Disclaimer: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia or any of its characters or fictional land/lands; I am not C.S. Lewis, sadly. I only own the plot and characters not featured in the original books.
Suddenly, there came the voice of someone, a female voice; Edmund and Ryder froze on the spot and pulled apart from each other to look at the figure in the stable doorway.
"Edmund? Ryder? What is going on?" Lucy asked a mix of shock and also, what Ryder hoped was happiness shining in her eyes.
"Lucy!" Edmund exclaimed, shuffling on his feet and sending guilty looks at Lucy then worried looks at Ryder.
"Were you two just…?" Lucy raised her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.
"No! Not at all!" Edmund exclaimed innocently.
"I thought you would say that, but I saw you Edmund… kissing Ryder." Lucy said it simply, smiling at Ryder. Edmund crossed his arms across his body in a defensive manner and looked down at his feet. "Is this a one off thing or… more?" Lucy asked.
Ryder looked at Edmund, who slowly raised his head and looked at Ryder too. She raised her eyebrows and looked at him with wide eyes. "It wouldn't hurt for Lucy to know." Ryder whispered, loud enough for Edmund to hear but not Lucy.
Edmund sighed and he ran a hand through his hair, a gesture of hesitation. What did it matter if Lucy knew? He was his sister, she'd understand and if she didn't, what did Edmund have to lose?
"Alright, Lucy there is something I… we should tell you." Edmund paused and looked at Lucy's face. An expression of pure delight was written across her face. "I'm in love with Ryder."
"I can't believe it!" Lucy cried running and flinging her arms around Edmund's neck. "I knew you weren't cold hearted and moody. I knew that somewhere deep inside you could love!"
"Thank you for having so much faith in me Lucy." Edmund chuckled sarcastically.
"And to fall for Ryder as well! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. She's a Telmarine and you love her!" Lucy paused. "Are you sure you're alright Edmund? I mean, if you get past all of Ryder's perfections, she's simply a Telmarine. You hate Telmarines. I thought that would be the one thing that was sure to put you off."
"I'm a surprising person." Edmund said hugging his younger sister. "But you caught us at the wrong time Lucy."
"I sure did! I'm sorry, I just noticed you were wondering around Edmund and followed you down here. I was curious." Lucy said innocently. "Is this your secret meeting place?"
"No Lucy, umm… it is not." Edmund awkwardly said. "I need you to leave, Lucy. Ryder and I have things to talk about."
"We don't have anything to talk about Edmund." Ryder said shaking her head at Edmund and taking a step back. Cemal rose from his place and Ryder slipped her hand around the rein.
"Yes, we do." Edmund said angrily. "Don't you dare step any closer to Cemal Ryder."
"Or what?" Ryder clenched her hands tighter around the reins.
"Or I swear to Aslan, I'll hurt you." Edmund growled at her, the fire returning to his eyes.
"Hold on, Edmund. I'm confused, you just confessed to being in love with Ryder and now you're threatening her!" Lucy exclaimed.
"It's a long story, Lu." Edmund mumbled, not taking his eyes off Ryder.
"I'm leaving whether you like it or not!" Ryder shouted at him.
"It won't make anything better with you leaving Ryder! Tell her Lucy!" Edmund exclaimed, taking a step in front of Cemal.
"What? You're leaving? Why? No you can't leave!" Lucy said panicking.
"It is for the best! You'll see as soon as I'm gone. You won't have to worry about me anymore." Ryder said a tone of pleading in her voice.
"Whoever said that you leaving would be better for Narnia? You could get hurt Ryder!" Lucy cried approaching her.
"I'm so very sorry Lucy." Ryder glanced at Edmund and took her chance. Holding tight onto Cemal's reins she pushed herself up onto the horse then kicked her legs out so they collided with Edmund's chest causing him to topple backwards. Then, using the ground to propel her, she jumped and swung a leg around Cemal, securing her feet in place. She crashed out of the stable doors and into the dark, cold night.
Edmund quickly gathered himself off the stack of hay he had been pushed in and called Philip to his side, grabbing onto the horse and swinging himself onto the horse. He didn't give one last look at Lucy and chased after Ryder. He urged Philip on, Cemal being much faster than any other horse in the stables, but with a saddle now, it weighed the horse down more than it did without a saddle.
