He didn't know what to expect as the sun hit his eyes and he was blinded by the rays that he wanted to feel on his face once again. The screams of the crowd deafened his ears. These people were out for blood, and they would even kill their own king to get it. If Edmund was being honest, he was a little bit scared looking into the eyes of men who did not acknowledge him as their ruler. It was one thing for people to deal with the Narnians, but this time Edmund had to experience their wrath on himself. Looking ahead of him, confidently to not lose his status, he let them lead him to the center of a marble rink, surrounded by people.

Caspian was by his side, both of them being led to what seemed to be the podium. Two tall guards stood in the middle, their spears close to the kings throats as they approached them. 

"Behold," a sharp and raspy voice sounded, "the king of Narnia in all his majesty!" He mocked Edmund's state, he was in shackles, unable to move his hands around.

The crowd started laughing as Caspian approached the podium first, instantly being tied up to one of the polls, he awaiting for whatever was to come. Glancing back at Edmund he gave him a small fearful smile. It all reminded Edmund of how Aslan had to suffer for him, be mocked in front of all of those who hated him.

As the crowd cheered and smiled at Caspian's helpless state, Edmund was next to approach the poll. The man standing there, announcing their arrival eyed him from top to bottom.

"Why look what we have here," he came up closer to the young king to which Edmund looked away, "this is no ordinary ruler!" The man addressed the crowd. His face said it all, he knew exactly who Edmund was, and a hint of fear sparked in his eyes.

"This is King Edmund The Just, of old." As if paralyzed by whom they were seeing, the crowd went silent. After a few seconds of Edmund looking at them, they started laughing again, realizing that the king could not bring them harm being tied up to a poll.

Angelina and Susan were approaching the crowds as they heard the man with the raspy voice scream. Susan's heart skipped for Caspian and her brother, afraid that something bad might happen to them. Angelina noticed how the crowd reacted to Edmund and turned to Susan.

"Why are they afraid of him?" She asked.

"Edmund is the best swordsman in Narnia, never lost a fight. Besides, he is the king of old, Aslan himself named him," Susan answered.

Angelina turned back to the podium looking at the two kings tied to the polls, "the king of old," She whispered so quietly that Susan couldn't make out what she was saying. She had caught Aslan calling her a queen of old before she left, although she didn't know what to think of it back then, but now the word had popped out at random times, too random for it to be a coincidence.

"What do we do, how do we save them?" Susan exclaimed, worried.

Before Angelina could answer the man who seemed to be in charge of their fate started screaming again, "we challenge you, kings of Narnia. Your best fighter for ours."

Caspian glanced at Edmund who was already looking at him. Shaking his head the Telmarine whispered, "Edmund, no!"

"I have to do this Caspian. If I don't we might never get out." Edmund reassured him.

Looking at the both of them, Susan knew exactly what they were discussing, "oh Edmund, don't do this!" She whispered, hoping Angelina wouldn't hear her.

"What is he about to do?" Angelina asked.

Susan didn't answer, she just stared at her brother who was about to sign up for suicide.

"I accept the challenge!" Edmund said.

As the crowd cheered with excitement, Angelina screamed out in protest. Of course he couldn't hear her, he couldn't even see her. There were too many people around them. No one knew that Susan and Angelina were there, and Susan wanted to keep it that way, putting her hand over Angelina's mouth and dragging her further away from the crowd.

The people continued cheering as a very tall and masculine man walked out of the gate with armor around every inch of his body. Edmund gulped with fear as he saw the giant he challenged to a duel. The man smiled as the people cheered him on, obviously believing that he could defeat Edmund. Caspian already faced the fact that this was probably their end and hung his head shaking it a little bit, feeling sorry for Edmund. He never liked doubting Edmund, for he knew that the young king had great abilities. However, Caspian also knew of the cruelty of these people and how they would do all in their power to defeat them.

"Tonight! They fight! TO THE DEATH!" The man screamed out and the people went even more wild than before. Some of them raised their fists to the sky, proclaiming their delight in the murder which was going to happen.

