Here is the last part of the story, posted soon after last chapter as I promised. I may write an epilogue if there is interest in it. Thank you to everyone who has read this story and who has reviewed it. It makes me happy to know that people are enjoying my work.
All three Pevensie siblings stared as Edmund's form jolted forward sucking in precious air. It was only when too weak to hold himself upright he began to fall back that any of them moved.
Susan frantically grabbed him and struggled to hold his weight for a moment before Peter stepped forward. He moved behind his brother so that the younger king was leaning against his chest.
The High King wrapped him arms around Edmund's shaking shoulders too surprised to truly register the shock at what was occurring.
The Just King's breathing was not settling, but seemed to be worsening at every breath. He kept sucking in air as if it was becoming more and more difficult a task to accomplish.
"Now Lucy," Susan cried brushing at Edmund's hair, a familiar gesture to comfort him.
Lucy surged forward pulling the small glass bottle from a pocket in her dress. Susan tilted his head back and Lucy unstopping the bottle placed two drops of cordial on his tongue.
No one moved for a moment.
Gradually, the strangled gasps began to quiet into deep steady breaths. Each time the air moved past Edmund's lips, Peter felt that they were cleansing his soul as well. He was gradually realizing that his brother alive. That perhaps the nightmare of before had somehow miraculously ended.
Yet, he was finding it hard to believe what was before his eyes. It was too wonderful to be true. Maybe he had lost his senses and was simply imagining this.
Edmund leaned his head back against Peter's shoulder. "Thank Aslan, I think it worked," he breathed with a small smile.
At that Susan burst into tears and threw herself at their younger brother. He patted her head kindly. "It's alright now Su. You saved me. Please do not cry."
She lifted her bright face and looked up at him. "I was so frightened that it would not work, Ed. That we had lost you. I can not imagine how that would feel."
She started suddenly and looked between Peter and Lucy both who had been very quiet since Edmund had begun to breath again. Peter's eye were round and wide, he was staring ahead his arms tightly wound around Edmund. Lucy did not seem much better her hands clasped at the tiny bottle, her eyes full of tears.
"Oh Peter. Lucy. I am so sorry." Susan whispered, her hands coming up to cover her mouth.
Edmund looked at his sisters faces and tried to crane his neck in order to look at Peter, wondering at the anguish he saw there. "What is going on?"
Lucy stepped forward reaching for him. Edmund grasped her hand and after a moment Lucy looked up into his concerned eyes.
"We received a letter from Prince Rabadash that you had died, Edmund." With this news, Edmund gripped his sisters hand a little more firmly. When they had crafted this plan, he had never imagined that they would receive such news. "How is it that you are not...dead?" Lucy continued in a voice just above a whisper.
"I never died Lucy, not really, but I needed to look like I was dead for us to leave Carlomen." Edmund answered patting her hand. Lucy wrinkled her brow in thought.
"It is true that I was sick. We believe that someone poisoned me on our first night in Carlomen." Edmund ignored as the High King jolted behind him and continued. "We could not find a cure and Rabadash would not allow us to leave. So Althea came up with a way to get me back home so that we could use the cordial to try and save me."
"How?" Lucy asked quietly.
"Althea created a draft that would slow his breathing to give the outward likeness of death." Susan answered moving to rub her hand down her sister's back. "The leaf I placed in his mouth was the cure. It returned his breathing to normal. Then your cordial saved him from the poison."
A smile was beginning to spread across the visage of the young queen. She looked at her brother hopefully. "So you are going to be alright, now?"
"I will once my little sister has bind me hello." He replied with a cheeky grin.
Pure joy blossomed on Lucy's face and a light laugh rang out as she jumped into Edmund's arms. Peter released his hold so that the younger ones could greet each other. It was only then at he noticed that he was trembling.
Three days of blinding grief, of not being able to breath properly because he felt that he had failed his family. All of that pain now washed away. It was too wonderful to be real and Peter was dreading when we would awake to find Edmund gone again.
A deep growling noise started the four and Lucy pulled back from Edmund giggling. "It seems that you are quite hungry, brother dear." Edmund's ears turned pink and he guiltily grinned back at her.
"Come on, Lucy, let us go fetch something for all of us to eat." Susan said reaching to help Lucy down off the wagon. "We will bring the tray to your room, Ed."
Edmund feigned shock. "You are allowing us to have a meal outside the dinning room, how barbaric of you."
Susan smiled back at him and the only answer he received was her twinkling laughter as the girls entered the great wooden doors.
Edmund chuckled, then looked over his shoulder. His brother was sitting behind him, studying his hands that were resting in his lap. The Just King's countenance became serious. This was not the welcome that he expected.
