Bound by Duty
Disclaimer: The Chronicles of Narnia belong to the estate of C.S. Lewis. I own nothing but the plot and the original characters in this story.
A/N: Many thanks to Keri S. again for the beta and to those who have read, reviewed and are still following the story despite the infrequent updates.
Chapter 6 – Upon a Knife's Point
"Why do you not draw your own sword, poltroon!" cheeped the Mouse. "Draw and fight or I'll beat you black and blue with the flat."
"I haven't got one," said Eustace. "I'm a pacifist. I don't believe in fighting."
— "On Board the Dawn Treader", The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
oOo
It was maddening, Eustace thought as he stared at the set of doors in front of him. He had wandered around the castle for a half-hour trying to find the place before finally asking a passing maid for directions. And now that he was here, he was barred from entering by the two guards that stood at the entrance. No matter how much he insisted that he was expected, neither the human nor the strange goat-man would budge.
He glared at the two to no avail and decided to return to his room. He turned away and took one step forward when the doors suddenly opened of their own accord. Voices drifted out from the room and Eustace paused as he recognized several of the speakers.
"Eustace, there you are!" At the sound of Lucy's voice, he turned his head in time to catch her as she stepped out of the room. She looked cheerful and seemed relieved at finding him there. Others followed her out and looking past her shoulder, he saw Edmund, Caspian and the Narnians he had met earlier at the harbor.
"I thought you said you weren't coming," Edmund said as he approached the two of them.
Eustace scowled. "Well, I'm here, aren't I?" And before either of his cousins could respond to this remark, he ploughed on. "But then these two," he motioned toward the guards, "wouldn't let me in."
Lucy looked toward the guards curiously. The Telmarine man met her gaze and said, "We've orders to allow you and King Edmund in, Ma'am, but no one else."
"My apologies, Eustace," Caspian said as he turned his attention to them. He had just finished a conversation with Trumpkin and overheard the guard's words as he came over. "In my haste and distraction, I only thought to mention Queen Lucy and King Edmund to the guards." He bowed his head contritely toward the youngest boy. "It won't happen again."
Eustace looked as if he wanted to say more to Caspian but Lucy interrupted, asking, "Have you been waiting here long?"
He turned his attention back to her, still scowling. "Just a few minutes," he admitted grudgingly; he would never confess to either of his cousins that he had gotten lost.
"Oh." She was surprised; the meeting had spanned the better part of an hour and it should not have taken him that much time to find them. "Did you explore the castle then while we were in the meeting?"
"No," he said sulkily. The whole place was a zoo; not just with all the corridors and rooms, but with its strange and unnatural inhabitants. He didn't trust anyone around here that wasn't human; the maid he had spoken to earlier was the first human he had come across after leaving his room.
"Well," Lucy said brightly, "how about we take a tour of the castle now?" He opened his mouth to protest her suggestion but she had already looped her arm with his and began leading them away from the room and down the corridor.
As Lucy and Eustace took the lead, the two kings followed behind them. "You needn't come with us, you know," Edmund said to his friend as the two of them remained several paces back. "I'm sure you have other things to do than to wander around the Cair with us."
"I don't mind," Caspian said. "There is nothing pressing at the moment and I can spare an hour or two. Besides," he smiled as he watched Lucy waving her hands about and pointing at tapestries, sculptures, and doors as she walked past, "I don't know much about the castle's history. It would be wonderful to learn more of it from you and Lucy."
The king quickened his steps until he was right behind the Queen and her kinsman. Just ahead of them was the entrance to the throne room and Lucy eagerly rushed forward, pulling Eustace along with her. The guards saluted as they approached and when the Queen drew closer, threw the doors open for her.
Caspian always felt a sense of amazement whenever he stepped inside. It was a grand room—larger than the one in his forefather's castle—and it never failed to impress visitors that sought an audience with him. The king thought it was a jewel in itself, with peacock feathers glistening like emeralds and sapphires along the western wall and a view of the sea sparkling through the eastern windows. At the far end, several shallow steps led up to a dais and the king smiled as he looked upon it.
The four of them walked to the middle of the room and stopped. Lucy's back was to him, but Caspian noticed she had suddenly let go of her cousin. Free from her hold, Eustace yanked his arm back until he was well out of her reach. He quickly moved away from them, wandering off to the side to look around the room.
"Lucy?" the king asked, concerned by her behavior.
