With everyone engrossed in the festivities, no one noticed the king nor the queen in the garden, walking hand in hand, talking, smiling, and making little jokes now and then. It was true, both were happy and very much in love. Susan felt like one of those couples she would always see at the beach, only much better because instead of it being her wishes, her and Caspian were truly together.
"It is getting late," the king said, looking up at the sky.
"It is," the queen replied, looking up at the sky as well. "But..."
The king looked at the young queen. She still looked quite the same, while he had gained four years. "But?"
Susan looked at him with a soft smile. "I almost wish that this night wouldn't have to end."
Caspian matched her with a smile of his own and kissed her softly. A small smile spread on Susan's face and she looked at him.
"You've changed Caspian."
Caspian tilted his head with a slight frown. "What do you mean?"
"Well your hair is longer," she said, running her fingers through it, then brought her hand down to his cheek. "And this is scruffy."
The king let out a small chuckle. "Well it has been three years."
Even though he meant to say it lightly, Susan could hear the pain in his words and moved closer to him. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him with urgency, afraid to let him go. While she had been in pain for a year, Caspian had been in pain for more. While she suffered from their distance for some time, he suffered longer. And for him to be in such pain, only hurt Susan more.
Susan let go but still held him to her. "Promise me something."
"Anything," he replied, his lips brushing against hers.
"Don't ever let me go."
"Never," he promised.
Tears came pouring down Susan's cheeks again and the young king kissed them away before kissing his love once more. There was no way he could ever let go of her.
Now that the gentle queen had returned, reasoning with the Telmarines had become so much easier. In council meetings, Susan would join Caspian, and of course while the king did his job wonderfully, his fellow Telmarines would be too stubborn to reason, especially when it came to Narnians. So the gentle queen would use her voice of reason and slowly, one by one, she would get the stubborn Telmarine men to agree with Caspian.
The people, both Narnian and Telmarine, had began to notice what a great team their king and the gentle queen would make. As the days passed, they noticed the two getting closer and closer, and it was ever evident that the two loved each other very much. It didn't even take that long for someone to catch the two kissing. In fact, when the people learned of this - mainly the Narnians - they hoped that the king and queen would marry. Certain Telmarines did too, however many didn't. They wanted nothing to do with the Narnians, but all their king wanted was for the two to get along and to be as one.
When word of the king and queen's love came across these people, they seethed. If the king were to marry the gentle queen, then there would be no hope of things going back to the way they were for many years. And so the only thing that they could think of was getting rid Queen Susan, the gentle.
Many dresses were laid out on Susan's bed. As a treat from Caspian, he had gotten her many dresses of the finest of fabrics, just for her. Of course she denied his act of generosity, but the king had insisted. So now her bed was covered in them and she was trying them on one by one. There was a particular red one, which had caught her eyes. So she immediately tried it on once the maids had left her.
Susan absolutely loved the dress. Unlike her other dresses, which had a square neckline, this one had a deep, plunging neckline. However strings made up for covering her cleavage, so it wouldn't be too scandalous of the queen to wear. It was made of velvet, detailed with gold, hugging her body then falling loose from her waist down. Yes, Susan loved it very much.
Even Caspian loved the dress. He had come walking in, of course, after knocking on her door. But as there was no response, Caspian was curious and let himself in. He found his love too busy admiring the dress, swaying to and fro. Seeing the smile on her face made him smile, however the teasing neckline and tightness of the dress made him feel something else - desire.
It happened quite often these days. Caspian found it really hard to resist the gentle queen. One day during their walk together, Caspian had to discreetly rearrange himself, as the plunging square neckline of her dress was having too much of an effect on him. It was only getting harder and harder to resist this beautiful woman. And his Telmarine nature wasn't helping at all, his Telmarine instincts telling him to take her right then and there. But the king had a heart, and he never wanted to do anything to hurt the queen, nor something that would make her feel uncomfortable.
"You look beautiful," he smiled.
