Okay, so I admit it—there was some procrastination here. But I'm ready to write now, I hope this doesn't disappoint! And thank you so much for all of the awesome reviews, it really helped!

Edmund knew before he saw the young man that Caspian was frustrated. Though he had grown up inside a palace, Caspian had always had a light, quick step, and it was rare that anyone was able to hear him coming. Now his feet thudded onto the soft grass, and the slightly off-rhythm footstep told Edmund that something was amiss.

Standing knee-deep in a small stream, one that flowed out of the Great River, and having shed his boots and tunic, Edmund knew he didn't appear intimidating. All the better to be able to find out what was on Caspian's mind. The man didn't like to have anything forced from him, and talking to a teenager clad in only pants and sopping wet was a likely way to get him to vent.

Sure enough, Caspian came around a large oak and was muttering heatedly to himself. Edmund arched a brow and waited for Caspian to notice him. It only took a few moments.

"King Edmund," Caspian said, stopping short and flushing a bit. "I did not expect to see you here."

Though he had spent a long time responding to "king", Edmund still found it odd to hear the title applied to him. "Well, even a king must bathe at some point." He grinned.

Caspian nodded once and shifted uncertainly from one foot to the other. Edmund poured water onto his arms, patiently watching Caspian to see if the man wanted to say something.

"Is the water nice?" Caspian asked after a minute.

"Fantastic. Not too cold and not too warm either. Extremely refreshing after I've been running around all day in the heat."

Caspian yanked off his boots and sat on a rock at the edge of the water, letting his feet dangle in the river. He sighed. "You were right."

Edmund washed some of the dried blood off of his forearm. Blast it if he wasn't more careful the next time he taught a dwarf how to wield a sword.

"Sir?"

Straightening, Edmund looked at Caspian's confused expression and said, "You can call me Edmund. 'Sir' makes me feel old."

Smiling slightly, Caspian returned, "With all due respect, you are ancient by our standards."

Edmund let out a burst of laughter, but stopped as he saw Caspian's face resume its closed appearance.

"Edmund, do you honestly believe I can lead this nation?"

"Without a doubt."

"Why?"

Caspian sounded so childlike and lost; Edmund stopped and looked him in the eye. "Caspian, I know that you can lead Narnia because of your devotion that you've shown towards them. And you left the Telmarines. You also haven't returned to them, nor given them any indication that we have gathered for battle. You have had multiple opportunities to betray us, to desert us and find a better lifestyle for yourself, but you always remained by our side. You defended us during the raid of the castle. How can you accomplish these things if you are not made to be a leader?"

Thinking over Edmund's words, Caspian stared at the rippling surface of the water. He raised his head, wearing a tormented expression. "But I almost brought Jadis back to life. And we could have left the castle sooner. It's my fault. Why do the Narnians still follow me?"

Answering softly, Edmund replied, "You give them hope. Even as the Telmarine forces overwhelmed us, you stood strong. Caspian, the Narnians may be seeking freedom from the Telmarine oppression, but what gives them confidence and persuades them to keep fighting for it is you. You gathered them together and taught them that they can throw off the rule. That's more than they've had in centuries."

His features lightening as the burden of his guilt was lifted, Caspian gave a full smile to Edmund. "Thank you, King Edmund the Just. I will call you Edmund if you like, but do not underestimate yourself. You are very worthy of your title."

He rose out of the water and pulled on his boots. "I will leave you to finish bathing." Grinning mischievously, he added, "We all know you need it."

Edmund splashed him and shook his head in mock annoyance. "Get out of here."

Caspian laughed and walked away, the lightness of his step returned. Edmund rubbed the dirt out of his palms as he thought.

Caspian was indeed ready to take his place on the throne and rule Narnia. All that was left now was to defeat the Telmarines and to show them that Narnia would always stand strong.

So hopefully this wasn't too bad! I think I will be adding Aslan to this, it just seems like there needs to be someone who will be there for Edmund, instead of just Edmund being there for the others. Thoughts?