Categories > Books > Chronicles of Narnia
Timeline: Into the first year of the children's reign at Cair Paravel.
Author's Notes: This was actually meant to be about Lucy, but I got sidetracked in the Peter/Edmund character development and felt that it would be cheating them to go on to Lucy's bit in this piece. So I guess that will come later. This is especially for SJ Smith who, in her LJ Wishlist, requested fic from any of her fandoms. I know she likes Narnia, so here goes. :-)
"Hey Ed, have you seen Lu about anywhere?"
Edmund looked up at Peter from where he was playing chess with a centaur - and losing. Badly. "No, I 'aven't," he answered. "But shouldn't you address me as 'your majesty'?" Peter rolled his eyes and Edmund winked at the centaur. "Or 'sir.' You could at least say 'sir.'"
"I'll say it when you do," Peter said easily and turned to leave the room, calling over his shoulder, "If you see Lu, tell her I'm looking for her, would you?"
"Certainly, sire," Edmund answered as he moved his rook forward, neatly cornering the centaur's bishop and putting his queen in danger.
Peter stopped and turned, looking at Edmund in equal parts amusement and disbelief. The younger king was concentrating on the game of chess in front of him as if his very life depended on it, but Peter thought he could detect a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. "You'll do anything to get your way, won't you, Ed?" Peter teased with a note of exasperation.
Edmund froze and the centaur faltered as he reached for his knight. Peter immediately realized what he'd said, or implied rather, unintentionally though it was, and stammered out an apology.
"Edmund, I'm sorry... I wasn't -- I didn't mean..."
"It's all right, Peter," Edmund said quietly, frowning as the centaur casually placed his knight down on the board and murmured "Check."
"Really, I didn't --"
Edmund looked up at him and smiled, and though his face looked extra pale at that moment and his eyes were sad, Peter saw no judgment in his expression. "Really, it's all right," Edmund said, and Peter had the quick and sudden thought that Aslan had known what he was doing when he named Edmund "the Just." His younger brother had learned more of justice and mercy -- by experience -- than Peter had yet to get a grasp of.
"Thanks," Peter sighed, and Edmund just grinned.
"You're welcome, your highness," he smirked. "And if I see her majesty Queen Lucy, I shall tell her that you require her presence." He thoughtfully bumped his queen over in a last-ditch attempt to rescue his doomed king.
"Cheeky," Peter smiled, but there was relief in his tone. "I should be very grateful for that, sire."
"Didja hear that?" Edmund crowed to the centaur. "He called me 'sire'!"
"I did indeed, sire," the centaur answered with barely restrained mirth as he relocated his bishop with a move Edmund had not anticipated. "Checkmate. Your majesty."
Author's Notes: This was actually meant to be about Lucy, but I got sidetracked in the Peter/Edmund character development and felt that it would be cheating them to go on to Lucy's bit in this piece. So I guess that will come later. This is especially for SJ Smith who, in her LJ Wishlist, requested fic from any of her fandoms. I know she likes Narnia, so here goes. :-)
"Hey Ed, have you seen Lu about anywhere?"
Edmund looked up at Peter from where he was playing chess with a centaur - and losing. Badly. "No, I 'aven't," he answered. "But shouldn't you address me as 'your majesty'?" Peter rolled his eyes and Edmund winked at the centaur. "Or 'sir.' You could at least say 'sir.'"
"I'll say it when you do," Peter said easily and turned to leave the room, calling over his shoulder, "If you see Lu, tell her I'm looking for her, would you?"
"Certainly, sire," Edmund answered as he moved his rook forward, neatly cornering the centaur's bishop and putting his queen in danger.
Peter stopped and turned, looking at Edmund in equal parts amusement and disbelief. The younger king was concentrating on the game of chess in front of him as if his very life depended on it, but Peter thought he could detect a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. "You'll do anything to get your way, won't you, Ed?" Peter teased with a note of exasperation.
Edmund froze and the centaur faltered as he reached for his knight. Peter immediately realized what he'd said, or implied rather, unintentionally though it was, and stammered out an apology.
"Edmund, I'm sorry... I wasn't -- I didn't mean..."
"It's all right, Peter," Edmund said quietly, frowning as the centaur casually placed his knight down on the board and murmured "Check."
"Really, I didn't --"
Edmund looked up at him and smiled, and though his face looked extra pale at that moment and his eyes were sad, Peter saw no judgment in his expression. "Really, it's all right," Edmund said, and Peter had the quick and sudden thought that Aslan had known what he was doing when he named Edmund "the Just." His younger brother had learned more of justice and mercy -- by experience -- than Peter had yet to get a grasp of.
"Thanks," Peter sighed, and Edmund just grinned.
"You're welcome, your highness," he smirked. "And if I see her majesty Queen Lucy, I shall tell her that you require her presence." He thoughtfully bumped his queen over in a last-ditch attempt to rescue his doomed king.
"Cheeky," Peter smiled, but there was relief in his tone. "I should be very grateful for that, sire."
"Didja hear that?" Edmund crowed to the centaur. "He called me 'sire'!"
"I did indeed, sire," the centaur answered with barely restrained mirth as he relocated his bishop with a move Edmund had not anticipated. "Checkmate. Your majesty."
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