This story is based off of a request from thelivejournal user bmlhillenkeene.
Caspian got to his feet, looking around at the Pevensies as he did so. Lucy had exited just after Edmund had stabbed the ice, Trumpkin in tow. Edmund had run from the room only seconds later looking very upset, and Susan, clearly angry that Caspian had upset Edmund, walked off briskly. "I have to fix this…" Caspian breathed, chest heaving as he looked at Peter.
"With Susan?"
"No." Caspian shook his head. "With Edmund." Peter just nodded and Caspian exited the room in search of the youngest Pevensie boy. "Excuse me," he asked Lucy, who was sitting in the weaponry talking with Trumpkin. "Have you seen Edmund?"
"He ran past us…I think he was heading out of the fortress; he didn't look terribly happy, you might want to let him cool off."
"No, I have to do this now, thank you." Caspian took off at a jog, entering the cool morning air. He looked around for a few seconds before his eyes fell on Edmund. The boy was sitting on the grass several yards away, his knees held to his chest. Caspian walked slowly over to him and stood next to the younger boy.
"What do you want?" Edmund asked, his words biting as he stood, standing in front of Caspian.
"I wanted to apologize for what almost happened; I am sorry that it got far enough that you had to intervene."
"Do you have any idea what you almost did?" Edmund's eyes narrowed as he glared at Caspian. "Have you got any clue as to what she can do?"
"I have heard stories-"
"Stories? Stories? Well I've seen what she can do, Caspian! She had Aslan in check for so long and in an instant you almost broke everything that me and my brother and sister's, not to mention the Narnians, had fought to build up! Do you realize what kind of damage her release would have caused?"
"I am sorry…"
"You're sorry, alright, fine." Edmund nodded, clearly angry at Caspian. "But sorry doesn't fix things! You haven't felt her blows, have you? You haven't been her prisoner, her slave. You haven't watched her almost kill your brother, kill you! You have no idea what it feels like to be struck down by her, do you?"
"I do not." Caspian shook his head, ashamed of his actions. "I am not proud of what I almost did, Edmund, and I am sorry for all that you've been put through by the Witch…and by me."
"Yeah, well your words don't exactly make the memories go away, thanks."
"I wish that they could…"
"Well they can't…in all honesty it was a lot easier not to think about what she'd done to me until I saw her again, so thank you for that, now if you don't mind!" Edmund turned and began to walk of, trying to hide the tears that were budding in his eyes with the memories of the pain that the witch had caused him. Instinctively, Caspian reached out and grabbed Edmund's arm, pulling him into a hug in one swift, fluid motion.
"I am sorry Edmund, I am so sorry." Edmund tried to jerk away from Caspian's arms, but the older boy was stronger. "I did not mean for this to happen, it isn't what I wanted…" Caspian held Edmund close and after a couple of minutes the boy's attempts to get free subsided and he gave in to the Prince's embrace. "I honestly did not know that that's what Knickabrik had in mind, really."
"I don't care!" Edmund looked up at Caspian, his eyes slightly red from the few quiet tears that he had shed. "You brought back a past that I had hoped never to relive and-"
"And you had the strength to make sure that it did not happen. Even when your brother could not find the strength or power to destroy her, you did."
"You would have too if you'd felt half of the things I have, if you'd seen the things I have…"
"Edmund," Caspian put his hand on Edmund's cheek, drawing the boy's gaze up to meet his own. "You are a courageous boy, a great King, don't forget that." Caspian didn't wait for Edmund to respond before he continued. "I admire you, Edmund, I wish that I had half of the bravery that you possess." With that, he guided Edmund's face upwards, capturing his lips in a soft kiss. Edmund pulled away immediately.
"What do you think you're doing?" He looked up at Caspian, astonishment clear in his eyes and on his face.
"I am sorry, that was out of line, forgive me…" Caspian looked away, unable to face the young king. "It's just that…you're so…" He trailed off, unable to find the words to finish his thought.
"What are you trying to say, Caspian?" Edmund roughly grabbed Caspian's chin, yanking his face so that their eyes locked together.
"I think that I have said and done enough, let me go, Edmund, before I do still more that I will grow to regret."
"So you're going to regret what you've done just now? Is that it?" Edmund released Caspian and folded his arms across his chest, staring at Caspian, one eyebrow raised.
"I…" Caspian was at a loss for words as Edmund held his gaze. He could see no easy way out of this. "I will regret it but I will not wish that I had not done it. I did not kiss you by accident, your highness, and I would do it again if given the option."
"So if I gave you the option?" Edmund questioned, moving closer to Caspian. "You'd take it?"
"I would."
"Then I'm giving you the option." Edmund unfolded his arms, letting them rest contently at his sides. As he looked into Caspian's dark eyes, his own softened.
"Then I suppose that I am taking it." Caspian brushed some of the dark hair from Edmund's eyes and put his arms around the boy's slender waist, drawing him in to a soft, gentle kiss. "Can you accept my apology now?" Caspian asked, looking down at Edmund as he broke the kiss.
"I suppose that is one good way to say you're sorry…"
"I would have hoped so." Caspian nodded and put his finger on Edmund's chin, tilting his head upwards slightly and meeting the younger boy's lips in another soft kiss.
"When Caspian said that he had to fix things with Edmund, I didn't think that this was what he had in mind," Peter whispered to Trufflehunter, who stood by his side.
"I suppose that we all have different ways of fixing things, just try and accept what you don't understand, alright?" Peter nodded and turned to go back inside, giving his brother and the prince the privacy they needed.