When they arrived the kitchen was a bustling mess. It seemed a feast was being prepared for that night. Dread seeped through Edmund as he and Lucy sat on little stools out of the way, munching on a roll of bread and watching as the head chef Louise, a young satyr with already grey hairs, shouted out orders to the other workers in the kitchen. Here in the warm chaotic place no one spared them a second glance and there was an excitment to watch the skilled hands prepare food for over a hundred. There comforting snack was ended though as Mrs. Beaver wadeled into the room, searching for them.
"Ah there you are, been looking all over for you two" she said putting her small paws on her hips and tried to look angry at them but it melted into a soft smile at Edmund's soppy state. "Come now dear you know Peter was trying to protect you"
Edmund nodded his head sullenly and averted his gaze. He knew it all too well but it still didn't help the strange feeling of needing to be there that was lodged deep in his heart.
"Did they find anything Mrs. Beaver?" Lucy asked, trying to bring the attention off her down brother. The mamal bit her lip and glanced around, hesitating.
"Perhaps you should ask you older siblings. From what I hear they brought someone who has information on this Heir but it's all being kept quiet. They said it is to be announced tonight at the feast so it must be good news" Lucy and Mrs. Beaver then proceded to chat about other things while Edmund closed in more on himself. The roll he was holding was already cold and he felt even colder on the inside, bad memories beginning to form.
~ Later that night as he finished preparing for the feast, there was a knock on his door. Raising his brow he strided over and opened it, surprised to see his brother already dressed in his fine robes.
"What is it Peter?" stepping aside he allowed his brother to enter. He shifted, uncomftarble and refused to look at his brothers face which was unusual. "Come now spit it out"
"I'm really sorry for what happened today Ed" the older said, taking a peek at his brother's reaction. He seemed indifferent about it.
"You were just trying to protect me, if anything it is I who should be sorry for being so rude" relief washed over the other and he enveloped him in a hug. They stood like that for a few minutes before he pulled apart and helped to straighten out his brothers clothing. Taking one last check in the mirror at his own, Peter led his brother outside where the girls were just appearing from Susan's room. The four walked happily down the halls together and to the banquet hall where everything was already prepraed and the guests laughed and talked loudly over large cups of rum.
The hall went quiet as the trumpets blew and the four of them walked inside to a thunderous applause and pounding of cups. They room bowed to them when they turned to face them in front of the stage at the front of the hall, their own personal table raised above the rest. As they seated themsevles only Peter remained standing.
"My good friends and Narnians tonight we feast greatly on good news. Rumors had been going around of a heir to the White Witch and we recently had an encounted with this person when she tried to kill King Edmund the Just" angry protest roared for the crowd and Peter raised his hands for silence and waited before continueing. "The heir did not succeed in her atempt and King Edmund is fine and healthy, but I would not stand for this like I know the rest of you wouldn't as well. So I set out with a band of our finest to the White Witche's castle to confront this threat" he waved his hands to a group close to the table. The hall erupted in approval as the men bowed their heads in thanks.
When it was quiet again, Peter continued "and I bring good news. The heir has been captured" at this shouts rose from the crowd washing out any noises. Lucy and Susan smiled and clapped along while Peter rasied his goblet trumphitly in the air as a group of guards escorted a person into the room. Edmund stared at the girl as people began to shout cat calls at her, it seemed the guards were there to protect her from the crowd then the other way around.
As Edmund continued to stare at the girl in tattered clothing she glanced upwards at him, dark black eyes meeting his own brown ones and he felt a jolt in his system.
She ignored the crowd and hung her head again as Peter called for silence for what seemed to be the tenth time.
"She will be held in chains in the darkest of dungeons where she will not harm anyone ever again" the crowd roared in approval and a few even asked for life to be taken,
this causing Edmund's stomach to churn. Peter ignored them and signaled to the guards, letting them drag the girl out. She didn't resist and Edmund felt a strange feeling gnawing at his insides. Peter sat down then and food was brought out. The hall was at a higher level now, everone pleased by the news and Edmund did his best to smile and make small talk but really he felt sick.
The one sent out to kill him had finally been captured and put in chains, so why did he feel like something bad was still about to happen?
~ It was a week before he finally managed to convince Peter to let him see the heir. He was resistant and often used the aid of their sisters whenever the topic came up but he didn't relent. Finally, he managed to gain approval and found himself being led down into the dark reachs under the castle surrounded by a squadron of guards. They walked for a good half hour before coming upon a large oak door guarded by two minotaurs. They bowed and one pulled the door open revealing a rather dimly lit room inside. Edmund requested to go in alone and the guards obeyed, closing the door behind him.
When his eyes adjusted he could only stare for a moment at the sight before him. The room was cicular with four torches placed around. In the middle of the room, like a steel bird cage, was the place that was holding the heir. Said girl was lieing on the ground curled up into a ball, her face hidden under her long hair that was a silvery color. She was wearing a tattered robe and her two feet were shackled and attatched to a chain bolted to the ground. Even with the torches along the wall it was still hard to see and the air was cold.
He stood their, uncertain of what to do when the girl shifted. She sat up and brushed her hair out of her face as she stared blankly at him. Sucking in a deep breath,
Edmund tried to remain calm and indifferent as he looked upon the one who was trying to kill him. Even with her in chains he still felt fearful. But the strange thing was that she looked nothing like the White Witch which made him drop his guard a bit. Without warning the girl thrusted her hand forward and an large pointed block of ice formed at the palm of her hand. It blasted forward in his direction but as it reached the edges of the cage it burst into flames and melted. The heir let out a sigh before leaning backwards. Before Edmund could say anything the heir let out a wail and clawed at her neck, Edmund only now seeing a collar with strange engravings on her neck. It glowed red hot for a moment before fading as she could breath again.
