king's temptation | narnia

chapter 1: introduction

"Kate? Where's my purple jumper?" asked Lucy from across the house.

"I'm not sure. Maybe my side of the dresser?" I called back to her.

"Will you girls please be quieter? Edmund and I are trying to play a game of chess here," said Peter in a displeased voice from the other side of the sitting room. Peter was the oldest of the Pevensie children and therefore the most serious. I wanted to talk back but I know my mother would be disappointed in me.

"Yes, sorry Peter, sorry Edmund," I said in a quiet voice. The mood of the room changed as I gathered my sewing and stood up. I carefully stacked the shirts I was mending into the basket and walked out of the room.

Even though I have been living with the Pevensies for a year now, I still don't feel like I fit in amongst the other children. It still feels like I'm just Lucy's little friend from next door and not like this is my home. My father and Mr. Pevensie were the best of friends. In fact, that was how I met Lucy. We used to play with each other while our fathers played chess or talked and while our mothers sewed and talked. It was nice to have a friend nearby as an only child. Lucy and I became even closer after our fathers went to fight in the war. At the time, I didn't understand, but now I know what our fathers are fighting for, and I'm proud of them.

Everything changed when my mother got sick. She was diagnosed with breast cancer three days before my sixth birthday and then died a year later. Ever since then I've lived with the Pevensies.

While having your best friend in the house may sound great, I don't really get along with the other children very well. Susan thinks of me as very childish and tends to purposefully leave me out of conversations when Lucy is invited in, even though we're the same age. Edmund is quiet and unfriendly to me. I don't think I've ever had a meaningful conversation with him. Peter is nice enough when he's not trying to boss all of us around. The one time I actually looked up to him was when he scared off a group of boys who were teasing me at the bus stop.

As I walked upstairs, I thought of my old life. My mom baking cherry pies and sponge cake with strawberries and fresh whipped cream. My father playing his jazz records while dancing with me standing on his feet. I smiled to myself and hummed his favorite jazz song quietly.

I rocked back and forth for a while, but suddenly, my shoe slipped off of the step. I slipped backward with a yelp, expecting to fall to my death, but I felt a pair of arms grab me, steadying me. Exhaling, I grabbed the railing with the hand that wasn't holding the basket and turned around to see who caught me. To my surprise, it was Peter.

"Peter? Uhm..." I let out breathlessly, my flyaway hairs fluttering into my face. Peter just looked back at me with a small smile. Just as it was starting to get awkward, my train of thought came back.

"Thank you for catching me," I stared at the wall. "It was very kind of you." Even though I said that in the most polite manner I could, it still came out very forced. Peter frowned slightly.

"It's no problem, Kate. You probably wouldn't have hurt yourself anyway. It's only like five steps." He gave me a curt nod and swiftly passed me on the stairs and headed towards his and Edmund's room.

***

I went to sleep that night thinking of the scenario on the stairs. Why did he frown like that? In all the years I have known him, I've never seen that look on his face before. Well, I guess that's just it, isn't it? I don't know him very well. How self-regarded am I to think that he hasn't made that same face to others? I pushed the thought from my mind as I snuggled into my pillow and closed my eyes.

It seemed like as soon as my eyes shut, they reopened. The sounds of airplanes, screaming, and explosives filled my ears as I tried to get up. Lucy was still laying down, so I helped her wake up and get her slippers and jacket. We walked down the stairs swiftly with all of the necessities. Peter, Edmund, and Susan were by the door, looking out at the scene unfolding in our neighborhood.

When we were all settled in the bunker, Edmund shot up and ran back into the house, just as the bombs were falling. Peter swiftly chased after him back into the house. Mrs. Pevensie was beside herself. She was screaming and crying for them to come back, but they didn't. We heard the breaking of glass and furniture.

Thankfully, Edmund and Peter sprinted out of the house and into the bunker. As soon as the door was closed, Peter yelled at Edmund, calling him selfish and all sorts of mean names. Instead of responding to those comments, Edmund simply held out one of the photo frames in his hand.

"I had to get dad. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if he was destroyed," Edmund looked around at everybody. The Pevensies had small smiles on their faces. "I got yours too, Kate." Edmund looked at me and handed me a photo frame. It was a picture of my mother and father at the neighborhood picnic.

Though you couldn't see in the picture, she was wearing a baby blue dress with white polka dots. I remember this day very well. She was so stressed out from making sure her food contributions were perfect. The sponge cake, Yorkshire pudding, and cherry pies all had to be perfect, and we had to look perfect. She spent an hour curling my red hair with a hot iron to make sure it looked better than the girls who did it with rollers. My hand instinctively went to my now shorter hair as I gazed down at the photograph.

I suddenly remembered where I was. I looked up at Edmund and the rest of the Pevensies who were staring at me. I simply said, "Thank you, Edmund. I really appreciate it." When talking to the boys, I always try to stay as neutral as possible. I don't know why, I think it's just something my mother instilled in me from a young age.

I curled up with the photograph next to Lucy, covered in a huge wool blanket, and fell asleep.

***

"But mother, why do we have to go?" whined Lucy. "I hate going to the country. It's probably going to be boring and cold." She let out a long sigh and sunk into the couch beside me.

"Don't be that way, Lucy. Be thankful we're going somewhere safe," Lucy frowned at me. "And besides, we'll probably find loads of things to do, won't we Susan?" I never really liked engaging with Susan too much, but I felt like she would be able to handle Lucy for this one.

"Yes, I think Katelyn is right, Lucy. We'll have plenty of space to play outside and get fresh air," Susan smiled at Lucy. "We'll have plenty of adventures, I just know it."

Little did she know, we would be going on the biggest adventure of our lives.

***

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading my story. It's definitely a work-in-progress, but I feel confident that my fellow Narnians will like it. The next part of my story will take place 9 years into the Pevensie's Golden Age, if there are any questions, please leave a comment. I hope you enjoy it!

Words: 1318

Finished: October 31, 2020

Published: November 2, 2020