Susan turned to him with a smile of her own, going from end to end. "It's beautiful isn't it?" She gave a little twirl. "I love it, thank you so much Caspian."
Caspian stepped towards her and cupped her cheek in his hand. "You never have to thank me," and he kissed her softly.
"How can I not," Susan said with a slight pout when she pulled back. "You're trying to spoil me."
"An excellent queen such as yourself deserves the finest in the land."
Susan sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "All I want is you."
"Are you sure?"
Caspian placed his hands at her waist and Susan could hear the playfulness in his voice.
"I am absolutely positive," she grinned.
"I just may keep you forever," he pointed out.
"And I want nothing else but that." Caressing his cheek in her hand, Susan looked into his eyes. "I love you Caspian. I want to be with you forever."
Caspian looked into her eyes, seeing love, passion, and surprisingly, desire. It matched his own dark desires, somewhat surprising the king, but him exciting him most. He mentally yelled at himself for feeling that way, but his Manly Telmarine instincts didn't give a damn. It was ready to throw her onto the bed and to take her right there.
But by the look in her eyes, it didn't seem that she would have minded, surprising Caspian once again.
"Do you know what you are saying," Caspian asked,not removing his eyes from her.
Susan nodded. "I want you, Caspian. Always, now and forever."
Hearing her words, Caspian groaned and covered her lips with his. He held her face between his hands, urging her back. Susan's back met her wardrobe and she gasped, giving Caspian access to her mouth and allowing his tongue to explore. He released her lips and trailed to her neck, teasing and licking. Susan gripped onto his shirt, above his abdomen. Desire pooled within her and there was only one thing she wanted.
She had always heard the other girls speak of what happens between a man and a woman. The topic would always shock her, as the girls would speak of such things with such ease, while giggling about it. Susan found it too intimate and thought that the act of something so intimate should only happen between true lovers and not just with someone you had only just met and found ridiculously gorgeous. Not that Caspian wasn't gorgeous - he most certainly was - but what she had with Caspian was different than what those girls had with the boys they had been with. What she and Caspian had together was true love.
Yet it scared her. Susan was afraid of being taken away from Caspian again. Hard as she tried, she tried not to think about it. Yet from the back of her mind, it would poke her, teasing her. Susan wanted to be with him and that was it. She didn't want to go back to her world and wanted to be with Caspian, with her people, in Narnia, forever.
Susan tugged on Caspian's hair, bringing his face in level with hers. His eyes were hooded, his breath ticking her face. "Make me yours," she whispered.
Again it surprised Caspian that she felt this way and desired him the way he desired her. But again his Telmarine instincts kicked in, so he simply nodded and picked her up in his arms. He laid her down on her bed, moving the dresses aside. He moved in between her legs, hovering over her. Susan reached up and caressed his cheek, Caspian nuzzling into her embrace. He placed a kiss in the palm of her hand and just as he leaned in to kiss her, there was a knock on the door.
Both Caspian's and Susan's eyes darted to the door. However neither were looking at it in fear of being caught, but glared at it for being interrupted.
"Your majesty," someone called out from the other side, "the council has requested your presence. They said that it was urgent that they speak with you."
Caspian groaned and laid his forehead on Susan's chest. "Not again," he huffed.
Susan couldn't help but to release a small chuckle. She ran her hands through his hair. "You should go."
"And hear the topic of my marriage again? Nonsense," and Susan chuckled once more.
Caspian placed soft kisses on her chest and raised his head. "Then again, I can finally tell the council that I've found my wife and their future queen."
Susan raised her eyebrows, mockingly. "Is that so? And who is this lucky woman?"
Caspian chuckled and kissed her, taking her breath away. With another quick peck, Caspian stood up, fixed his clothing, and left to deal with his annoying council. When Caspian had shut the door behind her, Susan laid flat with a sigh, then blushed really hard and covered her face.
Caspian was going to marry her and she was going to be his wife and queen.
