labour

wine

warning: this story contains details of domestic vïolence and emotional trauma, please look after yourself and do not read if any of this may affect you <3

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edmund's pov

The meeting was entirely pointless, nothing of importance being shared. It was no more than a simple introduction to the idea of an alliance, one that I hoped would be solidified soon so I could be free from 'Alexander the twat's' presence.

The entire hour was filled by mindless banter and more pleasantries. I'm convinced Peter's constant use of extraordinary language was nothing more than a mere boast of intelligence that consumed over 3/4 of the discussion.

Dinner was also rather uneventful, although I did note the rejection of alcohol from Caroline but not Alexander. His eyes seemed trained on her the whole evening, as if she were a misbehaving child that needed to be supervised.

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning when I had arose for a quick stroll after another spell of insomnia, that something odd occurred.

The castle was abandoned. Not literally, although an intruder may believe so with the level of silence that encapsulated the building.

There was something quite therapeutic about Cair Paravel at night. The artwork that blanketed the walls held more of an ancient and almost eery feel, one that made them that much more beautiful to me. And it seemed as though I wasn't the only one up to appreciate them.

From the dining room, I could hear a subtle clinking. As far as my knowledge went, everyone was long asleep and should've stayed that way for many more hours, nobody was ever awake during my sleepless nights.

One may fear an intruder or maybe even a Narnian stealing from their own royalty, resulting in running away or finding help. But my curiosity pulled me closer to the noise like a magnet, hypnotising me without a reasonable thought in sight.

What I was not expecting to see was Caroline, rummaging through our wine supply in a frenzy, before finally deciding on a bottle and chugging it's contents. I opted to remain unseen however my mind fell upon my comment from the day prior. Why on earth would a woman hoping to fall pregnant, drink so excessively?

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