So this is my first fanfic for any of the Chronicles of Narnia. Actually it is also my first fanfic for real human characters and not anime so I apologize if it is a little rough. I would appreciate any comments that can help me improve! Also sorry if there are any typos :)

This story takes place in the movie version, after Caspian almost brought back the White Witch and Peter also almost was tempted.

"Talking"

'thinking'

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince Caspian or any of the Chronicles of Narnia. I actually own nothing lol

Caspian stormed out into the open field behind the Great Mound. He walked, or stomped some would say, over towards the woods right on the outskirts of the clearing. He swiftly drew his sword and struck out at a tree with all of his might. His sword comically got jammed into the trunk but he was not in any mood for laughing. He tried to yank his sword free and finally was able to rip it from the reluctant trunk. He staggered back breathing heavily, both from exertion and from his emotional outburst.

"You should be glad the dryads aren't around to see this. I don't think they, or Lucy, would take too kindly to you cutting chunks out of their friends." Edmund's voice spoke lightly from above.

Caspian quickly looked behind him and upward from where his voice had come from. Up in one of the oak trees sat Edmund casually lounging on one of the branches. Caspian had been blinded by his frustration and furry and had not bothered to see if anyone was around. He had just hoped if an enemy was nearby they would see his rage and be too frightened to battle him. He turned back away from the Narnian king.

"I'm not in the mood for jests your majesty." Caspian said irritated.

Edmund, who had been looking up at the leaves when he spoke, glanced at the Telmarine prince. He sat back up and climbed down a few branches before jumping to the woodland floor. He watched Caspian turn back to face him.

"Why are you here?" Caspian asked, his curiosity winning over his current frustration.

"I came here to think. I have a habit of needing to get high up and in nature when I'm in need of a good thought. I would ask why you are here but your rage upon the tree slightly answers my question." Edmund spoke while crossing his arms and casually leaning against the tree he had just jumped down from.

"What's bothering you?" Edmund asked. He patiently observed the young prince before him.

"I would rather not talk about it, at least not to you. No offense it is just my frustration happens to be about one of your siblings." Caspian said looking at the ground as he kicked up some of the fallen leaves.

"Peter's finally on your last nerve?" Edmund asked with a slight smirk.

"I'm afraid so." Caspian said kicking another batch of leaves.

"Welcome to the club then my friend!" Edmund said opening his arms.

Caspian looked up at him in confusion and tilted his head to the side. "Come again?"

"Pete has a way of getting on a lot of people's nerves sometimes, just like I get on them as well." Edmund confessed pushing off of the tree.

He walked towards Caspian and stopped about ten yards in front of him. Edmund then unsheathed his own sword that had been at his side. He stood in front of Caspian smirking slightly.

"Fight me." He commanded.

Caspian stared at him like he was crazy. Once again he asked "Come again?"

"Fight with me! Trust me; it is better to get all of the frustration out now before you have to fight alongside him later." The Just King explained.

"I do not want to do that to you. It would be unfair to take out my anger upon you. I would hate if out of anger I accidentally injured you." Caspian said refusing.

"You forget who is king here, Prince Caspian. Do not think I would be so inexperienced as to let myself get injured by a hotheaded prince." Edmund said scolding but with an underlying tease in his tone. With disciplined movements he held his sword and body in a defensive stance.

Caspian recovered from Edmund's words. It was difficult to grasp that the young boy in front of him was actually one of the great kings of old. From his professor he knew that King Edmund was a skilled, seasoned swordsman but it seemed very difficult to believe he was the same as the dark haired teenager challenging him, even though he knew it was the truth. Caspian then held his sword out in front of him as well.

"Very well then." Caspian said stiffly.

Edmund smirked but mentally prepared himself. He was determined to relieve the strife raging within the young man before him. He knew Caspian was furious with Peter and Edmund knew he had to get him to talk about it and let out all his frustration or it could danger their lives later on in battle.

Caspian remembered the events of this afternoon and felt his anger bubbling up again. He quickly lunged forward at Edmund yelling as he brought his blade down hard. Reflexively Edmund brought his own sword up to meet and block his attack. Caspian brought down another overhead blow.

'Who does he think he is? Blaming me for the result of the attack on the castle! He still had time to call it off! And then the whole incident with the White Witch! It's not like I knew that was the dwarf's plan all along!' Caspian thought as he continued with his onslaught of attacks. Edmund took on each one and defended well. No matter how quickly Caspian seemed to attack the younger male Pevensie, it seemed Edmund always moved a step faster to block it.

'And he gives me that look afterwards like it was my entire fault again! He is just as guilty as me! He at least knew from firsthand experience what the White Witch was capable of and he too almost gave her a drop of his blood! Luckily Edmund was there to finish her off.' He thought.

He had to bring his sword up swiftly to parry one of Edmunds attacks. Edmund had begun to start playing offense as well. Edmund in rapid succession slashed at Caspian. The Telmarine prince was finding it difficult to withstand his attacks. Edmund saw that Caspian was starting to concentrate more on the battle and was not letting his anger escape. Edmund knew what he had to do but he was not looking forward to it. Caspian need to get all of his furry out now.

Edmund slashed downward and Caspian blocked it well. Edmund then pulled his sword back and feigned a slash to Caspian's left side. Caspian fell for the fake and went to block it; however Edmund quickly pivoted and used his momentum to spin himself inward towards Caspian's body. When he was within striking distance he swiftly and accurately elbowed Caspian in the nose. The teen's head shot backwards and he stumbled away from Edmund. He held a hand on his nose and when he pulled it away he saw it was bleeding. Edmund had used enough controlled energy to make it bleed and hurt slightly but not break it.

