A/N: I apologize to anyone that I offended when I did not read the rules and posted a story against them. It will not happen again. This is a movie-verse story but slightly AU in the end. I've worked really hard on it and I hope you guys enjoy. Please don't flame me. If you don't like slash, please don't click. I'm sick of the messages and reviews I get saying that slash is offensive. Its called for a reason. Anyway let me know your thoughts on this story and I'll appreciate it. I'm really nervous about posting this one cause of all the slash haters out there. This story is for P/E slash lovers only with maybe a hint of P/C but not much.

Enjoy!

(P.S. One AU thing is the fact that Edmund is 15 and Peter 17. I'm sorry but he's supposed to be 13 in the movie...I mean honestly Skandar does not look 13. So I settled for 15)

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" The loud screams pounded in his head, driving him to the edge. He felt arms slip around his torso, gripping soft fabric as they pulled him backwards. He ripped himself out of their grasp and took a few steps back, trying to catch his breath.

"Fight! Fight!" The pounding in his head only increased and he found it hard to think properly. Hands grabbed at his lower arms as he made a break for the staircase, where an audience had begun to form. He caught a glimpse of his two sisters staring at him, one with worry, and the other with disappointment. He just stared into the stone eyes of his sister, silently begging for help. She just shook her head and took a step backwards.

The moment was shattered as he felt a knee shoved into his abdomen, causing him to double over. Another knee to his shoulder and he was on the ground, cradling his stomach. They forced him to his feet and slammed him against the stone wall. He blinked past the haze gathering in the corner of his eyes and focused on the boy in front of him. Two held him back against the wall, while the one he had been focusing on pulled his fist back, ready to strike. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for the immense pain that would soon erupt through his body. These boys were probably the worst he had fought; they had no second thoughts about hurting him.

He was briefly aware of his sister calling out his brother's name, but thought nothing of it. His brother was off studying at the school library, last time he had checked. Plus, his brother stayed clear of most fights, only indulging in the ones where he thought his assistance was necessary. He had only fought alongside Peter once before in England (in Narnia, they had fought alongside much more), when one of the boys had literally thrown Peter against the wall, giving him a minor concussion. Edmund hadn't gotten off easy during that fight either. He had come home with a broken nose, in which had stained his white shirt red, and two broken fingers. Not to mention, a black eye.

He felt one boy's grip drop from his left arm, enabling him to rip his arm out of the other's grasp. He took a moment to look around, searching for who had helped him.

Edmund only caught his eye for a brief second, a second that seemed to go on forever. His brother's hair was tossed widely in front of his eyes, face flushed, eyes hard and determined. Peter couldn't understand why Edmund kept doing this if he hated fighting so much, but he didn't have the time to contemplate on the question. Hands found his shirt again as they pulled Peter back and throw him to the ground, dragging him towards the train tracks. His head came close to hitting the metal brace as a boy slammed his shoe into Peter's shin. His head rolled back as he gave a cry of pain. The heavier boy raised his foot again, only to be tackled to the ground by the other Pevensie brother.

Edmund stood to his feet, kicking the boy for good time sake, and turned to the boy holding Peter down. His fist connected with the boy's jaw sending him staggering backwards. Peter glanced up towards his brother, just as Edmund was tackled to the ground by the same boy.

Uh-huh, this was Peter's fight, not Edmund's.

He grabbed the boy's shoulders and forced his body on top of the older boy. The boy grunted and released Edmund's shirt collar, turning to Peter. They rolled on the ground while Edmund gasped for breath as his collar was released, enabling him to breath again. A whistle sounded and the crowd around them scattered. Two guards grabbed the boys, prying their hands away from each other. One guard grabbed Peter's arm and forced him to his feet, hissing into his ear how immature he was being. Peter pulled away, shoving the guard away from him.

"Act your age!" The guard scolded him, giving a final push to the younger boy's shoulder.

Edmund stood up behind him, hand brushing over his bruised cheek as he jogged to Peter's side. He bent down to pick up his hat, and plopped it down on top of his raven hair. Peter turned to him, all stone and ice. Much like the White Witch, Edmund noted. Peter just opened his mouth to say something, anything really, but Edmund was already weaving through the crowd towards their bags.

Lucy came dashing down the stairs after retrieving her own bags, and threw her small arms around Peter's torso. "Peter! Are you hurt?"

Peter just shook his head and allowed himself to be lead towards the bench, where Susan had already taken a seat. She smoothed her palms over her skirt, glancing up only when Lucy took a seat next to her. Peter sat down next to his youngest sister and allowed himself to be soothed by her hand, stroking his upper arm. He was vaguely aware of Edmund walking in front of him and placing both Peter's and his own bag beside the bench.

"You're welcome." Edmund slouched in the bench next to Peter, fidgeting with the scarf that hung loosely around his neck.

He turned to his brother and took notice of the firm jaw set, signaling Edmund wasn't pleased with him. Peter didn't really care that much, he was far too upset that his little brother was fighting his battles for him. He would be the joke of the school now. He just scoffed, rising to his feet and walking towards the tracks. "I had it sorted."

Susan just shook her head, throwing a sympathetic glance towards Edmund. Her eyes held deep disappointment as she adjusted her jacket, turning her eyes towards Peter. "What was it this time?"

Peter glanced over his shoulders at his younger siblings, momentarily wondering why they cared. "He bumped me."

Lucy's face twisted into horror at the thought of her brother--no, her mentor--being so rash. "So you hit him!?"

