Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the world of Narnia; everything belongs to C. S. Lewis.

A/N: You'll have to forgive me if I accidentally described Edmund's character more than the previous ones; I'm able to write him best of the Pevensies, I think. I used both the book and movie version of him from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, since I like certain aspects of him from each.

Lucy shall come along soon :)

StarKatt427

"People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy."

Proverbs 28:13

Chapter Four: Edmund

Edmund is his redeemed heart.

Aslan cannot fight the lion smile that comes along with seeing his young son, or the still present sadness he feels when remembering his first meeting with the bruised, skittish child Edmund had been after he was brought to the Cat's camp long ago. He knows what his son was and who he is now, and it is almost impossible to ever imagine Edmund as a traitor. But he was, once a truculent, resentful boy craving notice and the love he was blind to, the black sheep amid his brother and sisters. Aslan never actually met this Edmund, but he could see the past sins echoed in his dark eyes as he spoke privately to him on the rocks; more than any crime, though, was the change in him that was visible to the Lion, and it was impossible for him not to fall in love with the child at first sight. Had he not loved him so greatly, he wouldn't have willingly taken his place upon the Stone Table.

Beneath Edmund's quiet exterior is a fiery energy that is all his own, something that is heated and deeply loyal and courageous, and during his first battle, he showed a side of himself that was, at the time, thought to be nonexistent: he engaged the Witch in battle, destroyed her wand to protect Peter and countless others, and was wounded fatally in the process. Lucy's cordial saved him in more ways than physically, Aslan believes; he can still see the change it has had on his countenance, the animation that did not exist at one point now sparkling through his eyes. And when Edmund found himself and his place amongst his siblings, Aslan saw something fall into place inside the child, like an emptiness had been filled. Maybe that is why Edmund is so dear to him: there is a vulnerability about him that Aslan sees and, even now, feels the need to protect.

Edmund is stronger than he believes and, as his kingly title implies, is just, fair to all and unbiased when it comes to choosing sides, even concerning his siblings; it is apparent, though, that he has a soft spot for his brother. And even with his many faults and mistakes, Edmund is a straight-thinking young man that, for the most part, manages to keep himself on a steady path.

The transition from a king of twenty-five to a child of ten once more was difficult for Edmund, and Aslan watched him do his best to cope with the readjustment to Earth, even though it caused him much heartache. And once he returned to Narnia, he fell back into the easy pace with which he ruled as a calm and sensible king, even managing to help pull Peter back from the nadir of anguish; it was a trying experience for Edmund, but in that moment, he revealed to Aslan just how much he had grown.

When he, Lucy, and their cousin Eustace were called by Aslan himself once again to sail to the edge of the world, the shadowy horrors of Dark Island and the tantalizing delights of Deathwater Island began to swirl around his heart and try to consume him. Enchantments pulling at his darker wants and the fear of the one he had gone to long before—Jadis—were his challenges, and Edmund overcame them by calling upon his strength of mind, sense of justice, and Aslan himself as his aid.

Edmund is full of wit and prone to dry remarks, though that is his charm, and it is harder to make him laugh and smile in earnest than it once was; is stubborn, has more patience than his big brother, and is the quietest of the Pevensies, past experiences making him an even-tempered, somber young man. He can be, in his own way, rather sweet when he chooses to, but as he is inclined to shy away from nearly any form of demonstrative sentiment, these moments are occasional (Aslan can only remember the child ever hugging him once, and it was all the sweeter for its rarity); is full of playful mischief and can be defiant in some situations, but will almost always follow his brother's command; is ferocious when protecting the ones he holds closest, and loves Aslan with a sense that not even Lucy comprehends; for Edmund knows that the Lion died in his stead, and it has brought about in him a love that is respectful, devoted, and tender.

Aslan turns his great golden eyes to where his honorable son stands just behind and beside Peter, the nineteen-year-old's eyes on the door that is soon to be locked forever, and the Great Lion is thankful and oh so proud that Edmund has forgiven himself of his sins and is here for this moment.