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, ortranslatewithout express written permission.

I sat in the library with Edmund, late at night, a few weeks after I had gotten to Narnia. I loved it. I never wanted to leave but I missed home terribly. I admit, it is a bit pointless to sit in a place where the main priority is looking but I wanted to be with Edmund.

"Edmund," I said, breaking the silence.

I heard him stir and I felt guilty about breaking him from the world of reading. "Yes, Lia?" he replied calmly.

"Could you...could you read for me?" I tilted down my head so Edmund wouldn't see my reddened cheeks.

"I don't understand," Edmund said, now confused.

"I mean could you...could you read aloud whatever it is you're reading?"

"Oh! Oh, of course!" He cleared his throat and explained what had been happening so far.

Once he started with the story, he became an artist. The story was the painting, he was the artist, my mind the canvas, and his voice the brush. He spoke with such a deep clear voice that it almost made me forget it was my best friend. Every new word was a stroke of the brush behind my ever closed eyes. He spoke with the right amount of anxiety and the exact amount of serenity. However, when it came to the female parts, I couldn't help but giggle at the new highness of the Just King's usually deep voice. I was thrust into this world of peace that had never existed in my life.

I lowered my eyelids and lay back against the cushions by the fireplace. I listened, and listened, and listened until the canvas was completely full and the brush stopped. I opened my eyelids and turned my head in the direction of Edmund's voice. I stood up, found my way over to his armchair, crawled into his lap, and hugged him tightly around the neck. "Thank you so much, Edmund."

"It was just a story," he laughed, finally putting his arms around my waist.

I pulled back. "Yes, but I've never heard one told like that before." I thought I had pulled back far enough that it wouldn't be uncomfortable but apparently I was wrong. I felt Edmund's breath on my face and I could sense his presence being so near. I had a sudden urge to feel what his lips actually looked like in the most intimate of ways. I felt a strange tickling sensation in the pit of my stomach. It was a new sensation, but one I certainly liked - a lot.

But then I realized something. Why would he ever fall for a blind girl? I was nothing but a peasant that the King took pity upon. I was nothing but a peasant being forced into an ugly marriage. Other people, who didn't know about my predicament, might say we were a beautiful couple. I was considered beautiful. From overhearing Elena, Jonathon was drop-dead gorgeous. Curly golden hair, bright tawny eyes, tan skin, very strong. He's attractive on the outside, but horrible and vile on the inside.

I exhaled and turned my head away from Edmund's.

Without warning, Edmund gave a gasp of surprise. I snapped my gaze back up to him, raising one eyebrow. "Lia," he started, practically radiating happiness. "I've got it. I know how you're going to read."

I gave a scoff. "Ed, you and I both know there is no possible way for me to see words. Or see, period."

"But there is a way! Where I come from there's so many blind people that someone came up with a system of how to read. It's called Braille. It's a sentence made with raised dots in a certain way to represent letters. My father practically drilled it into my brain in case I ever became blind. I can teach you!" He grabbed my shoulders in a moment of complete ecstasy and hugged me tight. "You could do so much with this! You could even write!"

For a moment, I'm happy. But then I remember my poor lack of memory. "Edmund. Edmund, as much as I want that, I'm not sure I could. I have horrible memory."

"Please try it? For me?" I could hear the pleading in his voice and my heart fluttered dangerously. I nodded, gulping. He kissed me on the cheek and I stood up getting up off his lap. "Fantastic! We start tomorrow morning at nine." I nodded, still in a daze. I heard him leave the library and I flopped down on the sofa, falling asleep nearly instantly.

I woke up to find someone has put a few layers of blankets over me. Probably one of the servants who cleans the library. My neck was stiff from laying on the armrest all night. I tried to recollect the dream I had last night. Something gold. Golden is all I remember. It could've been something about Jonathon. Yes, I'm sure that's it.

