Metamorphosis || Edmund Pevensie

Chapter 7: Friends

"Hey." Dhruvika spoke as she stood on the balcony. She hoped to not scare Edmund, which was why she lingered there for the first five minutes since her arrival before announcing her presence.

Edmund stood up all of a sudden, blood rushing to his brain as his hands immediately reached for the sword that lay next to him. He was sad that his flow of reading his book on the comfortable divan was lost, but he was glad and surprised even that the mysterious girl kept her promise. Only after coming to the sense of reality did he lower his hand. 

"You came!"

"I told you I would." She smiled and couldn't help but notice his messy hair. It was longer than the High King's and most of the people at the castle, but it suited him.

He chuckled. "Well, the mysterious girl in my room who left without using the front door....I had my suspicions. How did you exit the premises yesterday?" He had inquired the guards regarding this very strange moment, and even they did not have any answers for him. The front gates were closed. The castle walls were not breached. So what had happened?

Dhruvika hoped that her face wasn't revealing her distrust. "Magic." She shrugged.

Edmund had a feeling that she was joking but he could hear the candour in her voice. "Oh, um, please sit." He gestured to the empty space in the room. He couldn't have her standing and knew that it was bad manners to not offer a seat. Susan and Lucy would murder him if they were present in the room and he was happy that they weren't.

"Nandri," she said as she walked to an empty chair next to a study table. That seemed the best place as it was close to the balcony but still far away from him.

"Will you tell me?" He asked, sitting back on the divan and facing her.

"What do you want to know?" She rested her hands on the arms of the chair and slouched, knowing that she wouldn't have to hear Oreius' instructions about how sitting straight was good for the back.

"I'm guessing that I cannot ask how you commute." She nodded and he was one second away from frowning. "Who are you?" He asked instead.

"My name is Dhruvika." She knew that she couldn't stop at that. "I lived in a different place since childhood before coming to Narnia." Well, it wasn't the entire reality but she wasn't lying either. "I've been living here ever since you got crowned."

"Where do you live now?"

"Just after the forest line." She had prepared all the answers to the possible questions that she knew were waiting for her and she only had to talk without her voice shaking. She had thought twice about meeting the Just King, but she was a keeper of promises.

Edmund raised his eyebrows at her. "Vague answer....but it is fine." He was glad to have the company and he understood her being reserved. He wasn't anything special and he couldn't expect anything either.

"Why did you ask me to come? Why didn't you report me to the guards? Does your family know about me-"

"One question at a time please." He laughed, making her flush as she realised that she let her anxiety get ahead of herself. "I asked you to come because I am curious about how you came here yesterday, but I want to be your friend. It will be nice to have a friend. I haven't had one in a really long time."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "But....you're the Just King." He flinched. "Sorry." She mentally smacked her forehead for having referred to him with his title.

"No, it's fine." He shook his head. "That is exactly why I want a friend. Everyone looks at me with eagerness in their eyes. They only see the Just King and not....who I am. I'm sure it is worse for my brother but he hides it well. I....cannot. Friendship isn't one of the luxuries that I can afford, especially after the assassination attempt at my brother's life."

Dhruvika felt sorry for him but didn't say anything in that regard. She knew how he was feeling, having been a prisoner all her life. She realised that she may look his age but she was older and he could never find out about that part of her life. He wouldn't understand. She may have broken down to Oreius but she had to keep her guard up with Edmund, no matter what. She couldn't hurt him not make him realise who she was. The walls would have to stay up.

She shuddered thinking about the White Witch but shook her shoulders to hide it. "Well, you don't have to worry anymore. I'm here now."

"Thank you." He looked like a normal teenager and they knew that they didn't have to hide anything from each other. It was the beginning of a quick friendship. "I hope I'm not forcing you-"

"Don't worry about it. I need a friend as well." 

She had friends in the woods but she always knew that it would be nice to have a human friend, someone who could understand her in a way that Narnians couldn't, if that makes sense. Oreius considered introducing her to the rulers but she always declined it.

"You seem like a person who has a lot of friends though."

"I could say the same about you."

Edmund looked at the floor and smiled at himself. He was wondering why he was feeling the way that he was but he wanted to trust Robin. He wanted to know more about her but he knew that she would have questions as well, and he was ready to answer them.

"About my other questions...." She reminded him a little awkwardly.

"Oh right! What were they?" He wondered. "Yes, does my family know about you." Her heart stopped in the small pause that he gave. "No, they don't."

"Oh, thank Gods." She breathed out in relief and brushed her fingers through her hair.

He scoffed. "Thanks."

"Illai, I didn't mean that! It's simply that....I don't want anyone to know about me."

"My instincts told me that." Somehow, the distance between themselves felt too long and short at the same time. "You have your secrets and I will respect them."

"Thank you." She pursed her lips together. "I wish I could say the same thing about you but we don't really know each other." She gave out a shaky laugh.

"Let's change that, shall we?" He repeated his words from the previous night.

The two talked their heart out before the clock on the North Tower rang twice. "Goodness gracious, it is getting late!" 

Edmund stood up instantly, not feeling the need to go to sleep. It was nice to talk to her and he was making a friend. He couldn't believe that it was already two in the morning. "Will you come tomorrow?"

Dhruvika looked at him and wondered what she should reply. Oreius didn't know about her sneaking out but she wasn't exactly a follower of rules, was she? "Why, of course my friend." She walked towards him and clamped his shoulders for a dramatic effect. "I will come here as long as you want, Drida." 

"I love that book." He smiled because it was a book that only he had read. He always wanted to talk about it with someone and despite his tries of making his siblings read it, he was grateful that she had read it.

"Are you sure about this?" 

"What?"

She loved the clueless look on his face. He was one of the smartest people that she had heard about but it was like he had told her. People did forget that he was only human. "Are you sure that you want this friendship?"

"Why? Are you having second thoughts?" He joked. "What happened to 'Dhruvika the Daring'?"

She smirked. "I don't have a title and I don't need one."

"I'm sure." 

She nodded. "See you tomorrow then."