Chapter 31. High King Peter And Garden Dancing
He was concerned about his siblings. Knowing that he was responsible for their safety never let him rest. He cared for Angelina as one of his siblings, wanted only the best for her. Of course, he didn't really know how he should approach her now since she had been through so much in Narnia. Peter made his way down the throne room and looked back at the four thrones in the middle. He was a high king and had a lot of responsibilities.
"Peter," Caspian walked in as Peter was about to walk out, "the prince of Telmar is coming for the ball, I invited him."
"Well done Caspian." Peter was not a big fan of Caspian, but he grew to like him after Aslan explained how important he was. Peter always felt on the spot with Caspian around, as if he had to prove that he was the highest king, forgetting that harmony was key.
"Caspian, have you seen Susan, I haven't seen her in such a long time I'm worried about her." His brotherly instinct kicked in.
Caspian smiled, "she is perfectly fine, trust me."
"How do you know?" Peter raised his eyebrow.
"Because um-she's Susan. She can take care of herself." It was clear to see that Caspian was hiding something, but Peter was too tired to find out, yes he remembered how his sister started a romance with the handsome king. When they got back, however, he thought it ended.
Instead of asking Caspian further questions, Peter patted him on the shoulder and made his way out of the throne room. He walked into the garden until he saw Angelina sitting near a tree and then he stopped. She looked sad, as if she was trying to hide her emotions and cover them up.
"May I join you?" Peter asked a she approached her with a warm smile on his face.
"Of course," she scooted away from the tree so he could sit.
"So, how are you holding up? Is it strange being back in Narnia again?" He started with small talk.
Angelina smiled, "no, I wanted to go back. Can I be honest with you?"
"You can always be honest with me, Angelina," Peter leaned in preparing himself for listening to her.
"My dream was pretty scary. I saw an old side of Edmund. He was so old and lonely. It was like he didn't care about the world. Worst part is that he didn't remember me. I know he was just a dream, but I honestly hate the fact that he doesn't remember me. My dream turned into reality." She almost let out a couple of tears, running the scenes through her head again.
"It's alright. Sometimes bad things are supposed to happen to make way for the good." Peter put his arm around her.
"The only one who can help him is Aslan." Angelina said.
"No one has seen Aslan for a very long time," Peter furrowed his eyebrows trying to remember the last time he saw Aslan.
"I did see Him, very recently. He taught me how to fight, He gave me his light." Angelina finally confessed her secret with Aslan, she figured that it was no secret anymore.
"Of course, it makes sense, how else would you have obtained His power given to you?" Peter wanted to know how he missed it before.
"I need him back, I need Edmund back." She looked down at the ground and Peter knew that if she had a breaking point, that was it.
He sighed and looked up at the cloudless sky. There were a lot of things Peter Pevensie could not do, although he was a king. He felt helpless, like he was the one falling down and no one was kind enough to throw him a rope. However, Peter knew that if he could do anything, it was help his brother remember.
"You can trust me. I am your friend, and I will do all in my power to help you. It was a mistake separating you two." He looked into her eyes and waited for her to look back at him. Angelina was truly a very different young lady, if it weren't for his brother, Peter thought that even he would manage to fall in love with her. She turned her blue eyes to him and he stared at his new friend with a smile.
"I do trust you, thank you, your majesty." She did a small bow with her head.
Peter lifted her chin, "you can call me Peter now, besides, you are practically family."
Angelina never thought someone would call her a part of their family, especially the Pevensies. It felt good to know that she had someone on her side, that she was not alone in this fight, and Peter Pevensie was the best person to have on your side. The high king of Narnia whose influence reaches beyond Cair Paravel.
Suddenly, Peter looked into the distance, "do you love him?" He asked, realizing that there was something more than friendship between them.
Angelina didn't know how to answer, nor did she want to, but she couldn't lie to Peter. "Yes," she said, looking at him, searching his eyes for some reaction. Peter smiled, encouraging her.
He stood up and looked down at her, "I shall walk back to the castle, good evening miss Angelina." Peter bowed in front of her like a true king. He was very tall, and this was the first time she actually noticed. This was the first time Angelina looked at Peter as more than a king, as her friend.
She slowly stood up and went to the bench in the garden, the only white old stone bench that Edmund once showed her. Wishing that she could find the book of Narnia under it just like he did once, Angelina ran her hands over the stone top of the bench. Closing her eyes she sat down and took in the sun which was shining on top of her.
