Even a traitor may mend || The chronicles of narnia

A traitors blood

"Come on Ed!" Peter laughed. "Sword point up! Like Orious showed us!"
Edmund grinned widely and lunged at his brother, only to be blocked and have his sword pushed to the side. "Hey." He cried, laughing a little.
"Peter! Edmund!"
Edmund frowned slightly and lowered his sword when he heard the shout from Mr.Beaver, who was currently running as fast as he could towards him and his brother.
He never got to continue though as Edmund's horse all of a sudden reared up, nearly sending him to the floor.
But he held on tight, shouting: "Woah horsey!" And wincing in pain when the horse returned to all four legs, stepping back away from the beaver slightly.
"My name is Philip."
Edmund froze for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Oh." He stuttered. "Sorry."
He was pretty sure he saw Peter smirk, but that smirk was wiped away when Mr.Beaver spoke again.
"The - The witch has demanded a meeting with Aslan!" He panted upon, clearly out of breath from his run. "She's on her way now."
Edmund found himself unable to breathe. The witch? Here? Why?
"Ed?"
Edmund looked to his side when he heard Peter speak, trying his hardest to still his trembling.
"Come on." Peter said hesitantly, jumping down from his unicorn and walking around to Edmund, placing a hand gently on his knee.
Edmund swallowed hard and shook his head, tears stinging his eyes and his breathing still not even.
"Ed let's just go see what has wants." Peter sighed. "She's not going to touch you, I promise."
Edmund stared down at him, taking a deep breath before slowly nodding his head.
Peter smiled gently and helped him down from Philip, keeping a firm grip on his shoulder and swallowing hard at how bad he was trembling.
"What's wrong?"
Edmund jumped harshly and swung around, sighing when he saw Susan and Lucy stood behind them, worried frowns on both their faces.
"The witch is here." Peter explained. "She wants to talk to Aslan."
Lucy's eyes went wide and she immediately moved her stare to Edmund, who was currently taking deep breaths and staring down at the floor.
"What do you think she wants?" Susan choked even as Peter led them back to the main camp, his hand still resting on Edmund's shoulder.
Peter swallowed hard and glanced at Edmund, who looked up at stared back, after a while nodding his head slightly.
Peter sighed at this. "She's not touching you Ed." He said firmly. "Not if I have anything to say about it."
Edmund managed a small smile for his brothers sake, before the four heard  shouts of: "Jadis! Queen of Narnia!"
Edmund's heart pounded but he still ran after his siblings, all four of them coming to a stop when they arrived at the camp.
Edmund could hardly breathe as he watched the witch being carried into the camp on a chair carried by four horrid looking creatures that Edmund had seen at her camp the night before.
Aslan stood to their left, looking rather angry but mostly calm, and even his presence managed to calm Edmund slightly.
But he was still scared, and his fear increased when the witch stood and walked forward, turning her head and staring at him, a small smirk on her face.
Edmund swallowed hard, taking the smallest step closer to Peter, and he could've sworn he felt Peter's hand brush against his own, as if he'd been reaching for it.
He didn't have time to wonder about it though for the witch turned from him to Aslan and finaly spoke. "You have a traitor in your midst Aslan." She said, her voice firm and cold.
Edmund took a deep breath, looking down in shame, eyes brimming with tears as his siblings turned to face him, sad smiles on their faces.
"His offence was not against you." Aslan growled, causing Edmund to slowly look back up at him.
"Have you forgotten the laws upon which Narnia was built?" The witch question.
"Do not cite the deep magic to me witch." Aslan snapped, growling again. "I was there when it was written."
"Well then you'll remember well that, every traitor belongs to me."
Edmund squeezed his eyes shut. No. Please no. I can't go back. I can't go back to her. Please.
"His blood is my property."
Edmund felt sick, but his eyes snapped open when he heard a sword being drawn.
"Try and take him then." Peter stepped forward, pointing his sword directly at the witch, a firm frown on his face.
Edmund swallowed hard. Was he insane?! Even as he thought that though he felt slightly safer seeing that Peter was at least trying to keep him safe.
But the witch just laughed. "Do you really think that mere force will deny me my rights... little king?"
Edmund frowned in anger at this, watching as Peter's gaze dropped to the floor and he slowly lowered his sword, obviously knowing that there was nothing he could do to save his own brother.
"Aslan knows that unless I have blood as the law demands..."
Edmund looked back to the witch when she said this, watching as she turned to address the large crowd of Narnians gathered. "All of Narnia, will be overturned, and perish in fire and water. That boy!-"
Edmund froze completely when she turned and pointed directly at him, that evil smirk on her face once again.
"Will die. On the stone table!"
Edmund's eyes filled with tears again. Die?? She's gonna kill me? I'm gonna die?
He looked down for a second, trying to force back his tears before glancing at Aslan, who was just staring at the witch, and then at Peter, who was staring down at him, eyes wide and full of fear and worry.
