Note: Some people seem confused about Edmund's fake accent. I didn't take it from any known way of speaking, but it was kind of inspired by how one might literally translate another language, particularly Latin, into English. Don't worry, it won't last forever! I just wanted to show that Edmund is skilled enough to perfectly infiltrate the castle, and to imply that he's had enough previous experience with Telmarines to be able to easily slip into Telmarine speech-patterns.

Chapter 4


The plan that Doctor Cornelius and Edmund thought up was really rather brilliant. Unfortunately, the plan went out the proverbial window when Lady Prunaprismia's baby decided to make its entrance a few weeks earlier than expected. Which was why Edmund spent most of the afternoon and into the night anxiously awaiting the prearranged signal from Doctor Cornelius. One lantern in the tower window if a girl, two if a boy.

When, soon after midnight, two lights appeared in the tower, Edmund hastened to the stable and hurriedly saddled Destrier and Preton, both horses known for their speed and endurance. If any of his friends at the stable had seen Edmund, they would not have recognized him as Ed the stableboy. Clad in dark clothes and leather armor - 'borrowed' by Doctor Cornelius from Caspian - and with Telmarine steel girded at his side, Edmund looked very much the warrior he was.

With provisions already packed from earlier in the day, Edmund waited only a few minutes before Cornelius and his charge flew into the stable. Edmund grimaced in sympathy at Caspian's dazed, chalk-white face. Poor kid just had his entire world thrown upside down, a fugitive where before he had been a prince.

Caspian seemed to mount Destrier automatically as Cornelius continued his instruction, "…and follow young Ed here." With a start, Caspian turned to see Edmund mounting Preton. "He will lead you through the woods. Go south; King Dain of Archenland will give you sanctuary." Edmund watched curiously as Cornelius handed a wrapped object to Caspian. "It has taken me many years to find this. Do not use it except at your greatest need."

Edmund turned his head as student and teacher said their personal good-byes. Both Edmund and Cornelius had understood that anyone who stayed behind was likely to be interrogated, or even executed, as accomplices to the prince's escape. While Edmund was adept at riding and surviving in the wild, Cornelius felt that he would only hinder their flight. Edmund had argued, not willing to leave Cornelius to a fate that he had once shared himself at the hands of the Telmarines. However, Cornelius had inherited stubbornness from his dwarfen ancestors, so Edmund had reluctantly agreed, praying to Aslan to protect the old professor.

"Come, we must go, Caspian," murmured Edmund. With a last farewell, Caspian kicked Destrier to movement after Edmund and Preton. Fireworks celebrating the new baby burst behind them in their flight south. As they rode, Edmund spared a glance to the sky. Alambil and Tarva danced together among their brethren. Victory and Peace. Aslan give both to us now. Protect us, guide us, lead us. Our lives are in your paws.

~*~

Edmund had them push the horses as long as they could go, anxious to put ground between themselves and any pursuers. For the first few days they rode hard, with short breaks to rest. Throughout, Caspian remained pale and silent, and Edmund respected that the exiled prince needed time to ruminate over his change in fortune, and mourn the life he left behind. Still, if the boy didn't start talking soon, Edmund might have to do something drastic and Peter-like to kindle Caspian's fighting spirit.

Luckily the situation did not devolve to violence. As they walked their horses over rocky and unsteady ground, Caspian finally spoke. "Forgive me, Ed. I have not thanked you for aiding in my escape. Or for being willing to become a fugitive yourself."

Edmund shrugged, slightly uncomfortable dealing with such sincere gratitude. "You be mine friend, Caspian…you are my friend," he corrected at Caspian's quirked eyebrow. Figures, even as an exile, he was still correcting Edmund's fake accent.

"Yes, but you did not have to come along. You have lost everything, including the money for your family."

Taking in a deep breath, Edmund decided to tell Caspian the truth. At least, tell him some of it. Edmund did not think Caspian was ready to handle the shock of having a king of Old Narnia revealed to him so soon after such other shocks. "Your Highness," he said, reverting to formal address to emphasize his seriousness, "the money would to be only a secondary motive. Mine parents are in no dire straights, and my siblings…are elsewhere in the land. I would not to be sure at the first, but it is to my mind that I would to be sent to Beaversdam to aid you."

Caspian's forehead wrinkled. "I do not understand. Sent by whom?"

"Aslan."

At the name of the Great Lion, Caspian pulled Destrier up short. "Aslan," breathed out the prince as a sense of wonder and fearful awe stole over his face. "But…how do you know of the stories of Aslan?"

Edmund frowned and reached over to nudge Destrier into walking again. They could not afford to stop. "They are not stories, Caspian. Aslan is real."

"Have you…have you actually seen him?" asked the prince, his mind whirling.

Edmund thought back to his first life in Narnia: meeting Aslan, being loved and saved by him, being crowned by him. "Yes. But it would to be a far time ago. A far time."

Caspian was obviously making connections in his mind. "If Aslan exists, perhaps Narnians still do as well? Even the Professor did not know if any existed anymore. But…" the prince gave Edmund a confused look. "How did you know of Aslan and the old tales, before coming to Beaversdam?"

Edmund smiled as he related the cover story he had told Cornelius, one he had pieced together from Cornelius' books and the family names and legends of the Telmarine peasantry. "Narnia in the Old-forth Days held not just Talking Beasts and myth-folk. During the Time of Four Thrones, many humans would to be Narnians as so. When that first Caspian took his name Conqueror, many of those who would not to be killed served the Telmarines, and came to bonds with them in marriage. Most be only peasants, but they still keep stories of their ages-gone."

"Then…then Narnians still exist!" Edmund thought, amusedly, that Caspian looked likely to fall off Destrier in shock and happiness. Apparently Cornelius was telling the truth when he said Caspian practically lived for stories of Old Narnia.

"If there be Narnians not of mixture in these lands, I do not know. But among those the nobles look over, the blood of Narnia still stirs. Turn your mind, though. We must to canter if we are not to be caught and killed."

And so they did. Edmund forced them to keep as grueling a pace as possible without hurting the horses, knowing full well that his small, hurried acts of sabotage in the stables would only have held off pursuit for so long. During breaks and slow goings, the two talked as they could about Narnia and about their situation. Caspian, one night, confided in his anger over his own naiveté concerning his cousin's birth, and his sadness that he had lost any chance of integrating himself in a family.

As Edmund listened, his heart went out to the forlorn prince. He could not imagine living without a family that loved him; it was hard enough being separated from his siblings, both physically as he was now, and in how Peter, and to some extent Susan, had pushed him away in England. But to not have a family at all…Now, Edmund usually was not one for sentimentality; he showed his caring through deeds, leaving words to Lucy. Lucy was not there, though, and so Edmund found the words he hoped were right. "If it be your wish…you could to be a brother to me and mine siblings."

Edmund knew he had spoken well when Caspian's face lit up like a child on his birthday. "Truly? You would…Your family would allow that?"

The hidden king bit back a grimace as he thought about Peter's reaction to this. "Well, mine sisters will take you most heartily to our family, the younger especially. She should to take you regardless of my offer, it is to my mind. Mine brother, though…he is like not to be so open. He might even to be somewhat hostile." Edmund gave Caspian an encouraging smile. "But we will to work on him. He will accept at some time."

Caspian smiled back, his expression shy. "I…I thank you. It means a great deal to me that you would offer your family to a naïve prince who has lived in a castle all his life and does not know as much as he used to think he did about the real world." The last part was said rather self-critically and Edmund shook his head in hidden amusement.

"I think that you will to learn, if only by need." Edmund added softly, to himself, And our lives are not as different as you think.