INCIPIENT ➵ EDMUND PEVENSIE

20 | Dilemma of a Life Versus a Kingdom

20 | DILEMMA OF A LIFE
VERSUS A KINGDOM

Edmund wakes with a shout in his ear and a swat at his cheek.

    "I know you're conscious, Ed!" hollers an exasperated Peter, "Would you please make the effort to open your eyes? Then perhaps you wouldn't drift to sleep repeatedly and there wouldn't be a need for me to slap you out of dreamland again!"

    "I'll be up in a bit, Pete," he slurs, voice rough from his slumber, "Quit screaming and I will be-"

    His words falter and body falls dormant.

    "You have no excuse to be asleep when everyone else isn't," he raps, "This is not your bedroom back in England, Edmund. This is Narnia, and in Narnia we have crucial duties to fulfill. Now, quit being an embarrassment and get up!"

    "Is the sun even up yet?" asks Edmund, bringing his knuckles to his face and rubbing his bleary eyes.

    Peter wrenches his drowsy brother to his feet, "It's about five thirty in the morning, what do you expect?"

    "Five thirty? I hardly had any slee-" he grumbles.

    "All of us turned in at the same time!"

    Steadying his footing and kneading his heavy head, Edmund replies in a nonchalant manner, "I do not happen to be classified under 'all of us'."

    Peter appears to ready himself for a round of lecture, but Edmund cuts him off fore he begins and seizes his opportunity to speak, "I was working with Elliott, all right?"

    "You sacrificed your sleep to work with her?" gapes Peter, surprised but nonetheless elated.

    "I just hope she'll be on par with the others so that - you know - you can make use of her to your advantage," he replies, a hint of venom woven neatly into his words.

    "Our advantage," corrects Peter, taking a step toward him, hands in fists.

    "She will be killed in the raid, Peter," he spits.

    "We've been through this last night, Ed!" says Peter, "If you keep up with coaching her, she'll be superb by day five!"

    "You fail to see that your brother isn't a miracle-working wizard."

    "And you tend to forget who's really the High King here," he counters in spite, "I can't believe we're falling out over a girl. She isn't even one of our sisters."

    Edmund adjusts the hem of his tunic, and points a finger at his brother, "This isn't you, Pete. How can Elliott be sent onto the field of battle when you want Lucy to stay out of this? Where has the king with a heart of gold gone?"

    "Actually, he never left. And he's just trying to give Narnia her best shot, to make up for the sin of our abandonment, yet there are some who are blind to his intentions," he ditches Edmund's presence after piercing him with a glare, shaking his head whilist striding towards the exit, "And if the Just King would wish to do the same for his people, then he'd better be gathering the men by six."