Cair Paravel

It's time.
Time for Peter and Edmund to return to England, leaving Caspian alone in Narnia.
Peter's gone for good. But Edmund will be back.
But until that time Caspian is all alone, the brother's have each other and Caspian has to wait.

As Caspian dismounted he looked over his shoulder to the two kings still astride their horses behind him, both staring distantly at the sight before them.

Peter was the first to dismount, the sword at his waist slapping against his thigh. 'Ed,' he said gently, turning back to his brother. The light that filtered through the canopy of trees above them set Peter's hair alight, the golden locks looking as though they had been set on fire. 'Do you remember much about Cair Paravel?'

Edmund had taken Caspian's hand to dismount but had now moved away from the prince and was staring thoughtfully at the ruins before them. For a slight of a moment Caspian thought Edmund was going to scoff at his brother like he would have done if such a question were put to him. Instead he smiled and ran a hand through the hair so different in texture and colour to his brother's.

'I could never forget Cair Paravel,' said Edmund, his dark eyes resting fondly on his brother. 'It's only been a year since we left Narnia anyway.'

'Thirteen hundred in my time,' said Caspian. He crossed quickly to Peter after a half glance at Edmund who spurred him on.

Peter was picking his way carefully across a giant tumbled rock that must have been the ruins of a grand archway. 'What did they say of us in legends?' Peter asked. 'Were we a myth?'

'To the Telmarines you were a myth but the people of Narnia thought of you as legend.' Caspian paused and looked over at Peter's clouded face before continuing. 'They spoke of you, Peter, as well ... magnificent.'

He heard Edmund's snort of held back laughter. 'Of course,' the young king murmured. Edmund was to the left of Caspian, straining his neck and looking as though he was trying to picture what had been above where he stood. There was nothing but a faint outline left of the structure of Cair Paravel and Caspian thought it looked to be appearing difficult to imagine anything but ruin here.

'They spoke of you as if you were an angel sent by Aslan,' Caspian whispered to Peter whose eyes flashed to him, 'as though you were a god gifted to Narnia by Aslan himself.'

'What else?' Peter asked. There was need in his voice. 'What else did they say about me? Was I a good king?'

'You were a good king to me,' Edmund said. Caspian smiled at him. They both knew Peter needed them at the moment. 'Come look,' continued Edmund, 'I daresay I've found something.'

'What is it?' Peter asked. He slipped his arm around his younger brother's waist as he stopped beside him.

Edmund leaned into him somewhat. 'Do you remember this spot?' he asked. 'Just think of it higher up by several floors.'

Caspian's heart swelled with jealously. It was iniquitous. When Peter and Edmund left they would have each other. Back in England, as they called it and where his ancestors had come from, they would have each other. But Caspian would be alone, by himself in a land he wasn't even confident he could rule yet. He loved them both dearly and it would be difficult to tenet without the help of the two kings he had come to be devoted to.

'By Aslan!' cried Peter. 'It's our old room!'

'Several floors up,' Edmund corrected. Caspian found the gentleness in his voice uncommon. 'Even though the land has changed I'd remember it anywhere.'

'It's beautiful,' Peter gasped. He blushed suddenly, his cheeks donning a stunning shade of crimson that rivalled the setting sun itself. 'Do you remember everything we did in that room?' he asked Edmund.

'Oh,' said Edmund, his voice one smooth purr. He winked mischievously. 'I definitely do. When we returned to England nothing stopped us doing it either.'

Peter smiled. 'It'll be the same this time around,' he assured him. Peter took a long glance up at the awning of apple trees above them. 'I am going down to look at what remains of the treasury.' Edmund nodded and Peter set off looking mildly surprised that neither of his lovers was going to follow him down there.

It took a second before Peter had gone that Edmund turned to Caspian, his eyes narrowed a little. 'This isn't about you,' he said.

Caspian buckled under the words and had half a mind to shoot back something harsh to hurt Edmund. It would have to be extremely hard worded because nothing cut through Edmund's tough skin. Tell him anything and the young man would remain unfazed by it. Edmund's ability to pick up his emotion had startled him also. He'd had no idea that the old king knew him that well.

'Who is it about then?' he asked, his Spanish lilt filling the air, sounding odd next to a voice so definitely English.

'It is about Peter,' said Edmund. 'Who else? Peter's never coming back! Don't look so arrogant when you try and comfort him as if you'd forgotten he cried for hours last night after talking to Aslan.'

'Susan's leaving too,' Caspian murmured.

'Susan,' Edmund said fiercely, 'never cared as much for Narnia as Peter does. He loves Narnia. Susan will easily go back to her make-up and her boys and school when we go back but for Peter it is much harder.'

'You've done it once before,' noted Caspian. 'You've left Narnia before without knowing if you would return then.'

'But now Peter knows he can never come back. You should say your goodbyes and say them fairly.'

'It is the same for me,' Caspian protested. 'I will never see Peter again and I may never see you either!'

Edmund's face froze under this realisation. His thin bottom lip trembled slightly. There it was. Caspian wasn't sure if it was sparkle from the sun or tears that made his eyes light up in that way yet there was pain in his face. That couldn't be denied.

'Aslan promised you'd come back but how old will I be when you do?' asked Caspian. Leaves crackled under his feet as he stepped closer to Edmund. 'I may be an old man. Or I might be married. Narnia needs an heir,' he said to Edmund who bravely held his eyes against Caspian's though he looked as though a bam would break forward from them at any moment. He shrugged his shoulders. 'I might even be dead. Only Aslan knows which one of my heirs you will come back to if I am dead, and he is mindful to keep such information to himself.'

'Caspian,' Edmund flinched as he spoke. He finally diverted his eyes away from the prince, gulping the pain down. 'I – I'm sorry,' he said tearfully. 'Of course it's the same for you, probably even worse.'

'When you go with your sisters, you have Peter and I have no one.' He clasped Edmund's pale hand and brought it to rest over his beating heart. 'I will miss you,' he said.

'I haven't left just yet,' muttered Edmund, rubbing his eyes with his spare hand. 'You've got plenty of time to get soppy.'

Caspian ignored him. 'I'll miss you and Peter more than,' he faltered, 'more than words can even describe. I'm not sure how I will get through the days without you.'

Edmund scowled, his old self returning, though still blinking away tears. 'You'll do just fine,' he said. 'You'll find some fine young Narnian lady and settle down and have some young Caspians or Caspianettes. I do hope that I come back before all of that happens. And,' he wrinkled his nose, 'that you aren't too old.'

'As do I,' Caspian said. 'Edmund, I love you and Peter too. Your leaving will bring me more pain than anything.'

'Don't think about it so much,' Edmund said. 'You're the King of Narnia, you can't lose face.' He managed a smile as Caspian brought him against his body.

Peter, emerging from the treasury, saw his lovers embrace tightly, their mouths melting together in a blissful kiss. At this moment they knew nothing but each other. He smiled. With Edmund he could deal with the loss of Narnia but he feared for Caspian. Alone, without either of his lovers and as time went by if Edmund was not needed in Narnia he may lose all faith in the Kings of Old.

Peter did not want that to happen. He'd selected a fair broach that was still lying untouched on his old armour. It would match well with the many pretty outfits Caspian had ordered made for himself by the best Narnian seamstresses.

It would be his parting gift to Caspian, something the new, young king would be able to wear on his presence at all times. It was a gift that contained all of Peter's love for Caspian.

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