A/N: When I was writing this, I was imagining Edmund and Caspian had gotten together the last time Edmund was in Narnia, but weren't sure if the other still felt the same after one/three year(s) had passed. But I also love the idea that they both had feelings but never said anything, and this time Lucy is making sure they talk about it because she's had to deal with Edmund pining for a year.

Caspian forgot to take it off when he dove overboard. He was more concerned with rescuing the strangers who had suddenly appeared in the water, and then he was caught up in the thrill of realizing they weren't strangers at all but Edmund and Lucy (and one small, shrill-voiced somebody who was apparently an unfortunate cousin). And after that they were all distracted getting dried off and into fresh things. (Caspian really should have thought to take it off then, but he'd been too busy carefully not thinking about the fact that Edmund was here, on his ship, pulling on a set of Caspian's own clothes.)

It was only when he was showing Edmund and Lucy about his cabin, pulling the monarchs' treasures from his cabinets, that Caspian remembered what else he had brought from the great treasure room of Cair Paravel. What he was wearing right now, in fact.

It had seemed a harmless enough thing at the time—sensible, even. Of course Cair Paravel had to be rebuilt, and of course the jewels and swords and fine coats of mail had to be taken out before it was. You couldn't just let priceless, ancient treasures be covered in marble dust or lost in a pile of wood chips somewhere. And of course Narnia's king would personally oversee the task of packing up Narnia's treasures.

And if Caspian also wanted to stand where his friends had once stood, and imagine them there, gleaming with bright gold and brighter smiles, and wallow in his loss a bit, well, that really shouldn't have mattered as long as he also saw his work done, should it?

Perhaps he had wallowed a bit too much.

It had certainly seemed far too symbolic, shutting his friends' things up in boxes like bodies shut up in coffins, or like Telmarines shutting the door on history. Narnia would never forget her Kings and Queens of old—a thousand years had already proved that—but Caspian did not want to forget the children he had loved so dearly and known so briefly.

So the new king wore a treasure of old, emblazoned with Narnia's crest, that he might always remember the land he had sworn to serve, and the example of the great monarchs who had once led it. And Caspian wore a token of the people those monarchs had been, underneath the legends, like a knight wearing his lady's ribbon.

Except that he had stolen the ribbon, really.

It had been a safe enough crime. Narnia remembered her Kings and Queens, but details get lost in thirteen centuries. No one knew exactly what he was wearing—except for those who had seen the royal treasures back when they were new. Two of whom were now feet away from Caspian.

He was midway through handing Lucy her dagger and cordial when the horrified realization hit him. Alright, he'd discretely slip it off just as soon as his hands were free—but Lucy's eyes caught on his hand, and her mouth curled, face lighting up. She looked at him, eyebrows raised, and his face heated. She bit her lip, clearly fighting back a giggle, and Caspian had never adored her so much as when she turned away to buckle on her dagger without saying anything.

Alright, this was still mortifying, but if he could just—

"Is that my ring?"

Caspian hoped the ship would strike a rock so he could simply drown right now. Alas, it did not.

He turned slowly to Edmund.

"Ah, yes." He thought about pretending he hadn't known it was Edmund's, simply one of Narnia's crown jewels, but he'd been raised to value honesty too highly. Unfortunately. "Cair Paravel's treasure room had to be cleared out during its rebuilding. I thought it wrong to let Narnia's past lie forgotten in a box, when I'm trying so hard to bring back her old glory."

Edmund eyed the ring—silver, with a wide, plain band and a lion rampant carved into a deep blue stone.

"You didn't choose one of Peter's," he said.

"No." Caspian held up his hand, examining the ring he had plucked from a section full of silvers and blues and greens, full of carvings of double swords and trees and broken wands. There had been a section rich with gold, garnet, and ruby, where the motifs had tended to lions and crowns, swords and suns; Caspian had passed that section by. No, he'd known exactly whose ring he was taking. "I didn't think a Telmarine king wearing the High King's jewels, ransacked from the royal treasury, was quite the image I was trying to project."

"You can hardly ransack your own treasury," Edmund said with a teasing smile.

"I liked the idea of wearing your token, too," Caspian said, holding Edmund's eyes until Edmund looked away. "I can give it back if you—"

"No—no, keep it," Edmund said, just a little too quickly, face very neutral. Caspian wondered what that meant.

"Caspian," Lucy said sweetly. "Did you know Edmund's ears turn red when he's embarrassed?"

"Lucy!"

Caspian craned his head to look, lips twitching (and stomach fluttering happily, just a bit). Sure enough, the tips of Edmund's ears were brushed with pink.

"I did not know that," Caspian said conversationally. "I didn't get to spend much time with you all last time. Thank you, Lucy."

Edmund glared, rubbing a hand over his ear.

"You're a horrible sister. I'm throwing you off the ship at the first opportunity."

Lucy giggled.

"The cabin windows open onto a balcony," Caspian said. "If you'd like…?"