"No, after they bumped me, they tried to make me apologize. That's when I hit him." He turned to face them, eyes studying them deeply. He could read each of their emotions easily. Lucy was the easiest to read out of all of them, but maybe that's because she expressed them unlike Susan and Edmund, who bottled their emotions inside.

"Really? Is it that hard to just walk away?" Susan covered Lucy's hand with her own, seeing how upset this situation had Lucy. Edmund's eyes were on the floor, his black shoes scuffing against the cobblestone.

"I shouldn't have to!"

Edmund glanced up as his brother's voice raised in anger. Lucy just shrunk back, shifting in her seat. They all hated it when Peter was angry, but recently it was becoming a large part of their lives. Peter's anger was never calmed, he just held it in until any designated point in which he choose and would snap without warning.

"I mean, don't you ever get tired of being treated like a kid!?" Peter scanned his siblings' faces, searching for any reflection of his own feelings.

"Uh, we are kids!" Edmund gave a dry laugh at the beginning, as if mocking Peter.

"Well, I wasn't always!"

Edmund, Susan, and Lucy exchanged looks, knowing exactly what Peter was referring to. Edmund's face softened, while Susan remained cold, refusing to let Peter's cracking voice get to her.

"It's been a year," Peter's voice calmed as he walked back towards the bench, sinking into it, "How long does he expect us to wait?"

"I think it's time to accept the fact that we live here. It's no use pretending any different." Susan crossed her arms, legs together, and voice gentle this time.

Peter just looked the opposite way, Edmund's head moved in the same direction. He was sad; Peter could tell it by his body language. Edmund had no reason to be sad, his life was bloody perfect! He got all the girls, all the popularity, all the teachers liked him, and he got good grades with no effort at all. Peter used to be like that, before he got tired of being treated like a kid and started getting into fights. The girls started avoiding him when they saw how short his temper was, friends avoided him for the same reason and teachers started shaking their heads in disappointment. Not to mention, he was flunking because he was always coming home tired from fights and never studied.

"Oh no...Pretend you're talking to me." Susan's voice was rushed as she turned to Lucy.

Peter leaned forward slightly, trying to see what Susan was avoiding. His lips twitched as a smile began to form at Edmund's comment.

"We are talking to you."

The way Edmund said things was enough to make both siblings quietly chuckle to themselves. Edmund had come to possess a dry humor, which gave Lucy, Peter, and Susan the comical relief they needed during tense moments. Susan just pursed her lips and gave him a hard look.

Lucy was smiling, but the smile faded and she jumped to her feet, turning on her heels to face them. "Ow!"

"Quiet, Lu." Susan whispered, patting the seat next to her.

Lucy shook her head, pointing back to the bench. Her eyes wild and full of fear. "Something pinched me!"

"Hey, stop pulling!" Peter jumped to his feet as well, shoving Edmund away from him. Edmund grabbed the back of the bench and glared up at his older brother. Peter just shook his head and came to stand next to Lucy.

Edmund held up his hands, quick to defend himself. "I'm not touching you!"

Just as the words left his lips, he felt something pulling him as well. Susan jumped to her feet, turning around and scanning the bench. The train beside them seemed to move at a much faster rate than normal. Susan let out a surprised gasp. "What is that?"

"It feels like magic!" Lucy tugged on her brother's sleeve, a smile spreading across her face. Peter was far too confused and overwhelmed too even think that this was his dream come true. They were going back to Narnia!

"Quick, everybody hold hands!" Susan extended her hand for Lucy to take, which she did as she looked around excitedly.

Peter grasped Susan's hand in his left, extending his right for Edmund to take. Edmund pulled away, still timid when it came to physical affection. Somewhere in his book, holding hands was inappropriate and a sign of physical affection, therefore off limits.

"I'm not holding your hand!" He finally managed to say, shrinking away from the extended hand, meanwhile trying to get a good synopsis on what was happening at the current moment.

"Just hold on!" Peter finally found Edmund's hand and squeezed it in his own, rendering Edmund unable to pull away.

The lights above them began to rattle, some bulbs shattering as the wind rushed past them. Posters tore off the walls and soared into the wind. Bricks started to peel off the tunnel and follow the posters. Edmund squeezed Peter's hand to get his attention. They both gasped as the exit tunnel gave in and tore away at the top.

Peter looked up towards the ceiling then over at Edmund, who was staring forward, eyes squinting in concentration. Peter followed his brother's gaze and looked at the passing train; his own eyes squinted in deep concentration. Then he saw it, with every other window that passed he saw a glimpse of a beautiful ocean and tall cliffs.

Narnia.

He blinked and it was gone. At first it scared him, but then he felt Edmund's fingers entwined with his own and he felt his confidence return. He opened his eyes (though he didn't remember ever closing them) and caught the last glimpse of the train disappearing into the air. He felt Edmund release his hold (Susan had already done so), and start to walk forward. All four were in a temporary trance as they studied the cave in which they stood. The sun shown brightly as the stepped out of the shadow of the cave, causing Peter to sweat in his school shirt.

Lucy just smiled at Susan and took off running, shedding layers of clothing as they went. Susan followed, shedding her red jacket and shoes. Peter shared a genuine smile with Edmund before he took off after the girls, pulling his sweater vest over his head. He hopped on one foot to get his shoe off, before doing the same with the other. He was vaguely aware of Edmund doing the same, except keeping his sweater vest on.

