Metamorphosis || Edmund Pevensie

Chapter 12: Confrontations

"We should head back." Edmund whispered. "Marvin would be getting impatient. He gets really annoyed if I make him wait too long." He tried to change the topic because he didn't want things to get out of hand before it was too late.

"Yes, you should."

"Did I offend you by any chance?"

"You didn't." It was hard not to smile at his concern. "It was a good dance."

"It was." He nodded and then bowed down to her. "Thank you for teaching me. Lady Dhruvika."

"Thank you for learning, King Edmund." She curtsied and they shared a moment of silence before both of them broke out laughing. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'll wait for you." He turned around to walk away but stopped with one step. He walked towards her and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you," he whispered into her hair before running into the forest cover.

Dhruvika was left confused where she stood but was glad that she was alone. The confusion on her face must have been amusing to anyone. She smiled softly to herself and turned around to look at the moon right on top of the forest cover. She touched her cheeks and realised that she was blushing! What if Edmund had kissed her? She didn't want their friendship to get ruined but she had always felt something for him? She didn't know what it was but she was sure that he was the answer to all the questions she had been asking all her life.

Ever since she started to live as a human, something always bothered her. She had nightmares and trouble sleeping but ever since she and Edmund became friends, the bad parts of her life slowly faded away. She was happier and was grateful for his friendship. He was worth it.

A rustle of leaves broke the tranquil silent woods. 

"That was so touching." She heard a voice that she would never forget in her life. Dhruvika turned around immediately and brought out the knife that she always carried with her. "And here I thought that you were trying to enjoy life to the fullest. Dancing is a real pain but I remember the happiness that it gives everyone. Especially us girls that need to stick together."

"Carmis." 

"There's no need for weapons, dear." Carmis swiped her hand to the left and the knife flew away from the young girl's hand and clattered on the floor.

"Well, I think it poses an unfair advantage if you have your powers and I am not even allowed to be armed."

Carmis raised her eyebrows. "Well done, Dhruvika! You have learnt to talk back. Narnia has taught you well."

"Narnia has taught me a lot of things. How did you find me?"

"It took me some time but I was relentless. I couldn't let my prized possession get away from me, now could I? But more important things first. Who is the boy?" She asked coyly.

"Like I'm going to tell you." Right then, a shadow emerged over them as Marvin carried Edmund away from his secret place. Carmis brought her hand up and Robin knew what she was planning. "Stop!"

Carmis looked at her and a smile spread across her face. "That's better. Begging to save his life? That's touching," she said, pulling her hand back. It was a shame that she couldn't use her powers on someone that night but the terror on Dhruvika's face before her was more satisfying. "What's his name?"

Dhruvika didn't want to speak but she knew that her captor had other methods to make people talk. Although she hadn't been one of the victims, she had seen enough horror to know not to cross her. "Edmund."

"The Just King?" A very explicit confusion spread across Carmis' face. "You are even more naive than I thought." A laugh escaped her. "This changes everything, darling."

"You don't know me."

"But I know him." Carmis took a step forward. "Jadis may have been the one to manipulate but she learnt from the best."

"What do you want?" Getting every syllable out was physically exhausting. She did not want to look at the Red Queen ever again.

"I wanted to have a talk with you, but clearly you aren't ready to understand the situation yet. You are still a child who believes that the Just King of Narnia would fall for her. Do you really think that he cares for you? From everything that I know about him, he strayed away from the righteous path a long time ago."

"He is not-"

"Once a betrayer, always a betrayer, darling. I speak from experience."

Dhruvika's blood boiled, wanting to slice Carmis' throat but she knew that it was what she was intending to make her feel. "You don't know anything about him." 

Carmis' mouth fell open. "You have grown to care for him!" She laughed as if she had heard the world's greatest joke and started to clap.

"You don't know what you are talking about. I don't care for him that way. He is my friend."

"Your words may be full of lies but your heart speaks the truth."

Only then did Dhruvika realise that her breathing had increased and her heart was beating faster than usual. She was hearing her worst fear through the mouth of Carmis of all people. What if she was right? "Leave me alone!" 

"I will, dear. I will." Carmis started to walk backwards. "Clearly you have more important things to worry about." She turned around but before leaving, she decided to tell him one more statement. "No one can love you after knowing who you are. No one is the same age as you. He will wither and die and so will you, but think about all the years that you have spent. He doesn't care for you. It's the curse of being a woman."