CHAPTER 15
EDITED 7/16/21
Mary stood with Glenstorm at the place of combat, which was the square of cobblestone flooring in the middle of the field whose path led to Aslan's How. Peter had assigned her and Glenstorm as the duel's marshals while Edmund was Peter's second in command.
"Is this your first time watching an official duel, Lady Mary?" Glenstorm asked.
"Yes," she replied, bouncing on her heels. "Is it just me or am I extremely nervous?"
"Worry not. I feel the same way."
Mary raised her eyebrows. It was hard to believe that Glenstorm felt the same way when he spoke with such a poker face.
"I just hide it well," the centaur continued almost as if he knew what she was thinking. "We must have faith in his Majesty, though."
Mary sighed and nodded once more in agreement.
"You're right. Peter will do well."
Miraz arrived before Peter did, his army giving out deafening shouts as he made his way across the grassy field. Mary observed the three Telmarines Miraz had brought along with him, two of whom she recognized as General Glozelle and Lord Sopespian; they were present in the tent when Edmund declared Peter's challenge to Miraz. Mary's heart thumped in her chest in anticipation, watching as they grew closer and eventually arrived. Miraz sat on a chair while waiting for his opponent to arrive, his intimidating stare making Mary uncomfortable. She prayed that Peter would give his all in this combat against him and that he wouldn't get hurt too much.
Finally, Peter too made his entrance with Edmund by his side. The Narnians cheered and raised their swords as the two kings walked out of Aslan's How. Mary wasn't sure if she was just biased, but the cheers from their side felt much more uplifting rather than the forced ones that came from the Telmarines, which gave her more hope.
From the Telmarines' side, Miraz was scanning the scene before him. The same centaur from earlier and the girl from the prophecy were both already there. The two kings were nearing the area of combat as well. He leaned closer to General Glozelle, a plan formulating in his head.
"If it should appear to be going poorly..." he trailed off, glancing back and forth from the crossbow Glozelle held and to Peter. Glozelle's eyes flickered in realization and he nodded.
"Understood, your Majesty."
"Also," Miraz added, eyeing the brunette girl who had the nerve of making fun of him back at their camp. "I'm not very fond of that girl, so do something about it — if you know what I mean."
Glozelle subtly looked at the girl that Miraz was referring to. She was speaking in hushed tones with the centaur and the two kings of Narnia, oblivious to what he was ordered to do to her. He hesitated for a brief moment but knew that he had to comply to his king's orders.
"You have my word," he eventually answered. Miraz smiled in satisfaction and stood up.
Mary gulped nervously upon seeing the face Miraz made. It looked like he was up to something or knew something that the others didn't. It was unnerving to say the least and she wished she could hear what they were saying.
"He looks quite... experienced," Edmund commented as he adjusted Peter's armor.
"That's not really going to help him, Ed," Mary muttered upon seeing the pointed look Peter sent his younger brother.
"You have my full confidence, Sire," Glenstorm bowed before Peter. Mary snickered at Edmund as if implying that he should've given the same support to his brother the way Glenstorm did instead of saying that Miraz looked experienced. The raven-haired boy rolled his eyes at Mary and tightened Peter's armor a bit too much, the blonde boy sucking in a sharp breath as he did so.
"Sorry," Edmund said sheepishly. "I mean, I suppose you can beat him... right?"
The four of them snuck a glimpse at Miraz once more.
"That's what I fighting him to find out," Peter said.
Edmund patted Peter's shoulders as a last comforting gesture. He extended Peter's sword kept inside its sheath, which he had held all the way up until that moment. Peter inhaled deeply as he drew the sword, the Narnians' cheers growing louder as he did.
"I hope you won't be disappointed..." Miraz was saying to Sopespian, grabbing his gold helmet from the man. "... when I survive."
Miraz wore his helmet and unsheathed his sword from one of the other Telmarine lords that accompanied him. Then, he walked into the combat zone. Peter followed suit, taking a few steps forward as well. The air had grown thick as the two kings started circling one another. Mary noticed Edmund, who rarely ever showed his worry, was looking extremely nervous for his brother now. She didn't know how to help, though, because she too was filled with worry.
"There is still time to surrender," Miraz taunted.
"Well, feel free," Peter retorted.
"How many more must die for the throne?"
"Just one."
Mary sucked in a breath, pleasantly surprised at his comebacks. She sent Edmund an impressed look and he merely shrugged back at her nonchalantly, mostly to convince himself that his brother would win. He did believe in Peter, but it was hard not to have doubts after seeing the power Miraz held as well as the fact that they hadn't been in Narnia for a year.
If only the situation weren't so serious, Mary would have cheered Peter on as if it were a game of sports. But she reminded herself that this was a life or death battle, so she kept quiet, just hoping that Peter would come out alive. She could save the jokes for later.
