A/N: This is the last suspenseful chapter in this fic (and it's not really suspenseful at all). The other two are mainly humor again. You know...Corin, Edmund, Fio, apples...yeah. ;) Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing so far! I continue to be amazed at how well this fic has done (though I hoped it would!). Even though most of the suspense is gone, there's still a surprise left. So instead of continuing to read this authort's not, please, enjoy the fic!

--Chapter 19: Justice--

Three days later, when my overprotective siblings were finally convinced that my wound was well enough for me to get up and move about, I decided to attend King Gavin's trial. Corin was supposed to 'escort' me to the throne room, but seemed to have disappeared (it might have been that due to the number of pranks he'd played during the last three days, he was afraid to show his face.). Susan and Lucy took his place, one on each side of me; both were convinced that I couldn't walk on my own.

I eventually made my way past my subjects, all concerned for my health, to my throne. Glancing around, I noticed Princess Iliea and Prince Eric standing at the front of the crowd that had gathered to witness the trial. Fio was there also, standing beside her uncle and watching me with a worried look. King Lune was there, too, but Corin was nowhere in sight.

Little bugger, I thought grumpily, swallowing my nervousness at being this near to Gavin. I hope he's not planning another blasted prank. I had no idea anyone could pull so many in three days!

After a few preliminary speeches and other such rot, the doors opened, and the guards entered with the Galmian king.

They marched him forward to the place of judgment in front of the Four Thrones. The guards shoved Gavin to his knees. His head was bowed as he stared down at the floor.

"Lord Gavin."

Peter's voice rang out loud and clear through the Great Hall. Gavin raised his head slowly, and his eyes met mine. I shuddered involuntarily at the stark hatred in his green gaze.

"You…you're alive!" the King of Galma snarled. "But how?"

"That is not the point," Peter replied sharply. He sent me a quick, worried look, and continued when I nodded reassuringly. "You have violated the peace treaty between Narnia and Galma. You have betrayed our trust, and have directly attempted to murder our royal brother—and the rest of us as well. Do you deny the charges?"

Gavin glared furiously at me, eyes smoldering. At first, he did not reply. But then, he turned his chilling gaze to my brother.

"I do not deny them."

Peter's hand gripped the arm rest of his throne, and he cleared his throat before making the proclamation.

"Then, Gavin of Galma, your fate lies in our hands. Galma is now a Narnian province, and we shall instate a governor within the week. But now…" my brother glanced at me. "Now King Edmund shall declare judgment."

"Me?" The word was barely a whisper, but both Peter and Gavin heard it.

Peter immediately realized the problem, and stood quickly, glancing at the guards.

"Hold the prisoner. We must talk amongst ourselves, and will continue in a moment."

Susan and Lucy stood as well, and strode over to my throne. My three siblings gathered around me, and Peter lowered his voice to a whisper.

"What's wrong, Ed? You know it's your duty to declare the verdict."

"But Pete…" I glanced across at Gavin, "I'm just not sure I can this time."

"Can what?" Lucy asked, looking puzzled.

"Make the right choice."

I met each of my siblings' gazes one by one. Lucy's bright blue, Susan's green-blue, and Peter's grey-blue eyes. They were all filled with loyal reassurance and faith in me that I would do the right thing.

"Of course you will, Ed," Susan said, patting my shoulder lovingly. "You always do."

"But he tried to kill me," I said, anger rising as I stared into Gavin's dark green eyes. "I'm not sure my judgment is very trustworthy right now."

Peter gazed into my eyes and put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Do what you determine to be right, brother," he said quietly. "No one would blame you if you sentenced Gavin to death. It's your choice. Aslan be with you."

He turned and beckoned to the others.

"Come. We must not keep poor Gavin waiting."

My sisters stepped carefully back to their seats; Lu sent me one last reassuring glance before I stood, staring down at Lord Gavin.

"We have reviewed your case, Lord Gavin, and have determined a verdict," I stated, thanking Aslan that my voice remained steady. "The penalty shall be…"

Gavin was glaring right at me, ready to take whatever punishment I declared. I hesitated.

What should I say? Does he deserve to die for murder…well, attempted murder?

One part of me said yes, that he did deserve to die. Gavin had tried to kill Peter, for heaven's sake, and the rest of us too! He had intentionally stabbed me with his blade, planning to take my life. Why should he not receive death for his sin?

But then…does any man deserve death? I had deserved death, but Aslan had given me life; a second chance. I felt torn in two.

"The penalty shall be…"

I glanced at Peter for help, but he offered none. He merely gave me a nod and waited patiently, along with all the other Narnians in the Hall.

"Get on with it, boy," Gavin croaked.

-

I took a deep breath. Here it was. The moment of decision. The time when all I had been taught about right and wrong—as well as justice—finally came into play. But here I was at the crossroads with no idea whatsoever what the correct choice was. I closed my eyes and prayed most fervently that Aslan would give me direction.

