Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I don't own the Pevensie's or anything else affiliated with Narnia. C.S. Lewis does :) I just own the plot :)
Susan lay on her bed in her chamber, where she contently read a Narnian ode to the spring. It was only when clock struck evening that she was jolted out of her peaceful state. Edmund! She had forgotten about him. She shot up off of her bed. He's been sitting in there for over an hour, poor dear, she thought as she walked down the stairs quickly. She'd have to apologize to him and most likely offer him her dessert...it was the only way, she'd found, he'd forgive her for an offense like the one she'd just committed.
Susan was almost at the bottom of the stairs when she heard a piercing scream from down the hallway, followed by another. LUCY. She picked up her skirts and ran as fast as her feet could carry her to her little sister. "Lucy!" Door after door she shoved open. "Lucy?!" She reached the dining room and saw the door standing open. She peered inside and gasped in horror.
Lucy was sitting on the floor amidst a mess of shattered crystal, holding her ankle and wailing loudly. "Lucy, what's happened, my love?" Susan exclaimed, rushing over and kneeling on the ground next to the little girl, being careful of the crystal shards. Lucy was crying far too hard to speak, only motioned to her foot-and Susan had to take a deep breath to keep from gagging. "Oh, Aslan..."
The bottom of Lucy's dainty bare foot was littered with deep, jagged cuts. Pointed pieces of sharp crystal protruded out of the skin, and the blood ran onto Susan's hand as she cradled the foot in her palms. "Oh, sweetheart..." Susan sat in shock for a brief moment, then reached into the pouch she wore around her waist and pulled out her horn, a gift she had been given from Father Christmas a couple years ago when the 4 had first ventured into Narnia.
Susan brought the horn to her lips and blew a single, deep blast. In a matter of seconds, three servants came running, followed by a guard, followed by Mr. Tumnus, the faun, who was on security as well, followed by, to Susan's immense relief, Peter, who pushed past the crowd of Narnians and ran to his sisters' sides.
"What's wrong?! I just got ba-Lucy? What's hap-oh. My god. Oh, my god, what's the meaning of this?!" He exclaimed, upon seeing Lucy's battered foot.
"It...it huuuuurts!" Lucy sobbed, finding her voice for the first time since Susan's arrival.
"Hush, darling, I know, I know it does. We're going to get you all taken care of," Susan tried to reassure her sister. Peter scooped Lucy up in his arms and kissed her forehead, then her cheek.
"You'll be alright, Lu. Everything's going to be just fine. I promise." He then began barking out orders.
"Right, on the veranda I need a basin of water, a towel, antiseptic-"
"And sweets, so as to distract her," Susan whispered in his ear, having stood up when Peter picked up Lucy.
"And sweets! Someone go into the pantry and get me sweets! Lots of sweets!" He made his way out the door, amidst his bustling subjects, each trying to figure out where to go and what to do. "And for God's sake, SOMEONE clean up that /mess/!"
Peter carried Lucy outside onto the veranda, sitting down on a padded bench and holding her, quite protectively, in his lap. Lucy was not crying quite so hard now, but her flow of tears was still steady, and the pain etched onto her innocent face broke Peter's heart. "I'm so, so sorry that happened, Lucy-lu," he murmured, using his pet name for her. Lucy glanced up at her brother's face.
"Don't c-cry, Peter. Please don't," she whimpered as she saw his eyes swimming with tears of guilt and frustration. Peter gave her a watery smile and kissed her forehead.
"Lucy, do you know...I mean...what was all that crystal doing on the floor?"
"I don't kno-hooo." Lucy's eyes screwed shut and she began to cry again, in earnest, turning her face to hide in Peter's shoulder.
"Shhh..." Peter stroked her hair.
"It hurts, Peter. Pleeaassee make it go awaaay," she sobbed.
"Help is coming, Lu. It is, I promise. It's alright. You're going to be just fine, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead over and over, desperately wishing he could do it all himself. At that moment, a faun rushed in with a towel, a bowl, and a pitcher of water, followed by a centaur with bandages, a bottle of Narnian antiseptic, and a small something that looked like a pair of tweezers. A young servant girl then came up to them with a bowl full of Narnian sweets. Candied fruits, chocolates, crystallized sugar, and little pebbles filled with a sweet gel were layered on top of one another. Peter nodded to the girl in thanks, and she curtsied. "How about this, eh?" He glances at Lucy and offered her the bowl. She smiled a small wisp of a smile and carefully selected a stick of rock candy.
