Chasing Rules

A Knight of Narnia is truly a fearless knight, and secure on every side, for his soul is protected by the armour of faith and his body is protected by the armour of steel. He is thus doubly armed, and need fear neither beasts nor men.

-Clairvaux, Prophet of Narnia

De Laude Novae Millitae

In Praise of the new Knighthood

"Hello." There was nothing serious in his voice. No tinges of threat. Although it had a hint of laughter mixed in its solemn pitch. Calla's response was merely a sharp glare. She took a step closer, her eyes narrowing into thin slits.

"You think this is funny?" She said, shooting him with dagger eyes.

"It's delightful as well to see you, Lady Winter." He laughed, jerking his shoulders up. She frowned when she realized Edmund was addressing her so formally.

"You avoid me for days, then you show up, and act as if nothing happened."

"Why should it matter to you?" He asked. Calla didn't know why it caused a swivel in her stomach, like arrows lapsing in your flesh. His response was cold, harsh and didn't seem pleased.

"I don't know." She stuttered, startled by her own reactions. Her feet started ebbing their way out of Edmund's reach. Calla winced at how this boy was making her timid, and how he drives her mad. She wanted to avoid him. She couldn't tolerate his attitude at all, the way he'd find a chance to be completely antagonistic whenever she was caught doing something suspicious, even if it was merely exploring the castle grounds, he would have taken her in for spying.

"Now where do you think you're going?" He called out.

"Away from you." She responded almost at once, not even glancing back in his direction. Calla spotted a fallen tree and swung herself upon it, letting her feet dangle at its adequate elevation from the ground. It was a good thing she changed into her chausses, otherwise, she couldn't have moved at all with the press of the skirts.

Before she knew it, Edmund was just below her.

"I don't suppose asking courteously is going to make you drop down there." He assumed, flicking his gaze around if anybody was watching.

"And I don't suppose my defiance is going to make you withdraw from your request." She answered brusquely.

Edmund shrugged. "Are you testing me?"

"What if I am?" She jested, grinning.

"My patience is wearing thin." He said, his voice more menacing.

Calla bobbed her head. "Thicken it, then."

"Fine," Edmund began as he unsheathed his sword. The scaffold whistled as his blade was released from the leaden clasps. "You leave me no choice."

He stabbed the bark of the tree with his sword, its sharp pang revolting through the roots. Calla felt the branch under her tremor, and soon enough, it sent her flying and splattered her on the ground. She spat out the dirt, while wiping her soiled bliauds. He's asking for it. She thought. Edmund's boots were facing her as she laid flat on her torso.

"This was Lucy's!" She shouted, dumbfounded at her muddied tabard.

"If you had been more compliant with my terms then I would have caught you." He laughed, extending his arm for her.

"Hold your tongue," She snapped, pushing his hand away as she tried to stand up. "You would have not. I'll have no man catching me."

"Think again, milady, I have caught you many times. One of which has prevented you from getting yourself killed." He said, holding his gaze a moment longer as he waited for her response. Calla's mortification grew remorseless, and she could feel her cheeks flaming at Edmund's reply. Yes, he did catch her from her death. But she was sure she could have done it herself.

"I'd rather have been taken by Calormen soldiers." She retorted. Edmund smiled in contrast to her glower.

"I would have stolen you away before that happens," Calla pursed her lips, not knowing how to react. She was unsure of what he meant but it couldn't have been what she was supposing. Would he really have cared enough? Of course not. She was nothing more to him but a factor in finding someone he wants to kill.

Edmund started walking away before he stopped in his tracks. "In which case I would have the pleasure to distress you instead." He said. Well, at least she found out his motive.

His philosophical answers annoyed her greatly that she couldn't resist what she was about to do. As soon as she realized Edmund's back was unguarded, Calla stole one of his twin blades, facing him in a defensive stance. Edmund dragged back a few steps, a little startled. She gripped the hilt of the sword tight, aiming it at him.

"Feisty." He growled, eyes darting from the tip of the sword to Calla's face. For a moment, they were staring at each other, exchanging deathly glares. If looks could kill, Edmund would have had no difficulty sorting his toil with the stubborn girl he can't quite tame. Quietly, he was brushing with his fingertips the other paired sword that was strapped to his waist, preparing to strike. With an abrupt move, he twisted her blade with his elbow and brought out the sword that rested on his belt.

