𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 | edmund pevensie

chapter sixty-three

-Fractured Hearts-

Edmund drew the sword given to him by Lord Bern, cautiously using it to retrieve Lord Restimar's submerged sword.

"Be careful, Ed," I urged, concern lacing my voice, while we watched him handle the sword.

"Your sword hasn't turned to gold," Lucy observed, noting the stark difference between the two blades.

"Both the swords are magical," Caspian remarked, his grip firm on my wrist as I assisted Edmund in retrieving the weapon.

"Here," Ed said, passing the retrieved sword to Caspian, and as we let go of each other's hands.

"He mustn't have known what hit him," Lucy remarked, her voice carrying a tinge of melancholy, as we pondered the fate of Lord Restimar.

"Maybe," Ed mused, setting his sword down on the ground before kneeling beside the enchanted water. "Or maybe he was onto something."

"What are you talking about?" Caspian inquired, puzzled by Edmund's cryptic comment. We watched as Edmund, without answering Caspian, reached for a shell lying nearby. He cautiously dipped it into the water, instantly transforming it into gold. Surprised, he let go of the golden shell, gazing at it in awe before carefully picking it up again, and examining its transformed form.

"Whoever has access to this pool..." Ed began, fixated on the gleaming golden shell. "Could be the most powerful person in the world."

His words hung in the air, prompting a shared glance between the three of us.

"Lucy, we'd be so rich," Ed turned to his sister, his tone tinged with determination. "No one could tell us what to do... Or who to live with."

Then, his gaze shifted, locking onto mine. His eyes held a different intensity.

"Love, we could finally be together, build our own family without anyone daring to underestimate us..." Ed's words reached me, but before I could respond, Caspian interjected.

"You can't take anything out of Narnia, Edmund," Caspian firmly stated while Ed's focus remained on me.

"Says who?" Ed countered sharply.

"I do," Caspian's voice remained resolute, causing Edmund to abruptly turn towards him, a dark intensity shadowing his eyes as he rose to his feet, gripping his sword tightly.

"I am not your subject," Ed uttered darkly as he closed in on Caspian.

"You've been waiting for this, haven't you? To challenge me? You doubt my leadership?" Caspian's tone turned harsh as the tension between them intensified.

"Guys..." I began, my voice heavy with uncertainty, but before I could finish, Edmund stepped in, his tone cutting through the tension.

"You doubt yourself," he retorted, positioning himself squarely in front of Caspian.

"You're just a child," Caspian replied, the words landing with an impact that instantly sparked Edmund's fury.

"And you're a spineless sap!" Ed exclaimed, his frustration palpable. Lucy stepped forward, attempting to intervene, but her brother shrugged her off, his anger escalating.

"I'm tired of playing second fiddle," Edmund seethed. "First it was Peter, and now it's you. You know I am braver than both of you."

Caspian maintained a steely gaze, allowing Edmund to continue his outpouring of frustration. "Why do you get Peter's sword? I deserve a kingdom of my own. I deserve to rule!"

"If you truly believe you're so brave, then prove it," Caspian challenged his voice firm. In a swift motion, he moved, causing Edmund to stumble backward, a gesture that only fueled the latter's mounting rage. In a burst of fury, Edmund lunged at Caspian with his sword, his actions fueled by a turbulent mix of defiance and pent-up emotions.

The air was heavy with the sound of clashing steel and the fervor of their battle cries as their swords collided, each strike echoing the intensity of their conflicting desires. The atmosphere crackled with tension, charged with the weight of unresolved aspirations and the clash of wills.

Caspian, with a calm yet commanding presence, countered Edmund's strikes, their blades a dance of conflicting ideologies. Their confrontation hung in the balance, the heat of their argument manifesting in the fierce clash of steel, each movement fraught with raw emotion and unspoken yearnings for validation and recognition.

As Lucy attempted to step between them, her noble intention to mediate apparent, I acted swiftly, pulling her away from the impending danger and placing her securely behind my back. The air crackled with tension as the two continued their vehement swordfight, seemingly oblivious to the potential harm they could inflict on Lucy, whose safety was now my paramount concern.

With a sense of urgency, I interjected, swishing my hands skillfully between the clashing blades. In an instant response to my command, a crystalline ice sword materialized, forming a protective barrier between the combatants. The sharp clash of steel against the icy manifestation resonated through the air, halting the momentum of their potentially perilous confrontation.

Breathless moments hung in the air, the intensity of the situation underscored by the frozen barrier that now separated the dueling adversaries. Lucy shielded behind me and watched with wide-eyed astonishment as the crystalline sword stood as a silent mediator, imposing a momentary ceasefire upon the clash of wills that had threatened to spiral out of control.

My heart raced with a mix of adrenaline and concern, the gravity of the situation settling upon me.

"Calm your bloody minds down!" I exclaimed, my voice ringing with urgency and frustration, directed at the two combatants who seemed to have finally grasped the gravity of the situation.

"Look at yourselves! You both nearly killed Lucy, your sister, Edmund," I admonished, fixing a piercing glare first at the brunette Pevensie and then at Caspian.

"Oh, like you didn't almost kill my siblings years ago," Edmund retorted, his words a defiant retort that caused me to snap my head toward him, my expression hardening in response to his accusation.

"Edmund," Caspian's voice cut in, a warning laced in his low tone.

"What did you just say, Pevensie?" I demanded, and instinctively stepped in front of him, a stance that conveyed both protection and a firm challenge.

Edmund's slow, ominous shake of the head was accompanied by a dark chuckle that seemed to echo through the charged atmosphere. His gaze, intense and unwavering, locked onto mine with a chilling intensity, a gaze that held layers of unspoken tension and a depth of emotion that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Just confess, Cordelia, you derive pleasure from witnessing our fight to the death, don't you?" he uttered darkly. "After all, you were the White Witch's daughter."

"Edmund!" exclaimed Lucy and Caspian, startled by the boy's sudden outburst. He seemed shaken, casting a glance at me filled with shock and guilt.

I was left speechless, incapable of grasping his words. Unbeknownst to me, a solitary tear slid down my cheek, his words piercing my heart with pain as I gazed at him in utter disbelief.

Of all the people in the world, it was him, the one who uttered those haunting words that lingered in my mind.

"Love..." Ed started, trying to come closer, but I shook my head vigorously, backing away from him in haste.

As Caspian intervened with a protective stance, I seized the chance and left the cave. Despite hearing Caspian and Lucy reprimand Edmund, I remained indifferent to their words.

-welp, that wasn't very nice of you, eddie. anyway, I'm back again... a little.