Narnia ficlet: And in the End [Caspian/Edmund, general]
Title: And in the End Author: celandineb Fandom: Narnia Pairing: Caspian/Edmund Rating: general Length: 352 words Summary: Two kings walk in Aslan's garden. Note: For angela_snape who guessed 8 authors correctly in the 3fan_holidays poll, and asked for Edmund/Caspian, "new beginnings" as her prize ficlet. As ever, this is consistent with my other Narnia fic but stands alone. The title is from the Beatles' song "The End," from the Abbey Road album: "And, in the end, the love you take/ Is equal to the love you make."
"How long have you and Eustace...?" Caspian asked as he and Edmund walked in the grove, green light sliding through the leaves and dappling their faces.
The air was full of the mingled scent of apple blossom and ripe apples, and Edmund paused to marvel at it. Behind them the sun slipped into a belt of cloud on the horizon, staining the fleecy white with rose and gold and purple shadows.
"A few months," he answered, taking Caspian's hands in his own. He was still faintly astonished that he equaled Caspian's height now, so accustomed was he of thinking of his lover as older and taller, the thought new that here in Aslan's country they had no ages. "I knew that I would never return to the Narnia I had loved, and had no hope of seeing you again. Eustace persuaded me that it was time for a new beginning to my life, rather than drifting through it in weary solitude."
Caspian nodded. "I cannot but feel you chose well. Your cousin is a worthy man."
Edmund chuckled, thinking that Eustace was scarcely more than a boy, really, but he grasped Caspian's meaning.
"And what of you?" he asked in return. "You wedded Ramandu's daughter, as I knew you would, and lived a long and full life. I rather envy you that."
"Don't." Caspian shook his head. "Don't envy me. Long life I had, yes, but you know well the cares of a king, and for much of it I was alone in the ways that mattered most, bereft first of you and then later of my wife and son."
"But we are all here now," said Edmund gently, and reached out to stroke back the lock of hair that had fallen over Caspian's forehead, just as it had always been used to do when they were first together on the Dawn Treader. Without fear or hesitation, caring not whether any of their friends and loved ones might see, he kissed Caspian full on the mouth, a kiss of kings, a kiss of love.