Disclaimer: I still don't own Prince Caspian, but maybe Ben Barnes will find me someday and I'll never let him go. Lol!

Author note: I'd really like to thank all of you who sent reviews and encouraged me to keep going. Thank you very much for your support. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.


Chapter Two: Sweet Surrender

Still standing in the courtyard, Caspian had a look of utmost shock plastered on his face as he watched Susan walk away from him and the passionate moment they had just shared. She thought what they did—what they felt—was a mistake? No, it wasn't. He knew Susan felt same way about him after what had just happened between them, but she was still running away from it anyway—afraid and unsure of their future as long as Aslan could send the Pevensies back to England soon. The Telmarine prince was scared of the unknown too, but not enough to let Susan leave like this…not after finally getting the opportunity to act upon his feelings and finding out that her feelings for him were mutual. Caspian had already lost too many loved ones in his life and wasn't about to lose Susan as well—not without a fight.

With determination in his dark eyes, he raced through the open halls of the castle until he saw Susan about to open the door to her bedchambers. Once the prince reached her, he grabbed her left shoulder, spun her around to face him and looked deep into her beautiful blue eyes, pinning her body to the door. "I won't let you walk away from this, Susan. It wasn't a mistake because I know you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you. We were meant to be together…and you can't fight it any more than I can."

Before Susan could say a single word, Caspian brought his head crashing down to her and fused his lips with her own passionately. She immediately sank into the breathtaking kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck seconds later, still holding Edmund's broken flashlight with her left hand. He ran his hands up and down her back and sides, trying to feel every curve of her full figure and molded his firm body to hers. Caspian reached even further down and began planting hot, fervent kisses on her neck. Susan stifled out a moan of blissful pleasure, giving into their undeniable passion for each other and once again ran her soft fingers through his dark tresses. After grabbing the front of her sky blue robe and tugging on it a bit to expose more of her porcelain skin, he showered sweet kisses on her now bare shoulder, quickly picking up where they left off in the courtyard.

Caspian knew what he felt for Susan was love and that was what had brought them together. Her magical horn might have brought her and the others to Narnia, but it was their incontestable affection for one another that gave them this private moment of heated passion, a moment he would treasure everlastingly and never let go of. As a queen of Narnia, Caspian understood the fact that she could be with anyone whom her heart most desired, but the fact that she was here with him—kissing him like there will be no tomorrow—only made the handsome prince want her even more. Susan set his whole body on fire everytime she called out his name softly, touched his skin with her gentle fingertips, or kissed him sweetly on the lips. He knew in his heart that these feelings would never go away, nor did he ever want them to. Tonight was only the beginning…

Breaking their skin-to-skin contact since they first began kissing in the hall, Caspian had a smoldering look of desire on his face which matched the flame-lit torch attached to the wall that was above their heads. A mixture of lust and love filled his chocolate brown orbs as he delicately ran his thumb across her right cheek, making Susan briefly close her eyes in reaction to his warm fingers caressing her fair skin. Caspian planted a small kiss on the base her neck before whispering, "Now do you think what we feel for each other is a mistake?"

His question immediately "woke" Susan up as her blue eyes snapped open and she realized that she let her feelings for him break down all of her defenses again. Placing her right hand on his chest, the Queen of Old Narnia gently pushed the Telmarine prince away from her with a look of anger written all over her face. "What is the matter with you? Have you gone completely mental or did you not hear me from before? This isn't what I want, Caspian, so just leave me alone."

Although taken aback by her words, he still maintained his ground. "This is what you want, Susan. Why are you trying to fight it?"

"Because it's wrong, that's why!" she nearly shouted, but suddenly remembered where they were and what time it was, bringing her voice back down to a whisper. "We're from entirely different worlds and I'm going back to England soon with my brothers and sister. I don't want to get attached to you any more than I already have because I'm not sure when I'll be coming back. You know the last time the four of us left that we didn't come back for a year, but it was thirteen centuries here. Don't you see it? Just a single day in England is a couple of years in Narnia. You may not even be alive the next time I return—if I ever do—and I couldn't bear it if I never got to see you again after getting so close to you… That's why this has to stop now. I'm not going to lose any more of my heart here than I've already lost."

