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"I am your mother!" Jadis screamed, causing the little white haired girl to flinch and draw away. "You will listen to me and you will listen clearly." She grabbed her daughter's small wrist and tightened her hand around it, watching as ice began to spread across the skin on the girl's hand.
The girl began to cry.
"I told you to stay out of the dungeons. I don't care if he's crying. I don't care if he's yelling. I said to stay away. And what does Ginnabrik find you doing?"
"Creeping into the dungeons, my queen." The dwarf mumbled from somewhere behind the white haired girl.
The White Witch pulled her hand away and the small girl retreated quickly, rubbing the ice off from her numb hand.
"Diana, darling," The queen started again. "Please go back to bed. I'll see you in the morning. Ginnabrik, escort the princess back to her chambers and make sure she doesn't leave them until the morning."
With that, both the princess and the dwarf were dismissed from the throne room.
"Come on, Your Highness." The dwarf said, grabbing onto Diana's wrist lightly and leading her out of the room. "You shouldn't have gone creeping around the way you did."
"You didn't have to tell her." Diana replied with slight anger, pulling at the thick skirt of her dress. "I just wanted to talk to him."
"I'm just following orders." Ginnabrik responded. And Diana knew that was as much of an apology as she was going to get.
"I know." Diana said glumly. "I just wish I could have someone to talk to. All she ever does is keep me locked up in my room."
"She just wants to keep you safe."
"I don't think Mother knows what safe even is." Diana replied haughtily.
Ginnabrik couldn't help but agree but didn't say so. "You'll want to keep that mouth of yours shut."
When Diana reached her room, Ginnabrik locked the doors behind her. She groaned and flopped down onto her bed. Her room was the only place in the entire castle that wasn't made entirely of ice. Somehow, the cold didn't seem to bother the Queen or Grinnabrik or even Maugrim, a wolf who was the leader of the secret police. But it did bother Diana.
All of her clothing had to be made with extra fabric. She wasn't allowed to have a fireplace, but she was given extra blankets.
She groaned. All she wanted was to have a friend. Suddenly, as she was drifting off to sleep, her door crashed open, leaving her mother on the other side.
"Quickly, Diana, we need to get going."
She rushed forward, pulling her daughter from her bed.
"Get your coat, we're leaving."
"Where are we going?" Diana asked, slipping on her fur coat.
"To find that bastard lion and kill him."
()()()()
Diana's eyes didn't leave the brown haired boy when Grinnabrik threw him into the sleigh. She had seen him come to the castle just a few days prior. Maugrim had dragged him in. He seemed just as surprised to see her as she was to see him.
After all, her mother had forbidden any interaction with the prisoners, which was why she was to stay away from the dungeon. The boy looked her age, maybe just a few months older. His hair was so brown it appeared black and his eyes were just as dark. But he was as pale as she was, accenting his freckles.
Diana couldn't help but envy the freckles sprinkled across his nose, cheekbones and forehead. She had always wanted freckles herself.
"Where are we going?" The boy asked, looking at her mother.
"Edmund, wouldn't you like to see your family?" The queen asked, tilting his chin up with her scepter. Diana forced herself to look away.
"I thought you said-"
"Silence, Diana." The queen hushed.
()()()()
"It's warm here." Diana observed aloud, shrugging off her coat. She knelt to the ground and ran her fingers through luscious green grass. "It's so soft."
"Stand up, Diana. You're getting your dress filthy." Commanded her mother. Diana frowned, but listened, climbing back to her feet.
"Your Majesty!" Came a voice, causing the queen, Diana, and Edmund to all flip around on their feet. Maugrim had exited the woods and joined them in the clearing. "We found the traitor."
Another wolf stepped forward, and in his jaws was a fox. Diana blinked, drawing back as she saw blood and saliva drip from the wolf's mouth.
"He was rallying your enemies in the Shuddering Wood." Maugrim continued as the other wolf tossed the fox to the ground. The poor animal yelped and curled in on itself.
Diana stepped forward to assist it but her mother held out a hand, stopping her.
"Nice of you to drop in." Jadis said and the fox struggled to its feet. The White Witch began to circle the small animal. "You were so helpful to my wolves last night. Perhaps you can help me now."
Diana and Edmund followed her mother and paused when Jadis came to a stop.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty." The fox spoke, lowering into a bow.
The queen groaned. "Ugh, don't waste time with flattery."
"Not to seem rude," The fox said, coming up from his bow. "But I wasn't actually talking to you."
Diana's jaw dropped as she turned to look at Edmund. What had her mother called him? A son of adam? If he was one of the boys from the prophecy then.... The dots connected in Diana's head and she stepped in front of the boy slightly. Her mother scowled at her.
Then, she stepped forward, pointing her scepter at the fox. He seemed to shrink away slightly but Diana had no idea why. "Where are the humans headed?"
When the fox didn't say anything, Jadis raised her arm, ready to strike the fox with the scepter when Edmund intercepted, pushing Diana aside.
"Wait! No, don't!" He ran in front of the fox. "The beaver said something about the Stone Table, and that Aslan had an army there."
The fox wilted as Edmund seemed to spill every secret he was holding. Diana frowned.
"An army?" The queen asked, peering over Edmund's shoulder at the fox. The brown haired boy turned to look at the fox and the orange animal shook his head sadly. Diana realized that was the exact information the fox was keeping from the queen, and Edmund just told everyone.
"Thank you, Edmund." The queen said sweetly. "I'm glad this creature got to see some honesty before he dies!" Jadis thrust the tip of her spear forward quickly and the fox yelped as it touched it's chest. And then, the poor animal turned to stone right before Diana's eyes.
"No!" Edmund pleaded.
Diana cried out, stumbling away from her mother. "You killed him!" She cried in a panic, trying to get as far away from her mother as she could. "He hadn't done anything and you killed him!"
The queen turned her cold glare on her daughter, causing her to shut her mouth.
And with that, she looked at Edmund for a long second before slapping him across the face with the back of her hand. Diana yelped and Edmund pulled a hand up to his cheek.
"Think about whose side you're on, Edmund." Jadis said threateningly. She grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to look at her. "Mine," She turned Edmund to look at the fox. "Or his."
