Metamorphosis || Edmund Pevensie

Chapter 11: The Lake

"Where are we going?" 

Marvin landed in a clearing in the middle of the forests. Dhruvika wasn't allowed to roam far from the territory marked by Oreius and she hadn't dared to travel further into the forests without help from Narnians. It felt strange to be breaking the rules all at once but that was a part of the forest that she was very familiar with. If Edmund was taking her where she thought he was, they were more alike than she thought.

"You'll see," he said. "Is everything okay?" He asked, noticing the sudden change in her expression.

"It is now." She smiled. Dhruvika felt a shade of sadness when she thought about Oreius and how much he loved her to want to let her go. She was reconsidering whatever had happened but she pushed the thought away from her. She was with Edmund. The rest of the world didn't matter in the few hours.

"Right." He cleared his throat. "Come on." He beckoned his head to the thicket and walked towards it.

She followed him obediently and wanted to ask him a million questions. "You should give me a hint."

"A hint? No." He said, making her scowl. "All right. I am taking you to a special place of mine."

"In the middle of the woods?"

"I am the King of the Western Wood after all." 

"Accha. Silly me." 

Edmund pushed past the falling lowly branches and helped Dhruvika when there was a rough terrain. He put his hand out whenever they needed to cross a fallen tree and although she didn't need it, she took it anyway. Every time they touched each other, a soft electricity passed between them, which of course they tried to deny because they didn't know how the other felt.

"Are we there yet?" She asked impatiently. Although she had grown up, Dhruvika was still a child inside. She could never let that part of her go. It was really special and she would be living it all her life.

"We're there," he said and after some time, he pushed open a final bough and her eyes fell upon the most beautiful lake that she had ever seen. She laughed and seeing her happy, Edmund laughed as well. What was she doing to him? How could he have let his guard down so many times around her? But, he knew the answer. He just couldn't tell it out or admit it. "Do you like it?"

"I love it." She found it hard to breathe and had to remind herself that she could be alive only by that basic function. She turned to look at him and caught him looking affectionately at her. "How did you find this place?" She asked as she walked forward into the opening between the trees.

"I came here one night when I wanted to get away from the castle. Peter had organised a party for me and after all the time I spent talking with people, I needed to be alone for a while."

"Did Marvin tell you about this place?"

"Yes and no."

"I absolutely adore him, just so you know. He is a chakrakutti."

Edmund smiled, always loving Dhruvika talk in her mother tongue. Her voice calmed him in situations of anxiety. The language was native to the Archenland boundaries, which made him question every truth she spoke but what he felt towards her was true and just. Marvin had told him that though he was pretending to not be able to talk, he was happy to see him happy. "I like her," He had told him. 

He shook off that conversation from his mind and sat down on the ground as he faced the lake. The moon was shining so brightly that its reflection on the surface of the water looked like a million diamonds having been dropped deliberately to create a peaceful aesthetic feeling for viewers.

"If this is your secret place," Dhruvika started as she sat down next to him, keeping a generous gap between them, of course. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Well." Edmund thought about it. "It is a place that I'm willing to share with the right person."

"Glad to be one of them." She was the only one and though he wanted to tell her that, he shook his head slightly to himself as he reminded himself of why he couldn't. "Actually, poi sollame irrukanumna, this is my secret place as well. I live not too far from here. Whenever I want to get away from my life, I'll come here."

"How have I never seen you here then?"

"Coincidence." She shrugged and tried to look innocent. She couldn't have him find out her true identity. What would he think?

The two of them lay down on the ground and looked at the moon as they started talking. "Susan is coming behind me all the time!" 

"What's the reason?"

"She wants me to take dancing lessons from some teacher." He laughed at himself thinking about how ridiculous it sounded. He knew how ridiculous it would be if he actually had agreed to it. "Some ball is being organised soon and Lucy wants all of us to be prepared for it....hence the dancing lessons."

"I could teach you."

"What?"

"Stay silent for one second." She sat up straight and whistled softly.

Edmund slowly stood up when he realised what was happening. Small particles started to lift themselves up from the bushes surrounding the lake and once they lit up, he realised that they were the Lighting Bees that he had always read about but never got a chance to see in person. 

"Now you know that I come here often. I started singing one day and realised that they respond to musical melodies. Come on." She stood up and gave Edmund her hand, who promptly took it and stood up as he continued to look around in amazement.

"I can't dance."

"You will. I'm a good teacher." 

"Well, there is no music."

She smiled at his lack of interest in dancing. "Watch this." She whistled louder that time and though Edmund feared for the bees to leave, he found himself proved wrong. The bees glowed brighter and a soft melody filled the air.

"How...."

"Come on." She put her right arm on his shoulder and he realised that there was no backing out. He looked at her excitement for the situation and decided not to disappoint her. He couldn't do it. Edmund put his arm around her waist as gently as possible and she started to give instructions about dancing. "See? You're a natural." 

Dhruvika couldn't believe how close they were to each other and tried to ignore that fact as she continued to remind herself to breathe. She couldn't faint that night and definitely not in front of her friend. He would never forget to bring it into a conversation and make fun of her.

"Where did you learn this?" He asked as she taught him how to spin her around.

"My....guru. He is more of my family really. He taught me everything that I know right now."

"Well, I don't think he taught you this," he said and dipped her quickly towards the ground for the ending step of any waltz. It was another attempt to scare her but he didn't regret it. Dhruvika shrieked for a short time because of the impact and was breathing very quickly when Edmund became well aware of the distance between them. He looked into her eyes and realised that they had more brown in them than black. "Sorry." He helped her stand and then let her go.

"That was...." She started. "Illai, he didn't teach me that."

But all that was running inside her mind was - What just happened?