The docks were bustling with people with individual tasks to do. Whether that be to meet up with someone that they have not seen in a long time, or to ready themselves for a journey out to sea where they will not be coming back home for a long time. That was (R/1)'s case.
She stands on the dock with two bags at her side. She doesn't have many possessions and all that she really needs is her wedding dress, so she packed light. But the air was getting colder and she still did not see who she had been dreaming about throughout the journey here. Her hand raises to hold her shawl more tightly towards her chest and she breathes in a shaky breath.
In her other hand is the sketch of Edmund. She clings to it tightly, but still careful as to not damage the paper, and then she looks down at it. Her eyes wander over his face and so when she looks back up, she tries to see if she can spot him in the crowd. But there is still no sight of him.
Edmund and his two sisters, along with Caspian, quickly walk down the cobblestone road over to the docks. They had ridden their horses here and left them tied by the trees, so Edmund's appearance was out-of-sorts. His hair was disheveled by the wind and he had abandoned his cloak on Philip's saddle.
They stop by the beginning-- or the end on which way you look at it-- of the dock where (R/1)'s supposed ship was stationed. Caspian walks further down and asks some of the people who are walking if the ship is the same as the one they had been told about. He thanks those who give him a response and walks back over to the others.
"This is the ship." He says.
Susan pats Edmund on the shoulder as she steps beside him.
"Look." She says, pointing forward.
Edmund follows his sister's finger and sees (R/1) further down the dock. Her dress whips around in the seashore wind. She looks so lonely all by herself. Edmund cannot help but stare at her. What should he say?
"Maybe Caspian should greet her." He says quietly.
"No, Edmund. You have to be the one." Susan corrects her brother.
Lucy steps beside him and places the small bouquet of flowers she had arranged into his shaking hands. She smiles at him and then gently presses his hand on his back, pushing him forward slightly. Edmund begins to walk over to (R/1) down the dock.
He keeps his focus on her-- sort of thinking that she might disappear if he looks anywhere else-- but she doesn't seem to notice him. Her eyes are looking for someone else. When he gets closer and she finally looks at him, he can see her stiffen as he walks further to stand directly in front of her.
"My lady, I am here to greet you." Edmund says, having to clear his throat slightly so that his voice doesn't break.
"Where is Edmund?" (R/1) asks, looking around.
His heart stops.
"(R/1)-- um, my lady... I am Edmund."
As soon as the words leave his mouth, someone drops a bundle of rope from the ship onto the dock. It makes a harsh slapping sound. Convenient, Edmund thinks. (R/1) raises her slightly shaking hand towards Edmund, showing him the sketch that he had sent her.
"That is not me." Edmund forces himself to say, "That is my brother, Peter."
(R/1) can't fathom what she has just been told. Susan, Lucy, and Caspian walk over to the two of them and stand behind Edmund. Caspian takes a step forward when (R/1) looks over at them all.
"My lady, there has been a slight misunderstanding." He says.
"I am Susan and this is Lucy," Susan says, stepping forward to hug (R/1) briefly.
Lucy steps around her sister to greet (R/1) with a hug as well. But (R/1)'s eyes never leave Edmund's. He slowly raises the bouquet of flowers to her and when she takes it with watery eyes, Edmund wishes he could somehow change all that had happened.
xxx
Edmund felt that it would be too awkward-- and in all honesty, too inhumane-- to let (R/1) ride with him back to the castle, so she sat behind Caspian on one of the horses that the Pevensie's had lent him. She didn't speak the entire time.
When they arrive at Cair Paravel, Edmund suddenly realizes that he had never told (R/1) that he is a King. He never mentioned it in his letter nor when he greeted her at the docks. That is a vital piece to my life story, Edmund tells himself. Why didn't you write about it? How can you be this much of an idiot?
As soon as Peter and (R/2) hear hooves clapping onto the stone ground of the courtyard, they rush towards the window in Peter's private room to look out at everyone.
"They're here," Peter says, looking around to see if he can spot what (R/1) looks like in person.
"I'll leave through the gardens." (R/2) quickly says, rushing over towards the door.
"Stay!" Peter urges, "She thinks I'm her husband."
Peter turns from the window towards (R/2) quickly, almost giving himself whiplash.
"What do you want me to do about that?" She asks.
Peter thinks for a moment before stepping closer to her.
"I'll tell her you're my fiancé." He suggests.
"Your fiancé?" (R/2) questions, "That's funny, Peter. I don't remember getting engaged. When was that?"
"Not now, (R/2). Not now." Peter groans.
"Bye, Peter."
(R/2) smiles at him sweetly and then slips out of the room, leaving Peter alone. He groans and brushes his hand through his hair again, stepping back towards the window. When he sees the top of (R/1)'s head he backs away and fixes his hair neatly.
(R/1) looks around the courtyard and then up at the walls of the castle. She thinks she sees a figure by one of the windows, but it was most likely the sun in her eyes. Susan steps beside her and walks with her inside. Lucy, Caspian, and Edmund follow behind.
"Peter!" Lucy shouts for her brother, "Are you here?"
When there is no answer, she walks down the hallway and around the corner towards Peter's private room. Lucy finds him standing outside of his door.
"Go and introduce yourself." She almost shouts at him.
"I don't want to." Peter crosses his arms.
Edmund awkwardly scratches the back of his head as he watches (R/1) looking around the place. Her eyes focus onto every little thing, but more so on all of the wedding decorations hung up. He wishes there was something he could do to help her ease into all of this, but he doesn't believe that he's the man for the job.
Caspian pats Edmund on the shoulder before he walks over to where (R/1) is standing.
