"I hate it here!" Edmund growled at the fair haired teen before him, as he slumped against an old gnarled oak tree, head tilted back towards the overcast English sky, the crisp autumn breeze blowing strands of sweat slicked black hair out of perceptive, brown eyes, "Everyone here keeps treating us like children, and therefore for some reason, incapable of rational thought! It's maddening!"

Peter sighed softly as he shifted on the soft grass of the clearing, settling down to wait out his enraged younger brother's slow, yet fearsome, temper. Since their return to school, Edmund had taken to exploding every so often, once away from their classmates; ranting about how England and life in general was grossly unfair.

The Pevensies had fallen back into England five months ago; tumbling out of the old wardrobe in the professor's spare room in a tangled pile of young, coltish limbs and clothes they had not worn since before the Battle of Beruna, many years ago. All four had had a hard time adjusting to being treated like children again, especially the youngest two who had lived longer in Narnia than England. Peter had long since forgotten how restricting it was in England, and now that they had been adults and royalty, being seen as children and summarily dismissed was infuriating.

The siblings had been at their respective boarding schools for nearly three months now, bored out of their minds, isolated and forced to attend classes they had surpassed years ago with classmates who were more than a decade their juniors mentally. Only his brother kept Peter from going around the bend, as Edmund had been moved to Peter's year due to his 'academic prowess' during the first weeks of term. Though they were trying not to stand out, the boys had agreed that if they had to go back to school, they would go through it together; so Edmund let his act slip enough for the Headmaster to move him up a few years. Due to their Narnian tutelage and 'newfound' maturity, the brothers were outcasts among their peers. Their only escape from the monotony were their weekly visits with their sisters and their sparring practice.

The boys had taken to hiding away in a thick grove of trees near the edge of school property after classes ended and sparring with wooden staves they had fashioned from tree limbs and hid in an old, hollow willow tree. Their disappearances had escaped notice for the time being, though they had to occasionally postpone practice due to suspicious teachers.

They knew there would be many an uncomfortable question if anyone caught sight of their many bruises and scars, but the sparring kept the boys in shape and let them blow off steam, so they continued when they could.

At the moment, they were taking a break from their sparring to discuss the politics and ramifications of the Red Dwarf Rebellion of 335 NK (Narnian Kranos), a time long before their own rein. It was then that Edmund broke down; reminiscing on Narnia usually had such an effect on him. He yelled himself hoarse, and Peter did not try to stop him. He knew Edmund would be calmer and easier to reason with once he had gotten it all out.

Edmund's complaints were neither new, nor invalid. The children chafed at the restrictions placed upon them by British society. They all wished to return to their beloved Narnia and their proper ages; to be taken seriously and able to live freely again. Above all though, the siblings worried for Narnia's future. Though Narnia had been at peace when they left, the ruthless Triscots of vast, southern Calormene had long coveted Narnia's green pastures and lush forests, and there was always the threat of pirate raids along the coast or giants coming down from the north.

Edmund stilled abruptly, his rant dropping off midsentence as though he could hear Peter's thoughts. Deflating, he sat heavily on a gnarled tree root, snatching his water bottle off the ground and taking a long swig. As the silence stretched on, he glanced at Peter through his lashes and muttered dejectedly, "I hope Narnia is doing alright without us", his pain and despair bleeding through his words, despite the walls he strove to hide his true self behind. He had never been good at hiding things from Peter.

Peter clapped him on the shoulder, offering his silent reassurance and faith in their people, knowing words would do little to alleviate Edmund's mood. The siblings had left their hearts in Narnia, while their bodies and minds were trapped in England, worlds away.