Author's note: This is just a short one-shot of my interpretation of why Peter ended up being the one to battle with Miraz, and not Caspian. I actually thought that this might be too short to post, but someone convinced me otherwise. :)

For Caspian

If anyone had asked Peter – and no one had – why he had insisted on being the one to challenge Miraz to the duel at Aslan's How, he would have given them a fairly straightforward answer. He was, without a doubt, the most suitable swordsman for the job. He had the tenacity, the resolve, and the battle experience to take on Miraz. High King Peter's ability to merge his fighting spirit with that of his blade was legendary in Narnia. So, it all came down to a matter of logic and practicality. Prince Caspian hadn't even factored into the equation. But, that's not how Peter had come to the conclusion that he, and not Caspian, should be the one to face Miraz in a no-holds barred single combat to the death.

"Let me see your hand," Peter demanded, reaching over to grasp Caspian's forearm and pull him closer by it. The dark haired youth cringed in pain when Peter forced his hand open to inspect his palm. Although the cut was not too deep, it still continued to bleed bright red, as anything deeper than a paper cut tended to do if not treated properly. Had Caspian initiated the blood offering to the White Witch himself the cut might not have been so grievous. But his refusal to do so had earned him a knife across his palm and yet another betrayal by someone in his company.

"Are you just going to look, or do you actually intend to treat it?" Caspian nervously asked in his exotic, accented voice.

Peter gave Caspian a condescending look before reaching over for the disinfectant, salve, and bandages that Susan had left with him. The chainmail and armor that he wore rustled metallically and creaked when he moved, also making it slightly uncomfortable to sit down in. He would have preferred to stand, but Caspian had looked unsteady on his feet after the blood loss and his scare with the White Witch, so sitting down had seemed more reasonable.

That was one reason why Peter had forced Caspian to forego his right to challenge Miraz to the duel. The young prince was nothing if not naïve, trusting those that would hurt him, blindly and unquestionably. While Caspian had struggled against Nikabrik, the werewolf, and the hag after learning of their nefarious intention to free Jadis the White Witch, it was only after he had been lured into the trap in the first place. He had no sense of caution or self-preservation. And that was to say nothing of his emotional state.

"Hold still. This may sting a little." Peter dabbed at the bloody cut with a disinfectant-soaked cloth, holding fast to Caspian's wrist when the prince gasped in pain and tried to pull his hand free.

"A little? It hurts a great deal," Caspian complained, turning away to survey his surroundings to take his mind off of what Peter was doing. But there wasn't much to see inside Aslan's How, especially not in this dark cavernous room that would bring out the claustrophobic in the best of those who were unaccustomed to it.

"It'll be over soon," Peter said by way of apology, picking up the bandages next to begin wrapping Caspian's hand.

After the failed night raid on Miraz's castle, followed by the slaughter of many of their comrades, Peter had found himself in a similar position. Tending to Caspian's wounded arm. Whenever he thought about the incident that had resulted in Caspian taking an arrow to the arm, Peter felt nothing but sadness. He remembered how he and Susan had chased Caspian down, desperate to find him inside that large, dark abode. Peter had been infuriated to find Caspian threatening Miraz inside the man's own chambers, having deviated from their original plan. Most assuredly, Peter had needed to fight the desire to lash out at the imbecile for mucking up their chances of taking the castle that night. But when he had learned of the treachery that Miraz was capable of, the wrongs that he had committed against Caspian, Peter felt like doing him in then and there.

Peter couldn't even begin to imagine what Caspian must have been feeling upon discovering that his own uncle had murdered his father. What must Caspian have been thinking at that moment? To realize that he had spent the most formative years of his life residing under the same roof as the man who had made him fatherless? Sitting across the breakfast table from him, looking into the cold, dark eyes that had ended his father's life and not knowing it.

That had been the second reason for Peter's justification that he would make a better opponent for Miraz than Caspian. His thirst for revenge against Miraz on Caspian's behalf made Caspian's own quest for vengeance pale in comparison. Peter doubted that Caspian had it in him to truly hate or kill. And that brought him to his third and second last reason for nominating himself to go up against Miraz.