She spun around and he thought her eyes were rather bright. "Oh, Caspian!" she cried, "I can't believe they're still here!" There was a small tremor in her voice as she turned away from him and looked ahead once more.
"Four…" Edmund murmured, his voice trailing off as he looked to the dais. He glanced sideways at Caspian. "Did you do this?"
The king shook his head. "They were already here when we moved into the castle… as they should be," he added.
Lucy took her brother's hand and pulled him forward, leading him to the dais. Caspian watched as they climbed up the shallow steps to the four thrones.
The little Queen reached out, her hand hovering over one of the middle thrones. She hesitated briefly before resting her fingers on the armrest. The pads of her fingers met cold wood and she moved her hand forward, gliding across the smooth, polished arm until it sloped downward to form the mane of a lion's head that stared unseeingly across the room.
By this time, Caspian had reached the dais; he had purposely slowed his steps to allow his friends some privacy as they looked upon the thrones they sat in so long ago. From where he stood on the bottom step, he looked up and stared at the carving beneath Lucy's hand; he had never noticed its presence before.
As he looked at Lucy, he thought there was a dreamlike expression on her face; it was as if she was somewhere else, far away from the room they were standing in. A quick glance over to her brother found the same distant look upon his face as well. For a fleeting moment, Caspian wished that he too could see what it was that his friends were seeing.
He coughed in a low voice, not wishing to startle either of them. As if a spell had broken, Lucy blinked and turned her head toward the sound, her fingers slipping off the arm of the chair. "Will you take up your rightful place once more, Queen Lucy?" he asked, gesturing toward the throne she stood beside.
She shook her head and offered him a small, sad smile. "No, I can't. It wouldn't—" she stopped, unwilling to finish the thought.
"Besides," came Edmund's voice as he walked over to them; he had been standing by one of the thrones on the far end of the dais, "this one wasn't Lucy's." He grinned mischievously at the king. "Tell me, Caspian, whose throne do you sit in?" The young King stood in the center of the dais and placed a hand on each of the middle thrones. "The Queen Susan's, perhaps? Or mine?"
Caspian laughed. It seemed to him a trick question, but one he thought he could answer easily. "Nay, King Edmund. I usually sit in the High King's seat," he said, indicating the throne that Lucy had touched with a tilt of his head. "At least, I assume it belonged to King Peter."
He stepped back and studied the four chairs as if it was the first time he had ever seen them. They appeared to be exactly the same, from the carvings that decorated the frames to the velvet cushions that covered the seats. Other than various scratches and dents in the wood from wear, there were no distinguishing marks on any of the thrones to indicate their ownership. He had always assumed his usual seat belonged to the High King based on a picture that hung in the Great Hall; the large tapestry that covered the wall behind the High table depicted the four Kings and Queens sitting on their thrones during their coronation.
Edmund raised an eyebrow. "Would it matter then if the seat did belonged to one of us instead of Peter?"
"Of course not," the Telmarine king was quick to reply. "It is an honor to sit in a throne that belonged to any of the Kings and Queens of Old." He felt his cheeks warming as it suddenly occurred to him that he might have offended his two friends.
Lucy laughed lightly. "Edmund's only teasing you, Caspian. We took no offense." She patted the seat cushion and he watched as her fingers sunk into the velvet. "And yes, this was Peter's throne. That one," she tilted her head toward the one on her left, "belonged to Susan's. Mine and Ed's were the ones at each end of the dais."
She sighed. "I can still remember the first time we sat here," she said softly, as if she was speaking to herself. If she closed her eyes, she could picture how things used to be. She thought she could hear the chatter in the room as Narnians waited for them before the horns announced her family's arrival. Lucy looked out across the room, almost expecting a scene from her memories; instead, it was empty save for themselves on the dais and Eustace.
Eustace. She had almost forgotten her cousin was here as well. He had been looking idly around the room when he caught her looking at him. "Can we go yet?" he asked, his voice echoing in the vast space. She didn't need to see his face to know he was disinterested in what was around him; the boredom she heard in his voice was hint enough.
Lucy looked to her brother and her friend. With a shrug of his shoulders, Edmund said, "I suppose we've spent enough time in here." He stepped off the dais and headed for the doors. Eustace followed his cousin as Edmund walked past, the sound of their steps alternately echoing on the floor.
"Is that everything then?" Caspian asked as he and Lucy followed the two boys out.
