"You know, Edmund," Lucy smiled as she finished swallowing another bite of her breakfast, reflecting the glint in her eyes that had been so long absent during Edmund's captivity. Peter hadn't quite realized how much he'd missed it until now. "We never really got to talk about what happened here while you were away."

Peter watched contentedly from his seat as Edmund momentarily glanced up from his meal to meet his sister's gaze. It wasn't long, though, before he was engrossed in his food, once more, pausing in between chewing to respond. "I guess you're right, Lu." Was all that he said.

Lucy's brow knit and she set down her fork. "Well, aren't you curious? I mean, you were gone for months."

"I suppose I just really hadn't thought about it." Edmund said, only meeting Lucy's eyes as he began speaking again. "Just relieved you guys managed not to burn down the Cair without me there to babysit you."

A smile crept onto the boy's face as he said it. Peter could see that his brother was taking great pleasure in bringing out Lucy's other side. The side that doesn't take quite too kindly to teasing. She shaped her mouth into and "o" and was about to go into a rant, when Peter decided it would be wise to intervene. "Ed, now that Judas is dead, the only person you should be worried about burning down Cair Paravel is your own reckless self."

Susan have him a small amused smile while Edmund pouted in his chair. Lucy laughed good and hard, but was able to suppress it and bring the conversation back around, still inserting little giggles into her speech. "I just... think it would be... a ripe conversation starter."

Edmund set his silverware aside and looked directly into Lucy's eyes, giving her his undivided attention. "Alright, Lu. What happened while I was... away."

The youngest Pevensie smiled at her success and quickly began to recite every bit of what went on during Edmund's absence - of course leaving out some details so as not to bring this new conversation to it's grim realities. Lucy talked of how kind Archland had been and how willing King Lune was when he learned of their situation. She talked of her own little adventures of hanging out with the Beavers or playing with Mr. Tumnus. She mentioned her rides with Philip and how lucky Edmund was to have such a loyal companion as he.

All in all there wasn't much to talk about before the arrival of Judas. Even then, Lucy and Susan had no real clue as to what they had missed, themselves. Lucy got to talking about the Calormenes visit and Peter began to space out. Though not really engaged in the conversation, he still heard enough to bring back memories of those three wretched days. Lucy spoke of Judas entering the city. The talk in the throne room. The Calormenes about the palace. Something about Prince Agatone that Peter had not heard before. Then it got interesting.

"Did you know Peter got poisoned?" Lucy asked, barely inserting emotion into her voice. She sounded more matter-of-fact than anything.

Peter flicked his eyes to his little brother, finding the same memories in those brown orbs as he knew were in his own blue ones. But what Peter saw as remembrance, Lucy must have seen as shock or concern -maybe both? Whatever she saw there, it made her continue on.

"Well he was." She gabbed, but as she opened her mouth to speak again, Susan interrupted.

"Almost twice, don't forget." She said, raising her goblet to her mouth to take a sip of milk. "Thank goodness not." She sighed as she set her goblet back upon the hard wood of the table.

Lucy's eyes lit up, as if she remembered one very exciting detail she forgot to mention. Which was likely the case. "There was that boy! Remember, Peter? The one who saved your life!"

What a bad time to bring it up. Surely the memory was as damaging for Edmund - if not more so than it was for Peter. The torture of seeing what was so close and yet knowing how far away it truly was. Oh how glad he was that they'd spared the girls that pain. Although carrying it alone was much harder, he'd do anything to save his his sisters from enduring that horror.

Peter was about to object - suggest that they change the subject - but he caught sight of his brother. Edmund had one balled fist pressed against his mouth, as if pondering hard on Lucy's words, but Peter could see the smirk that was hidden underneath. Edmund wasn't pondering painful memories like Peter had been, he was enjoying this. Edmund was reveling in the inside knowledge he possessed, and Peter would not ruin it for him.

"O-of course I remember him." He said, finally answering the question and meeting Lucy's curious gaze. "How could I forget?"

Lucy smiled. "He must have been a guardian sent by Aslan or something. It was so surreal. What kind of person does that?"

Peter met his brother's eyes. "Only one truly amazing person."

Edmund smiled and have a curt nod that seemed to go unnoticed by the two girls.

"At first we thought he was behind it." Susan said, finally setting her own fork down. "He was arrested when Peter fell ill."

"Yeah!" Lucy exclaimed. "And Susan went to visit him. Interrogate him, so to say."

"I feel so bad." Susan sighed, bringing her hands up to her face. "I treated him so coldly and all he ever did was save my brother's life. I wish I could have thanked him, but I don't even know what he looked like. He could be in the kingdom now and I would never know it." She shook her head and her her hands drop back to get sides. "I asked him to remove his hood, but he just said 'It's-'"

"'Disrespectful to my masters.'" Edmund finished for her. Susan's brow furrowed and her stare grew intense.

"Those exact words. How did you-"

"Know?" Edmund shrugged and smiled, looking back to Peter.

"Su," Peter chuckled. "You've tortured your mind with wondering if you were passing this mysterious guardian angel in the hallways as you walk by, but you never even stopped to consider that you may be dining with him."

Susan's mouth dropped open. "What are you saying?"

Edmund spoke again, saying words that Peter knew must hit deep with Susan, even if they didn't entirely strike him as making sense. "I defied my masters and risked my life."

"Y-you... you are the- the." Susan fumbled, searching for words in her shocked state. Lucy's face, too, did not mask the amazement she was feeling.

"I am the slave boy." Edmund nodded. "Or at least I was."

"And you didn't tell us?" Lucy asked, hurt almost evident in her voice.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, keeping that from you. And that's no simple statement."

Susan's eyes snapped to Peter. "And you knew? You didn't say anything!"

Peter could only shrug, unable to come up with an explanation that wouldn't send his sister into a full on rant.

"It was my idea." Edmund said. "I wanted only to spare you."

Susan shook her head, her voice lowering almost to a whisper. "I can't believe I was speaking to my dead brother."

"Hey," Edmund laughed. "Not so dead, am I?"

Lucy giggled. "And I thought we were the ones catching you up to date."

If you don't quite understand Edmund's references, look back at chapter 14, Bars in Between. It is the chapter on Susan and Umed's talk in the dungeon.

Reviews are much appreciated! You guys have been so great!