Born For This

16. Suspicions

Chapter Sixteen – Suspicions

When Edmund woke the following morning, Amon eagerly greeted him, his smile rekindled for the day ahead. They exchanged greetings before Edmund made his way towards a large water barrel standing beside a tree. There he found a clay bowl and filled it with water. Rolling up the loose sleeves of his tunic, he stooped to splash the cool liquid on his face.

Amon said nothing, but simply watched from a distance. Edmund noticed the boy awkwardly standing there and requested kindly, “Will you bring me my jerkin? It’s in that small chest.” He motioned with his head.

“Of course.” Amon dashed over to a small chest sitting beside Edmund’s sleeping roll. He unfastened the catch and flung open the weightless lid. He grabbed the blue jerkin on top and stood up to deliver it, but caught sight of a small frame protruding from the pile of clothing and odd items. He carefully picked it up, discovering it was a portrait.

 “Who is she?” Amon’s awe-filled voice reached Edmund over the sound of the water lapping in the clay bowl. Edmund turned around, water droplets sliding down his face. Amon held up the paper. Edmund knew the face. Strands of golden hair escaped her braid and a wide smile stretched to each corner of her mouth. It was a painting of a much younger Lucy.

Suddenly, all the memories Edmund had tried so hard to move past surged in his mind again. He gingerly took the frame from Amon, careful not to let any water fall on it.

Amon wasn’t sure, but he thought he was a tear slip from the corner of Edmund’s eye and slowly mingle with the other water droplets clinging to his face.

“Who is she?” Amon repeated, peering over Edmund’s arm. “She’s beautiful.”

“Yes,” Edmund agreed, though his voice sounded hollow in his own ears. “She is my sister, Queen Lucy the Valiant.”

“I had a sister,” Amon remarked quietly, his eyes clouded with sadness.

“What happened? Edmund asked softly, noticing the boy’s use of past tense. He waited, thankful for a diversion from his own grief.

Amon unconsciously shivered. “She-she was taken.”

“Taken?” Edmund frowned. “By whom?”

Amon swallowed hard. “By them.” He turned away. “I don’t want to speak about it.” Though Edmund gently pressed him, Amon refused to say anymore.

Yes, Edmund thought. There certainly is a deep secret lurking here.

~

“What’s going on?” Aravis exclaimed, happening upon Susan and Cor still waiting in the hall. Cor quickly scrambled to his feet as she drew nearer. Susan rose up as well.

“Aravis.” Cor caught her hand.

“What happened?” she demanded, noticing the trails of the tears still wet on his cheeks.

“It’s Corin,” Susan gently began to explain. “He’s been injured. There-there was as assassin in the castle.” Her voice faltered as a thought rose in her mind. What if the assassin was still in the castle? What if he was waiting to strike again?

“An assassin?” Aravis exclaimed. She glanced worriedly at Cor. “Are you alright?” The boy nodded bravely. Susan could tell that he felt more upset than he let on. Her own brothers often used such tactics around her and Lucy.

“Where’s Corin now?” questioned Aravis.

“The healers are with him,” Cor answered quietly. “They are stitching up the wound.”