Seraphina | Edmund Pevenise

Chapter 9

Edmund went to go practice his fighting with Peter, leaving my father and I to go to the lake and have my own mersoldiers prepare to fight.

I walked through the isles of people fighting, observing how they fought. You can tell that everyone was a bit rusty, but beyond that, you can see the fear lacing their eyes. If they fought with fear, they'd be marking our own fate, death. I shook my head as I walked to the top of the waterfall's rocks.

"Attention merfolk," I called out.

Everyone dropped what they were doing and knelt down as they saw I was the one speaking. In the distance, I saw my father intently watching me.

"I've been watching closely at how you all are performing at this moment. You are all doing good, but good is not what we need right now. We need greatness, otherwise we will fail. We need people to realize everything Jadis has done to our kingdom, to our people, to our Queen, and get mad. We need anger to drive us through this fight because it's the passion you all are missing right now. Our passion for what we believe in will strengthen us as a whole and as a unit. Do any of you feel a sense of fear?"

Everyone began nodding their heads.

"Fear isn't what we need either. Being scared will only harm us. You can't cower away from this fight. Jadis' army is large in number and they are all ready for this battle. Each and every one of them. Our kingdom's numbers may have grown smaller because of that fatal attack that the White Witch plagued us with, but that attack she did us, should fuel us. We should show her that we will no longer live in this world that she rules. We need to take back everything she took from us because if she wins, we lose our home, forever. That would only mean that Queen Nerissa died for nothing. Does anyone want our late Queen's dying wish of a free kingdom be for nothing?"

Heads shook as they all said a united "NO!"

"Then fight like you mean it. Fight for our late Queen. Fight for our home!"

Our soldiers all raised their swords into the air as they all chanted and grunted in union, ready for the fight that is to come. They all proceed to go back to practice, but this time, they fought even harder.

"Being Queen looks good on you Sera."

I glanced over my shoulder to see my father walking up to the edge of the rock as we gazed at our soldiers practicing around the lake.

"I did what I had to do father. Tell them that it's fight like you mean it, or be killed," I truthfully told him, "There is no in between for this at all. No room for mistakes."

"You know," he sighed heavily, "I wouldn't have been able to encourage them like that. Not when I, myself, am filled with fear. But you, Seraphina, you have the fire that they need to look up to right now. To give them the motivation and the words they need to hear to push themselves over their limits. That's why you will make a magnificent Queen soon."

I closed my eyes for a second, "Thank you dad." When I opened them, I brought my fingers to my necklace, "I won't let her death be for nothing."

My dad brought his arm around my shoulder, "None of us will let that happen. I promise you that."

"KING KAI!"

Our heads snapped to the sound of the voice that came from behind us to see one of our soldiers panting. "What is it," my father demanded.

"The White Witch," he panted, "She's demanded a meeting with Aslan. She's coming now as we speak."

I clenched my jaw, picked up the material of my dress away from the ground, and I began to run back to base camp.

- - -

The moment I got to the clearing of the campsite, I saw the witch entering with people from her army along with her. Aslan stood tall at the highest point of camp and my father stood next to him. I pushed myself to the front of the crowd where Edmund was standing. When he noticed I was trying to get to where he was, he walked towards me and grabbed onto my hand to help me through. We walked to where his siblings stood as we stared at the witch with pure hatred as she was carried in by her guards.

"Jadis, the Queen of Narnia," the dwarf yelled.

Yelling began to surround us, "Go away, Witch!"

The dwarf chuckled, "Empress of the Lone Islands!"

"You don't belong here!"

"Go away!"

Aslan's growls carried through the camp as he stared at the White Witch. Jadis' guards placed her throne down, and she walked towards Aslan menacingly. As she walked, she glared at Edmund and I, making him push me behind him.

"You have a traitor in your midst, Aslan," Jadis stopped walking as she spoke coldly.

People began to whisper about the traitor, Edmund. He knew people were speaking of him as he shifted his weight back and forth on his feet, nervous and ashamed of what he has done.

"His offence was not against you," Aslan spoke with authority.

I laced my hand with Edmund's, giving him reassurance that he does indeed have support and that I will not leave his side.

"Have you forgotten the laws upon which Narnia was built," Jadis said with a sly smirk.

Aslan growled, shutting her up, "Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch. I was there when it was written."

Jadis stood straighter, "Then you'll remember well that every traitor belongs to me. His blood is my property."

The sound of a sword being pulled out carried throughout the crowd, "Try and take him then," Peter challenged the witch.

Jadis turned her head to Peter as if he were just a three year old, "Do you really think that mere force will deny me my right, little King?" She glanced back to the lion, "Aslan knows that unless I have blood, as the laws demands, all of Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water. That boy," she pointed at Edmund, "will die on the Stone Table, as is tradition. You dare not refuse me."

"Enough," Aslan said calmly. "I shall talk with you alone," he turned to his tent as the witch slowly followed him, leaving everyone else in silence as we waited the verdict of what is to become of Edmund.

While Edmund and myself stared at each other with fear. If he were to be killed, a part of me would also be killed. We've known each other for a short while, but during this short time, he's already made a lasting imprint on me.