Aslan had only come for a brief visit and later the next day they found that he had gone as mysteriously as he had arrived. As always, the castle was sad at his departure, but no one was sad for long because they each remembered the words that he had spoken to them and knew that he would come back again. As always, he had somehow spoken individually to everyone in the castle and there were the usual speculations as to how he did it. Did he travel really fast? Could he be in two places at once? Or was that something not even he could achieve?

Shortly after the conversation with Aslan, Edmund mentioned to his siblings that he wanted to learn about justice, to try to be the best king that he could be. Lucy suggested that he should find a tutor to teach him about Narnian laws and the suchlike. This seemed like such a good idea that the four of them immediately started making inquiries. It was obvious that the centaurs were the wisest of all the Narnians, and they soon discovered that Oakwit was the wisest of them all. In fact Oakwit had seemed so wise and learned that Edmund had been afraid to ask him at all, but Peter had asked anyway and Oakwit had agreed.

Today was the day, and Edmund was nervous as the clip-clop of hooves in the corridor approached the door. Edmund rose and bowed as the aged centaur entered the room. Oakwit smiled, acknowledging the gesture, but quickly bowed in return and motioned Edmund to sit.

The first thing Edmund noticed were Oakwit's eyes that were grey and clouded with age, but piercing and impenetrable. Next he saw the great flowing beard of quicksilver, then the barrel chest and the sizeable chestnut horse body that followed him. Edmund had met many centaurs and Oakwit was small as centaurs go, but never before had he met a centaur who so transfixed the gaze and carried such an aura of respect.

"I thank you for honouring me by bowing," said Oakwit putting a couple of parchments that he was holding onto the desk, "But it is my place to bow to you."

"I want to thank you for coming. I don't want this to be a burden to you. I am very grateful that you have agreed to give up your time for me. I really do need your help."

"I know," said Oakwit, not arrogantly, nor humbly, but simply stating it, "But you should not bow to me and you should not be surprised at me helping you."

Edmund was at a loss for words for a second or two, but said, "Well I am very grateful for it."

From there, the centaur talked to Edmund about his siblings, his interests and hobbies, even his dreams and ambitions. Edmund found himself lost in easy conversation, and didn't notice that their hour together had flown past. He apologised at the end for letting the time pass so fruitlessly, but Oakwit only replied that he considered it to have been a most productive time, leaving Edmund wondering what on earth they had achieved. The next week Edmund arrived completely relaxed, and with no idea what was going to happen.

"Perhaps one of the first things," said Oakwit, as Edmund sat down, "Is for you to learn your own worth. That will affect the way you live your life and the way you treat others more than anything else. How much are you worth?"

"As the four monarchs go," said Edmund feeling uncomfortable with the direction this lesson was going. He had been expecting to learn about laws and the suchlike not to talk about himself, "I guess I am the expendable one. The others are much more valuable to the country than me. Peter is the inspiring one, Susan is the organised one and Lucy is the one everybody loves. I don't really fit any of those roles and some people still think of me as a traitor."

"False humility," Oakwit stated, "And you haven't answered the question."

Edmund looked up in surprise at the centaur's bluntness.

"Having a low opinion of yourself is not humility," explained the centaur, "Humility is found in how much you serve the needs and desires of others. Comparing yourself to others will not answer the question of your own value. Now Edmund, how much are you worth?"

Edmund didn't answer at first, realising that the centaur was taking this very seriously. But try as he might he couldn't see a way to answer the question except by measuring himself against other people.

"The truth is," he said eventually, "I don't know how to get an answer to that."

"It is a question no one can answer on their own," said the centaur, "everybody gets their answer to this question from others. I would suggest going to Aslan."

Suddenly a myriad of memories came back to Edmund. Memories of first hearing that name and despising it, of sitting in the White Witch's dungeon and realising that he had chosen the wrong side, of the first time he met Aslan who spoke things to him so wonderful that he had never shared them with anyone, of when he was woken in the night by a dryad to hear that Aslan had taken the price of a traitor upon himself. Edmund almost gasped as the realisation hit him.

"Aslan thought I was worth dying for."