EUSTACE SRUBB is an unexpected surprise, to say the least. He's terribly entitled and all too nasty about it. And the first thing he did was hurl Reepicheep across the deck.

It's safe to say I don't like him. Not in the slightest.

"Insufferable is the word you're looking for," Edmund grumbles, glaring at the boy lying unconscious in a spare hammock belowdecks. Eustace had fainted not long after being brought aboard, seemingly from the shock and disbelief of being in Narnia. So Tavros brought him down to the crew's quarters until he wakes up. I'm hoping that won't be for at least another few hours.

"Is he always like that?"

The king snorts. "Always," he says. "Lucy and I have been living with him for weeks now. He's horrible."

But what he says doesn't make any sense to me. "What do you mean? Are Susan and Peter not with you?"

Edmund shakes his head, setting down the clothes Caspian gave him. "Peter's back in the country with Professor Kirke and my father is visiting universities in America so he took my mum and Susan with him and left us in Cambridge."

His eyes tell me all I need to know. His father may be back from fighting in the war, but it still hasn't ended.

Ed offers a half-hearted smile in hopes of lightening the air. I can't fathom how he's lived like this for so long — fought wars in Narnia only to return home to the same battle still raging on his doorstep. The very one that kept his father from him. When he told me about it all those years ago during our journey to Aslan's How, it had already lasted three years. And now...

I stare into the sable pools of his eyes. "Lucy said it's been two years." And I can see it in his face — how the once-soft lines have grown sharper and more prominent, his eyes hardened if only by a little. I can see it in his broad shoulders and the way he carries himself with more confidence now. He got taller, too. I noticed when he was hugging me on deck and my chin could no longer rest on his shoulder, but now it's even more obvious as I reach up to touch the dusting of stubble on his jaw and realize how far away he is. Two years. "That explains this," I murmur.

That half-smile flickers across his mouth again before his eyes lift back to mine. He wants to know.

"Three," I answer, letting my hand fall back to my side. His heavy tension and fear recede across the link with that number. "You're older than me now," I add.

The boy's shoulders sag with crushing relief as he sighs and pulls me into him. It takes me by surprise a little, but after missing this feeling for so long all I can do is sink into his embrace and desperately burn it into my memory. It makes sense, anyway. The last time Edmund left Narnia, 1300 years had passed. He probably thought he'd return to see all his friends reduced to myths and legends, again. He thought I'd be dead, or lived out decades of my life while he was gone.

The tightening of his arms around me says, yes, I did.

"I missed you," he says in my ear.

I laugh because it still doesn't feel real to me. He doesn't "I want to hear everything you and the others have done since you left," I tell him. "After Caspian's briefing. I want to hear it all."

"Me too. I'd like to know what happened with the giants." He draws back, lifting his hand to brush across a jagged scar in my hairline. "And how you got this."

I can't stop looking at him. He's so beautiful with the slanted rays of light through the deck planks falling across his skin. "I'll tell you everything."

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The crew is busy cleaning when we return to the main deck, finding Caspian waiting near the staircase to the quarter deck. When the king sees us, he smiles mischievously

"You two took your time," he notes.

Mortified, Edmund fumbles over a response while I just launch my fist into the Telmarine's arm.

"Oh, quit it," I hiss. "Where's Lucy?"

Caspian chuckles, rubbing the sore spot gingerly. "Taking her time, as well."

I shake my head. "Where has all your patience gone?"

"Oh, you're one to talk."

"–Shut up."

Edmund glances between us, muttering snarkily, "I see nothing's changed."

The three of us look up when the door to Drinian's cabin opens and Lucy begins descending the stairs. The younger girl wears one of the extra crew uniforms: a red waistcoat overtop a cotton shirt with blue velvet trousers. Her hair is gathered into a ponytail draped over her shoulder. I still can't get over how much older she looks...

"Hm," Caspian turns to Edmund with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Excuse me, lad, I don't suppose you've seen a young girl around here anywhere–"

"Oh, al-right!" Lucy exclaims, punching Caspian's other arm while he laughs at his own joke.

"Come on, then." Donned in his fancy coat, the king starts for the stateroom entrance beneath the ship's helm, the Pevensies falling into step behind him.

Ed glances over his shoulder at me, as if making sure I'm still there. I notice his brown eyes flicker toward my leg and I remember something he said earlier.

"Do I really have a limp?" I ask. Phamna said it would heal without any issues. Why hasn't anyone told me before?

He frowns in thought, watching me for a moment. "Not exactly a limp, but you do favour it." He shrugs, holding the door open so I can walk inside in front of him.

Caspian props open the second set of double doors. Lucy wanders inside with wide eyes, taking in the decorations of Old Narnia and especially the golden sheet cast in Aslan's portrait. She grins at me and excitedly crosses the room to inspect one of its many treasures: Susan's bow and arrows.

