The war is over; winter has ended.
The Pevensies have been crowned Kings and Queens of Narnia; finally allowed to enjoy their magical world the way the youngest Queen might have wished they had been able to from the beginning. It is here where they...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
─ ♚ ─
It was a particularly bright afternoon in Narnia, and Edmund Pevensie was walking down one of the many staircases of his beloved castle when the swift steps of someone in a hurry started echoing down the hall. Hearing anyone run in Cair Paravel was already something concerning, even on Narnia's best days, but lately, with a newly dead General and a rebellion forming in the north, the steps made Edmund almost freeze.
"Your majesty!" A young voice called cheerfully, and the familiarity of it made the king almost relax. Almost, because even after one week, the owner of that voice still made him feel guiltier than he dared express. "Your majesty!" He called again.
Edmund had to clear his throat. "Over here, John," He called, nearly sprinting down the remaining stairs and stopping the running ten-year-old with both hands on his shoulders. "What? What is it?"
"It's... oh." The poor kid tried to straighten his heraldic tunic with his partly burnt hands. Edmund frowned. "It's the Lady Juliet, sir... she and your royal sister... they have returned."
"They have? Are they hurt?" The boy shook his head. "Then why have you come looking for me so swiftly?"
"The Queen Lucy wishes to speak to you, your majesty. She told me to find you at once, and"─he paused to breathe─"and tell you that she needs to speak with you and the High King most urgently."
At once, Edmund felt like he was able to breathe again. "Alright, I'll fetch his high majesty anon. Did she tell you where they'd be?"
The boy nodded wildly. "The Queen Susan's map room."
"I thought as much," Edmund said, smiling regardless of how that was one of the last things he felt like doing. "Thank you. Please, tell my sister we will be there shortly. And, John"─He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder again and tried to ignore the way he flinched─"You don't need to run for something like this. I am very grateful you came to me so quickly, but... pace yourself, please. Run only if it's life or death." Gulping, the boy nodded again.
Unable to ignore his discomfort any longer, Edmund let him go. John started running away, but a few steps in, he slowed down to a walk, looking apologetically back in the king's direction for a moment. With a single nod of approval, Edmund turned away from him in order to climb the stairs he had descended moments prior.
He simply couldn't look at the kid anymore.
It hadn't been a difficult choice to forgive the young boy and offer him a home in Cair Paravel through the mask of punishment, but seeing him settle into his role at court did not make the weight of his initial sentencing disappear from Edmund's shoulders. In fact, it made it worse; because now that the boy ran around the castle doing things for him and his siblings, Edmund could see just what sort of boy he had been about to send to jail for the rest of his life.