"My lady, when it suits you we can talk about what to do." He says, "Should you choose a dissolution of the vows you made where you are from, it can be arranged."
Edmund's jaw clenches at Caspian's words. He understands completely if that is what (R/1) wants to do-- and if it is then Edmund will wholeheartedly do everything he must to follow through with the arrangement-- but he hadn't expected Caspian to discuss it so soon.
"And then if you wish to go back, we can arrange transport for you." Caspian says.
"Go back?" (R/1) asks.
"Yes."
"No, my King."
Edmund turns to look over at (R/1) as she speaks. He isn't surprised at her for calling Caspian King-- after all, he is a King and he had explained so on the journey back to the castle-- but Edmund was more surprised that after knowing about the truth, (R/1) wants to stay.
"You don't want to go back?" Caspian asks a second time, just in case.
"No, my King." (R/1) repeats.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, my King."
Susan finds Peter and Lucy by his private room's door arguing in whispers.
"I don't want her to think I am her husband!" Peter says.
"It's alright, Lucy," Susan says, approaching the two of them.
"It is?" Lucy asks.
"Yes. (R/1) understands everything."
Lucy smiles with a breath of relief.
"Was it a mistake?" (R/1) asks Edmund.
He stands there ill at ease, wondering how Caspian could have left them alone like this. Then slowly, he shakes his head.
"And you wrote the letter?" (R/1) asks.
Edmund nods his head.
"And you signed it?"
"Yes, Edmund." He says, placing his hands on his chest.
"...Edmund." (R/1) says quietly.
"Yes, (R/1). I am Edmund."
Footsteps approach them both and (R/1) suddenly drops the bouquet from her hands.
"Edmund!" She says.
Edmund turns around to see Peter and his sisters behind him.
"Ah, Peter," Edmund says, grabbing a hold of his brother's arm and bringing him towards (R/1). "(R/1), this is my brother, Peter."
"Peter?" She says.
"(R/1)." Peter smiles softly at her.
"I am Edmund." Edmund says again.
Perhaps it was one too many times or perhaps it was the fact that Peter-- the face she had come to know as Edmund-- was standing in front of her claiming to be called a different name. In any case, the two brothers in front of her made her confused and all of the thoughts she had carried weighed down on her chest so hard that she collapsed right into Edmund's arms.
And to make matters worse, lady Carmellina had walked through the castle doors just as soon as it happened. But in her eyes, she had just witnessed a wife hugging her husband.
"Ah, good wishes!" She smiles.
Caspian rushes in a moment later, his face creased in worry. Susan gives him a look.
xxx
Peter helped Edmund by taking hold of (R/1) in his arms. He lifted her up bridal style and quickly walked out the back of the castle-- in case any other surprise visitors were waiting in the courtyard-- and into the gardens. He gently laid her down on one of the many stone benches and brushed her hair out of her face.
"What are you doing?" Edmund asks, walking into the gardens.
"She needs air." Peter says.
From the sound of his voice, (R/1) begins to stir and her eyes open slightly.
"Edmund?" She asks weakly.
Edmund quickly steps down the path and over to (R/1) and Peter. He kneels down beside her and looks down at her.
"Yes, (R/1)?"
Her eyebrows furrow slightly. Edmund almost winces.
"Uh, I think she means you." He says to his brother.
Peter sighs gently and then looks down at (R/1). Her expression immediately softens. Susan, Lucy, Caspian, and lady Carmellina enter the gardens a moment later and Lucy pushes Peter aside, holding a small green glass bottle in her hands.
"What's that?" Peter asks.
"Smelling salts." She replies, hovering the top of the open bottle near (R/1)'s nose.
(R/1)'s eyes blink a few times and then she breathes in. Caspian holds her by the hand and by her shoulder and raises her up so that she's sitting on the stone bench. She looks around at everyone gathered around her, but there's someone here that she hasn't seen before.
"I am lady Carmellina." The elderly woman says after noticing (R/1) looking at her, "I arranged the whole thing."
"Did you know?" (R/1) asks.
"Know? Know what?"
"It was a mistake." Susan says, "But it's nothing."
She places her hand on lady Carmellina's back and leads her away from everyone. Lucy and Peter walk over to them as Edmund stands there fiddling with his hands.
"I think maybe we should talk about this." Caspian mentions.
Edmund nods and (R/1) stands on her feet, briefly smiling at Caspian for the help. They begin to walk over to where a small seating area is in the gardens and Edmund follows, but Caspian turns around and places his hand on his shoulder.
"It would probably be best if it were just her and me." He says.
Edmund looks up at Caspian and then over at (R/1). He nods gently and then steps away from the path, standing alone in the gardens. (R/1) and Caspian sit down on a chair each in the seating area. He waits a moment before he starts to talk.
"(R/1), I know that a lot has gone wrong." Caspian says, "But I want to assure you that once you get to know Edmund and Peter, you will love them both. One as a husband and the other as a brother."
"Yes, my King." (R/1) nods.
"Please, call me Caspian."
He raises his hand slightly. It was becoming more and more laborious to hear her call him by title. She nods respectively.
"But the one I love is not the brother I married. And the one I married is not the brother I love." She explains.
"He's not?" Caspian asks.
"No, Caspian. He's... my love's brother."
"Your love's brother?"
"Yes."
"Peter?" Caspian questions.
"Edmund." (R/1) says, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.
Caspian leans back in his chair. He hates how confused she got just by a mere name. But it was more than that, wasn't it? It wasn't just a name. It was the sketch she had received as well. And the time she spent falling in love with the Edmund she had expected to marry.