When Time Stands Still

The Truth

There was nothing quite like a cold, empty, lifeless castle in the early morning. The frozen air really refreshed Jadis' spirit. The dreariness uplifted her icy soul.

Jadis picked up her cup of steaming coffee from the table and dropped in three ice cubes, watching it splash to the rim of the cup, but not over. She stirred it, the foam turning to whispy snowflake shapes on top.

She took a sip, leaning back in her chair, the sound of ice on ice squealing through the room as the chair moved.

A noise by the door alerted her to another's presence (but how she heard it over her screeching chair she didn't know). She looked across the frozen room as Edmund entered.

Tall, handsome, thirty year old Edmund. He looked at her, but he was missing his usual joyous smile. She froze, ice seeming to run in her viens; which it might have anyway.

"Jadis?" Edmund posed.

The question wasn't really meant for her. The color drained from her face, though her complexion already resembled freshly fallen snow, and she wasn't entirely certain she had any color to have drained.

Never mind that; she knew this situation. Knew it quite well. In fact, she had lived it once before, albeit a more volatile, violent version. Still, she wasn't too much concerned.

"Why am I here?" Suspicion edged his voice, and Edmund slammed a fist on the table demanding an answer. Jadis watched dismayed as her cup bounced, sloshing her drink across the tabletop. Still, he was being calmer than Caspian had been.

She looked at him dryly. "We're married."

Her hand went up beside her cheek, displaying a ring of choice ice carving artistry. Truly an exquisite beauty, she got distracted by examining it. (Almost forgetting Edmund entirely. Fortunately, she remembered the traitor.)

She returned her attention to him. Edmund looked quite faint- not shocked, simply faint.

"So tell me, how did you get free?" She was curious.

Edmund looked left and shook his head. "What you did to Caspian, you did it to me?"

He seemed so crushed and resigned. Jadis smiled flirtatiously, clasping her hands faintly. Then, deciding she disliked this placement, laid them upon her skirt in her lap.

Edmund sighed, putting a hand to his head. "I found a familiar statue put in front of the castle yesterday. Didn't know why it was, but I thought about it all night. Early this morning, it came to me. My cousin- Eustace. And suddenly I remembered my life. I realized I'd been tricked. "

Oh, poo.

Jadis shrugged. "Not tricked, more like.. influenced?"

Edmund narrowed his beautiful brown eyes. "Same difference. You've been orchestrating my life for the last five years."

Defiance suited him, but then, what didn't?

He straightened. "But no more."

Jadis scratched her chin. This was really quite fascinating. He may have the truth now, but she still had the power. Truth might set his mind free, though honestly, that probably made his situation worse. He was still stuck.

Same life- except now he knew enough to make him unhappy. His own dumb fault, really.

She looked at him expectantly, waiting to see what he would do next. Knowing full well that there wasn't much he could do.

He was at the mercy of the Queen- and she wasn't feeling a merciful queen now, or ever.

He had the truth, but she had him.