A dreadful cry of sheer horror awoke Susan the next morning. Edmund was staring at his reflection in the mirror on the back of his wardrobe door and was completely horrified. Susan wished she could rush over there and hug him, but she was too knotted up in her chair to do that. Once she took a moment to untangle herself, she made her way over to him. "Edmund, I can explain, the-"

"What happened?!" he took another step back from the mirror. Susan wasn't sure where to start with her explanation, so merely hugged Edmund, turning his gaze away from the mirror. "I- I look like-"

"I know," that's when she knew what to say. "The shards we talked about yesterday, reacted to ice and this is what happened."

"Susan, I…" Edmund buried himself in her embrace and much to her surprise, he began to cry. He hadn't cried since their dad went away to war- and even then, Edmund denied that he was sad about the whole thing.

"It's all right," Susan bent down and kissed the top of his head. "We will figure it out. Maybe Aslan can."

"Maybe," Edmund didn't sound like he had much hope in that solution.

"And for now," Susan hated to ask, but if her brother did have the Witch's powers… "Can you please make it stop snowing?"

"It's snowing again?"

"Yes, sorry to-"

"Okay," Edmund muttered and fell silent. Susan glanced down at him and then out the window to her left. As promised, the snow had stopped. "There. Now tell me how we're going to fix this!"

"H-how did you do that?" Susan gasped.

"Just thought about it not snowing," Edmund replied. "Simple."

Susan laughed a bit and messed up his hair with her spare hand. "Exactly. Now, how do feel?"

She watched him think about it for a moment, "better. Nothing hurts. I think."

"That's good."

"Susan, what if I'm this way forever? Even back in London. How are we goin-"

"Don't worry about that right now. Are you hungry?" She really hoped he was.

"Starving," Edmund replied and she instructed him to stay here while she brought him breakfast. On her way to the kitchens, she found she had another problem to contend with. Edmund couldn't stay in his room forever. That was completely impossible and highly unrealistic. But that was her second worry. The first was convincing the chef of the Cair to just let her have Edmund's food. He was insistent that she not deliver it herself.

"You're a Queen, Your Majesty," he said again, the dryad speaking slowly to make sure the point was understood. "You shouldn't be waiting upon your brother. Please, let me send it up to his roo-"

"If I am your Queen, then do what I say," Susan hated to order him around, but there was no other way. "Give me the food."

The Dryad sighed and relented. "If that is what you wish."

On her way back to Edmund's room, she hoped he wasn't doing anything foolish- such as running away, making it snow more, or anything of the sort. The last thing she needed was- Susan froze as she turned the last corner.

The wooden door was open.

She quickened her pace and began preparing a lecture. Edmund was going to get it if he had done anythi- Susan almost ran into the faun, his lord-in-waiting, standing in the bedroom doorway in shock.

"My dear king!" Daelar exclaimed, the tray in his hands falling to the floor with a 'crash'. "What has become of you?"

"It's all right," Edmund said from where he was sitting next to the window reading a book. "Come in."

"But you look so pale and-"

"Please," Susan made her presence known. "Let me past. We can explain over breakfast."

The lord-in-waiting obeyed and soon sat in the chair while Edmund ate breakfast in bed. Susan thought about making her brother sit at the table in the next room, but a little pampering never hurt anyone.

"To put it simply," Edmund began between bites of marmalade toast, "I am unwell."

"It's clear that you are," Daelar noted, "but what ails you? I am aware of your battle wound, but this must be different."

"I am not sure," Edmund said, making Susan wonder what he was doing. She had been prepared minutes ago to tell him to keep mum about the exact details- and the snow. Definitely, the snow that had resumed outside. "Perhaps Aslan knows."

"He knows many things," Daelar agreed in a reverent tone. "However, I cannot help but feel something is horribly wrong with you."

"Perhaps," Edmund agreed, his tone still light. "But we shouldn't worry about that over breakfast."

"But we're all worried," Daelar continued. "About you, of course, but the fact it began to snow again has everyone in the servant quarters in a tizzy. Do you think She's returned?"

"Who?"

"Jadis?"

"Have you seen her?" Edmund asked next and the faun shook his head.

"No, but I have heard stories about her. I have been here taking care of the vacant palace since I was a boy."

"So you never saw her?"

"No, sadly not. But I hear I am grateful to have never crossed her."

"Damn right," Edmund muttered, and Susan glared at him. He shouldn't be using such language, especially words learned in passing from Peter. "She is terrifying."

"I cannot believe you fought Her at Beruna and lived," Daelar noted, "what was She like?"

"Blonde hair, ice blue eyes, oddly short, and had a scar on her face."

"A scar?"

"In the shape of a banana."

"What's a banana?"

Edmund glanced over and Susan who shrugged. She had no idea how to explain a fruit that only existed in their world. "Curved. And she had an eye-patch on her right eye."

"Sounds scary," Daelar shivered. "But am glad she is gone."

"Same," Edmund agreed, glancing down at his food. "Now, why don't we eat and-"

There was a knock at the door and Susan ran over to see who it was. She opened it partway and saw Peter standing outside. "Not now. Come back in half-an-hour. How's Lucy?"

"Happy," Peter told her in the same hushed voice. "I explained why it was snowing and she went outside to play. Mr. Tumnus is concerned, but let's worry about that later. How's Ed?"

"Cooperating," Susan would be happy to elaborate later as well. "Now, I have to go." She shut the door and went back to the meal being had.

"Who was that?" Edmund asked, looking up from his food.

"A guard. He came to tell me that I'm needed in the throne room after you eat."

"Oh," she hated the look of disappointment on his face. "Thought it was Peter."

"It wasn't, sorry." Susan hated to lie, but everything was such a mess at the moment. "Anyway, eat up and then we can tuck you back in bed."

Her brother glanced from her to Daelar. "All right. I suppose I can read more."

"I could read to you," the faun offered.

"That sounds nice," Edmund admitted, "but I'm going to sleep first."

"If that's what you wish."

"I will send for you when I am awake," Edmund promised as he finished breakfast.

"Very good, Your Majesty," Daelar excused himself from the table and with a bow, left the room.

"Susan," the Just King said as soon as the door was closed, "what are we going to do? I can't live in my room. I don't want to do that."

"We won't make you," Susan promised, knowing that was the worst idea. "But tell me why you-"

"Because I'm not stupid," Edmund snapped, a scowl crossing his face. "You and Peter always think I'm stupid, don't you?"

"Rash, yes," Susan said, "stupid, no."

"If it got out that I was cursed, or whatever this is, I don't think I would hear the end of it. I'd be driven from Narnia and I don't want to- Edmund stopped himself and looked down at the floor. "You know."

"I do," Susan was glad to know he cared about them so much.

"Being away from you- with Jadis, was scary. I don't want that again."

Susan moved to where he sat and hugged him. She couldn't help it. She missed him dreadfully when he was gone.

"We will figure something else, I promise. For the time being, you get to play sick, all right?"

"Does that mean breakfast in bed every day?"

"If that makes you happy."

Edmund grinned and Susan couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You are a sly one, aren't you?"

"Always."

A/N: The great charade begins! Anyway, for those who have NOT seen Johnny English, watch it, or search: Johnny English Banana Scar on Youtube. Then, the banana joke will make sense, I promise. I took an interesting twist with Edmund's description of Jadis as it's closer to the Wicked Witch of the West in the Oz Series. The original description of the Wicked Witch of the West is a short old lady with an eyepatch and an umbrella. Now, since Narnia is set in the 1940s, Edmund could have 100% read The Wizard of Oz, because it came out in 1900. A great book and series. Please go read!