King Edmund the Just : A Lifetime In Narnia

Chapter Three

Peter cautiously wandered out of our hiding spot, his sword drawn and aiming to approach one of the creatures. Suddenly, a tall figure leapt from a high position, almost landing on Peter, his sword colliding with Peter's. They fought, the metal blinding in the sun. The stranger had shoulder length brown hair, Mediterranean coloured skin and a beautiful face.

When Peter's sword got stuck in a tree, I took action and darted out, my sword raised. "Stop!" I yelled. Lucy stopped beside me.

"Prince Caspian?" Peter asked, taking a closer look at his face.

"Yes. And who are you?" Caspian scowled.

"Peter!" Susan called, running into view with Edmund and Trumpkin the dwarf.

"High King Peter." Caspian recognised. "I expected you to be older."

"Well, if you like, we'll come back in a few years." Peter snapped, sliding his sword back into its sheath. I couldn't help but laugh quietly, although I knew it was probably an inappropriate time to do so.

Prince Caspian laid his eyes on me.

"Alexis. But I don't know where I belong here." I said before he could ask me.

"She accidentally came through the portal with us when you blew the horn." Peter exclaimed.

I nodded, biting my lip.

___

"What's your story?" Edmund inquired while we walked across fallen logs. We were following the rest of the group.

"My story?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, like where are you from, what's your family like, why did you move to London?"

"Oh. Well it's a short one, and its awfully boring." I laughed.

Edmund smiled and shrugged. "I am sure it's not that boring."

I smiled and tucked a red strand of hair behind my ear. "I was born in Surrey, England and when I was twelve we moved to France, change of scenery you know but my mother got sick soon after and..." I paused and took a breath, trying to to cry.

Edmund placed a comforting hand on my should. "Sorry Lexi, I shouldn't have brought it up, you don't have to continue."

I shook my head. "No it's fine, you didn't know. My father and I then returned to London, but after the bombings he joined the war and I moved in with my Aunt. Two days he was killed in action." I remembered when we received the dreadful letter the day before I went to boarding school.

Edmund tensed up beside me. I didn't blame him for making me recall all this, he didn't know any better.

"So, I stayed with my Aunt in Finchley, and there isn't much to say about her except that she can barely fit through her doorways."

Edmund laughed loudly, startling a nearby sparrow.

"It's not much of a worry though, she barely comes home, and when she does, she's too drunk to even remember me." I smiled.

"Well Alexis Knight, that is quite a story." Edmund smiled.

"What's your story, mysterious Edmund Pevensie?"

"Well it's a short one, and it's awfully boring." He teased.

"No it's not!" I shoved him and laughed.

___

We arrived at some kind of tomb, the centaurs stood on either side of the stone path and raised their swords, making an honourable arch for the Kings and Queens.

I fell back and walked with Caspian, but even then I wasn't sure if that's where I was supposed to be.

"I knew an Alexis once." He started before I could drop back again.

I looked at him. "Really?"

He nodded and smiled slightly. "She was my best friend, but then she had to leave one day." He mumbled.

"Oh, that's a shame. Maybe you will see her again one day." I encouraged. We walked under the centaurs swords and into the tomb.

Caspian nodded and smiled. "I doubt she remembers me anymore."

I gave him a reassuring smile. "If she was your best-"

"-Peter, you may want to see this." Susan called from a doorway. She motioned for Caspian and I to come too. We followed Peter and Edmund into another tunnel. On the walls were delicate drawings, a timeline.

"It's us." Edmund pointed to the sketch of four figures next to their thrones.

"And Mr Tumnus." Lucy smiled.

"Alexis." Peter's voice called from further down the tunnel. I walked towards his lighted torch and finished beside him.

"Yes?"

He pointed to a female figure kneeling in front of a lion. She had red hair and freckles. "It's you." Peter gave me the clarification.

"But I look younger there." I answered puzzled. I reached out my hand and touched the cold stone.

"I though you said you lived in England and France for most of your life?" Edmund asked from behind me.

"I did! It mustn't be me...maybe it tells the future?"

"That wouldn't explain why you look younger." Susan said.

"It shows the past." Caspian spoke quietly.

I turned to face him and frowned. "That Alexis you were talking about. Is she me?"

He bit his lip and nodded. "Do you remember?" His lips turned up in a small smile.

I racked my brain for memories of Narnia but in the end I had to shake my head. "Sorry."

His smile faded and he shrugged. "That's ok." I knew it wasn't.

"What is this place?" Susan broke the prolonged silence.

"Don't you know?" Caspian asked and walked further down the tunnel. He lowered the flames from his torch and the room lit up.

My eyes lay on a stone table. Lucy walked over to it and ran her fingers over the old language. "He must know what he's doing." She whispered.

I looked up at the large, majestic lion in the stone on the back wall. He must know.