(2) TELL ME TO STAY // Edmund Pevensie

TO OPPRESS THE OPPRESSOR

CATHERINE WAS TOO TIRED to be wandering around an empty old and house and hiding from an imaginary, invisible oppressor. To be honest, it was far too early in the morning and she was still grumpy about being lifted from her bed – next to Edmund Pevensie, mind you – and being shoved into a rickety mansion she couldn't find her way around. She was this close to just letting herself be oppressed.

As Lucy makes her way around the Mansion in order to find the room that the invisible men – who Catherine doesn't trust, by the way – told her to find, Catherine was examining the various array of paintings that were strung along the wall.

She must admit, even The Oppressor had wonderful taste in such an elaborate display of portraits, and she found herself being lost in the bold strokes of the indelible ink, etched heavily onto the canvas as she drew a hand over it, delicately.

They made their way up the stairs and she heard Lucy gasp, running off. She followed her, alarmed, until the came into a large room, filled to the brim with books. For once in her life, Catherine felt speechless.

In the privacy of the library, there is nothing but the small click of magic that floated around in the air, nipping at her nose and pulling at her hair. As Lucy wanders over to the podium, supporting a large, ancient book which unravels itself at her touch, Catherine made her way around the books, softly, deciding how to distinguish whether the room was a mere figment of her imagination, or if they were for real. She came to the conclusion that she had never once been that imaginative, and couldn't see why she would start now. So instead, she stood, awe-stuck at the large wall and drank it all in before anyone could snatch it away.

A tiny snowflake tickled her cheek.

Catherine looked upwards to see that a trickle of snow was looming over her head, covering the library as Lucy giggled, her head titled up towards the roof and blinking radically to melt the snowflakes on her lashes.

'Is it... is it snowing inside?'

Lucy only giggled triumphantly in response before turning back to the book, flipping through the pages at an absurd speed, desperate to find something that Catherine wasn't sure what it was until she read it out, in a soundless whisper.

'An infallible spell to make you she, the beauty you've always wanted to be.'

There was a pause and Catherine's grin slowly faltered.

'Queen Lucy?'

Lucy wasn't listening, for she was no longer Lucy, but Susan, and although Susan was herself, Susan was also Lucy and Lucy was also Susan. Her breath echoed in the room.

'Lucy.' Catherine said, louder in a hope to attract her attention. She stepped closer towards the young girl, feeling increasingly uneasy and uncomfortable as the young girl stared at the paper, stroking her cheek with an admirable smile.

'Susan what's going on?'

'Lucy, I don't like this.' Catherine said, looking up at the tall ceiling with her hand stretched towards the young girl, who continued to ignore her. Lucy slammed her hand onto the page, her eyes darkening with anger.

'No, wait!'

Catherine flinched at her tone, her hand still reaching out towards the Queen, but faltering slightly.

'Lucy, it's just a spell-'

'No!'  

Catherine winced and stood back, not wanting to be the subject of the Queen's anger. She swallowed, uncertain as she watched Lucy rip the edge of the page, tucking it into her shirt. Catherine felt a whisper shiver down her neck and she spun around, her eyes wide.