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Since I didn't get a chapter out yesterday, this one is a tad bit longer. I feel as though I'm expected to update every day, but it's not always gonna happen. Thank you for your patience.

"Ed?"

Peter peeked his head in through the door to his brother's bedroom. He hadn't seen Edmund since he left their coronation yesterday, and he was concerned about his little brother

"Not now, Pete." Edmund's voice replied, "I'm busy."

"Now, what," Peter began as he entered the room, against Edmund's wishes, "could keep you so busy that you would miss breakfast and lunch, today?"

Edmund was sitting in the corner of the room with his knees drawn up to his chest. He refused to meet Peter's eyes as the king crossed the distance between them and sat down beside him. Edmund continued to ignore him, but Peter wasn't done with him yet.

"Something is bothering you, isn't it?"

"Susan talked to you."

Peter gave a small shrug, "She may have mentioned something, but I think anybody could see that sour look on your face, and know." At the scowl Edmund shot him, Peter quickly continued, "But it was my idea to come see you."

Edmund turned his face away, "You never used to want to see me. Not before Narnia.

Before Narnia, I didn't realize what I had. I've changed since then, and I think you have too; in fact, I know you have changed. You're not that dreadful boy I knew before the wardrobe." Peter teased, though his smile faded when Edmund continued to keep his head turned away.

"I thought you were mad at me."

Peter's brows knit in confusion, "Why would I be mad at you?"

"After I... betrayed you, you were... upset with me."

"Ed, that is over. I may have been upset, but that was before Aslan helped me realize what I almost lost. I thought we had cleared this up at Beruna."

Edmund shook his head, and would still not look him in the eyes, "I almost died, Pete. You would have hugged Eustace Clarence Scrubb if he were just brought back from near death."

Peter thought about that a moment. The battle was merely a couple weeks ago. Had Edmund really been dealing with this for that long? Peter supposed that they'd barely had two words together since the battle. He'd always been rather oblivious. Susan mentioned Edmund's odd behavior several times on the way to Cair Paravel, but Peter had never noticed anything wrong. He just assumed that it was the aftermath of the battle that set him off. The day before their coronation, everybody was so busy preparing that Edmund sort of got lost in the fray. Of course, Peter believed everything was perfect at the coronation, itself. Edmund acted entirely normal, though Peter supposed that his brother did enjoy parties. It gave Edmund a chance to be someone else for a bit. Typical Ed - always looking to be something he's not. Though that's one thing Peter was noticing that was beginning to change.

But had Peter really been so naive?

"Ed, I'm so sorry." Peter shook his head at his own stupidity, "I've been such a fool."

"What else is new?" Edmund's voice held no humor as he says the words.

"I mean it." Peter said, "Look at me, Ed."

Edmund slowly turned his head to face Peter, his chestnut eyes rising to meet his blue ones, "What?"

"I shouldn't have assumed that because I gave you a hug everything would be right between us. I've wronged you, not you me. This is my fault." Peter gave a deep sigh, "I must admit that I was never very fond of you. I was mad at you when you came back. I wasn't sure how to forgive you, but... when I saw you fall... in Beruna, I thought I'd lost you. Just the idea that you'd be gone forever was enough to break through my thick head. I couldn't hold anything against you - not when it was my fault that you even considered siding with the witch. I've been cold to you growing up. I expected you to treat me as the man of the house when you weren't ready for dad to be gone. I was hard on you when you were just trying to adjust. It wasn't fair and I had no right... no right for anything I did to you."

Silence followed Peter's words. He couldn't decide if it was uncomfortable or calming, but either way, it didn't disturb him. Perhaps a few moments of silence was what they needed right now, after all the commotion of the past weeks since they entered Narnia.

"You've always been a bit of pain."Peter looked to his brother, once more, to see a small smile at the corners of his mouth.

Peter smiled back, "I'll let that slide... but just this once." He let his smile drop and his voice became serious, "I have no right to ask it of you, but I beg you to give me your forgiveness."

Edmund nodded, happily, "You're my brother, Pete. Of course I forgive you."

"Ed!"

Peter sat straight up and breathed in, heavily. His eyes darted around him to see where he could be. He recognized this room immediately; he'd been here many times before. The tall shelves, the cleaning bowls and the bright sheets were all clear attributes to the healing quarters. It wasn't until his hearing finally kicked in that he noticed Iason standing before him.

"How are you feeling, Sire?" The master said.

"Where's Ed?"

The healer gave a look - confusion, sadness, maybe - and turned to look behind him. It was then that Peter first saw Susan. She looked exasperated and sad.

"Where is he?" Peter asked again. He clearly remembered meeting Edmund before he blacked out.

Susan moved to kneel by his bedside, "Peter," She began, "Edmund's not here. He's gone, remember?"

"He's not. I just saw him."

'You can't tell them anything' Peter suddenly remembered. They wouldn't know that Edmund was alive. He's keeping it a secret.

"You must have been dreaming, Peter. Edmund isn't coming back." The sadness in Susan's eyes was enough to make him almost believe it.

"Yes... of course. A dream. How silly of me." Peter pretended to conclude, "I was... poisoned?"

Susan nodded, "We thought it was the slave boy with you, but we can't prove anything."

"It was not the boy!" Peter snapped, mostly out of anger that anyone should accuse Edmund of such a thing, "What did you do to him?"

"He's in the dungeons. I can have him released by your command." Susan gestured for Ziddim who, Peter just realized, was standing in silence in the corner.

The wolf stepped forward and bowed, ready for his command, "Your Majesty."

"No... not yet. I wish to speak with him once I am fully recovered."

"Shall I begin the hunt for your assassin, Sire?" The large wolf asked.

"I don't think you shall have to look far, Captain. I believe our guest is trying to have me killed." Peter thought about what to do for a moment, "Ziddim, slow down the stocking of the goods we are lending to King Judas. Prolong him another day or two."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Ziddim bowed and turned, leaving the room.

"I spoke with the boy." Susan said, once Ziddim had left.

Peter met her eyes, "You spoke with him? What did he say to you?"

"He told me that you had brought him there to thank him." Susan gave him an expectant look.

Peter was afraid to ask, "Did he say what for?"

"Yes."

Peter hung his head, "I'm so sorry, Susan. I was going to tell you, I promise; I just... couldn't yet."

"How long were you planning to keep this from me? I could have lost you and never known what from."

The High King shook his head, "I never meant to hurt you; I just wanted to keep you out of this. I didn't want you to worry."

"By not wanting me to worry, you nearly gave me a heart attack. We're family, Peter, we don't keep secrets." Peter could tell that Susan was very upset.

"I'm sorry. Really,I am. I didn't mean for this to happen."

Susan gave a deep, exasperated sigh, "No more secrets, then?"

Peter almost flinched. There was one secret he couldn't tell her. He'd sworn he wouldn't. If Edmund had wanted her to know he was alive, he would have told her himself.

"Peter!"

Peter realized that he must have hesitated when he entered his realm of thought.

"What?"

"You're still keeping something from me. What is it?" Susan's eyes were enough to tell him how upset she was. He'd just gotten her to come around, now he had to keep another thing from her with her knowledge of it.

"I... can't tell you. I promised I wouldn't."

Susan scoffed, "What kind of brother would you be if you kept such secrets from your siblings?"

What kind of brother would I be if I broke a promise to a sibling? Was what he wanted to say, but he simply, remained silent.

Susan glared at him, "That's the way you want to be, then?" She rose from her place on the ground and turned to leave.

"Susan, I'm sorry!" Peter called after her, but she was already gone.