All four of the Kings and Queens rose to their feet. Lucy's eyes were blazing, and she was pressing her lips together as if holding back a torrent of words. She made a movement as if to exit the box, but Susan restrained her, gripping her wrist. Peter stood as if he were made of marble. Edmund went even paler, but I thought I caught a glint in his eye.

I took a shaky breath. Simar rose to his feet, and both he and Taran gaped at me.

'Do you think you can rid yourselves of me so easily?' I said. 'You thought to pack me off to Narnia and forget I ever existed.'

'You are bold,' Taran said, looking me up and down with an expression that dripped with disgust.

'Maybe I am,' I answered, lifting my chin.

Around us the arena burst into shouts and chatter. I could not bring myself to look to the royal box, but a ripple of gasps forced me to turn.

Edmund was striding towards me.

I jogged halfway to meet him. He looked as fierce as when he fought Rabadash. I stopped a few feet before him; he moved to close the distance and embrace me.

'Don't,' I whispered, holding up my hand by my side.

'I don't care,' he returned. 'Let them all know. I won't let them do this to you.'

'I won't either. Just—wait. I can't explain here.'

He narrowed his eyes, sizing me up. Then he nodded. I breathed a sigh of relief.

The referee came over, bowing low. 'Your Majesty, do you truly intend to compete?'

'I do,' said Edmund.

'There is a ceremony, then. If you would please, your Majesty.'

Edmund followed the referee to the centre of the ring while the stewards hustled us off. Simar turned to me, his eyes wide and shining.

'Well,' I said. 'You have made your choice then.'

'I had to,' he said.

'Had to be a coward? I know.' I turned away from him and strode to the chamber for the Kings' Champion. I ignored Taran and Gormal. My swords would say enough shortly.

When the door shut behind me I unbuckled my sword belt and cast it onto a chair while I paced the room.

I went over to a ewer to pour myself a glass of water. My hand shook so badly that the water sloshed everywhere but the cup. I swore under my breath and leaned over the table. I drew in a breath and tried again, only to make more of a mess. I grabbed the cup and threw it against the wall and hid my face in my shaking hands.

The door opened and I gasped to swallow my tears and face whoever it was. Edmund stood in the doorway, and he waved away the servants who had accompanied him. The door shut behind him and we stared at each other.

'You don't have to do this,' I said. 'They want to humiliate me. They know. If you stand beside me you bring yourself down too.'

'I would have kissed you in front of everyone,' he said.

'I know,' I said. 'You are very brave. Perhaps foolishly so.'

He shook his head. 'You are mistaking me for my brother. I calculate instead of making bold strokes.'

'What is your endgame then?' I said.

'I plan to be done with this. Put an end to the way they treat you. It is time they know justice.'

I furrowed my brow, looking down. 'I don't know if it's that simple. Your power is great, Edmund, but their hatred is strong too.'

'You're not going to slink away again!' He protested.

I gripped his arm, looking straight into his eyes.. 'No. Quite the opposite. I need to win this. For us. For Orran. Even for Simar.'

Edmund scoffed. 'That coward.'

'Indeed,' I agreed. 'He thinks he's saving himself. That ridiculous plea to Taran.' My stomach turned as I thought of it. I ground my teeth together as I remembered Taran's righteous absolution.

'Then I will show him—'

'You're not listening,' I said. 'I need to show him. You can't save me from this. I have to fight him, and I have to win. I need to know if you are with me.'

Edmund smiled, a slow, cat-like smile. 'Oh, Peridan. I want to do this. I have been spoiling for this fight for a long time. Since I have seen how they treat you, from that first day here. Really you've just given me an excuse.'

'But think of your reputation,' I began. 'You need to know the choice you are making. I have nothing left to lose—I grow reckless.'

He shook his head. 'Don't be stupid. Standing by you only improves my reputation, if you think about it. I mean, there's the history—the King and Peridan fighting side by side. I wouldn't compliment Gormal and Taran by comparing them to dragons, but still. We face a foe together. As in history. As we already did at Anvard.' He nudged my shoulder. 'Go on. Ask if I am with you, as I asked you.'

'Are you with me?' I repeated, my voice slow with uncertainty.

He gripped the back of my neck and looked into my eyes. 'To the end, my good lord. To the end.' And he sealed this with a kiss.

The stewards came with his armour and I stepped back and watched them arm him. The last time I had seen him in armour fear choked me. This time, I could appreciate how fierce he looked, how noble and dashing. He caught me looking and gave me a little wink. Meanwhile they came to take off my armour to polish and clean it. They passed me a wet cloth to wash the dust off myself. Edmund bit down on his lip as he watched me, and I laughed a bit to myself. That he could want me now. That I could want him too.

