Thanks for the beta, Sentimental Star!
Title: Where I Belong
Author: Jenn
Summary: [Moviebased] During Prince Caspian, missing scenes seen through Edmund's eyes. What were his thoughts and feelings with some of the things going on around him?
Rating: (K+)PG
Timeline: Prince Caspian
Spoilers: For the 2005 and 2008 movies, and The Horse and His Boy. And very minor ones for The Magician's Nephew.
Category: Family. Angst. Non Slash.
Disclaimers: They're not mine, they're copyrighted to and belong to C.S. Lewis. The movie is based off of Lewis' work and copyrights also go to Walt Disney and Walden Media. Not making any money for this story. This fic is just for enjoyment.
Thoughts and quotes from the books are in italics.
Prologue
Leaving Home
Finchley, 1941
The wind blew a light breeze through the open window. The day was sunny. But he had to pack. His brother's suitcase was already done, on the bed across from him.
Edmund Pevensie put the last of his socks in his suitcase. The summer holidays had gotten by so quickly. And his eleventh birthday had just been last week.
He turned back to his nightstand. His gift from his father was there, his electric torch. Though it was hardly real silver, it reminded him of the sliver crown of leaves he once wore on his head.
Edmund was not so shallow that he wished to be King of Narnia once again. The Talking Beasts. The dryads and nymphs. He missed Narnia. But most of all Aslan.
"Edmund?"
He turned at the sound of his mother's voice. She had a picture in her hands. And handed it over to him.
"Mum…" Edmund looked down at the picture of his father in his uniform. The very same one he had run back into the house for over a year ago when one of the air raids nearly had killed him had Peter not been there.
"I know how much you miss your father," she said as she tried to not to cry.
He had a feeling that he was going to get choked up himself. He usually did not cry, not if he could help it. It was the only current photo she had of Dad.
"No, Mum, he needs to be here with you," he managed to say softly. Edmund put it back in his mother's hands. He still remembered Mum had not questioned him as he had taken the picture of Dad with him to Professor Kirke's house last summer.
She gave him a watery smile.
His mother, Helen Pevensie, and his older sister Susan had many similarities, like with their dark brown hair. Edmund thought Susan got her mothering tendencies from Mum too. But perhaps Lucy looked a bit like Mum as well; she and Edmund both had her eyes. And just like Lucy had been Queen Lucy the Valiant. Edmund would have to say that his Mum had to be valiant in sending her four children away during the air raids last year.
Mum set the picture on his bed. Edmund was not quite caught off guard when his mother hugged him close. But it did shame him when he would push her away in the past. Well, before. Before Aslan had changed him.
This certainly was not the first hug Mum had given him since he and his siblings had been back from Narnia. But this somehow felt different to him. Maybe because he was leaving for school?
"Mum?" Edmund asked as she brushed his black hair from his face.
"You've grown so much the last few months. I can almost look you right in the eye."
Edmund laughed. "I think I have in the last year. Mum, it's just another year of school, it's a bother, but school is school."
She started to fold his collar of his navy school blazer to get the creases out. "I want you to promise me you'll look after your brother for me. And your sisters."
"Mum-"
"Edmund, please." Her voice was a plea - there was worry in the brown eyes.
How can I? Peter's the oldest. But I can do no less - I protected Narnia with my brother and sisters.
Edmund nodded to his mother.
"Mum."
Edmund looked toward the doorway. Peter!
"Susan and Lucy are ready," his voice was tense.
Mum could tell Peter was angry. "Peter-"
"We should get going, we don't want to be late for the train," Peter cut in. He come in and grabbed his suitcase and knapsack. He stopped long enough to glance back at his younger brother with a glare.
"I'm sorry, Mum."
"No, Edmund. I should have been more careful with my words. You should finish." She took Dad's picture and left the room.
Edmund turned back to his packing but could not see it. All he saw were the icy blue eyes of his older brother. He had not seem Peter quite that mad with him save for those times Edmund had done something impulsive when he was King in Narnia, usually putting his own life in danger. Or worse still, when Edmund had betrayed his siblings.
"Edmund, are you ready?"
Turning, Edmund saw his sisters. "Almost, Susan. You can go on."
Edmund closed his suitcase with a sigh.
"Ed?"
He had not even heard his little sister. "Yes, Lu?"
"Are you okay?"
"I will be. But I really don't want to talk about it."
Lucy looked like she wanted to argue, but she let it drop. With a nod, she let him be.
Everything was packed. Edmund took his torch - he was not sure what use it would be in school, but he put it in his knapsack. He gathered his things.
Edmund knew it was the hardest on Peter for them to be here in England, rather than in Narnia. Or was it something else?
Then he remembered – "Promise me you'll look after the others."
Edmund remembered heard his mother say this Peter like it had been yesterday, and not a year ago. Mum made me promise the same thing. So much changed in a year. But it feels more then a year for the rest of us, I know the others feel it too. Narnia-
"Edmund! Get down here now!"
He winced. The High King calls.
He walked over to the window, and set down his suitcase. He let one breath of wind brush his face before closing it.
As Edmund left his room, he thought, Even if we aren't Kings and Queens here, Aslan said we are in Narnia. And the Professor said we'd go back, but as Peter always asks: When?
Notes: This doesn't relate at all to Bittersweet Burdens. Though, I still fancy the idea that Edmund's father gave him his torch.
If you're wondering about Edmund or even about Peter in this chapter, I don't know how it happened. My muse just hits me and I write.
Thanks for reading, please review. Jenn