Edmund could not help the gleeful laugh that slipped from him as he barreled into his friend’s open arms. You may be surprised to read that Ed greeted Caspian with so much obvious affection when it had taken hours for him to hug his brother, who had arrived without warning little more than a month before. If you are surprised, then you probably do not have an older brother or a friend like Caspian. The other young Narnian king was as close to Edmund as blood now, but while still concerned with his opinion of him, Edmund did not have a lifetime of childish embarrassments informing his behavior. Caspian was a friend with whom Edmund could simply be himself (and occasionally, but only when the situation called for it, a king).

“I say, Caspian, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” Edmund exclaimed as he gave him a strong hug. “Did you only just arrive?” he asked, pulling back to arm’s reach. “That is to say, were you suddenly whisked here by magic you can’t seem to understand?”