Metamorphosis || Edmund Pevensie

The Trick

"Do you really have to go?" Robin asked as she walked with Edmund towards the stables.

"I know that we won't be able to fight with her powers, but we can fight her."

"That doesn't make any sense and you know it." She quoted him.

"You don't have to worry about us. We've gathered the best of the best for this."

"I know that but....what if something happens to you? To any of you."

He stopped walking and kissed her. "Are you still worried?" He asked after breaking it just for a bit.

"Yes." She whispered.

But before he could say anything else, the guards blew a trumpet to announce the time for the departure. "I have to go."

"Then take me with you."

"Robin, we've been over this. You cannot come because Carmis will use you to distract us. To get to me."

She bit her lower lip and wanted to say something. Her lips were trembling. She settled on kissing him again. "Tree."

He sighed while smiling. "Birdy." He held his gaze on her eyes for a few seconds before running off towards the troupe that was waiting for him at the edge of the valley.

Robin walked back to the castle while kicking the stones in her way. She hated being the damsel in distress but everyone knew that she could fight. She only couldn't fight Carmis because of their history. How she wished that she was only a young girl who just found herself in the strange chamber at Cair Paravel!

"Ed, are your eyes red?" Lucy teased him as he came running down the hill to meet the King's troop.

He smiled humbly. "Is everyone ready? We have a long journey ahead."

"Nice way of changing the topic, brother," Peter clamped him on the shoulder. "But that isn't going to stop the teasing along the way."

"All of you like Robin. There is no denying it."

The journey to the outskirts of Narnia began with the young rulers and the Guards of the Order on their horses. They were sure to dress as commoners and carry only the weapons that they would need. Their stops on the way only had Edmund in agony because of the wait to sleep in his own bed.

Lucy and Peter did not lose an opportunity to tease him but it was Susan who actually talked seriously with him. He couldn't hide anything from her, let alone trying to lie. The journey took them four days and once they reached the boulder that identified the edge of Narnia, they turned the directions that were given by the spies and reached the Abandoned Caves.

"There is something...." Peter started.

"Eerie." Lucy completed.

"Do you feel cold?" Susan asked.

"Something's not right." Edmund remarked.

Walking into the caves armed gave them the confidence that they needed. But it was like Edmund had said outside. Something definitely wasn't right. The caves were brighter than they should have been. The trickling of water and the whooshing of volcanic solids was heard everywhere. The siblings were scared to breathe, afraid that even a small sigh would echo through the walls of the cave.

The guards noticed that there was no one to stop them in their path like they had expected. They were moving about way too easily and that made the hair on their arms stand up. They were told that they would be facing a very old but strong Witch who had powers that were more than anything that they had experienced with the White Witch with her facade.

The Pevensies walked out of the passageway to an empty opening, where the three empty thrones stood that were once mighty, the caves filled with joy. The silence was getting to everyone and started to drive them mad. All the speculations that they had made went for a toss. 

"There is no one here." Susan said.

Peter noticed the three openings with new passageways. Two groups of guards went through two passageways while the siblings started making their way through the one in the middle. The temperature was rising all of a sudden and the hissing of steam grew louder. They looked at each other whenever a stone rolled over, scared for the other and not themselves.

Finally, they came out of the rubbles and into a chamber. "But that's impossible." Lucy was the first to speak when she saw that it was a chamber nonetheless.

"Finest craftsmanship. Whoever that poor lad was." Peter joked.

"Peter." Susan beckoned to the centre of the room. The Pevensies followed her gaze and walked towards the coffin that was being illuminated by the sunlight coming through one of the holes on the ceiling of the cave. "I'm guessing this is-"

"Carmis." Edmund snarled. "But this is not possible."

The Red Queen lay on the glass covered coffin with her eyes closed. She had her hands joined together. She was wearing a black coat over her deep burgundy dress. She looked very peaceful. Her pale skin had some colour. She was definitely one of the most beautiful people that they had laid their eyes upon. Her red curls were complimenting everything about her.

Carmis was under a spell. Everyone knew that. But why would a powerful witch put herself under a spell? There was a rapid aurora that seemed to protect the coffin because when Peter tried to strike it softly, it backlashed with a much higher force.

"I'm not going to be the one kissing her." Edmund said. "Stating this beforehand."

"You won't need to." Lucy replied, holding a note in her hand. "Ed..." Her voice was hesitant and her eyes revealed that something was wrong. Peter and Susan immediately looked at each other.

"What is it?" He walked towards her and took the letter from her hand. His eyes were betraying him. He kept telling himself that.

Peter read the letter over his brother's shoulder and ordered everyone to fall back. "Ed." He placed a hand on his shoulder and took the letter from his hands.

Edmund was staring at one point in the cave. "I am such an idiot!"

"Let's go back. We might still have time."

"What if she is-"

"Shut up and come with!" Susan shouted.

"How did we fall for her trick?" Edmund asked, scolding himself for his carelessness. How could he have left Robin all alone back at the castle? He knew that he should have stayed with her.