Ryder soared through the night, the darkness engulfing her as she disappeared into the trees, riding away from the castle and through the garden to the castle gates. She could hear Edmund's shouts behind her and the sound of Philips hooves thumping against the ground. She turned Cemal sharply and they broke out into the open, the moon glaring down at them now like a spotlight. She broke through the side door to the courtyard, clipping her leg on the wooden door and galloped across the length of it. The gate was still up, allowing those who had packed up their stalls late, out and Ryder charged at the gates catching the attention of some of the guards. Edmund was on her tail and as soon as he saw the gate still up, he shouted up to the guards. "Close the gates, now!"
It took the guards a second for them to recognise the commander's voice and by then Ryder was already on the other side of the gates, Edmund still chasing after her. Ryder peered over her shoulder and cursed when she saw how close Edmund was. She urged Cemal on more but she knew he'd never worn a saddle before and that stunted his speed; she'd always ridden him bareback.
By the time Ryder had reached the trees of the outlining woods, Edmund was level with her. He was still shouting when suddenly, he threw himself from his horse and collided with Ryder, throwing her off Cemal and toppling over the horse together. They landed together in the tall grass, a tangled heap, Edmund arms locked around her, clasping her arms to her side. She struggled against him but Edmund's grip was too strong. She tried to kick out but his weight was pinning her to the ground. She was about to scream out when the sound of approaching voices stopped her.
She looked worriedly at Edmund, who sent her the same look. He loosened his hold on her and brought a hand up to Ryder's lips, then motioned for her to crawl to the nearby tree. As they reached it the voices were louder and closer by. You could hear the whines and snorts of the two horses, lost without their riders in the dark. Edmund gathered himself off the floor slowly, helping Ryder up too. Then they spotted them, the shining mood allowing them to be seen.
Just ten feet away stood a group of six soldiers, dressed in custom Telmarine armoury. They had hold of Philip by his reins but Cemal was causing a commotion, thrashing his head around and kicking at the advancing men. Edmund withdrew his sword slowly but Ryder placed her hand over his and motioned to the bow in her hand, a bag of arrows slug across her body resting on her back. She placed an arrow carefully into the bow and drew it back; taking a deep breath as she stepped around Edmund, keeping her body pressed against the tree. Then positioning the bow lightly against the tree she peered around, aiming at the closest soldier, squinting in the darkness. She took another deep breath as she found her target and then let the arrow slip through her fingers and fly into the back of the soldier's neck. Taking another arrow quickly, she drew it back and hit another soldier; it took a minute for the men to spot where the arrows were coming from, the darkness not aiding their search, the four remaining withdrawing their swords. Ryder hit another causing him to topple to the ground dead.
The remaining two men looked at each other with fear in their eyes then dropping their swords in a panic began to run down the path and through the trees, one tried to jump up onto Cemal but he whined angrily and kicked out at the man. Letting the last arrow fly through her fingers, it hit the retreating man and she watched as he froze in the air as if stunned then slowly fell to the ground like a puppet with no strings to hold him up.
Approaching the only man alive who lay sprawled on the ground, Edmund left the protective shield of the tree and kicked the man in his stomach, so they he moaned in agony and then opened his eyes in flash, first blinking up at Edmund then at Ryder. When he spotted Ryder he rubbed his eyes, not believing she was standing before him, his eyes widening in shock.
"It's actually you." The soldier breathed, staring at Ryder.
Edmund blocked his gaze and pressed his withdrawn sword against the man's throat. Seething with anger, Edmund glared down at the cowering soldier, his own sword laid in the tall grass, far out of the man's reach. "Don't look at her." Edmund threatened, pressing harder onto the poor man's throat. "Now, tell me what six Telmarine soldiers are doing on Narnian land."
The soldier raised his head slightly, wincing at the pressure on his throat but meeting with Edmund's cold, hard stare with his own glare and a smirk playing at his lips for a second, before he felt the sword dig into his skin and the wet feeling of blood made its way down his neck and under his shirt.
"They were orders of our King." The man mumbled.
"Sergio sent you to spy?" Ryder inquired, peering around Edmunds tall frame, trying to get a good look at the soldier.
"We were to report to him everyone who came in and out of Cair Paravel, who came through Lantern Waste as well." The soldier confessed.
"Of course, I knew I was right!" Edmund exclaimed, loosening the weight on the soldier's neck and glancing at Ryder. "Peter didn't believe me, but I just knew Sergio would do something like this; station guards in the woods to look out for you, in case we sent you away or to safety. Isn't that right?" Edmund dug his sword's tip deeper into the man's throat, spitting the words at the soldier in anger.