They tumbled into the water, laughter filling the quiet air. They danced together just as they once had, Edmund and Lucy rolling in the water while Peter and Susan splashed each other lazily. Edmund stood to his feet and dived into a wave, laughing as he came up. He shook his raven hair, water sprinkling onto Peter's face.

"Hey!" Peter laughed and splashed at Edmund. Edmund's eyes sparkled once again, something rarely seen these days, as he splashed back at his older brother.

Than the sparkle was gone once again and replaced by confusion.

"Ed?" Lucy stopped playing when she noticed Edmund becoming distracted by something in the distance. "Ed?"

Peter stopped splashing and looked over at his younger brother. The raven hair curled around his ears as water dropped onto his face. "What is it?" Peter finally was able manage.

"Where do you suppose we are?" Edmund slowly whispered, his thick accent causing the last word to drawl out.

"Where do you think?" Peter laughed, giving one last splash towards his younger brother, half expecting Edmund to break out laughing at his own stupidity. Edmund didn't budge, didn't even so much as twitch from the cold water that hit the side of his leg.

"I don't remember any ruins in Narnia." Edmund's voice echoed in their minds as they turned to where Edmund was gazing.

They walked up the beach, retrieving their clothing, but leaving their shoes. Edmund slipped off his sweater vest, while Peter pulled his back on. Peter undid the tie, throwing it to the ground and grinding it into the sand with his foot.

"Dreadful thing." Peter whispered harshly. "It chokes me."

Edmund just let out a short laugh as he rolled up his sleeves, exposing tanned arms underneath. Edmund wasn't as tan as Peter, but he could rival with Lucy and Susan easily. Edmund had been so dreadfully pale before but with the recent exposure he had had to the sun, he had tanned quite nicely.

Peter led the way up as they scaled the cliffs, reaching for the ruins. As soon as Peter set foot onto the stone ruins, he broke apart from the group and headed towards the stairway. He climbed to the front and took a look around, scanning the beautiful view of the ocean. He remembered this view all to well, and he had no clue why.

"Hey that's mine!"

Peter jogged down the steps and over towards his family, where Edmund held a small gold pawn between his fingers.

"From my chess set..."

"Which chess set?" Peter moved his hand so that his fingers brushed over the smooth surface of the golden chess piece, his fingers delicately tracing the design on the ball of the piece. Edmund's flesh was soft under his fingers when he brushed across his younger brother's finger, Edmund flinching away from the contact.

Must have been against his rule book.

"Well I didn't exactly have a solid gold chess set in Finchley, did I?" Edmund just twisted the piece in his hand before shoving it into his messenger bag, and glanced up at a Peter with a confused expression as if asking him what the previous moment was all about.

"It can't be..." Lucy just shook her head and jogged towards more ruins. Peter took off jogging after her, Susan following, and Edmund taking up the back. Lucy took Peter's hand and pulled him up the steps, before placing him facing forwards. She took Susan's hand next and placed her beside him.

"Just think about it." She whispered, taking Edmund's hand. "Imagine walls and columns there."

After she had placed Edmund in his rightful spot, she took to standing next to Susan. "And a glass roof."

Peter stared, forming the mental picture in his mind. Then it was there. He was sitting on his throne watching as an older Lucy swung around the dance floor before taking a seat in her own throne. Susan dancing with one of the many men that wished to court her and Edmund chatting lively with a duke, drink in hand, or charming a girl with his wits. Edmund making his way towards Peter and handing Peter a drink, toasting to the peace of Narnia.

"Cair Paravel." Peter whispered.

Edmund broke apart from the group and jumped down into a large ditch, seeing as how the stairs where shattered into pieces. "Catapults!"

Peter jogged over to where his brother crouched down beside the large stone. "What?"

Lucy and Susan joined them soon enough, looking at Edmund for an explanation. When Edmund looked up his voice was a sad whisper.

"This didn't just happen." He whispered. "Cair Paravel was attacked."

Peter watched his brother inspect the stone before he scanned up ahead. A large stone wall had been placed in front of the door that led to their storage area. It was a room that Peter had never been familiar with, considering he had only ventured to it a few times, but he knew what it was and where it was. "Ed..."

Edmund stood to his feet and followed Peter towards the stone wall. His fingers brushed over the cracks and he glanced over at Peter. "Storage area."

"The Narnians must have placed this stone here to hide this room from whoever was attacking." Peter whispered before pulling away at the vines. "Help me."

Edmund nodded before pulling out his pocketknife and cutting away at the vines that grew over the stone. A long brown vine finally snapped, allowing the boys to finally move the stone.

"Ready? One...two...three..." Edmund and Peter both grunted as the pushed the stone wall back, exposing the rotting door behind it. Edmund handed Peter his knife and gestured the girls over. Peter hacked away at the wood, digging a large hole in it, before he stuck his hand in and opened the door. He pulled the fabric of his shirt away from his body and cut a thin strip before bending to pick up a thick stick. He wrapped the cloth around, securing it with a knot and glancing up at his siblings. When he was sure it was ready, he showed it to Edmund.

"I don't suppose you have any matches, do you?"

Edmund undid the fasten on his messenger bag and pulled the flap up, rummaging through his belongings. Peter only caught a glimpse of his items, his eyebrow raising. A book, a random pill container, some wadded up money, and a knife. Interesting.

"No, but," His hand came across a silver object and he pulled it out. "would this help?"

Peter stared at the torch for a second before letting out a small laugh as the smirk on Edmund's face turned into a full fledged smile. "You might have mentioned that a bit sooner!"

