The Greatest Mystery

After another exhausting afternoon of rushing around the hospital wing, Alexandra left her patients to rest and exited the confinements of her study with a weary sigh. The dust trapped between the pages of the old volumes she had spent the last two and a half hours poring over had caused her nose to itch maddeningly. Her eyes ached with the strain of squinting at the miniscule print and her vision kept wavering in and out of focus. She needed and deserved a break. Besides, she had something extremely important to tell Edmund - something that couldn't wait to be discussed over dinner.

There were a number of places in Cair Paravel where Alexandra knew for certain she would find her best friend. The first was in his chambers. She knew he wasn't there because the door was unlocked and he rarely occupied them in the time between mid-morning and late evening, anyway. Second, the library, but a quick scout around the shelves confirmed his absence from there. The council room was devoid of councillors and the throne room was empty of anything but the thrones themselves. There were no fresh scuffs in the sand of the training ring. This left the final location and the certainty that she would find him there, which was just as well since she was starting to feel a little anxious.

When she arrived at the palace gardens she immediately picked up on the sound of voices over the tumble of the fountain. One was decidedly female and the other, well, the other she would recognise amongst a hundred others.

Following the direction of the voices, Alexandra crept up to a large flowering shrub and crouched behind it. As she pushed leaves out of her face and parted the branches, the owners of the voices came into view, surrounded by smudges of vibrant colour. Edmund and Zia were sitting side by side on the edge of the fountain, so close they were almost touching. They were conversing in light, airy tones with faint smiles on their lips.

Oh Ed, you romantic, Alex thought with a smile as Edmund leaned in close to Zia and gently brushed his hand against hers.

Then, something entirely different and a lot more sinister hit her. It was happening. She'd been about to tell Edmund that she'd had a dream about him and Zia the previous night. Now the scene from that dream was unfolding right before her eyes. Except, this time, she wouldn't wake up in a cold sweat. Her dreams had predicted the future often enough for there to be no question that the pictures behind her eyes would eventually become reality.

Although it was a great shame to interrupt such a pleasant conversation, there were more pressing matters at hand. Moving slowly so they wouldn't notice her - and therefore wouldn't accuse her of spying - Alexandra rose from her crouch and made her way towards the fountain. Neither Edmund nor Zia looked up as she stopped before them. She loudly cleared her throat and they both jumped apart like they'd been poked with red-hot irons.

"Er… hi," Edmund said, squinting sheepishly up at her whilst fiddling with the hair at the nape of his neck. "What brings you here on this fine afternoon?"

"I need to speak with you," she told Edmund. "It's very important."

"Can't it wait?" he asked, glancing at his companion, who was twiddling the hem of her dress and refusing to look at either of them.

"No," Alexandra replied firmly. "I must speak with you now."

Edmund sighed in defeat. Turning to Zia, he said apologetically, "Would you excuse me for a few minutes?"

Zia nodded hastily. Alexandra had to force her mouth not to smile; from the way the two of them were acting, anyone would've thought they'd been caught doing something far worse than just talking.

As soon as they were out of Zia's sight and earshot, Alexandra grabbed Edmund's forearm and pulled him close, struggling to think of the right way to introduce what she had to say.

Edmund read the expression on her face and his eyes grew even larger. "What is it, Alex? Is something wrong?"

"Not exactly. Well, not yet, anyway."

"What do you…? Wait, did you have another dream?"

She nodded. Edmund was the only one Alexandra trusted with her dreams. "I saw you with her, just as you were today. I saw you talking and laughing together on the edge of the fountain."

He frowned in confusion. "So? Surely that's a good thing? I mean, we haven't been able to talk like that since…"

Alexandra held up her hand. "I know. I've heard the story a thousand times. The point is the dream didn't end there. It changed and I saw," she dropped her voice down to a whisper, "I saw Zia locked up in a cell."

"A cell?" he repeated incredulously. "Are you sure?"

"You should know by now that my dreams can predict the future!" she hissed, looking around in case there was someone listening in. "Just because Zia is involved it doesn't mean I'm wrong. Or are you going to start turning a blind eye to anything bad that concerns her? The Just King I know wouldn't do that, Ed."

Edmund knew she was right. Aslan, she was always right!

