DISCLAIMER:**The character names of The Chronicles of Narnia are owned by Douglas Gresham. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by NeverTickleASleepingDraco, 2011. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**
Congratulations to Renee1026 for getting the story question right! It's from The Tales of Beetle the Bard: The Fountain of Fair Fortune. (:
Cecelia's POV:
"Elena! Can you come here?" I heard footsteps come into my room, and I knew she was here. Elena is one of my closest friends. Well, one of my only ones really. She's twenty-one, and has been my friend since King Lune took me in. Her father is a Lord here so she's lived in the castle her whole life. From what she's told me, she has reddish-brown hair, blue/grey eyes and she is pale. She doesn't treat me differently, either. That's one of the things that I love about her. Elena's also adventurous. She never wants to be indoors or act ladylike. Once again, one of the reasons I love her.
I heard her sit down on my bed. "Yes?" she asked.
"Would you mind tying up these laces for me?" I held my hair over my neck as her light fingers brushed over my back. I felt my dress tightening around me.
"So, what do you think of the King?" she asked. She sounded dreamy.
"Well, I think he's really nice. All Edmund's ever been to me since he got here is kind-"
"King Edmund? I was talking about High King Peter! He's quite handsome. And nice. And charming. And…just everything." Her fingers fell from my back and she sighed. I turned toward her and grabbed her hands.
"You fancy him, don't you?"
She giggled. "Well, he is handsome, but he's only been here five days. I don't know him all that well. Though I would love to!" She giggled even harder. Something was wrong here. She nevergiggles this much. Ever. She must really fancy him. "Can you come outside with me? I need to practice my combat."
I scoffed. "You don't needto practice. You just want to. But if you want to…" I was yanked off the bed and pulled down the hallway. I knocked into numerous people. "Sorry!" I yelled to no one in particular. "ELENA! STOP. RUNNING!" When I said she didn't treat me like a helpless blind person…I meant it. She slowed down, but only by a fraction. I could tell we were outside once the air changed. It changed from hot and stuffy to cool and refreshing.
My hand was dropped and I stopped where I was. Partly because I couldn't see where I was going, and partly because I hit something. I listened closer and heard breathing. "Why hello, Lady Cecelia." I wanted to groan.
"Hello, Lord Jonathon." His grip on me was tight, and his hand inched its way down to my own. He clasped it in his, and pressed me closer – if that were possible. "How are you?"
His breath was right in my ear. "I am perfect. I have just talked to your father and we have made an agreement."
I shivered as I feared what that agreementmight be. "And what is this…agreement?" I asked slowly.
He nipped my ear. Bile rose in my throat.
"You and I are to be betrothed."
"FATHER NO!" I screamed. Surprised, he looked up at me and accidentally knocked over his ink bottle. "How could you marry me off to Lord Jonathon? You've refused every time! Why now?" My voice cracked at the last question. He had refused every time. "Why now?"
He took his spectacles off his nose. "Lia…" I softened at the mention of my nickname. "You must sit down. I have some things to tell you." I've had many…err…talks in this office, so therefore I knew where the chair was.
"When you were sixteen, Lord Jonathon first came here. I suspect you remember?" I nodded and scowled at the memory. "Well, a few months after his arrival he came to me with a proposal. He said that when you were of marrying age you would need someone to take care of you." I scoffed. Like he would actually take care of me! Yes, I surely believe that. "And he proposed himself. And I said yes. We didn't tell you until today because well…you weren't of marrying age until today." I furrowed my brow and then I remembered.
Today was my nineteenth birthday.
I groaned. Of course! How could I forget? It was one of the most important birthdays in a woman's life. We never celebrated big. Just a small dinner. By small I mean, not a feast. There are certainly quite a few people, but not a lot. The royal family, of course. A few of father's closest advisors. Some of Cor and Corin's closest friends, and of course my closest friends.
And this year, the monarchs of Narnia would be invited.
My shock was contained. I needed to pretend that of course I knew today was my birthday. The truth soon caught up with me. "So you lied to me?" I crossed my arms.
"Lia –"
"No! You lied to me! Why didn't you just tell me?"
"We wanted you to be ready." I felt a hand on my shoulder and realized he was standing behind me.
"Ready for what? Ready to be…" Used. I knew he would. He would stop at nothing to get what he wants. He wants someone who will give him what he wants without hesitation. He won't care for me, or love me. He won't do anything a real husband should. "I'm not ready to be married, Father. I'm not ready to have children…to care for them. I don't have any of those skills. I'm blind Father. I can't do anything to protect them. What if they run off and I won't know where they are!"
"But Jonathon –"
"Jonathon won't give a damn about me. Or my children."
