Heart and Home~ Edmund Pevensie

Chapter 4: Siblings

It happened so suddenly. Amelia barely had a chance to register the fact that they were no longer in Narnia.

The moment her feet had flattened on the solid wood flooring, Lucy had bounced off and ran for her shared room with Susan. Amelia knew what Lucy was about to do; it was a terrible idea, to say the least. She pushed off after Lucy, but the girl was already far ahead. It seemed that all thoughts of being quiet suddenly did not exist as the two carelessly ran through the corridors. But to no avail, Lucy threw open her bedroom door and flung herself inside the room. She started shaking Susan roughly in an attempt to rouse her from her slumber. Amelia ran in after her, but all too late.

"What's the matter?" Susan grumbled, still half-asleep. Lucy did not stay behind long enough to answer. She dashed across the hall to Peter's room, jumping on his sleeping figure.

"Peter! Peter! Wake up! Peter, wake up! It's there, it's really there!"

Amelia quickly helped Susan pull her on her robe before jogging across the hall to boys' room.

Peter lazily rolled onto his back, annoyed, and grumbled: "Lucy, what are you talking about?"

"Narnia!" She excitedly exclaimed, "It's in the wardrobe like I told you!"

Edmund waltzed into the room, followed by Susan who was still fighting with the robe.

"Oh, you've just been dreaming Lucy." Susan frustratingly stated, moving to stand beside Amelia.

"But I haven't!" She said in a desperate attempt to convince her siblings, "I saw Mr. Tumnus again! And this time, Amelia and Edmund went too!"

The two older Pevensie's turned to Amelia and Edmund, confused by Lucy's statement.

"You...you saw the faun?" Peter said slowly like he was talking to a group of two-year-olds.

Amelia, afraid of her answer, decided to stay quiet. She knew Edmund would surely lie about his experience in the mythical world. Amelia knew that she could never do that to Lucy; betray her like she was only the last potato on the dinner table, however, she doubted any of her words would convince the little girl's older brother and sister. This was a sibling quarrel, and she decided that it was best to stay out of it.

"Well, Amelia did, but Edmund didn't actually go there with us. He..." Lucy trailed off, turning to Edmund quizzically, "What were you doing Edmund?"

Now that Lucy planted the seed, Amelia wondered the same thing... what had Edmund been doing while they were at Mr. Tumnus' house? When did he get there? How did he get there? Did he follow them?

"I was just playing along," Edmund nonchalantly stated, "I'm sorry Peter. I shouldn't have encouraged her, but you know what little children are like these days, they just don't know when to stop pretending."

Amelia could not recall a time where had ever felt so angry. Lucy's face was the pure definition of sadness as it seemed to contort in slow motion, her lower lip trembling like her eyes as the tears leaked over their reservoir. With a loud sob, the girl ran out of the room, Amelia right behind her.

Susan and Peter followed, Peter wasting no time in shoving Edmund onto the bed before sprinting out after the girls. Lucy ran down the hall, Amelia not far behind.

Lucy rounded the corner, disappearing from Amelia's sight. Amelia quickly rounded the corner herself...

Only to be faced with an entirely different situation

It seemed that Lucy had run right into Professor Kirke, and he now held her to his well-fed belly as if she were his own daughter.

Amelia stopped in her tracks, not sure of her next move. She had hardly uttered a word to the professor during her stay here, nevertheless, she doubted she could fathom any words worth speaking.