𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 || Edmund Pevensie

XVII

"And make death proud to take us."
- Cleopatra

Narnia, 2318

As they left the library, Coriakin brought them to another room.

"Before you leave," He spoke. "I wish to leave you with a parting gift." Said the star to Olivia, ignoring the confused looks of Edmund and Caspian.

This room wasn't as glorious or magical as the library or the one with the piano; it was simple without the effect of magic. Inside was a single wardrobe, and when he opened it, bats flew away and right into their faces. Lucy ducked down with Eustace, Drinian threw himself on top of Caspian while Olivia closed her eyes, and Edmund tugged on her leg.

All of the clothing was chewed and ruined, except for one, but that dress was so ugly it would've likely looked better if the bats had actually chewed it. It was the colour of sewage water, sewed with red and black chequered cloths. The sleeves were simple and thin, ones that barely could cover a person's shoulder.

Coriakin grabbed the dress by the hanger, a delighted smile on his face. "There. "He said, handing her the dress. "My gift to you, my Queen, along with the books I have already given you."

Olivia didn't know what to say. It was a horrible gift, likely with bat poop inside the texture. But she forced a smile to etch her features like she had really loved the dress. "Thank you, friend. You are much too kind."

The magician laughed. He pointed to a cubicle with a curtain in the corner, giving her space to go there. "Once you put it on, you'll see its true magic."

Sneaking a glance at Edmund, Olivia headed for the cubicle, closing the curtain behind her. With difficulty, the girl put on the piece of clothing and noticed no difference in the outfit: it was still the ugly dress with holes. But when she stepped out, Edmund had his jaw on the ground while Lucy had her eyes wide. Surprisingly, Eustace looked to his sides to disguise a blush while Caspian looked at his feet shily. Coriakin and Drinian were the only ones who were indifferent.

A mirror conjured by her right, and Olivia dared sneak a peek. She was no longer wearing that rag, but it had been replaced by a heart-shaped long dress, a salmon pink sliding up her skirt fading into white when it reached the waist. A blush crept up her cheeks, and the dress turned into a light shade of red, making her widen her eyes.

"A dress that reflects your emotions and thoughts," Coriakin said. "It never gets dirty or ragged. You just think about a dress, and it turns exactly the way you think it. It may also show your feelings; for example, it may turn black when you are grieving."

She was at a loss for words. Olivia didn't know how to react– the girl offered him a curtsy, a gentle gesture of thank you. "I'm grateful for the gift, Coriakin." She said.

Coriakin handed a few of the crewmen the books he had given to the Kings and Queens, along with the permission to search the island for fruits and water. They boarded the boat, and away they went, waving goodbye to the dufflepuds and the magician.

━ ◦ ❖ ◦━

Dear Diary,

September 14

For reasons beyond my comprehension, we've taken the advice of a senile old coot who doesn't possess a razor and dawdles around in a dressing gown. So we're back in this tub and lost in a tempest. Brilliant. Fourteen days of being tossed around like a pancake and not the slightest sign of land. The only consolation is everyone is finally as miserable as I am. Except for that show-off talking rat. He's one of those annoying glass-is-always-half-full types.

A fierce storm raged in the Narnian sky. After long days of sailing and struggling against the forces of the sea, Edmund, Caspian and Olivia called Drinian in for a meeting in the map room (which was now clean since Olivia had forced the Telmarine to organise it).

"So, we're stuck here." Drinian pointed to a small token of a ship in the map open on the table. "At half rations, with food and water for two more weeks, maximum." Olivia tugged on one of the straps on the ceiling so she wouldn't fall to the ground like a pancake.

"This is your last chance to turn back, your Majesties. There's no guarantee we'll spot the blue star anytime soon. Not in this storm. Needle in a haystack, trying to find this Ramandu place. We could sail right past it and off the edge of the world."

"Or get eaten by a sea serpent." Edmund retorted. Caspian glared at the boy while Olivia facepalmed. Her dress turned into a moss green of distress, signalling her emotions.

It was clear what Drinian was insinuating: turn back, or we die by starvation. Except it wasn't the ultimatum that the Captain was proposing because she knew Caspian would never give up on this. If you want to know if a King or a Queen is a good monarch, you only need to check if they are stubborn.

Drinian held back the scowl that was etching onto his face. "I'm just saying, the men are getting nervous. These are strange seas we're sailing, the likes of which I've never seen before."

Caspian stood from the couch he was sitting on, coming face-to-face with the Captain. "Then perhaps, Captain, you would like to be the one to explain to Mr Rhince that we're abandoning the search for his family."

"Or tell Gael she won't see her mother ever again," Olivia added, raising one eyebrow. Her dress grew a little shorter and changed to a golden of victory.

He signed and looked at the walls of the room. "I'll get back to it," Drinian said, grabbing his coat. "Just a word of warning: the sea can play nasty tricks on a crew's mind. Very nasty."

With that, he left the room, a gulping Caspian being left behind. Leaning against Edmund's gentle arms, Olivia let him embrace her. She could feel her new dress changing colour to a cyan of relief with a shade of white. Apparently, the dress liked it when Olivia was near her husband.

"I'm doing the right thing... aren't I?" Spoke out loud the Telmarine King. When his head turned to the other two, Olivia could see the tears pooling in his eyes.

She understood what the pressure of being a monarch was like; a ticking time bomb, with everyone watching your every movement and breath, awaiting your failure to come. And when it would, there would be no one by your side.

"You are," Olivia answered, moving to his side, Edmund as well. "Drinian is just a captain, and he worries about his crew; that's his job. But you're worried about something far more significant: your Kingdom and all of the people who reside there."

Caspian smiled. "Spoken like a true High Queen."

And with that being said, they each headed for their chambers, readying for the nightmares.

Hey guys. Look, I know this is probably the second time I do this, but I'm going to stop posting for a while. Life is really coming tough right now, and no matter how much I love the wisdom universe, my studies are my priority. I really hope you all can understand.

But I'm going to leave something here:

what kind of fics are y'all looking for on wattpad?

Are there any quotes you guys would like to see in the story? Or gifs?

Any suggestions on anything regarding the fic? Or feedback, negative or positive.

I really want to hear from you guys, it helps a lot to know how the story is coming through.

Cheers, Brie.