As we walked down to the stadium entrance, he said 'Surely there must be a verse in the Song of King Gale about this moment.'

I opened my mouth to quote, but then I smiled at him. 'Perhaps we need a new song for Peridan and the King. We could write a verse that goes something like And after all the danger and the battles, Peridan called on the King to stand by his side. And so Edmund did, because of the great love he bore for Peridan, his faithful friend.'

'Oh are you a poet now as well as an artist?' Edmund said with a grin. He stopped and looked at me. 'At any rate, you ought to be plainer. Someone generations from now may be scared to love someone else and draw inspiration from our story. You might as well be plain and say they were great lovers.'

'I put the bit about great love in,' I said, a merry note creeping into my voice in spite of myself.

Edmund shook his head. 'Not enough. Not nearly enough. Leave it with me, and I'll write you your verse.' He winked and kissed me.

We reached the entrance and Edmund grinned. I followed his gaze and saw that Peter, Susan, and Lucy were waiting for us. They came forward, away from Taran and Gormal.

'We've come to show our support in addition to Edmund's,' Peter said.

'What, you're not here to support me?' Edmund pretended to pout. 'That's nice.'

Peter frowned to imbue the situation with gravity, but I rather liked that Edmund felt free enough to joke around. He coughed and rearranged his features in a portrait of mock sobriety. Peter shook his head and turned to me. 'You're the best one out there,' he said, laying a hand on my shoulder. 'Better than Gormal—he's all brute strength. Keep your wits about you and you can best him.'

'We're livid,' Lucy said. 'That they should do this to you! And what in Aslan's name were Simar and Taran doing?'

'A ceremony in Aslan's name,' I answered wryly. 'Simar wanted Taran to absolve him.'

'And what power does Taran have?' Lucy demanded. 'I shall have words with him—I have quite a lot of them.' She made as if to march over to Taran, but Peter grabbed her arm and stopped her with a shake of the head.

'Later. For now, let the fight speak.' He turned to Edmund. 'You've even gotten special dispensation.' He smiled a bit and tilted his head towards Susan, who stood twisting her handkerchief.

She was silent a moment, then burst out, 'Stand by Peridan, Ed. Don't hold back. They won't dishonour him like this.' I raised my brows. I did not expect her to come so vehemently to my aid. Yet she stepped forward, holding out the handkerchief. 'Take my favour, Lord Peridan. We are with you.'

I took the favour and held it in my two hands, running my thumb over the embroidery. Her face was full of both resolution and resignation. I wanted to hug her. I stopped myself, then threw my manners aside and wrapped my arms around her. Then Lucy and even Peter took it in turns to embrace me.

Edmund pulled on his helmet. 'Come on. Let's show them what for.'

The others went back to the royal box and we turned to the entrance, poised in the shadow of the entrance. At our feet was a clear line where the shadows stopped and the clear sun shone bright ton the ground. I examined this demarcation with fascination—rarely in depicting life did I ever have the chance to draw such straight, clear lines. 'Are you with me?' I murmured to Edmund.

'To the end,' he said, his voice clear.

We both stepped forward at the same time into the glare and the din of the roaring crowd. Gormal and Taran were already standing in the centre of the ring.

Later, as we all sat together in the royal parlour reliving the fight, Susan said, 'You both looked so fearsome. The light gleamed off your swords and Edmund's shield. But it was more than that. It was the look in your eyes. I did not know you could look like that, Peridan.'

Anger swelled in my chest. I thought of all the pain and humiliation I had faced. Each time I said nothing, I meekly accepted whatever they wanted to dole out: cruel words, whip lashes, alienation. I hoped that if I acted good enough they would accept me again. As if I could change. As if they could change.

'Leave Taran to me,' I muttered to Edmund.

He tutted. 'You do disappoint me. I would have loved to have a crack at him.'

I laughed under my breath. 'You can have Gormal. I need to show Taran what I am made of.'

'I know you do,' Edmund answered.

Then we were facing them down, all four of us crouched, ready to spring. Gormal and Taran were not at all cowed by facing the King; rather, they seemed bent on proving themselves. With the haughtiness in Taran's expression I wondered what he thought he knew about Edmund. Anger flashed within me once more. I had been taking their abuse for so long I carried it with me across the Bight of Calormen, but I would be damned if I was going to let them try to take Edmund down. I sprang into action.