"I think so," the Queen replied. "I can't think of any other places that would be important to know about."
"If that's all," Edmund said as he waited for them in the hallway, "then there's one more thing I'd like to take a look at."
"And that would be?"
"Swords," he answered simply. Turning to Caspian, he asked, "I don't suppose I can borrow a decent sword while I'm here? Not that I'm expecting a war or anything like that," he assured the king. "I just miss the feel of having one at my side." There had been no need for weaponry during their sea voyage as they were confined to the ship, but he would feel more comfortable having a blade on hand should it become necessary.
"Of course." Caspian understood his friend's request perfectly; he too had been without sword or dagger before and felt the absence of a weapon acutely. "Shall we go to the armory then?"
"I wonder…" Edmund looked at him thoughtfully. "Do you know if any of the blades from our time are still in the treasure chamber?" He and Peter had found and taken a few swords from there during their last visit to Narnia but that was within a ruined castle; he wasn't sure how it would be this time now that Cair Paravel was whole again.
"The treasure chamber?" Caspian echoed, surprised by the question. "I— I don't know." He racked his brain, trying to remember what items he had seen in there; after a minute, he gave up as his mind drew a blank. "In truth, I've only visited the chamber when I had need of the Gifts," he finished, looking briefly at the diamond flask at Lucy's side.
"Well, if you won't mind—"
Caspian shook his head. "Not at all. Lead on, King Edmund." He himself was curious now, unsure of what else could be discovered there other than the usual treasures.
They walked to the end of the corridor and made a turn, the entrance to the Great Hall ahead of them. Edmund pushed open one of the wooden doors and stepped inside, holding it open until all of their party had entered. After the last member of their group walked past the threshold, the King let the door shut behind him and proceeded to follow the others as they walked on ahead.
Caspian led them forward across the colored pavement that decorated the floor of the Hall. He climbed onto the dais and with a quick glance at the tapestry behind it, walked past the High Table to the corner of the room. Lucy shared a look with her brother as they watched the king pull back one of the tapestries to reveal a door; she was reminded of how Peter and Edmund discovered the same door a year ago hidden by the vines that grew around the ruins of the castle.
The king pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. He took a step through the doorway but stopped, suddenly turning back. "We'll need a—"
"—torch?" Edmund asked with a grin as he held a lit one in his hand; he had pulled one off the wall before he reached the dais. Beside him, Lucy laughed as she remembered the difficulties they had the last time they were here.
The Queen took the torch from her brother and passed it to her friend. "We had a bit of trouble trying to light our way down here last year—three years ago," she explained to a bemused Caspian. "We never could light a torch that night and had to settle for using Ed's electric one instead."
"Ee-lek-trik?" the king tested the word in his mouth.
"It's something that our other world has," Edmund said. "I'll explain it another time." Though a year had passed since his birthday gift disappeared, he still wondered what became of it. He had given some thought about it after returning to England and eventually concluded that it went missing somewhere in the forests between Glasswater and Aslan's How.
Caspian nodded and turned back to the door, torch in hand. He entered first, the light of the flame flickering off the stone around him as he slowly descended. Edmund waited for Lucy and Eustace to follow the king before he himself brought up the rear. As he took his first step, he heard a small voice somewhere ahead of him counting as they descended.
"Sixteen," Lucy said as she reached the foot of the stairs. She stepped aside and allowed Eustace to move ahead of her while she waited for her brother. Edmund appeared at her side a moment later and it was then that they all looked around the chamber.
The room was bathed in a golden glow. Caspian had lit every candle and torch he passed as he made his way down, from the sconces on the walls to the candelabra that lined the center path. All around them, piles of treasure glittered in the light of the flames.
Eustace stared around in surprise. He had never read of nor believed in such things as fairy tales and imaginary kingdoms but even he was unable to contain the shock of seeing the riches all around him.
On either side of the path, suits of armor lined the walls; the silver mail and plate gleamed like gold beneath the torches and with chains of precious metals or jewels hanging off them as if they were racks and hooks. In between the armor, wooden chests of various sizes were stacked one on top of another on the floor. Most of these were sealed with heavy locks but those that were opened revealed ropes of pearls and gems that sparkled against the dark interiors of the coffers.
