serendipity - narnia

chapter 8

Chapter 8
The Problem of Edmund

"Jadis, the Queen of Narnia! Empress of the Lone Islands!"

The children joined the crowd of Narnians as the White Witch approached Aslan, carried on a litter by a few cyclops. Even though Dahlia was from Narnia, Edmund was the only child of prophecy who had seen the Witch before.

The Witch made regular trips around Narnia to establish her power, but Dahlia had never actually been in her presence. Her parents made a point to hide her from the Witch when she was younger, a habit Dahlia picked up after they passed away. They'd never told her why, but having discovered she was part of the prophecy Dahlia assumed it was a precaution due to her powers.

The cyclops set Jadis down in front of Aslan very close to where the children were standing, and Dahlia got a good look at her for the first time. Her skin and hair were frighteningly pale, and everything about her energy was sinister. Jadis certainly lived up to the terrifying reputation she made sure every Narnian associated with her. Dahlia instinctively pushed Lucy a bit behind her, casting a concerned look at Edmund on her other side. His hands were slightly shaking and she noticed that the young boy had stepped closer to her as Jadis walked forward; Dahlia grabbed his wrist to assure him that she was there to keep him safe, glaring at Jadis as the Witch glanced at Edmund.

"You have a traitor in your midst, Aslan," the Witch proclaimed. The crowd of Narnians gasped; naturally they already knew what Edmund had done, but they didn't think Jadis would dare say that to Aslan. Edmund shifted uncomfortably next to Dahlia, who looked over at him; he stared at the ground. Dahlia moved her grasp from his wrist to his hand, giving it a squeeze. He didn't pull away.

"His offense was not against you." Aslan's voice sounded so steady, so calm. Dahlia had no idea how he was so composed; she was trying to appear unafraid for the Pevensies' sake, but she could practically hear her heart beating.

"Have you forgotten the laws upon which Narnia was built?" Jadis said. She sounded standoffish, like she was trying to maintain her image even though deep down she also knew Aslan was the true ruler of Narnia.

"Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch," Aslan said with a growl. "I was there when it was written." Jadis appeared taken aback for a moment, but continued to taunt him.

"Then you'll remember well that every traitor belongs to me. His blood is my property." Dahlia let go of Edmund's hand, fists swirling with fire as she held them out towards the Witch. Seeing her move to defend his younger brother, Peter drew his sword and held it at the Witch. The Narnians behind him did the same, and a minotaur on the Witch's side held up his ax menacingly.

"Try and take him then," Peter challenged, but Jadis paid him no attention. She peered down at Dahlia, intrigued.

"So you must be the little mage," Jadis said, taking a step forward; Dahlia forced herself to stay put. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Susan lay a hand on her quiver of arrows. "Such a pity you're on the losing side. Together we could be unstoppable." Dahlia grimaced as the Witch finished talking. Her fire flickered slightly, the magic fading as Dahlia's fear grew. Peter noticed, moving so he stood in front of both Dahlia and Edmund. General Oreius took a step forward as well. The Witch laughed and Dahlia's flames disappeared completely; even her laugh was cold and fear-inducing. Lucy reached up and took the mage's hand.

"Do you really think that mere force will deny me my right?" Jadis said, her tone belittling. Peter's blade faltered a bit as Jadis looked back at Aslan. "Aslan knows that unless I have blood, as the law demands..." Jadis faced the crowd. "All of Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water." The Witch turned back to the children, pointing at Edmund. "That boy will die on the Stone Table, as is tradition. You dare not refuse me," Jadis finished, glaring at Aslan.

"Enough," Aslan said, his voice still shockingly steady. "I shall talk with you alone." The children and Narnians on both sides watched as the Witch marched after the great lion; silence hung in the air as the two entered Aslan's tent to determine Edmund's fate.

***

Immediately after the Witch was out of sight, Dahlia and Edmund had all but collapsed on the ground. The other children had followed in suit, and there they sat for what felt like an eternity as they waited for Aslan and the Witch to return.

Edmund, Peter, and Lucy sat in a triangle, picking at the grass just to have something to do. Susan was kneeling behind Dahlia playing with the mage's hair. Dahlia herself was playing with her ring, flipping it around in the air with magic. Susan finished up the simple braid she'd done with some of Dahlia's hair and scooted over to sit next to the mage.

"That's a beautiful ring," Susan said softly, casting a look at the tent behind them. Dahlia smiled sadly, ceasing her magic and letting the ring rest in her palm.

"It was my mother's," the mage muttered, slipping the silver band back on her finger. Susan placed a hand over one of Dahlia's; the mage looked over at her.

"I'm so sorry about your parents, Lia." Dahlia smiled again, half at Susan's kindness and half at the nickname.

"It's okay, really. You had no way of knowing." Dahlia stopped talking as murmurs rippled through the crowd; the Witch had thrown open the flaps to the tent and was stalking back towards her seat. Everyone scrambled up off the ground as Aslan emerged behind her. Susan wrapped one arm around Lucy, her other hand holding Dahlia's; the Narnians waited in suspense as Aslan turned to the children.

"She has renounced her claim on the son of Adam's blood." Dahlia let out a sigh of relief as the soldiers around them cheered; the Pevensies turned to their brother and hugged him. Dahlia hung back to give them a minute, looking out over the cheering Narnians in their army and the disgruntled Narnians in the Witch's. The mage was momentarily shocked when she felt arms around her, but smiled and returned the hug when she saw it was Edmund.

"How do I know your promise will be kept?" Dahlia pulled away from Edmund and they looked to the Witch, who was staring Aslan down from in front of her litter. In response, the lion simply roared. Jadis dropped into her seat in shock, the Narnians laughing wildly at her. The cyclops lifted her up and her army marched out of the camp.

As the Narnians continued to celebrate, Dahlia heard someone call her name. It wasn't out loud, but in her head. She turned to look at Aslan, who nodded at her before walking into his tent. Dahlia made sure the Pevensies were occupied and slipped through the crowd to follow him.

She had a bad feeling.