Disclaimer: Everyone is of legal age to consent. I own nothing.

A Crownless King

Lucy Pevensie watched nervously as her two older brothers fought tirelessly over who had more rights as king. It was always a battle of will between them. Everyone knew Peter was high king, but for some reason Peter always thought Edmund was stepping on his toes, challenging his rule.

"It wasn't your place to escort Prince Caspian." Peter bellowed. "I'm high king!"

"Oh really, I wouldn't know that. You only remind me every other second. And if you're so bothered about not being the one to have escorted Caspian, why didn't you meet him there yourself?"

Peter looked like a mute goldfish out of water. His mouth kept moving in a distorted manner, but nothing seemed to be coming out. Edmund raised an impatient brow.

"I got my times switched up." Peter finally sputtered. "It's not easy you know, running a kingdom. I've got important meetings, regulation committees, and booked appointments, unlike you, Ed. All you do all day is play with your wooden sword and swoon over pretty girls."

Edmund laughed. "Right, but I'm pretty sure you've got that mixed up just like your appointments. It's not my fault pretty girls swoon over me, and it's not a wooden sword, it's a practice sword." replied Edmund slowly." You do realize I command the armies?"

"WE'RE NOT AT WAR!" Peter spat." Find something better to do with your time."

"So escorting Prince Caspian while you sat in the wrong meetings having conversations with the wrong people wasn't doing something helpful?" mused Edmund, trying to understand his infuriated brother.

"No, it wasn't." Peter spat with finality.

"What's going on in here?" A soft echo interrupted. Lucy turned to see her sister, Susan, standing in the doorway. Hands on her hips, looking utterly annoyed.

"Peter is being a jerk." replied Edmund, his cold gray eyes never leaving his brother's.

"Edmund." gasped Susan.

"Sorry, he's being an ass." corrected Edmund, causing Lucy to snort into her fist.

"That's enough." demanded Susan.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Peter sighed, his dark eyes flickering with contempt.

"Come on boys, you're brothers first, and Kings second." Susan reminded them soothingly. "You both love each other, don't forget that."

"Listen Ed," started Peter, his voice a forced calm, "If you want to help that's fine, but you'll help with my permission."

Edmund rolled his eyes. "Well, that's not called helping is it? That's being told what to do."

"When are you going to grow up?" Peter muttered under his breath. It wasn't the first time Edmund had heard Peter say that.

"Fine." whispered Edmund, taking off his crown. "If that's how it is, you can play King all by yourself."

Lucy Gasped.

"Ed!" cried Susan. "You can't be serious?"

Lucy watched in shock as Edmund surrendered his crown to Peter.

"Go ahead, take it." said Edmund coolly. "Your head is big enough for the both of them."

As Peter reached for the crown, Lucy noticed he had to give it a slight tug before Edmund let it slip from his fingers.

For a moment, the four Royals stood in silence, partly because Peter and Edmund were still challenging each other with narrowed eyes. Susan on the other hand fought back the urge to cry; it was Lucy who spoke up first.

"I think I'm going to be sick." All the yelling had made Lucy's stomach turn into mush.

"Take her to bed Edmund." Susan said rather coldly. Lucy had a feeling Susan would also be yelling at Peter.

Neither of them talked on the way to Lucy's bedchamber. For once Edmund had no ill remarks for Lucy, and for the first time in Lucy's life she had nothing to say. This worried even her. The march of silence ended when they reached the door to her room.

"Do you think you can manage it from here?" It was a snide remark, yes, but not as rude as usual.

Instead of rounding on him for being cross, Lucy made her way into her bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her. Lucy leaned against her wooden door, with a sigh. How could this happen? How could Peter let this happen? Lucy rolled her eyes and slid down against the doorframe. Her expression was blank, which somehow managed to mask the multitude of emotions she was feeling. Everything was wrong, all wrong. How could things have gotten this bad, this fast? They were in Narnia after all, the place that made them the happiest. So then why was everyone being so angry, and unforgiving?

Lucy sat there on the cold stone floor, for what seemed like hours. The confusion of what had happened, and what was to come, never quite setting in. It was well past midnight when Lucy found herself slowly drifting off. She dreamt Peter was a delusional dictator who referred to himself only in the third person, while Susan stayed locked in her room, heartbroken over Caspian's rejection of her love. All the while Lucy searched for Edmund, but he was nowhere to be found. It was as if he never existed. She ran down the halls of the palace screaming his name. There was an echo, but no response. She searched his room, but it was empty, all of his belongings were gone. It was as if he had never stayed in there. Lucy felt the walls of her lungs constricting. She was panicking now. Lucy screamed, waking herself with a startling jump.

"Lucy," sounded a familiar voice. "Lucy what are you doing on the floor?"

Lucy looked up to face the shadowy figure kneeling in front of her. It was Edmund. "Oh Ed," Lucy breathed heavily, tackling him to the floor.

"Lucy what are you doing?" Edmund huffed, trying to recover from having the wind being knocked out of him.

"Oh Edmund, it was terrible. I dreamt Peter was an arrogant Pratt, and all Susan ever did was cry all the time." sobbed Lucy burying herself into Edmund's shoulder.

"Are you sure that was a dream?" asked Edmund coolly.

"And you," said Lucy, wiping the tears from her eyes and looking up to face him. "I couldn't find you. I looked everywhere. It was as if you never came to Narnia with us. I screamed your name over and over again."

"I know, I heard you," laughed Edmund, his heavy lidded eyes brightening for the first time. "So did half the castle."

"Oh, it's not funny Ed." cried Lucy. "I was worried sick."

Edmund untangled himself from his sister and stood to help her to her feet.

"It's alright Lucy, it was just a dream." soothed Edmund. "Now come to bed, it's late."

"I don't want to go back to sleep." said Lucy stubbornly. Her red, puffy half lidded eyes caused Edmund to chuckle.

"Lucy, look at yourself, you're exhausted." said Edmund smoothly. "So, do us both a favor, and get some sleep."

Lucy folded her arms in protest.

"Fine," Edmund yawned contemplatively. "What if I stayed in here, with you? That way if you have that dream again, I'll pinch you and you'll wake up, and then you can see without screaming," he emphasized that last bit. "That I'm still here."

Lucy stared at him for a moment considering his proposition. After just a few seconds of a wobbly standoff, Lucy caved in and climbed into bed, Edmund close behind.

"Night, Ed." whispered Lucy.

"Goodnight, Luce." Edmund replied.

It didn't take long for sleep to claim them. The rest of their night was spent in peaceful slumber. Lucy dreamt of Aslan and Mr. Tumnus. Edmund was also there, but there was something very strange about his demeanor. Even though it was Lucy's dream she couldn't quite place it; perhaps it was the softness in his voice when he spoke to her or the calmness in his gray eyes, which were usually storm clouds. Whatever the difference, Lucy relished it. She wished she'd never wake up.

A/N: Yes this will have fictional incest. I dont like it for the sake of Incest, I like it because of the characters. Dont like, Dont read. And if you still have a problem you can take that stick thats up your ass and point it at someone else. Thank you, and have a nice day.