High King and Queens of Narnia

II. Home at Last

"You won't see it from the other side of the door."

Eustace shot him a dirty look and glanced at the black and white picture of Susan hugging Peter on Lucy's bedside table and the black and white picture of Mila and Peter on Mila's bedside table. He rolled his eyes and set the pictures facedown so he wouldn't have to see them.

"Edmund, Mila, it looks like the water is actually moving," Lucy said in a hypotonic tone.

"What rubbish!" Eustace exclaimed. "See? That's what happens when you read all those fanciful novels and fairy tales of yours."

"There once was a boy called Eustace, who read books full of facts that were useless," Edmund sang, earning a smile from Lucy and Mila.

"People who read fairytales are always the sort of people who become a hideous burden to people like me, who read real books with information."

Mila fought against her naturally peaceful nature. How dare he accuse her land of being a mere imagination! Luckily, Edmund reacted before she could do anything regrettable.

Edmund turned and moved toward his cousin in a threatening manner. "Hideous burden?" Eustace stood quickly and backed away defensively. "I haven't seen you lift a finger since we've been here."

Mila turned back to the painting and she and Lucy watched as the water in the painting rippled. Water began leaking from the corners of the frame.

Eustace bolted for the door but Edmund slammed it shut, stopping him from going any further. Eustace looked at his cousin fearfully as the latter said, "I have a mind to tell your father it was you who stole Aunt Alberta's sweets."

"Liar!" Eustace cried.

"Oh, really?"

Lucy and Mila watched the painting as the waves grew bigger and lapped against each other. "Edmund, the painting!"

Edmund ignored the girls. "I found them under your bed, and you know what? I licked every one of them."

Eustace grimaced. "Urgh! I'm infected with you!"

The ship drew closer and the waves splashed the girls. Lucy let out a squeal of surprise and Mila smiled as they took a step back. Eustace got splashed and he and Edmund ceased their argument as they looked at the painting. Water spurted from the painting.

Eustace backed towards the door as he asked, "What's going on here?"

Edmund, Lucy and Mila smiled as they moved closer to the painting. "Lucy, Mila, do you think-" Edmund began as Eustace's yells drowned him out.

"It's some kind of trick!" Eustace yelled. "Stop it or I'll tell Mother. Mother! Mother!" Water flowed from the painting and water filled the room. Eustace looked about the room helplessly, scared. "I'll just smash the rotten thing." He rushed towards the wall and pulled the painting off.

"No, Eustace, don't!" Edmund and Mila cried as he, Mila and Lucy struggled to pull it from his grasp.

"We can't stop it!" Lucy told him.

"Get off me!" Eustace demanded.

"Let go of it, Eustace! Put it down!"

More water poured from the painting, into the room. Soon, the four were drenched from head to toe. The painting had been dropped to the floor in the struggle. The room flooded as the four of them yelped and gasped helplessly. Soon, the room was filled with water. The furniture began floating in the water, bumping them as they swam up, seeking air. They emerged from the water, each gasping for air, as they realised they were no longer in a bedroom, but in the middle of the ocean.