INCIPIENT ➵ EDMUND PEVENSIE

02 | Kings With No Crowns

02 | KINGS WITH NO CROWNS

The dimly lit surroundings greet his eyes that sting from the scorching sunlight of the outside. He feels his head cool down from the solar heat, but before long, a waft of warmth surrounds him in the overcrowded station.

    He is perspiring even though it is the second half of the year, and he sighs in discomfort as little drops of sweat collect along the hem of his ridiculously scratchy scarf.

    Beside him, Peter takes his strides with an air of nobility. Of course, even in England, Peter is nothing short of being High King Peter the Magnificent, but it is a countenance that has only brought much trouble to him in the days they've been spending back in this world.

    Edmund slows his pace, his mind has straying to Narnia again. The thing is, he doesn't quite fancy the thought of Narnia, the thought of being a king, a just king.

    He looks back to find that the two girls aren't following them - here he guesses that Susan must've made a stop at the newspaper stand to satisfy her curiosity - which explains the sporadic absence of their squabbling. Albeit annoying, it is something he always cherishes while he can.

    He recommences his walk through the railway station, cringing at the foul odour of sweat, perfume and metal as he attempts to catch up with his brother. Peter's already made halfway down the flight of stairs to the platform, still fuming at Edmund, perhaps. You see, our dear Just King has disregarded all of the High King's fuss over packing early for boarding school, and when he pulled out his empty suitcase from under his bed only this morning to begin throwing things in, you can expect that his big brother wasn't pleased at all.

    If not for a collective effort to help Edmund gather his essentials, they'd have missed their only ride to the train station altogether-

    "Hey!" a shout echoes through the station unanticipatedly, the voice thick with accent with a tinge of strong attitude, "Why, you little-"

    From the top step, Edmund sees his brother getting himself tugged on by his blazer by an older boy, bag slumping to the ground with the abrupt motion.

    "Think you'd be able to get away without an apology, prick?"

    "Look, it was but a little bump," reasons Peter, guarding his magnificence well, "We both weren't quite watching-"

    "Well I was watching where I was going, all right," spits the boy, putting up an immature front of forced exasperation, "But it seems like someone has his chin lifted too high-" here he messes with Peter's hair unkindly, "-and grew his ego too fat to just dip his head a little and say he's sorry, don't you think?"

    The gang of Hendon House students behind him laugh in agreement, and by now a crowd of boarding school students has begun to pile up round the scene. Within seconds, the stairwell leading to the subway entrance is clogged by curious teens, some who simply daren't not trespass into the brewing animosity, and others, awaiting a show.