As Eustace stepped off the path to examine some of the treasures, Edmund and Lucy were drawn to the opposite end of the chamber. They walked past the mountains of coinage, jewels and other trinkets scattered all around them on dusty shelves and tables as they proceeded towards the far wall.
It was there they found Caspian, his back to them as he gazed into the alcove at the end of the path. An arched entryway was carved into the stone and as King and Queen approached, they could see several objects hanging from hooks anchored to the back of the wall. The largest item hung in the center, a silver shield with a scarlet lion rampant stamped across the middle. To its right, a large bow hung from the same hook as an ivory quiver; the fletching of each arrow inside matched the hue of the lion on the shield. The remaining two hooks were bare, though they could guess what the missing items were.
Caspian carefully removed the Horn from his belt and draped it on a hook next to the bow and quiver. When he was done, he turned to find Edmund staring down at a slab of marble set a few paces in front of the alcove. There were no treasures on the pale, cold surface except for a sheathed sword displayed on an ornately carved wooden stand.
"You know," said Edmund idly as he stroked the golden hilt lightly with his fingers, "Peter used to hang it on the wall with his shield. He didn't keep Rhindon separate from the other gifts." He lifted the sword from the stand and unsheathed it in a quick, fluid motion; the edge of the blade glowed by the light of the flames as he turned it over in his hands.
"Your weapons and Lucy's cordial were still in my possession when I came to claim the castle," Caspian said. "I found this alcove empty when I first came down here, and assumed this was where the royal treasures were kept." With his eyes on the blade, he thought back to the few times he saw it in action.
He had two very distinct memories of Rhindon; the first was when he watched as Peter fought against Miraz during the duel. At the time, Caspian and the High King were of similar age and while the Prince was somewhat familiar with swordplay, he had never seen anyone his age wield a sword as skillfully as Peter.
His second memory was even clearer. "I still remember the day the High King knighted me with that sword." Though three years had passed since then, the day he became Sir Caspian, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion, was one he would never forget.
Lucy smiled as she saw the reverent look on her friend's face as he stared at her brother's sword. "Peter was knighted with it as well, after his first kill." An involuntary shudder rippled across her back as she remembered that moment with Susan up in the tree and Maugrim at her heels. "After he slew the Wolf, Aslan made him a knight right there on the field."
"Sir Peter Wolfs-bane." Caspian remembered the story; it was one of the earliest history lessons his Tutor had taught him up in the central tower of the old Telmarine castle. Perhaps it was a trick of the light but for a brief moment, he thought he saw the point of the blade streaked with red; he blinked and it appeared spotless once more. His hand fell to the hilt of his own sword. "I think no sword made now could equal that of the High King's."
Edmund lowered the blade in his hand. "There is no other sword like Rhindon," he agreed. "And your smiths may have some difficulty trying to replicate it anyway. It's not a weapon forged by any of the Dwarf clans, after all." He looked at Caspian over the edge of the blade. "You could use the sword if you wanted to," he said, before looking beyond the king to the wall behind him, "and my sister's bow as well. You know that Peter and Susan will never return to Narnia."
The king shook his head. "I cannot possibly use them. I—" he stopped, hesitant. "I don't think I am worthy enough to wield such weapons." It was a thought that occasionally crossed his mind and one he truly believed in. As the years pass, he hoped to be remembered as a good king to his people, but he had no expectations of becoming as great a leader and warrior as Peter the High King, or any of his royal siblings.
Caspian tore his gaze away from the flat of the blade and looked at Edmund. "Perhaps you should take it for you own, my lord." He thought if anyone should wield that particular royal treasure, it should be Edmund; no one else had as much claim to Rhindon as a King of the Golden Age and brother to the High King. "Was that what you were looking for down here?"
The younger King said nothing at first. He passed the sword back and forth between his hands, getting a feel for the hilt in his grip; he was out of practice, having not touched a sword since the day he left Narnia. Edmund then stepped back from the alcove. From the corner of his eye, he saw Lucy move a few paces away from him; she knew him well enough to know what he meant to do and to keep some distance between them. Caspian would be safe with the marble slab between them, and he could hear Eustace's footsteps shuffling on the stone floor somewhere behind him; the sound of the younger boy's movements were soft and low enough for the King to know his cousin was safely out of range.
Edmund carefully swung Rhindon around with several flicks of his wrist, his movements automatic as both arm and fingers remembered the old familiar drills. After several more minutes of swordplay, he stopped, sheathing the sword in its old leather scabbard and carefully setting it back on the wooden stand.
