𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙙 (edmund pevensie x reader)

I. How My Brother Ruined My Life With 7 Little Words

        I still don't understand why my brother left without me. Ever since he could talk and I could listen, we would plan our escape. We ducked into corners and made whispered plans. We snuck into each other's rooms at night and drew maps with escape routes on the panels under our beds.

I remember the night he left. Actually, that's a lie. I was sleeping. I do remember the morning though. Everyone in the palace was in a panic, and no one would tell me what was going on. All the adults disregarded my questions, brushed me away, and continued hurrying around.

It wasn't until I grabbed my aunt by the shoulders and shook her, shouting, "WHERE IS CASPIAN?" That I received some answers.

The story went that Caspian had fled in the night, he took a horse and some food and a few maps and had run out. That was all anyone knew at the time. But that was two weeks ago, and since then Caspian has lead an army in a war against our own people. Without me.

I didn't see him until today, after the war was fought. Until our people, the Telmarines, had signed a peace treaty, surrendering  half of our lands to the Narnians.

I was ready forgive him for leaving me behind, I really was. But in his first words to me laid my fate, my heart, and my whole world. He shattered all of those things into mere shards, and did so with one striking blow.

"You are betrothed  to marry Edmund Pevensie." The words were spoken calmly and with ease, as if we were discussing the weather.

"W-what? The old king? He's still here? I thought he left after the treaty was signed." I asked incredulously and with confusion.

"No, they will be here a long time. It has to be done, sister. To forge peace between our two lands—I'm sure you understand—"

"You can't be serious, Cas."

The childhood nickname was a deep cut and I knew it, "Y/N, I'm sorry you can't see that this is for the greater good—"

"This isn't fair!" I had shouted, "First you leave me behind and—and fulfill our dreams of abandoning this wretched place without me! And now you expect me to marry someone I've never met? You must be joking, Caspian. This isn't funny."

He didn't say anything after that, only gave me a look that told me nothing about this was a joke. This was the truth.

"No, Caspian!" I shoved him back, his head thumping against the wall, "You can't do this to me! You can't make me! You won't!" I've seen Caspian angry before; but on that day I saw one look in his eyes for the first time: fury.

He seized me arm and shouted through gritted teeth, "No! You will listen to me and do as I say, do you understand? You will marry Edmund and build the future of this country. It is not your choice, I'm the king."

I sputtered, searching for a gutting response but coming up empty, "Well, I'm the queen!"

"Not until you marry him, you're not." He released me at this and added, "And I'm sorry about leaving you, Y/N, I didn't have a choice. You'll probably never speak to me again, but—you'll thank me later. I'm doing this so that your future family and my future family will have a safe place to live in. I'm doing this because I care." He stormed out of my room, leaving me to sob silently into the sheets of my bed.

Later that evening, three of my maids entered my room.

"Mistress,—" One of them began.

"What?" I snapped.

"We were sent to get you ready, but if you want us to leave you—"

"Ready for what?"

"The feast."