Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing in Lewis' sandbox.

Respect and Magnificence

Aslan may have let Edmund off the hook in apologising, but he hadn't let Peter. And even with the opt-out there for him, Edmund had still said it. Peter hadn't. Try not to wander off again. Every time he remembered those words, he cringed inside. Could he have been anymore callous? He should have fallen to his knees and begged his brother's forgiveness, not made some off the cuff remark. Edmund seemed to know what he meant to say though; the small smile he returned meant that right? Meant he understood. At least that's what Peter wants to believe, but he makes a promise to himself anyway, that he will say the words after the battle.

Susan knows that Edmund has never held any hope for an apology. He is just glad that Peter had lightened up on him. That he's not the bane of his brother's existence anymore. She watches as he begins to drift away from them. He seems to have forgiven himself for what happened and she wonders again what Aslan said to him. Edmund has always been the kind to brood. That said, he is drifting away, and she doesn't know how to stop it. When she confronts him, he simply shrugs and smiles the same smile he gave Peter at Aslan's camp and tells her he is alright and things are as good as they can get. Susan doesn't believe him.

Lucy doesn't feel burdened by her crown, though she knows Edmund does. Susan delights in hers, gentle and kind to everyone. Peter revels in his, quick to demand, order and rejoice. He has been the centre of every event at Cair Parval since they were crowned. Edmund stays in the shadows. At first, she thinks he still feels guilty, but when she asks Susan, her sister tells her that's not it and admits that she thinks he is just trying to stay out of Peter's way. Lucy frowns, not understanding why anyone would want to avoid her golden brother.

Edmund isn't a bully anymore. He wasn't really one to begin with, just lonely and hurt and confused because no one protected him or helped him that year at the school, or even believed him when he tried to tell them how bad it was. Without Edmund playing the game though, it slowly becomes apparent that Peter is a bully though it isn't as obvious without Edmund setting him off every chance he could get. He still pushes him out of the way, or tells him off for doing something Peter doesn't like, and sends him on pointless errands that easily could be given to a servant and then yells at him if he does send someone else. Edmund just takes it with a small smile and drifts further into the shadows.

They've ruled Narnia for four years when Susan calls Peter on it. Peter just looks confused and tells her that Edmund forgave him his behaviour. He can't find an answer to Susan's next question, when she asks him why he continues with it. He promises to find Edmund and apologise, and then remembers that he never did so after the battle. He had completely forgotten about his promise to himself.

The next time he sees Edmund is at court, and he can't apologise there in front of everyone. Edmund hands him the huge leatherbound tome he carried in with him and explains it contains the The Law of Narnia, the justice system Peter had tasked him with creating when he had first mentioned they needed one to his siblings. Peter doesn't understand why Edmund doesn't want to give it to the people himself. It's his work. But Edmund just smiles and shakes his head and tells Peter it has to come from him. Peter shrugs and accepts it as his due and never enquires further and in the excitement forgets about his promise to himself and Susan. And then he yells at Edmund, in the middle of the court, because Edmund is talking to someone he doesn't like and Edmund bows and smiles that smile again and leaves when Peter tells him to.

Susan and Lucy corner him later and ask the question that Peter wasn't bothered by.

"They won't accept it from me."

"Ed, they love you."

"Yes, but they don't respect me."

Edmund walks away, a shadow drifting by and Susan bites her lip and Lucy looks confused. She's still too young to understand that love doesn't mean respect.

The next day Edmund doesn't some to court and sit on his throne and it's an few hours past midday when Susan realises she can't remember the last time he did and Peter is arguing happily with some ambassador or other over trade routes and gesticulating grandly and Susan can already tell that Peter is making a mess of the trade agreement and she thinks for the first time that Edmund would be the best of them for this kind of diplomacy, but he hasn't been there for a long time. His words come back to her and she wonders in that moment whether Peter would let her make the agreement in his place.

She looks at her magnificent brother as he botches the contract and realises that she may love him, but she doesn't respect him. How can she, when he offers none back?