Calla's sword came flying in the air, then the hilt landed perfectly into Edmund's hands. His moves were swift, vivid, and unpredictable, like fickle bandits of the night. To further prove this, he threw towards her the sword, and she looked at him confused.

Edmund cast a sidelong glance at her. "Tsk. Don't lower your defenses. Is that how you respond to an ambush?" Calla looked at the sword that lay on the grass. Its power seemed tempting, and she could imagine Lucy's joy in wielding one. It was a weapon fashioned for war, for defense and survival, but at the same time, it was defined in intricate patterns of art. A skill and talent fit for the life she had always wanted. And she wanted to learn how to hold the power in her grasp.

"I don't know why is it that I am always helping you." He muttered.

"Maybe if you've taught me how to fight, maybe I won't need your help anymore." Calla was now fuming at how he kept underestimating her. She picked up the sword, trying her best not to hurl it at him. All she wanted was to learn how to wield a blade.

"What are you suggesting?" Edmund asked.

Calla gulped, unsettled to ask him what she wanted to know. She could remember his words to her in the trench; the words that kept troubling her whenever she thought about herself. You're too arrogant to let people help you. She wasn't, as far as she was aware. Calla decided maybe it was time to prove him wrong.

"I was hoping you would help me learn." Her breath caught, waiting for Edmund to answer. He was so still, almost as if he didn't know what to say. She was guessing maybe he didn't trust her enough to teach her his skills. Maybe he's afraid she would learn something that could be the reason for his downfall. His country's downfall.

"Give me one good reason why I should." He said, his voice resembling a strict demand.

"You said yourself I was too arrogant to let people help me. Now don't you think you're being too arrogant to not help someone who's in need of it?" She explained. "I saw you fight that beast that wanted to kill me. I want to learn to fend for myself."

Edmund did not seem convinced. "How do I know you are not to use what I teach you against me, or my country?"

"I've already trusted your country enough to care for Bane when he was injured."

"That was only an individual. My terms consist of a whole country, and all that lives in it," Edmund said. "Tell me, why should I help you?"

The wind ceased howling, leaving an unnerving silence. Calla peered at him as though she were dreaming. "Why shouldn't you? You saved my life twice in one day. I don't see how you can't help me keep it."

He didn't know how to answer to that. His reason was that he didn't trust her very well, and maybe he did fear she would do something that would lead to his demise. But if he didn't trust her at all, why did he keep making an effort to risk his life for her? For a while, Edmund admired the fact that she looked up to him, enough that she's willing to let down her ego and actually stop and listen to someone with far better experience. It took a moment before Edmund spoke once again. "Alright." He mumbled under his breath.

"I didn't quite catch that," Calla sneered at him, her requests nearly satisfied.

"I said 'alright,' alright?" He scowled, raising his sword.

"Wonderful! We'll start now." She exclaimed, imitating his actions.

"On the condition that you will do as I say. No exceptions," He said, pointing a finger at her. "Maybe if I'm over and done with you, then I won't have to keep rescuing you in whatever plights you drown yourself in."

"I don't need rescuing." She countered.

"Nay. Your lifespan says you do." He said, letting the rim of his sword rest on his shoulders.

"You're really doing this?" Calla asked, still cynical about his willingness to participate in helping her in combat.

"You baffle me, milady," Edmund answered, a little confused why she was still in her doubts. "Do you want me to help you or not?" He held up his blade, letting it wallow in the glare of the sun.

Calla bit her lip, watching him carefully scrutinise his sword for any rust. "I thought you said you couldn't trust me?"

Her skin prickled when Edmund's eyes met her, almost as if hundreds of butterflies brushed against her skin and vanished. Edmund opened his mouth to speak. "I thought you said I could?" She noticed she was always left speechless by his words. Even though it had always made her look stupid in front of him. She found his boundless wit charming, and almost…. attractive.

"Maybe I could torment—I mean mentor you for a bit," He grinned, as if he couldn't divine the difference between the two words. "Lasses like yourself need educating in men's play things." She winced, rolling her shoulders back to release the tension.

"Go easy on me." She warned.