The only sound for a while was her harsh breathing before Edmund decided to confront her. "Why are you trying to kill me?"
The heir blinked at him before letting out a laugh. It was high like twinkling bells at night at Edmund took a step back in surprise.
"It's under my orders from my mother the White Witch" she replied and Edmund flinched at the name. She seemed to take pleasure in his obvious pain. "But you don't have to worry now for I am trapped and cannot escape"
"What do you mean?" Edmund asked, trying to regain his compousure.
The girl gestured around at the cage in disdain "there is heavy magic surrounding this cage and keeps me from escaping and killing anyone who comes near as you can see.
Also if I try anything I am inflicted by overwhelming pain" she tugged at the collar and shrugged. "It seems you will live to see another day"
"I have a right to live" Edmund shouted, not sure where this anger was coming from. The heir smirked at him and shook her head.
"Ah my dear king you know nothing"
~ Her words continued to play in Edmund's mind as he lay in his bed again. Her words were a mystery to him and he knew not what he had acomplished for he felt even more at a loss. For the next few days he wandered around the castle and out into the nearby woods, pondering her words. Susan and Lucy took to helping out at the nearby towns orphanage while Peter was usually stuck in meetings, mainly concerning the heir problem. This allowed Edmund his quiet free time as he wandered.
Three days after his meeting with the heir, the four siblings found themselves eating dinner for the first time since the feast. Everything was calm and netural,
pleasentries spread and soon the table turned into a more warmer atmosphere. Close to the end, when the desserts were being brought out, it took a trip south. A messenger hurried into the room and whispered something into Peter's ear. The look on the eldest face hardened into stone as he stood from the table, excusing himself and hurrying out of the room. Edmund made to follow but Susan grabbed his wrist warningly. Lucy tried to keep the table cheerful but it was apparent that the mood had died.
After Edmund snuck into the side room next to Peter's office. It had it's own little peephole and it was how Edmund knew what was going on when Peter and the other generals barred him from entering. Inside he could see Oreius and three other generals all in a heated conversation. Peter sat in his char, his hands folded and his face emotionless as the argument dragged.
"Enough" Peter ordered and the generals quieted down immediatly. Taking in a deep breath the King the Magneficant seemed to age a few years. "Are you certain she does not have the Frozen Stone?"
"Yes your highness. We checked her but she carried nothing. It could be that this Frozen Stone is just a myth" one of the generals, another cenataur like Oreius, said. His long white tail swished uncertanitly and he stameped his front hooves a bit.
Peter sat back "and we didn't the White Witch would have a heir" after a long moment of silence he sighed "there is nothing we can do now. Aslan was not clear about any of this but one thing that is, is that we have the heir in our posessian and no harm will come again. There will be no Hundred Year Winter either"
With that the generals filed out of the room with a bow and Edmund crawled out of the little space. He took off for his room and it was only when he was inside did he begin to breath again. There were many things happening that he didn't know about, but only one person would.
~ Later that night, Edmund snuck out of his room and down to the dungeons. The two guards were surprised at his apperance but he ordered them aside, not taking no for an answer. When he managed to get into the circular room, the heir was spinning a small snow flake on the tip of her finger. She didn't seem surprised by his sudden visit.
"Come to ask me about the Frozen Stone like your brother and his generals have you?" she asked nonchontantly "I will tell you the same as I told them. I don't have it and if I did there is no way I would give it to you lot"
Edmund was expecting this answer. "Why do you hate me and my family so much? Why do you want us to suffer in pain?"
The heir regarded him silently, before blowing the snowflake. It danced in the breeze until it reached the edge of the cage and melted into a small puddle.
"In all honesty I do not hate you. These are just orders given to me that I must carry out. This cage and its magic is only a set back, but I will finish my task"
"You don't have to you know" Edmund sat down to facing her "the White Witch is dead. She can't control you anymore, your free to make your own descions" at this the heir laughed that strange twinkling laugh again.
"Like your one to talk. You don't understand the dark magic that my mother possesed and as do I. It runs in you veins too, so I would take caution" Edmund felt his heart skip a beat. He knew the wand had been filled with dark magic and sometimes he would have terriable dreams or feel pain in that area but nothing bad actually happened.
"Then tell me" he pleaded, trying a different tactic. After all he was a top notch strategist.
The heir regarded him for what felt like forever, the thought of Peter finding him down here and what might happened lingered on the back of his mind but he pushed it aside.
"My mother comes from the world of Charn. She was a powerful sorrceress but coming here made her a bit weak and the wand was her only way of actually using magic. It is infused with deep ancient dark magic that no one dare wield for it could literally drive the caster insane. I doubt even Aslan would try to wield it. She destoryed her whole world with it.
"You breaking the wand released a ton of dark magic into the air but most of it dispersed since Aslan's magic was already taking over Narnia. But a concentrated amount is within you and if provoke it will cause you great pain" she grinned at him as if the thought of him in pain brought her great joy, and perhaps it did. After all she was trying to kill him.
"How can I get rid of it?" Edmund felt fear clench his heart a little but he remained calm, not wanting to give her a reason to enjoy any of this.
The heir shrugged "your guess is good as mine. If anything only my mother would know the answer but you know she's dead"
Edmund stared at the girl before her, someone who looked to be around the same age as he was. He suddenly felt a strong sense of pity for her as he stood, knowing it was time to return to his room and not cause a scene. "Well thank you for you help" he said turning to go.
"Your welcome Edmund" he heard her say softly as he closed the door firmly behind him.
_
~ Hey check out my profile for new updates, I plan to do a mass one throughout the week. Review and pm if you have ideas or questions, your support is greatly appreciated.
~nightshade