"Look," she began again, more calmly, "I know that things are a little… delicate when it comes to the two of you, but if you want to keep her safe then listen to me. If she ever leaves Cair Paravel, she must be under supervision at all times. If my dream is correct, the moment she's alone will be the moment they strike."

"Who are they, exactly?"

"I'm not sure. All I saw was a mass of dark shapes. But I'm willing to bet that it's either Calormen or those horrible beasts that killed Nina."

Edmund exhaled slowly. "Alright, I understand. I'll protect her, I promise."

Alexandra smiled softly. "I know you will. Now, you'd better go. I think I've kept you from her for long enough."

He returned her smile and pulled her into a quick, grateful hug. "Thank you."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for," she replied lightly, pushing him back. "Now get back to your fair lady, out of my sight. Go on."

She gave his shoulder a push and he dived for her ribs, tickling her until her indignant squeals turned into gasps for air. "Let's not forget who the King around here is," he teased, ruffling her hair until it stuck up in every direction. At her raised eyebrow, he added, "Alright, one of the Kings. Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Okay, I'm leaving," she said, tossing a grin over her shoulder as she turned away. She paused and turned back. "Oh, Ed?"

"Yes, Alex?"

Without warning, Alexandra launched herself at him and used both hands to thoroughly mess up his previously tidy hair.

"That is for being a typical boy and ruining my hair." Laughing, she let him go and he hastily began to smooth down his hair with a pout.

"I am a boy, in case you hadn't noticed!" he shouted after her as she left.

Just then, Zia appeared beside him, seemingly from nowhere. She watched Alexandra go with a strange expression on her face. "I heard screaming," she said.

"Oh, don't mind that. It was just Alex," he replied with a rueful smile.

"What did she want to tell you?" Zia asked curiously, peering up at his face. The leaves on the tree above them cast splodges of shadow across his milky skin.

"Nothing much," he said offhandedly. "She was just worried about something and she wanted to tell someone about it to help her clear it up. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Oh, that's alright. The relationship between you two seems pretty special."

Before Edmund could reply, the resounding bong of the dinner bell made them both jump. Neither had realised how late it was. Looking up, they saw that the sky had faded to a soft, pale blue and faint pink streaks were beginning to appear.

"I suppose I'd better go," Edmund murmured. He didn't really want to leave her, although his stomach was now growling with the anticipation of food. "Meet me at the stables in about an hour and I'll have a surprise waiting, okay?"

"Okay."

After wolfing down his dinner (and receiving several bemused glances from his companions), Edmund practically skipped from the castle and headed across the courtyard towards the stables. Upon rounding a corner, he was suddenly brought back down to earth with a bump. There was no one waiting for him by the stable block. Doubt instantly squashed his elated thoughts. Why wouldn't she give him a break?

Frustrated, Edmund aimed a kick at the wall. The leather boot did little to protect his foot from the unforgiving stone. Biting his lower lip against a yelp, he sagged back against the offending wall and gingerly massaged his injured toes.

The sound of tentative footsteps made him look up. He would have danced for joy had he not just been rendered unable to do so. Zia's eyebrows were raised quizzically at him and he realised how idiotic he must look.

"What happened?" she asked, switching her gaze from his face to the foot he still had clasped in both hands.

"Nothing," he said hastily. He didn't know why he thought she would believe such a blatant lie but he felt the need to at least try to regain some of his lost dignity.

"Did you kick a wall?" she asked, sounding as though she was fighting back a giggle.

"No! Maybe…"

She sighed, rolled her eyes and said, "Come here, let me have a look," like she was talking to a silly child.

"It's really not that bad," he protested. His statement was contradicted as soon as his foot made contact with the ground. Pain shot up his leg and he jerked it back, hissing through his teeth.

"Looks like you're not as tough as you make out," Zia muttered under her breath, guiding him down to sit on the floor.

Gently, as though handling a wounded bird, she took his foot between her hands and slid off his boot and sock. After a bit of careful prodding, his groan indicated where the injury was. Zia had never had chance to put this part of her training into practise before, but definitely wasn't going to tell Edmund that.

