Queen Lucy the Valiant

“So, you and Ava were dancing, and Corin was getting drinks.” Edmund repeated, making sure he followed the story. She wasn’t including a large amount of details and he could tell that this story was fueled by a lot of hurting. The way she touched the mark of her neck allowed him to narrow who gave her it down to two people, and suddenly Edmund had a feeling he knew which direction this story was going. 

This wasn’t like Petra and Lilia at all. The two situations were nothing a like, and as Lucy continued speaking, Edmund began to listen more closely, trying to pick up on hints to help him get a head. He hated not knowing everything, not knowing how to help Lucy out of whatever was causing her pain. 

But when the details came, he wasn’t sure if he understood it at all. They had kissed, so it was Ava. That made sense, since Corin was getting drinks. 

And from Edmund’s knowledge, kissing wasn’t something that lead to heartache unless something happened during the kiss and that something could be a multitude of things, many that Edmund had probably done himself at some point or another. 

Maybe, he could help her after all. 

He narrowed his eyes at Lucy, unsure whether he really wanted to know the answer or not. “What happened during the kiss then to cause this?”

Originally posted by mleko55

Lucy watched as Edmund appeared to be in deep thought, and his eyes narrowed. She felt hysteria threatening to rise up, but she held it down. She had to tell someone about this, someone who wouldn’t judge, and someone who wasn’t Ava or Corin. Why Lucy didn’t tell Rinassa or Easlmus, since one of them most likely saw, she didn’t know, but now she was here, telling Ed, who was trying to piece it all together.

She took another deep breath. “It was... it was before the celebration. I can’t remember when exactly, but we...” She stopped. Was this too much information to tell her own brother? But now Lucy felt she had said too much to just leave it, so she kept going.

“Ava was... er, helping me, because I was nervous... about Corin.” Lucy stopped again, trying to steady her breathing. “She gave me this mark, then she... I mean I... I...” Lucy was stammering now, and she saw her hands shaking. The amount of shame and guilt she felt when she remember how harshly Ava had jerked away, hurt evident in her eyes, and how Lucy had called after her as she’d left... the mere memory broke Lucy’s heart.

“I said Corin’s name. While I was with Ava.” Lucy began to cry. “I said Corin’s name.”

“You two were fine at the signing, weren’t you?” To be honest, Edmund didn’t know. He wasn’t exactly paying attention to others at the time and then everything happened and the rest was a blur. He thought he had seen them talking, but maybe this wasn’t a recent thing. Maybe this was-

Originally posted by mleko55

“What’s that?” He sat up in his chair and looked at her with his jaw open some. Blinking, he focused on the small mark on her neck. 

“More importantly who gave that to you?” Anger blinded him momentarily, as his mind went through the possibilities. However, when he looked up at her face, it subsided and he sighed. “You don’t have to answer that, I”m sorry. It’s just… It doesn’t matter,”

He made a sweeping hand motion to swipe away his thoughts like the fact that she was his younger sister or the contradicting fact that when he was her age a hickey was the least of what he had done. What if it had been more? Edmund cringed, forcing that thought away and took a breath. Opening his eyes, he tried his best to keep an open mind to all of this. 

“How does a… hickey… play into this?”

“I thought we were,” Lucy admitted, still holding her hair back. Her hand went over the mark and hid it, though she was touching it. “She was dancing with me while Corin got some drinks for us... She seemed fine. It was fine! It was... really nice.”

Lucy’s hand stiffened over the hickey, which had faded considerably, but she blinked away tears. “It plays into this because of who gave it to me, and... and how I messed up so terribly bad.” She sighed, taking her hand away and allowing her hair to fall over her shoulder again. It was tearing her up inside, still, and just when things were going so well with Corin... Lucy desperately wanted to be free of this guilt so she could move forward with Corin.

“No.” Edmund bowed his head and sighed again. “I wish I did, but I don’t. I just have a gut feeling there’s something I can’t figure out, but anything more than that I have no idea at all.” He flipped the page in one of the giant books on his desk, and leaned over it. Double tasking would work out well. Lucy would understand. 

Originally posted by evennstars

However, his concentration didn’t last long, because he looked up at her when she spoke. There was something strange to her voice, something that Edmund once more couldn’t place, but sounded foreign. He closed his book and furrowed his brow at her. “Why would Ava not wish to speak to you? I mean, did you two have a fight?”

He recalled the misunderstanding between Lilia and Petra and wondered if it had been something like that. However, the strangeness he picked up on felt different from then. “Why did she run off?” 

Lucy smiled sadly. “You’ll figure it out, Ed. Peter and Susan... They have their own battles to fight.” She swallowed nervously. “We all do. You’ll figure it out, then... then we can all move on.”

Lucy’s eyes widened slightly, and for a moment she didn’t know what to say. It was a jarring memory, one that reared its ugly head now. Aslan... how did things get so complicated? Could she even fix them?