"Now, you don't know that, Cecelia Rose!" I winced at my full name. It was not one that I liked. I have a lot of random thoughts. One thought leads to the next and I might be thinking about a singing fish. Of course, it might be highly likely in Narnia. Anyway, my thoughts strayed to Edmund and what his middle name might be. An idea popped into my head.
"Let me go to Narnia. Let me go for one year, and if I don't find love in that year then…then I'll marry Jonathon." It was a tough bargain, but I was willing to try my hardest to find love.
"I don't know, Lia." I could hear the moving of his beard as he scratched his chin.
"Please, Father! I'll do anything!" I faced his voice and clasped my hands.
"Alright. But we will have to talk to the High King about this." I blushed in remembrance. Of course! Why hadn't I thought about that?
"Oh…yes, of course." What if he says no? I would have to marry Jonathon and that would mean the end of my world. Okay, yes, that was dramatic, I know.
"I'll talk to him tonight. Now, run along. I have work to do." I jumped up and hugged him around the neck. I kissed him on the cheek and ran out the study door.
I walked around the hallways of the castle and ended up outside by the lake. The lake was a peaceful place. I pulled my laced up sandals off my feet and sat by the shore, letting the wind pick up my curls. I heard a splash to my left and I cocked my head listening. I hopped up and searched for the nearest tree and hid behind it. Thankfully, from what I knew and felt it was a big tree.
"Boo." I screamed and punched whatever was closest to me – which happened to be a human chest. "Oof! Cecelia!" I gasped as I recognized the voice.
"Edmund! Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" I helped him up from the ground. I hugged him and found out that he was shirtless – and wet. I blushed and pulled away. "You should know not to sneak up on a blind person!" I hit him in the chest again.
"Sorry. I thought you would've heard me coming!" He was laughing while he said this.
"It's not funny!" I protested.
"Of course it is! You just don't see the humor in it!"
"Arse." I pouted and turned my back on him. I felt strong arms wrap around me in a hug.
"Aw, I'm sorry. Forgive me?" I could tell he was right by my ear. I felt heat rise to my cheeks as I nodded.
"Alright. But don't do it again!" I turned around and pointed a finger in his face. I felt his chest shake and knew he was laughing lightly.
Edmund's POV:
I resurfaced from the lake I found and shook water out of my hair. Putting my hands behind my head, I floated on the surface. I enjoyed the colors of summer in Archenland. I always felt at peace here. Breathing deeply, I swam over to the shore and stood on top of a large rock – perfect for diving. I saw Cecelia standing by the shore. She took off her shoes and sat on the shore. Smiling to myself, I dived in, planning to go over and talk to her. Once I resurfaced, I saw a flash of her blue dress go behind a tree. I grinned and swam stealthily over. I climbed as quietly as I could out of the water and over behind her.
"Boo." She jumped ten feet in the air and punched me in the chest. "Oof!" I fell on the hard leaf-covered ground. "Cecelia!" She gasped and helped me up.
"Edmund! Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" She hugged me but then as a blush crept up her cheeks she pulled away. "You should know not to sneak up on a blind person!" She hit me in the chest again.
"Sorry! I thought you would've heard me coming!" I laughed.
"It's not funny!" She crossed her arms.
"Of course it is! You just don't see the humor in it!"
"Arse." She pouted and turned her back on me. I wrapped her in a hug from behind.
"Aw, I'm sorry. Forgive me?" She blushed when I whispered into her ear.
She turned around and pointed a finger in my face. "Alright. But don't do it again!" I chuckled and walked away to put tunic and jerkin back on. I ran fingers in my hair trying to get it to lay down. I looked into the lake to see if I availed – I didn't.
As Cecelia and I walked back to the castle, she told me some interesting news.
"Edmund," she said. I turned to find that she had stopped walking and was behind me by about ten feet.
"Yeeees?" I asked, turning around to walk over to her.
"I-I'm in engaged." What? She was engaged? She was only nineteen! Who was she engaged to? "To Lord Jonathon."
I nearly choked on my own spit. Him? But…but he used her! He took advantage of her disability! How could her father marry her off to someone like that! I strode over to her and gave her a cynical look. She wouldn't meet my eyes.
"I'm engaged." She held up a hand as if to stop me from saying something; which I was going to. "I've made an agreement with my father. I've persuaded him to let me go to Narnia for one year. If I don't find love by then, then I will marry Jonathon. That is if High King Peter says yes."
"Of course he will! If he doesn't I will!"
"I just…I don't want to get married to him," she whispered. Her hands were clasped in front of her, her head bowed. She sniffled.
I hugged her close and whispered to her, "It'll be okay. I promise."
