Lost and Found

5. Too tired

April 21st

"Sir." Orious said slowly, walking up to Peter who had abandoned his horse to search on foot, calling Edmund's name almost continuously. "It is nearly midday. We've been searching since midnight, maybe we should head back to Cair and rest?"

Peter took a deep breath, turning away from the centaur. "Edmund!" He called into the woods. "Ed please!"

"Your majesty." Orious tried again. "Queen Susan-"

"I know what she said Orious." Peter snapped. "But I have to find him!"

"You're exhausted sir." Orious said, looking extremely unimpressed.

"I'm fine." Peter muttered, turning away. "Ed!?" He swung back around when he felt a hand land on his shoulder, looking up into the eyes of the centaur.

"Sir." He said slowly. "Your sisters are expecting you home soon, do not keep them waiting, they'll be beside themselves with worry if you do not show up."

Peter stared at him, swallowing hard before taking a deep breath. "But Ed?" He choked.

"We will resume our search first thing tomorrow morning Sir." Orious reassured him.

But Peter shook his head. "No." He whispered. "This evening."

"Sir-"

"No!" Peter snapped. "I will go back to Cair and rest for an hour or two, but then we are leaving again! I don't care what you say but my brother is missing! Captured and most probably hurt!"

Orious stared at him for a moment before bowing his head. "As you wish your majesty." He sighed, hoping that maybe Queen Susan may be able to change his mind once they get back.

It took nearly three hours to get back to Cair, and Peter immediately headed up to Susan's room, where he'd been told his sisters were.

Reaching the door he gently knocked before slipping inside. He spotted Susan and Lucy on Susan's bed, Lucy's head resting on Susan's shoulder as Susan read her a story from a book she held tightly in her hand.

Peter froze when both their heads snapped up, eyes wide in hope.

"Please tell me you found him?" Susan whispered.

Peter took a deep breath before slowly shaking his head. "No." He choked.

Lucy's face fell before she buried it against Susan's shoulder, letting out something that resembled a sob.

Peter ran a hand through his hair and joined the two of them on the bed, reaching across and placing a hand gently on the back of Lucy's head. "Lu?" He asked.

Lucy slowly looked at him, eyes wide as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I'm going back out tonight Lu." Peter said, not missing how Susan's eyes went wide in shock. "And I won't stop searching until I find him, I promise."

Lucy swallowed hard and nodded. "I know." She breathed, wiping at her cheeks as she took a deep breath.

"And Susan-" Peter said quickly before his sister even had a chance to open her mouth. "I don't want to hear it, I am going back out tonight and nothing you say will change my mind, so don't waste your breath."

Susan sighed but said nothing, slowly closing the book. "I'll go and make you something to eat." She said after a while. "You must be starving."

"I have eaten you know." Peter muttered, but Susan ignored him and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

Lucy stared at Peter for a moment before sighing. "Peter?" She mumbled.

"Hmm?" Peter replied, turning to face her.

"What if - if you cant find him?" Lucy asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Peter's face softened immediately. "Oh lu don't say that." He mumbled, before - despite her being 14 years old - pulling her into his lap and holding her close. "I will find him and that's a promise alright?"

Lucy nodded a little. "Alright." She mumbled.

Peter gave her a small smile and placed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm going go and get changed alright?" He said. "Tell Susan I'm in my room."

Lucy nodded as she shuffled from Peter's lap. "I will." She said. "See you later."

Peter nodded and stood. "Bye." He mumbled, before hesitantly leaving the room.

He made his way down the corridor and round a corner before reaching his room, where once inside he sunk down onto the bed.

He removed his crown and buried his head in his hands, taking deep breaths and trying to keep back the tears that were threatening to fall.

After a moment he lay down on his back, his arms resting across his stomach as he squeezed his eyes shut.
I will find him, I will, I will

He took another deep breath as he allowed himself to open his eyes again, only to find them drooping a minute later.

He rubbed at them quickly, trying to force them to stay open. He couldn't fall asleep, he had to leave again soon, so he could find Edmund.

But thirty seconds later, he eventually allowed them to slip shut, and within moments, he was fast asleep.

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Susan sighed as she quietly entered Peter's room around half an hour later, carrying a plate of food.

But when she spotted Peter, laying on the bed with his legs dangling over the edge, fast asleep, she sighed.

Walking across the room she placed the plate on the bedside table, before setting about getting Peter properly into bed and under the covers.

She eventually managed it without waking him, and sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling the blanket right up to his chin.

"I know you wanted to go out again tonight." She mumbled to her sleeping brother. "But you're too tired, and there's no way you're gonna be able to cope with another night of no sleep."

She watched him for a moment before swallowing hard and standing.

After drawing the curtains, she slowly left the room, heading down the corridors to find Orious and talk to him about having another search party ready for tomorrow morning.

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