Chapter 11: But they're Never Gonna Go Away

"Why'd you bring me back here?" Edmund asked, his voice shaking, or was it him as a whole? It was so cold. He held his legs together tighter trying to keep in every ounce of warmth he could get.

Jadis smiled but didn't respond. She tapped her wand against the bottom of the sled. Almost instantly Edmund was yanked roughly from the sled and shoved onto the cold ground. He didn't have time to get himself to his feet when he felt a swift kick to his side. He thought he wouldn't be able to feel the pain; that it would be numbed out in a sense because of the snow but he felt the blow and hissed in pain.

He was struck in the side again and he bit his lip to keep from crying out. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of showing that he was hurting. He squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath, waiting for the pain to stop.

He was grabbed by his collar and yanked to his feet; something poking in his back urged him forward and towards the castle. He tried to pull out of the person's grasp but he felt a jab to his back and immediately stopped what he was doing.

As they got closer to the castle he finally looked up at it and gasped. In the distance the castle looked like it had once stood but now the majestic home to the Kings and Queens of Old looked as if it had been gutted. The walls were still standing but vines had overgrown and covered them like spider webs. Cracks ran up the sides of the walls as if racing each other to the top.

"Keep going!" A rough voice demanded as he shoved Edmund hard. Edmund lost his balance and stumbled, falling hard onto the ground. He rolled over in time to see a minotaur tap his axe in his hand, shaking his head. He then brought back his hoofed foot and slammed it against Edmund's side.

Edmund yelled in pain and swore he heard a crack that time. He struggled to breathe but felt pain in his chest every time his chest lifted. He clenched his teeth and curled into a ball, begging to every God that he knew to make the pain go away.

The minotaur roughly grabbed at his shirt and pulled him to his feet, carrying him forward and not carrying when his feet hit every step they walked up. The minotaur grunted and said something about kings being soft after having everyone wait on them hand and foot.

Edmund thought he would be happy to be back in his castle, his old home, but he hated being back. He hated being alone. He could practically hear the echoes of laughter he and Lucy shared as they explored, played games, tried to get uptight Susan to have some fun and thought of ways to get Peter out of boring meetings. The time came when Edmund and Lucy both had to be present at the meetings when they were older but that didn't mean they had to be bored. Since the two came in they made it a rule to have lunch while in a meeting (some were known to last a span of three days). Lucy made sure to make people smile while in those meetings and Edmund found himself smiling the most.

He used to hate Lucy when they grew up. Edmund didn't like that his attention was being taken away from him and put on someone cuter than him. But after a while Lucy became his best friend. He listened to her problems of Susan and Peter treating her like a kid and she listened to his about not feeling much like a king next to Peter. They had a silent understanding and support and that was what he found himself craving, Lucy's support.

Edmund's eyes looked around the dark, sad-looking castle once they entered the great hall. His gasp echoed in the empty chamber when he saw that their thrones, which used to stand mighty and tall, were on the ground in piles of rubble.

"Good riddance," the minotaur laughed, dropping Edmund. Edmund tried to crawl away but the minotaur grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged him down a hall. Edmund let out a cry of pain every time his back hit a stair that he was dragged down. He knew where the minotaur was taking him, to the dungeons that the castle held deep down underground. They never used it much during their reign and Edmund was scared of the state that it was in.

The minotaur grunted as he reached the dungeon and opened the door. "Enjoy your stay," he said with a laugh and threw Edmund down the stairs. Edmund managed to tuck his body and rolled down the stone stairs into the dark, damp, musky dungeon. The minotaur slammed the door shut and the only light filtered in from the small window on the door which was covered by bars.

Edmund groaned and slowly got to his feet, wincing and groaning in pain along the way. Only when he was standing at full height did he realize he wasn't alone when he saw the hem of a dress illuminated by the light. "Who's there?" He coughed.

"Me," a small voice replied.

Edmund's heart skipped a beat. He recognized that voice, but she couldn't be there. Could she? "Lu…Lucy?" He whispered. Lucy stepped out of the shadows and nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks. He gasped when he saw her. Her bottom lip was puffy, split, and bleeding. Her face was covered in cuts, scratches, and a bruises was around her eye. It was so swollen it was almost swelled shut. Her dress was covered in dirt and tears. "Lucy," he mumbled.

"Oh, Edmund!" She cried out, throwing her arms around his waist. He hugged her as best as he could without hurting his other wounds. "Edmund! Edmund!"

"Lucy, please calm down," he begged, holding her out at arm's length. He looked her over from head to toe and anger swelled in his stomach at the sight of her. "What happened? What'd they do to you? How'd you get here?"

"You disappeared from the room and I knew it was Narnia that was calling you, I just knew it," Lucy replied. "We all left school. We went back to Professor Diggory's house. He knew why we came and said he would try and help us get back. We've checked the wardrobe all day but it didn't bring us here."

"Us?" He repeated. So they were trying to get me. They wouldn't leave me here by myself.

"Susan and Peter," Lucy said, nodding. "They…they got into a fight. Over everything. That's why I tried again without them; I didn't want to be around them when they fight." She sobbed and fresh tears fell down her face again. Edmund gently wiped them away and led her over to the wall where she was and sat them down, wincing at the pain in his chest. "So I tried coming through the wardrobe and I made it. But…it was so cold. I went in search for Mr. Tumnus but I got all turned around and I…I fell asleep."

Edmund nodded. "Go on. How did you end up here?"

Lucy's lower lip quivered. "I woke up in the Great Hall. Two minotaurs held me down and the White Witch continued to ask me what I was doing here and where Peter and Susan was. I said I was here by myself but she didn't believe me. She…she attacked me with her whip. I didn't have my dagger! I couldn't defend myself!" Edmund squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't believe that Jadis would hurt a little girl like that. He clenched his hands into fists at his side. She would pay for what she did to his sister. "They continued to hurt me, but I didn't cry." She wiped at her eyes. "I never cried, not once. Peter would be proud…" her voice trailed off and she pushed her hair out of her face. "Then they took me here. I've been down here…for two days I think. They let me eat every now and then but otherwise they leave me alone." She then squeezed his arm. "I'm so glad you're all right. What did she do to you?"

Edmund struggled to find the words. "She tortured me. E…Every day, when I didn't answer her or I didn't address her right or I didn't get her food to her fast enough. She would hit me and when she was bored she got some of her monsters to hurt me. But then she brought me here and I still don't know why." He shook his head and ran a hand over his face. Because of him he was back in Narnia going through the torture again. Because of him Lucy had to go through torture as well. When was he going to stop being punished for what he did? He all ready apologized for being a traitor. He apologized to Aslan, to Peter, Susan, and Lucy. He apologized to all of Narnia. But why was he back being punished again?

A/N: Yes everyone, Broken Down Like a Mirror Smashed to Peices is back! So sorry for the long wait. I can't apologize enough but I hope my words make up for it and I hope you all still enjoy this story. Please read and review this story as well as my other Narnia stories: Bittersweet Secret, One of the Guys, and High King Peter the Magnificent. Thanks so much for those of you who have stuck around. You all are what keep me going.

~Crystal