Edmund just laughed and switched it on, moving to lead the way down the stairs. Peter just watched his brother lead the way down the stairs, raising an eyebrow at the slender curve of his back and the way the still damp shirt clung to his back. Hardened muscles flexed in his broad shoulders before running down into the graceful arch of his back disappearing into his pants. Toned arms held to the side as he shifted the strap on his shoulder. Peter just shook his head and turned to smile at Susan, who gave him a weird look but said nothing. Susan just shrugged and followed Edmund, Lucy behind her and Peter in the back.

They trampled down the stairs, Lucy staying above to gaze down at the dimly lit room. They came to a gate that held them off from entering the smaller room. Peter came up beside Edmund and helped him push the doors open, before hanging back and watching as his siblings each approached their chest. Edmund opened his and smirked as he pulled out a helmet and placed it on top of his head.

"I was so tall." Lucy whispered holding up a dress to her shoulders. The dress went well below her feet and bunched up at the bottom.

"Well, you were older than." Susan whispered, searching for her bow and arrows.

"As opposed to hundreds of years later, when you're younger." Edmund smirked as the metal nose piece banged against the bone there. Both girls chuckled before turning back to their chests. Edmund pulled off the helmet and rummaged for his sword. Peter bent down to pick up a shield, lightly blowing on it so the dust flew off in a cloud. Aslan's face was carved into the golden shield, catching the light beautifully. Peter glanced up before heading over to his own chest. He was briefly aware of Susan mentioning how she had left her horn but he paid little attention. He approached his statue, gazing at it for minute before he opened his chest.

Everyone quit looking through their chests and watched Peter pull out his sword. Edmund leaned on his own sword casually. The light reflected off the sharp surface of Rhindon, and Peter read the writing engraved into the metal.

"When Aslan bares his teeth, winter meets its death." Peter saw Edmund shudder out of the corner of his eye.

Edmund had never been winter after the White Witch. When his brother and sisters had run out of the castle and chased each other through the snow, he had stayed on his balcony wrapped in a wool blanket. He would watch as they had snowball fights and made snow angels, but he never joined in on their joy. He would attend to his duties inside the castle and delay to the outside duties. Peter would pale during the winter, but never by much. Edmund became deathly pale during the winter, with lack of sleep and food, not to mention the winter sun never shone on his skin. He walk through the halls, listening as the fawns hummed along to Christmas music, but he would not join in. On Christmas morning, he would stay wrapped in his sheets, staring intently at the ceiling above. Lucy would come join him and bring him his gifts, before snuggling up to her older brother. Peter and Susan would soon arrive and they would have Christmas Morning in Edmund's room. Even when they returned to England, Edmund did not set foot from the house during the winter, unless it was necessary. The White Witch had touched Edmund's heart and ice had been frozen against his heart. It would melt during the summer, but during the winter the remains of the ice, along with the memories, would slowly creep back into his heart. He would become hostile and bitter every winter, only to be warm and lively during the summer.

Peter threw Edmund a sympathy glance, feeling bad that Edmund couldn't even stand the word 'winter' anymore.

"When he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again." Lucy whispered, her eyes watering slightly.

Edmund glanced up when she said spring, but noticed the tears in her eyes not a moment later. Lucy bit her bottom lip to keep herself from crying. "Everyone we knew...Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers...they're all gone."

Peter turned to look at his younger brother, who was staring at him with a sad expression. He turned back to Lucy and Susan, bravery and determination set in his voice. "I think it's time we found out what when on here."

Edmund nodded and then gave a lively smirk to break the tense air. "Then I think we better change into Narnian clothing. We don't want to go trudging around looking like school kids, who don't know a thing about Narnia or weaponry for that matter."

Peter just smiled and reached into his chest to pull out an old pair of clothing, some that might still fit. "I suggest we wear something nice though. They might not believe we are Kings and Queens of Narnia otherwise."

Edmund pulled out his own clothing and pulled the door open to another closet. He turned around just as Peter gathered his clothing. "Do you girls want the closet to change, or should we take it?"

"I think we'll do fine with this room. You can have the closet." Susan smirked as she pulled out her dress.

Peter just stuck out his tongue at them in a playful manner. In many ways, it felt like old times...the happier times before they had all changed and become tense around each other. Peter closed the door behind him, glad a window provided a fair amount of light. He pulled off his sweater vest and began unbuttoning his white shirt. Edmund finished the buttons on his own shirt, and slid the fabric off his shoulders, exposing the soft freckled flesh beneath it. He then worked at the belt he was wearing, pulling out of the hoops and setting it in a nice pile next to his Narnian clothing.

Peter's eyes raked over his brother's bare back, scanning the curves of his lower back and the graceful arch his back held when he bent over. Edmund turned and caught Peter's eye, eyebrow's raised in questioning.

"There a reason you're not changing?" Edmund chuckled amusingly as he noticed his brother's fingers still lingering on the last button of his shirt.

"Sorry...I..." His eyes caught sight of a scar on Edmund's mid back and ran down into his pants. "I got distracted by your scar. Where did you get, Edmund?"

Edmund raised an eyebrow. "What scar?"

"The long one on your back. About half way down." Peter slid his shirt off and pulled his belt off.

"I really don't know which one you're talking about." Edmund's eyebrow furrowed in even deeper confusion.

Peter just smirked and walked over to where Edmund stood. He gently took his brother's hand and bent it back so he could touch his own back. He moved Edmund's hand to where the scar started and then moved downwards, stopping at his waistband. "Feel it now?"

