Just Magnificent

7) GUILT AND BROKEN

CHAPTER 7: GUILT AND BROKEN

Peter had crouched onto the floor. Burying his face in his hands. How could I do that? How could I let her come back? He hands started to shake slightly as fear overtook him. He may have been king Peter the Magnificent, but he still had feelings. Jadis' words haunted his mind. 'I know your weaknesses...' he kept hearing her voice in his head. He was more worried for his family than himself. If anything happened to Susan, Edmund or Lucy, he would never forgive himself...and Jadis knew full well that they were his weakness. He jumped slightly as he heard 3 loud sets of footsteps rushing towards him. He kept his head down as he kneeled on the stone floor. Edmund quickly knelt down beside his brother, worried about him. "Peter..." Edmund said as he kneeled opposite his brother. Peter was shaking even more now but he didn't look up from the ground. "Pete..." Edmund said again. "What happened?" He asked, wondering what could've happened to make Peter so upset. "I...I'm such an idiot...it's all my fault..." Peter muttered, fighting back his tears. "What are you talking about?" Lucy asked as she sat beside peter, holding his hand in comfort. At this, Peter looked up at Edmund. "I'm so sorry Ed" he said as a tear fell down his face. He felt weak and stupid. He had been so exhausted and angry from the raid on miraz's castle, that he had let the white witch return. "Peter...why are you apologising to me?" Edmund asked. "Because she...she's back..." Peter said, not explicating saying who 'she' was. Mainly because Peter assumed everyone knew who he meant by she. Edmund suddenly dizzy for a second. He knew exactly who Peter meant and the statement that Jadis was back had hit him like a boulder. His clenched his hands into a fist angrily. But he wasn't angry at Peter. He was angry at the witch. Lucy gasped slightly and looked worriedly at Edmund, realising who Peter was talking about. Susan suddenly said. "Who do you mean by 'she'?" Susan asked. Susan had a terrible feeling that Peter had meant the White Witch, but she wasn't one to just make assumptions. After all, Jadis had been dead for over hundreds of years. "The white witch" Edmund responded and glanced at susan before focusing back on his brother. Edmund hated seeing Peter look angry with himself. He and his siblings would never pin the blame on Peter. Especially over something like this. "We defeated her once and we can do it again" Lucy said, placing her hand on Peters shoulder in comfort. "You don't blame me..." peter muttered. "Of course not" Susan responded as she sat down next to Edmund. "What actually happened? How did she come back?" Susan then questioned. "She said that she needed one drop of Adams blood to come back to life. She had a few followers with her. Nikabrick being one of them" peter explained. "I tried to fight them but they cut her hand and as she soon as her ice form touched it...she broke out of the ice...more powerful than ever". The 4 of them sat in silence for a moment before Edmund spoke up. "We're going to fix this. We're going to destroy her again Peter. I PROMISE you" Edmund said, his voice deadly serious. Peter nodded and smiled at his brother with appreciation.

"Peter...your head..." Edmund said as he noticed the blood on Peters head. "Oh yeah...I might've tried to fight her and failed..." peter said and sighed. "But I'm fine. Don't worry about it" He said. This was a lie. His head was throbbing and there was constant ringing sound that travelled through his head. Lucy reaches to her belt for her cordial but Peter stopped her. "No, Lu. I've told you. Only use your cordial for serious emergencies. And I already told you that I'm fine" peter said. "Yes but we know how stubborn you can be and you usually lie about 'being fine' " Susan said and sighed. "I'll go and get you a drink" Lucy said as she stood up. "Where do they keep the drinks here anyway. They keep the water safely outside. I don't know why" Lucy explained. "Okay Lucy. Just be careful, okay?" Peter said and smiled at his youngest sister. Lucy nodded before running out to find Peter a drink of water.

About 10 minutes later, Lucy still hadn't returned with the water for Peter. "Is Lucy still having trouble finding where they store the water?" Edmund asked as he gently tried to clean peters head with a cloth. Peter pushed away from Edmund. "Stop mothering me. I told you I'm fine" peter protested. "I suppose i better go check where she is" Susan said as she stood up and walked out to find Lucy. Edmund sighed and glanced at Peter, who was once again, avoiding looking at anyone. "It's not your fault, you know..." Edmund said. "You were forced to give her your blood. You can't blame yourself for this" he explained. "I just...I'm supposed to be strong and mighty...and I just managed to lose.." peter said. "Everyone loses at least once. But next time we can face to face with that witch...we'll win." Edmund said. Peter nodded and smiled at Edmund. "You've really grown up a lot Ed" he said. "Good job I have really..." Edmund commented with a smirk.

Susan suddenly came running back into the room, with a panicked look on her face. "Susan...what's wrong?" Edmund asked as she looked at them both. "Lucy...she...she's gone..." Susan said. "What?!" Edmund and Peter shouted at the same time, quickly standing up. "Maybe she's just somewhere else in the How" Peter suggested. Susan shook her and held her hand out to reveal Lucy's dagger. "I found it on the floor near where they store the water. Lucy never goes anywhere without her dagger." Susan said, trying not to cry. Edmund took the dagger from Susan's hand and looked down, terribly worried about his little sister. "Who could've done this" Susan asked. "I have a few ideas as to who is behind this..." Peter muttered, knowing that Edmund was having the same thoughts as him. All three of them alerted the centaurs that Queen Lucy was missing. A few of them went to the woods to go and search for her. Edmund, Peter and Susan ran outside the how to where they kept the water, searching for any clues as to what could've happened to her. Edmund heart practically missed out as he spotted something that made his worst fear come true. She knelt down to examine a rock nearby, which had a splatter of ice on it. Peter and Susan then spotted the piece of ice too. Susan began to cry and Peter just stood there in shock. "Jadis..." Edmund said, more angry than ever. "What if...Lucy...is dea..." Susan started. "Don't say it" Peter said as he felt the anger rise in him. "She won't be dead. Jadis needs to kill all four of us to truly become queen again...and I bet she's using Lucy to get to us" Edmund said as he stood up again. "Well then let's go and get our sister back" Peter said as he turned his fear into determination. Edmund and Susan nodded in agreement and immediately rushed back into the how to make a plan.