"Banishment." The word seemed to come from somewhere deep inside of me, from a place that I didn't know existed. "Banishment for life from Narnia, Archenland, the Islands, and all their provinces. You have five days to leave the country. We will provide you with a horse and enough money to begin a new life, but you must go and never return. The same sentence stands for those involved in the attempted murders and take over of Cair Paravel, namely, Lord Ther, who has escaped custody, and not including Lord Irwin, who has been cleared by Gavin's confession."

Iliea swooned with a sharp cry; Eric looked away quietly, but I glimpsed his eyes, filled with pain. Gavin's eyes lit up for a moment, as if hope had been presented when all he had expected was death. But then, as the words sank in, the light in his eyes faded.

"My children?"

I swallowed, but chose not to glance at Peter again.

"The offer of your daughter, the Princess Iliea, in marriage to the High King is now void." I could've sworn Peter let out a tiny sigh of relief. "Your children may stay or go as they please. It is not they who did the wrong."

Gavin nodded silently, and began to stand. However, a shout from the door made all of us jump, and Corin flew in the room, breathless and red faced.

"I found it!" he crowed, knocking over a dwarf and almost trampling three talking mice and a mole in his haste to reach the dais. "I knew I would find it!"

"Corin!" King Lune rose from his seat, red-faced with embarrassment. "Come down from there! Does not thy highness know that it is not fitting to come barging in during a trial! Shame, lad!"

Corin ignored his father's chastening, and scampered forward, dodging a guard and jumping up onto the dais. He reached Lucy within seconds, breathing hard, and thrust something into her hands.

"I told you I would find it," he told her, his face and eyes aglow.

Lucy let out a sharp cry.

"My cordial!" She turned to Corin quickly and grabbed his arm before he could escape. "Where did you find this?!"

"In the Orchard. She—"

Corin turned to face the crowd of people who were now murmuring excitedly, and seemed to be looking for someone. Finally, he found the face he was looking for.

"She took it," he shouted, pointing at Princess Iliea, who was just now recovering from her swoon. When Corin pointed at her, she almost fainted again.

"What?" Susan and Peter shouted in unison. My oldest sister grabbed Corin's arm and stared into his eyes.

"Are you sure, Corin? You're not telling a lie?" she asked in a voice that sounded incredibly like Mum's.

Corin nodded fervently, and then turned to look at me.

"I'm sure it was her; I saw her do it. I swear…" he glanced at me, and then held up his head proudly, as he declared, "I swear by the Lion's Mane!"

Susan gasped and sank back into her chair. Lucy stared numbly at her bottle of cordial in her hands. Peter stood stiffly by his throne, staring woodenly at Iliea, who appeared to be on the verge of fainting again. I stayed where I was, merely watching the whole thing play out.

"You…you are sure it was Princess Iliea," Peter said slowly to Corin.

The prince nodded.

"I saw her face and everything," he replied, blue eyes very serious.

"I deny the charges!"

Iliea was on her feet now, face pale with anger and eyes blazing.

"What reason would I have to steal Queen Lucy's cordial! Besides, I've never even been to the apple orchard the prince insists he found the cordial in."

Peter stared first at Corin, and then at Iliea.

"It's your word against hers, Corin," he told the lad softly. "Are you sure you're not just making this whole thing up?"

"I swear I'm not!" Corin shouted, flushing red at being called a liar. "It's true!"

At last, I stood silently. The eyes of the court turned to me, for as King Edmund the Just, I was the one who decided upon such matters. Peter turned and looked at me helplessly, shrugging and sighing as he plopped down into his throne, head in his hands.

"Please, Ed."

"With your permission, Lady Iliea," I said coldly, "may I ask you a question?"

"You may," the princess said, meeting my gaze with furious blue eyes.

"Prince Corin mentioned that the cordial was hidden in the Orchard. How did you know that he was talking about the apple orchard if you did not hide the cordial?"

Iliea paled, and the anger vanished from her eyes, replaced by fear.

"I…I guessed?" she supplied hesitatingly, though now that her lie was in the open, it was more of a fearful question than a defiant statement.

I glanced at Peter, and found, to my surprise, that he was smiling.

"You are henceforth banished from our realm, on grounds of assisting in attempted murder, and in stealing from your hosts in the most abhominable fashion."

"But I—"
"Silence!"

To my surprise, it was Susan who was on her feet, glaring angrily at Iliea. Both her slender hands were clenched, and her face was pale with fury.

"We trusted you among us, and you betrayed our trust. It is our right to determine your judgment. Do any in the court disagree?"

No one answered. My eyes turned to Eric, who was on his feet as well and looking rather pale. When he noticed my gaze, he bowed nobly, if not a bit shakily.

"I will accept the punishment of my father and sister, your Majesty; for though I did not take part in their dealings, I am not yet free to leave my father's side."

I nodded my assent, somewhat surprised, yet also appreciative of the lad's gallantry. Even though his father had done wrong, he would still stand by his side, loyal to the end. I turned and faced Lord Peridan, the Captain of the Royal Guard.

