Tranquility (Chronicles of Narnia fan fiction)

Chapter 9

Edmund was surprised by how late in the morning it was when he woke up that morning. Judging by where the sun was in the sky, he had to say it was late morning, probably closer to noon. He was surprised Lucy hadn't gone to antagonize him out of bed as she usually did, calling him – though in a fond way – a lazy slob or a fungus spreading roots in his bed. He chuckled to himself at her imagination and went to the bath a servant had drawn for him. He stripped down and stepped into the now cool waters, wishing they were hot.

Edmund thought to himself as he laced his boots, after finishing with his bath and getting dressed. Had it really only been a week and a half since they found Natalie? It felt like longer. He already knew so much about her, had spent enough time to know quite a bit. He was certain though that there was a lot about herself she was keeping to herself, as was her right to do so. Still, he had come to find himself thinking about her more than he knew he should. It had been a few days since the incident in the library, and neither he nor Natalie mentioned it. In fact, Natalie had spent most of her time with Lucy or professor Marcus, though that could just be that she was trying to learn more about where she was. It couldn't be that she was still avoiding him, could it? Shaking those thoughts out of his head, he decided that he was just being paranoid. Besides, she had been pretty happy the past couple days, even smiled at him a few times and didn't seem bothered by him so much, so yeah, he was probably just over-thinking it.

His thoughts drifted to a memory of her smile. He remembered her eyes as she smiled at him the other night in the library, by the fire. The light of the hearth lit her beautiful green eyes like deep cut jades. Much like it did when she spoke of things she used to enjoy doing with her brother, or when she was happy about something, such as a sunny morning, or the fresh new flowers Caspian would bring her in the mornings when she was injured. They were simple things, but her eyes would shine all the same. He also noticed that sad or wary look in those beautiful eyes sometimes, when she thought no one was looking. He wondered what exactly brought her here and what was on her mind. She had told him her parents and brother were gone... but was that really the only reason she was here?

By the time he was finished bathing and getting dressed, Edmund realized he had been noticing her a lot more lately. He would notice how her wavy brown hair bounced when she was having a good day, how she seemed taller than most girls, about Susan's height, certainly taller than Lucy. He noticed how high her cheekbones were, giving her a sort of smiling expression even when she was not. His heart raced whenever she was close to him and he often stumbled over his words. She wasn't exactly "gorgeous" in the conventional sense, in fact, some might call her kind of plain... he felt different, something about her was different, unique, something called to him like no other girl ever did.

Edmund snapped out of his inappropriate thoughts, blushing to himself, and glanced over at the door where there was a knock. "Yes?" he called.

"King Edmund, sire, the Lord and Ladies are waiting for you in the dining hall. Queen Lucy instructed I tell you to... um..." The servant stampered.

"Go ahead and tell me, I won't be upset," Edmund told her in amusement. Lately, Lucy always had something colorful to say to him in the morning.

"Uh-well," the servant cleared her throat. "She said to tell you to s-stop treating the bed as if... as if 'Natalie' were there with you... and head to breakfast..." the servant muttered. Edmund felt his blush reach his neck and lost his voice for a moment. "S-Sir?" the servant questioned in a very unsure tone.

"It's okay. I'll-uh, be out in a minute..." Edmund responded. He shook his head and checked himself in the mirror one last time before opening his door. The poor servant seemed incredibly uncomfortable. Edmund smiled and thanked her, sending the poor girl off on her way. When he entered the dining hall, he found Lucy trying to smile innocently, Natalie blushing – so she had probably heard Lucy speak with the servant – and a confused looking Caspian with one of his advisers beside him trying to talk him into something.