Disclaimer: Yes, I stole (borrowed) the title from Ovid, the characters from Lewis and the song from the Corries, I don't know who gets credit for the English language. I, for one love standing on the shoulders of giants...

Second Disclaimer (like second breakfast): There are a few lines that I lifted straight from Lewis.

Dedication: For one Peregrin Took the Falcon, because she is such a lovely reviewer and likes late night posting. :)

Metamorphoses

Any day with Eustace Clarence Scrubb was bad in Edmund's opinion but for some reason Saturdays were particularly awful and this Saturday was worse than usual.

He woke early to help Lucy make breakfast. Since Harold, Alberta and Eustace Clarence were all still in bed they had dared to sing an old Narnian song with a refrain that lilted softly,

"Oh, come by the hills to the land
where fancy is free
And stand where the peak meets the sky
and the locks reach the sea"

Lucy's voice rang out soft and pure as she mixed batter for pancakes. She was smiling, it was not the sort of song that Harold and Alberta would approve of or even understand.

Edmund's deeper tenor met and mingled with her soprano and the song ran on past memories of deep blue pools, of wide green fields, troops of dancing fauns and dryads and Cair Paravel standing tall and golden in the setting sun.

"Where the rivers run clear and the bracken
is gold in the sun
And cares of tomorrow can wait
till this day is done"

Edmund thought that it would perhaps be a good day after all as he expertly flipped the pancakes and took in the lovely smell of cooking batter and browning butter.

"That is a rotten song" piped a dour and whining voice from the doorway. Edmund glared at the innocent pancakes.

"You don't have to listen" he said finally.

"My kitchen" said Eustace Clarence, "Stop, or I'll tell Alberta that you broke her vase."

"But we didn't touch the vase" said Lucy, "You broke it!"

"They won't believe you!" pointed out Eustace in a repulsively sweet voice. Not for the first time, Edmund wondered how he could have ever been so nasty himself. There had been a time when he and Eustace had gotten on rather well; it didn't bear remembering.

"Eustace Clarence, where are you dear?"

"I am downstairs, Alberta. Just making sure that Edmund doesn't burn the pancakes."

Edmund decided that it was going to be a terrible day after all.

Edmund ran his hands through his meager belongings looking for a Latin dictionary. The worst of having to share a bedroom with Eustace Clarence (besides hearing him snore) was having him constantly going through one's things.

Books would mysteriously develop rips and tears, sketches (no matter where he hid them) would spout extra (ill-drawn) teeth or come down with mumps and measles thanks to Eustace Clarence's red pencil, he wasn't creative enough to think of something interesting like extra heads or hands.

He found it face-down and crumpled under Eustace Clarence's bed along with a box of pinned cockroaches, a pile of dirty socks (so he isn't as clean as he pretends to be, thought Edmund) and a sheet of paper.

Edmund picked up the paper assuming it to be another sketch. Instead it was covered with Eustace Clarence's round handwriting.

It has been three weeks since the Pevensie brats have invaded my house. I try to put up with their antics but some things are just too much. Harold says that all that nonsense about meekness and "bearing wrongs patiently" is a load of rubbish. Lucy is bad enough, sickly sweet and virtuous, always pretending to have something nice to say, it is downright disgusting.

Edmund is even worse…

Edmund truly wanted to read further even if he knew that it was wrong to read other people's journals (however cruel and untrue) but he was spared the decision by the door opening and Eustace Clarence waltzing in.

He wasn't really surprised when Eustace Clarence managed to get him in trouble. He had been under Eustace Clarence's bed (trying to find the Latin Dictionary) and he had been reading the note page (even if he had picked up by accident) and if he had had a chance he still wasn't sure if he would have put it down (like he should have) or continued reading. He was the last to claim perfection.

And mostly because he was still King Edmund the Just but perhaps a little because Harold said it was rubbish he was determined to bear Eustace (and wrongs) patiently.

But it was still thoroughly irritating, especially what the record stinker had written about Lucy.

