A/N : This is my first Chronicles of Narnia fan fiction. I am relatively new to the family, so I would really appreciate reviews. Please let me know how you feel, and if I should continue writing. I have written only one other fan fiction and it was for Wizards of Waverly Place, titled 'Chocolate Milkshakes'. If you are free, please read that too and tell me how you found that. Since I forgot to put the disclaimer there, I shall put it here. The characters do not belong to me.

Disclaimer : I can never hope to match up to the genius of C.S. Lewis. All I can say is thank you God for having given us such a wonderful storyteller who continues to inspire people even after hundreds of years.

Another thing : The flashbacks are in italics, except for the end, where it is pretty clear what the text is. Edmund is 15, Lucy 14.

Even now, there were times when Edmund could not forgive himself. He tried to; he really did, but somehow or the other, he always wound back to reminiscing how unfairly he had treated Lucy in the past. He knew better now, that much was certain. But that knowledge did not dispel the fact that he had never bothered to view Lucy as a fellow human. He treated her with contempt, as an aardvark treats an ant hole, before consuming it: reveling in the pride that it is the only one who can do that.

It was time, he decided, to clear himself of all guilt, once and for all. This was why he was roaming the streets of Narnia, looking into shops to see what would please his only baby sister. Though he would have loathed to admit it in the past, he was now really protective of her. He cared. They had grown closer and he had become more affectionate as well. They would tackle each other to the ground, pull pranks, and irritate Susan to no end; Peter too would be an accomplice at times. Yet, experience had taught him to be gentle with her.

It was a rainy evening. The matters of the court had been taken care of. Peter and Susan were engaged in discussing Lucy's surprise party and so it was up to Edmund to distract her. With this intent, he went into her room, hoping to convince her for a round of chess. He knew she hated that game; she could not remember the moves, ever.

Opening the door, he half expected to find her singing a Narnian song as she cleaned her desk. To his surprise, she was nowhere to be seen. He started to panic; if she wandered into the library where the plans were being drawn up, Peter and Susan would bury him right under his throne. He had told them to choose a more prudent place; they really should have listened to the discretion of the Just.

As he wandered further in Lucy's bedchamber, he noticed a drawing on her dressing table. It was a portrait of him and her, as they were dancing to a forgotten song, smiles on their lips. Edmund's eyes had been looking over Lucy's head as she looked into his with an expression of total faith and love. He did not know she had been looking at him like that. He wished he could have witnessed it with his own eyes - yet another regret. There were pictures of Susan and Peter too, but he felt they paled in comparison to his and Lucy's.

Before he knew what was happening, he found his nose buried in the mat on the ground. His arm was twisted behind his back with all the strength the (clearly little) person holding him down could muster. He grinned - if this is how she wanted it, then this is how he would play it. She really should not have jumped on him, he was stronger now, and though she was only a year younger, he had hours of training with swords to thank for his sinews.

With a flip that would put baby lions to shame, he pushed her to the ground as he hovered above, both their eyes glinting mischievously. Her smirk almost rivaled his now. "Big mistake", he whispered. Lucy only raised a brow in skepticism; words could be exchanged later, a battle had to be won right now.

And before you could say 'Aslan', he twisted her arm behind her back. His face, though, lost color at an alarming pace as he heard a sickening crack. She only winced, ever the Valiant. He quickly got off her, and tried to help her up. Seeing as how that was difficult, he resorted to carrying her. Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her as fast as he could to the library. Oh Lord, Peter and Susan would surely plan his unsuspecting demise for this. Lucy continuously protested, insisting that she could walk. "Be quiet Lucy. I broke your arm. Do you have any idea what I am going through right now? This is probably the last time I will be able to carry you anyway, seeing as how Peter is going to kill me. Enjoy it while it lasts. Or maybe get a portrait painted.", he teased, though slightly pleased that she loved him that much.

Lucy turned an adorable light shade of pink. "You have been snooping around, brother mine.", she said.

"It is not snooping if you keep it in plain sight.", Edmund retorted. Chuckling as he saw her complexion, he winked and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Teasing her had always been such fun. She always gave the perfect responses.

Needless to say, Edmund had received an earful not only from his elder siblings, but also from the Beavers and Mr. Tumnus. However, even as Lucy descended the stairs in her new dress on her birthday, smiling her radiant smile, Edmund thought she looked just as pretty as ever, even if she had her arm in a sling. The last bit had ruined Susan's plans for a ball, though Edmund knew that Lucy would thank him for that. He was not disappointed. Should anyone ask him, he thought the small dinner gathering had made Lucy's day.

With this memory suddenly playing in his mind, Edmund smiled softly, as he looked into the window of yet another shop. And there, he found it. Not too extravagant, nor too plain. Perfectly modeled, like Lucy. It was a trinket, made of gold, with a sun and a lion's face hanging from its links. He bought it without hesitation. Tonight, he would execute his act for forgiveness.

It was post dinner that Edmund got up and went to Lucy's room. "Come in", she answered, as he knocked on her door. "Hey", he said, as he entered her room. She was brushing her hair. Looking up at him, she smiled, got up, and led them both to her bed. "What is the matter?", she asked.

Edmund took a deep breath. It was now or never. "I am sorry. I apologize for everything I have done. Every snide remark, every mean comment, I truly regret them all. I wish I had learnt my lesson earlier Lucy, so that you would have been spared the recent years of torture. I thought I was doing a great thing, belittling my little sister. I never realized that she would be the one from whom I would later derive strength. I brought a little gift for you too. Even if you cannot forgive me, please accept it. Think of it as a brother's promise to his sister to stay by her side, no matter what; to live and die together; to celebrate life's sorrows and joys; and most of all, to love and be loved."

Only when he finished his speech did he gather up the courage to look into her eyes. And as he did, he thanked Aslan for having pity on him a second time; Lucy was looking at him with an ethereal tenderness in her eyes. Love and admiration shine through, as Edmund watched, mesmerized, and slowly felt his regret start to wash away.

"I forgave you the day I saw you in Narnia, Edmund. But of course, I did think you still deserved some punishment for your little faith in me. Why else do you think I barreled into you that day?", Lucy asked, chuckling as she took the trinket from his hands and placed it around her wrist.

Edmund laughed and acknowledged her point. "Yes, I think you knew what you were doing."

But Lucy only smiled as she reached out to him and flung her arms again. Edmund was taken by surprise; her force almost knocked him off balance. He placed his hands on her sides as he lay his head on top of hers.

They did not have to say it out loud; they knew that the other had been forgiven, and as Edmund held Lucy in his arms, he felt a surge of protectiveness. He swore to Aslan, that in the remaining years that they had, he would go out of his way to make it all up to her. She deserved that, at the very least. And as Lucy held her brother and enjoyed his warmth and familiarity, she promised to herself never to let him down. It was a sister's promise to her brother, and would be kept even if Death decided to intervene.

And so it was, that the youngest Pevensies were once again found, in the train as they travelled. Edmund's head lay on top of hers, shielding her body as he tried to keep her from harm, and Lucy's face pressed into his chest, as she prayed for the last time, "Dear Aslan, if you have loved me, please keep my family safe. Let no harm befall them."

And when the mangled bodies were being removed, the volunteers saw the body of a girl, smiling, as she held a boy's hand, a boy who looked about her age. In their clasped hands was a small face of a lion, looking as though it had been chipped off from a bracelet. Peaceful smiles graced their faces. Those two had the same nose.