The king watched her closely; unaware that he was holding his breath. She ran her slender fingers in little circles over the rapidly-swelling bruise. As she did so, the pain eased. Her lips were moving in a silent rhythm but he wasn't interested in the words. Those lips were so red, like the petals of the most exquisite rose. She must have known he was gawking but her attention never wavered from her work. It felt as though she was sucking the pain out through her fingertips; just taking it away as though she did it all the time. He suddenly remembered to breathe and drew in a sharp gasp, which Zia mistook.

"Does it still hurt?" she whispered timidly. He could do nothing more than forcefully shake his head. "Well, the bruise is definitely gone," she remarked, indicating the spot that, just moments before, had been aching furiously. "You should really be more careful about what you choose to take your anger out on."

Edmund finally managed to mirror her smirk. An experimental wiggle of his toes told him that all was healed – somehow – so he jumped to his feet and offered her his hand. They'd wasted enough time already.

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me how you did that?" he asked casually as he saddled up a horse.

Zia just shrugged, patting the neck of a stocky chestnut mare in the opposite stall. "I don't think you would understand."

Edmund decided to let her have that one and dropped the subject. They mounted their chosen steeds (Zia's horse remained without a saddle) and rode side by side away from Cair Paravel.

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me where it is that you're taking me?" Zia questioned.

"Nope, it's a surprise. Shall we have a gallop?"

Without giving her chance to reply, Edmund dug his heels into his horse's flanks and they shot off at full speed. Edmund knew Zia would only be a few paces behind – she seemed fairly good at keeping up with him. He wished he could say the same for her. He had never wanted to be able to read someone as much as he wanted to read her. Then, perhaps, things between them wouldn't be so hit-and-miss. He never had any idea how she was going to react to anything he said or did. It was infuriating.

Determined to stop himself before he had chance to get frustrated again (he really didn't want to suffer an impairment at the hands of a large boulder), he reined his horse in and wasn't at all surprised to see Zia do the same right beside him. The flush on her cheeks seemed to glow in the dim light. He tore his eyes away before she noticed he was staring.

He needn't have worried; she seemed to be looking everywhere but in his direction. Recognition dawned on her face and she halted her horse, her eyes wide and staring at him in disbelief.

"You're taking me to the beach?"

"Yes," he replied, puzzled, as always, by her reaction. "I thought it was fitting, since it's technically where we first met."

"And where I saw you with Pelerine," she said quietly.

Edmund only just stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "That was years ago. She's no longer part of my life, Zia. All I ask is that you trust me, even if it's just for a short while."

"Fine," she surrendered. As he moved his horse away, she allowed herself a small smile. His throwaway remark about that auburn-haired Nymph had caused a swell of something inside her that verged on smugness - odd, since she hadn't seen Pelerine in over a year. She had no reason to feel as though the two of them were still involved in some sort of competition.

The beach appeared exactly the same as it had on the night of which Edmund spoke - the night that Zia had first seen him. The same orange sun, the same pink and blue sky, the same calm, lazy ocean… even the shadows were the same shape, as if nothing had changed in the five year interval between their visits. Yet, everything had changed.

Leaving the horses tied to a tree, they wandered side by side down the gentle slope and onto the sand. A huge grin stretched across Zia's face when she felt the grains shifting beneath her bare feet; she had forgotten what it felt like and how much it tickled.

"Would you like to know the real reason I brought you here?" he asked as he watched her dance gracefully in the white surf like a fairy.

"Mmm" was her vague reply. She seemed fascinated with the way the sun made the drops of water sparkle as she kicked them up into the air.

"Well, I hoped it would give me chance to find out a little more about you," he admitted, standing nervously on the shore. "You're such a mystery to me and it's driving me insane."

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. Stepping up close so that their noses were mere inches apart, she whispered, "I like being mysterious."

Her green eyes filled his vision. All the air whooshed out of his lungs in one long breath. He couldn't remember how to move his mouth. His brain couldn't remember how to command the rest of him. He didn't care.

Chuckling at his dazed expression, she grabbed his hand and tugged him into the water. They splashed each other and skipped about like children, laughing hysterically the whole time. They laughed at how ridiculous they both were. They laughed at how aggravating the other was. They laughed at the whole crazy predicament they had got themselves into. They laughed until they could laugh no more and still they carried on, wheezing and spluttering and bracing their hands on their soaked knees.

"So what is it you want to know?"

