(1) BEAUTIFUL // Edmund Pevensie

DAWN AWAKING

CATHERINE DIDN'T NECCESARILY like being woken up by someone attempting to cut off her oxygen, but then again, she supposed the Professor wouldn't have liked her to scream out, either. In all honesty, it was a strange way to awake someone, and she took a mental note to remind herself to tell him of her disapproval of his strange tactics. She would suggest pouring a bucket of water, next time, or maybe even shaking her awake. But suffocating was a little too much, in her opinion.

As she realized it was only the Professor, waking her up for earlier lessons – she swore they got earlier and earlier each day – she merely groaned in reluctance against his palm and shrugged him off, rolling onto her side in an effort to gain more sleep after the disruptance. It was only when she heard a voice of a much higher pitch than what usually belonged to the Professor, that her eyes shot open.

'Catherine! Catherine, you have to get up.'

Catherine's eldest brother, Caspian, was born on November 27th, exactly three years before his younger sister arrived. Of course, after the many tragedies in their life, the pair grew closer and closer with each misfortune, and knew almost everything about the other. Alongside this, Catherine knew that Caspian preferred eating cereal to toast and that he would always shift his foot from the right to the left when he was anxious. She also knew that he was late to almost everything scheduled past 10 o'clock because he remained asleep until the late hours of the day. Unless something woke him up.

'Caspian?' Catherine asked, turning around confusedly. 'Caspian, what's going on?'

Her brothers usually soft features had turned hard and pale in the darkness of her bedroom. She swallowed, anxiously.

'We need to leave, now.'

...

'YOUR AUNT HAS GIVEN BIRTH, Princess Catherine.' Professor Cornelius began as they ran down the spiral steps led from Caspian's room. There was a beat, a breath waiting for the drop. 'To a son.'

There it is.

Catherine moved her jaw, gaping before turning to her brother with wide, frightened eyes filled with terror about the future.

'He's going to kill you.'

Caspian nodded, swallowing down his fear as he hurried her along, urgently. 'And he will kill you too, if you don't get a move on.'

They swiftly moved to the weaponry, where the Professor grabbed a long, black woollen coat for Caspian, and helped Catherine into a caped, black one. Caspian examined the swords, whipping them from their stands with an exuberant gesture, handing Catherine a dagger. She smiled, nervously and he nodded at her, urging her to take it.

'You may need it.' He told her.

Catherine shook her head, but pocketed it anyways. 'Not when I have you to protect me.'

A sad look passed Caspian's features and his grin faltered, turning into a melancholy, fond smile. 'I might not always be there to protect you, Cath.'

Catherine's face fell. They stared at one another, a mutual understanding passing between them as they flickered between each-other's eyes. The Professor ran ahead of them, bursting through the door, and Caspian sighed loudly, grabbing his sisters hand to pull her outside and towards the stables.

'Hurry, now.' Cornelius told them in a hurried whisper, helping Catherine onto one of the Kings' horses as Caspian mounted his own, struggling to keep it steady as it threatened to run from the urgency of the night. 'You must make for the woods.'

Caspian's features contorted to one of slight disgust, fear and doubt. Catherine pursed her lips.

'The woods?' Caspian said, his voice laced with uncertainty. 'Are you sure?'