Clack. Clack. Clack.
Where were they?
Clack. Clack. Clack.
It had been days! He worried for his siblings, his friends and his people.
Clack. Clack. Cl—
A bang at the door sounded. Peter stopped his high boots from pacing and turned around all seriousness once more. A whirl of skirts swept into the room. He relaxed, noticing it was only his sister.
"Oh, Susan!" he welcomed. "Did you hear any news?"
The younger girl shook her head. Stepping towards her brother, a tear slowly rolled down her delicate cheek. "No. It's…It's been an awfully long time."
Peter reached out and wiped the tear from his sister's cheek. "It's not your fault, Su. It's mine. I shouldn't have let them go alone."
He then began to pace again, his hands coming up to clench his head in frustration. "I shouldn't have told Lucy she could go exploring! I shouldn't have even let them out of my sight. This is all my doing. I can't. I shouldn't. I shouldn't…shouldn't have…"
Susan's tears had receded. Instead, her face flushed with utter anger and impulsive annoyance. She stomped her way up to her brother, and turned his strong shoulder to face her. When he looked at her, a scowl of denial on his stony face, she reached out a hand and slapped him.
It wasn't a very gentle move on the Gentle Queen's persona, and was never really in her nature. But she was mad; worried for her younger siblings, and annoyed at her older one.
"Hey!" he said, touching his tingling cheek. "What was that for?"
"For being moronic and selfless, Peter," Susan said. "For blaming everything on yourself. If anything does happen, you didn't cause it."
"Then what would?" he shot back. "Who'll be there to defend them?"
"Themselves," she simply put. "And their guards. And whatever friends Lucy meets on her way – you know how she is. I know this may be hard for you, Peter, but it's hard for me too. We're grown up now, and even Edmund and Lucy are growing. I think it may be time to accept it."
The High King's hand slowly returned to his side. He hung his head awkwardly – a rare gesture on the Magnificent's behalf – and nodded in defeat. "You're right, Su."
The Gentle Queen smirked coyly and reached out to wrap her arms around him. "I know. I'm always right."
For a moment, the two siblings could share a rare tidbit of peace. No people to enquire, no letters to forge, to meetings to direct. No business to attend to, except for the business of their own company. It was a rare affair, indeed.
But the silence did not last long. A moment later, a rap sounded at the door.
Untangling himself from his sister, Peter called the individual to enter.
A miniature Cat was let into the room by a Centaur. He bowed his furry bodice, then straightened quickly.
"Your Majesties, a Squirrel has just arrived at the Castle's gate who wishes to speak to you both."
The two Monarchs' looked at one another. Surely he could wait a few moments?
"He says it is of utter emergency. It involves the whereabouts of your siblings."
PAGE. BREAK. HERE.
Unwillingly, Lucy was smiling.
It was her nature to smile, to give off a positive energy to any being that needed it. She didn't do it on purpose, it merely came by accident. It was a curse and a gift, something she enjoyed having but despised knowing she could trick any foe with a toothy, childish grin.
And at this moment, it was a curse.
She and Edmund had planned not to tell anyone. They had not wanted to be noticed. What could they do now? They couldn't lie again. She could see on her brother's face that it wasn't an option he wanted to consider.
Besides, her grin made it plainly obvious.
In the corner of her eye, she saw Edmund also give away in defeat, a shockingly odd turn of the lips – an unusually Edmund-like twist – formed on his demeanour. "Good profiling skills, my friend," he then remarked, a slight laugh burbling in his throat.
But the Hedgehog wasn't buying their light-heartedness very much. He began to pace his small shack, his glasses swiping across his paws. He mumbled and murmured incoherent words.
Josiah too, was astounded. She quickly let go of the arms she had been holding and looked shyly towards the ground. While the Hedgehog paced, she mumbled. "I-I'm sorry, Your Majesties. I…I didn't know."
Startled, both children looked at her.
"It is no problem, Lady Josiah," Edmund muttered, patting her arm gently.
"Besides!" Lucy piped up. "We never even told you. Who'd expect you to know if we didn't mention it?"
"I…I sh—"
Both heads shook and she stopped mid-sentence. "Alright."
Lucy kept smiling taking her new friend's hand once more.
Bang!
Before they could even begin to speak, the Hedgehog had toppled on the ground. He had dropped his glasses and knocked himself against the stone shaped like a desk in his pacing. All three other occupants pushed their way to him.
"Are you well, friend?" Edmund asked gently, helping the poor Hedgehog to sit up.
He nodded.
Lucy piped up. "Are you sure? You may like a drop of my cordial."
The Hedgehog's eyes went big. "Oh-no-no-no-no, my queen! That vial of yours is to precious to waste on a being like me."
She smiled kindly. "It may help you with your eyesight, sir. You shan't wear those spectacles anymore."
He huffed. "I enjoy my spectacles, thank you."
She shook her head. "As you wish, sir,"
When they all had settled in comfortably, around a fire with tea and biscuits, Edmund finally broke the silence by asking the question that had pained his mind since the incident at breakfast.
"Lady Josiah?"
The Dryad looked up from her Birch Bark Tea. "My king?"
"Why…why did the waiter wish you ill-fated in death?"
She bit her lip. "Guith…"
All heads in the room snapped to her. "What about Guith?"
"He's…he has his spies out there. He's trying to save everyone from the darkness. But…but…"
"But what?"
"They're after him, the Hags and Minotaurs and Wolves, and of them. But they're never able to find him."
Lucy looked over at the Hedgehog, who they had learned was named Rolfe. "Do you know anything of this man, sir?"
Rolfe nodded. "He was very popular with the villagers before this intrusion. He has gained many people's trust."
"Then perhaps we should go to him." Edmund stated.
Lucy nodded, downing the last bits of her snack. "Perhaps catch up with Darla as well. We promised to visit her."
"Yes," said Edmund. "Master Rolfe, I do request that you send that letter to our siblings with your Robins. If anything goes amiss, set the blame upon my shoulders. We shall see you again."
With that, all three of them rose, saying their hushed goodbyes and promises of keeping secrets secret. Edmund and Lucy skittered out the door, following Josiah to her brother's hiding place.
Robins were the word used by the British to call their mail delivery people. They were called that because of their outfits during the Victorian era. (I don't know if they still call it that, but maybe I'll find out when I go to England this summer =)) So yay for English advanced random facts! It was also very ironic…gettit, eh? Robins and Narnian Robins…talking birds? My humour is a fail.
Okay though, so thanks for the comments! I always appreciate the advice and little motivational things. It really helps me to keep going with this. Le français n'arrêtait pas mon travail! BAM. (You'd think I was crazy somehow, but I'm really not)
&no, I do not know where your school is, but yay for frenchies (or french fries or french toast, I've been called them all) I'm a junior (even though we don't go by "freshman" "sophomore" etc, at my school. We don't start high school in my district in tenth grade) and have been in French since the very first day of school when I was four (I had an early birthday).
I'm really sorry also about this pointless chatter I'm going on about. It's like midnight, I have no school tomorrow, and my friend and my dog are both snoring loudly (and talking in her sleep about parties) across the room. I have reasons for my need to be random tonight. I promise I won't do it next time. So, G'night mates, g'night! (I really didn't have the heart to cut this part out, so please don't think I'm odd :/ no flames for it too!)
Anyways, review! Thanks a lot You're all awesome!