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THIRD PERSON POV
While Imira was busy catching up with Lord Stryder, Peter decided it was best to leave her. They had spent an awful lot of time together on the Splendour Hyaline and needed to take a break from seeing the same faces every day. Henry should be keeping her occupied long enough for me to find out if Susan did as I asked, Peter thought, for after their departure he had asked his sister to make the necessary arrangements to that upon their arrival they could be wed.
"Susan, we must talk," Peter said.
"Yes, we must. There is much for you to catch up on," Susan said, but just then she noticed Lord Henry and Imira leaving. "Lord Stryder!" Queen Susan called out.
"Yes, your majesty?" he replied at once, stopping on the spot and turning to face his Queen.
"Remember what I told you, please," Susan said.
Lord Henry bowed before her and proceeded to follow Imira inside, who after giving Peter a confused look which he replied to with a shrug, shrugged as well and went in.
"What was that about?" Peter asked his sister.
"He'll keep her occupied," Susan replied, for she had talked to Lord Stryder that very morning and asked him to entertain the princess until she called for him. "Long enough for me to inform you of everything," Susan said, holding on to Peter's arm. "Come. Let's start in the throne room,"
Edmund and Lucy followed their siblings behind, but they were too busy exchanging stories to hear what matters their older siblings were discussing. Nevertheless, Edmund liked to be kept informed of everything and so he and Lucy followed Peter and Susan.
"... so then the pirates tried to board us," Edmund was saying to young Lucy, who stared up at her older brother with extreme interest and a bit of awe. "but then we got out our swords and" Edmund's attention was caught at the mention of his name by Susan.
"The throne room was changed a bit to make room for her seat, yours is now in the middle, hers, between yours and Ed's,"
"What about me?" he asked.
"The thrones Ed, pay attention," Peter said, laughing a bit at Edmund's lack of the latter.
They had entered through the left door, the one which was closest to the seats, Edmund saw what his siblings meant, for instead of four thrones at the Hall of power in Cair Paravel, there were five.
"Looks good. What do you think Ed?" Peter asked, concerned he had not asked his brother before making such a drastic change. Would Edmund be angry? Would he demand things went back to the way they were before? Peter's worry grew every second Edmund remained silent. His expression, unreadable, for Edmund, was too busy staring seriously at the thrones, thinking about how it did not please him at all to have to play second to his brother. Not one bit. If we were all to married, will there be eight thrones in Cair Paravel? Probably not. He asked and answered in his head the question he did not dare say out loud for he was certain it would instigate conflict. No, instead he kept his discontent to himself. He could not let the anger and the jealousy get the better of him. No, he had changed, or so he liked to tell himself. Yes, he had changed for the better. It was a struggle sometimes, his old impulses tended to make an appearance here and there, but he thought of all the wrongs he had done by listening to that nasty voice in the back of his head. That voice which fueled his anger. No, it wasn't anger, it was something different. Jealousy? Not either. What was he to be jealous of? It was not as if he fancied his brother's bride. He was quite fond of her, but not in that way. Was it resentment perhaps? Over Peter having more power than him? Maybe that was it, maybe Edmund felt it was unjust Peter having more power just because he was born first. But it was the law, and above all else, Edmund understood the need for the law. It was there to keep the peace, to mediate all conflicts, and even though Edmund's was a conflict of the mind and heart, he knew he could always rely on the law to make the right call.
