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"Thy hair inspired God to make the breeze

Thy lips inspired God to make a man

And from his rib an angel born as Eve

Formed into flesh and promised him her hand."

B

Jaden Smith

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Chapter IV - Trust Issues

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Prince Edmund of Nashua. Wait- what did Lucy call it. Nalina? Nornia? Oh, Narnia. My entire night was filled with wonders of the land. Every few minutes I would pull myself together trying to convince myself how impossible the situation was. Then I would go back to the fantasies. It was an endless cycle of confusion. But how could something that feels so real be so fake? How could Lucy remember being there too? And seeing me?

I am broken from my thoughts by something hard smashing into my hip. I groan out in pain only to hear Peter and Susan's laughs.

"Daydreaming about a girlfriend you'll never have?" Peter teases, making me roll my eyes.

Oh, just another thing that was entirely confusing. The young girl I would marry. Was that normal in Narnia? Was the girl forced to marry whomever her mother wishes? Is that what she wanted?

"You're one to talk brother." I scoff, he opens his mouth to talk, "That one girl in year ten doesn't count."

"Oh hush up, Ed," Peter says rolling his eyes.

"You started it!" I defend.

"Both of you quit it and just play the game." Susan intervenes getting ready to catch the ball as Peter prepares to pitch it.

"Can't we just finish our hide and seek game from yesterday?" I ask with any hope to return to the place I remembered having rational memories.

"I thought you said that game was only for children," Peter asks trying to understand my sudden change of heart.

"Now you're bickering like children." Susan implies, growing impatient.

"Are you ready?" Peter asks me cockily throwing the ball back and forth in my hands.

"Are you?" I equally challenge smacking the ground in front of him.

Peter sets up the pitch once again but throwing slightly harder this time. Good thing my hand-eye coordination has always been exceptional so it didn't surprise me when I heard loud thud of the ball hitting the bat. Our heads followed the trajectory of the ball as it seemed to go in slow motion over our heads, farther and farther out of our control. My eyes grew wider and wider as I watched the ball fly closer and closer to the delicate window of the professor's house.

"No, no, no." I pray with my eyes closed, hoping by some strain of luck the ball would miss the window. My preachings are ignored and replaced by the shattering of glass. "Shit."

"Well done, Ed." Peter criticizes running his hand through his hair.

"You bowled it!" I snarl defensively.

"Would you two stop it?! We have bigger problems right now." Susan interjects.

"Susan's right. We must deal with this-." Peter is cut off by a scream.

"Children!" We all hear Mrs. Macready's voice loud and clear as she stands on the other side of the broken window, making our eyes go wide.

"The Macready!" Susan exclaims and I can hear the worry in her voice.

"Screw it." Peter mumbles throwing his arms up in defeat, "Run."

No one disagrees as we all took off for the nearest entrance to the professor's house. Susan began leading the group down the halls of the professor's home. Peter trailed with Lucy's little hand in his, trying to keep her in pace. Mrs. Macready's heels echoed in hot pursuit behind us. Every corner we turned seemed to lead us closer to her. The echo abandoned one hall making it the safest bet. I urged them down the hall as we all hopelessly wiggled at the doorknobs searching for just one to be unlocked.

Finally, one door gave way and we all rushed in. Lucy gasped as she realized which room we had just entered. Out of all the rooms in this mansion, we just so happened to enter the one with the wardrobe. I didn't hesitate to run up a pull the door open with Lucy on my heels.

"You've got to be joking." Susan mumbles.

"Come on!" I shout with the sound of heeled echoes increasing from the hall.

Peter and Susan reluctantly run into the wardrobe as I shut the door swiftly behind us.

"Ouch!" Susan cries in the darkness.

"Edmund, stop stepping on me!" Peter complains.

"I'm not!" I defend.

All at once we fall. We did not fall on the wood flooring of the crowded wardrobe, just as you may have expected. Instead, all three of us get a face full of pure white snow. I feel the flakes stick to my skin. I look up to see Lucy giggling at our less than graceful entrance into Narnia. It was real. Everything was just as I remembered it.