A low growl came from Caspian's throat and his anger was renewed tenfold. He ferociously slashed at Edmund and would not let up. Edmund was now having to pay very much attention cause if he slipped at all it could result in a serious injury. He inwardly smiled though that his tactic had worked.

'Look! Edmund has that same cocky smile that Peter wears when he thinks he has gotten the upper hand on me! Why can't he respect me as royalty as well? I'm the one who will be king of Narnia, not him!'

"Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia…" a nagging voice spoke in the back of his mind.

"I deserve the throne just as much as any of you! What makes you all so much better than me?" Caspian shouted as he angrily stabbed and cut at Edmund.

"Nothing." Edmund replied calmly. He deflected a slash to his right thigh followed by a block to a downward slash towards his head.

"Then why do you all act like it?" Caspian yelled spinning around and using his momentum for a powerful strike.

"To be fair," Edmund grunted absorbing the force from the strike, "Lucy doesn't act like she's better than anyone. And Susan is just stuck up sometimes, it's just her personality."

"You have to remember, we ruled for a long period of time in Narnia on our first visit here. With Aslan's help we took out the largest threat to Narnia and established peace among its people. Peter and I have reigned as kings long before you were born." Edmund carefully explained.

Caspian frowned slightly but did not let up in his attacking. He continued to visualize Edmund as Peter and viciously attack the prideful headed king. The high king could irritate him deep to the core sometimes, it was infuriating.

"Well, you don't act like you are better than others!" Caspian threw back.

"Well I have had a humbling experience that luckily none of the others have had to go through. Peter is the oldest of all of us and was made High King here; he is used to controlling everything. One thing that would infuriate him the most when we were younger was when I refused to listen to him or do as he told me. You don't know how many times he yelled 'When are you going to learn to do as you're told?' at me. He doesn't like having others not follow him."

"But, I have not been completely rebellious have I?" Caspian legitimately asked Edmund.

"No you haven't, actually you have been very tolerable; A little rash sometimes but very logical most of the time." Edmund complimented.

"Then why has Peter been so insufferable?" Caspian huffed.

Edmund stopped in the middle of his offensive attack. Caspian stilled his own movements as he looked Edmund in the eye. There seemed to be a hint of grief behind his dark eyes. It was quickly replace though with trust.

"Caspian," He began, "Think about it. After we help you here, you will become king of Narnia. We won't rule here anymore or return to our normal positions. You will be the true king."

"Yes but from the tales I was told didn't Aslan say-" Caspian started speaking but Edmund cut him off.

"-Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or Queen of Narnia. Yes he spoke that at our coronation." Edmund said relaxing his posture.

"But we couldn't possibly lead these people like we did in the Golden Era. They are Telmarines, your people, not ours. There are only a few Narnians left and I suspect that they will all live amongst each other with the Telmarines. We don't know these people. They won't trust us, or at least your people won't. But they all know you; they will accept you as their rightful king and respect your authority. Plus you have already gained the Narnian's compliance. That is what has made Peter so insufferable. Deep down he knows that he will lose the power he once had in Narnia and will have to step aside and let you rule. He is just worried you won't be ready to lead them and make the right choices, even if the ones he has made within the last few days haven't been the greatest either." Edmund said sheathing his sword and standing up straight.

"You need to see it from his point of view and I am sure soon he will see it from yours. And trust me, no matter how difficult he gets you just need to be patient with him. I believe after the event with the almost revival of the White Witch today, and having some time to think back on his actions, he will be more opened to your opinions and ideas. And if not, I certainly will make him listen and recognize you as a leader as well." Edmund finished.

Caspian stared at him for a minute before he smiled kindly. He sheathed his sword as well and wiped some of the dry blood from his nose with his sleeve. He then stood up straight and spoke.

"Thank you King Edmund. I am grateful for your comfort and reassurance. I now understand a little better and I believe I can try to get along and be more cooperative towards King Peter. I am in your debt your majesty." Caspian said and gave Edmund a polite bow.

"It's nothing, just one king passing on wisdom to another." Edmund said smiling and gave a quick bow as well. He then turned away from the fair haired prince and began walking back to the tree he had been resting in earlier.

"You are not coming back?" Caspian asked confused. He figured they would head back to the fortress now.

"I need some time to think since my previous time was cut short by a short tempered, tree cutting Telmarine." Edmund spoke with a slight jest in his voice.

"Well is there anything I can do? I can talk to you about it if you'd like?" Caspian offered wanting to repay him for helping him.

"That would be nice however my problems are not with physical beings but of memories. Seeing Jadis again brought them back in a rush and I need to sort them out before I battle. But thank you Prince Caspian. If you could tell my sisters I will be back soon I would be most appreciative." Edmund said giving him a soft smile before climbing up into the high branches of the tree.

"Of course King Edmund." Caspian spoke softly before he turned and began his walk back.

'Even though you are a teenager in physical form, you still have the mind and wisdom of the kings of old, King Edmund the Just.' Caspian thought as he walked back across the field to the Mound.

SO I hope you enjoyed it! I love how Edmund was portrayed in the movie of Prince Caspian so I wanted to write about him and the maturity and wisdom he gained after his experiences in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Please Review! It would be greatly appreciated!

StunningGhost