'And when they started to fight!' Lucy would cry later in support of Susan's remarks. 'You just…went for Taran, didn't you?'

'They fought like soldiers, not like schoolboys, that's why,' Peter said. 'I've been trying to say to you for ages, Peridan, you're much more powerful when you stop worrying about the rules so much.'

'Hear hear!' Edmund agreed, raising his glass.

In the arena, I chased Taran down. I didn't wait. I didn't strategise. I didn't think. After my initial attack he reeled backward a couple of paces. I moved to follow up quickly—a few more moves and I would win. But a gasp of surprise from the crowd and a glance over at Edmund and Gormal rallied Taran, and he fought back. We swung at each other, lunging, parrying until our chests were heaving. We fell apart to circle each other and strategise.

I wiped the sweat from my brow with the crook of my arm. Taran shook his damp hair out of his eyes and I felt a flash of furious pride that I had made him work and sweat when he always tried to hold himself above the fray and seem so cool.

Taran caught the tiny smile I allowed myself. 'Look at you. One would almost say you are proud of who you are,' he said loftily, curling his lip.

'I am proud of who I am,' I said. 'I have known fear. Faced death. Saved the King. Earned knighthood.' I laughed. 'You think your words can hurt me? You are as the dust blowing on the wind—annoying, yes, but harmless.'

Edmund managed to dispatch Gormal, who crumpled and yielded with a grunt. Edmund did not give him a second glance as he came to stand by me. He laid a hand on my shoulder. 'You left out that all of this won you the honour and respect of your King.' He turned to Taran and said to him, 'Who has walked with the Great Lion and knows his heart.' He examined his fingernails as though this fight was nothing to him. 'Thus it follows that Aslan has the same admiration for Lord Peridan that we hold.'

Taran went white. 'The Narnia I believed in is dead.'

'And good riddance to it,' I spat. Edmund barked a laugh.

Taran gave a cry and leapt at us. Though Edmund had been playing casual, he was ready in an instant. I had never lowered my swords.

Peter took a long draught and set his glass down. 'What impressed me most of all was how seamlessly you worked together. You didn't have enough time to plan all your strategies, yet when you were facing Taran together it was as though you had thought it all through. I don't know how you knew each other's thought's like that.'

Edmund scoffed. 'Peridan's just got a ridiculously easy tell. Comes in handy when I want to beat him in chess, but also when I want to fight alongside him.'

I nudged him. 'As though you're some big mystery.'

Peter raised his brows. 'Most seem to think so, yet you have cracked the code,' he said.

The next few moments were a textbook fight: Taran trying to draw Edmund and myself into a triangle while we held the line formation with him in the middle. Taran and I would have gotten high marks for our consistent use of strategy were we still in Military Arts class. Despite being outnumbered, Taran continued to fight with righteous precision.

I let Taran draw me forward so that I could see Edmund. Peter would be right—in that moment we read each other's thoughts. I pulled around again and Edmund engaged him, divesting him of his shield. I fell back, and then with a yell, I charged at him, leaping into the air. Taran turned and raised his sword, preparing to take my blow from above, catch my weight and throw me aside. But I landed short of him and slid into his legs with all the energy of my leap behind me. He stumbled and put his hands on the ground for balance. He would have done better to fall, but he was too proud for that. I was on my feet again before he recovered himself, and I went for his sword. He engaged again, but he was still off balance, and he had no shield. And he made the mistake of forgetting to defend against both my swords. I trapped his sword and twisted it out of his hand. Edmund was there to catch it as it fell to the ground.

Silence swept over the arena. I could hear my own breathing as I stood over Taran, panting. He remained kneeling, his face twisted with fury.

After a long moment, Edmund declared, 'You must yield.'

Taran looked up, his eyes burning. 'You are damned.'

I stared down at him. 'No. I am blessed. And You must yield—and recognise that.'

He took his sword off Edmund and threw it at my feet. 'I yield—to this duel alone.'

'The victory is still mine,' I replied. I turned away from him, to Edmund, and pulled my helmet off. He did the same, and we grinned at each other and embraced, our armour clanking together. I thought about later when we were going to be alone. We half broke our embrace to face the crowd and stood with our arms around each other as we each lifted a sword to salute the people, victorious, together under the bright sun and open sky.

A/N: a bit experimental in the fight scene narration here. I realised that the distance is what made the fight in Prince Caspian exciting, and that having Peridan in it means that he would naturally think about the mechanics of the thing he was doing, which is probably the least interesting thing in this scene (to me anyway). So I tried a forward jump to show what the others saw. If you can't try new things in fan fiction, where can you, really?