The Stone's Sermon - for narniaexchange

[nfe-gremlin.livejournal.com]

Title: The Stone's Sermon
Author: writeonkate
Recipient: narniaexchange
Rating: PG
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: HHB Spoilers
Summary: Edmund must learn an important lesson when Peter asks him to do what he cannot: give up their sister. Yet when Edmund goes looking for the strength and knowledge to do it, he finds his answer in an unlikely place.

It wasn’t fair, Edmund mussed as he stormed down one of the rarely used paths from the Cair. It should have been Peter to do this, not him. No matter how much notoriety he got, he was still defined by what he was not. Aslan had not named him High King. That honor had been given to Peter, and it was not something that Edmund resented. Each morning he counted his blessings to be alive and free of the Witch, and thanked Aslan each day for what he had done to save such an unworthy soul. Yet for all of his thankfulness for his position, Edmund could not find it in his heart to be thankful for his present predicament.

“Edmund, you have to escort her,” Peter had said, a faun helping the High King from his battle armor as Peter stood in the middle of his private chambers.

“Escort her? As though she is some prize dumb sow to take to market?” Edmund asked incredulously. “Peter, you don’t know Susan, not like I do. She’s sacrificing herself for the country, she so much as said it! She knows as well as you or I that if some sort of alliance isn’t made with Calormen that it’s not just the real giants in the north we’ll have to be containing, but also the giant army of that good-for-nothing Tisroc!”

Peter gritted his teeth, mouth still full of dust from the road. “You don’t think I know that, Ed? But she seems happy enough with the Calormen prince, and it certainly would help to have an ally there…”

“Happy enough? Peter, this isn’t one of your subjects you’re talking about, she’s your sister!”

“Don’t you think I know that, Edmund?” Peter shouted angrily, throwing his gauntlet across the room, hitting a painting of King Frank V and causing it to teeter dangerously on the wall. The faun quickly ran to retrieve the gauntlet and right the painting as Peter sighed heavily, sinking down into his desk chair. “Ed, I’m asking you to do what I can’t. I can’t give her away. Susan is my sister. I’ve spent most my life watching out for her. She’s the one who knows how to handle people better than I could ever hope to. She’s my friend, my advisor, just like you. I can’t do it Edmund- but I know you can.”

Edmund turned away. “So you’re sending me to do what you don’t want to do? That’s real magnificent of you, Peter,” he said angrily.

Peter bristled at his brother’s comment but said nothing. “Edmund… I know you. You’re as good as Su is about handling people, reading them, knowing their intent. I’m trusting you to keep her safe, make sure that this Prince is the man he proclaims to be.”

Edmund stayed silent for a long time before he finally looked back at his brother. “Fine. I’ll go do your dirty work, Peter, just as I always have. Spies, deceit, sneak attacks- all my fortes. Why not add delivery boy to it, too?” he said bitterly.

“Ed, it’s not like that…” Peter began to protest.

“You just promise me one thing, Peter,” Edmund said threateningly. “If I get the faintest whiff of something awry, I can order Captain Ondmond to turn the Splendor around and the deal is off.”

The High King knew better than to protest, and so he begrudgingly agreed. “I just hope you have a damn good explanation if you come back with her,” he said quietly as his brother nodded and strode angrily from the room.

Now the castle was all atwitter with handmaids and attendants and staff scrambling about to assemble all the trappings that would put Narnia to its best advantage in a foreign court. Sumptuous fabrics from the most skilled weavers found their way into trunks, and those lucky retainers were all being given their final fittings for an entirely new wardrobe at the Crown’s expense. “You’d think we were barbarians the way they’re fussing about everyone’s appearance,” Edmund grumbled sourly as he found his way into a deserted part of the extensive gardens. The place was far enough away from the Cair that at last Edmund could hear nothing but the eager chirps of dumb birds as they flitted from tree to tree in the grove.

The Just King kicked at a rock as he plopped in a very un-kingly fashion onto a worn stone bench, looking up at a large statue that confronted him. Carved in marble were the figures of a man and woman, both with crowns upon their heads and warm, contented smiles on their faces. The man was tall, lean, and lanky, with the beginnings of an expanding waistline covered up by stone clothing of a style different than what had been seen in court for years. The woman was no great beauty, especially with a dress cut so plainly and but a cape as ornament to her gown, but there was a certain benevolence radiating from her plain face that made Edmund pause for a moment. Below the figures read “In honour of their majesties Kyng Frank and Qween Helen on their fiftyeth season of rule as decreed by the great Lyon.”

