Heart and Home~ Edmund Pevensie

Chapter 8: Island

Amelia:

"So we're staying on the Island then?" She asked Caspian as they prepared their overnight packs. It felt like old times during the giant wars.

Caspian nodded, "Just for the night, we can search it in the morning. If the Lords followed the mist east, then they definitely would've stopped here." He slugged his pack onto his back, and for moment, Amelia could feel his never wavering stare on her back, "I don't think I've properly had the chance to ask how you're doing."

She sighed, "I know it must be hard to believe Caspian, but I'm alright."

"Impossible," he seethed, "After everything they did to you?"

"I knew you were listening. You both had to hear it, you and Edmund."

"Why?" He asked her He dropped his pack and walked to her side, placing a delicate hand on her shoulder. "Why did we need to hear?"

Closing her eyes, pushing back the memories of the pain and suffering, "You needed closure just as much as I did, Caspian. Words have power. Sometime retelling the story puts it into perspective."

She wasn't sure what Caspian was doing. His hand trailed across her collar bone and moved to her neck where be gently brushed the hair away, only to reveal scars and fading bruises. She could feel his breath on her face, his hair tickling her cheek. It reminded her of old times, when her heart was filled with hatred.

"What are you doing, Caspian?" she asked him.

He didn't answer at first. His hand only continued to trace her neck, circling each bruise and tainted mark, "I didn't realise how much I needed you until you were no longer there."

She looked down, the touching was bringing back memories she'd rather not have resurface.

"You little bitch!"

"That's how you clean?"

"Come 'ere you whore!"

She jumped, shoved Caspian's hand away as the tears started to fall, "Please... don't touch me."

His eyes turned solemn and he reached out to her, only for her to pull away in fear. She wasn't scared of Caspian, not in the slightest. Her body was. Her mind was. She wasn't.

"Please, Amelia, calm down" both his hand were in the air now, and he held them up for her to see, "Just let me help you. I can help you. It's me, Caspian." She wasn't crying. The tears were just silently falling. Her body relaxed slightly, and Caspian took the opportunity to pull her into a hug, "I'm here. We're all here. You don't have to be strong anymore."

"I know," she muttered in his shirt, "I know."

That afternoon, they sailed on the longboats towards the seemingly uninhabited, forest green island. Amelia separated herself slightly from the group, wanting to be lone with her thoughts. She'd managed to convince Caspian to give her her old bow back, along with a hearty quiver of arrows. Her sword was still locked up in the map room, and every day it seemed to call her name. She wanted to be strong again.

That night, as she lay on the white beach and looked up at the stars, she felt Edmund's hand gently slip into hers.

"The stars are beautiful tonight."

"They are," she agreed, "You see a lot more of them here than you do in London, I suppose."

He chuckled, "Loads more. You're lucky to see one or two in London, but this is just.. unparalleled to anything I've ever seen before – except your eyes of course."