"Yes. I don't remember getting that scar though." He just shrugged, letting out a small laugh. "I think after so many battles, you forget which scar belongs to which battle."

Peter just smirked and nodded his head in agreement. "Hurry up. I bet the girls are already done."

"You're one to talk." Edmund whispered pulling off his pants, and slipping on grayish-tan trousers. The light blue undershirt came on next, and over it he slipped a blue velvet tunic, buttoning it to the top button (which really wasn't that high up). He sat down, slipping on his knee high boots, and then strapping his sword to his belt. "Done. See? I'm faster than you!"

"Shut up." Peter playfully punched his arm before slipping his brown trousers on, then a cotton blue shirt and brown velvet v-neck tunic after wards. He strapped his sword around his waist and his shield on his back before coming to stand next to Edmund at the door.

"How come I feel as if this is our last moment of total peace?" Edmund's voice was a mere whisper, almost ghostly.

"What are you talking about, Ed?" Peter leaned against the door, waiting for the girls to finish. He noticed how Edmund's face had twisted into a sad, confused expression, lips parted as a quiet sigh drew from his mouth.

"I don't know. I just feel like from here on, everything we'll change." His eyes dropped to the ground, staring at Peter's boot. "Not just the situation...but us. All of us."

Peter remained silent for a minute, watching as Edmund continued to stare at his boot. What was so fascinating about his boot? "What do you mean 'us'?"

"I just have those feeling that we all are going to change...individually. It won't be good change either...something's about to happen, Pete. I know I can't stop it, because it's fate and it's our future. There's still this nagging in my heart though, Pete. I know I'm going to lose you and Susan, somehow...and I can't fight it, I wish I could, but I can't."

"You're not going to lose me, Ed..." Pete squeezed his brother's arm affectionately, feeling the strong muscles tense under his arm. Edmund shifted uncomfortably under the touch and didn't meet Peter's eye. "Why do you tense every time I touch you?"

Edmund looked up and met Peter's eye, the seriousness of the moment drilled a hole into Peter's heart.

"I'm not use to your tender touch anymore." His voice was cold and emotionless, just like it was during the winter. "You lost me."

"What?" Peter stood up straight, his heart beating rapidly against his chest. "You're scaring me..."

Edmund just picked at the hilt of his sword, eyes dark and unreadable. "You lost me back in England, Peter. In Narnia, we're fine, but not in England. You pushed me away far too much. I couldn't stand it anymore, Peter. You have to understand that. I was just...tired of being hurt, so I told myself I would not show any affection around you unless it was for the girls. I trust you in Narnia. You're still the brother I knew when we're here, but I know that's about to change."

Peter just shook his head, hair falling clumsily on his face. "I'm sorry about England, Ed."

Edmund just smiled and ignored Peter's words. "You know how you can feel that Narnia magic running through your veins? How it kinda gives you a feeling when something's bad about to happen?"

"Yes." Peter whispered, trying to understand what Edmund was saying.

"I've been feeling that since we got here. It gets stronger every time I'm around you and Susan. I'm going to lose you two...or you're going to lose me...I don't know which one." Edmund's smile was long gone by now as he gazed up into Peter's eyes. "I'm sorry I had to bring all this up right now."

Peter just shook his head, before he stepped forward and pulled his brother into a hug. "I promise you, Edmund. You will not lose me and I will not lose you...again. Whatever happens, we still have each other. We're the Pevensie brothers. We are Kings of Narnia. Brothers in arms and brothers by blood. When together, we are invincible." A smirk played at his lips. "We're also the best looking guys at our school."

Edmund just smiled into his brother's tunic. "Probably the best swordsmen in our school as well."

"Considering half of them have never held a sword before, I would agree." Peter just smiled, not wanting to let go of his brother, afraid to, more like.

"We were wondering what was taking so long, but now we see. You were doing this." Susan stood in the doorway, a smile plastered on her full lips.

"Oh sod off, Su. I can hug my younger brother if I want to." Peter pulled away and picked up his shield.

"Yes, but seeing you two embrace...it's different. Maybe because you two never touch." Lucy snickered and ran her fingers through her silky hair.

"We had a deep moment, that's all." Edmund mumbled, grabbing his shield. "Now let's go."

They stayed to the shoreline, talking quietly amongst themselves. Peter was walking with Susan, his head bowed as he listened to her rant about the geeky boy from school. Edmund was leading the way, kicking the sand up as he went. Lucy was behind him, singing a Narnian lullaby that had randomly come to her mind apparently at this given moment. Edmund happened to look out to his left, peering out over the sandy hill on which they stood. A gasp escaped his lips, suddenly swinging on his heel to face Susan. "Susan, they have a dwarf in that boat!"

"What?" Peter jogged up beside Edmund, peering over his shoulder to the boat ahead. "Susan! Go! They're about to drown him!"

Susan nodded and took off at a full sprint, her hand reaching behind her to grab an arrow. She positioned it and lined up, purposely missing the soldier and hitting the boat instead. "Drop him!"

The dwarf mumbled angry responses, despite the fact that he was gagged. The soldiers looked up alarmed before throwing the dwarf overboard and sitting down to start rowing away. Susan just smirked and hit the soldier in the chest, the other soldier going in after him. Peter took off towards the dwarf, diving into the water, Edmund beside him.