"As is tradition." The witch finished, catching everyone's attention again. "You dare not refuse me."
"Enough." Aslan said quickly, before sighing. "I will talk to you alone." And with that he turned and headed into his tent.
The witch clearly hesitated, but after a moment followed the lion, disappearing into the tent a second later.
Edmund stared at the tent entrance for what felt like forever, trembling hard.
"Ed?"
He only looked up when he heard Peter's voice, and he felt even more upset when he saw the look on his older brothers face, a look of fear and... hopelessness.
With a sinking heart Edmund realised that there was absolutely nothing any of them could do to stop this... he really was going to die.
With a quiet sob he turned and pushed through the crowd, setting of at a run before Peter had even known what had happened.
"Edmund!" He called, panick in his voice.
After a moment he turned to his sisters. "Wait here." He choked, before dashing off after his brother.
He soon found him, sat with his back against their tent, knees drawn up to his chest and face buried in his knees, arms wrapped tightly around them.
Swallowing hard Peter sunk down beside him, sighing slightly and placing a hand on his shoulder.
Edmund didn't move, and Peter guessed that he already knew he'd come after him. "Ed?" He asked gently.
Edmund sniffed before glancing up at his brother, tears rolling steadily down his cheeks, causing Peter's face to completely fall. "I-" Edmund swallowed thickly. "I don't wanna die."
Peter's heart broke then and there. "You're not going to die Ed." He said, his voice shaking. "I won't let that happen."
Edmund shook his head. "I don't want to die." He whispered. "But I have to."
"Ed." Peter sighed.
"Peter-" Edmund cut him off. "Narnia's gonna suffer if I don't die, you heard the witch. It'll perish in fire and water."
Peter said nothing for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Aslan will sort it." He said slowly. "He'll save you."
Edmund sighed. "There's no point." He murmered. "I deserve to die anyway, I should just go and hand myself over now."
Peter felt like the world had stopped turning.
He eventually pulled himself together though and gripped both of Edmund's shoulders, so tightly that Edmund actually winced. "Don't - don't you ever, ever say that again." He choked, shaking his head. "You do not deserve to die Ed, why would you even think that?"
Edmund knew Peter didn't want an answer, so just stayed silent until his brother spoke again.
"Now listen." He said. "We're gonna go back, and you're gonna see that everything is gonna be fine. You are not going to die Ed, I promise."
Edmund stared at him for a while before swallowing hard and nodding his head. "Okay." He choked, blinking back anymore tears.
Peter smiled softly and reached up to wipe away the tears on Edmund's cheeks, before giving his shoulders a light squeeze. "Come on then." He breathed, helping Edmund to his feet.
Edmund followed Peter silently back to their sisters, who were sat down on the floor, both looking rather worried.
Without a word Edmund sunk to the floor and began tearing up bits of grass, taking deep breaths and keeping his eyes on the floor.
Susan glanced worridly up at Peter, who just sighed and shook his head, dropping to the floor opposite his brother, keeping a close eye on him without giving away that that was what he was doing.
They sat there in complete silence for perhaps another ten minutes, before the tent flaps of Aslans tent burts open.
Peter was first on his feet, quickly followed by his siblings, who all held their breath as they watched the witch step outside.
Edmund stared at her, his heart pounding as she stared back at him, smirking and slowly walking back to her chair.
After a second Edmund turned to face Aslan, hope in his eyes as he took several deep breaths to try and calm himself.
"She has renounced her claim on the son of Adam's blood!" Aslan announced loudly.
Edmund breathed a sigh of pure relief, at once feeling Peter grip his shoulder and Susan grab his hand.
They were both smiling at him, and Edmund's mouth turned up into a grin, he was safe. He wasn't going to die.
He laughed lightly when Susan wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and placing a kiss to the side of his head.
"How do I know your promise will be kept?!"
Edmund looked up when the witch said this. What did she mean by promise? What promise?
Aslan just roared at her, causing her to sit down on the chair and for everyone to urrput into cheers.
Edmund allowed himself to turn back to his siblings, and grinned even wider when Lucy wrapped her arms around his waist.
He hugged her tightly back, picking her straight off the floor and swinging her around as much as he could, before returning her to her feet with a laugh.
Lucy grinned up at him, before Susan once again wrapped her arms around his neck.
Edmund sunk into her embrace, and rested his head back against Peter's shoulder, feeling Peter's hand land back on his shoulder.
"I told you everything was gonna be okay." Peter murmered in his ear, and Edmund could full well imagine the smile on his face even though he couldn't see it.
He shook his head with a laugh, letting out a sigh of relief. "Yeah." He breathed. "Yeah you did."

☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