"when we were kids, when we were young. things seemed so perfect, you know?"
There was a storm.
Edmund leant over Juliet's bed and clutched the messy white cloth to his arm after the dragon, Eustace had flown him around the island twice and not quite fully let go of him afterwards. The big gash in his arm was comforting realisation that his cousin had somehow managed to get himself turned into a bloody dragon. Edmund wanted to kill him. As he looked down on Juliet's face he could see that there was some colour beginning to come back, she'd been pale the day before when the others had slept on the beach, almost looked dead.
"Is she still sleeping?" Caspian said, closing the door carefully behind him, trying not to make a sound. Edmund only nodded. Whatever was going on had tested all of them, it had to stop. Caspian sat down and touched his sisters hand as her eyes fluttered open.
"Juliet?" Edmund said again, wondering if she'd open her eyes this time, and she did.
She looked over at Caspian and then at Edmund, who she continued to look at as her voice returned. "Are we dead?"
Ed laughed. "No, what happened to you though?" He asked, determined to find an answer.
"I don't entirely remember." Juliet sat up with her brother aiding her. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "I saw her."
Caspian stares at Edmund who looked equally confused. "Who?"
"Jadis."
Edmund's eyes flicked up to Juliet who was looking straight into them already.
"She was stood across from the rock pool, looking at me, into me. She told me I was her, like her. Her voice got louder and louder but I guess I couldn't take it." Juliet looked over at each of them and they nodded understandingly. "It's the mist, isn't it?"
Edmund nodded. "Guess so, got to Eustace as well. Greedy git." He muttered, drawing a smile upon Juliet's face.
Caspian stood up and sighed loudly. "I'd best go warn Drinian and the crew, you two stay here or if you can Juliet, come up deck." Caspian told her before walking out, Edmund's attention was drawn right back to her.
"What happened to Eustace then?" She asked, Edmund only laughed.
XXX
After sitting and chatting for what seemed like days but was really only an hour and thirty eight minutes, Juliet finally gathered enough strength to get off the bed, to get changed, and to let Edmund help her back up deck. As the pair of them climbed the last few steps Edmund stopped and looked over at her, Juliet winced in pain again, clutching the side of her torso where a big blue bruise had formed from where she'd hit the ground. Edmund kissed her cheek and she smiled up at him, she never wanted him to leave again, never.
When they reached sunlight, Juliet was take aback by what she was greeted with. "Edmund, why is a dragon pulling the ship?" She whispered.
Edmund laughed again. "That's Eustace, he took treasure from that island and somehow ended with with scales, wings and a tail."
"Juliet!" Lucy ran up to her and embraced the older girl tightly. "Are you okay? What was it? Was is your arm?"
Juliet laughed at the quick fire questions. "No, it was the mist and my arm I think. Had something to do with Jadis."
Lucy grabbed her shoulders. "What are you going to do about the headaches and the fainting?"
"Control it I guess." Juliet shrugged, allowing Edmund to walk off and join her brother. She leant closer to Lucy. "That bitch needs to know that this is part of me, if she comes back to life or some shit like last time, I'll just punch her." She whispered and Lucy laughed.
"Edmund says he's been seeing her too." Lucy told Juliet as they began to walk towards Eustace and Reepicheep. Juliet laughed when the sudden realisation that he really was a dragon hit her.
"Eustace." She shouted. "I thought we told you not to touch anything." The dragon let out what could be identified as a grumble and peered at her. "But good job though." Juliet smiled jumping back down the stairs to join Caspian.
"Be careful, I don't want you hurting yourself again." Caspian steadied her as she fell onto him, his sister rolled her eyes. "I love you, you're my responsibility so anything that happens to you is on me."
Juliet narrowed her eyes at him. "What's the mist showing you then, Cas?" She asked him, he only straightened his shirt and looked at the floor uncomfortably.
"Nothing as yet." He said strongly as he walked off, leaving her alone. But she wasn't stupid, he'd seen something, and it was bothering him big time.