“Well, uh... We sort of had a fight. Ava was angrier than I was... I was trying to apologise for something I did. She was upset at me, we have spoken kindly since then, but it’s only when there’s a lot of other people around...” Lucy looked down, biting her lip of the memory of the two of them dancing at the signing. Slowly, almost unsure, Lucy lifted her hand to move her hair, exposing her neck.

“Ah yes, I have heard Sir Caradoc was one of the few humans since Jadis the White Witch. I subbose I should meet him, as well.” said Zenobia. She shook her head. “No, since I figured the High King Beter was busy, I decided to meet you and your other siblings before meeting him, your grace.” responded Zenobia, her Calormene accent, showing. “Besides, I wanted to meet Queen Lucy the Valiant, first.” 

Lucy couldn’t stop her eyes from widening and her cheeks from feeling hot. “Uhhh... You are too kind. My siblings are much more interesting than I, and they are older than I am so many believe them to be wiser...” Lucy felt tongue-tied. Why was she acting like this? So... shy? Taking a deep breath, Lucy collected her bearings.

Daylight poked through the gloomy office of the constable, the door barely opened in the week since she went in. Meals were perhaps her only reason for leaving after she’d attained a new group of books from the library, this time on magic… which she was finding incredibly unhelpful. There wasn’t a single lead to explain the recent events, her logical mind opposing all thoughts of how magic could be involved except for trickery. Eyewitness reports opposed it as well, as it was very clear the only thing that anyone saw in the vault was mortal men.

Which left her at a multitude of dead ends.

Throwing the book she’d been reading all night back on her desk, she blew out the candles, her head thudding as it landed on papers scattered over the wooden surface. She needed to go home soon, the notes sent from her mother threatening to drag her back and tie her to her bed until she got some rest still echoing in her mind. Maybe getting out of her office would be good… maybe… perhaps the fact she was even giving magic the time of day was credit to that.

One last book, however, and she’d call it a week…what day was it anyway?

Lucy hurried along the corridors of Cair Paravel, Rinassa in close pursuit despite her objections. They ignored anyone who stared for too long, and Lucy turned a corner, ignoring Rinassa when he gasped out, “Wait, your Majesty! Where... where are we going?” She didn’t stop, her skirts fluttering until she came to the door she had been looking for.

Rinassa skidded to a halt beside Lucy as she lifted her hand and knocked, but she barely waited a second before opening the door and entering the office of Constable Stone, stepping into near darkness. The candles were out, and Lucy saw Connie at her desk, her head resting on it.

Fear went through Lucy. Was something wrong?

“Constable Stone! Connie!” she gasped out, rushing over to her and shaking her shoulders. “Connie! Oh dear... Rinassa, close the door and help me light these candles.” The Faun nodded, closing the door and helping Lucy relight the candles. When the ones on Connie’s desk were alight, Lucy approached the Constable slowly again.

valiantlionesslucy:

Lucy gave a nod and smile of acknowledgement to the guard standing outside Edmund’s office. He was sitting at his desk, hunched over books and papers, and Lucy stood in the doorway for a few moments pondering, thinking about everything. Edmund didn’t seem to notice she was there, and Lucy turned quickly as Rinassa tried to get around her. “Rin… I’m sorry, but can you wait outside please?” Rinassa frowned in confusion, but nodded anyway, stepping back into the hall. As an extra, he closed the door behind him, leaving Lucy and Edmund in privacy.

Lucy stepped up to Edmund’s desk. “Edmund,” she said softly, probably too softly as Edmund still haven’t acknowledged her. “ED!” she said louder, and picked up one of the papers. “By Aslan, what are you doing in here all the time?”

Edmund briefly noticed the door to his office open, but didn’t pay more attention than that. Rinassa was there in case someone needed something and had strict rules on who to allow farther in his office. It probably was nothing, maybe Petra checking in that he had in fact ate something that day. She seemed to worry profusely, but with her work in the library, it limited her from staying longer than a brief chat with Rinassa. 

So, instead, Edmund focused on the books and papers. Scanning through what he knew and what information he was missing. There had to be a connection or something missed. But every time he fell empty handed, and every time he grew more aggravated. 

He ignored the call of his name the first time, but snapped his head up the second and slowly looked in the direction of the voice. 

Originally posted by mleko55

“Does it look like I’m not busy or-” His voice trailed when he noticed the voice had belonged to Lucy. His annoyance fell slightly, but remained at a testing limit. She of all people knew that there was little time for nonsense now. He sighed, sinking into his chair and tossing papers, which he had been looking at, on the table. 

“Nothing adds together.” He ran a hand over his face. “I’ve tried and tried and nothing. I’m so close, but it’s not together.” He hoped she followed along without much more discussion. He sighed. “But I’m not giving up.”

Lucy watched as Edmund ran his hand over his face, and she nodded slowly. “It’s taking time, we... we all have things we need figure out. But don’t give up. It’s good that you aren’t.” Lucy leaned over the desk to pat Edmund’s hand. “Aslan would be proud.” Taking her hand back, she moved to sit in one of the seats, taking one of the books as she went. Flicking through it, she looked up at Edmund. “Do you know what you’re missing?” Quickly shaking her head, Lucy closed the book and placed it back down, placing her face in her hands.

