I'm in Love With The King

Part Ten

                                                                                            The Funeral

Edmund's stiff cold body lays on a wooden table in the middle of a grand ship, decorated with a great red silk sail, a golden lion gracing the middle. The flags of Narnia flutter in the cool breeze. A great lion poises at the bow of the wooden ship as it sits at the docks, silhouetted by a grand and colourful sunset. Peter, adorned in black like everyone else, sends the ship off, four griffins pull it out to the Eastern Ocean and turn around, leaving the ship to wander outward. My head leans heavily into Peter and his arms rest on my body. A centaur speaks but I do not hear and Susan and other archers light their arrows a-flame and release them. They sail through the air and land upon the ship. The vessel slowly crawls into flames and burns down to the cold water.

As I watch the flames devour it the rest leave until it is only Peter and I.

"Why did he have to go?" I ask numbly.

"Aslan wanted him," Peter whispers, his hands slide up to my shoulders.

"But I still wanted him here, you still wanted him. Everyone wanted him. Why...?" I stop as a mast crumbles in ashes.

"I don't know," he shudders.

"Can we go home now?" I ask as my tears start to fall again.

"Yes, we should go home, it's late and we've had a very long day," he whispers solemnly.

I nod and look back at the ship, the sky is dark and the stars seem to mourn the loss of Edmund too, reaching down their light to give a farewell kiss to him. The ship flames and flickers against the dark ocean and sky. Peter lifts me onto my horse and we slowly walk to Cair Paravel, glancing back to Edmund every now and then. Peter carries me back into the castle and into our room and I lay in restlessness all night. I didn't sleep at all during that terrible, cold night.

The sunlight finally seeps into our room, bathing the floor in warm, soft light. Peter's sky blue eyes wander across the ceiling and land upon my eyes. We sit and share our gazes for a while and my eyes finally blur over with the expected tears.

"I miss him already," I cry, leaning into Peter.

His arms squeeze my limp body. I feel no pain that I expected to feel from his arms. I feel nothing. My hands rest on his chest as my tears fall between us, landing on the white satin sheets. I stutter a breath and pull away from him slightly, only to look into his comforting eyes again.

"I miss him too," Peter sighs, soft tears trail down his cheeks.

"What about the war? Will it still happen?" I ask.

Peter nods solemnly. "The Calormenes are wishing to avenge their king."

I close my eyes and sit up. I feel Peter sit up behind me and I lean back into his strong body. His arms engulf me again and we share our tears.

Sorry it's so short!!!