"Escort Lord Gavin, Lady Iliea to their apartments. Appoint a guard to stand watch, and see that they are given escort to the stables in the morning. As of now, they are stripped of their titles, and must begin anew, somewhere far away—" the next part under my breath, "—hopefully very far away—from here. Prince Eric," I glanced at him quickly, "is free to come and go as he pleases."

Eric thanked me with a grim smile. Gavin and Iliea were led away by the Castle guard, and court was adjourned.

"Ed, you were terrific!" Lucy squealed, diving forward and giving me a warm embrace once the majority of people had left the room.

I returned the hug and gave her a smile. At least I could always count on Lu to be enthusiastic about everything I did. But a moment later, as I stood beside my throne, the room began to spin. I suddenly felt quite dizzy, and sank down in my throne, hand to my head. Susan was instantly by my side.

"By the Lion, Edmund, you've gone pale! Is it your wound? I should have known we shouldn't have let you come today. Just…just calm down a bit…breathe deeply."

I leaned forward and put my head in my hands, breathing deeply as ordered. I was trembling, I realized after a moment. My hands shook, and my stomach roiled with nausea.

"He'll be all right, Su," Peter's voice said from somewhere above. "Just give him a minute."

Susan retreated a few steps away, and after a long moment, I felt Peter's strong hand on my shoulder. I looked up, and our eyes met. Regardless of his confident words to our sister, his eyes were filled with brotherly concern.

"Was I right?" The words leapt from my lips before I actually knew I was speaking them. Peter's brow furrowed in confusion as he studied my face.

"Right?"

"My decision. I…was it the right thing to do?"

Peter's face softened considerably, and he gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Only Aslan knows for sure, Ed, but I'm quite certain Gavin isn't going to argue with your choice."

I let out a breath that I hadn't known I'd been holding and returned my head to rest in my shaking hands.

"But still…I mean, what if I was wrong? What if it was the wrong thing to do? How can…how can you know?"

Peter shook his head slowly, watching me with the smallest hint of a smile.

"You're the one that's supposed to answer all the deep questions, my wise brother. Save it for your next encounter with Aslan."

"Perhaps I will," I muttered, giving him an affectionate glare. "You're a lot of help when it comes to this sort of thing, aren't you?"

Unexpectedly, Peter tweaked my nose—a thing he hadn't done since…well, since we were kids. I yelped and jumped back in my throne. My wound twinged with pain, and I winced. Then someone tickled—tickled—me from behind. I whirled around in the middle of another yelp, and came face to face with Corin, his freckled face smiling cheekily and his blue eyes gleaming.

"Don't ever do that again," I said, giving Corin a look that was quite similar to the glare I had just given Peter. "Never, ever again. Not if you value your life."

"That's right," Peter said with the biggest grin I'd seen on him in months. "For if you tickled King Edmund the Just, all our enemies in the land would learn that his weakness is not in his swordplay or stratagem, but in his ticklishness."

There was a look in both their eyes that I didn't like. As they inched toward me, I shrank into my throne, and shook my head frantically.

"Peter—Corin—don't even—don't even think about it!—"

They lunged simultaneously. Time blurred for a few moments, and then I heard Susan and Lucy as they pulled the two villains off of me. I had somehow ended up on the floor.

"Shame on you, Peter," Susan reproved him. "What's inside that handsome head of yours? Rock?"

My horrified laughter was fading, and I suddenly moaned at the pain in my side. Lucy knelt beside me.

"He's bleeding again! Really, you two," directing this at Peter and Corin, "you might have remembered that he was wounded. Poor Ed."

I gave her a very grateful look. In moments she had her cordial out and had ripped of the cap. Tilting my head back, she let a drop fall between my lips.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then my wound blazed with pain. I clenched my teeth and waited. A second later, it was gone; everything. All the pain. Completely gone.

I sighed and rested my head on the floor. Lucy gave me a worried look, and squeezed my hand, saying, "What's wrong, Edmund? Isn't it working?"

"Working wonders," I replied with a smile. "It seems that I owe you my life yet again, fair sister."

She flushed with pleasure, and then giggled.

"So you're certain your wound is completely healed?"

I nodded, not suspecting any foul play. "Yes."

Lucy turned to Peter and Corin, who were looking quite ashamed of themselves, and made a casual gesture to me.

"He's all right now. Just don't over-tickle him or he might lose his ticklishness altogether."

"What?!" I shouted, jerking into a sitting position.

Peter and Corin both smiled—predatorily. I shook my head and scrambled backwards.

"Susan! Don't let them! Peridan! King Lune! ANYONE!!!"

Susan watched as Corin circled around the back. In moments, Edmund was down in a giggling fit, laughing in a sort of terrified way. She smiled in spite of the day's events and turned to Lucy.

"Well, that's one way to get laughter back into the Cair."

TBC.........