"Peter, are you alright?" He questioned him quietly, so that the narnians nearby did not hear. It would do no good to draw attention to the High King's distress.
Peter did not answer, but slide off the wagon and reached up to help Edmund down. Without letting go of his brother's sleeve, he began to walk towards the entrance and all Edmund could do was follow.
The Just King was becoming increasingly worried about his older brother. It seemed that the shock at his being alive had passed and this muted reaction was scaring him more than he wanted to admit. A small part of him wondered if his brother was not happy to see him. But this was Peter and Edmund knew how deeply his brother loved his family.
They entered Edmund's chambers and the younger man stopped in the center of the room. He wished that he could throw himself on his bed, the mattress a welcomed change to the hard surface of the cart. It would have to wait.
Turning to his brother, he placed his hands on his hips. Peter had not moved after entering the door, but kept his eyes on the carpet. Edmund realized that Peter had not met his eyes since he had woken up. His big hearted brother was shoulder the world's problem again and Edmund knew how to break him out of it. Whatever was the matter was going to stop now.
"Alright, what is it?" He demanded.
Peter mumbled something that Edmund could not hear in return.
"Peter," the younger king's voice a clear warning.
"I'm worried that this is not real." Peter replied a little louder, finally looking up at his brother.
Edmund stared back in shock. He had not been expecting this. "Peter, I don't understand."
"No you don't understand. You can't understand. Three days of thinking that you had died. Thinking that I would never see you again. You cannot imagine the pain of it." The Just blinked back in surprise at the anger coming from his older brother. Well at least it's better then no reaction, Edmund thought.
Peter approached Edmund, his hands grabbing his younger brother's arms. "I had to hold Lucy as she wept for you. I had to address the court to inform them of your death. I have spent the last three days begging Aslan to somehow bring you back. This is everything that I've prayed for, but it can't be real."
Dark brown eyes bore into blue ones. "Why Peter? Why can't this be real?" Edmund brought up his hands and placed them on Peter's arms.
A deep sorrow came over the High King's face. "Because I failed you Eddie." His voice was weak and he once again focused on the carpet below him.
The younger man gave his brother a quick shake. "Never! Never, Peter. You have never failed me or the girls." The blond headed king, cautiously raised his eyes. "You have always been there for us and I know that you always will be. If I had died while in Carlomen, it would not have been because you failed me. It would have been due to the greed of a selfish man."
"Rabadash thought that by getting rid of me, it would be easier to claim Susan as his bride. Well, we shall show them Peter, that we are not so easily defeated."
The dark haired man's gaze softened and he reached for his brother's hand. Placing it over his heart, he addressed his brother kindly. "Now, brother mine, stop this silliness. Can you not feel it? My heart is beating." He waited for a moment for Peter to take in this fact. "I am home safe and I have missed my brother greatly."
Peter's eyes met Edmund's, shining with unshed tears. "I have missed you too, brother mine."
With that Peter dissolved into sobs. His knees gave way under him. This time though, they did not crash into the ground for Edmund held onto to his brother and helped him to slowly kneel. Peter pulled his brother closer into his arms desperate to know that Edmund was truly here, home and safe. He could feel Edmund hold tightly to him in return and knew that his brother needed this as much as he did.
The two kings remained like that for a long time. Each taking comfort in the presence of the other. Neither wishing to pull away. They were brothers, friends and fellow kings. The thought of losing this bond had shaken them both deeply.
After a while, Edmund pulled back and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Now you've got me crying, you big blubbering baby." He complained.
Peter laughed, the first joyful sound he had made in days. "Come on, Ed. I have good reason to weep, I thought you were dead. What's your reason?" He challenged.
"I was frightened." Edmund answered seriously, tightening his grip on Peter. Peter mimicked the gesture, as he looked back with worry at his brother. "I did not know if this plan was going to work. If I was going to see you and Lucy again."
Peter nodded his understanding. "Well, thank Aslan that it did." He pulled his the Just King into his embrace one more time. "You are home Edmund. Let us not worry about anything else for now."
Edmund nodded into his shoulder, happy to be back beside his brother and to see the light return to the magnificent king's eyes.
Peter's heart rang with thanks to Aslan for bringing his brother home, alive and healthy.
The Pevensie brothers did not move apart until the girls entered the room with lunch. Then all four sat together on the carpet their legs intertwined, all needing to feel the closeness of the others. They would have to tell the court of what happened and they would have to address Prince Rabadash's attempt on Edmund's life, but that would wait. For now it was just the four of them. together and that was all that mattered.
Thank you dear readers,
-jem.