My gaze finds Susan and Peter. Their faces were filled with pure happiness and disbelief. There was a great amount of confusion hinting behind it as well.

"Impossible," Susan speaks softly in shock looking over the large woods surrounding her.

"I'm sure it's only your imagination." Lucy mocks with a smirk.

"I don't suppose saying we're sorry would quite cover it," Peter remarked to Lucy sincerely.

"No," She answered with her smirk turning into a full smile as she hits Peter with the large snowball she had been hiding behind her back, "But that will!"

My siblings begin throwing balls of snow at each other, filling the air with giggles. My attention was drawn away from their fight as I looked to the two large hills the Queen of Narnia had shown me just hours ago. I must speak to her again.

My thoughts were interrupted by a snowball hitting me causing me to yelp. Suddenly as the attention was on me.

"You little liar!" Peter exclaims, "Now you really must apologize to her!"

"Fine! I'm sorry." I tell Lucy

"It's okay. Some kids just don't know when to stop pretending." She mocks again with the same smirk.

I rolled my eyes and mumble, "Very funny."

"Maybe we should go back," Susan suggests.

It's not unusual for her lack of adventure or simply any fun.

"Shouldn't we at least take a look around," I say looking back at the two hills over the treetops nonchalantly.

"I think we should let Lucy decide," Peter says smiling at Lucy.

Lucy's eyes get wide with excitement, "We can go see Mr. Tumnus!"

"To Mr. Tumnus it is then," Peter agrees with a smile.

"We can't go hiking in this weather," Susan states looking for excuses.

"Well," Peter starts turning to the back of the wardrobe that we had just come from hidden behind some tree branches, "We could use these. I'm sure the professor would not mind. I mean, we aren't even really taking them out of the wardrobe."

He hands a coat to both of my sisters before handing one to me with light colored fur, "This is a girls coat!"

"I know," He answers spitefully.

I roll my eyes again while wrapping the coat close to my chest. It didn't fit well around the shoulders.

Lucy began to lead us through the snow-covered forest. We almost lost Peter one time because he was too busy looking at the trees to notice we had turned in a different direction. The whole walk there Lucy would not stop talking about Mr. Tumnus and everything she had seen in Narnia. Her voice became normality and we only realized something was wrong when she stopped.

"Lu?" Peter asks concerningly looking at the door of a hut in front of us.

It was clear that the door was damaged and not as it should be. Lucy set off running towards the house causing Peter to follow yelling for her. Susan and I were close behind as Lucy and Peter disappeared behind the door. As I enter I can see that the damage on the outside didn't even compare to the destruction on the inside. Papers and book were littered everywhere in the small quarters. Pieces of glass scattered the floor.

Tears brimmed Lucy's eyes as she searched for answers. Peter snatched a piece of paper that was nailed to the wall.

"The Faun Tumnus is hereby charged with High Treason against Her Imperial Majesty, Jadis, Queen of Narnia, for comforting her enemies and fraternizing with humans." He read aloud, "Signed Maugrim, Captain of the Secret Police. Long Live the Queen."

"Now we really should get out of here," Susan says with worry clinging to her voice.

"No, we have to help Mr. Tumnus!" Lucy cries pleadingly.

"If he was arrested for just being with a human, then I don't think there much we can do," Susan tells Lucy sadly.

"I was the human he was with. This is my fault. The White Witch didn't find out I was here the first time by some miracle." Lucy tells us while she seems to be thinking out loud, "What did I mess up the second time?"

"This isn't your fault, Lucy," I assure her knowing it was quite possibly all mine, "But he is a criminal. He knew the consequences of his actions."

Peter and Susan both give me a harsh glare. Just as Peter is about to open his mouth to yell at me, a sudden noise comes from the trees outside

"Did that bird just 'pst' as at us?" Susan asks confusingly looking at a small bird perched on a thin branch.

We all hesitantly make our way outside as the bird flies away. Every sudden noise from the bushes sent shivers down my spine. The movements fell in partnered behind one rock covered with snow. Peter moves forward hesitantly blocking the rest of us behind him. He steps forward slowly trying to see the dangers that lie beyond the rock. A brown fur ball crawls out from behind it. We all let out a large sigh of relief at the same time. Just a beaver. The only thing a beaver could hurt was some wood.

