Peter walked in first with Angelina not far behind. Then followed Caspian with Corrine. She followed Caspian and Peter who were on their way to the main dining room with Corrine. They all walked in joyfully, ready to discuss any topic that anyone would bring up. Angelina sat near the fireplace, watching the flames rise and fall in a strange motion.
When the flames no longer amused her she sat down at the table trying to join Peter's conversation with Caspian. Stroking her hair, Angelina decided to start the topic first, finding no way she could intervene in a topic about which sword was better. "I would really go for a cup of black tea after that cold walk." She half laughed.
"Oh yes!" Corrine agreed with her, "Caspian, would you be so kind as to brew us some tea?" She smiled at the king flirtatiously.
He walked up to a pot that was placed on a book table. "My lady, it would be a pleasure." He giggled and picked it up.
"I guess I will be making you tea then," Peter stood up addressing Angelina. He didn't mind at all, it was a pleasure to be making tea for such a lovely young lady, he got up with Caspian and both of the kings bowed to the ladies.
Corrine looked into the mirror that was in the dining room and started fixing her hair. She noticed that Angelina's hair was not up in some extravagant braid. Walking up to the strange new girl she smiled. Angelina didn't expect Corrine to sit her down on a chair and start braiding her hair, but she figured it was a custom thing to do in those times.
"Your hair is a mess," Corrine laughed out, "how do you expect to attract any of the lovely kings if your hair is a mess?"
Angelina choked at the thought, "oh no, I am not here for that! Just here to figure out my destiny."
Corrine rolled her eyes, "as if I didn't see you stealing glances from King Peter, he is the most important here, you know how to play these complicated court games, even though you are not from our world."
"Oh, he sure is a catch, but not for me," Angelina tried to avoid that topic, understanding now that both Corrine and Johanna were there for the hope of getting engaged to one of the three kings.
Corrine smiled and tied the braid tighter, "not all of us are as lucky as Johanna but don't give up, I never did!"
Not sure what Corrine was referring to, Angelina decided to make sure, "what do you mean not all of us are as lucky as Johanna?"
"Well, she was promised to King Edmund, but that is probably because she is royalty herself, you and I don't have a title. They will probably find some lords for us, wealthy lords." Corrine explained. She was done with braiding Angelina's hair and put it to the side.
Standing up, Angelina thanked her and smiled. She excused herself and went down the castle halls, worrying that she would just be married off to someone, that it was the end of her destiny. Remembering that the strange book she found had a different story about her, she decided to slip outside and try to find the bench and tree where Edmund hid the book.
Putting on a cloak, she looked at the two kings who were bringing in the tea and hid behind some columns. They wouldn't spot her and she could freely discover just what exactly she was here for.
When she went out, clouds started to gather around the perfectly blue sky and small drops of rain hit her pale skin. Angelina pulled the cloak tighter on herself and walked down the path into the garden, making sure that if Edmund and Johanna were there, they wouldn't spot her.
The two kings came back and Angelina was nowhere to be found. Corrine said that she excused herself, but she had no idea where the young lady went. Seeing the rain start to pour through the window made Peter worry a little bit. Just as he was about to say something, Edmund and Johanna entered the room.
"Oh no!" Johanna screamed out, "I left my book outside in the rain, it will be ruined! Edmund, could you go get it for me?" She smiled, sneakily. Edmund rolled his eyes, he knew that she was doing everything on purpose to be around him more often. He wondered if she knew that he canceled the marriage arrangements? Either way, she'd find out at one point and perhaps would stop pressuring him.
On his way out, he realized that the cloak which he usually wore was nowhere to be found. The rain hit his perfectly straight nose and he looked up at the sky. Tracing back the way he and Johanna walked around the gardens he no longer minded the rain making him wet. He'd probably get sick, but at least then he wouldn't have to always pay attention to Johanna.
The tiny drops of rain turned into a full-on storm, and Edmund couldn't see anything. The fog came rising with the wind and he covered his face with his hands. He walked around through the garden a bit more. When he looked around, he noticed that Angelina was standing under a tree. He shook his head in disbelief of who he saw. Edmund smirked, of course, she'd be out in the rain.
Edmund made his way towards the tree and stood beside Angelina who didn't say a word. "Are you alright? And is that my cloak?" He leaned on the tree.
"I am, and I don't know it was the first thing I grabbed on my way out." She said, not turning his way.
"What are you doing out here anyway, aren't you supposed to be keeping my brother company?" He asked.
"I'm trying to find the book you showed me, to figure some things out. You see, before I ended up here, there was a similar book I found in a library, I thought it was just my imagination but that book has answers that I need." Angelina finally turned towards him.
