wis·dom
/ˈwizdəm/
noun
the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.
Narnia had always been a free country, until she came along. Jadis was the devil in disguise, and she brought to the kingdom an eternal...
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"May the Force be with you." - Star Wars Franchise
Narnia, 1004
" I need to sleep. "
" No! Come on! It will be fun! "
" Are you waking me up at 7 am simply to play chess? "
" Revenge for the day you woke me up at 3 am! "
Olivia groaned. Edmund was shaking her, trying to get the girl out of her bed. She would tug on the sheets, and the boy tried to get them out of her grasp.
Edmund was doing this for two reasons: The first one was when Olivia woke him late at night to see the Pixies ( It had been for a good cause, but everyone detests being woken up at 3 am ), and secondly, because he wanted some quality time with her.
The Pevensie boy condemned himself for his needy behaviour. He kept telling himself it was nothing, that Olivia was just a good friend.
Yet, whenever she entered the room, his heart would beat faster, and breath would hitch in his throat. Every time he heard her laugh, butterflies erupted in his stomach. Every moment with her was exceptional. Olivia's presence turned a rotten day into one of the best of his life.
So, yes, Edmund was a lovesick boy. He recognised it ( sort of ). But he kept telling himself it would pass; the butterflies would flee his stomach, her presence would stop being intoxicating, and it would all pass, time given.
Phillip and Peter would try and talk to Edmund about her every chance they could, about Edmund's feelings towards Olivia, about love, and all that ( Once, Peter even approached Edmund, and they had a VERY disturbing conversation about sexual responsibility. Edmund couldn't look Olivia or Peter in the eye for three days after that ).
" I hate you. " She murmured.
This time, Edmund tried grabbing her blanket to push it off her. Unfortunately, Olivia grabbed the sheets before he could start to pull them. Edmund clumsy fell on her bed, once again, and groaned as he felt his face hitting the mattress.
He lay on the comfortable bed, moving his head to see a chuckling Olivia on his side. " You have been bested! " She told him in between laughs.
" Who says this wasn't my plan all along? " He replied with a confident smirk, propping on his elbow.
Olivia grinned, moving to face him. " Don't get your panties in a twist, Pevensie. "
Edmund heartedly laughed at the comment that came out of her mouth. As he looked at Olivia on his side, lying on the bed next to him, a thought came to his mind: I want to wake up every morning like this. To wake up, hear her say good morning and kiss her forehead.
The boy shook his head and propped out of the bed. He cleared his throat and adjusted his shirt, trying to make himself somehow forget that he was on Olivia's bed.
" I'll be at the breakfast table. " Edmund told her and practically dashed out of the door.
Olivia groaned, turning her body, stuffing her face in the pillow and screaming. Every time she and Edmund got even remotely close, he would always try and get out of the situation in some way. Did Edmund hate her? Did he not like her company? But he was just laughing at her comment! Maybe it was pity?
Well, why keep forcing yourself to be close to him when he always tries to flee when that happens? Keep your distance, then.
━ ◦ ❖ ◦━
In the afternoon, the thunder hit Narnia with strength. The sky was shut, and not a single ray of sunshine was visible, only the grey clouds and droplets falling.
Night fell, and the centaurs could not stargaze that night due to the heavy climate. As the monarchs sat down for dinner on the five-seat table, they could see the lightning strikes passing by the window.
Thunder clamoured, and Mr Tumnus whimpered in the corner of the room. Lucy left the dining hall with the faun, taking him somewhere in the palace with a hot cup of tea and a fireplace.
Dinner had been quiet, with the exception of the occasional thunder. The High King was more nervous than usual, his brows were furrowed, and he kept looking at his plate. When Peter finished his dinner, he called Olivia and Edmund, saying he needed their help in a matter. Susan asked what matter it was, and he replied vaguely;
Dutifully, Olivia and Peter followed to the war room. The girl would always forget how beautiful it was, how all the bookshelves aligned perfectly, and the great map of the Kingdoms was beautifully engraved on the wall.
Peter grabbed a big-sized map of Zartar, the Kingdom of the East. Zartar was a big country, about the size of Archenland, ruled by King Barron. King Barron had no wife and one daughter: Princess Gally. Nobody knew who her mother was, but there was an old tale about a lover of the King who died at the birth of Gally.
Zartar and Narnia had a unique relationship. Their diplomats had come to the coronation of the Kings and Queens, and they had never heard from them again in already four years of ruling. Quite peculiar, but Susan had confirmed through her studies of the Kingdoms that Zartar was not a potential ally and would not be a strong one either.
Peter ordered the guards to find Oreius and the remaining people to leave the room. They all obeyed the orders of the High King, and as soon as they stepped out the door, Peter revealed a letter and placed the crown on wooden furniture. He threw the paper on the table, running his hand through his messy blonde hair.
" What is this? "
" War, Olivia. That is war. " He replied.
The girl gulped, opening the letter with caution.
She expected something formal, as in a decree of war or a letter from a King saying that Narnia had somehow broken some kind of treaty and they needed to enter in battle. But, instead, she got a psychopathic letter.
We are coming. Your troops have no chance, futile child-Kings. Do you think you have a chance? Do not bother. We will win. You will be slaughtered. ALL OF YOU! YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR ACTS!
But I am merciful. In three days, we will be there. When we are there: hand me the one who wielded the blade that killed Jadis. OR DIE. PRAY FOR YOUR GODS, YOU BASTARDS.
Olivia widened her eyes. Silently, she handed the letter to Edmund. As his eyes scanned the text, he tried to remain neutral, but the tilt of his eyebrow and the light curve of his lips gave away his frustration.
" Three days. " He murmured.
" Three days to war. " Olivia whispered.
A single tear escaped her eye. " Risk or sacrifice. " She whispered. The pain in her voice was audible, palpable. The last thing Olivia saw was the tip of Jadis' blade on her stomach and the feeling of her veins running cold.
Her knees gave in, and she fell to the ground with a thump. Flashes of the deaths and the bloodshed appeared in her mind like a wound starting to bleed, one she did not even know she had. Edmund hurried to her side in concern, holding her as if she was fragile.
" When did you receive this? " Olivia called. " WHEN? "
" This morning! " Peter yelled back. " I didn't know what to do. "
Olivia stood up from the ground. " I am the general! When we get a war threat, you come to me! "
The High King remained quiet; Edmund looked at the book on the table. " Zartar. " He deducted, based on all the material they had on the Kingdom. " Who threatened us, the King or the Princess? "
" Gally. The Princess. " Peter responded, making Edmund huff. He caressed Olivia with his thumb, the girl breaking down on the floor.