Peter grabbed the dwarf around the waist, pushing off the rocky bottom and swimming towards the surface. Edmund dragged the boat to shore, pushing the hair that clung to his forehead out of the way. He helped Peter pull the dwarf to the girls, tripping slightly as pain swelled in his knee. He reached down to touch it as he stood by Peter. He had scraped it on a rock, no doubt about it. Peter threw him a concerned look but Edmund waved it off and turned his attention to the dwarf.

A minute later, Lucy was kneeling next to the dwarf, cutting the ropes from his hands. The dwarf coughed and pulled away the gag cloth, spitting out the water and coughing till his face was red. He glanced up at the four.

"Drop him!" He threw the ropes to the ground, anger flashing in the brown eyes. "That's the best you can come up with!?"

Susan scoffed, her eyes flashing dangerously. "A simple thank you would suffice."

The dwarf interrupted her mid sentence, a chubby finger reaching out to point at the place where the soldiers had been. "They were doing fine drowning me without your help!"

"Maybe we should have let them." Peter snapped his voice much more level and calm than he felt.

"Why were they trying to kill you anyway?" Lucy whispered, concern washing over her face. She pulled at her sleeve, already getting a bad feeling about this situation.

"The Telmarines, that's what they do." His voice dropped low, sadness seeming to dwell in the dwarf's eyes.

"Telmarines? In Narnia?" Edmund glanced up at Peter, a confused look in those large brown eyes. Peter shrugged, and waited for the dwarf's response.

"Where have you been for the last few hundred years?" The dwarf mumbled, pulling the remaining of the binds away and slamming them to the ground.

"It's a bit of a long story..." Lucy whispered, a small laugh escaping through pursed lips as she exchanged a knowing look with Edmund, who was smirking lightly.

Susan smiled, shifting to the other foot as she handed Peter his sword. The dwarf finally seemed to catch on and his eyes widened in shock. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. You're it? You're the kings and Queens of Old?"

"High King Peter. The Magnificent." Peter extended his hand, only to hear Susan make a comment about how he could have left out the last bit. Edmund hid his face, trying hard not to laugh, mostly because he had hated it when people had laughed at him before. He swore to himself he would never hurt someone like people had hurt him.

"You might be surprised." Peter pulled out his sword, holding it towards the dwarf.

"Oh, you don't want to be doing that, boy." The dwarf snickered. King or not, the dwarf believed he was not anywhere near as skilled as himself, mostly because of the age.

"Not me." Peter mumbled as he held the hilt out to the Narnian. He made a gesture toward Edmund. "Him."

Edmund unsheathed his sword, holding it out in front of him. His eyes wandering towards Peter, a mildly amused smirk on his face as the dwarf dropped the sword. He let out a short laugh, only to be silenced when Peter's sword swung widely at him. He blocked it, ducking as one was made at his head. The unfortunate thing about fighting a dwarf was the fact that when you crouched, you made yourself the same height as them, giving them the upper hand. The dwarf slammed his knuckles into Edmund's face, causing him to stagger backwards. Edmund's fingers traced the forming bruise, a small cry of pain escaping his lips.

"Edmund!" Lucy cried out, her voice full of panic.

"Oh boy, you all right?" The dwarf peered up into his face, mocking him. He made a move for Edmund's left shoulder, but the young king slammed his sword down into the dwarf's, burying the tip of it in the sand. It gave Edmund enough time to come around to his backside, and prepare for another attack there. The dwarf let out a grunt as he raised the sword to his right shoulder. Edmund blocked again, bringing his sword back behind his back for a heavy attack.

Peter was all too familiar with Edmund's fighting style and knew that Edmund was a tease when it came to sword fighting. He would take on the role as the defender and go easy on you at first, using his speed and agility to block the attacks. Only when you were tired would he become the aggressor and his attacks would become heavy and powerful, shoving you backwards, until you were forced to drop to your knees. Peter was all power; Edmund was all strategy and speed.

There was that beautiful arch in the back again. His arms raised above his head, sword behind his back, face calm. He didn't get to complete the heavy attack though because the dwarf went for his legs, forcing Edmund to jump and bring his sword down at a right angle instead of completely vertical. The dwarf was tiring, Edmund knew it. His swipes become stronger and more fluent. The dwarf staggered backwards as he blocked each attack. Their swords lingered together for a minute before moving together in a circle. Edmund broke the circle and pushed to the right powerfully, causing the dwarf to sway and lose control momentarily. Edmund became all power, no speed now. He swung hard to the left, then to the right, then vertical, then left, then low. The dwarf's sword was knocked from his hand and Edmund held his stance. He stood sideways, back elbow raised, both hands gripping the sword as it was raised to his face.

Susan, Peter, and Lucy were all rather impressed, considering none of them had had any sword practice since they left Narnia.

The dwarf sunk to his knees, an exclamation of surprise escaping his lips. "Maybe that horn worked after all..."

Edmund lowered his sword, placing it in its sheath and coming to stand beside Peter again. Peter gave him a proud smile and patted him on the back.

"What horn?" Susan slowly whispered.

The dwarf gave her a rather confused look, before he just raised his arms in the air. "What horn? Your horn, Queen Susan."

"What's your name?" Lucy suddenly piped up, stepping forward to walk beside the dwarf. "I'm Lucy."

"I know. Trumpkin." He mumbled harshly, shooting the girl a hard glance, not a glare but not a soft look either. "Why are you four here?"

Edmund was busy discussing something with Susan when he heard Trumpkin's question. Seeing as how no one else was responding, he took it upon himself to answer. "We were called here by someone. We want to find out what happened to Cair Paravel. We know it was attacked."

