Always || Edmund Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia) [1]

Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

POSTED 12/30/19

Caspian's coronation took place after Mary's. Once those were finished, a feast took place at the main dining hall. There were rows and stacks of food lined on a long table at the front of the room, round tables for the guests scattered around the hall, and a dance floor at the center.

Mary was now much happier and less tense as compared to the past few days. Everyone was either dancing, laughing, or eating. The newest female addition to the royals of Narnia was currently dancing with Peter who asked her for a dance first (much to Edmund's displeasure).

"I won't take long, Ed," Peter had laughed at his brother's face but the latter merely scowled at him.

Mary and Peter had always been friends, but he was possibly the least closest to her among the Pevensie siblings. Aside from the age gap, they usually got along fine, but they both couldn't deny that ever since entering Narnia, he hadn't exactly been the nicest to her.

"I don't think I've had the chance to apologize to you," Peter started.

"For what?" Mary said. She had a strong feeling of what he was referring to, but she secretly only wanted to see him be uncomfortable in admitting it. Peter was a very wise and selfless person, but he did have a lot of pride as well.

He coughed awkwardly and replied, "Well, I haven't been the... nicest to you ever since we got to Narnia. I downplayed a lot of your ideas and didn't listen to you."

"And?" she dragged on only to tease him. She was eventually going to say she was just kidding and that she accepted his apology, but he continued anyway.

"And I'd like to thank you for what you did in the battle. It was brave of you to even fight in the first place and you almost lost your life because of that. I won't forget that, and neither will the Narnians."

Mary looked up at him in mild surprise, not expecting him to say something as serious and genuine as that.

"Oh. Thank you, Peter."

He shrugged. "You're welcome. Narnia needs someone like you when we leave."

"You're really leaving?"

The High King nodded a solemnly. "I haven't explicitly said it to Edmund and Lucy, but I know they can tell something is off. Susan and I feel like we've done our job here in Narnia. It's time to pass it on."

"And you think I can handle that responsibility?" Mary said, feeling burdened with the task already.

Peter smiled softly. "Don't you?" he retorted. When Mary made a face that blatantly expressed her uncertainty, he chuckled. "Besides, Caspian is here, too. Aslan as well. You won't be alone."

Mary didn't know if she wanted to ask whether Edmund was leaving, too. She didn't want to seem dependent on him, but he was her closest friend — and more, after everything that had happened — after all. It was unnerving to think of staying in Narnia without her friends, the people who brought her there in the first place. But before she could even make the decision to ask or not, someone had cut in.

"May I?"

Caspian appeared from next to them and Peter nodded, stepping away from Mary. From his seat at one of the tables, Edmund grumbled in irritation. He had lost the opportunity once more.

"Seriously?" he groaned, slumping in his seat.

Lucy, who had come back to the table after conversing with Trumpkin and the other dwarves on the other side of the hall, giggled at her brother sitting alone and sulking at the table.