LOWBORN : Edmund Pevensie

21

I awake with throbbing shoulders. I try to peel myself off the wall, but I am stuck. My body clings to the dirt like a wet dress. Pressure is building in my head. I must have slept for an hour or even less.

There is nothing to do down here but sit and contemplate and fall in and out of consciousness. For every minute I am asleep, I spend two minutes awake. I wonder if I am going to die from the exhaustion before they have an opportunity to hang me.

At some point, I am awoken by the heavy door rumbling across the floor. Across from me are all four kings and queens of Narnia. High King Peter holds a torch and places it on a hook in the dungeon cell.

"We've come to a decision," High King Peter says.

Lucy walks over to me, keys in hand. She unlocks each of my manacles. Lowering my shoulders is perhaps almost as painful as having them pinned up. I massage my wrists, rolling my shoulders back in circles to relieve the pain.

"We're going to return you to King Bernard," Edmund, King Edmund, whoever he is to me, says.

I am too tired to argue. Whatever they will have done with me, so be it.

They bring me upstairs. My clothes have all been gathered and packed, including the ballgown. My suitcase is overflowing. As we walk up, I try to catch the Narnians' eyes and get a read on them.

High King Peter doesn't even look at me. He is as stoic as ever, his jaw set and his lips straight. He leads the charge, only occasionally looking back at his sisters. I remember dancing with him at the ball and learning the box step. Now, I feel trapped inside that box.

Queen Susan will not look at me either. She walks with grace, her feet practically hovering over the floor. She has always been so astute, but difficult to read. At this moment, I want her to tell me she has read me correctly the whole time. I want her to say she knows I wouldn't have harmed her brother. Instead, I get nothing.

King Edmund is softer than I expected. He occasionally glances at me, his mouth open and eyes blinking. He's been paused, like music. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. The silence kills me. I would rather he just yell at me, just scream. He doesn't.

Queen Lucy is trying to pretend she isn't crying. I don't know if she is crying because of my wickedness or because of the absence of Evangeline, or perhaps because of something one of her siblings said to her.

Eventually, they return me to a carriage.

I don't get an opportunity to say goodbye. I am put inside the carriage, my hands are cuffed as well as my feet, and I am off. There are curtains over the window, so I am unable to even see the castle. As I am carried away, I try not to think about every memory I have with the Narnians. It is far too painful to ponder. It gives my arms aches and pains.

It takes two days, but we make it back to Lumor unscathed. During our trip, I ate the worst food I've ever eaten in my life. It seems the Narnian soldiers don't treat assassins kindly. That is what I am now. An assassin, and a rotten one at that. I did no assassinating of which to speak.

They trade me off to the Lumor guards at the gate. They treat me even more miserably, going as far as to push me when I can't keep up their pace. I land in mud on the castle grounds, before I am brought to the oubliette.

After a few days solitarily, with next to no food and water, I am presented before the court. It must be a terrible presentation, for I have grown dirty. My dress has been partially eaten by the most starving of rats. The King takes his seat upon the throne, and I remember being in this room when he first promised to assassinate me. Dukes and Duchesses gather around. They whisper as I am brought in. I recognize some of their faces, I know some of their children, though younger than Evangeline and myself for the most part.

The guards push me down on my knees before I have the opportunity to curtsy. My eyes flicker up at my king but quickly look down. I spare a glance at Evangeline, who sits in the chair next to him, though off to the side. She looks at me with a frown on her face.

"Theodosia of Lumor," the King begins. "You have been accused of the attempted assassination of King Edmund of Narnia, ally to Lumor. We have found on your body a poison, which was intended for the King to ingest, provided to you by war profiteers from the lands of Teebeth."

Whispers erupt around the room. I keep my head down and swallow. I've grown to hate duty, but I must accept mine. This is what I was born to do. My death shall bring peace upon the land. It shall not bring peace upon my soul. If all is just, Aslan himself shall punish my king.

When the whispering dies down, King Bernard clears his throat.

"We shall determine your guilt by boiling," he says.

I know what this means. No one lasts past boiling. They sooner drown themselves, intentionally, or die from the heat, their skin erupting in blisters. I have heard whispers around the castle about people who undergo such a fate. Personally, I would rather a hanging. It is not about what I would like, however. It is about what I get.

As I am lifted to my feet, I look over at King Bernard.

"As a good gesture to the Narnians, if you are found guilty, you shall be put to death," King Bernard says. "There shall no longer be war between our two nations. All are united in Aslan's country."

The court cheers.

"Is there anything you would like to say, Theodosia?" King Bernard asks me.

I am not going to accuse him. He knows that no one would believe me. He expects me to repent, and to beg for my life, but no longer will I stoop to such lows before royalty. Instead, I curtsy.

"It has been my life's work to serve Lumor," I say. "I am happy to bring our great and prosperous nation peace in my death."

As I curtsy, I look to Evangeline, who is crying.

The guards bring me away. Rather than to an oubliette, they drag me deep in the dungeon. I hear the moans of people as I walk by, and am actually relieved to hear voices. Even if I may be surrounded by criminals, I may be surrounded. It is a glorious thing to know that one is not alone, even if I am as alone as I have ever been.

~~~~~

I'm sorry that this is so short. I could have combined it with the next chapter but I figured that would be too much happening and be too long. I hope you enjoy this chapter for now. Things aren't looking good for Theodosia. What do you think will happen next?