Somebody Worth Coming Back To

Past

Demetria was taking some more wood to the dwarfs' station when she noticed Nickabrick leading Caspian to the room with the Stone Table. Something stirred in her gut and she set the wood aside, passing it to a nearby faun with a small smile. Following Caspian she lingered in the shadows, watching. Something felt off, the air felt thick, everything dark. Nickabrik said something and two hooded figures appeared from the shadows.

"I am hunger, I am thirst." One had a gravelly voice that sent chills down her spine. Demetria gripped the fabric of her skirt as she watched with wide eyes. The hooded figure continued talking. "I can fast a hundred years and not die. I can lie a hundred nights on the ice and not freeze. I can drink a river of blood and not burst." Caspian had his sword drawn, the blade gleaming in the firelight. But he didn't attack when the hooded figure through back his hood yelling,

"Show...me...your enemies!" Caspian jumped slightly at the sight of the shaggy haired werewolf. Demetria's eye flicked towards the carving of Aslan on the wall and at the sight of those eyes, she knew what she needed to do. Especially when the other hooded figure pushed its hood back to reveal it was a hag, her skin pale and wrinkled in comparison to her smooth black beak.

"And you can guarantee Miraz'z death?" Caspian asked. Demtria looked to the carving of Aslan again and courage flooded her. Slipping away she bolted down the hall, looking for Edmund, Peter, Susan even. She could feel the eyes of the troops on her as she ran. Glenstorm came to trot beside her.

"What is it?" He asked, he must have seen the worry on her face.

"I don't have time to explain." She gasped looking around. "Where are the kings and queens?"

"There." Glenstorm pointed to the entrance to another room before he came to a stop. Demetria nodded her thanks and ran for the room, tumbling in. All the kings and queens were there except for Susan, talking with Trumpkin. Edmund stood at the sight of her.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, coming over to her to place and hand on her arm.

"It's Caspian," She gasped shaking her head, her words bringing the others to their feet, "No time to explain, just come on!" They followed her back to the room with the Stone Table. It had changed. There was a circle carved in the floor that Caspian was standing in. Ice had appeared between two pillars, and a woman floated in the ice, paler then death and one hand reaching for Caspian. Peter and Edmund drew their swords as the werewolf and hag lunged towards them. Demetria didn't know what to do, until her eyes rested on Lucy. Nikabrik had the young girl's arm twisted behind her back. Demetria raced over and without thinking wrapped her arm around the dwarf's neck. He released Lucy, tossing her to the side. Demetria struggled to hold him as he tried to escape her grip. Something collided with her side and she fell, the hag standing over her. Courage mixed with a bit of anger swelled inside of Demetria and she slammed her heel into the hag's gut. The thing let out a screech and fell at the same time that Caspian was shoved by Peter and Nickabrik was stabbed in the back by Trumpkin.

"Peter dear." The woman in the ice cooed, smiling in a sickly sweet way. Peter seemed to soften, falling for it.

"Edmund." Demetria looked to the younger boy as he knocked the werewolf aside, dead. Edmund glanced to her as she stood and pointed to Peter. Edmund frowned before scrambling to get behind the ice sheet. The woman was reaching for Peter now, saying something about needing "just one drop". Peter was slowly lowering his sword. Demetria wanted to do something, find a way to help.

"You know you can't do this alone." The woman said. That was it. Demetria ran towards Peter and grabbed his arm. She pulled him out of the circle as something pierced the ice. A spider web of cracks spread out and with a snap the ice shattered. The woman was gone, revealing Edmund standing there with his sword above his head and the carving of Aslan behind him. He lowered the sword, breathing hard as he glared at Peter.

"I know." He paused to swallow, "You had it sorted." As he walked away from Peter, Demetria met him halfway and hugged him tight. He was quick to return it, hiding his face in her loose hair. There was a shame filled silence as the others left, leaving them alone for the moment.

"Are you alright?" Demetria asked and he nodded, not letting go of her, then shook his head. He was shaking slightly. Demetria hugged him a little tighter. He pulled back after a moment, tears rimming his eyes. She could tell he was struggling to keep them from falling.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, placing her hand on his cheek.

"Promise you won't judge me?" He asked. Demetria smiled slightly.

"Ed, my father is the man that is trying to kill us all and leading the Telemarines." She said, "It is a little difficult for me to be judgmental." He nodded slightly, his gaze dropping down to his feet as he spoke.

"When I first came to Narnia, I met the White Witch, she was nice to me, gave me a hot drink and Turkish Delight. Promised she would make me king and I could have all the Turkish Delight I wanted if I brought her my siblings." He sighed, "I fell for it. Tried getting them to follow me to her castle. Once I was there, I told them where they were, and she had me locked up. I helped the White Witch try to destroy my siblings, and watched as she killed a talking fox... Aslan's troops rescued me after a bit, brought me back to Aslan. He didn't say much, just asked me why I did it. I admitted that I did it for sweets, and I was sorry. He said he forgave me. I joined my siblings after that. Then the White Witch came, demanding my blood, the blood of a traitor." He shook slightly and a few tears fell, splashing on the stone floor. "Aslan took my place. He died for me, before coming back to life and saving us in battle. Saved me again. She had stabbed me. After that, we became the Kings and Queens, even though I didn't deserve the title..." Demetria hugged Edmund again. He hugged her back, crying softly into her shoulder.

"Ed, you are every bit deserving of the title king as Peter, or Caspian is." She whispered softly, "because you know what it's like to mess up badly, and you know that it can be forgiven. You can tell a mistake from a choice. The others might not always be able to see that."

"Thank you." Edmund said pulling back to look her in the eye. "Thank you." Their lips met in a gentle kiss. This one was different from their first. It held something new, something Demetria couldn't name. Her hands came to rest on his forearms as he placed his hands on her waist. They broke the kiss at the sound of somebody clearing their throat. A red faced Peter was standing in the doorway. Demetria pushed a stray lock of her hair behind her ear as Edmund pulled away.

"uh...hi Pete." His face was as red as Demetria's was at the moment. Peter raised an eyebrow then shook his head with a sigh.

"What did I tell you Ed?" He asked, "Don't go getting attached!" Edmund seemed to flinch ever so slightly. Demetria reached out and took his hand. He glanced at her, his eyes sad. A silent message passed between them that shattered her. They wouldn't stay in Narnia forever, and she couldn't go back with them. Once they left, chances were, she would never see them again.

"I understand." Demetria looked to Peter before releasing Edmunds hand. "Apologies your highnesses." She dropped into a curtsy, dipping her head to hide the tears in her eyes. Raising again, she fled the room, not letting the tears fall until she was safely outside and away from others. Dropping to the ground she let the tears roll down her face. The cool breeze did nothing to calm her. It was like the only solid thing was the tree she was sitting against. Edmund would leave Narnia sooner or later, and chances were that she would never see him again. She had been so stupid to even think that things would work out for them. So stupid.