"Sergio thought it was a flawless plan, but it slipped his thoughts that your wolves roamed this area daily. There were many close shaves but as we learnt their patterns we knew when to come and when not to come." He looked to Ryder. "Though you never did appear, we weren't even sure you existed. When Lord Pedro never returned from his mission of retrieving you, we hoped he'd killed you whilst getting himself killed. Sadly no, here you are safely in the protection of the Narnians and a King."
Ryder breathing quickened, her grip tightening on the sword at her waist. Anger surged through her body, beating in her veins and blood as she stared at the man. She didn't recognise the man, no, but the way he spoke with such loyalty to Sergio and pride for his King, made her blood boil.
Edmund spotted Ryder's sudden change in mood and the ready hand at her waist, to draw her sword any second. He threw his arm out across her body to keep her back, locking eyes with the soldier. "You were easy to talk, though you speak with such pride and loyalty for your King."
"I only have so much loyalty for my King, and pride. He is getting older now and his judgements are flawed. The evidence is here; sending some of his finest men to sit around watching out for some pretty girl, not a reason why. I mean yes, she is beautiful, strangely like the Lady Katrina, but merely a woman. What importance she has to Sergio, I do not know. But I have my duty and I went through with it, either way I will be killed. So what better way to be killed; quickly or slowly tortured until all the information is extracted from me? And then there is the worry that any of it was true but I promise that I spoke the truth because what would I gain from lies?" He smiled back at Edmund. "It'll be only a matter of time before Sergio's son will be on the throne and none of this nonsense or embarrassment will befall on Telmar anymore." The soldier spat the last lines in distaste.
Edmund frowned at the soldier but he believed him, what he was saying sounded like something Sergio would do; he was desperate for Ryder now, her being gone for almost two months now. "Can you tell anything of who Ryder is?" Edmund asked, taking a chance.
"Ryder? You use her disguise name, why?" The soldier asked, puzzled by the use of the name.
"This is the only name she knows, she has lost her memory." Edmund simply stated his heart racing at the newly found news.
"Her name is Aeliana, and she is the daughter of Favino II and Lady Hespera." The soldier informed them, a look of confusion crossed Edmund's face which led the soldier to continue speaking. "Favino adopted her, from who no one knows, but she disappeared along with Favino III the day her parents were murdered. Then 7 years later, she reappears and Sergio has her locked up. Whatever happened to her over those 7 years, it turned her into something dangerous and Sergio felt threatened by her."
Edmund nodded and turned to Ryder, who was stood frozen on the spot. "Ryder, gather Cemal and Philip up. I'll deal with him."
"You're still going to kill him? After all his told us…?" Ryder asked, the idea being absurd.
"What else am I to do? We cannot release him nor can we take him back to the palace alive." Edmund explained.
"So, you're just going to kill him? A defenceless man, who told you everything he knew, defied his King and country and yet you're still going to run your sword through him." Ryder exclaimed. She looked at Edmund with sadness in her eyes. "I thought maybe you were better than me, you wouldn't kill innocent people."
"Ryder, you think I haven't killed before because I have; I've been to war, I fought Jadis… I've killed people and I'm not proud of it but it was to protect the people I love. And to kill this man, I will be protecting you. And nothing will stop me from doing that."
The soldier glanced between the two faces and saw that each wore the same expression; of love. The King of Narnia had fallen in love with a Princess of Telmar, an impossible thought if he had not seen it with his own eyes. And for some reason, the soldier didn't feel the hatred he felt towards the King of Narnia anymore, but pity. So with the two distracted, he grabbed the hilt of Edmund's withdrawn sword, and forced the blade through him.
The sound of the sword's impact on the man's body hit their ears and then the coughs and splutters of a man coughing up blood. Edmund quickly pulled the sword from the soldier's chest and caught him as he fell back. Ryder cried out in shock and approached Edmund's side, kneeling next to the dying man.
"I couldn't let you kill me that easily, Telmarines have to die on their own terms." He said through coughs and splutters of blood. Soon enough, his coughs ceased and his eyes stilled, staring out into the trees above. Ryder out of respect brushed her hand over his face, so his dead eyes no longer stared out.
Edmund slowly stood up, Ryder still frozen next to the dead soldier, and gathered up Cemal and Philip, who were surprising very calm after the whole commotion. He watched in silence as Ryder gathered herself up off her knees and gently picked up Edmund's sword from beside the soldier. The sticky, crimson blood stained the silver of the blade, and Ryder quickly cleaned it along the top of her thigh, it now staining the dirty brown trousers she wore. She then reached into her satchel, which was still slung across her body, and pulled out flint and steel, which she then struck until flames had erupted on the soldier. She then turned and walked away towards the safety distance Edmund was standing.