Cecelia's POV:
The walk back to the castle was more or less awkward. I didn't normally get that close to people I'd only known for two days. I didn't normally cry in front of people, unless it was Elena or Cor. I clasped my hands behind my back and walked silently. I didn't want Edmund's pity for anything. I'd told him that much the first few moments I'd known him. If I had to marry Jonathon, so be it. I wasn't going to lie to Father to get out of the marriage. If I was something, it wouldn't be a liar.
As we entered the castle, Edmund took my arm trying to lead me. I yanked it back into my grasp. I knew it was rude, but at the moment I really didn't care. I was too angry at the world. "I know the way," I grumbled. Guilt rose up in my chest. He was just trying to help, and what did I do? I shrugged him off – literally. I sighed. "I'm sorry, Edmund. I-I'm just tired. All of this is overwhelming." No reply. "Edmund?"
"You said you knew your way. I'm letting you go on your own." His voice was far in front of me. It was also impassive. His boots clicked away down the hall. I sighed again. Great. Now I've made him mad at me. People weren't kidding about his temper. It didn't take much to set him off.
I cupped my elbows in my hands since it was cold in the hallway and continued on the walk to the dining hall. I opened the wooden door and stepped inside. I stood in front of the door waiting for someone to take me to my seat. I may know a lot of places in the castle, but I didn't know this one. The placing of objects was too unpredictable.
I felt a hand on my waist and a husky voice whisper in my ear, "Happy birthday, love." I closed my eyes and drew in a breath. Jonathon led me over to a chair and sat in one beside me. His hand rested on my thigh and I slapped it away.
"Quit it," I hissed. Instead of listening to me, he continued to rub his hand up and down my thigh. I heard a chair scrape the marble floor and a clinking of glass.
"Excuse me! I would like to give a toast to my sister Lady Cecelia! Congratulations! You're not dead!" The guests laughed at the comment Cor made. I blushed as I heard, "To Cecelia!" around the table. I took a sip of what I supposed to be champagne and smiled. A few seconds later, I felt simultaneous pecks on my cheeks and I knew the Cor and Corin had both kissed me. I threw one arm around both of their necks before they could leave, and kissed them each in turn. The table laughed again.
"What about me, my Lady?" Jonathon's tone was playful and kind for once, so I smiled and pecked him on the cheek – or intended to at least. At the last possible moment, he turned his head and met my lips. A few of the men in the room (mostly Corin's friends) wolf whistled. Most everyone knew of the arrangement between Jonathon and I. The story was that we had been in love for a while and as soon as I turned nineteen, he asked for my hand. This, if I do find love in Narnia, is going to be hard to explain.
The food was served and it was a lovely ordeal. The food was delicious, the dessert divine, and the people were lovely too. Even Jonathon managed to be civil with me. I wasn't expecting it to last. He was probably just putting on a show for the guests. He wanted them to believe that we were "in love."
A few of us went into a small living room to open presents. A few of us being Father, Cor, Corin, Elena, and myself. I got hair clips from Cor, new boots for outside from Corin, a necklace from Father, and a dress from Elena. And, of course, hugs from everyone.
As Father went to find High King Peter to discuss matters about me, I slipped out the door to head to my room. I rounded a corner and felt a hand grab my upper arm. A hand cupped over my mouth and a voice whispered in my ear, "Relax. It's just me." I did as Edmund said and turned to face his voice.
"I thought you were mad at me."
"I was for a bit, but then I realized it was stupid. You were stressed about this whole Jonathon thing. I'm sorry."
"It's alright," I said. I waved it off and cupped my elbows in my hands. I bit my lip, a nervous habit I picked up when I had all those meetings with the doctors.
"I have something for you." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. He had a gift for me? I'd known him not even a week! I heard him fumble with something in his tunic before taking my hand from my elbow and opening it. Something that felt soft was placed in my hand. My brow furrowed as I tried to identify it. "Oh right," Edmund said. He took it from my grasp and told me to lift up my hair. I pulled it up and felt something cold hit the back of my neck. It was a clasp. The necklace itself wasn't cold, but made of some fabric. The charm was wooden, and carved. I couldn't identify it though. "It's a wolf. I made it myself."
I hugged Edmund suddenly around the neck and he hugged me back, putting his arms around my waist. "Thank you," I mumbled into his neck. He muttered something into my hair that I couldn't quite determine. I pulled back. "What?"
"I overheard your father and Peter talking in his study. You're going to Narnia."
I grinned like an idiot and asked in disbelief, "What?"
"I said, you're going to Narnia!"
I just love Cor and Corin. They remind me so much of Fred and George Weasley…at least in my mind.
Love it? Hate it? Let me know!
Hannah. x