He gestured behind him.

"Yes, excellent."

Edmund started toward the windows while Lucy giggled harder. Caspian caught Edmund about the waist as he went past, spinning him around and into Caspian's arms.

"Hullo," Edmund said, a touch breathlessly. His eyes ran over Caspian's face, inches from his own.

"Hullo," Caspian said, grinning, and then, more seriously. "If you do mind about the ring, tell me now, because otherwise I'm going to kiss you."

Edmund caught Caspian's mouth with his, fierce but brief. When they broke apart, Edmund's eyes were twinkling.

Not if I kiss you first, they said, and Caspian laughed. And then flushed, because he could see Lucy, watching delightedly, over Edmund's shoulder. He cleared his throat, looking away.

Edmund followed his gaze and drew back a step; the tips of his ears flushed again. Caspian fought the urge to kiss them.

"Oh relax, Edmund," Lucy said. "It's not like I never saw you with your lovers during our reign."

Edmund groaned.

"Use a different word, Lu," he said. "I'm still getting used to Narnian language again."

Caspian raised his eyebrows questioningly at Edmund, though his own face was a bit hot. Edmund squirmed.

"Ah, well, 'lover'—in our world—it's a bit more—"

Caspian smiled.

"Alright. How about your knight then?" He held up his hand, still bearing Edmund's ring. "As I am wearing your favor."

Caspian caught the wicked quirk to Edmund's mouth a second before he took Caspian's hand and bowed over it with all the regal flourish a king of old could give. He pressed a kiss to the ring, lips delightfully pink against the dark stone. Alive. Real. Here with Caspian.

"My knight," he said, tongue curling the words into silk.

"Isn't kissing your own ring a bit vain?" Caspian said.

When Edmund opened his mouth to protest, Caspian raised Edmund's hand to his own lips, keeping his eyes locked with Edmund's until the last second as he kissed the back of Edmund's hand. Edmund never quite found whatever he'd been about to say. Caspian nodded at him.

"My lord," Caspian said.

Edmund's smile was slow and rich and the sweetest thing Caspian had ever seen. His mouth ached to taste it.

"Yes, I think 'knight' will do," Edmund said.

"Your knight," Caspian corrected.

"You better be," Edmund said. "I almost drowned getting back to you."

They all laughed at that, although Caspian was still fighting a twinge of jealousy from Lucy's comment.

"Did you have a lot of knights, during your reign?" he couldn't help asking, though he kept his tone teasing.

"Loads," Edmund said, so off-hand Caspian's stomach dropped, until he caught that smirk hiding at the edge of Edmund's mouth again. He drew Edmund to him and kissed it away.

When they broke apart, Lucy was grinning at them from in front of the door.

"Did you want to show us those maps now, Caspian?" she asked. "We should know where we're going, right, Ed?"

"Get out, Lu."

She laughed as she went, and the sound of it was almost as good as Edmund's warmth in his arms.

"I didn't really have lots of knights," Edmund told him. "Only a few, and…they were a long time ago."

A shadow passed through his smile, and Caspian longed to kiss it away. He ran a gentle hand up and down Edmund's back.

"Do you want to talk about them?"

Edmund thought about it, then shook his head. He smiled up at Caspian.

"Not today."

Knowing they had a tomorrow filled Caspian's bones with warmth.

Edmund cupped Caspian's face in his hands and pulled him down a little so he could rest his forehead against Caspian's, breathing in as Caspian breathed out. Caspian tightened his arms around Edmund.

The ship rocked gently beneath them. Sunlight dreamed in through the windows, golden and lazy and soft.

"You're my only knight, you know," Edmund said.

"I know."

Caspian kissed him, very slow. Edmund's hands found their way into Caspian's hair. One of Caspian's cupped the back of Edmund's neck.

"And you?" Edmund asked, though his smile was gentle and teasing.

"Oh, yes," Caspian said. "I waited three years and stole your ring, just to tell you I'm marrying the Duke of Galma's daughter."

Edmund's laugh washed warm over Caspian's face.

"Don't worry," Caspian murmured, bumping his forehead against Edmund's. "You're the only one."

"Sorry, had to ask. We're setting a terrible example, though."

"Oh?"

"One of her kings a thief—" Edmund took Caspian's hand so he could study the ring a moment, then twined his fingers through Caspian's. "—and another rewarding him for it; what will become of poor Narnia?"

Caspian ran his thumb over Edmund's knuckles.

"I could throw us in the brig," he suggested.

Edmund pretended to think about it.

"That would leave Lucy and Reepicheep to run the ship, though."

Caspian's horrified laugh was only half feigned.

"Lion protect us. Drinian would kill me."

Edmund chuckled.

"Guess we'll just have to keep being bad examples, then."

"I guess so," Caspian pulled Edmund close again, murmuring against his lips, "My lord."

Caspian could feel Edmund's mouth smiling against his. Somehow, he thought Narnia would be just fine.