The Path of the Brave [Edmund Pevensie]

Chapter XVIII: A Fun Getting-to-know-your-new-kingdom-Trip

"I am older... and I don't think I understand."

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It was supposed to be a fun getting-to-know-your-new-kingdom-trip. 

Alex and Caspian were supposed to smile and wave for the Telmarines, give them hope of a new and bright future in the new kingdom of Narnia. Maybe say a few inspiring words to the crowd, which she hadn't prepared.

But Aslan took their stop in front of a big ancient, twisted tree as an opportunity to speak. "Narnia belongs to Narnians as much as it belongs to men." He said. "Any Telmarines who wish to stay and live in peace are welcome to. But to those who don't, I will return you to the home of your forefathers."

Alex turned her face at the Lion. Return them? How?

She was not the only one perplexed by the offer. "It's been generations since we left Telmar. How will we go back?" One of the men in the front row asked.

"I'm not referring to Telmar." A wave of murmurs and gasps made its way across the audience. The Lion understood it was best to explain. "Your ancestors were seafaring brigands. Pirates run aground on an island." Alex was starting to believe she seriously needed an accurate history lesson. "There they found a cave, a rare chasm that brought them here from their world." He turned to the Pevensies. "The same world as our Kings and Queens." 

The land across the cupboard-- sorry, wardrobe, Alex thought.

"It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start." Aslan looked at the people standing in front of him, especially at one tall man with a bandage on his forehead and a serious expression that seemed to never come off. The Lion nodded at him, knowing his exact thoughts and doubts.

The man finally spoke up. "I will go. I will accept the offer." Glozelle made his way towards the tree.

Halfway through, a woman raised her hand. Miraz's wife. "So will we." She started to walk forward, lowering her hand and using it to better hold the baby she carried.

The little boy that almost got Caspian killed. The reason all of this started in the first place.

Alex looked at the little kid as the two volunteers approached the tree. He wasn't as scary as she once thought him to be, he was actually really cute. The curly-haired girl smiled at him, making the boy chuckle.

"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world shall be good." She could almost hear the woman sigh with relief. Being a single mother was not easy in any universe, so those words were exactly what she needed to hear. "Good luck." Aslan said and turned his fury head towards the twisted tree.

The log separated into two single trees, leaving a big gap between them. It looked like an arch made of wood, but it felt like more than that. It smelled like a new future; you could hear the possibilities as the leaves moved with the wind.