A cloud of fear filled Edmund's heart. If this were to be his end, he did not want it to be the last time he saw Caspian, his brother and sister, and above all Angelina he wasn't ready to die without seeing her one more time. He knew that there was no way for them to magically appear out of nowhere, but he still had a little bit of hope left that he would win. As confident as Edmund was, his confidence faded once he saw the giant tearing a piece of log in half. Although he knew that strength came from the mind and not from any physical aspects, he still managed to succumb to their lie of deceiving by looks.

The guards took Edmund and Caspian back to the prison, this time separating them. Caspian was left to pray that somehow Edmund would defeat the giant, and Edmund was left to contemplate on the last hours of his life. There wasn't much to think of, he gave his country his all. There were things he could have done differently, and it was strange thinking about the end when he was so close. His ambitions lead him to such a final destiny, yet he still wondered what could have been if he didn't leave, if he told her that he was growing to love her sooner? He would be forced to do exactly that, wonder.

~***~

"We cannot leave them!" Angelina screamed out in protest. She was following Susan as the young queen quietly walked back to the ship where her brother once was to try to figure somethings out.

Susan stopped walking and turned to the girl, "you think I don't know that! I do. We need a plan."

Angelina looked down at the ground, keeping clam was the only string holding them inches away from insanity. They couldn't just grab their swords and walk through the crowd of billions just to liberate the two kings, they would be captured too. Worse things would be done to them.

Susan and Angelina walked back to the port, but Susan noticed that the prison was not too far from them. She decided to risk being discovered and told Angelina that they would try to get into the prison to perhaps warn Edmund and Caspian that they were going to get them out. As soon as they approached the prison, making sure to hide behind the wall of some building, they saw some dark figured approaching the prison. They were women with black cloaks on their heads, and baskets in their hands. Stopping in front of the prison doors they looked up at the guards. The guards looked over the basket and then the women, "you may enter."

The woman instantly went in, the two girls didn't see where they went afterward. The prison was quite large, but Susan knew of the customs in those regions. The prisoners would only be fed by women, especially those who were about to die.

"I have a plan," Susan grabbed Angelina's hand and dragged her to the market place. The sun was setting behind them and it was getting dark.

Buying a basket and some bread, Susan paid with the Narnian coins she still had. It was strange having to hide her face from the people who were supposed to bow down to her just by knowing that she is passing them by.

"We will join the women who are bringing food to the prisoners after the first round tomorrow." Susan told Angelina the plan.

"What if Edmund dies in the first round?" She was afraid to even ask.

Susan let out a breath, "he won't. I know my brother. He is stronger than everyone thinks he is."

The only thing left now was to find a place to stay overnight and wait for the battle to come. They quickly found a boarding house that took only three coins per night, it was a good thing they only needed one night, or at least hoped they did.

Angelina couldn't sleep that night, thinking of how she even came this far. From a girl who just moved to England, to a warrior who had the power of a magical lion in a different realm. She thought to herself that if this entire thing is a dream, she has been asleep for a very long time. Some things about Narnia scared her and she wanted to go back, but it was the thought that Edmund might be a dream too that gave her no rest. She hoped that he was as real as anyone is. The entire night she kept rethinking her life, realizing she came a long way. Angelina remembered all the times she had spent with Edmund, he was her friend and she could never leave him, she questioned her hearts desires and how she couldn't stop thinking of his soft smiles. If he were to die, she would not be able to cope with such a thing. Fearing that maybe she trusted Edmund too much made her doubt everything she stood for.

"Like I said," Conscience stood in front of the window, polishing some of the coins he held in his hand, "you have to sort out your feelings soon."

"Oh zip it," Angelina rolled her eyes, "I am just concerned for my friend!"

With the first rays of sunlight, she got up and put on her converse to walk around the forgotten city of Narnia which denied the authority of its rightful kings. Susan was still sleeping, but Angelina wanted to go see the rink first thing in the morning. The second she got there she noticed all the bloodstains on the sand from previous fights. Feeling the earth that cried out, Angelina closed her eyes. So many innocent lives were lost on these grounds, lives that Aslan accepted into his kingdom, which was far away from Narnia, on the very edge of its existence.