Our attention hadn't faded from the beaver as Peter began to inch towards the animal holding his hand out making a clicking noise.

The beaver looked at his hand and then looked to Peter curiously, "Well I'm not going to sniff it."

Susan jumped back with wide eyes, looking as if she was about to faint. Peters' mouth dropped open as he withdrew his hand quickly. Lucy giggled with a full smile looking down at the beaver.

"Sorry," Peter told the beaver, not seeming really sure what to say to a talking animal.

"Lucy Pevensie?" The beaver speaks up noticing her, "We must leave at once. We can't have anyone telling the queen you all have arrived."

"He means the trees," Lucy tells us, ready to follow the beaver.

Susan and I step forward grabbing Peter as he goes to follow her, "What are you doing?"

"Following the beaver, as he said." Peter answers. In any other situation, that sentence would have been completely insane.

"He shouldn't be saying anything," Susan says, trying to be logical in all of this madness.

"Everything all right?" I beaver questions looking back at us.

"Yes. We were just talking," Peter answers with his annoying charm and fake smile.

"That's better left for safer quarters," He warns, turning back to his original direction

"He means the trees," Lucy informs the group, as she begins to follow the beaver.

"Come on. We don't want to be caught out here after nightfall. I have no wishes to meet the two souls that run these woods at night." The beaver mentions motioning us along with his brown tail.

Peter falls in line behind Lucy and the beaver. Susan and I give each other a look before walking behind them through the cold, dense woods.

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Walking through the forest piled my mind with thousands of questions. I knew they all encircled on a person. The Queen of Narnia. I made sure that no matter where the beaver lead us I could still see the two hills in the distance.

Eventually, a voice powered through my glaze, "Enjoying the scenery, are we?"

I turned to see the beaver disapprovingly looking up at me. I quickly shook my head and ducked into the small wood doorway.

"Isn't there anything we can do to help Tumnus?" Peter questions, looking down at Lucy in sympathy.

"They'll have taken him to the Witch. You know what they say. There's few that go through them gates that come out again." Mr. Beaver tells us with a sadness tainting his voice.

"Fish 'n' chips?" The Beaver's wife, Mrs. Beaver offers, setting down the food on the table in front of Lucy.

"But there is hope, dear." Mr. Beaver assures Lucy making her crack a small smile.

"Lots of hope." Mrs. Beaver cuts in with joy in her voice.

"Oh, yeah, there's a right bit more than hope!" Mr. Beaver exclaims, "Aslan is on the move."

"Who's Aslan?" I ask.

"Who's Aslan? You cheeky little blighter." Beaver snarks with a chuckle.

Mrs. Beaver hits Mr. Beaver on the arm drawing his attention back to us. Our unmatching expression must have brought him to the realization that we were in fact, clueless.

"What?" Beaver straightens up, "You don't know, do you?"

"We haven't exactly been here long." Peter not-so-lightly reminds him.

"Well, he's only the king of the whole wood. The real King of Narnia." Beaver informs us, "He's been away for a long while."

"But he's just got back!" Mrs. Beaver cheers, "And he's waitin' for you near the Stone Table!"

"He's waiting for us?" Susan asks, just as confused as the rest of us.

"You're bloomin' joking!" Mr. Beaver shouts looking between the four of us in disbelief, "They don't even know about the prophecy!"

I have had enough of playing twenty questions with a talking rodent. I need real answers and I know where I can get them. I take the opportunity to slide out the door as the beaver raves on like he's mad. The once peaceful bliss outside had now drifted into a raging snowstorm. I pulled my coat closer to my body and started towards the peaks.

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I walk that may have only been an hour took double that just trying to fight the blizzard. I had lost the feeling in my toes long ago. Nonetheless, I kept trudging through the snow. I finally could see the Queen's castle. The ice particles seemed to steal every ounce of light in the surrounding area. Even in the dead of night, the castle glowed brighter than the streets of London. It was simply memorizing.

