.
That was the first time I noticed it, Lucy felt like the second best. All she wanted was to show someone that she was as good as Susan. She wanted to differ herself from her sister and at the same time be exactly like her sister.
Me and my bunch of sister, we're probably the first people to stay here for more than a day since she became queen. Other than Beatrice who I've heard is a best friend with Susan, then her brother's running a country?
Lucy probably doesn't have anyone to talk to, cry to, or even spend time with. I usually take my family for granted but without them… I would be so empty and lonely.
"Yes." I told her, she looked at me. I saw a spark in her eyes, I smiled.
"Really?"
I nodded my head. "Do you have a bow and arrow for me?"
She nodded, I grabbed some shoes, and we left.
After we passed by Lucy's room (and I thought my room was big) to grab her shoes. We left our hallways and walked threw the courtyard to the east side of the castle. There we walked right to the end of a long hallway, right into a huge field.
Unlike the training filed this one was field was only dedicated to archery. The targets were range from amateur to expert.
Lucy handed me a white bow. It was beautiful the way the sun hit it made it look like it was glittering, the arrows that she gave me to go along with the bow were made of wood. But they were sharp, really sharp.
"Wow Lucy you want to kill someone." I said looking at our arrows. She gave me a shy smile and shrugged.
"I like my arrows sharp" she said moving to the medium range.
We started right away; we both would always hit the bulls' eye. Soon we moved on to the more difficult ranges. Finally when we got to the expert range, Lucy gave up and watched me. I was quick and always hit the bulls' eye.
"You're really good." I heard behind me, I turned around.
Edmund. Well he's always making a big entrance huh?
I looked a Lucy; she was smiling looking at the ground. Something tells me she knew he would come here. Wait a minute! Is this even Lucy's archery range? I feel so betrayed! But you've got to admit she's smart for fooling me.
"Thanks." I tell Edmund quietly, avoiding anyone's eye contact.
"But you would be better if you moved you're a bow a little more to the left." He told me smiling. He's kidding me…
"Oh really." I asked raising an eyebrow.
He nodded and started walking to me; Lucy gave him her bow and arrow. He looked at me to move from my stop, which I did reluctantly. I caught Lucy's eye for a second but she looked down at the floor guiltily. Edmund aimed and then let the arrow go.
It hit the center of the bulls' eye, unlike mines which were a little off to the side. Well what were you expecting he's a king?
Edmund turn around and looked at my face. A huge smile spread over his face.
"Don't worry, your still better than Susan." He told me giving Lucy her bow back. Yeah right Queen Susan is the best archer in Narnia.
"Now you're exaggerating." I told him looking down at my bow.
"Trust me I wish I was. If Susan knew she would throw a tantrum." He said shuddering which made me and Lucy laugh.
After a while Lucy left and Edmund ended up walking me to my room. We walked in silence for a while, I didn't mind. What I did mind was the smirks and chuckles people would give when we pass them, and then we passed by Charlotte (who was talking with a women from the kitchen.).
I swear the way she smiled; I hadn't seen her smile like that since mom died. Her eyes brighten and she seemed younger than she had in days. She seemed happy and peaceful. It made me feel more comfortable, I relaxed.
Knowing that maybe just maybe, we could fit in with this world.
As we got closer to my room Edmund asked. "Did Lucy trick you into going to the archery range?"
I laughed and looked at him he was smiling. "What gave it away?"
"I don't know… I just kind of knew." He said unsure, but it made him smile bigger than he had before. I smiled to. I also notice how if I let me guard down, it can be so easy to talk to Edmund.
"Well sorry to come across your oh so secret place." I joked with him. I heard him chuckle and look down at his feet.
"Actually my secret place is all around me." He told me looking back at me. He held my eyes for a minute and then looked down again.
"By all around you. You mean Narnia?" I asked him looking forward. Actually noticing the beauty that is Narnia.
"Yes. Where I and my family come from… Narnia doesn't exist. There's probably only a few people that know about it. "He explained.
"Do you know if you'll ever return…? To your world?" I asked him looking back at him. We stop walking, he looked me.
For the first time I actually got to see his eyes. They were deep brown but they seemed infinite. There were all these emotions in them. I only caught two: Fear and regret.
"I don't know." He whispered to me. I felt my hand go to his arm and hold it gentle.
"Maybe you should just enjoy your time here … in Narnia." I told him quietly, he smiled.
"With the fear of leaving at any moment?" he asked me. His eyes showed something different an interest to see what I would say.
Again I didn't know what to say, I've never lived with the fear of never coming back to Narnia. So I just went with what my gut was telling me.
"Maybe, because you don't know if you'll come back once you leave." I said looking away from his eyes to the hall in front of us.
"My mother would always say: Everyday may not be good… but there's something good in every day." I told him.
"You know sometimes you sound so much like Lucy that it's scary." He comments as we start walking again. I smiled and asked
"I hope that's a good thing?"Edmund shrugged.
"Depends on the situation." I laughed and heard him laugh to.
At least I know I can trust one Pevensie…
P.s- During the Edmund/Emma scene in this chapter I was listening to Time by Hans Zimmer So inspirational and touching…