Worth More Than Gold

Chapter 15 - Breathe

"So, how far away is the pond?" Susan asked.

It was now the afternoon, and the Pevensies, along with Willow and Ollie, were gathered in Edmund's room. They were working together on how to plan everything out properly.

"Aqua translucent. That's the name of the pond." Ollie explained. "It's around 3 days away from Cair Paravel."

Susan nodded. "So, if I leave tomorrow, I'll be back within 6 days, and Edmund will still have a week left."

Peter thought for a moment, before nodding. "Once you get back, we will give the water to Edmund. And after he and Lucy are better, I'll leave for the stone table. Will the cure work right away?"

"It's hard to say." Willow replied. "But, King Edmund should be awake shortly after. He and Queen Lucy will start feeling better within a couple hours, most likely. They will not be 100% better for a few days though."

"Okay." Peter nodded. "After Edmund wakes up, and I tell him what's going on, I'll go to the stone table."

"There is one more thing your majesty." Ollie said.

"What is it?" Peter asked.

"For the sacrifice to work properly, King Edmund and Queen Lucy will have to link their hands together when it happens. They also must be holding hands with King Peter, so that as his life ends, theirs will separate."

Lucy took a deep breath, trying to push that image from her head.

"So, Edmund and Lucy have to come with me to the stone table." Peter said.

"They do." Ollie said.

"How about this." Susan said. "After I get back, we give Edmund the cure. Then wait a few days until Lucy and Edmund start to feel better. Then we all go to the stone table and...do the sacrifice."

"I don't want them to watch." Peter said with a sigh. "But, I guess there's no other option."

Susan nodded. "No, I don't think there is." She said quietly.

"Alright." Peter finally said, "Then that's what we'll do.

"Guys." Lucy said after a moment. "I don't think Edmund will agree to this."

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"Think about it." Lucy said. "He's been unconscious for more than a week, and he has no idea any of this is happening. He will wake up, find out our lives are linked together, and that we have been dying. The only way to unlink our lives is for Peter to die. Edmund will never let him do that."

Petr sat there for a moment, thinking. "You're right. He'll probably run to the stone table and sacrifice himself first."

"I doubt he will be able to even get out of bed though." Susan said.

"He would find a way." Peter replied. "Especially with my life on the line. I know he would rather lose his own life than have any of us die. There's no way we can get him to agree."

"Then what do we do?" Susan asked.

"We can't tell him." Peter said.

"What?!" Susan asked. "Peter, that's cruel."

"If we do tell him, he will try to kill himself on the stone table, I know he will. But if we don't, he will live."

"He will never forgive you!" Susan said. "He won't have the chance to tell you goodbye. I mean, he doesn't even know about anything happening around him. The last thing he probably remembers, is horse riding with Lucy. He's going to wake up, and find out that you died, so he and Lucy could live. He won't forgive us, or you, Peter."