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WALKING IN THE WIND
ix. INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY

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  IF THERE WAS ONE thing the Pevensies were most famous for, it was their ability to bicker about any and every little thing.

  Of course, their talent for being glorious rulers was another, probably more noteworthy, thing; however, even in their youth, they were notorious for arguing. The hallways of their childhood home, Professor Kirke's mansion in the countryside, and Cair Paravel still echoed with their shouts. The shadows of them pointing fingers at one another were burned into the walls. You'd think they loathed each other with how often they fought over the years, but in reality, that was merely the charm of having siblings.

  Ever since they banded together to defeat the White Witch, they grew closer. How long had it been anyway? It was arduous keeping track of time in Narnia, where the days raced by and seasons changed every other week.

  That being said, they were admittedly protective over each other. They were all they had, after all, and after the first war they fought together, a battle in which they nearly lost the third-eldest, they couldn't help their protective natures.

  That was how they ended up here: debating over Edmund's newest friend, Lady Hope Edwards.

  Three days passed since the Wysterians arrived in Narnia, and needless to say, it was a chaotic few days. Between celebrations, colloquiums, and continuous conversations to get to know one another, the High Kings and Queens hadn't a moment to themselves until now. And in those three days, the Pevensies each shared a sparked interest toward Lady Hope.

  Only, this time, it wasn't a good thing.

  "Oh, come on, she's only a handmaid," Peter dismissed.

  "Yes, and Aslan's just a lion," Susan sarcastically ricocheted.

  While Edmund was busy with their guests, the remaining three Pevensies gathered in Peter's private study to discuss the lady-in-waiting. Despite being such an insignificant person, she had sparked quite the controversy amongst the siblings.

  "I'm sorry," Lucy spoke from where she sat on the leather couch, "but I don't understand what the problem is. I thought we liked Lady Hope? She's so charming and nice."

  "Yes, and she was there for Ed when he was all alone in Wysteria," added Peter. "She hasn't done anything in particular for us to distrust her."

  "Haven't you noticed a change in Ed since his return?" Susan remarked. When her siblings exchanged unsure glances, she continued, "You don't deem it uncanny how he's been less annoying than usual?"

  Lucy snorted. "Way to berate our brother."

  "You know what I mean."

  A thoughtful gleam crossed Peter's face. "You know, you might be onto something. When he left, he was brooding over this entire situation. Now that he's back, he's weirdly happy."

  Lucy proposed, "So? Maybe he's falling in love with Odette and that's made him happier. She's a nice girl, after all. Is it that hard to believe? I mean, they spent a whole month together!"

  Susan sighed. "Perhaps, but this is Edmund we're talking about. I think something happened in Wysteria."

  "What does that have to do with Lady Hope?" quizzed Lucy, unsure as to what was bothering her sister.

  "Think about it!" encouraged Susan. "You saw how highly he spoke of Hope in his letter. It was so extreme that even you became confused about who his fiancée was, Lu. They're always smiling at each other, and he's constantly going out of his way to talk to her, even more so than the princess. Honestly, I can't remember the last time he looked that engaged in a conversation that wasn't with Hope."

  Peter shrugged. "I don't see what the problem is. It honestly sounds like he has a little crush on her, and rightfully so! He's a young man! Why shouldn't he be allowed to have those kinds of feelings toward girls his age? It's normal."

  "Did you already forget he's engaged?" reminded Susan.

  "No, I didn't forget," he assured, "but we all know Ed. He would never jeopardize the future of an entire country, one that will very soon become a part of our own, for a little crush. I'm sure these feelings will fade and he'll be left with a lifelong friend. This could be good for him!"

  "But that's the problem," Susan calmly argued. "What if these feelings don't fade? What if Hope's egging him on?"

  That caught the High King's attention. "What are you insinuating, Su?"

  Susan folded her arms over her chest while reporting, "I was doing some research on Wysteria earlier. Did you know the land is named after its native flower, the Wisteria; a flower known for being beautiful but incredibly poisonous and toxic?"

