soldier, poet, king || e. pevensie | slow updates

the king • 33

there will come a ruler, whose brow is laid in thorn, smeared with oil like david's boy, oh lei-oh lai-oh lord.

"Right there is good," Edmund pointed to a spot on the wall. He was standing in one of the many empty rooms of Cair Paravel, trying to figure out where to put the latest gift he'd gotten from a suitor. This one was a portrait of a duchess from some faraway place. The room was filled with paintings of various girls and now-empty flower vases. Without context, one might become incredibly suspicious of Edmund, which was why the door remained locked at all times. The only key was held on Coralia's hip, along with the other necessary ones.

Coralia nearly dropped the painting. "Why do you even keep these things? My arms are killing me putting this up."

Edmund shrugged. "I don't know what else to do with them."

"Maybe could you help me put them up? They are your paintings."

"Oh, but you're so much stronger than I am, Cor. I couldn't even hope to lift that weight."

Coralia rolled her eyes. She knew how strong he was, they'd trained together for over a year. Plus, it was visibly obvious. She would know, she was a frequent admirer. She ignored his statement and continued on mounting the frame. He watched her the whole time. Her face scrunching up, her arm muscles flexing through her shirt sleeves, her perfect lips blowing hair away from her face. Even with his eyes constantly on her, he still didn't catch the jealousy in her eyes. She wished that the paintings could be of her, that she could outwardly show her love for her King, just the same as she did in her own mind.

Edmund had never truly noticed how strong his bodyguard was. He'd been joking, but it was clear that she could handle most of the weight of the painting. Once she'd hung the last painting and arranged the last vase, she unloaded the last box. "Fuck, we should've done this one first!"

Edmund hurried over to her side. In the box was the smallest fox he'd ever seen. He fought to keep his eyes from watering at the memory of an old friend. The fox was clearly too young to be speaking yet, but he immediately scooped it up into his arms.

"Oh, isn't he fantastic, Your Majesty?" Coralia's eyes sparkled with delight. He looked deep into them, unable to break his gaze. He leaned towards her, both of them getting closer still.

The fox jumped up and started biting at Edmund's nose. Coralia laughed as he tried to pull the fox from his face, but he had latched on.

"Are foxes supposed to be domesticated?" Coralia frowned slightly.

"Apparently so, in..." Edmund leaned down to peek at who'd sent him the fox. "Wherever Lady Brienna resides. But certainly not here in Narnia."

Coralia still seemed skeptical, but the look quickly disappeared when the fox nearly jumped out of Edmund's arms to her. She took him quickly out of Edmund's hold and kissed the small fox on the head.

"He can be yours, Cor." Edmund placed a gentle hand on the side of her face.

"He'll be his own, and we will raise him together."

•

Edmund laid in his bed, petting the fox — they'd started to call him Mister Fox, and Edmund couldn't look the fox in the eyes without thinking of his first friend in Narnia. The small fox's eyes seemed to hold wisdom that he couldn't yet communicate.

Coralia had a few hours off, because training had been canceled due to poor weather and Edmund dismissed her until after dinner. He wanted to give her as much rest as she needed, even though he wanted to spend every waking moment with her. He couldn't bear to be apart from her. Her quips, her laughs, the sparkle in her eyes when he said something she found funny but didn't want to show it. The way he could so easily make her blush, the way she tried to make him blush.

King Edmund skipped dinner. He had far too much to think about. Lucy had clearly left early, as she showed up at his room about ten minutes after they'd even started dinner.

"What is it now, Ed?" She sighed, but her poorly hidden smile showed how very curious she actually was.

"I told her, Lu. She knows. And nothing is different."

"Yes, I've heard."

Edmund sat up straight in bed. Someone had seen them. "From who? Oh, this isn't good. Who saw us, Lucy?"

"My maid was carrying my bedding from the basement to the servants' staircase. She says she was the only one around. We're very close, so she felt obligated and comfortable enough to enlighten me."

"So you were gossiping." Edmund frowned.

"Well, sort of, yes." Lucy avoided his gaze. "But what you said to her, oh, Ed this is so wonderful. You can court! You can be true about it."

Edmund stood from the bed, causing Mister Fox to jump down and lay down in his usual spot by the fireplace. "No, Lucy, we can't just court. She's a knight, she's not a noblewoman. You know how everyone will get about it. Every King, Lord, and Earl is sure that I am going to marry their daughter and if I choose my very own bodyguard over one of them? Why must I even be looking now, isn't that what Susan and Peter are doing?"

Lucy joined him, watching as the heavy rain rolled down the windows and the lightning lit up the nearly dark sky. "Peter's given up and Susan is almost engaged to that Prince from Archenland. I personally hate him, but she's resigned herself to him because Archenland has the most money and everyone else is about seventy years old."

Edmund slammed his hands against his windowsill, walking away back to his bed. "If Peter's given up, then I will, too."

"You know you can't, Ed. At least one of our kings must marry, you know that. Once Susan and I are married and moved away to rule who-knows-where, you boys will need to find queens to replace us."

"Don't talk of your leaving, Lu, please. Let me enjoy the time I have left with you. I will humor the Noblemen and meet their daughters, maybe even court one. But you will be the only one who knows that I will never marry any one of them. My heart has been taken, and Coralia is the one with the key."

"That analogy makes no sense. I guess there's a reason you're a king and not a poet. It doesn't suit you."

A knock sounded on Edmund's door.

"Your keyholder is here, try to keep it appropriate."

He shoved Lucy away and towards the door. "Get out."

She shrugged and opened the door. Sure enough, Coralia was outside it. She stepped aside for Lucy to leave and waited for Edmund to let her in.

"May I speak with you, Your Majesty?"

•

love the lucy and edmund interactions

oh ho hoooo the ideas i have for this book >:)