𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 | ❝Hope is good, Hope will never disgrace, but make no mistake, Hope will hit you in the face!❞
In which the Just King becomes betrothed to a princess from a neighboring kingdom, only to fall in love with the prin...
WALKING IN THE WIND v. HISTORY IS AN ELABORATE FAIRYTALE
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HOPE IS SURPRISINGLY CONTAGIOUS. The mere phenomenon of optimism and faith can easily infect us. It's sorta like how people say if you fake a smile, soon enough, you'll start smiling genuinely, and eventually, you'll create a domino effect of smiles from the people around you. All it takes is one person to make a difference.
For Edmund, Hope was that one person.
He supposed that was rather on the nose, but it was true. He was originally overwhelmed with annoyance over this "arranged marriage" situation before properly arriving in Wysteria. After all, coming to a foreign kingdom can be daunting, never mind coming to one that lacked Aslan's presence. He was expecting nothing but the worst. That was when "hope" hit him—quite literally and painfully.
Oddly enough, Edmund had spent more time with Hope in the last three weeks than he had with his fiancée. Sure, they'd been in several group settings together, but the last time Edmund spoke with Odette in private was... well, three weeks ago.
He empathized with Odette. He often wondered how she managed the pressure of being the only heir to the throne. She was always so busy, yet she did it flawlessly and effortlessly. Edmund wasn't sure how he would manage if he didn't have the support of his siblings. Don't tell them that though.
The preparations to unify Wysteria and Narnia were rather stressful. Although Wysteria would merge with his kingdom, he was still responsible for everything leading up to it and then some afterward. On top of that and endless parlays with King David, Edmund busied himself with books on Wysteria's history for educational purposes, and while it was interesting, it could be so... boring.
"I can't believe you're complaining about having to read. All you have to do is stare at the pages!" Hope exclaimed.
"Yes, and process them," Edmund added. "It's exhausting!"
The two were gathered in the castle library, which Edmund noticed was significantly smaller than Cair Paravel's. See, after Odette overheard her fiancé was attempting to educate himself on Wysteria's history, she assigned Hope to assist him since she enjoyed reading so much.
Edmund stood at one end of an aisle of books while Hope was near the opposing end. He glanced back at her when she spoke aloud, "I thought you liked reading?"
Her fingers trailed the spines of the dusty books that sat on the weathered shelves. For once, her red hair was pulled out of her face in a ponytail, give or take a few loose strands. Sometimes, Edmund was surprised Hope was a mere handmaid. If he didn't know better, he would've thought she was a princess like Odette.
