INCIPIENT ➵ EDMUND PEVENSIE

44 | Kingship Is a Two-Edged Sword

44 | KINGSHIP IS A TWO-EDGED SWORD

Peter Pevensie is tired of theatrics.

    Duty-bound as king - even worse, as the High King of Old - a cemented facade of 'calm, collected, strong and stable' isn't a choice - it is a necessity.

    But God, he's already left a crack on the concrete in this Narnian adventure, witnessed by all who made it out of the Telmar castle alive:

    "You invaded Narnia. You have no more right to it than Miraz does! You, him, your father... Narnia's better off without the lot of you!"

    Ugh, he cringes at the foolishness that comes with words of impulse.

    And don't forget the drawing of swords- What the hell was he thinking?

    Well, at least we now know Narnian air works not its wonders on the teenage appetite for dogfights, and unfortunately for Peter, this unsought for hot-headedness has been harassing him long since their days back in England. 

    "You could have called it off. There was still time."

    You ought to know, our beloved High King hasn't slept well since Cair Paravel was found in ruins. Their refuge, their home, their Narnia, blighted to the ground- It felt like a forced, big gulp of low-grade cough syrup, one that keeps one awake with an overpowering bitter in spite of drowsiness. The raid on the castle only aggravated - seriously aggravated - the sleeplessness, for the only thing Peter sees when he closes his eyes is the moment he made the choice to cross the bridge-

    To abandon his people.

    "Peter, it's too late! We have to call it off while we still can!"

    "No, I can still do this! Help me!"

    The exchange of words preceding his fateful decision haunts him.

    I can. Help me.

    My refuge, my home, my Narnia, my people, my plan, my call-

    My responsibility. Mine.    

    Why was he so adamant about the raid? Caspian was right. He could - should - have called it off. There was still time, a copious amount of it, but he just had to be infuriatingly rash and stubborn and individualistic and selfish. And if he hadn't put so much brute force into pulling up the gates in all his rashness and stubbornness and individualism and selfishness, perhaps all who'd perished and became memories will now be making memories instead, perhaps Elliott would never have been led astray by Ezra, perhaps they could've found a more promising opportunity to seize the castle, perhaps-