Finally, one of them spoke. "You cannot leave after this Ryder." Edmund said a note of pleading in his voice. "You understand that you cannot leave now or ever, I need to keep you safe. Just let me do that Ryder, let me be your protector."
Ryder shoulders and chest began to shake violently and tears poured down her cheeks rapidly. She covered her mouth to muffle the heart wrenching cry that escaped her mouth and shook her head at Edmund. "Just take me home, Edmund. Please…"
He quickly approached Ryder side and wrapped his arms around her waist, allowing her to bury her face in his chest as he buried his into her tangled mess of dark hair. She soon reached up to his neck and pulled his face down to hers so she could feel his lips upon hers, the comforting and familiar taste of his mouth. She locked her fingers into his hair and Edmund's hands gripped onto the fabric of her shirt.
The forest was deadly silent, except for the whines and snorts of the two horses in the darkness, the hisses and spits of the burning fire in the distance, and the breathless moans that escaped Ryder's and Edmund's mouth. Edmund pulled away from Ryder quickly and tried to regain his normal breathing patterns. Ryder had not realised how far they had gone, as when she looked at Edmund his shirt and tunic had been removed and her shirt was open to reveal her chest.
"I think we should refrain from kissing until we are safely at Cair Paravel." Ryder informed Edmund as he pulled his clothes back on.
"That's an excellent idea." Edmund laughed, calling the two horses over while he sorted out his clothing and belt.
Edmund pulled himself up onto Cemal and then helped Ryder up, so she was safely sitting in front of Edmund, allowing her to lean herself up against him. He then took the reins from her hands and gently tugged on them so Cemal knew to walk; Philip trotted alongside them, his reins had already been tied to Cemal's.
The sky was dark like coal by the time they reached Cair Paravel, the clock had just struck eleven and the grounds were quiet except for the patrol of soldiers that were stationed in the courtyard. At the sight of two approaching figures, they awoke Queen Lucy, who quickly met them in the courtyard below. She had not informed Peter or Susan of Ryder running off and Edmund's pursuit, nor had a word escaped her mouth of the two being lovers.
The soldiers of Narnia were puzzled to see the two together, but in their mind it was only their King rescuing the young woman from her own madness. Lucy was glad to see the two were safely back and sprinted towards Ryder when she saw her. She enveloped her in a bone crushing hug, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Promise me, you'll never ever run off again. I was so worried!" Lucy cried as Ryder hugged her back.
"I'm sorry; I thought it was the best thing to do." Ryder mumbled into her shoulder.
Edmund climbed down from Cemal, handing the two horses to one of the guards, and approached Lucy's side placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Ryder needs her rest now, so could you look after her? I must awaken Peter immediately." Edmund informed Lucy.
"Of course I'll take Ryder to her room straight away but why must you awaken Peter?" Lucy asked, frowning at Edmund in wonder.
"I'll inform you in the morning Lucy, along with Susan- just please make sure Ryder gets to bed immediately. It was a tiresome journey." Edmund stole a glance at Ryder, who was leaning into Lucy, her skin pale and her eyes half shut; then turned and hurried to Peter's room.
It was barely five in the morning; the sun was only just beginning to set in the distance, when Edmund awoke suddenly. He had only been asleep for a couple of hours since his departure from Peter's room and yet he was wide awake, the same thought running through his head, over and over again, never changing or leaving his mind; it just hovered in his consciousness. Who is she?
Peter had been fast asleep when Edmund had come banging on his door to awaken him, and he was not happy to be awoken at such a late hour, but when Edmund explained everything to Peter, he soon was wide awake and pacing the length of his room- angrily. So many questions had been answered but they then raised new questions, and they seemed to keep piling up. What is it that Sergio wants with Ryder? What was or is so dangerous about Ryder? Who she was and who she is? The list was endless and just caused Peter to gain a pounding headache by the end of it all. So, the two Kings departed to their beds, each more confused than they had ever been.
And so Edmund pulled himself out of bed and took to pacing nervously around his room. He tried to read one of the many books that sat lazily on his bedside table, but it was no use the same thought just kept popping back into his mind, wanting attention, so he gave up all hope of actually doing anything other than wonder about the newly acquired information. At one point he contemplated going down to Ryder in hope that she could distract him, but he daren't wake her, after the night's events he thought she deserved to rest.