"No," he said, finally answering Caspian's question. "I wasn't looking for Rhindon though I am glad to see it's been well kept since we left."
"Will you take up the High King's sword then?"
He shook his head. "There had been occasions where I ended up wielding it but it has always been Peter's sword. It was made for him and served him well during our reign and after."
The words caught Caspian by surprise; he didn't think anyone else would have used the royal sword, and to do so more than once. He wondered how often it had been and how it came about but held his tongue; it didn't seem that Edmund would elaborate further on the details and he did not dare ask for fear of seeming impudent.
He watched as Edmund moved away from him, walking down the main path. The younger King paused every few seconds, looking at both sides of the aisle as his eyes scanned the room. He had no idea what Edmund was searching for and was about to ask when the boy suddenly stopped halfway down the path. For a moment, his friend stared at something along the right side before he stepped off and disappeared behind a large suit of armor.
Caspian was puzzled. He left the alcove and traveled the same route until he spotted Edmund moving amongst the treasures. As he approached, he noticed his friend was standing in front of a large oak chest framed by a pair of golden lion statues.
Edmund crouched down to take a closer look at the chest. Like many others found in the chamber, this one was elaborately decorated; images of nymphs and animals were carved into the wood between bands of iron that held the oak panels together. The lid was shut and he saw a lock set into the front of the base. He nudged the lid with his fingers and frowned.
"I don't suppose you have the key, do you?" he asked without turning to look at Caspian.
"Actually, I probably do." The king unhooked a large ring from his belt; before the meeting, he had taken the set of keys from his desk so he could return the Horn back to the chamber for safekeeping. He passed the ring to Edmund, the keys jangling like bells as they rattled against each other. He eyed the lock and then the keys in Edmund's hand; there were over a dozen hanging from the chain and no two were alike. "You'll have to try most of them, I'm afraid; I don't know which locks most of these fit into."
Edmund fingered each key before settling on a short, golden one in the middle of the set. "This one," he held it up so Caspian could examine it, "fits into this chest." He stuck the key into the lock and turned, smiling as he heard a satisfying click from inside. He then removed the key and stood up, turning back to the king.
"And do you know what this one unlocks?" he asked, pointing to a different key.
Caspian studied it, his brows furrowed in thought. The key was simply made, fashioned of iron and with its bow unadorned; it seemed the maker put more thought into its function than design. He had no recollection of ever using it. "I would assume it's for the dungeons."
"It may look it, but it's not. Not exactly." He gave the ring back to Caspian and pressed the iron key firmly into his hand. "Whatever you do, never lose this one."
The king was bewildered. "What does it unlock then?"
"Everything." Edmund grinned widely.
Caspian looked curiously at it, so crude and rusty when compared to the others on the ring. "Are you certain?"
"It was specifically designed that way. No one would ever guess that the plain looking key is the one that opens every lock in Cair Paravel."
The king looked up sharply. "The master key?"
"A master key," Edmund corrected him. "There were four, one for each of us. I hope that's the only one left since you don't seem to know the whereabouts of the other three." He turned his attention back to the chest. Both wood and metal creaked as he carefully raised the lid.
At first glance, the contents of the chest were typical of its surroundings. Edmund ignored the jewels as he reached around the edges and lifted out the tray. Beneath that were more of the same, and he continued to remove everything until all the trays were stacked neatly on the floor next to him. At the bottom of the chest were two boxes, one of which was twice as long as the other. He brought the shorter box out first and opened it, examining its prize.
"Lucy," he called over his shoulder.
The fair-haired girl had been inspecting a pile of rings set on a gilded plate. She turned at the sound of Edmund's voice but did not see him. Lucy quickly picked up two of the rings and pocketed them before she went in search of her brother.
She found the two kings standing over the large trunk. "Edmund, what is it?"
There was a grin on his face as he spun around, a familiar object in his hand. Her eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the dagger. It ran the length of her forearm, with a golden hilt and pommel. With the exception of a few flourishes wrought along the guard, it resembled a miniature version of Peter's sword.
Edmund held it out, the dagger reversed in his hand as he offered the hilt to her. She took it from him carefully, the blade naked and sharp as it passed hands. "So it's still here!" she exclaimed, delighted to see it again. "I thought it was lost forever; it wasn't hanging on the hook the last time we were here."