  "Where exactly are you going with this?"

  "I think that speaks a lot on Wysteria altogether. It might seem fine on the outside, but the inside tells another story," she theorized. "Did you know the Wysterians don't believe in Aslan? I overheard some of King David's servants discussing it yesterday. It's rare for Wysterians to believe in Aslan, and that's why the land is riddled with strife and despair. I think it's reasonable to believe that people are growing desperate over there."

  "So?" Lucy interrogated.

  "So, what if Hope intends on getting close to Edmund and convinces him to fall in love with her for a chance at riches and good fortune?"

  Lucy gasped. "That's mad! You think she's a gold-digger?"

  "Well, I don't like it either!" Susan defended. "But you've seen how others have tried to get close to us for similar reasons. Don't you recall when Peter was cursed with a love spell last year?"

  Peter cringed at the memory before adding, "You know, it's not as absurd as you think, Lu."

  "But-But she seems so nice!"

  "That's what Ed thought about the White Witch, remember?" Peter retorted. Chills immediately shocked their spines at the mention of her name. "I'm not saying Hope's as evil as... her. I'm saying that despite Ed's stellar judgment, it's easy to deceive others who aren't paying attention. I'll be the first to acknowledge that Hope is a lovely girl, but we don't know anything about her. Susan could be right about this. I don't want to see him get hurt."

  Lucy hummed. She supposed the two had a point. But her judgment of character was hardly ever wrong.

  "Perhaps, but... is it really necessary to paint a target on her back? It's like you said, Pete, we don't know anything about her. Maybe that should change," she suggested.

  Susan's face contorted with ambivalence. "You want to get to know her?" she asked, appalled.

  "It's unfair to judge her so quickly," Lucy wisely proclaimed. "We've given every one of your or Pete's potential suitors a chance before their true colors shined. If we get to know her, our suspicions will have definite answers. It's better to strategize before heading into war, right?"

  A proud smile tugged on Peter's face. "Very well spoken, Lu," he praised. "Alright, then that settles it. We'll have to get to know her before we act carelessly."

  Susan wasn't a fan of the idea. "What if she manipulates you, too? It's not plausible to head into a dragon's den without proper equipment."

  To her surprise, Peter chuckled. "Oh, come on, she's just a girl, and she seems more harmless than you're willing to accept." He glanced back at the youngest. "Do you have a plan in mind?"

  Lucy's smile returned to her. "I do!"

  Susan just sighed. She didn't like the sound of this at all.

○ ○ ○

  Lucy had to admit the idea of Edmund having a crush on anyone was the most bizarre thing she'd ever heard. And this was coming from the girl who blindly believed in just about anything, including talking animals and Father Christmas. Though, to be fair, those things ended up being real...

  Regardless, Lucy couldn't comprehend Edmund liking anyone romantically. In fact, she was the first to make jokes about how this arranged marriage would be the only way for him to find someone.

  She couldn't even count on her hands how many times her brother rejected the girls that tried flirting with him. She remembered how he made faces at couples that were romantic in public, and she recalled every snide comment he made when people tried to get close to him.

  Edmund was the kind of person everyone secretly rooted for. He was kindhearted and considerate, even when he was being a pain in the ass. But despite that, he refused to let people in, including his siblings at times. That was one of his greatest flaws: despite his keen judgment, he denied that there were people who cared about him.

  Perhaps that was another reason why he was originally against the arranged marriage — because it required letting someone in, to some extent.

  Susan was right about Edmund. He was always charming and witty, but these traits seemed to bleed through even more in the last three days. Not only that, but he seemed happier, too. Lucy was beginning to question whether Lady Hope truly was the cause of this change. If she was, what made her so special? Could it really be romantic feelings? It sounded preposterous to Lucy, particularly because her brother was supposed to be engaged to a completely different woman!

  Whatever it was, Lucy was eager to get to the bottom of this. She honestly didn't believe Hope was a gold-digging, manipulative monster like Susan was suggesting. She just needed proof to support her intuition.

