Chapter Two

(Edmund's POV)

I gasped for air as the three of us broke the surface of the water. I swam towards Lucy as the bright sunlight shined down on us. We were obviously in an ocean, no doubt about that. Eustace was screaming his head off a few feet away from us, but I just ignored him. We were home and I refused to let my stupid cousin's pitiful cries ruin the astounding moment. He had ruined enough things of mine in the last few years to last me a lifetime.

"Edmund, behind you!" Lucy shouted as a large shadow suddenly fell over us, blocking out the light from the sun. I quickly turned my head around and saw a huge ship sailing towards us, a dragon head as that mast. Sailors were jumping off of the ship's decks, landing in the water a few feet away from us. We didn't panic, though. We knew these people were friendly. I could tell from the Telmarine crest restng just beneath the large dragon head.

"Edmund! Lucy!" I heard another voice shout behind us a few yards away. Lucy and I turned around, disbelief all over our faces as we floundered around the surface of the water lazily. Susan and Peter must've gotten the invitation to Narnia as well, even though they had been all the way in America. I'll admit, it didn't seem fair that they got to live in America and come to Narnia with us. But I didn't question Aslan's wishes. He must've wanted them here for a reason.

"Susan! Peter! You're here as well!" A voice on the large boat said down to us. The sailors that had voluntarily jumped into the water to help us onto the ship lead us to the nearest rope ladder. Soaking wet, the four of us climbed up, while Eustace had to be dragged on. He was having another one of his tantrums, it wasn't exactly a big shock to me. Or Lucy, for the matter.

"Caspian! It's great to see you again!" Lucy said happily as she ran across the deck of the ship and hugged the king of the Telmarines. Caspian chuckled and hugged her back, then picked up a towel and wrapped it around her soaked shoulders. Members of the crew handed my sister, brother, and I towels as well.

"It's great to see the four of you." Caspian said to us.

"Where's Madi?" Peter asked quickly, not bothering to even touch the towel a Minotaur was trying to hand to him. Caspian chuckled and put his hand on Peter's shoulder. I was surprised by how much Caspian had changed. He looked a few years older, he was obviously in his mid-twenties now. A thin layer of black stubble covered his chin and lower face, his hair had grown longer as well. Long enough for a pony-tail, maybe even a braid if he wanted to get fancy, but he kept it loose and flowing.

"Madeline is fine. She stayed behind in Telmar to watch over the kingdom. Everything is alright." Caspian tried to tell us. But for some reason, Peter was having a difficult time believing him. That didn't surprise me one bit, considering the fact that my older brother still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend. I personally didn't feel sorry for him one bit that Madi decided to ditch him for Caspian. Peter had broken her heart and acted like a jerk to her, he didn't deserve her. I was happy for her that she had decided to stay behind with Caspian. At least one of us got to stay in Narnia.

"How is she?" Susan asked. We all looked at Caspian, wanting anxiously to know the answer to her question, when suddenly a loud shriek echoed over the deck of the ship. We all looke behind us and saw our old mouse friend, Reepicheep, be thrown across the ground.

"That rat was trying to kill me!" Eustace shouted as he quickly got to his feet, wiping his mouth on the back of his wet sleeve.

"I was merely expelling the water from your lungs, sir." Reepicheep said in his defense.

"Reepicheep!" Lucy said happily at the sight of the mouse. The small creature smiled and bowed respectfully to us.

"It is an honor to see you again, your Hignesses." He told us.

"How is she, Caspian?" Peter asked, bringing us back to the previous subject of Madi. Caspian's smile disappeared as he remembered that my brother still loved Madeline. He looked at Peter in the eyes, stepping closer to him so that he and Peter's faces were only a foot away from each other.

"Madeline, my wife, is fine. So are my son and daughter. Thank you for your concern, King Peter." Caspian said as he stepped away from my brother. He stood up ontop of a barrel so that he could be heard by the entire crew while our jaws dropped. I looked over at my sisters, who's mouths were hanging open in pure surprise as well. I could feel my heart shattering, but I knew my brother was in more pain than any of us were or ever would be. His face was like stone, but we all could see that his heart was shattering. 

"Everyone, these are Edmund, Susan, Lucy, and Peter Pevensie, kings and queens of Narnia. They will be our guests on this voyage. So will their crazy relative." Caspian said with a smirk as the crew laughed. Eustace looked up at him, offended, and was about to chew him out when suddenly he bumped into the Minotaur that had tried to hand my brother a towel. Of course, once he saw the huge creature, my cousin passed out. Typical Eustace. None of us were surprised.

"That is great news, Caspian. I'm so happy for the two of you." Lucy said with a grin, even though she obviously knew that her two brothers were in a large amount of pain at the moment. Caspian smiled at her as he jumped down from the top of the barrel, the crew settled back to work.

"Thank you, Lucy." Caspian said.

"What are your children's names?" Susan asked.

"My oldest child, my daughter, her name is Demetria. She's four years old, and will turn five this August. And my son, Antonio, is two. He will turn three in a few weeks." Caspian told us. I could feel my rage growing inside me. But decided to hide it as best as I could.

"That is amazing, Caspian. I'm sure you and Madi are every happy." Lucy said.

"Madi was the most excited out of the two of us. She's been an excellent mother, always making sure to spend time with the two even though she's been so busy with her duties as queen." Caspian told us.

"So you two just decided to get married? Without letting us know?" Peter suddenly spat. The smile erased from Caspian's face as he folded his arms.

"We couldn't exactly write you a letter, Peter." Caspian spat right back. "We would've invited you to the wedding if you had stayed."

"We didn't have a choice. We had to leave." Peter said, rage filling his words.

"And it was Madi's choice to stay." Caspian pointed out. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some important business to attend to." He said and walked into the bowels of the ship. I looked over at Peter, who's face was bright red with anger.

"You can never just be happy for her, can you, Peter?" I asked him.

"She MARRIED him! Don't you feel a little enraged?" Peter asked me, nearly shouting.

"Of course I am! But all we can do is accept this. We can't do anything to change what has happened, Peter. She chose her path to follow." I said to him.

"Everything always has to go your way, doesn't it, Peter?" Lucy asked, a frustrated tone in her voice. My two sisters both glared at our brother, then ran towards the door Caspian had walked into the ship through. I glared at him as well, then followed my siblings.