The Just and the Wise

Chapter 10

Your POV

I wake up from a deep sleep-a night of sleep like when you've spent a day at an amusement park in the hot sun and finally get to lie down and sleep. I slept soundly last night, thanks to Edmund. I do not like crying, I do not like feeling weak, and I especially don't like putting Edmund in the position to have to take care of me. He doesn't mind, and he even has told me he considers it his job. Even so, it's hard for me to be that vulnerable with someone, even if it is my boyfriend of three years. Edmund knows how to coax it out of me, though.

I lie in bed for I don't know how long after I've woken up. Edmund is still sleeping, holding me tightly against him, and heavy rain outside patters against deck loud enough for me to hear from inside. It's oddly comforting-comforting enough for me to slip back into my deep sleep.

——————

Hours later, I finally wake up again. There are no windows in my room, and I have no gauge as to what time of day it is. Edmund is awake and sitting on the edge of our bed with his back to me, using a small knife to clean the sword that the lord had given Caspian. I watch him for a couple of minutes before he turns around and sees me awake.

"Morning," he says quietly, putting the sword down and moving closer to me. "Slept well I assume?"

"Mhm," I nod slightly. "So it's still morning?"

"Oh no," Edmund chuckles, "it's well into the afternoon, but we've only been sailing today. It's been raining as well, so we've all mostly been cooped up in our cabins."

"Oh," I say, sitting up and stretching, "thanks for...last night."

Edmund nods gently, "How are you feeling today?"

"I feel better now that we're all together again and not, you know, rotting in a dungeon," I say, starting to feel like myself again as I wake up.

"Good, I'm glad," Edmund says, focusing on his sword again.

I get up and dress myself in my blouse and pants. Edmund continues intently on scraping the sword clean of dirt and dead barnacles.

"Look like you've got yourself a project there," I tease him.

"Yeah," he laughs lightly, still focusing on the task in front of him, "this is the first thing from Narnia that's really mine. I never received a gift, and Peter gave Caspian his sword."

"Edmund, you realize you're the High King of Narnia indefinitely, right?" I say to him.

"So are you, and Lucy, and Sue, and Pete," he says, "not that that makes it less important, but it's not mine. I don't need it to be, but I've always been acting as someone's 'younger brother,' so to speak."

"Caspian respects you, Ed," I say to him seriously, "he views you as an equal. He knows your capabilities."

Edmund sighs and looks at me, his hands stop working on the sword.

"You're right, as usual," he says with an eye roll, "but still. It's not fun being second in command."

"I know it's not," I sit down next to him and rest my chin on his shoulder, "but it doesn't make you any less capable."

"Thanks," he mumbles, nudging my head with his.

I kiss his cheek and stand up. Edmund looks up at me as I walk around the bed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" He asks me.

"To talk to Lucy," I reply, "If I was as bad off as I was last night, I can't imagine how she's feeling."

Edmund nods and gives me a small smile before going back to taking chunks off the sword. I walk from our door to Lucy's and knock, the loudness of the rain on the deck above me is even louder in the narrow hallway.

"Come in!" A sweet voice calls out. I slide into Lucy's room and shut the door behind me.

"Y/n, hi," she says, sounding less cheerful, "I'm glad you're awake finally. I've been wanting to talk to you."

"Of course, Lu," I say sincerely, sitting down on the end of her bed and patting it for her to join me. She does.

"I heard you crying last night," she says softly, putting her hand on mine. 

I tense up at her comment, not liking that someone I feel the need to take care of knows I broke down.

"Y/n, I'm not little anymore," Lucy looks at me fervently, "I know you and Susan were always close, but I thought I was more than Susan's sister to you now. You don't have to protect me, Y/n. You can talk to me."

I sigh and look at the youngest Pevensie. She's right. She is fifteen now. She's not the eleven-year-old girl she was last time we were here. I'm only nineteen myself; it's not as though I'm some grown adult.

"You're right," I tell her, "You're not a little girl anymore, Lucy. You've put up with quite a lot in the last two days, not to mention the last few years. In fact, you've lived a lifetime, haven't you?"

"Well, yes," she says with a giggle. 

I laugh with her.

"I guess it's about time we start treating you like an adult then," I say with a smile, "or at least stop acting like you can't take care of yourself. So yes, I was crying last night. The whole slave trading situation, being chained up, and being tossed around that way made me very angry. And...scared."

"I was scared, too," Lucy says comfortingly. "You held yourself together very well though. I never would have guessed you were scared."

"That was the goal," I say with a snicker. "Were you ok last night?"

"I'd say so," Lucy says after pondering the question for a moment, "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," I say.

"Those men, they kept referring to you as the 'pretty one.' They...this sounds ridiculous," she shakes her head and waves her hands as if she's erasing a chalkboard.

"No, what is it?"

"They were acting like I wasn't pretty enough to be sold," Lucy says. "Not that I wanted to be sold, of course, and I know that you're prettier than me. Anyone can see that, but those men acted as though no one could want me, and I-"

"Lucy, Lucy," I say trying to calm her down. "I understand what you're saying. You're beautiful, Lucy. Those men are disgusting pigs, and they weren't looking at you as the beautiful person you are. You have a beautiful complexion and a sweet smile. Anybody can see that."

Lucy smiles slightly, and I put my arm around her shoulders and hug her.

"Do not let horrible men with selfish intentions determine your worth, Lucy," I tell her. "Aslan crowned you a queen at the age of nine. Remember that."

"Thank you, Y/n," she rests her head on my shoulder, "I guess you are the Wise one."

We both laugh.

"Wait-how did you know about Eustace's hygiene award?" Lucy asks, remembering Eustace's selling point at the slave trade, "I didn't even know about that!"

"Keep a secret?" I say with a grin. 

She nods eagerly, a grin spreading on her face.

"You know that time Eustace got in trouble for sneaking chocolates up to his room?"

"That was you?!" Lucy pushes my shoulder back laughing.

"I saw the certificates above his desk when I hid them in his bedside table," I laugh at her reaction.

"Y/n! You're so bad!" Lucy laughs harder.

"He had it coming, what with him always tormenting my two favorite people and all," I grin at her.

Lucy and I spend the next few hours talking, reading, messing with Edmund, and just enjoying each other's company. We even ran across the slippery deck and slid across it. It was a good day.