AN - begins from the morning when Peter, Susan and Lucy wake up to discover that Edmund has been returned to them, and they reunite with the betrayal hanging heavy over them. It is movie-verse, though I believe it fits in fine with book canon as well.
Journeys and Promises
"It doesn't need to be spoken of again" Aslan says, and Peter resolves that Aslan's word shall be law, for this and everything else too. So he doesn't speak of it. But later he spins around in their tent to tell his brother something and Edmund flinches away from him and Peter is stunned into sudden silence. They stand there awkwardly for a long second before Ed shrugs it off and Peter remembers that they aren't supposed to be speaking of it.
That night Peter lies awake with thoughts full of war and grandeur and worry, and Ed is snoring softly in his own hammock just like usual. Peter grins to himself at that thought, that Edmund could sleep through anything. He is still grinning when Edmund snaps awake with a hitching breath that sounds suspiciously like a sob and sits straight up. Peter startles up as well and reaches for his sword to defend against the danger, but Edmund has already relaxed his body and is just breathing hard. Peter leaves the sword alone but stays alert to examine his brother intently. Ed looks up at him then, and the emotion in his eyes confuses Peter. Is it fear? Or shame or guilt or regret or hurt… Edmund visibly smooths away the dream from his eyes and Peter marvels at it.
Ed swallows hard and lays back down and closes his eyes, leaving Peter to lay down as well and wonder to the dark what that witch did to his brother while he was with her. He tightens his eyes and vows in a whisper that she is going to die and he is going to be the one who kills her. It is an empty promise and he knows it, but his anger is enough in the dark to make him believe he is strong enough to fight the whole war on his own. Edmund's breath catches again from his hammock and Peter glares fiercely at the ceiling and wishes that he could speak of it. After all, how can he know how to help his brother if he doesn't even know what happened? But Aslan's word is law, so he lays still and silent until Edmund is snoring again and then he goes to sleep.
In the early morning the message comes from Susan and Lucy that Aslan is dead, but there is no time for grief because there is a war to fight and an army to lead. Peter stands at the maps and lets Oreius make the plans and then he and Edmund stand side by side to announce them to the army. They turn aside after that, to don armor and weapons and other battle gear, but first Peter pulls Edmund to him roughly and musses his hair. "If anything happens, keep the girls safe," he says, because this brotherly thing is really quite new and he doesn't know what else to say. Edmund nods and Peter is satisfied so he lets him go. But as he walks away Peter calls out yet again, "Oh, and Edmund?" He turns back, waiting. Peter struggles for the words and finally settles on "don't get yourself killed." Edmund grins at him, hearing the words his older brother doesn't know how to say. "I won't," he promises easily, and Peter wants to beg him, plead with him to take this seriously and mean it. Some of that must show in his eyes, because Ed sobers and promises again. "I really won't, Peter." Peter nods at him and they part ways and that is it for then…
Much later in the day Peter will gather a pale Edmund up in his arms and choke out to him "When will you learn to do as you're told?" and Edmund will grin in relief while Susan and Lucy embrace them all – but back at the camp they cannot see the ending and they only know that Aslan is dead and they have each other and an army and no one else. So Edmund makes a promise he cannot keep and Peter shoulders a crown he cannot bear and they each take another step down the road of their own story, the road towards Cair Paravel and a Golden Age and stories told for hundreds of years of two brother-kings who ruled in justice and magnificence and love.
(And isn't that the point of it all? Aslan never really dies, but sometimes he lays down on a Stone Table to let us bear the weight of our own glory for a little while, to let us take up swords and realize we are all kings and queens, sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. We are all Peter, we are all Edmund. So let me end this with the war cry of the boy-king who spoke for all of Narnia and all of our hearts as well – "For Narnia, and for Aslan!" We cannot fail.)