Queen Rose the Intelligent: The story of the fifth Pevensie.

Holding on

It had been a year. A year of sadness. A year of pain. A year since her father had gone off to fight. A year since her brother had started to push her away.

Edmund, Rose thought with a sigh. Even the thought of her brother these days made her want to burst into tears. Ever since her father had gone off to fight, and especially since Edmund had started at his boarding school instead of a day school, he'd changed into a completely different person. He was no longer the kind, sweet, loyal, mischievous twin brother he had once been. Instead he was selfish, mean and cruel.

But Rose would never say her thoughts out loud, because as much as her brother's words stung, she could hear the pain behind the venom. She knew that her brother was hurting, and she hated herself for not being able to do anything to help him, because as soon as she tried, he lashed out. She never forgot some of the scathing words that had been said to her over the past year. By the person that she loved more than anything else in the world.

Still, at least she had Peter and Susan. Oh, and Lucy, of course. Whenever Edmund was cruel to her, one of them was by her side in an instant. But their kind actions and soothing words did little to improve the pain she felt that her twin brother, her other half, hated her.

It didn't help that they shared a room. Peter, as the eldest of the five, got a room to himself. Susan and Lucy shared, and she and Edmund shared. It was a fine arrangement until a year ago.

Yes, that year had brought nothing but pain for the ten year old girl.

And that night, as she lay in bed, Rose silently cried herself to sleep. Because she longed for the past. She longed for the twin who loved her, protected her, was by her side through everything.

She longed for Edmund.