Regardless of what Caspian said, or how sincere he sounded, Peter knew that the prince didn't have what it took to run his blade through another being. Not if it meant to kill. Peter had stood there in Miraz's chambers, watching Caspian be emotionally played to the point of tears. He had listened to Miraz taunt the nephew whom he had ordered to be assassinated, wringing the scene for all it was worth. Miraz had looked at Caspian as if he were nothing but a despicable ant beneath his boot that required crushing. He had called Caspian weak for lacking the guts to avenge his father's death, belittling him in every way possible. And that's when Miraz's wife had shot Caspian with the arrow.

Peter didn't think that weakness had anything to do with whether or not Caspian could kill. It was a question of innocence.

"There. All done." Peter looked up to catch Caspian gazing at him curiously before quickly looking away again.

And that brought Peter to his final reason for objecting to Caspian fighting Miraz. He couldn't allow any harm to befall the beautiful youth before him. At first he had figured his interest to be one-sided, but he was becoming more astute at catching onto Caspian's furtive glances and blushing embarrassment. Caspian was a sight to behold, from his dark brown, expressive eyes, to his dazzling unguarded smile, and his innate ability to turn Peter into an overprotective brute. Peter had longed to hold Caspian in his arms after their escape from Miraz's castle. He had wanted to kiss Caspian's tears away and then steal his innocence with it. There was no middle ground when it came to how he felt about Caspian. He wanted it all or nothing.

"Thank you," Caspian said shyly, not commenting when Peter chose to hold his hand longer than was necessary.

"I didn't volunteer to fight Miraz to take away your right to avenge your father's murder," Peter said suddenly, his thumb beginning to softly stroke the area of Caspian's palm that was uninjured.

"Then why did you do it?" Caspian searched Peter's face for an explanation, not thinking that Peter might have a challenging question of his own.

"Why did you not object?" Peter countered, leaning closer to push his fingers into Caspian's dark, wavy hair. When Caspian tensed and looked confused, Peter answered for him. "Because you knew I could win. And after the White Witch, you know that I will do anything within my power to protect you." Peter pressed in closer still, until he was close enough to kiss Caspian, but he didn't. "I swear to you that I will have Miraz on his knees by the end of the duel." His voice was low, intimate, as he breathed near Caspian's ear, causing the prince to shiver. "Then, and only then, will I allow you to finish him. Do you want that, my dear Caspian? Do you have what it takes to end a life?"

Caspian hesitated before answering. Peter's lips were so close to his now, and the other youth's grey-blue eyes were glittering excitedly in the lamplight. "Yes," Caspian finally agreed. But it wasn't entirely clear what he was saying yes to. Was it that Caspian had the utmost confidence in Peter's skills as a master swordsman? Or was Caspian requesting the right to be the one to deliver the final blow to Miraz? Or, was Caspian acknowledging Peter's feelings for him? Maybe it was all three.

Suddenly Peter was pressing Caspian back against the stony wall of the cave, one hand in the prince's hair and the other on his shoulder. He moved his lips over Caspian's quivering ones to kiss him sweetly, belying the aggressiveness of the act. He kissed Caspian until he had lured the prince into a comforting sense of belonging and security. His arms tightened around Caspian when the prince pushed into his embrace, wanting what Peter was offering him.

"This will all be over soon." Peter kissed Caspian once more and then just held the prince as if he were something precious to him.

"Please be safe out there, Peter," Caspian pleaded when the silence dragged on too long and it was almost time for the duel to begin.

"I will come back to you, my dear Caspian. I promise." Peter kissed Caspian one last time, and then released him to get ready for battle. He felt Caspian's hands on his armor, checking to make sure everything was securely in place. "Be prepared for when I call on you. Miraz will be at your mercy soon enough."

But as Peter calmly exited the cave, mentally and physically psyched to destroy Miraz for what he had done to Caspian, Peter knew that he would be required to do more than that. He knew deep in his heart that his innocent Caspian would not be able to kill Miraz, despite all the evil his power-hungry uncle was responsible for. And that was fine with Peter, too. After all, he was willing to do anything for Caspian. Even if it meant killing for him.

Please leave a comment if you enjoyed reading this and I might do more one-shots in the future. :)