"Believe it or not, I am also here in search of a book. Let's help each other out, but first, we will wait for the storm to pass," he leaned forwards to be closer to her and to see where exactly her attention was. Angelina stared into the blurry blue-grey of the evening sky that was covered in raindrops.
"Good idea." She leaned closer too, to see his eyes glisten, now finally turning her attention to him.
Edmund shook his head and sat down on the ground. Angelina joined him seconds later. She started asking him more about Narnia, her mind curious about every small detail. He told her about how he and his siblings got there, how Aslan saved them from evil.
"What is the future world like?" he suddenly asked.
She was not sure how to answer that question, she had no previous world to compare it to, "well, the war is over for one. Other than that, I assume things are the same, maybe the problems look a little different, but they're the same."
He nodded his head silently, hearing about the war made his eyes look down at the ground.
They talked until the sun started to show its face from behind the could again and the sky stopped pouring. Edmund looked at the sun through the leaves that were bleeding water droplets. He got up and helped Angelina up. They walked back to the bench and picked up the book of Narnia that she was looking for. He opened up to her, giving her much more than one-word answers. Peter was right, Edmund just needed time to get used to someone.
She noticed a small black book on the floor of the garden and picked it up. She recognized that it was the same book Johanna was always holding in her hands. Edmund snatched it away from her. "What the heck!" She screamed in protest.
"I was going to read that," she tried to take it from him again, but he would not let it out of his hands.
Edmund looked at her sternly, "you shouldn't!"
"Why, because it belongs to Johanna, what is it about anyway?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Nothing! Let it go." Edmund looked away and put the small book in his pocket. "Let's go back."
"Either you tell me, or I will force you to-" Angelina thought for a while, not sure of what to come up with as a punishment.
"Force me to what?" Edmund stepped up to her, being much taller than she is, he looked down at her confidently.
She thought for a moment and then came up with the perfect uncomfortable thing to do, "I will make you dance with me right here right now. Mostly because I can't think of anything more stupid than that." She looked up at him expecting him to give in and tell her everything.
Edmund just laughed and then looked up at the sky which was still filled with a little rain and clouds. "Is that it? Okay then, let's dance." He grabbed her hands, twirled her towards him, and rocked back and forth, stepping into the middle of the garden, the small drops of rain watering them as well as the plants. The unforgiving drops covered the skin of his face like envious little butterflies. They hung off his eyelashes and teased her to dare and wipe them off of his brows.
They were both soaked, swinging each other in the cold kisses of the raindrops. Neither of them cared as a rush went through their bodies. Edmund twirled her one more time and she landed in his arms, her back to his chest. The rain was slowly fading, leaving room for sunshine to sneak in and wake them up from their daze.
He held her in his arms for a few minutes like that, not daring to move. Angelina could feel his hot breath on her neck and his throat hitch as he was about to say something. No words came out of his mouth except for a silent sigh which only dared to escape his lips on accident. Edmund quickly let her go and turned her around to face him. "You know, I think you could pass for a fine princess in this century," He reassured her because he knew how much she wanted to fit in at the moment.
Angelina shook her head, "no I wouldn't I don't fit in here. Besides, I hate dancing!"
He rolled his eyes, "yet here you are, dancing with me."
It was the touch of warmth she gave him, the way she called him, and the sensation she sent through his body, warming every aching bone and lost piece of his heart. She was pulling him into a world of chaotic love that he knew he could give her. All he had to do was lean a few inches and dive into her lips, the taste of forbidden fruit. Oh, how Edmund wished it would be so easy, that he could wish them both away to simpler times. But he barely knew her, and she didn't know him. Whatever she awoke in him he missed dearly, but if he was going to proceed with these new feelings, he had to do it the right way. He was her friend, and he could help her find her destiny. He had to be her friend.
Being a king, he never experienced fear after the incident with the white witch, but this time Edmund feared. He didn't only fear for himself, he feared for her. She had no idea who he really was, though he wished she knew every inch of the Edmund Pevensie he hid from everyone else.
He smiled at how silly and confused she was. With the sound of birds scattering and flying away, their connection broke.
"We should go inside," Edmund looked down at the ground and started walking.
Seeing that Angelina didn't move and stood there confused by her own actions, he walked up to her and took her by the hand. "It's alright," He tried to smile.
"Will you help me research this book?" She showed him the book of Narnia that was on the bench, the reason she sneaked out of the huge castle.
Looking at the book and then at her, he nodded, "of course I will help you. We're friends now, which means that I am as dedicated to you as you are to me, and whatever the Narnian winds bring our way we will face together."
Edited (4/1/2020)