"Yes, by the Telmarines. The Narnians fought with all they had to protect it, many lost their lives in the process." Trumpkin moved towards the boat, dropping his bow and arrow inside. "I assume you are here to help us. If you are I shall take you to the remaining Narnians."

"Please do." Lucy whispered, throwing her siblings a saddened look.

Edmund stepped forward, and began to push the boat in. "Then I suggest, we take off. You can explain the situation to us on the way."

Peter helped his brother push the boat out and load everyone in. "You want to row or steer?"

Edmund grimaced at the question; he was going to feel like a total wuss after this. "My arms are sore from the fight. I'm not as well practiced as before."

Peter just smirked and jumped into the boat. He began to row backwards, Edmund picked up a jog as he pushed the boat out the rest of the way. He pulled himself into the boat and leaning back against the wooden seat. He shifted so he was more comfortable and listened as Trumpkin began the story.

"The Telmarines invaded Narnia. They attacked Cair Paravel and the Narnians protected it...for you four. The Narnians that survived were hunted down and killed." Trumpkin rested his shoulder against the bow, his eyes tired. "We live in hiding now. But thanks to Prince Caspian, we've been discovered."

"Who's Prince Caspian?" Susan whispered as she glanced up at the trees.

"Miraz's nephew. His father was killed when he was young, so Caspian became heir to the throne. That was until, Miraz finally had a son. Miraz gave orders to kill Caspian in his sleep, but the prince ran before anyone could finish the job. He's back at my own house right now; two of my friends are looking after him."

"So he's one of the good guys?" Lucy slowly whispered, her fingers smoothing over her dress.

"We don't know. I don't think he even knows." Trumpkin whispered the last bit under his breath. "What happened to you four? Why did you run out on us?"

"We didn't." Peter snapped. "It was an accident."

Trumpkin shrugged his shoulders and pointed Edmund towards the right direction. Edmund followed the directions carefully, gazing up at the clear blue sky when he got the chance. He was sweating terribly, but he would rather have this heat any day than winter.

"You're King Edmund the Just, right?" Trumpkin finally mumbled, his voice low and gruff.

Edmund nodded, his eyes finding the dwarf's. "I assume you've heard all the stories about me. That's why you know me, right?"

"If you are referring to the story of you and the Witch, then yes I know."

Edmund caught Peter's eye, his very heart reflecting in his eyes. Peter just blinked as he watched his brother's eyes fade in front of him. "Which version did you?" Edmund slowly whispered.

Trumpkin raised an eyebrow at the question but sat back in the seat. "The ones I were told said she seduced you and forced you to come to her. You were under spell and had no choice but then to go. You tried to save your siblings several times but she bested you each time, until the battle came where you saved King Peter by sacrificing yourself."

Edmund let out a dry laugh at that. "Then you've told a much happier version than the cold truth."

Peter shifted in his seat, allowing the boat to drift for a moment while he rested. "You don't have to explain it, Ed."

"I need to. None of you, not even you, Pete, have been told the real story."

Peter glanced up at that, an eyebrow raised. "Continue than."

Edmund nodded and launched into an explanation of how the Queen had given him Turkish Delight, promised him he would be king, with Peter as his slave. He told them how he had gone to her out of his own free will, burying hate for his brother as he trudged through the snow. The many times he had revealed where they were off to just out of fear or trying to save someone's life. The many times she had raised her spear to pierce his heart, when another distraction would come. The way Aslan had died for him and how he in return had died for Peter, only to be brought back by Lucy.

Peter watched as his brother pushed a stray black hair out of his eyes. He placed a hand on his brother's knee, squeezing it to give him some comfort. Edmund just smiled at him, before finishing off the tale with his coronation and the way he had ridden back to the battleground just to retrace every move to see where he'd gone wrong.

The silence lingered between them all as he rowed them into a narrow river. They scanned the clear sky down to the crystal water. Lucy's thoughts were lingering on the trees that now no longer seemed to move as they once did.

"They're so still." Lucy whispered as she gazed up at two trees hanging over the cliffs.

"The trees?" Trumpkin glanced over at the trees she was gazing at. "What do you expect?"

Edmund's wandering gaze finally rested on his brother's shoulder. Now nothing is really truly fascinating about Peter's shoulders but it gave Edmund something to stare at to pass time. His eyes were heavy but he did not complain, just watched as Peter's shoulder moved with each paddle. The fabric was worn and looked to be moth eaten; stitches lose and sleeves falling off. So that's exactly what Edmund did as they moved down the river. He stared at Peter's shoulder, his thoughts on their current situation as he silently listened to Trumpkin and Lucy's conversation.

"We used to dance." Lucy pointed out.

"It wasn't long after you four left, that the Telmarines invaded. Those that survived retreated to the woods. The trees retreated so deeply into themselves, that they haven't been heard from since."

"I don't understand. How could Aslan let this happen?" Lucy's eyes dropped to the water, pushing back the tears that threatened to spill over.

"Aslan? I thought he left us when you lot did?" Trumpkin mumbled bitterly.

"We didn't mean to leave, you know?" Peter's voice was even sadder than Lucy's. Edmund just stuck to the path, not bothering to include himself in this conversation. A part of his heart kept nagging him that this would be his last moment with Peter so close to him, physically and mentally. He pushed it away and faked a small smile at his older brother.