XXX
"This island is worse than the last one." Juliet murmured under her breath as her and Lucy stepped over a large tree root for the thirty-fifth time. They'd reached Ramandu's Island safely all thanks to Eustace and were trekking through the woods and plains to find this table everyone had been talking about. It was dark, and the flamed torches only just lit up the first metre in front of them.
Edmund hung back and grabbed Juliet's hand. Lucy laughed quietly, she wasn't going to admit it was cute, shed never hear the end of it. Edmund shone his torch up to a clearing ahead. "That's a big tree." Juliet stated as they walked cautiously underneath to come face to face with the table in front of them.
"And a big table." Edmund continued.
Caspian stepped in front of them. He pointed to three old men, beards to the ground, covered in ivy and eyes wide open. "They're all Lords. Are they dead?" Caspian asked his sister as they both proceeded with their swords.
With closer inspection Juliet could see they were all breathing. "They're alive, just. Must be some sort of sleeping spell or something." She told the others.
"It's the food!" Caspian shouted back to the men.
Juliet spotted something glinting under the ivy. "Edmund look, it's the stone knife."
"This must be Aslan's Table." Edmund finished. "Caspian grab their swords." Everyone laid the swords out on the table in a circular formation. "There's six."
"We're still missing one." Caspian stated.
"But where is it then?" Juliet muttered to herself. Suddenly, the swords began to glow a shade of blue, and up above in the sky the blue star looked as if it were getting closer. as if it were coming to the island. When the 'star' landed, Juliet saw it had taken the shape of a woman with long white hair, pale skin and light eyes.
"Travellers of Narnia, welcome." As she spoke, everyone began to bow. The men stared at her as she smiled down on everyone. "Arise. Are you not hungry?"
"Who are you?" Caspian asked, ignoring his sister snickering in the background.
She walked towards the two of them as she introduced herself. "I'm Liliandil, daughter of Ramandu. I'm your guide."
"Oh, joy." Juliet whispered as Edmund saw it bothered her and grabbed her hand tightly.
"You're a star." Caspian's eyes lit up, Liliandil herself only replied with a nod. "You're beautiful." Juliet let out a loud and definite scoff before Caspian gave her a glare and Liliandil smiled.
"If it is a distraction for you, I can change form-"
"No!" Caspian stopped her and this time it was Edmund and Lucy who laughed slightly.
Liliandil turned her attention away and lit up the candles dotted up and down the table. "Please, the food is for you. There is enough for all who are welcome at Aslan's Table, always." The crew started eating as Juliet was suddenly washed over with doubt.
"Wait, what happened to them?" She asked, making sure this wasn't a trick.
The star smiled gently at her. "These poor men were mad by the time they reached the island, they were threatening violence upon each other. Violence is forbidden at the table of Aslan, so they were sent to sleep."
"Will they ever wake?" Lucy piped up from her comfortable spot behind Caspian.
Liliandil nodded. "When all is put right. Come, there is little time." She led the four of them to a ledge overlooking the sea, in front was an island covered in green mist, Juliet felt her head go dizzy once again. "That magician told you about a dark island."
"Yes." Caspian replied bravely.
"Before long the magic will be unstoppable." Liliandil continued as Juliet stared at the misshapen piece of land about a mile in front of their own eyes.
"Coriakin said to break the spell we need all seven swords laid on Aslan's table." Caspian repeated for about the seventieth time since they'd met the Oppressor.
"He speaks the truth." Liliandil confirmed.
"But we've only got six." Edmund looked around at the others. "Do you know where the seventh is?" Liliandil pointed to the island.
Oh, of course sorry yeah well that's not gonna happen. Juliet thought.
"You will need great courage." She told them. Juliet squeezed Edmund's hand tighter as he snaked the other arm round to embrace her. "Waste no time."
"I hope we meet again." Caspian told her as she smiled at him and soared back up to her place in the sky.
Juliet stared blankly at him. "Disgusting, we'll talk about it later." She declared as they raced back down to the ship, their hearts in their throats and Juliet clinging onto Edmund's hand for dear life.
I hope this goes well. Juliet thought as they began to sail towards the island.
🖤