They sat there for a little while, just the two of them. Lucy had ceased crying for the most part and was clearly enjoying her treat, so Peter was in no hurry to rush the operation. He did however, want to figure out how that crystal vase got on the floor. "Lu?" He asked finally, when she was almost finished with her candy.
"What?"
"So...how did the vase get onto the floor?"
"I don't know. I just walked into the dining room because I wanted an apple. And I sort of slipped, I suppose, because Dawain just cleaned the floors, right? And then I stepped on it...I didn't even see it until it...got stuck in my foot..." She trailed off and her lower lip began to tremble. "Oh, it hurts..." A single tear trickled down her cheek. "I want it out, Peter." He wiped the tear away.
"Are you ready?" She nodded, eyes wide.
"Where's Susan? And Edmund? I want them here, too."
"I...am not sure where Susan is...I rather thought she was coming out here with us."
"Will...will you go and get her and Ed, Peter? I want them."
"Are you going to be alright here if I do?" She nodded. "Alright, then." Ever so gently, he eased Lucy off his lap and onto the bench. Her feet dangled off the edge. He leaned over and put both hands on either side of her face and kissed her nose, then her forehead, then both her cheeks-
"Peter, stoooop!" She gave a tiny giggle.
"My apologies, your highest Highness," he stepped back and gave an exaggerated bow, "I shall return shortly." He grasped her hand and pressed his lips to it.
"Gooo! You great oaf!" She gave him a light shove.
"Right away, milady!" He ran inside and down the few steps to the hallway. "Susan, Susan, Susan..." He went upstairs to her chamber to see if she might be there. No such luck. When he turned to go down the other set of stairs, he saw her sitting at the bottom. "Su?"
She turned around and looked up at him. One glance and he could tell she was crying. He made his way down the steps and sat down next to her.
"So many tears today," he murmured as he put his arms around her. She rested her head on his shoulder. "What's wrong?" She sniffed and cleared her throat.
"I just can't help thinking that I could have prevented that."
"What?"
"Lucy. It's awful what happened to her. And I could've stopped it." Peter ran his fingers through Susan's hair.
"And what makes you think that?"
Slowly, the story unfolded. The story of how she had interrogated Edmund about the flowers, put him in time-out, lost track of time, found Lucy. How she saw an apple lying a little ways away from the shattered crystal. "I think that Edmund threw that apple because he was frustrated with me. It hit the vase, the vase shattered, and Lucy stepped on it. And I could've stopped it," she sobbed. "I could've remembered and gone back for Edmund. I could've just let him go in the first place."
"It's not your fault," Peter kissed her cheek. "You did the right thing in taking Edmund in hand. I did, in fact, see him leave this morning." At that, Susan gave a frustrated sigh. "I'll be exchanging words with him shortly. As far as Lucy, Susan, you didn't know that would happen. None of this is your fault. Please don't blame yourself." She didn't respond. "Alright?" She gave a small nod and he grabbed her hands and stood up, dragging her up with him and pulling her into a hug. "Everything. Is going to be. Just. Fine," he said into her ear, "I know it."
Two and a half hours later, Edmund and Phillip finally reached the Meridan coast. For the next four hours, Edmund had a wonderful time. He swam and climbed the trees and picked fruit, and when it grew dark, he and Phillip galloped along the beach, spraying sand everywhere as they went. At one point, Phillip had the grand idea of galloping into the water and rearing.
Edmund tumbled off the back of the horse-and hit his arm hard against a rock under the surface. He let out a cry and went under. "Sire?" Phillip turned around. "Oh, no." Much to Phillip's relief, Edmund resurfaced after a couple of seconds, coughing and clutching his arm. He stumbled onto the beach and doubled over in agony. "Your Highness, I apologize profusely, I got carried away, I didn't-"
"No, no, it's alright, it's not your fault. You didn't know. And I went along with it and I wanted you to," Edmund gritted his teeth, "but nevertheless, I think it's broken."
Phillip gave a low whicker. "I'm truly sorry, King Edmund."
"Don't worry about it. I think..." Edmund sighed and his stomach turned. "I think that we should be getting home."
"I think that's a brilliant idea, sire. Hop on," Phillip stood still, waiting for Edmund to mount.
"Phillip...I can't...not with one arm." A pit began to form in Edmund's stomach.
"Here," Phillip did his best to kneel on the beach, "try this and see if it's any easier for you, sire." Having Phillip a little lower helped, and Edmund was able to mount after some difficulty.
"Go slowly, if you please. I'm afraid I'm going to slip off, seeing as I only have one arm that I can use."
"Of course. As you wish, your Majesty." The pair began the long journey home.
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