Edmund, however, has his eyes set on the paintings over the bar. Ones from the day his family disappeared through the wardrobe in Lantern Waste. I watch him carefully, wondering if he's going to notice his old torch or sword. I made sure they were included in the Narnian royalty's treasury, and Caspian made sure to bring every absurd item he could think to have weighing down a ship on his voyage. Including Lucy's dagger and cordial, which he presents to her.

The queen stops herself from taking them, appearing bashful. "May I?"

"Of course, they're yours."

That's all the encouragement she needs to take the belt and buckle it on.

Edmund, who's completed a full lap of the cabin, has returned to my side and noticed the sword hanging near the door. "Peter's sword." His wistful voice twists my heart. I hadn't forgotten how much he looked up to his brother and hoped that sword would one day be his.

"Yes; looked after, as promised." Caspian takes it from its place on the wall, offering it to him. "Here, hold it if you wish."

Hold it? I wish I could smack him. Or throw something at his face.

"No no, it's yours," Ed protests. "Peter gave it to you."

Caspian meets my hard gaze and graciously saves himself, opening up another cabinet. "Sefi did save this for you, though." He extracts the silver torch and tosses it to him with a grin.

Surprised, Edmund glances between the king and his once-prized torch. "...Thanks." He turns it around, pointing the light source up and flicking it on. "Still works," he notes, turning around to smile at me.

I grin at his adorable expression, walking past him to one of the other cabinets along the cabin wall. "I also kept your sword," I add, turning around with it in my hands.

His entire demeanour changes when he sees the sword, his eyes lighting up and his stiff shoulders loosening. "You have it?" He breathes, stepping forward with his hands outstretched.

I hand it over with a laugh. "Of course I do. I've been trying to keep it shinier than Peter's for years."

"It's true," Caspian admits. "We have an ongoing competition which I am currently winning."

"I'm winning," I argue, knowing full well he hasn't touched Rhindon since we left Cair Paravel. Without Ragnoflin here to look after his personal arms collection, it hasn't been shined or sharpened in months.

I shined Edmund's sword three weeks ago.

"Well, let's see them then," Lucy intervenes. "It's been three years, a winner ought to be decided."

Edmund doesn't need to be told twice. He draws the sword from its sheath with a smooth, resounding ring of metal. I'm pleased to see the cabin roof reflected in sharp picture on the blade's polished surface.

Peter's sword, though larger and much more decorated, does not compare. Its surface reflects hazy, unrefined images and its edge does not draw blood so easily as Edmund's.

Lucy, to her credit, still looks between the two, saving some of Caspian's dignity before declaring Edmund's the winner.

I can't help the triumphant smirk across my lips.

The king rolls his eyes at me. "Well, now that that's settled and you can gloat about it until I die," he returns Rhindon to its place on the wall, "shall we relocate to the Captain's cabin? Drinian's expecting us."

"Oh, right." Edmund sheathes his sword and begins to buckle it around his waist before pausing as if realizing some mistake. "Sorry," he says, offering the sword back.

I blink at him. "What? No, it's yours." I push the sword back into his grasp. "It never stopped being yours. Besides, you don't want one from the ship's armoury. Believe me."

Caspian looks over, eyebrows drawn together. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asks.

A grin splits Edmund's face, fingers closing securely around the hilt. His eyes tell me thank you a hundred times over and I don't need the outpour of emotions across the link to know they also sing of fondness and adoration.

I missed that look. I missed seeing myself reflected in the brown and gold of his eyes and getting lost in it all. I forgot how warm it felt — being his sun.

"What's wrong with the ship's armoury?" Caspian demands impatiently.

I roll my eyes and turn away from Edmund. "The swords are too short."

Caspian sputters incredulously. "Well of course you–! You were taught by centaurs!"

"Whatever," I mutter, heading toward the door. "They're still too short."

Laughing softly, Lucy follows behind me. "I'm sure the armoury swords are perfectly fine," she says to the king in her kind, reassuring voice.

I push open the doors onto the maindeck, turning to head up the stairs where Drinian, Tavros, and Rynelf typically reside at the helm. Offering each of them a polite nod, I then move aside for Caspian to proceed onto the quarterdeck ahead of me.

"Captain," he says in way of greeting. "Shall we?"

"Of course, your majesty." Bowing his head, Drinian strides across the deck to reach his cabin door, holding it open for each of us as we enter.

It's not the first time I've been in the Captain's cabin, considering it now holds all the charts and mapping instruments and such. For the first leg of the voyage, everything resided in Caspian's cabin; but once the captain and sailing master realized the inconvenience of descending to the main deck and usually waking the King in the dead of night to access chart materials, Drinian's cabin seemed the much better location. And so far, it's proven to be much more accessible.

