Overprotective
Disclaimer: The Chronicles of Narnia are the creation of C.S. Lewis. I own only the plot.
Chapter 3
Walking over to the drinks cabinet on the far end of the Pevensie sitting room, Lucy helped herself to a small glass of rum. Lucy was not really much of a drinker. Although she very much liked wine she did not particularly care for most spirits; the only exception to that was rum which brought back so many memories of sea voyages in Narnia. She particularly remembered one voyage where she had competed against her brothers in a drinking contest and had managed to drink both Peter and Edmund under the table. It was a moment of triumph Lucy had long cherished, although out of the three of them she had been much the worst for wear the following morning.
Returning to the sofa, Lucy sipped her drink nervously. She was sure one or both of her brothers would not be long in putting in an appearance and they would be more than a little annoyed with her. In the circumstances, a little Dutch courage was in order.
Her prediction proved to be accurate. Trying to relax as she leaned back on the sofa, Lucy had only half finished her rum when she heard the front door open then violently being slammed to, and a moment later both Peter and Edmund burst into the sitting room.
As she studied their flushed faces, Lucy could not help swallowing nervously. She had rarely seen them so angry. But she put on a bold front and called out to them cheerfully.
"Peter, Ed, good afternoon. Lovely day, isn't it?"
"Never mind the blasted weather!" Edmund bellowed. Striding across the room he glared down at his sister murderously. "What have you done to Amanda? She says you threatened her with a knife!"
"I didn't threaten her," Lucy protested mildly. "I was just demonstrating some of my knife throwing skills. I thought she'd find it interesting."
"Interesting?" Edmund looked like he was on the verge of apoplexy. "She thinks you're some sort of homicidal maniac! She's refusing to go out with me again. She's afraid lunacy might run in the family!"
"Oh dear, what a shame!" Lucy replied innocently.
Edmund spluttered with outrage, too angry to even speak coherently. But that only gave Peter a chance.
"And you've done the same to Caroline!" Unlike his brother, Peter did not shout but he was clearly just as angry. "She says she's too frightened of you to see me again. Your behaviour has been outrageous, young lady. I've a good mind to put you over my knee and give you a jolly good spanking!"
Lucy was just about to take another sip of her rum but at those words she froze. Replacing the glass on the coffee table she rose slowly to her feet. Edmund seemed rooted to the spot, his gaze flickering nervously from one sibling to the other and he suddenly looked more frightened than angry.
"I would advise you to consider the consequences very carefully before you attempt such a course of action, Peter Pevensie." Lucy's voice was quiet, but her tone was icy enough to freeze molten lava and Peter visibly flinched. "Just remember that I am not some helpless damsel who doesn't know how to defend herself."
Edmund hastily stepped in front of Peter before the situation could escalate into actual violence. He was actually rather worried his brother might end up being seriously hurt. Peter might be a lot bigger and stronger than his sister but Lucy knew every dirty trick in the book and was utterly ruthless in a fight.
"Perhaps we should all calm down a bit," he suggested quickly. "Lucy, why have you done this?"
"You know why," Lucy told him. "You terrified Steven into breaking up with me, so I've done exactly the same thing to your girlfriends. And I'll do the same in the future. Every time you frighten one of my boyfriends into dumping me I'll do exactly the same thing to whatever girlfriends the two of you have at the time."
"You can't!" Peter hissed angrily. "We won't let you!"
"How are you going to stop me?" Lucy asked with a smirk. "You can't stay with them every moment of every day! I'll get to them somehow and then you know what will happen. On the other hand, you could just accept that being my brothers gives you no right to interfere in my personal life. If you do that then I'll show you the same courtesy."
Picking up her glass of rum, Lucy quickly drained it and then replaced the empty glass on the table.
"Let me know when you've made up your minds!"
And with those words, Lucy quietly left the room.
For several long moments Peter and Edmund just stared at each other, too shocked to speak.
"So what are we going to do?" Edmund asked, finally breaking the silence.
Peter sighed and shook his head.
"Accept her terms. What else can we do?"
"You mean just give in and let her win?" Edmund asked indignantly.
Peter shrugged helplessly.
"What other choice do we have?"