Hey! Well as we all know, Edmund just gave the battle plans to the generals and they are starting the battle.
Oh and I will change Edmunds age back to when he was around 16, to keep all of their ages close to each other. also would be fun to have a teenage King trying to also be a husband and dad.
The story's goanna be a little rushed during the battle, I hope that you like it!
The battle was going good so far, the archers were now joining the battle and the second wave was beginning to be sent out. The siege weapons were destroying the enemy's weapons and killing many of their soldiers. Edmund could tell that the enemy would not hold out much longer.
"Edmund, maybe you should fall back. This battles is all but won. There's no need for you to stay." Said Philip, again looking after his boy.
"No my dear Philip. I must stay here, until the battle is over. I will stand my ground." Stated Edmund while cutting down yet another Enemy soldier.
"I thought you'd say that." Said the talking horse, with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Would I say different?" said Edmund. While Philip gave a snort as a reply to his question.
The battle was almost over; the telmarine soldiers were falling back to shore and into their ships. And only a few Narnians were injured, and even fewer dead. while expected, Edmund sent out a silent prayer to his dead countrymen and vowed to make sure that all the fallen soldiers get a proper funeral and that their families be looked out for.
"They have fallen back my King." Said general Oreius, as he rode up next to Edmund.
"Yes, they have, However I don't think that we'll be seeing the last of them." Said Edmund with a sad and rather concerned look on his face.
"Well, now that their gone. Should we start looking for The King and Queens?" said Oreius.
"No, They are long gone" Edmund stated with a rather sad look on his face.
"What do you mean you majesty?"
"That my brother and sisters are back in my world, they're no longer in Narnia."
"Then what shall we do, without the other Monarchs we can't possibly keep going."
"We will hold on until they return to us. We will make sure that when they come back, Narnia is here to greet them. What else can we do?" said Edmund while steering Philip back to the safe walls of Cair Paravel.
"So what now?" said Philip as Edmund got off.
"We clean up the mess left behind by the invasion and tighten the defenses around the castle and the shores." Said Edmund while opening the doors to the throne room.
"Did you do as I asked, and put my sibling's gifts in the statue chamber?" asked Edmund while sitting down on his own throne.
"Yes my King, But if I may, when will they return?" asked a sad looking Tumnus.
"I don't know my dear friend, but I hope, not only for the sake of our people, but my own that it is soon."
With a solemn bow Tumnus stated, "I hope you excuse me your majesty, I must help in the cleaning after the battle." and started for the door.
"Yes, go my friend. Aslan be with you." No sooner did Edmund finish speaking, was he already out of the door and down the hall.
"Edmund", called a soft, and calm voice. One he recognized so well. The young King raised hope-filled eyes and smiled at what or better yet who he saw.
Aslan.
"Come Dear One. We have a long Journey to go on. You must ride me." as he crouched down.
Wide-eyed with amazement, Edmund climbed down from his throne and calmly but quickly got on his warm, golden back holding on tightly to his mane.
With a great heave he raised underneath the young King and shot off, faster than any horse could go, running in the darkness away from Cair Paravel, until the world was nothing but a blur of colors.
That ride was perhaps the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to Edmund.
"He was amazed at the almost noiseless padding of the great paws and the soft roughness of the golden fur, at the lush mane that was softer than silk. The great lion never grew tired, never missed his footing, and never hesitated, threading his way with perfect skill between tree trunks, jumping over bushes, briars and streams.
"Where are we going?" Edmund asked
"Beyond my dear son, beyond Narnia." Was the only answer he received.
What seemed like no time they appeared to look like a rundown cottage in the middle of unknown woods. Far darker than that of his own western woods.
As they entered the cottage the first thing that Edmund saw was a bloody woman holding a small bundle that could only be a child.
Without thinking Edmund bent down and lifted the woman's body, moving her face to face him and was amazed to be looking into the most beautiful emerald green eyes he had ever seen, eyes that held much sorrow within them.
"Pl..please.." she whispered.
Edmund looked beggingly at the great lion, "can't you save her?"
With a piercing gaze Aslan commanded Edmund's attention.
The lion looked deeply into his eyes and shook his head in the affirmative. "I can my dear one, however if I do I will have to use magic long forgotten. Magic that will forever interwind her future with yours. Are you prepared for what that entails." taking a deep breath, he continued.
"This woman and child has no living family members; they will need protection, guidance, support, and love. Without this I fear they will not survive." The great Lion looked up at Edmund and asked him a question that would affect all of Narnia, "Will you give that to them?"
Edmund gasped, completely overwhelmed: to care for a child? To love and be loved by a woman he had just met?
He was too young, too inexperienced – it's not like there had been children at court! Or women interested in him before. They had all seemed more interested in Peter, being the High King. Perhaps, if he were older, with his siblings at his side – Susan, he was sure, would be a wonderful mother, she'd mothered all of them and the kingdom at large, and would be valuable as the only one between then with proper suiters. And Peter would have known how to raise him properly, with the right values, along side knowing how and what to say to a woman. And Lucy, oh Aslan, Lucy would have made sure the child had fun and would have taught him to have faith.