“Bet you two never had to worry about half of what we do now,” Edmund said sourly to the smiling faces of the first King and Queen of Narnia. “Marriage for politics. If I never marry, it’ll be too soon,” he added grudgingly as he stood and kicked a pile of dead leaves that had formed at the base, causing them to flutter in the air for a moment and uncover something written beneath the dedication.

“Give, Sympathize, Control.”

“Give, sympathize, control?” Edmund muttered, furrowing his brow and looking up into the faces of the stone monarchs. “That makes a load of sense,” he said sarcastically. “Is that all the advice you’ve got for me?” The faces of the king and queen remained stoic as he frowned, turning away. “What more should I give? Peter’s already asked me to give my sister away to a man I can’t stand. I know Susan’s a grown woman and can decide for herself, but this is ridiculous. She’s had a parade of suitors since she turned 16 and she chooses this one? Of all of them?!” Edmund ran a hand through his hair. “There was Peridan and a dozen other knights from Archenland, even a Duke of the Lone Islands! And still she chooses him?!” he raged, stomping his foot on the ground in anger. “A pretty prince that pays her a compliment. A damn Calormene.” Edmund stood still for a long time, catching his breath and trying to calm himself before he returned to the castle.

“Don’t ask this of me, Aslan. Don’t ask me to give away my sister,” he whispered as he slowly made his way back to Cair Paravel.

Edmund had never been particularly at ease on boats. The first time he had ridden on a boat, an old fishing vessel they had managed to thaw from the great river, Edmund had turned as green as the trees in summer and had proceeded to add his own contribution to the choppy waves. Although the seasickness had subsided as he grew older, he never felt entirely comfortable with the way boats, even one as fine as the Splendor Hyaline. Rather than join the rest of the Narnians on the broad deck of the boat, Edmund sat sulkily in his quarters, flipping through a book on Narnian history without looking at it. They had been at sea for a week, and the winds were all fair and the water calm, making the journey as smooth as it could possibly be. Part of Edmund selfishly wished for a terrible storm to hit the ship and leave them marooned on some island and unable to make the journey to Calormen. That would show Peter, he thought sourly.

A knock at the door caused him to drop his book in surprise, sending him scrambling for his composure before calling a gruff “Come in.”

He was not altogether surprised when Susan pushed open the door to his cabin and came floating in like she owned the place. Her dress was perfect as it always was, and she had an air of grace about her that seemed to positively seep from every pore of her body. She was so different from Lucy, their youngest sister. Whereas Lucy was eager to do anything and everything, Susan was a far more calculated and clever queen than her sister was. That, more than anything, caused Edmund confusion as to why he was aboard the Splendor Hyaline making headway towards Calormen to give up his sister.

“I knew I’d find you down here,” Susan said matter- of-factly as she settled herself on the edge of her brother’s bed. “You’re brooding again, Edmund. As much as the ladies at the Cair like to giggle and find it an attractive feature in you, I’m afraid I’m not among their number,” Susan said with a faint smile. “You’re not happy about this trip.” Susan did not make it a question- it was a fact, and one she seemed quite well aware of.

Edmund grimaced. “I hate it when they giggle,” he growled as he tossed aside his book. “And I’m not brooding, I’m thinking,” he added petulantly.

“Yes, I’m sure. Thinking about how foolish you think I’m being,” Susan said smoothly.

Susan’s upfront demeanor did not surprise Edmund in the least. Of all his siblings, Susan was the most like him: clever, calculating, patient, but most of all a cunning liar who nonetheless knew when to speak the truth.

The young king raked his hand through his hair in agitation. “Susan, I didn’t say that…”

“But you’re thinking it. I can tell, Edmund. Never doubt a woman’s intuition, especially about her little brother,” Susan said calmly.

“Alright, fine,” Edmund said, furrowing his brow. “I don’t know why you think you have to do this, Susan. I know you- you’re better than Rabadash and you know it! You don’t deserve some cad like him.”