"We'll see," He told her. "Put your weapons aside," Edmund commanded her as he unstrapped his own sword belt, tossing it to the rock not far from him. Calla frowned, which made Edmund chuckle. "Look, you doubt your instincts too much. Swords help no more than your body." He added.

Calla angrily tossed the sword away. "I don't see how wrestling you is going to aid me in battle." She tried convincing him, but Edmund shook his head.

"You'll need to use your mind in battle, for there is more to war than killing your opponent. It's about learning from them, and making yourself a more skilled warrior." She sighed heavily, exhaustion disheartening her as his voice pressured her to listen. "Remember? Back in the forest, you hardly slacked the man off your feet when you lacked any weapons. If I wasn't there to finish him, he would have had you and-"

He stopped, hesitating to continue as he dropped his gaze.

"And?" She asked. Edmund lifted his chin.

"Never mind. Its just that, I don't want to lose an arm will mentoring you." Noticing how the man before her was built, Calla doubted parting Edmund from any of his limbs would be an easy feat. He approached her, although his body tensed when he was suddenly near to her. Calla grimaced. Maybe he thought she would pull out a dagger or something if she were close enough.

When Edmund stood face to face with her, Calla realised he was very tall and his muscles seemed built like a statue. Now that their chests were almost pressed together, Calla had to lift her chin to face him directly, Her confidence wavered at just the look of Edmund staring into her own eyes. "We'll test our blades against each other when you've learned to control yourself."

Calla reeled herself in preparation for another instruction. Edmund began by circling her, observing her moves and sensing her fears. "In the battle field, you will face soldiers that embody clever but cunning deceit," Calla kept shifting her position to face him. "They will find ways to feed on your weaknesses, and if you only focus on lashing out these brutes, you will not prevail."

Edmund stopped, facing her in a stern demeanour. "Know your strengths, not your fears," He started by giving her a heads up. "Tell me how can you defeat me."

Calla was on the verge of laughter, waiting for Edmund's sly grin come into place. This was King Edmund the Just she was facing. She had absolutely no chance of besting him. The smile she expected did not come, instead, the contours of Edmund's face darkened.

"Anything you do will get you killed, including nothing." He said. Her smile faded, suddenly panicking on how to answer his questions. Of course she didn't know her strengths. She was yet to gain them in experience.

"Alright, then. Start first by finding my weakness," He told her.

"But you don't have—" Calla paused, her cheeks flaming when she realized how she was about to state his perfection. "I mean, I can't possibly know."

"You cannot think like that in the middle of combat. If you let your doubts overcome you, it will do you no good." He said. "Forget that I am a king. Look at me, what do you see?"

She gulped, still figuring out a way to answer him. "Tall, broad shoulders. I see strength." A trace of a smile loomed over his face. It seemed impossible besting Edmund Pevensie. And she was hardly armed. Her limbs were flimsy and her force barely tapped Edmund's power

"How do you defeat strength?" He started going around her once more. "Let me tell you what I see; a small, fragile opponent, doubtful of herself. She is without arms and will falter without much difficulty."

He was behind her when he suddenly sprinted towards her unguarded back. Calla flopped on her stomach as she dove to the ground.

"Very funny." She growled, sitting up in a crouch.

Edmund sighed as he watched her get up on wobbly feet. "What is it that you have that I don't?" He replied with a subtle laugh.

Calla took this distraction and lunged towards him. Edmund toppled over in surprise as she pushed him off his feet. She landed on all fours and rolled to her feet, ready for Edmund to return her with a deafening blow. But she was surprised to see him still sprawled to the muck. Edmund cursed as he lurched back on his feet.

"Speed. That is your asset. You're even faster than I thought, that's why I ended up in the mud." He curled his hands into a fist and hung them in front of his chest. "Again." He lunged before he said the words. His sudden actions made her lose her balance in an attempt to dodge him. Calla was slumped on her back, reunited with the ground once more as she faced the sky.

"What was that?!" She hissed at Edmund when his face hovered on top of her.

Edmund smirked." Payback."

"You're horrid."

"And you're bloody annoying. Now get back on your feet." He demanded. No sooner was she standing when Edmund rushed at her, making her collapse once again. Calla tried to scramble away, but Edmund's arms locked tightly around her waist, dragging her closely towards him as she struggled to fight back.