  Lucy marched into the Grand Hall where Edmund, Odette, and a few royal advisors were gathered. Confidence engulfed her as she scanned the room, ignoring whatever they were conversing about. Naturally, her eyes first fell upon her brother, though she noticed he seemed distracted. Lucy followed his gaze until—Oh, dear.

  Edmund seemed to have been staring at Hope as she mindlessly looked out a nearby window.

  Her thoughts wandered to what her siblings said about Edmund having a crush. She originally thought it was fallacious, but now that she was watching them with this idea in mind, maybe it wasn't that irrational.

  Clearing her throat, all heads turned to Lucy. "Sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," she excused, politely curtseying.

  Edmund's attention snapped away from Hope to his little sister — a delayed reaction. Curious, he queried, "It's alright, Lu. What's the matter?"

  Lucy appreciated how much nicer Edmund was to her now that they were older. She figured he owed it to her after bringing him to Narnia in the first place. Yes, he was still her annoying big brother, but his kindness didn't go unnoticed. Well, by her, at least.

  Lucy's gaze shifted to the princess. "If it's alright with you, Princess Odette, could I borrow Lady Hope?" she entreated.

  Hope instantly became tense under the unexpected attention. "Me?" she repeated. Lucy just nodded, causing Hope to look to her best friend.

  "I'm sure it's nothing," Odette softly assured with a smile. "You're dismissed."

  Hope despised confrontation and being the center of attention. She wasn't used to it the way Odette was. Because of that, the only times she was ever given the spotlight were times when she was in trouble or embarrassed herself. She feared Queen Lucy was about to reprimand her.

  As Hope walked forward, Edmund stopped her by carefully grabbing her arm. He looked up at her with that stupid cheeky grin. "Don't worry, all of our guillotines are too big for someone as small as you," he whispered.

  A smile invaded Hope's face. "You're terrible at consoling people, you know," she muttered back.

  "Really? I thought that was pretty good," he mused. Nonetheless, they both knew that jokes were the best way to soothe each other now. He could tell she was grateful.

  Of course, no one could hear what they were saying. All they could see were the smiles on their faces, and that made the Valiant smile in return.

  Oh, hold on. What was she doing? Edmund was engaged to Odette, not Hope! Still, that didn't change the fact that Lucy thought Edmund and Hope were quite cute...

  When Hope joined Lucy's side, the two exited the Grand Hall. But before they left, Lucy couldn't help but feel eyes on them. Surely enough, that gaze came from her brother. Lucy's lips merely curled into an innocent smile, causing him to roll his eyes before focusing on the conversation at hand again.

  Standing outside the room, Hope tensely wondered, "So, Your Majesty, what can I do for you?"

  Lucy waved a hand. "Oh, there's no need to be nervous. I wanted to apologize again for my confusion when we first met."

  Hope tilted her head to the side, her long, fiery locks falling over her shoulder as she did so. "Apologize? Again?" she echoed. She found herself chuckling her nerves away. "I'm afraid the customs are very much different in Wysteria compared to Narnia. A queen shouldn't apologize to a handmaid."

  "That's silly! You should always apologize when you're in the wrong, title or not," she insisted. "I was hoping to give you a tour of Cair Paravel as an apology. Ed tells us that you're fascinated by Narnia, and I know how boring it is sitting in on those parleys all day long."

  Lucy searched Hope's face for any kind of reaction at the mention of her brother, but all she did was nod. "I'm afraid you're right. It's educational but boring," she humored as they started to walk. "I'm just impressed Odette's been able to tolerate it for so long, but I think she's just eager to get a grip on things."

  Lucy laughed. "Are you and the princess close?"

  Hope nodded. "It'd be unfortunate if we weren't. I've spent nearly every waking moment with her for the last three years. I don't mind, of course. Odette's practically my sister."