I heard the door to the library groan as it opens and try to tame the mess that was my hair in a braid. I comb my fingers through my dark curly tresses and put my hair in a braid on the side. "Lia? Did you sleep here last night?" I recognized the voice to be Edmund's.

"Yes. I fell asleep right after you left last night." Last night made me blush, just thinking about it. He kissed me! I mean, it was on the cheek like the last one, my first day here, but it was still a kiss!

"Well, then, let's get started shall we? I didn't see you at breakfast so I brought you an apple. He put it in my hands and I took a big chunk out of the juicy red fruit. This was the best apple I had ever eaten. "I made an alphabet of the Braille last night. So since that shouldn't take up any time..." I went over to the desk where he was sitting and plopped myself down in the chair beside him. He took my left index finger and glided it across the piece of parchment. I felt raised dots in a row going across the page. I suddenly burned with curiosity as to what they read. He ran my hand over them, one at a time now, explaining what letter or number it was and explaining all the rules of Braille. It was a confusing thing but after hours of trying and practicing, I finally understood it. "Okay, read that sentence to me."

I scrunched my eyebrows together, ran my finger across the string of bumps, and focused. "The...the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." My string of words came out slow and unsure. I said it again with more confidence. "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog!" I grinned from ear to ear. I tackled Edmund with a hug. I pulled back and kissed him quickly on the lips. "Oh my gosh! Edmund, thank you so much! You're a genius! I love you!" As I soon as I realized what I had done I tried backpedalling. "I mean, I love you like my own family. Like Cor or Corin." I blushed furiously and untangled myself from the mess we were on the floor. "Thanks," I murmured. I walked out of the library and toward the direction of my room.

Great! I had just ruined everything! "Ugh. Stupid, stupid, stupid," I muttered to myself. I leaned my palms and head on the cool stone wall, closing my eyes and breathing deeply.

"Lia?" I froze at the voice. For a moment, he sounded actually sincere. "What's the matter?" Of course, since we were in public, it was just a show. He couldn't let people know he was a cold-hearted young man. I let him take me to his room, putting his arm around me. He shoved me as soon as the door shut and we were away from the prying eyes of the public. "What were you doing with that king?" He spat the word as if it were the most disgusting thing he'd ever possessed. Which, in his mind, probably was.

"He was teaching me!" I nearly yelled defiantly.

"Teaching you? What could he possibly be teaching you?"

"He was teaching me how to read," I replied, crossing my arms across my stomach.

"Read how?" He was practically radiating anger. I started to respond but he cut me off. "That doesn't matter. What I want to know is why he kissed you!"

"He didn't kiss me, I kissed him! And I thought-"

"You thought what? That he could love a stupid, blind peasant girl whom everyone pities? Ha!" My face contorted into one of depression, my hopes honestly crushed. Jonathon had voiced exactly my thoughts, confirming them. He grabbed my hands gently as if he cared about me and pulled me toward him. "I, however," he started, in a softer tone, "love you very much."

"Not in the way I want you to," I whisper, barely audible to myself. He obviously didn't hear me, or chose to ignore it, because he cupped my chin and kissed me lightly on my lips.

"Now was that so hard?"

I shake my head, but in my thoughts I'm repeating to myself, Yes.

Fantastic! His plan was working out perfectly. He had located her and forged the King's handwriting advising her to come stay with them for a while. He laughed evilly in his mind, not doing it out loud for fear of someone overhearing. It was of course midday.

The stupid girl! She had noticed what he had noticed too. The king had feelings for her, beyond all doubt. Anyone could see that! And now she was getting feelings for him? This was one good part about the plan. If she had feelings for the naïve king then she would come running to him after everything was finished.

But now that the king had feelings for her it would make everything harder! They would have to fight for her! He would win that though. He knew it. Then he could finally take the fat old king's crown.

Too bad he didn't notice someone else watching his every move.

Love it? Hate it? Let me know!

Hannah. x