Salvation ⋆ Edmund Pevensie

𝖔. Break of Morn

✧⁺❀ P r o l o g u e . . .

A firm hand clasped over the young maiden's mouth, suddenly awakening the brunette from her deep sleep. Her walnut brown eyes shot open and the girl was ready to attack her 'assaulter' until she realised the man was none other than her mentor, Professor Cornelius. Upon realising this, she unclenched her muscles and allowed her head to plunge back into her pillow and sink into the feathers.

However, despite her best efforts to return to her slumber, the old man refused to leave her room. "Princess, we must flee. If you return to bed for even five minutes longer and fail to follow me, you will surely be dead."

At this, Malina's eyes fluttered back open whilst her eyebrows furrowed into a frown. Cornelius seized her hand and pulled her up and out of the many quilts she slept in. Still exhausted due to a total absence of rest, she was guided out of her bedroom and down the long corridor towards her brother's room.

Bewildered, slightly debilitated and fairly anxiously, she took as large steps as she could with as much speed as she could muster (which subsequently proved to not be very much at all) in best attempts to quickly arrive at Caspian's bedroom. Her feet pounded against the cold marble floor adding to her already apparent headache that made her further long for sleep.

Finally, the two of them entered her brother's chamber. Cornelius ushered her towards the wall and ordered her to stand there (an order she immediately disobeyed, slumping into an armchair), whilst he awoke Caspian in a similar fashion he had used upon Malina.

Caspian's eyes lit up in fear, his mouth poised to let out a yell, until he saw it was only the professor and his sister, whose appearance he acknowledged with a groan and sigh, before grabbing the bedsheets and rolling back over into his bed. Malina rolled her eyes from where she was seated, mildly amused at how similarly her brother reacted to herself moments prior.

"Oh, do wake up, Caspian," she urged. "If I had to, so do you!"

"Your sister is right, my prince. Although matters are far more pressing than the way in which she worded it."

Footsteps and shuffling could be heard from the corridor. Malina reflexively stood up in a state of alert.

"Come," Cornelius spoke, "We must hurry."

Caspian hastily tossed aside his covers and joined his sister across the room. "Professor, what ever is the matter?"

"Your aunt has given birth... to a son."

At that moment, Malina felt her world thrown into disarray. A wave of nausea rushed over her and she felt as though she was losing control of her balance. She cast a glance towards her brother, who was portraying a response alike hers.