Always || Edmund Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia) [1]

Chapter 22

"Oh my god!" Mary screeched, covering herself.

"Edmund!" Lucy scolded, running over to her brother who had shown up announced without so much as a knock. She hurriedly pushed him out of the room with a disapproving look.

"Sorry, sorry!" the boy spluttered.

"Why didn't you knock?" Mary yelled after him, beet red.

"I didn't know you were —"

"You fool!" Lucy hit her brother followed by an "Ow!" from him just as the door shut closed once more.

The seamstresses and ladies in waiting inside the room also apologized to Mary. She told them it was fine, but she was still extremely rattled from Edmund walking in on her while she was changing. She was fuming, too. She would've been ready to attack him if she wasn't so embarrassed.

Later that day, Mary eventually had to face Edmund. She managed to avoid him for most of the day, but she soon crossed paths with him on the way to dinner. They had come from the opposite corridors and stopped dead upon seeing one another.

"Look, Mary, I'm really sorry about... that," Edmund said, too shy to say it out loud as he walked up to her.

She avoided his eyes and grumbled, "Why in the world didn't you knock?"

"Susan said you needed help picking a dress so I assumed —"

"Stop assuming, then, you idiot!" She hit his arm.

"Hey! Why's everyone hitting me today?" He rubbed the spot on his arm where she had slapped him.

"Because you deserve it," Mary said, turning on her heel to walk away from him. He hurried to fall into step next to her.

"I said I was sorry. Come on, you'll forgive me, right?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No way."

Edmund sighed but continued to follow Mary. She still didn't say a word even as he did, making him uncomfortable because she was usually talkative around him. He soon noticed her free hand swinging back and forth and grinned mischievously, catching it with his own hand and intertwining their fingers. Mary tensed but still didn't speak.

"Now do you forgive me?" he tried, rubbing his thumb on her hand.

"N-No."

✧ ✧ ✧

The day of Mary and Caspian's coronation had finally arrived. Mary felt nervous, not wanting to mess up even though she technically didn't have to do much. The Pevensies told her that all she had to do was walk up to the throne, get crowned, and converse with the Narnians afterwards, so she had nothing to worry about. She still worried, though, hoping to be as composed and approachable as possible in front of the Narnians.

There were two hours left until the official ceremony began. Mary was to meet up with some of the servants to prepare in a few minutes, and she spent the little time left she had on her own sitting quietly in her room.

A few knocks to her door brought her out of her thoughts.

"It's open," she said.

Edmund cracked the door open carefully before pushing it wide open.

"Glad to see you're fully dressed, this time."

Mary scoffed at his words. "You're the one who entered without warning last time."

The boy grinned sheepishly before taking a seat next to Mary. She was still clad in a simple beige dress that Caspian's servants supplied for her.

"Aren't you going to get ready?" he asked.