Chapter 9
Lucy uncorked the little bottle and poured a few drops into Caspian's mouth.
"There. That will heal you." she said, smiling through her tears.
"Why did you not use this for your leg?" Caspian coughed, his forehead becoming encrusted with salty diamonds.
"I can only use this for others." she said, then smiled ruefully "Though it would have been useful" she said remembering her "escape" from Edmund. Caspian coughed and lurched forward as his body re-knitted itself. He gritted his teeth as he felt his bones move back into place, silvers of bone dislodging themselves from the paper thin rim of his lungs.
"You were so brave, you know." Lucy said and Caspian just smiled up at her.
"I couldn't let Miraz win. I thought I was going to die for nothing!" he said, then his smile became rigid as a kidney healed itself. Susan looked over.
"Don't talk too much. You were nearly killed." she reprimanded and Lucy giggled and nodded. She sat by Caspian's side and watched Susan talking to Trumpkin. She looked back at Caspian. Somehow Caspian and Susan didn't look right any more. Alone with her thoughts, Lucy remembered Edmund. She had been surprised he hadn't been at the fight. Mind you, the Narnians had made sure that she had been hidden. Maybe the Telmarines had done the same for Edmund. Then a thought struck. Maybe Edmund had been so confidant in Miraz, he hadn't bothered to even come. If Edmund and Miraz had the same teachers, Lucy would have been confidant that Miraz would win too. Maybe. But Lucy knew Edmund's fighting style. He was more nimble, he danced when he fought like Caspian. But he had strong swordsmanship and Lucy knew that his cuts would be deep.
"How is our hero doing?" Lucy turned to see the face of the great lion. Lucy looked down and saw Caspian's face was calm and she knew he would soon be awake again.
"Oh, he's on the mend. Literally" she laughed and the lion half purred, half roared which Lucy knew to be his laugh. Then Lucy turned serious.
"Aslan?" she asked and the lion inclined his head to show he was listening.
"Caspian told me before the fight he wanted to marry Susan and I thought it was fantastic, but now... Oh I don't know! They just don't seem perfect any more." she said. The lion placed his gentle paw on her shoulder.
"My dear Lucy. It is not for you decide your sister's fate."
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Edmund walked through his father's palace, tears blurring the edges of the stones. He ran on, until he found his brother.
"Peter!" he cried then stepped back as his brother turned to him with an expression of hate.
"Oh go away Edmund! Can't you see I've got enough on my hands?" he hissed, then turned back to inspecting the broken door.
"What's happened?" Edmund asked and Peter turned and glared at him
"Father is dead and now someone has taken the Pevensie girl." he hissed. Edmund brightened, thinking about his father.
"I'll find her!" he said then turned to go. He stopped as he heard Peter's laugh.
"Oh yes, run away and tell the enemy we've lost her, go on like a good traitor!"
"what?" Edmund asked, shocked.
"That's were you've been all these weeks, haven't you? Informing the enemy! But why shouldn't you? Why should you be loyal to Father? After all, you're not even a Telmarine!" Peter hissed, furiously. Edmund stepped back in surprise.
"What? Of course I'm a Telmarine!" Edmund said. Peter laughed his hollow laugh again.
"No you're not. Mother just found you. Kept you. You're Narnian. And a traitor!" Peter said and he pushed Edmund.
"Shut up." Edmund said, quietly. Peter laughed and shoved Edmund again.
"What's that, little traitor? Speak up!" he spat and moved his hand to strike Edmund. Edmund caught it in mid-air and looked at Peter.
"Shut up." he repeated. Peter laughed.
"Why should I listen to a traitor?"
"SHUT UP!" Edmund roared and Peter took a step back. He swallowed hard as he realised his mistake. This wasn't the little Edmund Peter could shove around and order to do things. No, Edmund looked angry, scary. And, more importantly, Edmund held a sword in his hand.
"I have been lied to. My whole life. I am no Telmarine. I am Narnian!" he hissed, advancing on his elder brother.
"I've had you order me around all my life, because I thought that that was what my father wanted, so he could toughen me up. But he's not even my father." he spat, his voice low and slithering. Peter stepped back and felt the dry wall behind him. He looked to his left and saw a window encrusted with ivy. He swallowed, then ran at it, shattering the glass and covering him and Edmund with little cuts from the tiny, transparent swords of glass. Edmund stayed where he was, his whole body churning with hatred for Jadis, Peter and Miraz. His whole life had been nothing but a lie. He had idolised Miraz because he thought Miraz was his father. But it explained Miraz's hatred for him. Edmund had been nothing but a little toy for Jadis that Miraz must bear. Edmund looked down at his wrists. Nestled in the place where his veins split into three like the Sea God's trident, lay a tiny cut. Edmund remembered making it. He had been ten and he had had to swear alliance to Miraz. He remembered the vow. The vow that had bound him all his life to Miraz and his descendants. It was useless now. Because he had sworn "by the Telmarine blood in my veins to be loyal to King Miraz". And there was no Telmarine blood in his veins. Edmund laughed. Peter and Jadis had just found themselves a new enemy.