"Doesn't make much of difference now, does it?" Trumpkin's voice was sour and full of hopelessness.

"Get us to the Narnians and it will." Peter started to row again, his face twisting into a pained expression.

Five minutes later, Edmund hopped out of the boat and pulled it on to shore with the help of Trumpkin, Susan, and Peter. They pulled it up even farther; Edmund kneeling down to make sure it was in place. He looked over to Trumpkin, who was placing the anchor in place. He gave a short nod, signifying that it was in fact good.

"Hello there."

Peter dropped the rope as he looked over to Lucy, his heart stopping at the sight of the bear rising on his hind legs. Lucy continued to walk towards it, offering a hand out to say hello. "It's okay we're friends."

"Don't move, Your Majesty!" Trumpkin finally yelled, but it was too late.

The bear charged at Lucy, and to make it worse, Lucy tripped. She swung around and backed away as quickly as possible. Her sister was a much faster thinker than she was though. Susan had her bow raised, an arrow placed in it. The bear rose on its hind legs over the frail body of the young queen.

"Shoot, Susan! Shoot!" Edmund grabbed his sword and took off sprinting towards his little sister. "Shoot!"

Why wasn't Susan shooting!? Peter ran as fast as he could, hoping with every part of his body that the bear would just walk away. The bear did not though, instead raised its paw to strike the younger girl dead. Lucy gave a scream and covered her face from the bear, her screams turning into cries of desperation.

The bear fell dead and everyone turned to Susan, who had yet to shoot the bloody creature. Trumpkin walked up behind her, saying nothing as he made his way toward the other three. Lucy clung to Peter's chest, tears soaking her shirt.

"He was wild." Edmund whispered, confusion evident in his voice.

"I don't think he could talk at all..." Peter's own voice echoing Edmund's tone.

"Get treated like a dumb animal long enough, that's what you become." Trumpkin pulled out his knife, kneeling down next to the bear. "You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember."

The knife twisted into the bear's heart but Lucy found that she felt the same knife twisting in her own heart. She cried into Peter's tunic, feeling him pull her closer.

Peter led the way to the crossing, with Lucy and Susan behind him. Edmund and Trumpkin took up the back, chatting along about the way the Telmarines rule and how it should be different.

"I don't remember this way." Susan finally mumbled, her breath short from walking so far.

"That's the problem with girls, can't carry a map in your heads."

Edmund snickered at Peter's comment, finally glad to have the tension out of the air. Right now, every moment he had with his siblings, he would relish. Mostly because something was about to change and soon...

"That's because our heads have something in them." Lucy threw back, snickering along with Susan.

Edmund's eyes just traveled over his sibling's bodies, comparing their differences and similarities. It gave him something to do, right? Lucy's build was similar to Susan's, her body already developing the natural curves. Her hair color was lighter than that of Susan's and her face structure resembled Peter's more than it did Susan. They all shared their dad's height, each of them being tall for their age. Peter and Edmund both shared the same muscular build of their father, but not the same hair color. Their father was a dirty blonde, a mix between brown and blonde, but not anywhere near black. Now that Edmund thought about it, he was the only one in their entire family that had the dark eyes and dark hair. As far as they knew, no one, not even their great great grandfather, had dark hair like Edmund did.

Edmund scanned his brother's backside, from the golden hair down to the long legs. He looked nothing like his brother and it bothered him. He wished he had his brother's golden hair that shined brilliantly in the sun, or his naturally tan skin, which only added to the golden appearance. But no, he was stuck with the dark hair, that only looked half way decent in the moon's reflection, and his naturally pale skin, that made him appear ghostly during the winter. He hated it...

"I wish he'd just listen to the D.L.F. in the first place." Susan mumbled under breath, startling Edmund out of his thoughts.

"D.L.F?" Edmund jumped onto a rock, trying to keep his balance as he walked forward.

"Dear little friend." Lucy smiled, glancing back at her brother.

Trumpkin stopped in his tracks, a rather unimpressed look on his face. "Well that's not all patronizing, is it?"

Edmund stopped to smirk at the dwarf before jogging to catch up with the rest. He liked the dwarf, mostly because he amused him in ways most couldn't. He squeezed between a few rocks, following the winding path Peter was clearing for them. He knew Peter was lost, just that he was too prideful to ever admit it, and so Edmund just trudged behind not saying a word. They came to a dead end, where Peter stood on top of a rock, a rather confused look plastered on his face.

"I'm not lost." He whispered more to himself than anyone else.

"No. You're just going the wrong way." Trumpkin came up in front of Edmund, stopping to glare at the High King.

Edmund met Peter's eye for a brief moment, before he just shook his head and looked around. Peter continued to stare him, as if questioning him. Trumpkin's glare continued to bore into him, waiting for him to say something, anything.

Peter finally turned to him, his voice icy. "You last saw Caspian in the Shuddering Woods and the quickest way there is to cross the River Rush."

Trumpkin just glanced to his side before trailing back to Peter. "But unless I'm mistaken there's no crossing in these parts."

"That explains it than. You're mistaken." Peter's jaw set and his eyes were cold and unwelcoming. He turned away and continued to weave in through the boulders.

Edmund stayed behind, fear jumping into his heart and coursing through his veins. The temperamental Peter was starting to return. That's when Edmund realized it, he was already losing Peter. He could do nothing but stand back and watch now, for even King Edmund the Just could not fight fate.

A/N: Please review. No reviews how you think I'm a sinful person that will be sent to hell. SLASH LOVERS ONLY!!