my king (peter pevensie)

e l e v e n

We made it back to camp in record time, following quickly behind Beaver. Once we arrived, a crowd had already formed in front of Aslan's tent. The lion stood on top of a stone plateau, facing the crowd. I stood towards the back of the crowd with the Pevensies. Edmund's eyes were wide with fear, and I gave him a tight smile when he met my gaze. I turned my attention back to Aslan as horns sounded.

"Jadis, the Queen of Narnia!" A dwarf called out to the crowd.

"Go away Witch!" A Narnian called from the crowd, and a murmur of agreement spread through the troops.

The Witch arrived on a throne carried by cyclops. They set her down, and she closed the gap between her and Aslan. "You have a traitor in your midst." The crowd let out a gasp, and I felt Edmund tense.

"His offense was not against you." Aslan responded.

"Have you forgotten the laws upon which Narnia was built?"

"Do not cite the Deep Magic to me Witch. I was there when it was written."

"Then you'll remember that every traitor belongs to me. His blood is my property."

Peter suddenly drew his sword, and animals parted around us. The Witch turned to us, and Peter stepped towards her, his sword held high. "Try and take him then."

The Witch looked Peter up and down, a smirk growing on her face. "Do you think that mere force will deny me my right Little King? Aslan knows that unless I have blood, as the law demands, all of Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water." She turned towards Edmund, and pointed a long icy finger at him. "That boy will die on the Stone Table, as is tradition. You dare not refuse me."

"Enough. I shall talk to you alone." Aslan drew the attention away from Edmund, and retreated into the tent. After another glance at us, the Witch followed him inside. Edmund let out a breath he had been holding, but we knew the discussion was far from over.

*****

Time seemed to drag on for eternity, and the crowd was growing restless. After a fair amount of time, Lucy finally spoke up. "We should go sit in the field." We all nodded, getting ready to leave the crowd when the tent flap shifted. Aslan appeared halfway out of the tent, and locked eyes with me across the crowd.

"Reya. Please join me in the tent." He turned around, leaving me in a state of shock. I turned to the others, who each had a look of worry on their face. Susan tried to give me a reassuring nod, but it did little to calm my racing heart. My palms began to sweat, and I could barely hear anything over the ringing in my ears. Whatever they were going to discuss with me in the tent wouldn't be good.

I made my way up the steps, and pulled the flap back with a shaky hand. The Witch was seated at a small table while Aslan was pacing the floor in front of it. "Reya. Please have a seat." Aslan offered, and I took a spot across from the Witch. I met her gaze, and I was instantly frozen in fear. While Aslan's gaze seemed to warm and comfort, hers did the exact opposite. It took all my strength to tear my eyes away from her.

"She has an offer that would save Edmund." Aslan started.

"Which is?" I asked.

"I would sacrifice myself in his place."

"Aslan no! There must be another way."

"That's not all." The lion stopped in front of me, releasing a sigh. "She demands more blood." I turned back to the witch, who had an evil smile spread across her face.

"Me?" I practically whispered.

"Yes you, Daughter of Eve." The Witch cackled. "If you and Aslan sacrifice yourself on the stone table tonight, I will allow the boy to live." My heart dropped to my stomach. Edmund would live, but I would die. I turned to Aslan, searching for an answer.

"It's up to you dear girl." His gaze was sympathetic, but he offered no help. I wanted nothing more than to run away back through the closet, where my biggest worry was the next book I was going to read. Now I had to decide whether it would be me or Edmund who would die. But the decision was already made. As soon as Aslan explained, I knew there was no way I could say no. No way I could let Edmund die instead of me. This was my part of the prophecy.

"Ok." I finally said.

"Ok?" The Witch smirked.

"I will be at the Stone Table tonight. Leave Edmund alone."

"Very well girl. Such a shame you chose the wrong side. You could have been a great member of my army."

"Never." I spat, but she just laughed. Rising from her chair, she began to make her way out of the tent. Aslan and I followed behind her, and we were met with hushes from the crowd. The Witch stalked back to her chair, and sat down.

"She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam's blood." Aslan announced. I could see a weight visibly leave Edmund's shoulders, as his siblings patted him on the back.

"How will I know your promise will be kept?" The Witch sneered.

Aslan's response was a loud roar that shook the entire camp. The Witch's men stumbled backwards a bit, before regaining their ground and picking up her chair. Narnians jeered at her as she made her way out of the camp, but she kept her head high. She had gotten what she came for. Aslan turned to me, and motioned for me to follow him back inside the tent.

I took my seat at the table, and he stood in front of me. "What you're doing is quite brave Reya. Not many would be willing to give their life for another."

"It's my part in all of this. Edmund has a kingdom that needs him. Siblings that love him." I sighed, picking at a hem on my dress. "I have no one."

"That's not true." Aslan said gently. "I can see the admiration the others have for you; particularly the little one. She sees you as another sister. Your disappearance will not go unnoticed."

I met the lion's eyes with a small smile. "I just wish I had more time."

"You have a few hours; make the most of them. Meet me at the base of the hill once the moon is directly overhead." I nodded, and gave Aslan a tight hug before making my way out of the tent.

What does one do with the last few hours of their life?