“I have recently just arrived in Narnia.” said Zenobia, with a smile on her face. “I have never seen so many, species…of…Narnians before.” She didn’t wan’t to say beasts, for it was common amongst Calormenes to refer all Narnians as. 

She looked at Lucy, again. “When will I get to meet the rest of the monarchs of Narnia?” pondered Zenobia. 

Lucy nodded slowly. “Well, humans only came here around the time we were crowned... I guess Sir Caradoc may count as one of the first humans here before us.”

Zenobia had approached the young Queen Lucy while her sister was settling in their chambers. Zenobia curtsied to  Queen Lucy. “It is lovely to meet you, your majesty.” said the Tarkheena in her thick accent. “I am Tarkheena Zenobia Mustafa, of Calormen.” 

Lucy had been standing alone as Rinassa spoke to someone she didn’t know, so she begun to go off into dream land a little. Only when someone spoke to her did she snap back, and she said, “Hello, yes.” She curtsied politely, hoping - Zenobia, was it? - wouldn’t think she was being rude. “It is a pleasure to meet you too. I’m Queen Lucy Pevensie.”

Corin wanted to run away when the sound of cheerful hooves echoed through the hall he was in. He had wanted to be left alone, had said so to all guards and staff, every archenlander and narnian he came upon and insisted to accompany him, but none had listened. It was too dangerous, they said, as if Corin couldn’t fight his own battles. It wouldn’t do well for him to wander of, they said, as if Corin was stupid enough to walk into enemy fire because he was upset. But the worst thing they said was their terrible, terrible condolences. As if Isla was dead. As if there was no hope at all. Corin had punched a great number of trees since that night, although not the one he really wanted to.

He was, in fact, on his way to find one—or it, if he was lucky—when Rinassa came upon his umpteenth angry walk. He didn’t seem to walk on eggshells around him, which was certainly a fresh breath of air, so he let him speak. Rinassa had, very politely but not miserably, extended Lucy’s invitation to have a picnic at the orchard that very same day. Corin thought briefly about declining, considering that she would probably have one of those miserable, pity-filled faces, but decided against it on the grounds that he wasn’t—not at all—feeling well and Lucy—always Lucy—could make him feel better. Besides, there were trees to punch at the orchard. 

So there he was, after having changed into fresher clothes, walking towards the orchard. All things considering, he was doing marvelously at deflecting the unwanted attention, so there was one good thing about his day so far. Were it not for the thought of seeing Lucy soon, he would probably be distraught. He didn’t know—he didn’t really want to think about it. Thankfully, once past the guarding dryad and the actual guards at the entrance, there were no people to encounter but that whom he sought. 

The path to the meadow Rinassa had given him directions for was crooked, and coiled like a snake around taller and more vigorous trees that provided ample shadow without hiding all light. The whole trip inside felt like somewhat of an adventure, and it sent a—guilty, undeserved—thrill down Corin’s spine. Soon, he spied between the leaves, a known and welcomed figure, and jumped off the path to sneak around the trees and emerge in the clearing where Lucy sat on a blanket, and Rinassa picked apples from a particularly full tree.

“Oh,” he said, trying to hide his disappointment. “I didn’t know Rinassa was joining us.”

Lucy turned when she heard Corin approach, and she cheered, “Corin! I’m so glad you decided to come.” She looked toward Rinassa, who quickly shook his head. “I apologise, your Highness. I won’t be staying with you. I will be far enough so if you yell, I will hear, but in all respects... you two will be alone.” Rinassa smiled, tossing an apple at Corin. “Just call for me when you’re ready to leave.” Without another word, Rinassa took his flute out and headed through the trees, playing a tune.

Lucy watched him go for a moment before looking back at Corin. “Will you join me? I brought a good assortment of food, as well as a few goodies.” Now that Corin was here and it was just the two of them, Lucy felt her heart beat faster, and her skin felt warmer. She was sure her face was as red as a tomato.

“Ah, that sounds grave indeed.”

“Out with it. This tea is blended especially for heartache and sorrow, and we cannot leave it unaccompanied.”

*deep breath*

valiantlionesslucy:

*hesitantly approaches* “Mr Tumnus? I must speak to you about something… It’s been bothering me. Shall we get some toast and tea and cakes?”

“Shall we??”

“Of course we shall.” *begins preparing the tea things* “Lighten your heart, darling. Tell me what it is.”

Edmund spent the whole first five minutes of the movie acting like he hated his family. Didn’t want to kiss his mom goodbye. Didn’t want Peter’s help to life his luggage. Didn’t want Susan’s help with the train tickets.

But that first gif. He jumped when he saw the kids being separated. He literally was taken aback. And when he looks back at his siblings, he looks terrified.