A Multifandom Collection of Short Stories

29: What Happens...If You Die Here? Part 2

~Edmund~

After narrowly escaping the guards, with the help of his trusty griffin friend, Edmund flew over the castle to return to his army and friends. He glanced down to view the damage left behind. There in the middle of the courtyard, alone, arrow protruding from her stomach, was his sister.

"Daphne!" he screamed. His cry caught Peter's attention, as well as any remaining Telmarines in the courtyard. They point their crossbows up at the boy.

Edmund guides the griffin down to the ground, preparing to fight for his sister.

"Go wait outside the gate. If they attack, get Peter and Caspian and come back. Hurry!" Edmund shouts to the griffin as he jumps three feet to the ground. The eagle winged lion soars back into the air toward the gate, sending a gust of wind into Ed's face. The young king drew his sword and stood waiting.

The Telmarines stood staring at Edmund, waiting to see who made the first move.

"I've just come for my sister, I don't want to fight."

"Lower your weapon then!" Edmund wasn't sure where the shout came from, but sheathed his sword all the same. In response, the Telmarines lowered their crossbows. They parted the way toward Daphne. He ran forward to her, knees slamming the cobblestone.

He brushed hair back from her pale face. He eyes are closed, but she's still breathing, moaning lightly occasionally. Edmund whistled for the griffin. It flew over the gate and gently landed a few feet away. Edmund scooped up his sister. She let out a deafening scream, eyes shooting open.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just need to get you to Lucy. She's back at the How. Just hold on. Hold on Daph."

"Ed."

"Yeah, it's me. Just hold on." He hoisted the girl onto the griffin and crawled up behind her. He held his older sister close to his chest.

The flight back to the How was excruciatingly long for the boy. When he finally returned to the How, his brother and sister had already returned with their significantly diminished army.

He pushed the tired griffin to fly faster. It caused a bumpy landing, but at least they were back.

"Lucy! Lucy!" Edmund screamed the girl's name until she appeared. The boy was scared. He set Daphne down on the ground. Narnians gathered around the king and queens, pressing in all too close.

"Back up, please. Peter make them go away." Edmund was crying now, so worried about his sister. Caspian herded the Narnians into the How and left the five siblings alone.

Lucy knelt next to Edmund on the grass, pulling out her cordial.

~Lucy~

Lucy could already tell something was seriously wrong with Daphne. There was no way she could have survived an injury like this, but there was always hope.

Peter and Susan were standing, hugging. Edmund's face was buried in his hands. No one saw as Lucy slipped two fingers up to her sister's neck.

There was nothing. No bumps. No thumps.

Daphne was dead. And there was no saving her. There was no hope.

Lucy let out a strangled sob. Edmund grabbed the girl in a tight hug. Peter and Susan fell to their knees. Susan shook the girl, but Peter stopped her.

She had just lost too much blood.

"Daphne!" It was Caspian, running from the How. He skidded on the grass and dropped to the ground. "Daphne! No, no. No!" Caspian shook her, too, but there was no bringing the girl back.

~Hours later, Peter~

"What are we going to tell mum?" Edmund asked.

"I haven't the slighest clue," Peter responded. "It's not easy to tell a mother her third child died in a magical land at the fault of her oldest child."

"Don't blame yourself, Peter, please don't blame yourself," Lucy begged. "You're always so depressing when you feel guilty."

"We can take the collective blame on this, Pete," Susan said.

"It's not any of your faults. If I hadn't messed up the plan, she and about 100 other soldiers would still be here," Caspian muttered.

"No! It's the Telmarine's and Miraz's fault." Lucy slammed her fist on the stone table.

Peter's head snapped to her.

"Okay, Lu. We're sorry." Susan and Caspian nodded.

"We fight for our country first, then we'll figure out Daphne's funeral and what to tell mum," Lucy said, a fervor in her that Peter had never seen before.

"Let's go then," he said.

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The battle raged on for a long while before Aslan came with the trees and the water and saved the Narnians.

Daphne's body lay resting on the stone table. A reminder to what they have lost already. Fauns and centaurs have placed herbs on and around her body. A sprig of lavender, her favorite flower, was in her hands, crossed over stomach.

Aslan was sat at one end of the large room housing the stone table. His face was downcast and solemn. It was the same for the rest of the siblings. The four of them mourned heavily for their sister after won the battle against Miraz and his men. Miraz and Sopespian were dead and they're families were mourning them as the Narnians mourned Daphne.

Peter placed a kiss on his younger sister's cold forehead. His silent tears dropped onto her pale skin.

Susan put a handmade crown of flowers upon he sister's head. Daisies of yellow and orange and pink wildflowers woven together.

Edmund, the most impacted by his sister's death, said a wonderful speech about the life she led and about her time as queen.

Lucy stood silently behind her brothers. Something just didn't sit right with her. Something was telling her this wasn't the end for her sister. She didn't know how or when it would happen, but she knew her sister wasn't dead. Not yet.