Susan turned back around to open the bedroom door, however, Caspian acted quickly by spinning her around again and locking eyes with her to grab her attention. "Then don't leave Narnia. If your heart truly lies here, then don't break it by leaving."

"I don't have a choice in the matter and I told you that before. Everything is in Aslan's hands, and when he wants us to return to our world, we'll have to go back."

"Even though we both know it's not what you really want?" he asked her as Susan's eyes diverted away from his while carefully putting Edmund's flashlight on the ground and slowly stood back up. "Is the great Aslan so cruel that he would take you away from the only place you've ever called home? Is he so vindictive that he would be willing to tear two people who just found out they're in love with each other despite the fact that they're from different worlds? Is Aslan really capable of doing that?"

"Love?" Susan questioned him as she looked back at him with surprise etched in her tone now. "Did you say love?"

Caspian began to feel very self-conscious for what he had just accidentally confessed, afraid that she may not have felt the same way about him after all. "Yes," he spoke up nervously as he took a few steps backwards.

Susan studied the Telmarine prince's face intensely and was the one to lock eyes with him this time when he tried to look away. "You love me, Caspian?" she asked him, walking a step closer to him. "I mean, you really love me? You're not just saying that to impress me like all those suitors who tried to take my hand in marriage thirteen centuries ago because I was the Queen of Narnia?"

"I would never try and take advantage of you, Susan," Caspian said to her as his fear was melting away and he became serious again. "I'm not after your gold or your royal status. You deserve better than that. I understand that we've only known each other for a month now, but I feel like I've known you for years. I know that you care about your siblings more than anything in this world. I know you value High King Peter's opinion greatly whenever you make an important decision because you two have always been extremely close and you look up to him. I know that you're brave and willing to help others in need even if it risks your own safety. I know you're not a morning person and that you've been staying up half the night wishing you could stay here in Narnia because you feel like its more home to you than England. You're the best archer I know in the land and I would stake my life on that claim. You're beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, independent, and you fight for what you believe in no matter how many odds are against you. You're the most amazing woman that I've ever met and I know that I'll never meet anyone else like you."

The brunette smiled genuinely at him. She could see the boldness in his eyes and hear the integrity in his voice. Caspian was indeed telling her the truth. He really did love her, however, Susan still felt a little anxious about his heartfelt confession of love. For starters, they did only know each other for about a month now, and how do you know if you're in love after such a small amount of time being together? Not only that, but he was about to become the new King of Narnia in just a matter of hours and then hundreds of beautiful Telmarine girls would be lining up in hopes to marry him. She was, and still is, a queen of Narnia according to Aslan, but surely Caspian must've thought that there were women far prettier than her in the land, Susan thought to herself. "But why me? You could have any girl in the world at the snap of your fingers instantly being the King of Narnia, so why would you want me?"

Walking closer to her, he gently grabbed her arms and brought her into his sweet embrace once more, his warm breath softly tickling her face. "For the exact same reasons I know you want me."

Susan began to blush at his words and looked down at the floor in embarrassment, but he lifted her chin with two fingers and met his penetrating eyes in a silent, heart-pounding gaze again. They stared at one another with shallow-breathing tension until Caspian finally dipped his head and she gasped in anticipation before their lips locked hungrily, molding their bodies together desperately. He gently pushed Susan up against the wall and let his firm hands roam all over her body inside her half-open robe as her own hands ran up and down his back softly. Grinding his hips against hers, the handsome prince couldn't believe he was actually living his every fantasy that he ever had of him and Susan together. He ravished her mouth until their lips were swollen and they parted breathlessly; a look of longing still filled their eyes. Caspian was now extremely grateful that he suggested to Susan earlier that evening to take the guest bedchambers farthest from everyone else in the castle, for all their hard panting and pleasurable moaning would have woken up anyone close enough to hear them. True, her siblings were just down the hall, but he knew they were still far enough away not to hear anything.

