An Unexpected Romance

Chapter 27

"Edmund," I whisper gently, moving his shoulder, "Edmund, we need to meet the others soon,"

Edmund's eyes flutter open and he sleepily looks at me as he wakes up. I smile at him and kiss his nose as he gets his bearings. A cheeky grin spreads across his face as he looks at me, both of us still naked from our night together.

"I'll never get used to waking up to this," he says, running his fingers over the love bites on my chest and neck. I lightly grab his hand and bring it to my lips and kiss his hand.

"We need to get up, Ed," I tell him, "we're supposed to be meeting the others soon."

Edmund sits up and reaches over me to the nightstand behind me to check his watch. I scratch his back lightly as he does so and look up at him.

"Mm. Yes, we do need to get going," he says with a stretch.

I grab my slip off the floor and throw it on over my head, and Edmund grabs a towel and wraps it around his waist on the way to the bathroom. I also make my way to the bathroom and brush my hair and wash my face as Edmund prepares to shower. I watch him sneakily in the mirror as he gets ready, but he catches me staring and smirks.

"You know you can join me," he says as he steps in.

"If I did that, we'd never get out," I say back with a laugh.

"Suit yourself," he smiles at me and we finish getting ready.

———————

We walk down the hallway and run into Caspian.

"Good morning, King and Queen," Caspian says.

"Morning," I respond with a smile. "What's on the agenda today?"

"Aslan has asked that I gather everyone this morning, and we are to all meet him in the courtyard," Caspian explains.

The three of us make our way to the large, black, metals doors. Ed and Caspian open them, and we see Aslan walking with Susan and Peter on the far side of the lawn. We pause, not wanting to interrupt them.

"Your majesties," we hear Aslan say.

Susan and Peter have very solemn looks on their faces, and Caspian notices and dawns one as well.

"We are ready. Everyone has assembled," Caspian says evenly.

Susan looks like she might cry. Her eyes shift from Caspian, to Edmund, to me, and back to Aslan. Peter keeps his gaze in front of him on nothing in particular.
Edmund places his hand on the small of my back as we follow Caspian back inside. I look over my shoulder one last time as Sue, Peter and Aslan walk away.

——————

"Narnia belongs to the Narnians, just as it does to man," Caspian speaks with ease and conviction over the large crowd gathered before us. The Pevensies and I stand to his left, and Aslan and a few Narnians, including Trumpkin are to his right. Behind Caspian stands a beautiful curved tree, and before him stand his new subjects.

"Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to," he continues. "But for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers."

Whispers move across the crowd, and one man states that it's been too long since they've left their motherland to return.

"Your ancestors were seafaring brigands," Aslan explains. "They were pirates, run aground on an island. There they found a cave, a rare chasm that brought them here from their world. The same world as our kings and queens."

Everyone turns their head towards us. I look at Edmund, who stands to my right in confusion. He briefly looks back at me, equally confused before turning back to Aslan.