It should have been a beautiful day and objectively it was, the sun was shining, Edmund was standing on the deck of the Dawn Treader, in Narnia with Caspian (dear, steadfast, old Caspian) and Lucy watching the sun rise over the flat horizon.

And he was still sharing a bedroom (well cabin) with his cousin. He wasn't sure if having Caspian sharing it too made it better or worse. True, he and Caspian had three years to catch up on, battles and feasts and jousts and other adventures that befall new kings.

It was quite nice to just talk with someone his own age (more or less) who understood Narnia and her people and kingship, someone to philosophize and pray with.

On the other hand he felt almost guilty that he was inflicting Eustace Clarence on the poor king. It had been nice to talk and laugh with Caspian, but it would have been much better if Eustace Clarence had not been rolling around miserably, snoring like a pig and muttering about "leaky tubs".

Even now as they watched the glorious Narnian sunrise, the same pinks and reds and golds that were making the three monarchs glow and smile were causing Eustace Clarence to wince and grumble, entirely spoiling the peaceful morning.

It was bad enough that Eustace Clarence had managed to somehow get himself lost on the island without a dragon to make the matter worse.

Edmund and Caspian had led the search party that had found nothing besides a dead dragon (which was hardly encouraging) and he was becoming increasing worried and irritated besides feeling rather guilty. After all his first time in Narnia he had wandered away and look where that had gotten him. He should have tried to be nicer to Eustace Clarence, gone out of his way to include him despite the snubs and cutting remarks. Wasn't he supposed to be the Just? Hadn't he been shown mercy?

When they found Eustace Clarence, if they found him he was would do better. And he prayed that Aslan would give both of them the chance.

In the meantime, there was a large, live, fire-breathing dragon that he intended to keep Lucy safe from.

When it began crying Edmund felt a strange pang in his chest as though he wanted to cry too. He didn't of course but the feeling was still there, some strange sort of kinship with the creature.

When it said it had been enchanted he knew without a shadow of a doubt who it was. Because he was kin to Eustace Clarence (however much he had wished he wasn't) both by blood and by the fact they had both been enchanted.

His first thought was that Eustace Clarence the Dragon would probably take this chance to "get even" with him and he mentally prepared himself to jump forward and take it if Eustace would let Caspian and Lucy and the rest leave.

But he didn't, instead he just wept those huge, boiling tears and Edmund remembered a very foolish, terrified boy walking miserably through slush worrying about siblings he had spent a year tormenting. And he understood better than anyone else possibly could exactly what his cousin was feeling. Reepicheep, despite his kindness, Lucy despite her love and Caspian despite his good cheer could never quite feel the same because they had never been what Edmund and Eustace had.

And so when Reepicheep fell asleep next to the great dragony head Edmund would come to his cousin and sit beside him and think and pray and say nothing out loud at all.

Edmund was actually surprised himself by how happy he was that Eustace as himself again in body at least. Otherwise Eustace was quite a different person altogether, he stopped muttering and complaining and scribbling nasty things down in his journal when he thought that no one was looking.

He went out of his way to say nice things and play chess with Lucy and Reepicheep and listen to other people's stories.

One fine morning he came over to Edmund's hammock (he had offered both Kings the bunk soon after his un-dragoning but they had told him to keep it) and asked rather timidly if Edmund could teach him how to use a sword. Edmund had agreed easily. It was odd to think that a few weeks back Eustace would have rather been pinned onto one of his own cards then ask Edmund how to use a sword.

Edmund asked Caspian to spar with him, to give Eustace a general idea of what one did with a sword (he knew that it was a weapon and that you tried to stab or cut one's enemy with it but that was about it).

Edmund and Caspian had sparred several times since their arrival but this was the first time that Eustace actually paid attention. Where he had been disgusted and annoyed before he now found himself watching his cousin with pride. Edmund was at least three years younger than Caspian (by Earth standards) but he wielded the blade with an ease and grace that even the older King could not match.

And for the first time Eustace saw why King Edmund was so respected, why he still heard old tales from the Golden Age that boasted of his skill with the sword and why Edmund managed to best Caspian nearly every time.

