LOWBORN : Edmund Pevensie

19

I wake up to the bright sun. I pull myself upright, my back stiff. Something is poking my ear. I reach up and feel it. A flower, from last night.

My eyes wander next to me. Edmund, asleep, surrounded by flowers. My heart jumps into my throat.

"Edmund," I say, shaking his arm. "We fell asleep."

"Aslan," he mumbles, rubbing his eyes. He jolts up and grabs his satchel and runs over to the horses. I dart after him. We gallop back to the castle. We made it to the field in an hour last night, but we quickly head back in under twenty minutes.

The guards greet us at the gates. "High King Peter is looking for you. We said nothing, but servants are currently scouring the grounds."

"Thank you," King Edmund says. He digs into his satchel and hands each of the two guards five gold coins. "For your troubles."

We make it back to the stables and drop off the horses. On foot, we head into the castle. We dart up the stairs and into the residential wing.

"Theodosia!" Evangeline's voice booms.

Edmund and I stop. We have been caught.

Lucy stands next to Evangeline, and she seems sombre. Quiet and dimmed. She's been burnt out, finally. She wipes her eyes; though it is hard to tell from here I assume she is crying. Then, Lucy runs past Evangeline and us, over towards her bedroom.

"How droll," Evangeline says, shaking her head from side to side.

She stalks over to me and grabs my arm.

"Don't touch her like that," Edmund grabs Evangeline's wrist and pulls her off me.

She tries to pull her wrist back, but his grip on it tightens. I stand in shock, watching them glare, their faces centimetres apart.

"I'm fine," I tell Edmund. Only when I speak does he finally let go of her.

She rubs her wrist. There isn't a mark, thankfully, but she rubs it so.

"Ed, there you are," High King Peter runs up behind Edmund, coming from the residential wing. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," he responds, the words darting out like a viper striking.

"Nothing?" Evangeline shouts. "You've made a whore out of my servant."

"I am not your servant," I tell her, my voice firm.

A silence follows, where I look nowhere but at her. I'm curious as to High King Peter's expression, and Edmund's of course, but I do not dare look. My eyes remain steady on her, waiting.

Evangeline looks at me and her nostrils flare. "A whore just like your mother."

I turn my head as if I've been slapped. I fold my hands in my lap and take a deep breath in. My eyes begin to water.

"Ed," High King Peter begins.

"I haven't done anything," Edmund counters. "Theodosia and I, we were just..."

He has a duty, which is why he doesn't own up to it. I don't blame him. Clearly, the lie isn't going to work.

"We will deal with him, Princess Evangeline," High King Peter promises. He walks over to Edmund, grabs the young king around the arm and begins to pull him away. "I promise, our arrangement will still stand."

When the two begin to leave, Edmund yanking himself out of High King Peter's grip and walking on his own, I turn to leave myself. Evangeline's shoes clack behind me as she follows behind. Even when I enter my chambers, she is still trailing behind. I slam the door in her face and just as I am about to lock it, she bursts the door open.