But in the end none of that mattered, the sleeping woman and child already held his heart in their hands.
He stared into Aslan's deep eyes, looking for warmth, comfort and love that were always found there, and willed his own gaze to convey all the sincerity of his feelings and his determination to overcome his fears along with the obstacles the world would no doubt throw at him.
Tears started to form in Edmunds eyes and he looked back down at the unconscious woman.
And with no hesitation said,
"I will"
With a deep breath, the great lion roared. And Edmund, stunned and fascinated, felt a current of power pour out of him and into the unconscious woman and child, and then rush back, and they were bonded, and it felt more right than words could ever say.
"What is her name."
"Her name is Aurora."* Answered the lion,
"Does the child have a name?" asked Edmund while picking up the small bundle after carefully setting his new love down.
"No, unfortunately poor Aurora was attacked before she could name him." answered Aslan.
Edmund smiled at that. "I will give him a name then."
Aslan looked with kind eyes and spoke, "what shall it be then?"
Edmund thought for a while and spoke up again, "Leonidas."*
Aslan chuckled at the obvious reason for the name but nodded his head in acceptance.
He gazed in wonder and love at the beautiful woman and toddler that turned in his sleep, clutching trustingly at his shirt with a tiny hand.
"Will you care for him? Protect him? Love him?" the great lion was standing above him, his eyes very bright, his limbs quivering, lashing his tail left and right, and all the sadness and worry vanished form Edmund.
"As if he were my son", said Edmund – and he meant every word.
"Then that is what he shall be."
And Edmund, stunned and fascinated, felt another current of power pour out of him and into the child, and then rush back, and they were to bonded, bonded in a way that felt stronger, deeper, and it felt more right than words could ever say. He gazed in wonder and love at the beautiful toddler that turned in his sleep, clutching trustingly at his shirt with a tiny hand.
His son. What a weird and yet right thing to say…
He didn't notice Aslan vanishing, however he heard the words left behind, words to explain and reassure him: "You did well, dear one. Now listen because this is something you must hear, three years have passed in Narnia, when you return I will send a friend to get you. Good luck my child, I will visit you every year on your son's birthday…."
When those word were said a light suddenly engulfed him and his new family, he closed his eyes and held his son and new wife closer to him, when he opened them he found himself on the moonlit edges of a wooded area he would recognize under any circumstance: his own Western Woods.
With a small, genuine smile, he gazed down at his wife and son, who he loved more than he could ever think possible. With one last whisper into the night he vowed to no-one, "I'll take good care of you, both of you." And with that he sat down by a near willow tree. Awaiting the help he knew would come. holding his son close to him with one arm, he used his other arm to lay his new wife's head on his lap, to give her some small comfort from the cold hard ground.
Edmund looked into the distance and to the direction back to Cair paravel, back to his castle, their home.
He couldn't help but wonder what happened while he was gone, but he did know one thing. No matter what happened he would care for his new family, he would give them the love he promised and much, much more.
Though he did notice that the pain in his heart, the one he got when his siblings left, was gone. And he had a good feeling that it was due to his new family, that unknowingly healed the bleeding wound in his heart. However he still worried for his siblings, letting his thoughts wonder into dangerous territory. What if he never saw them again? what if he grew old and died without knowing if they truly made in back home without him.
Unable or maybe, unwilling to continue on darker thoughts he looked down to his small family and smiled, he closed his eyes and slept, with his son in his arms.
Well that was the end of chapter 3!, next chapter will be what happened the 3 years that Edmund was gone, I changed it up a bit. originally I killed Aurora off and left Leo as the only survivor. This time I changed it up to where they BOTH survive. It would be nice to have a mother in little Leo's life, that and to have someone besides Edmund when he may need some assistance or reassurance. (and he will need it)
To answer the name changes, Leonidas was first JUST going to be named Leo, however I felt like Leo was too small. Or maybe too informal for a Crown Prince, or even a Prince. So I added a bit more to his name and changed it to Leonidas, Leo for short. coincidentally the name Leonidas means son of a Lion, so I thought it would fit.
Now to answer Lily's name change, originally I was reading Harry Potter fanfiction while I was writing this, so I was inspired by her name. But it has been MANY years since then and the name just didn't fit in my heart for that name. So I changed her name to Aurora that means Dawn, or light in the darkness. I felt like that would fit what she will become to Edmund.
Now to answer their age, a lot will be explained in the story. But the main point is going to be that she and Edmund are around the same age, Edmund was de-aged to 16 years old. I have aged Aurora to 15 soon to be 16 years old. As for their son Leonidas, he will be a newborn.(lots of women had children young back in the day) His original father will not be brought up as Aurora did not have a lover prior to her attack. That will also be discussed in the story. I'm glad to be back and if you stuck long enough to read the Author's notes then you will know more of the inner story than others who skip this kind of stuff. :3