Once everyone is inside, the captain closes the door and joins us at the map table. Caspian then formally introduces Edmund and Lucy, once again giving Ed the title of High King, which sounds incredibly strange but — I can't help noticing — makes the Pevensie boy stand a little taller.

Drinian bows deeply to them. "It's an honour to have you aboard, your majesties."

"Oh, thank you," Lucy says. "It's so exciting to be back! I can't imagine the adventures you've had since we left."

Caspian chuckles, sharing a knowing look with me. "There have been many," he agrees. "Half a year after you left, we finished reconstruction of Cair Paravel and had everything in Narnia settled. We renewed alliances with Archenland and Telmar, and led an army against the giants to the north." He gestures to the marked region of Ettinsmoor on the map. "After their defeat, they became a part of the Narnian Empire." His fingers drift toward one of the southernmost countries, bordering the Eastern ocean. "Calormen attempted an invasion but we met them in the Great Desert and were able to claim victory, earning their unconditional surrender." The king looks up at the Pevensies. "There is peace across all of Narnia."

Edmund stares down at the map like he can't believe it — that one word that he hasn't dared to hope for in all his life. "Peace?"

The king nods. "In just three years."

"And have you found yourself a queen in those three years?" Lucy inquires.

He smiles, a forever sadness instilled in his eyes. "No," he answers softly. "Not one to compare with your sister."

"Hang on." Ed sounds anxious about the situation. Like he doesn't know what to do without a battle or enemies to worry about. "So if there are no wars to fight and no one's in trouble, then why are we here?" He leans against the table, scanning the map for something out of reach.

"That's a good question," Cas admits. "I've been asking myself the same thing."

I haven't thought about that until now: how the Pevensies arrive in Narnia only when they're needed. And usually in times of great crisis, for that matter.

"I guess that means something bad's going to happen," I mutter, making Caspian smile a little and nod his agreement.

"So where are we sailing to?" Edmund asks.

"After he killed my father, my uncle made sure his closest friends and most loyal supporters wouldn't get in his way of taking the throne." He turns around to look at the drawings covering the wall, each depicting one of the men in question. "The Seven Lords of Telmar."

Edmund walks forward to inspect them more closely while Caspian continues.

"Miraz sent them on an expedition beyond the Lone Islands, where he knew no sailor had ever returned from. He hoped they would meet the same fate and be rid of them without getting his hands dirty. And it worked; no one's heard from them since."

He ponders this for a moment before meeting the king's gaze. "So you think they're still alive?"

"If they are," Caspian says, "it's my duty to find them and bring them home."

"And the chimæras?" Ed looks between us hopefully. "Any sign of them?"

I shake my head. "Not yet."

"Well, what's east of the Lone Islands?" Lucy asks.

"Uncharted waters," Drinian answers the queen. "Things you can barely imagine; tales of sea serpents and worse.

Lucy shifts her worried gaze to her brother, who laughs in disbelief. "Sea serpents?"

The look Drinian gives him is not one of amusement.

I've heard the stories, too. Of sailors claiming to survive an attack by monsters from the deep, beasts with terrible eyes and bodies as long as a river, screeching a sound that makes blood seep from your ears. But that's all they are: stories. Tall tales, Caspian liked to call them. Let's hope that's all they are.

But with the Pevensies back in Narnia once again and the Dawn Treader sailing beyond reach of any map, sea serpents may very well turn out to be as real as any other terrible architecture of evil from the stories. It isn't unusual for such things — as far-fetched as they seem — to suddenly leap from the pages of books, as real as the wind and the dirt.

And with our luck, we'll probably run aground on the belly of a sea serpent before the journey's end. I'd bet my favourite knife on it.

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author's note

happy holidays! as it turns out, i couldn't manage to get this chapter finished last week but i somehow managed it on my incredibly busy christmas eve! so this is my gift to you guys haha i sincerely hope you all enjoyed it and it makes up at least a little for my lack of updates. i tried throwing in a lot of tidbits between arryn and edmund and of course that scene belowdecks UGH they're so in love it makes me cry i might implode when one of them actually uses the L word lmao

it's so effing cute that one of the first things edmund noticed is how arryn's walk changed and she favours her right leg now. like he knows her so well that he noticed something even she hasn't i'm gonna cry.

also, arryn insisting that edmund's normal ass sword be kept and displayed as an equal to Father Christmas's gifts is legendary. and THEN making sure it's kept shinier and sharper than peter's sword? GOD-TIER. edmund deserves more than a stupid fucking flashlight to his name, my man is high king of narnia and a damn hero.

i think the scene belowdecks deserves a version in edmund's pov tbh. or something similar when he notices all the ways she changed and stuff. idk it might be interesting to write and see from an outside view how physically different arryn has become in three years.

anyways, i hope y'all enjoy this christmas gift from me and have a fantastic holiday! see you with the next chapter!