Author's note

This story is proving quite difficult to write, but I enjoy a challenge and wanted to know if I could tell such a taboo story successfully, which to be honest I'm not sure I'm managing at all.

The Chronicles of Narnia have always been among my favourite childhood stories but I always wondered about the parts left out – what happened to the Pevensies growing up in Narnia? Four children forced to adulthood quickly for the good of the kingdom? This is my dark take on it, and also it's really about Edmund who was always my favourite.

If you do not like taboo stories, themes of incest, or dark subjects, this is not the story for you.

'O Rose thou art sick.
The invisible worm,
That flies in the night
In the howling storm:

Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy:
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy'.

The Sick Rose, Songs of Experience

William Blake

Chapter 1

The day dawned bright and promising, the heady morning light glinting off the white marbled columns of Cair Paravel and turning them to purest gold in the Narnian sun. Morning was always beautiful here reflected Lucy, it seemed as if hope itself shone brightly every day onto Narnia since the defeat of the White Witch. And the young fair girl, still dressed in her simple nightdress, leaning against a column and sketching the dawn, embodied that hope.

He watched her from the shadowed doorway, the tall dark-haired man silent and grim. He had not spoken to her for months, had only recently returned from an enforced absence – necessary, he had told Peter to inspect their borders.

And now he was back, stronger he had thought than before, but confronted with the sight of her, her simple shift - gauzy and transparent in the sun, her light curls lifting in the breeze, and the smell of her, heady notes of jasmine and lily, a smell he could only describe as innocence, he knew he was lost.

If he was to ever act upon his desires, war would be raged and pain and untold suffering would be visited again onto the green and pleasant lands of Narnia. Their enemies were merely biding their time, waiting for the Kings and Queens of Cair Paravel to slip up, for them to swoop in and seize their lands and people. He owed it to his family, his friends, the citizens of Narnia to protect them. This young fresh girl was not for him. The laws of the land prevented it, and for good reason. Incest was wrong.

A slight movement betrayed him, and Lucy turning cried out in delight at seeing him.

"Edmund!" she rose and flung herself at him, into his emotionless and unresisting arms. He had been so strange with her for months, cold and unresponsive, and for a girl who always followed her heart, who was ruled by her passions, and who loved fiercely and unreservedly, especially her family, this had been hard to bear.

In the intervening months Edmund had been absent Lucy had resolved to ignore his coldness, to love him harder, to bring him back from wherever he was. She was used to his dark feelings of guilt for his actions during the war, for the way he had treated her and for his need to be alone, but she knew that his brooding only hurt him, and she desperately wished to be of comfort.

"I have missed you" she told him, and hugged him fiercely. Eventually his muscled arms came up around her and hugged her back.

"And I you" he said quietly.

Lucy thrilled to herself that she was making a breakthrough when a small cough interrupted them. She turned to see Alaina, her young handmaiden curtsying. Edmund made an involuntary noise and quickly turned away from both of them.

"Forgive the intrusion Mistress, but King Peter has summoned you and Kind Edmund to breakfast, he has something he wishes to share".

"Of course" replied Lucy "I will quickly dress…"

"No need Mistress, King Peter was insistent you both attend him promptly. I have brought your robe and slippers" and Alaina held out Lucy's silk dressing gown. Lucy shrugged it on quickly and turned to face her brother.

Edmund watched her coldly, his mask back in place. He was already dressed, or rather had not undressed from his travels. His black doublet and trousers splashed with mud, dark stubble dotted his sharp jawline and the bags under his dark blue eyes evidenced his weariness. He turned away from Lucy with a sneer and walked into the castle towards the Breakfast room without waiting for her.

He heard Lucy's small gasp behind him at his cold behaviour, but he forced himself to ignore it and walked quickly ahead. Reaching the blue doors of the Breakfast room he entered ahead of her and bowed to King Peter and Queen Susan, his brother and sister, already seated at the small intimate table and evidently waiting for him and Lucy.

Lucy hurried in a moment later, dishevelled and looking close to tears. Hating the emotional hold her brother had on her, she chose to ignore the silent man at her side, and concentrated her attention on her siblings across the table.

Peter waited for the servants to lay fruits, breads and juices upon the table and then when quietly withdrawing beamed delightedly upon his brother.

"It is as good seeing you this morning, as it was last night. Welcome home brother, you have been absent far too long". Peter said smiling; a good-looking boy he had grown into a handsome man, as tall as Edmund but considerably broader on the shoulders, his hair had darkened to the colour of old gold but his clear blue eyes still retained the mischief from his boyhood.

Edmund allowed himself a small smile and received with equanimity the hug and kiss from his sister Susan, who had risen to greet him. She was even more beautiful than she had been in the days when the quartet had first entered Narnia, a picture of elegance and grace, her long dark hair curled becomingly on her shoulders and her ruby red lips whispered of secret promises.

Lucy turned her face from him and studied the food in front of her. She would recover from his slight later she knew, but just at that moment she would not speak to him.

"I asked you to come here this morning brother and sisters for a most joyful reason" Peter began smiling at them all across the table.

"Corin from Archenland as you know has been visiting Narnia regularly for the last few months, and has asked if he might have the honour of our sister, Queen Lucy's hand in marriage".

This statement dropped casually onto the table, ignited like a flaming arrow onto straw.

"What?! He's asked what?" cried Susan, turning to her brother in disbelief and looking at her white-faced sister across the table. "She's just a child, she's too young".

"I…I..." hesitated Lucy "I look upon him as a friend, I thought that was what he wanted…"

But it was Edmund that started the fire "No, I forbid it".

"Edmund?" queried Peter in a tone of amused disbelief.

"No" said Edmund, firmly, quietly and in a tone that brooked no discussion.

"Edmund you cannot be serious" said Peter "Think of what we have been trying to do all these years – we need this alliance. You yourself said so, you have been out canvassing support across our borders – you know this. Calormen turns it's eyes towards Narnia, Prince Rabadash again demanded we give him Susan. We need Archenland more than ever".

Lucy watched the blood drain from Susan's face, she knew Susan was remembering Rabadash's latest visit to Cair Paravel, his insistence that Susan visit him soon in Tashbaan. Lucy had stumbled across them in the Rose Garden, Rabadash's arm about Susan's waist, his hand cruelly grabbing her face, only Lucy's inadvertent interruption had stopped him Susan had later told her. Stopped him from what Lucy was not precisely sure, but she had seen Susan's face and the genuine terror and knew that whatever it was, it was a thing to be feared.

"We must consider this" Susan was saying Lucy realised "for Narnia and all of us. You like Corin don't you Luce? You said so yourself, you would be as two friends together and close for frequent visits".

As Lucy was slowly looking from Susan's sad face to Peter's encouraging one, Edmund's voice broke over them again, "I said no".

"Ed" began Peter exasperated.

"Give Susan to him, not Lucy, she is as you said Su, a child"

"Hey!" shouted Lucy outraged

"Shutup Ed, I am no possession to be given" said Susan hotly

"He wants Lucy" said Peter gently "And she is 17, she is not a child anymore. I know it's hard, but we do this for all of us, for our kingdom, and Corin is a gentle noble man, we could not hope for better for our sister"

Edmund rising from the table said "If you bring him here to do this, I will kill him" and left the room.

Peter and Susan looked at each other and then at Lucy. She stared through blurry eyes at the table, her feelings in turmoil.

"Luce" began Peter gently

"I will do my duty" she said quietly, and rising too quickly exited the room.