the girl from archenland | narnia

Interlude III

Edmund Pevensie sat alone in his room, holding the shard of the White Witch's wand in his palm. It was cold to the touch and after a moment he placed it on the table beside his bed.

A thousand memories filled his mind, ones he tried constantly to forget, ones that kept him awake at night, ones that woke him, screaming from nightmares.

His siblings didn't know. He tried to shield them from how much things still affected him, he pretended he was fine.

He stood up as the door to the terrace outside his room opened slowly. 

"Peter?" he called. "Is that you."

No answer.

Edmund's room wasn't particularly dark, there were lanterns and candles all around but there were shadowy areas, ones the light couldn't seem to touch.

Out of the corner of his eye, Edmund spotted movement in the darkest of the corners, he walked backward slowly, reaching for his sword.

"Who is there?" he called out.

A calm, slightly raspy voice answered back. "You don't remember me, young King?"

And the girl stepped forward.

At least she had the form of a human girl, but her skin was painted white and covered in black markings, some swirled down her arms, others across her face. Her black robes swayed in the light breeze and her hair was a solid, unmoving mass giving her an almost gargoyle appearance.

He did know her. Her face haunted his nightmares along with the others of the Witch's camp and army.

"You should be dead." Edmund grasped his sword hilt tightly. "Killed in the battle against the Witch."

The creature smiled. "I'm far too cunning to die that easily. I always survive."

"Are there others? Are you here to kill me?" Edmund's voice shook.

"No." the creature stepped forward. "There were no survivors aside from me. The ones that roam the forest are those who never set foot in that battle." she took another step forward. "And I have no desire for your blood. The Lion paid for your crimes so I have no longer any need to kill you. I'm here for that." She pointed towards the crystalline shard.

"You humans are still far to new to this world to understand it's power. I must hide it, in a place no one could ever find it again. For if it falls into the wrong hands the Witch could be reborn."

"NO!" Edmund's voice was definitely shaking now. "How do I know you're telling the truth." She hadn't tried to kill him yet but that meant nothing, the servants of darkness were cunning.

She sighed. "I wasn't always like this," she said motioning to her terrifying appearance. "I was stolen from my home as a child, raised among the Witch's camp. I had no desire to take part in the murders and maiming but I had a great desire to survive. So I chanted and killed and fought alongside the rest. I would follow whoever in Narnia seemed to have the upper hand."

She took another step towards him. "When the Witch called us to kill you I was unprepared, I had killed great warriors before, I had never killed a child. But the Witch had declared a murder and I did not wish it to be my own, so I reminded myself of the law, and of what was to be done to traitors and I came forward along with the rest."

With another step forward she could almost reach the shard of the wand. "I never thought someone would be strong enough to defeat the Witch, but when I saw there was I took my chance. I escaped the battle and found a place safe from you and your royal siblings. And now I'm here to ensure that the Witch never returns."

Another step forward.

"I was just a victim of the Witch, same as you. You thought she could give you power I thought she was the only power. I'm not here to hurt you or anyone. So just let me take the shard and go, it will solve a million problems."

Edmund didn't stop her as she closed the distance and grabbed the shard. She turned back the door. "Thank you, King Edmund." She smiled. "This won't be forgotten."

Edmund waited until he had locked the door to relax. The last traces of the Witch were gone, and that was all he wanted, right? Now things could go back to normal. Peter was going to be angry but he would get over it, pretty quickly if Nenya asked him to probably.

Nenya.

What was to be done with her? She and Peter seemed to have something going, not that it was much of a surprise that Peter liked her. He quite liked her himself, would have liked her more if it weren't for the whole necklace that was actually part of the White Witch's wand problem.

That was over now. It didn't matter where she had gotten the necklace, it was gone. It couldn't hurt them anymore.

Maybe with the last remnant of the Witch, and Edmund's past, finally gone, the nightmares would stop.

Maybe things would be okay now, maybe people would begin to trust him.

Of course, his troubles hadn't begun with the necklace, but maybe they could end with it.

Perhaps Nenya and he could get along now, that was if Peter would allow it.

And if Edmund hadn't already ruined it.

As he crawled into bed he took a deep breath, feeling more at peace then he had in a while. It was all going to be okay. Tomorrow the sun would rise again and he could try again.