  Lucy paid close attention to how she spoke about the princess. That was the first thing on their list of theories. If Hope disliked Odette, it would be easier to write her off as a jealous and greedy handmaid. Judging her words and their interactions these last three days, that didn't seem accurate.

  Smiling, Lucy asked, "Do you have siblings back home?"

  The second thing on their list was Hope's family life. It would make sense for someone of the lower-class to be more desperate to seek wealth.

  "No, uh, my mother passed when I was born, so unless I have a secret twin running around somewhere, I'm an only child." She refrained from snorting at her dark joke. Was Edmund rubbing off on her?

  "I'm sorry for your loss," Lucy gently replied. "And your father?"

  "He was the Captain of the Royal Guard my whole life, so he was always traveling to distant lands and such. Two years ago, he, um, he died overseas due to an illness," she hesitantly explained. She forced a smile. "I know, it's not very exciting—"

  Lucy shook her head. "Don't worry, I wasn't expecting anything exciting," she assured.

  Though Lucy couldn't help but falter. She would've never thought Hope was an orphan. She seemed so... cheerful. But when she saw Hope's pained reaction to the mention of her parents, Lucy understood. She didn't want anyone to pity her.

  After a moment, Lucy declared, "Well, this is a terrible start to a tour." She linked their arms together, her smile returning. "Come on, let's start over. I'll make this tour one you'll never forget!"

  The last thing on the list was figuring out what Edmund meant to Hope. Was he just a friend or did she have a crush on him, too? Judging by how Hope was oblivious to Edmund's staring earlier, Lucy sensed the handmaid was clueless and considered him nothing more than a friend. Lucy supposed that made sense. If Hope truly respected Odette, then why would she want to ruin their marriage before it began?

  Lucy wasn't sure if it was because she got along with everyone she met, but she and Hope clicked faster than either girl anticipated. They waltzed through Cair Paravel, laughing wildly. Well, to tell you the truth, Lucy was the one laughing the most between them. Who would've thought Hope was so funny?

  Edmund wasn't exaggerating in the slightest in his letter. Hope was shy and timid at first, but once she opened up, there was no returning. She was kindhearted and eager to learn at every opportunity. She was bright like the sun.

  Of course, they had their moments for Lucy to be a proper tour guide. Hope was so used to Odette's ramblings that listening to Lucy talk about Narnian history and facts about Cair Paravel was a breeze. Well, that part didn't matter as much because Hope actually wanted to hear as much as she could about Narnia.

  Before they knew it, hours went by where Hope and the Valiant Queen were simply talking about everything. It was almost like Hope had met her more outgoing and confident twin. They couldn't get enough of each other.

  When Lucy eventually parted ways with the lady-in-waiting and she returned to Peter's private study to give her brother and sister a mission report, they nearly strangled her.

  "I like her!"

  Susan loudly sighed. "Lu, it doesn't matter if you like her or not," she reminded. "You were supposed to decide if she's a person of concern."

  Lucy furrowed her eyebrows together. "Oh. When did we decide that?"

  Before Susan could reply, Peter interrupted, "Well, as they say, people are innocent until proven guilty."

  Susan shook her head. "In this case, it's guilty until proven innocent. I don't want Ed to get hurt if he has feelings for someone who won't truly reciprocate them."

  Lucy snickered. "Don't worry. I don't think either of them have noticed that Ed totally has a crush on Hope," she declared. "I'm not too sure about Hope, but I'm certain about him."

  Peter's eyebrows shot upward toward his hairline. "Really? You think so?"

  Lucy nodded vigorously. "I'm positive."

  "Well, don't celebrate yet," Susan mentioned. "We still need to make sure if we need to worry about her ruining this politically advantageous marriage and hurting Ed. Focus, guys!"

  Peter snorted. "Don't worry, Mum, she still has two more people to get through," he assured. "We'll get to the bottom of this." He turned to Lucy. "But until then, tell me more."

  Susan shook her head and despite her disapproval of her brother's crush, she couldn't help but smile at the way Lucy talked about all of the things she noticed from today and the last three days.