soldier, poet, king || e. pevensie | slow updates

the soldier • 11

there will come a soldier, who carries a mighty sword. she will tear your city down, oh lei-oh lai-oh lord.

Coralia slammed her head onto the table next to her supper and huffed. "Is King Edmund always this..."

"Difficult? Pretentious? Mean? Yes," Zamier, a minotaur knight said. "You'll get used to it. After your knighting ceremony tomorrow, he might treat you a bit better. But probably not. You just have to learn to walk on eggshells."

The knights were starting to warm up to her. The rest of the people from the trials were in the army, not knights. Most of them liked her even less now that she'd gotten a different job than what she came for. Dasia still didn't care what the others thought.

"I don't even understand why they made me his guard. It's not like he needs one, he's the best swordsman in Narnia," Coralia mocked.

"They wanted to keep an eye on you. Because... well, you know."

"I'm not Ettin. I was born in Narnia. My father is half Calormene, but that's all I know. I never knew my mother."

"We believe you. You really never knew your mother?" A faun, Peodum, leaned forward over the table.

"No. My father didn't want to tell me about her. He doesn't like to speak of his own mother's side of the family either."

Ruzan, another Minotaur spoke up. "Do you ever think of it?"

"Not really. I was happy in my village and I'll learn to be happy here."

The knights all exchanged looks. Coralia could tell that they weren't finished with the topic, but soon enough it was time for her to go up and get ready for the beginning of her knighting ceremony.

She got to her room and set out the white
clothing that had been given to her for this specific occasion. She went to the knights washroom and prepared for a bath. During the whole bath, she was supposed to be washed from her sins. Knighthood was incredibly important to her, so she did her best to wash away everything.

Coralia dried, and went back to her room. After donning her white clothes, she headed down the stairs to find the altar where her weapons had already been set. She knelt to pray, and Aslan the lion approached her. He roared, and she took a deep breath. This is what was supposed to happen the night before. She went back up to bed. Usually, she was supposed to stay up all night in prayer, but High King Peter had said she could sleep. He told her that he never approved of that method, for a knight should always be well rested.

In the morning, all the knights gathered and stood behind her, watching as she knelt in from of the kings and queens. Aslan roared at her once again, and High King Peter dubbed her a knight on her shoulders with his sword.

She recited her oath, dressed in her armor, and received a sword. "Rise, Sir Coralia Findlay of Narnia."

Even the female knights were called Sir, for consistency. Coralia didn't mind. She was far too ecstatic for anything to bring her down. The other knights patted her on the back, all laughing and talking. Dasia came up and gave her a hug. Other nobles and citizens of Narnia that had come to see the ceremony congratulated her.

After the feast, she didn't get a chance to go back down to her room. She had to follow King Edmund wherever he went and stand outside every door. He would yell for her if he needed anything and she'd have to go get it for him. He took advantage of this as often as he could. She stood at the door every time he went to the library (often). Every time he went outside to train, he made her spar with him. Now that he was more familiar with her fighting style, he was getting more and more difficult to fight. She was now getting beat up at least twice a week, then trudging back upstairs behind an exceptionally jolly and unharmed King Edmund.

When the knights were training, he didn't go easy on her. She could still beat him at times, but she didn't have the element of surprise anymore.

One day, about a month into her employment, something changed. While fighting the King, she felt a rush go through her. She pressed harder. He had little to no time to adjust to the sudden change in energy and was quickly beaten, making him beyond angry.

After the training, it was well after dark. Everyone retreated to their rooms to get ready for bed. Not Coralia. She had to take another hour to help Edmund get ready for bed. He had her make his bed, take his dirty clothes away, draw his bath, and anything else he could think of that would delay her.

Finally, Coralia got him into bed with the candles blown out. She hurried off to her own room. She got her own bath ready. While she wouldn't get much rest, it was nice to not have to rush through everything. No one was in line to bathe after her. She sighed. The first month had been getting better, but King Edmund still was determined to make her life into a living Hell. And he was succeeding. But every now and then, she'd get a smile out of him or some form of gratitude.

She finally fell asleep, completely unready for the week to come.

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short chapter, edmund is mean :(