"It must have been put away after our disappearance," Edmund said. At Caspian's questioning glance, he added, "It's the dagger that was given to her by Father Christmas."
"But—" the king's brows furrowed as he tried to recall the old stories, "the tales say that Queen Lucy was given the cordial."
"Yes, that's right," said Lucy as she examined the dagger. "But this was also gifted to me during that first Christmas in Narnia." She looked up and smiled at Caspian's bemused expression. "Susan wasn't the only Queen to have received a weapon that day."
As Lucy spoke further to Caspian about her first meeting with Father Christmas, Edmund turned his attention to the other box. "Aha!" His cry drew the others' attention, including Eustace. They watched as he withdrew a sword from the chest.
"May I?" Edmund held the sword out and Caspian took it into his hands. He thought it looked similar to Rhindon but with its own distinct features; the grip was wrapped in dark blue leather and the pommel and hilt were both silver. It was only when he pointed the sword up that he noticed something unusual about it. While Rhindon reflected the warm hues of firelight in the room, it was different for this sword; the blade glowed but in a pale color, as if it reflected moonlight or some other silvery light. The metal itself was light and delicate and reminded Caspian of ice or glass.
"It's an unusual sword," he told Edmund as he turned the sword over several times. "I've never seen the like before. Is it Dwarf made?"
"I suspect it is," said Edmund as he took the sword back. "The palace smiths said it looked it, but none of the clans in our time recognized the work."
"How did you come by it then?" Caspian asked.
"It's a long story," and in anticipation of his friend's next words, he added, "but the short answer is that it was a gift." For every mention of their past, it seemed Caspian would have some sort of question about it. Edmund couldn't fault the king for wanting to learn more; there just wasn't enough time in a day to tell him everything he wished to know. His eyes flicked toward Lucy, hoping she would provide a distraction when a movement behind her caught his attention.
Further back, Eustace had been watching the entire exchange. From where he stood, Edmund could see the hands of the younger boy were full of treasure, with a bejeweled chalice in one hand and a thick golden chain in the other. But his eyes were on the rest of them. The King followed his gaze until he found himself staring at the sword in Caspian's hands.
He turned back to Eustace, one eyebrow raised. "Is there something here you fancy, cousin?" he asked. "A sword perhaps?"
Eustace started; he had been so caught up in his thoughts about the room that Edmund's questions took him by surprise. Back in Cambridge, he never cared much about wealth but then again, he had never been surrounded by so many riches before. As Caspian and his cousins busied themselves at the other end of the room, he had been thinking of how useful all the gold would be in this uncivilized land. There was no way for him to return home and if he was to be stuck here, he would need to find some means to afford a decent living.
It was Edmund's exclamation that drew his attention back on the others. He watched as the older of his cousins pulled out the large, shining sword from some place against the wall. Though he knew nothing about such weapons, the look on Caspian's face as the king handled it was enough for him to know it was worth a king's ransom.
He finally tore his gaze away from the sword and forced himself to look at Edmund. "Of course not," he huffed, sounding insulted by his cousin's questions. "I'm a pacifist! Fighting is for fools; only barbarians would do something as stupid as go to war like those bloody Germans." As he paused to take a breath, he remembered bits of conversation Harold and Alberta had discussed with him about politics back home. "And don't think England's that much of an improvement either. We'd be better off as a republic than with the blasted monarchy we've currently got."
"Germans? England?" Caspian looked confused.
"People and countries in that other world, Caspian." Lucy replied, after taking a moment to process the words. It happened whenever they returned to this land; the longer they stayed in Narnia, the less they thought about England and their own world. She knew all the details of their other lives were in the back of their heads, but they seemed so far removed from immediate memory that England seemed more like a dream.
Despite Eustace's outburst about fighting and the war, Edmund remained silent. He gazed steadily at the younger boy for a minute before turning away from him to look down at the trunk beside him. Caspian stood closest to the King and watched as he rummaged inside the chest and finally came up with a dagger, similar in size to Lucy's. Edmund unsheathed the blade and inspected it carefully. From his vantage point and experienced eye, Caspian thought it looked to be well maintained.
Once satisfied with its condition, Edmund did not put the dagger away. Instead, he walked towards Eustace, his steps slow and steady. As the King approached, there was a small flash of fear in Eustace's eyes. The younger boy took a few steps back as he tried to put more distance between them.