Caspian wanted this perfect night with Susan to last forever, but knew that was impossible. Dawn would be approaching in just a few short hours…and then he would be crowned King of Narnia. An idea suddenly struck his thoughts as to what he could do with the queen of his heart until morning came, a place he thought she would immensely enjoy and appreciate seeing. "Come with me," he said sweetly and grabbed her right hand to make her follow him. "I want to show you something."

"Wait," she replied back, stopping him by not moving an inch and quickly letting go his hand. "Where are you taking me? It's the middle of the night, remember? Where could we possibly go right now?"

"Do you trust me?" Caspian asked her quietly as he reached out his hand for hers.

Susan stared at him quietly, unable to respond at first. It was a simple question, but suddenly seemed so complicated and overwhelming for her to answer. Trust was a hard thing to gain, although very easy to lose. The Telmarine prince had already proven he was trustworthy to her and her siblings when he fought along their side to bring peace back to Narnia…but things were different now. The fighting was over, Miraz was dead, and all was good again in the land. Caspian had her complete trust when they were allies on the battlefield then, but at this very moment they were standing together in a barely lit and ghostly quiet corridor well past midnight, breathless and disheveled from several minutes of passionate kissing after he professed his love for her. Susan did trust him as her ally and friend, but could she put her life in his hands and follow him willingly to the ends of the earth? Had he not proven himself worthy of a Narnian king, therefore earning the complete trust of a Narnian queen?

"Yes," she answered softly with an affectionate smile and finally took his hand.

Caspian led Susan through all the empty corridors of the castle, sneaking by the nightshift guards so they wouldn't draw any attention to them until he came upon a large, wooden door with a brass handle. He opened it quietly as the pair walked outside, and she gasped at the site before them. They were in the most stunning garden that Susan had ever seen in her life with hundreds of rosebushes, fully-bloomed calla lilies, and a wide variety of colorful tulips—not even the gardens at Cair Paravel could've matched in its exquisiteness. The sparkling night sky and flaming torches at every turn made it so that the garden was the most beautiful place her sparkling blue eyes had ever beheld.

"Do you like it?" he asked her, knowing by the look on her face that she did.

"Oh, Caspian…" Susan said still completely awe-struck by her surroundings. "It's absolutely gorgeous."

"Yes, it is," he replied back softly, but was staring at her instead of the garden. From the corner of her right eye, Susan noticed that he was gazing at her lovingly and she blushed crimson. Even in a garden as magnificent as this one, Caspian still couldn't take his eyes off of her for a second. Giggling to herself, she thought he must love her if he wasn't as mesmerized by the garden like she was, but also figured that the young prince had probably already seen it a thousand times before since this was his castle and he grew up there.

"A bit surprising, isn't it?" Caspian snapped Susan out of her trance. "You probably weren't expecting my uncle to have a garden as beautiful as this considering how cruel of a tyrant he was."

"Yes," she admitted to him as they started walking through the garden together. "I guess. Why did he though?"

Smiling down at himself, he replied, "Because of my Aunt Prunaprismia. After my father died, she wanted Miraz to keep the garden in loving memory of my parents because it was all I had left of them, and she thought I should at least have it to remember them by. Both of my parents loved the outdoors, especially being in this garden. They took long walks out here everyday for hours and just admired the beauty of the nature that was offered to us here in Narnia. I never really noticed it until after they were gone, but whenever I came out here alone, I think of them and know that they're watching over me."

Susan planted a kiss on his cheek before snuggling into his embrace. Caspian wrapped his arms around her and they just stood in the middle of their romantic setting holding each other close. After kissing the top of her head, they began walking around again a few moments later. "There's something I've been wondering, what is England like? Is it anything like Narnia?"

