Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't...
Summary: A morning surprise can leave quite an impression... A gift fic for WillowDryad.
A/N: This two-shot is a gift fic for WillowDryad and is a companion piece to her story The Ciaramella wherein an incident revolving around one of Edmund's pranks on Peter is mentioned and is set a few weeks after By His Faith. If you have not read her stories, you should go read them as soon as you finish here. This story is not part of the ALitD canon. Enjoy!
A Morning Surprise
Perhaps his fellow conspirators were a mite too eager to aid him in his quest. But, they were so euphoric over the fact that he'd recovered from the little scrape with the Fell and an accompanying fever (admittedly even he hadn't expected Aslan to leave him here, but once he started recovering, Peter and the girls were hovering far more than necessary), he couldn't really blame them. Besides, he could count on Peter being sound asleep. After all, the nitwit always liked to get up at the crack of stupid.
Easing the door to the High King's room open, he was immediately greeted by the silent snarls of Bast and Babur. The twin Tigers closed their open maws, hiding their fangs, as confusion took over followed by curiosity but they said nothing as he held a finger to his lips. Instead, they exchanged amused looks and retreated to the rug in front of the banked fire. He turned slightly to wave over his shoulder, ushering his coconspirators inside, then he carefully shut the door behind them all.
They all froze when Peter turned over in his sleep, but he simply settled further into his pillows and resumed snoring softly. Edmund nodded and the two Bruins shambled over to either side of the High King's bed. He held up three fingers then curled in each one as he mouthed a countdown then he lifted his hands, miming raising the bed. The Bears raised the bed. Peter slept on, completely oblivious to the change in elevation. Edmund tiptoed as he placed the first chair under the nearest leg and then positioned the other three chairs under each of the remaining legs.
Stepping back, he observed his work with a critical eye then he nodded to the Bears, who carefully lowered the bed to rest on the chairs. Edmund grinned. His big brother was tall, granted, but he wasn't so tall that he'd be able to reach the floor when he got up in the morning. Looking over his shoulder at Peter's Tiger guards, he once again pressed a finger to his lips, waiting until they nodded before he silently crept to the door and let the Bruins and himself out. Though it was a sore trial, it was not until he was safely ensconced in his own room that Edmund chuckled and rubbed his hands in anticipation of his brother's guaranteed rude awakening.
A scant three hours later, Edmund sat straight up in bed as a low crash sounded across the hall followed by a sleep-hoarse voice bellowing, "Edmund Alexander Pevensie!"
He snickered then schooled his face into his best innocently concerned expression as he pulled on a robe and opened the door. Susan and Lucy, sleep-mussed and wide-eyed, were already rushing to Peter's room. Edmund opted for the relative safety of peeking in over the girls' shoulders as they opened the door. He barely kept his grin smothered as the door swung open to reveal Peter in a heap on the floor. He used his best concerned voice as he spoke, "I say, Pete, are you all right?"
His brother just glared at him as he untangled himself from the covers that were now draped mostly off the bed and just barely brushing the floor beside Peter. Lucy rubbed her eyes then wondered, "Peter, why is your bed raised up on those chairs?"
Peter glared some more at him as he bit out a single word, "Edmund."
Edmund let the amusement creep into his voice as he rocked back on his heels, "Well, if you didn't insist on getting up at the crack of stupid, you great lummox, you might have had enough light to notice the change in elevation."
Susan attempted to give him a stern look, but a hint of laughter was hovering just below the surface in her voice as she asked, "Don't you two think you're getting a little old for these pranks? I mean you're almost twenty, Edmund, and Peter, you're almost twenty-three. Yet you two act like little savages half your age."
Edmund gave her the Eyes as he linked his arms with hers and Lucy's, steering them back toward the door, "Oh, don't worry, Su, Peter won't be able to get me back for this…he can't even get out of bed without landing on his face."
Lucy giggled and Susan attempted to keep her stern look, but then Peter protested loudly behind them, "I did not land on my face!" The girls looked at each other and promptly burst out laughing. Edmund snickered as he helped the girls keep moving in spite of the fact they were nearly falling over with the force of their laughter. He thought he heard Peter mutter behind them, "And don't count on it, brother mine, don't count on it." But, he dismissed it. After all, he was far better at playing these pranks than Peter was and he was a night owl so it wasn't likely that Peter would catch him sleeping so soundly that he wouldn't notice any attempt to get even by Peter.
A/N: Please Read and Review! A gift fic for Willow Dryad that is planted firmly in her little section of the Narnian universe and not mine. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one. Should I write an epilogue where Peter gets back at Edmund?
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