Edmund did not notice her at first. He was calmly walking down the garden to seek his solitude. Not much of his character has changed, none at all, actually. Edmund wanted time to think, and the only way he could do it is away from people, especially Johanna who has always been around him which he didn't understand. Remembering that he was supposed to marry her and cancelled the plans, Ed thought that might be the reason. Suddenly, he came to a stop upon seeing Angelina. There was something he knew he was supposed to remember about her, but the memory of remembering was forgotten to as soon as he would think of something else. Edmund didn't move, he didn't know what to say or think as he stared at her closed eyes reaching for the sunlight.
Opening her eyes, she noticed the pale Edmund Pevenise who was looking right at her. She didn't move her gaze from him, hoping that if she stared long enough he would remember.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here, I'll leave you be," Edmund said and turned around.
"No, stay." He heard her voice almost like a whisper.
Edmund turned his figure around and sat down next to her. He wasn't yet sure what he felt, discomfort or a strange sensation of a blissful and calming state. Then Edmund remembered that she was his friend, or at least that is what his memory allowed him to think. To him it was all strange how he couldn't remember her.
"I know there is something I'm forgetting, or at least that's what I am told by everyone else. It seems like we were close?" He turned to her in hopes of getting some sort of explanation.
Angelina smiled, "we were definitely close. We're best friends, we tell each other everything. Say, do you remember when I dared you to dance with me in the rain right under that tree?" Angelina pointed to the tall tree she once hid under.
Edmund looked over at it and he felt as if something was turning in his brain, he was trying to remember something and it almost worked, then he thought of Johanna for some reason and pushed his memories, which almost came up to the surface, back into the ocean of his mind. "I'm sorry. I don't remember."
He shook his head, "perhaps-If we play the scene out again, I would remember?" A small smirk appeared on his face, which faded as fast as it appeared. Edmund Pevensie was not one to be smooth with a girl he barely knew, and his old self was starting to show through the forgotten memory.
"But it's not raining," Angelina looked up at the sky.
"So, is that stopping you from dancing with me, miss Angelina?" He extended his hand to her and she gladly took it seeing how cheeky he was being. It gave her hope, Edmund was finally comfortable around her to be himself, and if he fell in love with her once, he could do it again.
First, he twirled her around. Then they both started moving slowly hand in hand. It wasn't exactly like they danced the first time, but she was just happy to dance with him again. His hand holding hers, preventing her from falling. His fingers running down her back like they belong there.
"Is this how it happened?" He asked her, watching his feet.
Angelina laughed, "not exactly."
"Well then how am I ever going to remember, you have to show me how!" His genuine smile appeared.
"You just have to follow your heart, do what you think is right." She kept twirling around and imagining as if raindrops were falling onto her face.
Edmund thought and then grabbed her hand to spin her back to him. She twirled in the sunlight until she ended up in his arms, her back to his chest. Just like the first time. He could feel her chest rising and she could feel his, nothing but silence and their hastened breath together. To them the sounds were like melodies, to others they would probably come out as cacophony.
She slowly turned around to face him for she knew exactly what came next unlike him who was clueless just like the first time.
"Then what happened?" He asked blinking his eyes a couple of times. His eyebrows were furrowed and lips pouched. Brown eyes glistened in the sunlight and sparkled with excitement. The confused face of Edmund was so familiar to her, yet hers was not familiar to him. She wanted to stretch her hand out and caress his cheek, but something was stopping her. Perhaps it was the fact that she didn't know what his reaction might be like.
He noticed her hand almost reaching up to his cheek and stared at it. Edmund didn't stop her, his curiosity wanted her to continue whatever she had in mind. To feel a sensation he had never felt, or at least didn't remember feeling. Edmund moved his eyes from her hand to her and leaned his head to the side almost daring her to continue.
"Then we went back to the castle, because it was raining." She put her hand on his cheek and her thumb ran over the hot red skin. If she had the power to look into ones soul instead of illuminating Aslan's light, she would be staring right into the depth of Edmund's.
Instead of doing the same thing he did last time, which was break their moment and take her back to the castle, Edmund put his hand on top of hers, feeling the warmth of it with his cold. He knew in that moment that there was a lot he didn't remember, a lot which he was missing. When almost his memory of the dance came back to him and he could remember tiny fragments, Johanna came back to mind. He closed his eyes and shook his head as if it physically pained him to think of her.
"What's wrong?" Angelina asked, raising her eyebrow.
"It's nothing," he took a step back from her realizing how close they were and what he let himself get into. It was completely absurd, she was the keeper of light, that's all he knew. He had no right to be this close to her, and he certainly had no right feeling strange unexplained feelings in her presence.
"We should go back." Edmund straightened his back and put on his kingly act.
"Yes, your majesty." Angelina did the same and walked in front of him to the castle. She was not giving up, every second spent with him was worth it, every moment gave her hope. There was a spark in his eyes, and she wouldn't let it go.
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