Romeo || Edmund Pevensie

(You Will) Set The World On Fire

     Despite all of the guilt, he found himself inside of the church, and in line with a whole host of other boys wishing to fight for their motherland. He was taller than them, or at least, he was taller than most of them. It helped in his case to look older, though, the large overcoat he wore, stolen from his uncle, did him no favours.

     When the boy in front of him seemed to be accepted, and taken for a quick medical exam, Edmund stepped forwards. The man at the table took his passport, which obviously was not his, and looked at it accusingly.

"Are you sure you're eighteen?" The Captain raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Why?" Edmund stammered: he wasn't completely inept at lying, but it didn't come to him easily. "Do I look older?"

"Alberta Scrubb?"

If he could have groaned without it being suspicious, he would have. It was clear that he had picked up the wrong passport from the drawer since he had been in such a rush. That was the name which belonged to his aunt, not his uncle. He'd already messed up.

"That's a typographical error." Edmund blurted, sophisticatedly. "It's supposed to be Albert A Scrubb."

For a moment, it seemed like he might have been getting away with it, but it was ruined as soon as his sister entered the church hall. "Edmund," She sounded more annoyed than ever. "You're supposed to be helping me with the groceries."

His head turned to her, which was his first mistake. Seeing her arms filled with boxes and shopping made him feel guilty. This was something that Aramis would never forgive him for. Neglecting his family was the worst sin in anyone's eyes. Especially Aramis'.

Some of the men began to laugh. They thought it was hilarious that he would try and lie about his age. So many others did it, why was it so unbelievable when it was him?

The Captain held out the passport in a blatant state of rejection. The man behind him ruffled his hair, or at least, he tried to. The hat on top of his head stopped it happening properly.

"Better luck next time, eh, squirt?" He cackled as Edmund straightened his flat-cap and stormed away.

He wasn't used to being treated so poorly by others- not when he was so highly regarded in Narnia. It was infuriating.

"Squirt?" He took the open-topped crate from Lucy's arms as he attached it to her bicycle. "He barely had two years on me! I'm a King. I've fought wars, and... and I've led armies."

"Not in this world." His sister informed, as she had done, for almost a year.

"Yeah." Edmund scoffed, gritting his teeth. "Instead I'm stuck here doing battle with Eustace Clarence Scrubb. If anyone so deserved a name..."

He hadn't been paying too much attention to his sister, but when she tucked her hair behind her ear, it seemed off. Edmund couldn't see that she was mimicking a girl who was being wooed by a soldier, but it confused him all the same.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Lucy panicked, slightly. "Come on, then."

     Between the two of them, it didn't take very long for them to wind up back home. The bags were heavy, yes, but the bicycle held most of the weight, which made it easier on the both of them. Although, both of their minds were in difficult places.