“Of course I know I’m better than the Crown Prince of Calormen, Edmund. I’m many things, but not a fool,” the Gentle Queen said softly. “I’m not doing this out of love, brother. At least, not for love of Rabadash. Do you think me that naive that I should fall for a foreign prince with naught but a successful tournament and a few pretty verses in my honor?”

“Susan, you know that I know you better than that-” Edmund started before being cut off by his elder sister.

Susan took his hand in hers, the roughness of his own a sharp contrast to her beautiful flawless hands. “Edmund, please understand. I told you exactly why I’m doing this- for the good of Narnia. Rabadash is not a bad man, brother. He is well-appointed, seemingly articulate and polite, and, most importantly, he’s the Crown Prince of Calormen. There are worse fates for me. Aslan charged me, charged all of us, with the protection of Narnia. You know I no longer join you on the battlefield since Lucy has decided that she will not be stopped. This is my way of protecting Narnia, Edmund: not with my bow and horn, but with myself. Calormen would not dare threaten Narnia with me there. Who better to keep you informed of their doings than me?” she said earnestly.

Edmund remained silent for a long time, not looking at his sister. Her arguments were sound, which irritated him. It was so much easier to argue with Peter or Lucy, who would let their emotions slide into their arguments and leave holes in their reason. “You don’t have to do this Susan,” he said quietly. “There are other ways. Our army can hold them off…”

“You know the precarious situation we are in as well as I do, Ed,” Susan said. “Peter may be fighting the giants in the North, but if I don’t do this, what is to stop Calormen from taking advantage of the absence of our High King and attempt to take over? Our intelligence has told us how long the Tisroc has eyed the lush lands of Narnia and desired them for himself. If I don’t marry his son, he has no reason not to lead an army into Narnia and take it. Perhaps not now, perhaps not even while Peter is on campaign. But it will happen. The army we have left at the Cair now is not adequate to defend against them, and we can not call Peter away without facing turmoil. Even later, our army would be hard pressed to defend Narnia. This is our only chance, Edmund. Don’t you see? This is my contribution. You and Peter and Lucy will be fine without me.” She sighed. “I’ll miss you all, you know. But I can’t do this without your blessing, Edmund.”

Edmund’s shoulders sank in defeat. All of Susan’s words were true. Really, her political marriage was a masterful plan the likes of which he would be proud of. The elements were all there. Susan’s loyalty would never be questioned, and she’d be stationed in a position in which she would know all of the gossip and all of the plans of the most likely of the Tisroc’s sons to launch a battle. It made sense in his head, and though it felt like the Witch’s staff going through his gut once more, he had to sympathize with her reasoning.

“I understand, Susan. I wish you wouldn’t, but I know better than to dissuade you. But if that cad lays a nasty hand upon you, I swear…”

“You’ll come riding in from the North with half the Narnian army. I know, Edmund,” Susan said with a quiet laugh. “Thank you, brother,” she said quietly, standing up and squeezing his hand with a slightly watery smile. “I couldn’t do this without you. I know it looks like I’m no better than a trussed up sow going off to breed and slaughter,” she said, ignoring Edmund’s wince at the words, “but I promise you that I will be careful. Everything will be in hand- you have my word.”

Edmund gave a curt nod, and Susan laid a kiss on his forehead. “You should come up to the deck soon. The sailors are planning a dance, and I’m determined that you shall be partnered tonight with one of my ladies,” Susan said with a mischievous smile as she swept out of the room.

The situation could not have been more disastrous. The Narnian agents in place in the Tisroc’s court had already been in anxious contact with Edmund about the growing feelings of animosity towards the Narnian emissary. As Susan’s doubts grew like a weed in her heart, Edmund was ever-calculating. He knew the imminent danger they faced in staying in Calormen any longer without Susan putting on a wedding gown and entering the Tisroc’s harem. Susan, ever calm and composed in the face of adversity, had taken to wringing her hands as she paced the Narnian quarters, worrying about Corin’s safety as well as her “great mistake,” as she had taken to calling it.

