The Cold and the Just | E. Pevensie

XIII

(Y/N POV, armor is pictured)

"Ready?" I asked Edmund as he shuffled in his armor. A giant and a centaur were accompanying us, the two of them waiting for Edmund to stop fidgeting in his armor.

Edmund glanced at me sheepishly, straightening his shoulders. "Sorry, Y/N. I forgot how heavy armor is."
He smoothed the chainmail and leaned closer to me.

"Do I...Do I look okay?" He asked quietly. "I don't want to look stupid-"

I stifled a laugh, then realized he was serious. "Edmund. You look fine! A handsome warrior."

"You're just saying that," Edmund replied, sighing.

"Ed! You look great!" I pushed, hoping my words sounded sincere. I ran my hand through his hair, straightening a messy bit. "There. Perfect."

He still did not meet my eyes. Something else was wrong.

"Edmund?" I prodded.

"I- I can sometimes stutter. Only a few times, if I'm really...nervous. It's- It's dumb," he finally said, his cheeks reddening. "If I mess up, they'll see it as a weakness."

I placed both my hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes, making sure he was listening. "Edmund, you're a brave soldier and a fierce fighter. You defeated the white witch! Miraz is a much less powerful, he's a coward, a scum. You're so much more than him, and he knows it. I'll be right next to you," I promised, "You can do this."

Finally, he looked me right in the eye, his breathing still shaky.

As someone who has experienced plenty of panic attacks, I knew I had to stop his train of thought and get his mind off it.

I kissed him, locking my lips with his quickly.

Poor Edmund was taken aback a bit, but I felt him relax and kiss me back.

I pulled back, knowing the centaur and the giant were probably wondering what was going on.

"Are you ready now, King Edmund the Just?" I asked again, smiling through my words.

He smiled back at me, his grin goofy. "I like it when you say my full title."

I laughed and lightly punched his shoulder. "Come on, then. Let's get this over with."

We started walking across the field, making the short journey to the enemy's camp. I held Edmund's hand, squeezing it tightly every so often for support. He carried the scroll on which was Peter's invitation of battle. The centaur and the giant were at our sides, and I felt no fear at all.

My uncle was a cruel man, and I couldn't help but be excited to watch Peter take him down.

We reached the camp, a few soldiers ran towards us, their swords ready to slice us in half.
Without even thinking, I flipped my wrist and three sharp icicles grew from the ground, stopping the soldiers from coming any closer.

"Don't even think about it, boys," I snarled, narrowing my eyes.

I felt Edmund squeeze my hand, this time him calming me down.