Chapter 7: Separate Sides

Edmund's POV

I held her longer than I expected to. She didn't move and neither did I.

It was the longest hug I ever had. She smelled like flowers- like the ones Lucy had her wear on her head the day before. Her hair was long enough to cascade down my arms as I wrapped them around her shoulders. As she buried her face deeper into my sleeve, I let one of my hands travel through her wavy hair. It was soft and warm. I stopped myself as the thought of kissing her head popped into my mind. That'd be too much. Right?

Minutes ticked on by I'm sure, but I didn't complain. I didn't feel the need to. Finally, she moved once more, but to my disappointment, it was to pull away. I reluctantly let go, enjoying the hug more than I cared to admit and trying not to show it. Her warmth disappeared immediately. I didn't notice how cold it was before she let go, but now I felt frozen.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, her eyes a little pink around the edges. She sighed, "I've ruined your shirt…"

She reached up and rubbed the area where her tears left a puddle. I only glanced down at it briefly before shrugging my shoulders, "It's not ruined. Just a little drenched."

She smiled slightly, still avoiding my eyes though. "Sorry if that was… awkward…"

I shook my head quickly, "It wasn't. I've wanted to do that for a while." When her eyes met mine, her cheeks changed color. I then realized what I had said and tried my best to fix it, "I-I mean, I couldn't hug you before, so like… I've always wanted to in order to thank you, y'know? F-for saving my life and all…"

"You can thank me later: when I remember saving you."

"You think you'll remember someday?"

She frowned slightly and shrugged her small shoulders. "I hope so."

"I-I mean, I'm sure you will," I stuttered. I don't like it when she frowns. Or when she cries. It squeezes something inside my chest and makes it hard to breathe. And it feels even worse when I can't fix it. "You will one day."

She smiled slightly once more before standing up. I looked up at her, questioningly.

"We should probably get back to the others…" She mumbled. "I'm sure they're concerned about us, since we did just up and leave…"

Before I stood up, Peter walked in. "There you two are," he sighed, standing in the center of the room. "We're having a meeting here."

"A meeting for what?" I asked.

"To figure out what to do next." He explained. He practically did a double-take on Jess, whipping his blonde bangs in front of his face when he did, "You okay, Jessabelle?"

She shifted uncomfortably, smoothing down the front of her dress in a nervous habit. "Yes, I'm alright."

Peter didn't look too convinced and eyed me suspiciously. I simply shook my head: he didn't have to be a part of EVERYTHING. Besides, I think I handled it pretty well. I was able to help her, she doesn't need him too.

When I shook my head, Peter pretended to casually drop it. "Alright, then."

Not long after that, many more people had begun to crowd along the room. Susan and Peter were followed by Reepicheep and two of his men, also dressed in thin swords and feathers on their head. Then came the bears and the hedgehogs, Nikabrik and Trumpkin, and lastly, the centaurs lined up around the stone table.

Lucy climbed up and sat down while Peter started the meeting. "There's been a sighting of a Telmarine solider outside our borders." Slight murmurs were passed to and fro, before he added, "Which means they know where we are. And we must act before they do."

"What are you suggesting, your highness?" Reepicheep asked, standing as tall as he could with his two friends.

"We attack from the inside," Peter stated. Good idea.

"No one has ever been able to do that before…" Caspian said.

"There's always a first."

"And we will have the element of surprise." I pointed out, not noticing the frown that formed on Jessabelle's face.

Susan stood up then, standing by Caspian to all of our surprised. "But here, we could hold them off indefinitely…"

Peter's stone cold look would send shivers down the spine of anyone who received it. It did feel like a stab in the back. But it was more of a stab to the heart when Jess spoke up.

"I do like the idea of staying here better…" She bit her lip under all the stares. "Besides, they don't know this place inside and out like they do their castle. We could use that to our advantage as well." She shared a look with Caspian that I really wish I hadn't seen, before adding, "I've got your back."

He smiled and I really wanted to be the one to get rid of it. "I know."

Peter who seemed to hate the idea of losing to Caspian, spun around to face Glenstorm, the leader of the centaurs. "What do you think? Will you stand with me?"

He nodded solemnly, "Or die trying, my liege."

"That's the problem," Lucy sighed. We all turned to face her, confused, as she sat atop the stone table. "You all act like there are only two options: dying here or dying there."

"I don't think you've been listening-," Peter tried to reason.

But Lucy snapped, "No, YOU'RE not listening, Peter… Or have you forgotten who really defeated the white witch?"

An ink quill could have echoed through the room due to the silence that overcame it after her sentence. I watched Peter's jaw tighten and I knew he wanted so bad to yell at her, why he didn't do it is beyond me.

But he simply put into cold terms, "I think we've waited for Aslan long enough," before he stormed out of the room.

Most of the others followed. In the end, it was down to Caspian, Susan, Jessabelle and me. It was still silent and I could hear the pounding of my heart in my ears. The question scorched my tongue until it finally came out.

"You're siding with him?" I rolled my eyes at Jess, who seemed startled that I even addressed her in the first place, even after our hug.

She shrugged, "Well, I think he's right."

"Do you ALWAYS think he's right?"

"No."

"Edmund, leave it." Susan hissed.

I had this undefined anger building up in me that I couldn't explain, I didn't have words for. How could she side with him? Why him?

With unanswered questions and really odd feelings, I followed Peter's actions and stomped out of the room myself.