Having finally calmed down after their burst of high spirits, they had dragged themselves from the sea and flopped down on the sand to dry off. Edmund lay propped up on one elbow, resting his head on his palm and facing Zia. She sat an arm's length away, her knees tucked up under her chin as she stared out at the setting sun.

"I want to know what you did in those four years that I never saw you," he replied immediately. His hair was plastered to his head in the most un-kingly fashion and his shirt clung to his chest so snugly that Zia couldn't look for more than a second without her cheeks heating up.

She let out a long breath and pushed her own sopping hair back off her face. "Well, I mostly trained. I learned archery and healing and all sorts of other skills. It took up the majority of my time."

Edmund nodded. "I understand."

"Can I ask you something now?"

"Of course."

She lifted her head to look him straight in the eyes. "Why did you wait for me for so long, even after Nina told you to leave me alone?"

His grin was lopsided and melted her heart just a little. "Isn't that obvious?"

"Yes," she replied. "But I want to hear you say it in your own words."

"You don't ask much, do you?" he teased, sitting up. He reached across the gap between them and carefully took her hands in his.

"I waited for you because, although I'd only known you for a short time, you fascinated me. I found myself wanting – needing – to be near you. You made me feel alive, more alive than I'd felt in a very long time. As soon as I let Mr Tumnus take you I wished to have you back, but Lucy insisted that I finish the dance with her. When I looked back again, you were gone. I can't describe how disappointed I felt then. Disappointed isn't even the right word. I was… well, I was crushed. I knew then that I wouldn't be able to bear not seeing you again. I was about to start after you, but Pelerine caught me and…" he trailed off, apology shining in his eyes.

"And the rest, as they say, is history," Zia finished for him.

"You're not going to yell at me?"

"No. Believe it or not, I don't want to fight you all the time."

The sun painted the world orange and wrapped the two of them in a warm blanket. The sea continued to sigh rhythmically and somewhere near the edge of the forest crickets began to sing.

"I didn't know you were such a romantic," Zia commented with a soft smile. His hands were rough with calluses but they held hers so tenderly that her chest ached.

"I'm full of surprises," he smirked with a shrug. "You'll soon learn that. That is, if you plan on staying at the Cair?"

She groaned quietly. "I've been thinking about that a lot over the past few days, but I can't make my mind up about what the right choice would be."

"Well, you obviously know what I want you to do." He slowly stroked his thumb back and forth across the back of her hand. "I don't ever want you to leave my sight again."

"Ed…" she protested, "I have to think about my people. They just lost their Empress and will be looking to elect a new one as soon as possible. It wouldn't be right if I wasn't there."

"I know that. Maybe you could go back to Western Wood just to see the new Empress take up her position and then come back to the Cair?"

"I'm really not sure about that. I'll be eternally grateful for the kindness you have all shown me, but I don't belong with you. Someone like me can't ever fit in amongst Humans, let alone Kings and Queens."

"Please don't ask me to endure the sight of you running away from me for the third time."

Zia looked down at their hands, unable to bear the sadness in his eyes. Her dark stranger looked so hopeless that it was hard to believe he had only recently led an army into battle. She didn't want to admit it, but she knew where her priorities must lie.

"Alright, Ed, I'll stay." She hadn't the heart to add, for now.

Edmund's lips stretched into a wide grin. He pulled the Dryad to her feet and moved his hands to her waist before she had time to get away. A faint perfume of pine needles and rain wafted from her skin; he inhaled it hungrily, convinced that it was the most glorious scent in the world.

Zia watched the happiness flare in Edmund's eyes with a sinking heart. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him again, but she knew she couldn't live with herself if she abandoned her people. They were probably getting worried – none of them knew much about Humans and, as far as they knew, anything could be happening to her. She needed to be close to her tree again - Alexandra's potion was keeping her mind from collapsing but it did nothing to ease the longing. How in Aslan's name could she choose between her desires when there was no way for them to coincide?

The arms around her waist tightened, pulling her forward until she was pressed against Edmund's chest. Seeing his eyes so close was enough to make her head spin and the fact that his breath was washing across her skin didn't help in the slightest. Wrapping her arms around his neck in a near chokehold, she buried her face in his shoulder and willed the internal aching away.