"Relax, cousin," Edmund said. There appeared to be a hint of command in his voice and Eustace froze, seeming unable to move. "I'm not going to hurt you, if that's what you're thinking."
As the older boy reached out for his hand, Eustace closed his eyes and squirmed, trying to pry his own fingers away. Instead of being struck with the blade as he thought, he felt a soft, smooth object being placed into his hand. Eustace was puzzled; he opened his eyes and found he was indeed holding the dagger, though it was sheathed in a worn leather scabbard.
"What are you doing? I told you I don't believe in fighting! I'm a Republican!"
"Yes, we did hear you the first time," Edmund replied calmly. The younger boy hadn't been impressed when Caspian introduced himself as King of Narnia, telling the Telmarine that he was a Republican. He and Lucy had been standing nearby and both of them worked hard to keep from laughing when the king asked what being a Republican meant. "However, Narnia isn't a republic and skirmishes do break out around here from time to time. It's best to be armed in case you get caught up in one of our barbaric wars."
"What do you expect me to do with this?" Eustace sputtered. "I don't know how to use it!"
"It's only a knife, Eustace. I'm sure you could manage to work with it nicely; it's not as if you don't know what knives can do." Edmund looked away, twisting sideways as he plucked a simple, leather belt off a pile of jewels that sat on a nearby table. "Here, you can wear this to keep the dagger on you at all times. Except when you're bathing and sleeping, of course."
The King paused, allowing his words to sink in. "And do take care when handling it, cousin. Don't think of it as a plaything; it's quite sharp." To make his point, he took the dagger back and with a swift motion, drew it out and drove it straight into the table.
A loud thud echoed in the chamber as the blade quivered where it was embedded in the wood. Eustace's eyes widened as he saw the tip of the blade had sunk into the table by an inch or two. He watched as his cousin wrenched the dagger free and wiped it down on the fabric of his trousers before sliding it back into the scabbard. The King held it out to him and wordlessly, Eustace accepted it.
Edmund patted him on the back. "Good man." As an afterthought, he added, "And don't forget to clean the blade if you've used it. All that blood and dirt will make it extremely sticky to pull out."
A long moment of silence followed. Though he was amused by the exchange between the two boys, Caspian could not but feel a small amount of pity for Eustace. He glanced over at the younger boy and noted he was still too stunned to make any response to his cousin's words.
The King coughed, drawing everyone's attention to himself. "Your sword, your Majesty," he said, offering the blade back to Edmund. The younger man quietly accepted it from him and nodded his thanks. Caspian waited a moment before continuing. "If you are finished, King Edmund, perhaps we can show your kinsman the rest of the castle? As our honored guest, it is my wish for him to be able to find anything he requires should we or any of the staff be unavailable to assist him."
Edmund turned his head to look at him, the traces of a grin appearing on his mouth. "Of course, Caspian," he said politely, "and we thank you for your consideration of our cousin." He settled his features back into a more neutral expression as he looked once more to Eustace. "I think we're all set here, wouldn't you agree?"
The younger boy appeared to still be caught in a state of stupor, staring at his cousin as if he were a stranger. The best he could manage was to make a slight jerk with his chin. Edmund pretended not to see the shock on his cousin's face and he flicked his eyes toward his sister. "Lu?"
The Queen smothered the giggle that tried to escape from her lips; Edmund certainly knew how to put Eustace in his place. "Yes, Edmund," she said, struggling to keep her voice her bland, "I think we're finished here."
He bowed to her with a flourish and gracefully swung his arm out toward the stairs. "Ladies first."
Lucy grinned at her brother and Caspian before she started her ascent. Caspian proceeded directly behind her, waiting until she was more than halfway up before he began his climb. Edmund was right behind him and as he placed his foot on the first step, he looked back into the room.
The remaining member of their group stayed where he was, having made no move to follow them.
"Aren't you coming, Eustace?"
Eustace blinked as he became aware of his surroundings once more. As he realized the others had already left, he quickly ran towards the stairs, fearful of being left behind. In his haste, he paid little attention to the distance and nearly bumped into his cousin.
Edmund quickly stepped aside and with a nod, indicated for Eustace to precede him upstairs. As he brought up the rear, the King noted with satisfaction the younger boy still had the belt and dagger clutched in his hands.
Next: Much Ado About Eustace — In which the Kings and Queen must settle one more matter before they proceed with their plans.