A/N Hello everyone, thanks for all your reviews and I would reply to them but apparently I can't don't worry I've read all of them and I'm glad you took time to tell me what you think. Well here you go another chapter just in time for Christmas.

Hope you enjoy and just because I can't reply to your reviews individually anymore doesn't mean I don't enjoy reading them. There were a few with concerns as to me not continuing this story, don't worry the only way you can interrupt me is by separating my head from my body, but please don't get any ideas. Hey if you don't believe me all I can say is that mock exams didn't stop me and neither did the discovery of my Granddad's cancer and my Grandma's Heart Attack and Septicaemia so how was your month? I'm just glad that even though my Grandma started out with a 1 in 5 chance of surviving she is on the fast road to recovery and should be released in a matter of weeks.

So without anymore chatter from me I will get on with the chapter and allow you to find out what befalls our heroes this month.

CHAPTER TEN

There was much rejoicing when Edmund's scouting party returned and hurried preparations began on a huge welcoming celebration. Word spread quickly through the camp and rumours were beginning to emerge, each wilder than the last, of the missing rulers' adventures. The chaos gave Peter, Susan and Lucy time to clean up and change. Edmund led them to their accommodation, Peter was sharing with him in his room and the two Queens were across the hallway.

It was here that Edmund was currently pacing, he was unsure whether Peter needed to be alone, or not. He was unaware that his brother had heard the restless steps and that he was watching through the keyhole. Across the hall two other eyes were fighting over who got to see as Susan and Lucy argued over who got to watch. They both wanted to see how the inevitable scene would play out, in the end Susan won would relate to Lucy all she could see. She couldn't see Peter's eye through the opposite keyhole so she assumed him oblivious to the events transpiring in the hallway, but he wasn't.

Peter was trying to find his brother's actions funny but all he could think of was that he was the cause of the discomfort. Or rather he was lamenting the loss of their rebuilt relationship, they had spent over a decade trying to get back to being 'brothers' and now in the space of two years they seemed to be back at square one. He was also loathed to admit it had been a lot easier and faster when he met up again with Susan and Lucy to become a family again. Then again he and Edmund hadn't always shared the same close bond that Peter shared with his sisters but they were making progress and Peter didn't want to lose what had been achieved. He was just about to open the door and declare himself when Edmund finally made up his mind and knocked.

Peter waited a few seconds before answering so as to stop Edmund from realising he had been watching through the keyhole. Finding his courage, he pulled the heavy oak door open to reveal a flustered Edmund who barely managing to mask his discomfort. Peter could easily see through the charade just as Edmund could easily read the awkwardness displayed on his brother's face. Both realising that their disguises had failed broke out into an uneasy laughter, which as each relaxed became more comfortable and it soon became pure mirth as each of them forgot what it was they were laughing about. To anyone who didn't know the two boys they would have thought them mad, demented even but the two girls listening behind their door did know them. Pleased that there would be no more trouble between their brothers the two of them went back to dressing.

Once the laughter calmed down Edmund grew serious and Peter sensing this change became solemn too. He invited Edmund in and Edmund accepted bringing in a large wrapped object in with him. Silently, but with a reassuring smile on his face he handed the item to Peter who set about to carefully unwrapped it. He exclaimed joyfully when he saw what it was.

"Rhindon, I had thought it lost, or destroyed, or captured. Thank you." He smiled too and drew the blade from its sheath watching the flickering candlelight reflected in the metal. Edmund watched the sword too at first but soon his gaze switched to his elder brother and then he took in the whole scene of Rhindon in the hands of its rightful owner.

"I kept it safe but it wasn't until a few months ago that I had hope of returning it. I thought that I'd have to lay it on a grave." Peter wrenched his gaze away from his sword and sheathed it, then he turned his eyes to his brother and sighed.

"You almost did," it was said so quietly Edmund barely caught the words. "I lost hope in there Ed, I knew nothing, only the darkness and Rabadash. It wasn't until the girls rescued me that I found out the year let alone what was going on." He slumped onto the bed.

"He told me… he told me that the army was close to defeating you that he had almost won and I just, I just cracked." Edmund took in the lowered nature of the once proud shoulders and rested a hand on one of them.

"Peter you were in there two years, it took him two years to break you, any other man would have cracked within two months or even a month. There's nothing to be ashamed of, not when you were forced to endure so much, I wouldn't have been able to deal with it like you did." Peter fixed his brother with a cold piercing look.

"You have no idea what it was like in there Edmund," then his tone softened and he averted his gaze again. "And I pray that you and the girls never have to find out."

"Would you like to talk about it?" Peter looked up again and sighed.

"No, not yet, maybe not ever. You have to understand Ed that when I said I never want you or the girls to find out I meant what happened to me as well, I'd rather not burden you so."

Any further conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Not a word to either of the girls Ed, they don't know anything and I'd rather keep it that way." Edmund nodded and Peter satisfied went to open the door. It swung forward to reveal Susan and Lucy each dressed in the finest clothes that could be found. Susan was wearing a simple red dress with her tumbling dark curls arranged so that they framed her face and fall around her shoulders. Lucy was wearing a dark sapphire coloured dress and her dark locks were loosely bound behind her head and would almost certainly escape during the course of the evening.

"So are you two ready or not?" Susan smiled playfully, "Or should I announce to the others that you're otherwise engaged?" Lucy giggled.

"Yes I'm sure they'd be amused to learn that Edmund has taken up wearing a woman's dress and singing in front of the mirror again, like last time." Edmund scowled.

"That's not true and you know it."

"So?"

"So… you shouldn't go around telling lies." This might have been said playfully but the words cut deep and with the disintegration of their close relationship they were taken the wrong way. Lucy welling up almost ran out of the room and down the corridor. Peter gave his brother a stern look but it was wasted as Edmund was already tearing down the passageway after her yelling.

"I didn't mean it that way Lu, wait up would you." Then faintly in the distance. "It's hard to apologise while running you know." Then nothing and Peter and Susan were left in silence. After a space of about a minute Susan turned to her brother.

"So are you ready or not?" Peter smiled and grabbed his jacket.

"Yep, don't worry, no need to go gossiping to the court."

"Oh good, let's hurry we need to catch those two up before Edmund does something stupid again."

"Well I hope you enjoy running." Then something surprising happened and Susan gave her brother a completely un-Susan-like grin which was bordering on manic. Before Peter could utter a word Susan was dragging him out of the door and down the dimly lit corridors.

A/N This was going to be a bit longer but I decided to leave this chapter on a high note, in the holiday spirit of course.

Have a Merry Christmas a Happy Chanukah and a Happy New Year!!!

P.S Please check out my profile all of you who reviewed the last chapter, hint hint.