Immediately Edmund’s mind raced to action. He had to get Susan and the rest of his countrymen away from Calormen without anybody being harmed. He knew that if worse came to worse, they could possibly make their way out by force, but then any thought of maintaining peaceful relations between Narnia and Calormen would be out of the question. They would barely have time to make it home before the grand army of the Tisroc would be upon them. If they were to do something, it would have to be by surprise and with precision.

It was, upon later reflection, a brilliant move that Tumnus had engineered. Sneaking away in the night aboard their ship and escaping Calormen before it was too late to stop them was a tactical maneuver the likes of which would be preserved in the Narnian histories forever. Yet even as Edmund rode with Lucy at the head of the small contingent of the Narnian army, control once more in his hands, he could not help but wish that he was not. Their force was so small compared to what it should be to go against the Tisroc. If it was a force of 200, it perhaps wouldn’t go so badly. Yet if Rabadash sent to his father for reinforcements, it would be nothing short of a miracle if they managed to succeed in their endeavor to help Anvard and drive away the great army of Rabadash. Edmund had prayed desperately for hours on end for Aslan to help, to save them, to give him a sign that the great lion had heard and would protect them. Yet none had come. The control of the safety of his home was placed in Edmund’s hands once more, and with a grimace he had accepted the responsibility placed upon his shoulders.

The battle of Archenland was a rousing success, if only for the help of Aslan. All of Edmund’s fears were proven substantial when he came upon the forces at Anvard, and frankly, had it not been for Aslan’s aide, they would be on their way as slaves to Calormen. At last, it seemed, Edmund’s prayers had been answered, and he knew that Susan’s potential sacrifice would not be in vain: the Calormenes had retreated and with an ass for a Prince, neither the Tisroc nor his son would be likely to attack the northern countries in their lifetimes. Yet Susan would never be the same: for the rest of her life she would be more hesitant, more cautious than the Queen she had been before. It was with a heavy heart that Edmund returned home to Cair Paravel, safe at last, but with shame in his heart that he had not been able to foresee what would become of their disastrous trip to the land of the Tisroc.

It was not long after their return that Edmund found himself wandering down the same path he had walked before their departure. Past the beautiful gardens his sister was so meticulous about keeping, he walked until the grass became longer and the path harder to find. At last, though, he found the place he had sought, and with a small smile he placed a bouquet of flowers at the foot of the statue of those first monarchs of Narnia. Give. Sympathize. Control. Edmund removed his outer tunic and rubbed clean the words until they gleamed before stepping back to admire his handiwork.

Looking up into the faces of King Frank and Queen Helen, Edmund gave a sad sort of smile. “I guess you two did know what it was all about.”

Comments

[autumnia]

One of the duties of ruling is knowing when to sacrifice for the good of the country. In this, it is so much harder when it is their beloved Sister they have to give up. I feel for Edmund as he is placed in such a predicament and it was a hard lesson for him to learn and accept.

And it almost seems as if he was destined to find that inscription beneath the statue, that he learns that to "Give, Sympathize, Control" is a lesson all rulers experience firsthand. At least Susan (brave, understanding, and strong Queen that she is) didn't have to marry Rabadash in the end, and Narnia was safe from the Tisroc and Calormen for now.

[wingedflight21.livejournal.com]

I really liked reading Edmund's struggle with allowing his sister to sacrifice herself for the country. And that Peter is clearly so unable to do this is so, so sad.
I also love that there is still a statue of the first King and Queen in the garden of Cair Paravel. A really gorgeous detail of this story!

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

This is a very nice portrayal of Susan. Tying Edmund's conflict back to the first King and Queen was a very nice touch. She is very savvy here and fighting a battle as surely as Edmund and Peter are. A very nice job and you do a great job showing Edmund's internal conflict.

well done!

[ilysia-039.livejournal.com]

Very well done- it's nice to see Edmund's perspective of the proposed match.

[snacky]

This was a different and interesting perspective on the events in HHB. Nice touch with the statues of Frank and Helen.

[min023.livejournal.com]

This is a really interesting take on the key events of HHB. All the strategy, and internal conflict, and the need to try and do that which is best for Narnia. Nice story : )

[liminalliz.livejournal.com]

Definitely loved to see HHB from Edmund's perspective as it's my favorite book and he's my favorite character! Edmund was very nicely characterized; what a great fic! :)