edmund spreads peter out on the bed, sunlight playing through the open window and across their skin. it gilds peter in gold and light, and he kisses edmund lazily, the sweet taste of rum shared between their mouths.

edmund pins peter's hands over his head, feels his brother go very still, peter's eyes flaring wide in sudden panic.

"don't worry," edmund says softly. "it's just me."

peter lets out a long, slow breath. "yeah," he says, and edmund kisses the panic and the tension from him, trying to ignore the scars that weren't there the last time he touched his brother.

-
-

it turns out miraz is actually in town meeting with sepaspian. "really," susan says, "he's not going to listen to anything i say."

"well, he's not going to listen to me," caspian points out reasonably.

"try anyway," lucy says.