Peter pulled down his helmet, signalling that he was ready. He made the first move, bursting into a run and using one of the broken debris on the ground to jump at Miraz with a battle cry. Their single combat had officially begun.
Peter's sword clashed with Miraz's shield. The clang of their weapons from that first hit caused both sides of the field to roar. The two men moved expertly within the space they were given, looking like they had done this a million times before. They swung their swords numerous times and used their shields to block one another just the same. They ducked, jumped, and charged at one another. They moved at such a fast and routined pace that it was almost dizzying.
Soon, it looked like Peter had the upper hand. He elbowed Miraz, causing the man to stumble. Then, he hit his back from behind, making him lose balance. Edmund grinned triumphantly, sharing a hopeful look with Mary. It seemed like things would be going their way, after all.
However, they spoke too soon. Miraz redeemed himself by knocking Peter's helmet out of his head. Barely recovered, Peter had to lean backwards when Miraz swung his sword at his face. Edmund took a step forward as a reflex while Mary gasped at how close that was. Peter knelt down and swung from below, successfully cutting Miraz's leg. The Telmarine paused for a moment before charging at Peter once again. The blonde boy dodged by jumping over and rolling over to the other side. Once again, the Narnians cheered for their king at his skill and agility. But then, Miraz hit him with significantly more power than the last few, catching Peter off guard until he fell onto his behind.
Mary jumped and instinctively grabbed Edmund's hand. She almost pulled away when she realized what she did, but when Miraz stepped on Peter's shield while he was still down and they heard a sickening crunch, Edmund gripped Mary's hand tighter as his heart tugged for his brother.
Peter cried out in pain but didn't give up. He went to strike Miraz even while he was on the ground before rolling to the side to avoid his hits. Mary's eyes widened when Peter had already reached the end of their square and had nowhere to go. She held her breath as Peter used this to his advantage, kicking off from the edge to trip Miraz. The Telmarine fell with a grunt as Peter finally got up from the ground.
The sudden neighing of a horse caught Peter's attention. He looked over Miraz's shoulder and found Caspian and Susan exiting the forest on their way back to them. He furrowed his eyebrows, both in pain from his arm and confusion at why Susan had returned without Lucy.
"Does his Highness need a respite?" Miraz questioned once he had stood up as well.
"Five minutes?" Peter tried.
"Three."
Mary was feeling a jumble of emotions as she watched Peter weakly walk back towards them and as Susan and Caspian got off their horse. How long could Peter last? Where was Lucy and Aslan?
Edmund gave Mary a worried look before slipping his hand away from hers, hurrying over to his brother. He picked his helmet up and placed an arm around his shoulder for support.
"Lucy," was the first thing Peter said.
"She got through," Susan reassured, glancing at Caspian. "With a little help."
"Thanks," Peter told Caspian sincerely.
"Well, you were busy," he said back.
"You better get up there," Peter said to Susan, looking at the row of archers situated on top of Aslan's How. "Just in case. I don't expect the Telmarines will keep their word."
Susan stepped closer to Peter and wrapped an arm around him. She quickly let go when he gasped in pain, though.
"Sorry," she apologized.
"It's alright."
"Be careful."
Edmund could see from his peripherals that the Narnians were beginning to grow anxious. It had become oddly silent and he could tell even from the distance that their faces held expressions that were no longer as confident as earlier.
"Keep smiling," he ordered as Susan ran back into the How.
Peter faced the crowd and raised his sword. He forced a smile as the Narnians cheered again for their king.
Mary glanced at Miraz as Glozelle tightened a bandage around his knee where Peter had cut him and he winced noticeably.
"Seems like you cut him deeper than you thought," Mary said in an attempt to boost Peter's confidence.
"He's an old man," Peter replied as he tried to act like he wasn't hurting.
"I'd go over there right now and punch that wound of his if I could," Mary jokingly said. Thankfully, Peter cracked a small smile.
"Yeah, well, I didn't go unscathed either."
Mary decided to help him and gently raised his injured arm to remove his shield form under it. When she took it out from his arm, he groaned in pain and immediately grasped it with his free hand.
"I think it's dislocated," said Peter, taking in a sharp breath. Edmund approached his brother and held up the arm, inspecting it.
Peter continued, "What do you think happens back home if you die here?" He and Edmund shared concerned looks with one another, but the latter didn't have an answer to that question. "You know, you've always been there. I've never really — argh!"
Edmund twisted Peter's arm back into position. Mary and Caspian winced at one another, almost as if they had felt that, too.
"Save it for later," Edmund said shortly.
Mary slipped Peter's shield back onto his left arm. Caspian then helped him stand up and gave a reassuring pat to his back. Peter took his sword from Edmund next, and when he was offered his helmet as well, he shook his head. Edmund placed it back on the ground as Peter walked back to the center, the Narnians shouting for him. Miraz copied Peter and refused to wear his helmet after Glozelle offered it to him as well. And then, the fight resumed.