Surprisingly, a gentle knock rang through the quietness of his room and he jumped slightly in disbelief at the thought someone would come knocking at this hour. He strode over to the door, in thought that it might be an emergency, and yanked the door open quickly, expecting Peter's tall frame to be standing there, but instead stood in front of him was the woman that was haunting his thoughts, her small frame coming up to his shoulders and he looked down at her in shock.
"Ryder? What are you doing here at such a late hour?" Edmund asked, pulling her from the dark corridor into the candlelight that lit up his room. He shut the door behind her gently and looked over her. She was shivering slightly, wearing nothing but a thin, short night shift, her feet bare against the coldness of his wooden floor. Automatically, he wrapped his arms around her and she cuddled into the warmth of his body.
"I couldn't sleep properly, all I could think of was that soldier and what he said." She pulled back from Edmund to look at his face. "Now all I can think of is who am I?"
Edmund enclosed her in his arms once again and kissed the top of her head gently. "Don't try to think of it."
"I know… I keep trying not to but I can't. What he said has confused me; I thought it might have given some light on something but I'm as lost as I was before." She mumbled into his bare chest, her hands caressing his back sending shivers up his spine.
"I'm as confused as you are Ryder. And when I spoke to Peter he does not where to look now." Edmund told her, taking hold of her hands, ceasing her movements.
She pouted at him, closing the space between them; her hands still in his. His chest rose up and down quickly and his skin shivered in delight at their close proximity. "I can't sleep thinking of it all; I thought you might distract me." She said quite breathlessly, her voice low and husky.
"Ryder…I…I don't want to take advantage of you right now." Edmund said pulling back from her, the smell of strawberries mixed with wild flowers on her skin intoxicating him.
Ryder brought her hands up along his arms to his shoulders then wound them around his neck, her hands slid into place at the base of his neck; gently tugging on his long hair. "You won't be taking advantage of me if I want it…" She mumbled low into his ear, dragging her teeth along his earlobe.
Edmund groaned with annoyance; Ryder was sending him crazy with her wandering hands, her delicious scent, her soft mouth and liquid gold voice. He tried to remain in control of his body but she was doing wonderful things to him with just the sound of her voice. He stood rigid, his arms clasped to his side as Ryder lips trailed from his ear to his neck then down to his collarbone, each motion down accompanied by a slow, tingling kiss that burned Edmund's skin. His body was screaming in agony, his self control etching away with each kiss until finally he could not control himself no more.
With all his force, he crushed his lips to her own, indulging himself in the sweet taste of her mouth. He then proceed to corner her against the wall, hungrily kissing her, his hands gripping onto the thin night shift causing his knuckles to whiten as his hands balled into fists. He closed the remaining space between them, pressing their bodies together, his lips never leaving hers. Satisfied with her mouth, he proceeded down along her jaw to her neck, his hands tugging on the buttons of her night shift, he pushed it off her shoulder to reveal her smooth white skin and he moved his mouth along to her shoulders.
Ryder held on tightly to his neck, fearing if she let go she'd fall over; he was driving her mad now as well. She had not realised how much she missed him, missed the passionate, fierce Edmund who she fell in love. One of his hands soon moved down along the curves of her body to the hem of the shift while his other gripped onto the base of her neck, his mouth now back on her own. Ryder took a sharp intake of breath and bit her bottom lip as Edmund's cold hand met with her thigh, tugging at the shift pulling it up over her curves and over her head. She shivered in delight as his cold hands roamed her body, then suddenly he hitched her legs up onto his waist and carried her off to his bed.
She landed with a gently thump but she was too busy in getting the rest of Edmund's clothes off to care. Her hands gripped at his skin as he braced himself above her but first she pulled him into a long, drawn out kiss which caused Edmund to moan in pleasure. They were so intoxicated they didn't notice the gentle knock on Edmund's door or the creak of the door as it swung open.
AN: Yeah, took me forever I know! It was months you had to wait and I left it like that. I know this chapter was a bit… you saw Edmund in a completely different light… But yeah, I'm cruel and the next chapter should be fun. Who do you think caught them out this time? It might be a unexpected person, now Lucy knows.
Update 4/8/14 – I have changed her name from Aurora to Aeliana. After to reading over it, I thought the name Aurora didn't fit Ryder's character and thought the name Aeliana is both exotic but also mysterious and fierce like Ryder. It is pronouced ay-lee-AHN-ah, the meaning is unknown and that's why I think it fits Ryder so much as well as it taken from the name Aelius which is deprived from the Greek word (helios) which means sun, which gives me the image of Ryder being as radiant as the sun. Sorry for any confusion.
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