He held her limbs, pinning them down. "Remember, your opponents learn your skills and adjust their tactics." His face was mere inches from hers as he kept her still. "So I have to keep you still to win."

Breathing hard, Calla looked up to see he was wearing that infuriating expression of being on the verge of laughter, almost as if he thought she seemed like an easy adversary to defeat. But she was an easy feat, as much as she hated to admit it. Edmund was far stronger and braver than any man she had ever known for the past few days.

"You're supposed to be teaching me," She scoffed at him. "Not enjoying yourself."

"I believe I can do both." He kept her forearms pinned and whenever she tried to push him away, she realized she might as well have been trying to lift a boulder. Calla made an honest attempt to free herself, but she suddenly couldn't focus solely on anything else besides the length of Edmund's body pressed against hers.

She could remember the deep, steady tones of his voice, heartbeats that lulled her to sleep as she rested against his bare chest. Calla was drawn to him in ways she could not understand, and the fact was, he was the type of man she wanted to avoid. He seemed dark, full of disdain and weary indulgence.

Now, she was tracing the shape of Edmund's mouth with her gaze, and Edmund did as well to hers. He reached out to brush a strand from her face, panting slightly. She could taste his breath, subtly sweetened by spiced wine.

With each moment, she only felt pure bliss, warmer, and more content in his arms. Edmund's breathing caressed her cheeks, and with a little hesitation, he drew her closer, slowly and steadily, until her small form was fitted against his. She cringed not only at his touch, but the path his eyes took from her jaw to her neck.

They were so engrossed with the situation that neither of them noticed the sound of footsteps approaching them.

Flynn stared at them wide eyed. "My lord?" The scene looked very much different in Flynn's eyes than to what Edmund thought he was merely doing.

Edmund quickly pushed himself up and stepped away from Calla. They both stood up in certain distances, each refusing to meet the other's eyes.

"Forgive me, my lord. I did not realise his Majesty was…preoccupied," He suddenly blushed. "But the High King craves a word with you." Flynn bowed, slowly retreating. He glanced at Calla, who was peppered a deep scarlet.

"I understand." Edmund shot a glare at the soldier, and with that, Flynn left the two of them alone. "I think that was enough for one day, Lady Winter," He said.

Calla nodded. As she walked beside the tall King, she said. "It would seem strange that you should address me so formally, King Edmund."

"What would you have me call you?"

"My name is Calla," she said. "And it is to that name I would have you call me."

"Then do me the same courtesy." He told her. Calla stopped, his response puzzling her. He had been pushing her in the past to address him in his royal title, now he is telling her to call him as simply as 'Edmund.'

"Yes…Edmund." Her voice quivered when she said his name.

"Is my name so horrid?" Edmund laughed as they strode towards the castle.

She shook her head while keeping her eyes away from his. There was something about him that she felt. Edmund had felt it as well towards her. Calla was not really as gorgeous as the other women he had met. Prudove seemed much, much more beautiful compared to her. But she had this charm that intrigued him, something he wanted to explore whenever she was near.

He didn't want to indulge into childish appeal towards some captive they kept in his castle. But in the intervals of his mind, despite what he keeps trying to tell himself, Edmund knew he was denying something, a troubling feeling that just might ruin the sworn alliance of Archenland and Narnia.

A/N:

Edmund is denying something, that scoundrel. What do you think it is?

Anyways, I'm having mental block on names for the Winter Ball Chapter. Can you guys help me with this naming thing? I'd appreciate it. Golden Age names are preferable, fit for Lords, Dukes and Duchesses, yada yada.

Took lines from Rift. Hope you don't mind. They were too good! The quote is originally from Bernard de Clairvaux, who is not really a prophet of Narnia but a French abbot in the 1100s. But this is fan fiction, so who cares?

SweetSunnyRose – Wow! I was surprised when you said their chemistry was undeniable. I think its already day three of the time Peter's given her. So she's got like, 27 days?

Victoria- Easy there! If that chapter comes, I'll make it perfect for you.

Anna the Viking- Yeah, maybe she does deserve a break. Well, she has 27 days from now. There's still plenty of time to search. Thanks for your awesome reviews!

LittleKid13- Sadly, Peter isn't betrothed to her :( We'll just wait and see.

Reviews will be adored.