"No, England's nothing like Narnia," Susan said dully as she let go of him and they started holding hands while they continued along the small path through the royal garden. "They're worlds apart in difference actually. The only similarity between them is that England's fighting in the middle of a war for democracy right now against other countries that want to govern in a dictatorship something like your uncle tried to do. I hope it all stops soon though. My father's fighting in the war and many soldiers from our country have died in it already. It's not something I really like to talk about."

"Do you miss England at all?"

Susan sighed and replied back, "I had just gotten used to living there again when we were called back here. The rest of my family's in England and I miss them a lot, but it's—"

"Not your home," he cut her off, finishing off her thought. "Narnia is."

"Yes," she whispered to him sadly.

"You're happy to be here, aren't you?" Caspian asked her the very same question Lucy asked her on their first night back in Narnia and she instantly froze.

'While it lasts…' she remembered telling her younger sister in the dark forest before they went to bed. Susan was glad to be in Narnia again; it was her home at heart, but for how much longer? Their duties had been fulfilled and she knew that the Kings and Queens of Old were no longer needed, however they all still wanted to stay despite the fact that they had other lives in England. Would Aslan let them stay permanently this time after everything she and the others had done for Narnia? Could she really have a 'happily ever after' with Caspian now that there was peace in the land again? Susan couldn't answer any of these questions—knowing the only one who could was Aslan himself.

"I'm not sure," was all she let herself say.

"Why not?" he asked her quietly as they both stopped walking.

"Because I've learned that sometimes we don't always get the fairytale endings we hope for. I didn't get to stay in Narnia the last time I was here when I became queen, why should this time be any different? Now that you have your throne back, Peter and the rest of us are no longer needed anymore."

Susan cast her eyelids down to the ground, leaving his heartfelt gaze, but saw him walking up to her and closing the small space between them. "I'd give up my throne in a second if it meant you and your siblings could stay here." Bending down slightly, he whispered in her ear, "I would do anything for you, my love."

Turning away from him, she didn't want to hear Caspian saying those sweet, honorable things to her, especially since she knew he was being sincere. "No, please don't say that. The throne belongs to you and I could never ask to make such a huge sacrifice to let us stay in Narnia. The four of us did what we were summoned here to do by helping you claim your throne back from Miraz so we must return home now. You know this. Its destiny, Caspian, and we can't change it no matter how much we all want to."

"Haven't we changed destiny once already by defeating my people and winning the kingdom back for the Narnians so that everyone could coincide peacefully? Why can't we change destiny for the Kings and Queens of Old as well?"

"It's not in our power to change fate with this situation," Susan said to him irritably as she turned back towards him. "Everything happens for a reason, and we have to learn to accept whatever gets thrown at us in life because that's what makes us stronger."

Caspian's anger began to build with his impatience to make her see his perspective of the situation. "So then there's no use in denying it, in fighting for what you believe in like we did for the Narnians? You're just going to give into your fate and leave because you feel you have to from Aslan's influence, is that it? You're not even going to try and stay here?"

"Do you honestly think any of this makes me happy, that I really want to leave? Of course I don't want to leave! Narnia is my home, Caspian, and it nearly destroyed all of us to leave the last time we were here. I know you've heard all the tales of Old Narnia when we ruled the land from your professor, but there not just stories to us—that was our lives. I mean, do you have any idea what we went through while we were here thirteen centuries ago? Do you know about all the sacrifices we made, the friends we lost along the way from the wrath of the White Witch, and how much it hurt for us to say goodbye the first time we left? No, you don't and you never will because you weren't there. You have no idea and absolutely no right to say what this place means to me! Living in Narnia taught me more things about life than anything back in England did. I learned to be brave even when I was scared to death because others depended on me as a queen of Narnia and I knew it was the right thing to do. I learned about the power of faith and how to hold onto it when things looked bleak because we need to believe that everything would be alright in the end as long as we keep our faith. But most recent and important thing I learned here was how to love unconditional because obviously that's the only way I see that I could've fallen for y—"

