make it right ➞ edmund pevensie; the chronicles of narnia [editing]

ONE.

"When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone
Sits at Cair Paravel in throne,
The evil time will be over and done"

-

ONE.

SHE SITS BY HER DESK, a book of fairytales lying open on the table before her, in awe of the gorgeous painting revealing the Kings and Queens of old.

Cady runs a finger down the rough edges of the parchment paper and sighs. Her dreams of the Golden Narnian age have dissolved into a faint smoke that she indulges in occasionally. It drowns her memory, in flames, in waves, in the air she breathes in.

The harsh knock on the door startles her and she jolts, closing the book with a thud and hiding it in the top drawer of her desk. Cady stands, kicking her chair back, "Come in!"

"Your Highness, it's me," Doctor Cornelius pushes the door open and slips in quietly. The door clicks shut behind him. His hood shields his features and hides his face, his emotions unreadable in the darkness.

"What's on the agenda tonight?" Cady perks up at the sight of her tutor, her voice lacing with enthusiasm and excitement. She has always loved the midnight adventures of studying stars and listening to her tutor's adventures. "Are we seeing the stars again? Or do you need me to wake up Caspian? Is he being a slob and not getting up? That brother of mine, I swear I'll--"

"Princess Cadence!" Doctor Cornelius interrupts, shoving a satchel into her arms. Cady stumbles back in surprise, clutching the bag in alarm. "This is not a time for fun and games. Get your things and meet us in the stables."

"What is going on?" She asks, not missing the way her tutor looks at her. If she doesn't know better, Cady will say it is pity in his eyes.

The doctor shakes his head, already turning to leave. "There is no time to explain, quickly now, dear girl!"

Cady nods, and the doctor slips out of her room like he is never there. She moves swiftly, taking a black cape from her wardrobe and draping it over her shoulders, pulling it over her dark green nightgown. With a sharp click, she fastens the fabric around her neck, the sapphire pin glinting in the yellow candlelight.

With a yank, she pulls the hood over her head. Cady doubts she has packed this fast in her life, taking a pouch filled with water from her desk and shoving a change of clothes from the dresser. Her fingers itch for the book of fairytales but the voice in her head tells her to leave it, it is more logical to leave behind things that will slow her down. Essentials only, she reminds herself.

Cady steps out of her room, closing the door as quietly as possible behind her. She turns the corner and spots two Telmarine guards down the corridor, then dodges rapidly into a doorway. Cady holds her breath as they march past her, their tired eyes missing her figure in the darkness.

With all the years living in her family's castle spent playing hide and seek with her older brother and living around warriors and soldiers, she is near silent when she walks. She stalks quietly down into the stables, unseen in the darkness.

Looking to the place of arms, Cady picks up her swords, strapping the pair of falchion swords around her hips. The steel blades curve and dip elegantly despite their single-bladed usage. Cady is always reminded of a pirate's sword whenever she reunites with her weapons, they are not sophisticated, but incredibly efficient in fights.

"Cady!"

She lets out a small shriek, turning and punching out at the voice without an ounce of hesitation. 

There is a yell and Caspian takes a step backward, stumbling into the stone wall behind him.

"Oh, no!" Cady's hands fly to Caspian's face as he staggers back. "How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me!"

"Since when did you punch so hard?" Caspian groans, pressing a palm to his face. Cady frowns examining his face, eyes narrowing at the bruise that started to form on her brother's cheek.

Doctor Cornelius chuckles from behind them, leading out their fully geared horses from their stables. "He never learns."

Caspian arches an eyebrow at Cady and the younger girl shrugs, feigning innocence. She grabs the saddle of her black horse and hoists herself on, swinging her leg across and hitching her nightgown up to sit comfortably around.

"You must make for the woods," their tutor says to Caspian before turning to Cady, "And you, to the sea."

"The woods?" Caspian and Cady exchange a nervous glance. They do not need old fairytales to know that the woods are a dangerous place to be in.

"They won't follow you there, trust me," Doctor Cornelius replies, fishing out a horn from his bag and handing it to the boy. "It has taken me many years to find this. Do not use it except at your greatest need."

Next, he turns to Cady and holds out a dagger, the hilt carved into the head of a lion. "My dear, this is precious to me and my people, it has aided one of the greatest warriors of Narnia, treasure it always." The princess accepts the gift with shaky hands, strapping it along with her falchions. Cady has never seen a Narnian treasure as delicate as the dagger, woodland vines curving together to form the hilt elegantly. It reminds her of the roots of the trees lining the edge of the woods.

"Will we ever see you again?" Caspian asks.

"I dearly hope so," their tutor cracks a small smile. "There is so much more I meant to tell you both. Everything you know is about to change."

Cady grabs her tutor's outstretched hand. "But Doctor, I don't understand–"

"Close the drawbridge!" Someone outside shouts. The slow clanking of mechanics echo through the room and Doctor Corenlius taps the rears of their horses.

"Now go!" He exclaims. Cady clutches the reins of her horse and launches it into a gallop, following Caspian closely out of the stables.

Horse hooves hit the stone flooring of the courtyard and soldiers flock towards the two, holding up spears and waving their arms. "Halt! Halt!"

They dash through the gates without a look backwards. Fireworks explode above them and Caspian's horse rears, startled by the loud booms. "A son! A son! Lady Prunaprismia has this night given Lord Miraz a son!" The deafening shout of an announcer doesn't go unnoticed by the two escaping royalty.

Cady's eyes widen, looking at Caspian as they come to a realisation. He wouldn't do that to family, would he?

She looks back at the bridge as Telmarines on horses gallop towards them. "Go, Cady! Go!" Caspian yells. Cady guides her horse back into a gallop and lifts a hand at Caspian in farewell before they split up.

The wind blows in her face as she gallops away from the Telmarine castle, following the scent of saltwater. The soldiers split up from behind them, and the horse hooves thunder through the night as the Telmarines follow her.

She tears across the land, urging her horse to go faster as the trees thicken around them, the Telmarine soldiers shouting orders behind her as they burst into a grassy land.

Cady dismounts from her horse, grabbing her belongings and commanding the horse to continue running, guiding it back into the woods. The shrill cries of the soldiers behind her become louder as she dashes towards the cliff, heavy ruins coming into her sight. She ducks into a hiding spot and waits until the Telmarine soldiers launch after her horse, passing by the ruins and returning to the woods.

There is a thunderous echo of a horn sounding across the land and Cady tucks further into herself, her coat wrapped tightly around her body and the hood obscuring her face. And like a prayer, she lets herself whisper a hope into the night. 

"Aslan, save us."