The New Warrior (Book 1)

Part 28 Confussion

We all stood complete still, taking in what had just occurred.

"I'll talk to him." I mumbled, rushing after Edmund. I ran down the hall way, skidding to stop as I saw him, sitting in the corner of one of the other dirt rooms. "Hey." I smiled, breathlessly, sitting down beside him and pulling my knees into my chest. I rested my chin on my knees and tugged at the bottom of my dress. "Are you alright?"

He shrugged and continued staring at the ground.

"I know your probably still mad at me and I know nows not the time to talk about it, but I think I know a way to make you feel better."

He glanced at me quickly. " How's that." He sounded snarky.

"We could do what we use to when I first met you. Remember, you tell me a secret, I tell you a secret."

He shrugged his shoulder. "You know all my secrets."

I smirked, "I didn't know you were head over heels for me. That counts as a secret."

His cheeks got red. "That wasn't a secret. You were just too blind to see it." I smiled.

"Sorry."

There was a brief moment of silence. "Our first time in Narnia, I met the white witch and abandoned my siblings to go to her. She promised me I could be Prince if I brought them to her. I didn't know about the prophecy and I tried. They were with the Beavers when I got fed up with waiting and went alone." He took a breath. "When I got there she was mad because I failed and she locked me in her dungeon. She kept me chained up for a few days before I finally got away. I ended up at Aslans camp and so did she. Aslan made a deal with her that he would take my place. That's why the stone table is so important, she sacrificed him on it. It was suppose to have been me."

I was stunned. "I never knew that."

He laughed, "That's because I didn't want you to know that your best friend holds the title of traitor of Narnia."

"Formally known as." I replied. "Now you're a king."

He looked at his feet again. "And a terrible one at that. I can't even protect my people. During the raid, I dropped my flashlight when I was trying to get it to come back on. That's why the soldiers were delayed. If I would've been more careful, they would've seen my signal and they would've gotten in in time and everything would've gone according to plan."

I shook my head. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, but that's no excuse to blame yourself for everything. You know as well as I do that that wasn't your fault. "

"I appreciate you saying that, but it doesn't make me feel better."

I rolled my eyes. "Well it's good thing i wasn't trying to make you feel better."

He laughed. "You never told me your secret."

The smile dropped off my face instantly. "Um- I- I've been having dreams."

He scoffed. "Congratulations."

"No. I mean like, weird dreams. The last one I had was in class a few days before Christmas break. There was a-a man telling me not to miss. We were in some building, I think, looking across this weird street or-or maybe it was... im not sure. Anyway, we were looking at these men and the voice kept telling me that if I missed we would all die." I knew by that point I had obtained his full attention.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

It was my turn to shrug. "I hadn't had any in a while and I thought maybe they had stopped."

"What were the others like?"

I pursed my lips and lifted my eyebrows. "Pretty much the same as that one. Someone is telling me to shoot something."

He cocked his head to the side. "A gun?"

"No. Don't think I'm crazy when I say this, but I think- I think it's a bow and arrow."

He looked almost excited. "It could be prophecy, you know. Aslan works in mysterious ways."

I smiled. "So I've heard, and heard and heard again."

We both laughed. "Who knows, you could be Narnias next best Archer."

I grinned, "The best swordsman and the best archer. What a team."

"Always." He smiled genuinely at me, staring into my eyes.

"Did you tell..." He cleared his throat. "Peter about the dreams?"

I shook my head. "Your special."

He laughed and blushed at the same time. "I need my best friend sometimes. Edmund, I need you and when your mad at me, I feel like I'm going to go crazy!"

"I'm not mad at you!" He reassured. "I'm- embarrassed."

I took a deep breath. "Don't be embarrassed. I use to have the worlds biggest crush on you too, but I thought you liked someone else. So, I set my sights on Peter."

His entire face fell, and he looked as though he'd be sick. "You- you, but I- who? Who did you think I liked?"

"Taylor Anklen." I grumbled.

"No! Why would I like her when I have the essence of perfection right in front of me." He froze. "I did not just say that. Please tell me I didn't just say that."

I giggled. "You just said that." he let his head fall back. "So you don't really like Peter then?"

I half shrugged. "No I do. I just- I'm trying to figure out how I like him exactly. If that makes sense?"

He nodded. "Sort of. "

"It's like, I'm not sure if I like him as a super good friend or if I like him more than that. I know I said yes to courting him, but I think I may have just been caught up in the moment."

He nodded again. "That's totally okay. It happens right?" He smiled.

I nodded. "I guess. I'm just- just so confused!" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, but when I opened them again I was met with Edmunds lips on my cheek. I don't know why, but I waited for him to lean away after I had gotten over the initial shock.

"Did that clear things up." He smiled, to which I returned, but it didn't. If anything, it made me feel worse. How was I suppose to tell the boy I'm best friends with that I'll never feel that way about him? And all of this would happen smack in the middle of a war. We both leaned back against the wall and reveled in the silence. The only thing I did know for sure, was that he was grinning from ear to ear.