As I crossed the bridge to the front door I could not keep my eyes from roaming everything inch of the surface. The closer I got the more detail I could see in the fluorescent walls. I started to hear calls behind me but ignored them as I pushed the double doors open.

The extravagance of the exterior matched the interior. Ridiculously high ceilings covered a frozen garden. The garden was filled with statues that looked so real you may believe they were going to come through the stone and attack you. Every detail was that precise.

It wasn't the grey statues that attacked me. It was something else.

"Be still, stranger or you'll never move again." The deep voice threatens above my body.

I force my eyes open which had closed instinctively in fear. A part of me wished I kept them closed as I came face to face with an oversized grey wolf. For the second time in this land, I had been pinned down by a creature that I shouldn't exist.

"Who are you?" He growls, showing his impatience with his claws slightly digging into my shoulders.

"I'm Edmund! I met the Queen in the woods! She told me to come back here!" I shout as my only defense against the 500-pound grey wolf, "I'm a Son of Adam!"

"Hmm. My apologies, fortunate favorite of the queen. Or else, not so fortunate. Right this way." He orders before guiding me to another room, "Wait here."

I take this minute to fully absorb the detail of this castle of ice. I ran my fingers over one of the many columns. They are cold to the touch but the temperature of the room was controlled. Then my eyes venture to the centerpiece of the room. The large throne of crystals, a throne for the ruler of Narnia. The power that comes with just sitting in that seat is unmatched.

"Like it?"

I immediately jump out of the seat, "Uh... Yes, Your Majesty." I stumble, unknowing of what exactly to say that this moment.

She takes her rightful seat on the throne, radiating the power that came with it.

"I thought you might," She admitted, "Tell me, Edmund...Are your sisters deaf?"

"No," I answer, severely confused.

She nodded, "And your brother, is he...unintelligent?"

I laugh a bit, "Well, I think so. But Mum says- "

All at once her kind features seemed to grow disgusted and angered. A dull stare looking down at me with pure hatred. If looks could kill, I'd most certainly be dead.

"Then how dare you come alone?!" Her voice booms and echoes through the hall.

"I tried!" I tell her, trying to calm this angered state she has newly developed.

"Edmund, I asked so little of you." She says dripping with disappointment.

"They just don't listen to me!" I scramble for a pleasing answer, "I did bring them halfway. They're at the little house at the dam with the Beavers."

"Well, I suppose you're not a total loss then, are you?" She concludes.

For the second time tonight my curiosity got the best of me again, "Well, I was wondering, could I maybe have some more Turkish delight now?"

"Our guest is hungry." The queen tells the dwarf next to her.

The dwarf nods and begins walking to me. He looked at me like I was the worst thing he had ever seen. It was unusual for me to fear someone about a foot shorter than me.

"This way for your num-nums." He instructed placing a large curved knife between my shoulder blades.

As we turn the first corner we are met with two ridiculously large ogres. The dwarf shoves me forward at their feet. Without a single word, the two ogres picked me up off the ground and dragged me through the castle. I try to squirm out of either grip but it is useless. Each new hall seems darker than the one before, not to mention colder as well.

"Keep him alive," One of the two ogres announces before throwing me to the ground. I sigh deeply accepting my fate that I was officially screwed.

My moment of acceptance was interrupted by something jumping on top of me pinning me to the floor I was already collapsed on. I feel the extra chilled metal of a knife at my neck. So close I was too afraid to speak or even breathe. Any movement of my throat could slice my throat. I look up to see that the owner of the blade came from the right hand of a girl. Her light blonde waved hair fell halfway to the floor as she leaned over me with her left hand held my wrist down and her boot kept my other in place. But it was her fair skinned girl's eyes that truly captured me along with anything else that their mercy, even light seemed to settle in her green eyes through the shadows of the dungeon.

"Who the tash are you?"

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Welcome to Narnia mortals.

This song is my current addiction. Highly suggest it. And the quote can easily describe the stunning Natalie Alyn Lind ESPECIALLY since Edmund is technically betrothed to her and it mentions Adam and Eve.

I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter I've ever written.

B