Susan abruptly cut herself off by covering her mouth with both hands when she realized what she had just said to him so passionately, but knew in her heart that was the truth despite the fact that neither of them could believe their ears. Caspian had the same shocked reaction on his face that she had before when he confessed his love to her earlier. He always thought Susan felt the same way about him, but now that she had said the words out loud it almost seemed surreal, like waking up in a dream or something. Uncovering her mouth slowly, it all came to her. Queen Susan the Gentle was in love with the Telmarine prince who had brought peace between Telmar and Narnia; she could no longer conceal her feelings from herself or him anymore. Their time together was running out—she could feel it. Aslan could send them home at any moment and then she may never see Caspian again. Susan didn't want to leave him, especially if she had left him with nothing but questions of what they "could've had together". She felt too much for the prince to just walk away from everything between them now…surrendering to her heart's desires was her only opinion…no matter how much more time was left because they needed to enjoy the precious moments they still had.

"You l-love me too?" he asked Susan unsteadily as she smiled from his staggering response to her confession.

She walked up to him and cupped his cheek with her hand. "Caspian, I'm not entirely sure what it is you and I have, but I'm willing to find out if you are. I know that I probably won't stay in Narnia much longer and I have no idea when I'll return or see you again so I don't want to live with the regrets of never knowing what you and I could've shared because I was too afraid of losing you when I did have to return to my world. And if this is going to be our last night together before I go back, then I want to spend it with you."

Deep down inside, Caspian knew that Susan was right. It wasn't his place to defy Aslan's wishes to send the Pevensies back to their world. When it was time for them to leave, the new king understood now that he would just have to accept their decision, for it was theirs to make alone. England was not their home, but it was where they were from and if the Great Lion truly believed they belonged there, then it was their duty to follow his commands and come back to Narnia if they were needed again.

Susan reached onto her tippy-toes, closed her eyes softly and kissed him lightly on the lips. Sparks ignited into a blazing wildfire of passion as Caspian responded quickly by taking control of the kiss and entering her mouth swiftly, desperately longing to taste her sweet caverns again in order to know that all of this was real. When he realized that Susan was trying to undo the top buttons to his white night shirt with shaky hands, he grasped them with his own and said, "Wait. Not here." Picking her up bridal-style, the handsome prince carried his love all the way to his private bedchambers while her heart was pounding the entire time he held Susan in his arms. After gently placing her on his king-sized bed, Caspian closed his bedroom door and walked back over to where she looked like a goddess lying on top of his silky, royal blue pillows in the moonlight. Irresistible to fight the burning desire coursing through his veins, he softly got on top of her, trying to be careful that he wasn't crushing her with his bodyweight, and they began kissing passionately. With his help, Susan took off his shirt and threw it somewhere on the floor. Caspian cupped both sides of her face and brought her into an electrifying kiss before ripping her robe off. Soon they discarded the rest of their clothing and tenderly consummated their love for each other beneath the shining midnight sky until their bodies were weak. The pain didn't linger like they both thought it would, but was instead overpowered by the pleasure of being so intimate with one another.

Basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking, Caspian wrapped his arms around Susan while wishing to the stars that things could stay like this forever. He kissed her forehead softly and then resting his head on hers. "I love you, Susan," he whispered in her ear. "I have loved you from the very first moment that I saw you in the woods and I will always love you no matter what happens. I'm yours forever."

"I know," Susan whispered back to him weakly as she fought the tears threatening to fall at any moment, afraid that this truly could be their one and only night together before returning to England again. "I love you too."

The young lovers fell asleep in each other's arms for the few hours they still had before sunrise. Caspian woke up later that morning to the sound of birds chirping happily and he groggily turned around to face Susan's sleeping form, but his brown eyes widened with shock when he saw that she wasn't there.

Susan was gone.


Should I still continue my story? I really do appreciate feedback so please review!