It was altogether strange but he found himself wanting be like his cousin. Harold and Alberta would have been horrified but Eustace didn't care.

Eustace looked down ruthfully at Caspian's sword as he stammered apologies. Caspian ran a hand through his tousled golden hair and laughed.

"There are worse things than to have your second best sword broken in honorable battle"

Eustace felt himself flushing, him fighting in honorable battle? It was too fantastic and utterly and completely wonderful.

Then Edmund and Lucy were standing there as well, exhausted and smiling fondly at him and he forget that he had ever wanted to leave (even if there were sea serpents, and dragons and slave-traders) because he had friends and no matter the danger they were all in it together.

He caught Edmund, Lucy and Caspian trading looks and he wondered what on earth was up, especially when Edmund drew his sword and told him to kneel. He was using his King Edmund voice so Eustace dropped to the deck with a thud and no idea at all of what was about to happen (having read all the wrong books).

There was a sharp tap on each shoulder with the flat of the blade and he dimly heard Edmund's voice over cheering.

"Rise Sir Eustace SerpentCleaver, Knight of the Honorable Order of the Castle"

And the Lucy had her arms around him, hugging him half to death and he wondered how could have ever thought that his cousins were awful nuisances.

"I'll stay with you, Reep" said Edmund.

"And I too" said Caspian.

"And me," said Lucy.

And Eustace thought about them, Lucy, valiant and kind and Caspian, brave and cheerful and Edmund, just and brotherly and he realized that he wanted to be with them no matter what happened. So he said (and it truly was brave of him) that he would stay also.

The glorious blue sky and green grass and blinding white and gold all faded away and resolved themselves into the dingy spare bedroom and three children in ordinary English clothes.

"Oh, Edmund" said Lucy sadly, "We'll never see her again" Eustace couldn't tell if she was talking about the Dawn Treader or Narnia or both.

Edmund said nothing but he hugged her. Eustace felt rather out of place and awkward, he wasn't much for hugging and all that even between siblings (he didn't have any himself, remember).

And after a bit they cheered up and noticed that Eustace was uncomfortable (and blushing) and they asked what the matter was.

"Mother and Father…" said Eustace.

"Oh, Eustace" said Lucy, "How awful. But they'll get used to it in time. Our parents did."

"But your parents aren't my parents" said Eustace.

"You could tell them that you are of royal blood and a knight besides" said Edmund.

Eustace grimaced (it felt so right to accept their comfort and gentle teasing).

"Because I am sure that they would love to hear that we went to Narnia for weeks and fought a sea serpent, and I became a dragon and…Oh, bother! I suppose I'll just have to make the best of it."

"At least we will be with you here the rest of the summer" pointed out Edmund smiling, "They will probably think that it is all our fault."

Lucy and Edmund stood to go, Edmund turned as he reached the door.

"Eustace" he said softly.

Eustace looked up.

"Going back to school is rough, but you'll make it through. I did and I was much worse than you ever were, think about Aslan when it seems hopeless. Remember you are a Knight of Narnia and Un-dragoned. I'll write you."

And then he was gone, leaving Eustace to ponder exactly what and who Edmund really was. Somehow he had a feeling that Edmund had not wanted Lucy to hear that last bit of encouragement and warning.

Going back to the Experiment House didn't seem quite as miserable as it had a minute ago.

Eustace overheard his mother afterwards chatting with a friend.

"Alberta dear, whatever happened to Eustace? He has changed so much..."

Alberta sniffed a little.

"It was that Edmund and Lucy Pevenise. They stayed over for the summer and poor Eustace hasn't been the same since, boring and commonplace like them. He even calls me Mother!"

Eustace walked away with a grin.

I wanted to do something showing Edmund and Eustace bonding. Does that make this, I don't know, a Cousinfic?

Shire Rose

6/19/2015 - Updated and revised. A bit more Edmund and Eustace bonding and some corrections thanks to Rose and Pysche.