Born For Better (A Peter Pevensie/ Narnia Fanfic)

Chapter 33- Albert A. Scrubb and His Snobbish Cousin

Edmund's POV

"Are you sure you're 18?" The soldier sitting in front of me said, looking me up and down. I straightened my shoulders slightly. I spent enough time in line to prepare me for this conversation.

"Why? Do I look older?" I responded quickly, ready for the understandable question. I felt older than 18, that was definite, and I cursed the fact that I had been thrown back into the body of a young boy, rather than the king I knew I was. The man looked me over again before holding out his hand. I passed him my registration. He opened it, reading over it before pausing at the spot I knew he would. He glanced back up at me.

"Alberta Scrubb?" He asked.

"That's a typographical error." I said. "It's supposed to be Albert A. Scrubb." I was quite fond of the lie I had weaved. No one would question it if I threw in some embarrassment on my part. Even now, I could see some belief come into the soldier's eyes and he opened his mouth to say something before someone else spoke over the noise of the Enlistment Area.

:Edmund," I turned to see Lucy standing in the doorway, weighed down with bags. She gave me a pointed look that I know only Susan could have taught her. "You're supposed to be helping me with the groceries." The men behind me in line laughed as the soldier closed my registration card and passed it back to me without a word. What little dignity I had left soon diminished as the man behind me grabbed my head and shook it.

"Better luck next time, eh squirt?" He said, earning laughter from the other men behind him. I straightened my hat, holding back from throwing a punch like I know Peter would have done and followed my little sister out of the building.

"Squirt? He barely had two years on me." I snapped as soon as we got outside. I grabbed some of the bags from Lucy, walking with her to her bike. "I'm a king! I've fought wars...I've led armies..."

"Not in this world." Lucy reminded me calmly. I huffed.

"Yeah, instead I'm stuck here doing battle with Eustace Clarence Scrubb." I spat out our cousin's name like it was a bad taste. "If anyone so deserved a name." I looked up, expecting Lucy to laugh, only to see her staring wistfully behind me, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"What are you doing?" I asked and her gaze snapped back to me.

"Nothing." She said quickly. I furrowed my brow and she turned quickly, grabbing the handlebars of the bike. "Come on, then!" I glanced behind me, not finding anything but a soldier flirting with a woman, before following my sister down the street.

We walked down the road in silence before turning into the yard of our Aunt and Uncle's house. Lucy grabbed a crate from the bike, walking inside while I grabbed the rest of the things.

"Hello! I'm home!" Lucy called through the house as I entered behind her. She headed for the kitchen, passing by our uncle who, as always, sat in his chair in the study, his large nose buried in the paper. "Hello, Uncle Harold. I tried to find some carrots, but all they had were turnips again. "Shall I start making soup? Aunt Alberta's on her way home." His only response was flipping his paper and coughing. "Uncle Harold." Lucy put some edge to her voice, something she had done a lot as Queen of Narnia. When our uncle still didn't respond, I glared in his direction, sticking my tongue out.

"Father!" I whirled around at my cursed cousin's voice, finding him standing on the stairs. "Edmund's making faces at you!" I opened my mouth to spit back an insult when Eustace brought a straw to his lips, shooting a spit ball straight into my neck.

"Why you little..." I ran after him, skipping the steps two at a time.

"Father, he's gonna hit me!" Eustace yelled, running up the steps. Just before I reached him, Lucy called from the kitchen excitedly.