Peter charged and attacked quickly. Miraz defended himself, also using the shield as an offense as he continuously hit Peter with it. Peter managed to block it with his own shield for a few seconds, but Miraz was eventually able to hit Peter's face with it. He barely had time to recover when Miraz pushed him towards the edge. Peter bumped into a broken piece of a pillar and fell to the floor with a groan. Miraz stumbled at the impact because of his injured leg. When he went to strike again, Peter was now ready. He swung his legs around and knocked Miraz off of his feet. He hit him with his sword, but Miraz scrambled to his feet and so did Peter. Their swords clashed once more and got caught with one another.
And then, the breaking point had arrived. Peter swung relentlessly, Miraz having to duck in every direction to evade them. Unfortunately for Miraz, he was too slow as Peter disarmed him, his sword flying out of his hands and landing with a clang a few feet away. With only his shield left, Miraz used it to block the countless hits Peter did not stop giving. At one point, Peter pierced his sword on Miraz but missed, and the older man used this opportunity to disarm Peter as well. They were both left without swords. Miraz punched Peter and used his shield to attack him instead. When Peter caught Miraz's shield with his two hands, Mary knew this was it. One of them was going to win soon if things went well for either of them at this exact moment.
Peter gripped the shield and brought it overhead, forcefully turning both himself and Miraz around until the latter's arms were stuck behind his back. Miraz elbowed Peter in the face and pushed him off. In the heat of the moment, Edmund was the one to grab Mary's hand this time. She didn't even notice as she was too focused on the duel happening before her. Her heart raced as Miraz picked up his sword and made his way to attack from behind. Peter could only use his armor to block the hits. Just when Mary thought he was going to lose since he had no weapons with him anymore, Peter suddenly remembered Mary's joke from earlier and acted upon it: he brought his fist down towards Miraz's knee and punched the wound as hard as he could.
Miraz yelled loudly and clutched his leg.
"Respite!" he said, raising a hand up as if to stop Peter from coming any closer. "Respite!"
"Now's not the time for chivalry, Peter!" Edmund exclaimed.
Peter was torn as he looked at Miraz and the Narnians who were watching him expectantly. Then, he lowered his arm and walked away from the man. But Miraz had other plans. He retrieved his sword again and got up to his feet with only a slight struggle.
"Look out!" Edmund shouted as Miraz raised his sword. But Peter reacted quickly. He dodged the first swing, and when Miraz attempted to stab him, Peter grabbed the sword with his bare hands and forcefully took it from him. He turned around and adjusted his grip on the sword before piercing it through Miraz's side. The Telmarine gasped and fell to his knees.
Mary, Caspian, and the rest of the Narnians watched with their breaths held at the scene before them. Peter had the chance to kill him right then and there, but he didn't.
"What's the matter, boy?" Miraz asked. "Too cowardly to take a life?"
Peter dropped his arm and stared him down.
"It's not mine to take."
The High King turned on his heel. He looked at Caspian and offered him Miraz's sword. The Telmarine Prince walked towards him and took the weapon while Peter went to stand next to Edmund and Mary, picking up his own sword on the way.
Mary could feel the tension in the air as Caspian slowly raised his sword up before his own uncle who seemed to have accepted his fate for he had not made a move to stand up.
"Perhaps I was wrong," said Miraz. "Maybe you do have the makings of a Telmarine king after all."
And then, he lowered his head in defeat. Caspian let out a cry as he brought his sword down, but it never touched Miraz. Instead, he had plunged it into the patch of grass on the ground right in front of the man. Miraz looked up at the sword and then at his nephew in shock.
"Not one like you," Caspian firmly told him. "Keep your life. But I am giving the Narnians back their kingdom."
This time, the Narnians cheered for Caspian as he walked away from the combat zone.
Sopespian nudged Glozelle before making his way towards Miraz.
"My king," Lord Sopespian said as he helped Miraz to his feet.
"I'll deal with you when this is over," Miraz threatened. But, Sopespian only smiled.
"It is over."
Mary was just congratulating Peter when she saw an arrow latch itself onto Miraz. She gasped and watched as he struggled to breathe, that arrow probably being the last hit he could take before dying. And then, he fell down face first with a thud, unmoving. She looked towards Edmund and Peter in confusion, wondering who had shot the arrow; but none of the archers had their bows at the ready.
"Treachery!" Sopespian announced, pointing towards the archers stationed above Aslan's How. He removed Miraz's sword from the ground. "They shot him! They murdered our king!"
Peter frantically looked from the Telmarines and back to the Narnians. The battle was finally about to begin.
A/N: Whoa, I didn't realize how long this chapter was. It was pretty hard to write the fight scenes and there weren't even much Edmund x Mary moments :< They held hands, though, so that was cute hihi. Oh well, I hope you all still enjoyed it! The next few chapters will contain the actual battle and I'm so excited for them ☻