A/N: Once again, sorry for the long wait in between chapters. I've been a rather busy girl lately! I was going to write more in this chapter, but it was already getting pretty long and I wanted to go ahead and post it, so here it is! I wanted to have a chapter focused mostly on our lovebirds, so there's a lot of fluff and maybe even a lemon for ya….
I don't own some of the characters. So there's that. Now onward….
CHAPTER 7
I snap awake the next morning when I subconsciously detect noise. I tense immediately, but relax just as quickly when I realize the sound was only that of our own soldiers getting ready a little ways outside our tent. It's later than I thought—I can see the gentle morning light through the crack in the tent at the entryway. Already I feel much better. I've been rejuvenated by sleep, and will have even more energy when I get some breakfast. My stomach snarls, protesting its lack of nourishment over the events of the past two days.
Caspian begins to stir and his arm which was wrapped tightly around my waist all night tightens even more. He brushes the hair away from the back of my neck and starts kissing the sensitive skin there. My stomach protests again, and he laughs gently into my skin.
"I guess I should feed you, huh?" He asks.
I smile, and then turn to face him in our bed. "If you want me to survive past noon today, then yes," I reply.
We look at each other's faces, just glad to be safe and reunited. Caspian still has a look of disbelief, like he still can't believe that I'm really here. I climb on top of him so I'm straddling his lap. He sits up in response, and I wrap my arms closely around his neck. I kiss him so he can't deny my presence. We stop again when my stomach growls for several long seconds.
"Come on. You need to eat," he says.
I reluctantly climb off his lap and we change into clothes that are more suitable for being out in the camp with our soldiers. We emerge from our tent and walk straight over to the closest large group by the campfire. One good thing about our location is the wildlife available up here in the forest. At least some of the men were busy in the early morning hours because there's already plentiful meat from some fresh kill, along with other assortments of provisions and freshly picked berries. I sit down on the ground next to Caspian, and several of our men bring some food right over to us. I can't help but quickly devour the gamey, smoky meat. Everyone is fairly quiet this morning. Before long, I look up and see that most of the men have gathered around our group, even though it started rather small. I'm relieved as I see that a lot of the group made it out of Lavina alive. We couldn't have lost more than fifty of our men. At first I think the gathering around us is for the food, but then one of the men asks me a question and they all fall silent to listen.
"So what happened out there your majesty?"
I retell my part of the tale down the smallest detail. I'm not much of a storyteller, but the men have a look of astonishment on their faces. It was quite the experience, but it's one that I would never want to replay. I think I gain even more respect from them when I get to the part where I had to kill the soldier, although Caspian just looks horrified.
"You followed him?"
"Yes, I had no choice."
"No choice? You could have just stayed there, and we could have caught up to him later. I thought you had no choice because you couldn't hide."
"Well, I didn't know where you were yet. And I couldn't risk it. What if you had been a lot further ahead in the mountains? He would have gone back to the city and come with reinforcements. I had to kill him. That was the only way."
"Your majesty is very brave. And you did us all a great service," says Glenstorm. I can see the sincerity in his eyes.
Caspian looks at me and speaks a little lower. "It's not that I'm ungrateful. You did save us. I just hate to think of you risking your life like that, especially alone."
I bury my head in his shoulder. "I wish I didn't have to kill him. But it's done and we're safe for now. And by the time I got back to the camp, you were all preparing to strike anyway. And the rest you know."
"That is quite the story my love," says Caspian. "And I don't think I speak for just myself when I say that we are all glad to have you back. And now since we're all here, it would be a good time for another quick meeting." The men all quiet down and continue to listen, and gather even closer. "We just need to talk about our plans for the next leg of the journey. Our first priority should be getting back on the road by noon. There is still a chance that the Lavinans will decide to pursue us. Without knowing what numbers they have left, we can't take that chance. So do we feel confident we can leave by then?"
I look around and see all the men nodding yes. "Great. Then that's what we'll do. Now, as I had discussed with our commanders earlier, we will continue through the mountain to the North. Glenstorm, can you lead a group of men with our water canisters back to the closest source of fresh water? I can't tell if we will run into any rivers or streams up ahead."
"Of course your majesty. It shall be done," says Glenstorm.
"Thank you. And any men that don't go with Glenstorm can stay by the camp and forage what food you can with Commander Lock. Again, we need to stock up before we leave since we're not sure what we'll find up ahead. So is everyone clear on our immediate plans? Glenstorm will take a group of you to get water and Commander Lock will take the remainder to get food. Then we will leave by noon."
The men once again all agree. "Great. When we leave, we will push north, and if there are any more towns, I will send a few scouts in first. I don't want to risk our entire group again. It's too dangerous and makes us too vulnerable. But we'll discuss that in more depth if and when that happens." He pauses for a moment. "Well, I think that's all we need to go over right now. But before we disperse, I want to again say thank you. You all have already sacrificed greatly to be here. Some of you have left your families, and all of you have left your homes to come with us on this journey. I am honored to fight alongside you and am grateful for your courage. I couldn't have asked for a better group of soldiers. Truly, thank you. Dismissed."
The group immediately disbands, with several soldiers coming up and patting him on the shoulders as a sign of their appreciation and allegiance. When he's finally alone, he comes up to me and grasps my hand, leading me back to our tent so we can clean our armor. I volunteer to go get water for the task, but he comes with me. I think he's still too scared to be separated from me after everything that's happened, so I don't resist. We get back to our tent and get right to cleaning. In our silence as we work washing the grime away, my mind wanders and I can't help but think about the past. We have had our fair share of trials in our lives within the past few years. I keep thinking about when Caspian had to leave for fear of his life when Miraz had his son. That was one of the worst times in my life, and that was when we were just best friends. Then we had to face that small group of Ethanites right before I broke up with Stephen. And now we are on our most dangerous journey yet: facing the unknown as we pursue Molly and her captor. I don't know what Aslan's plan for us is, but I can only hope for a bright and prosperous future. I've always been an optimist, but even I can get overwhelmed with so many bad and dangerous experiences. It feels like it will never end.
"What are you thinking about?" Caspian asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
"Oh, just all the craziness we've been through in the past couple of years. Why?"
Caspian gives me a small, sad smile. "Oh, I could just see it on your face. You looked sad."
I exhale a deep breath. "Yah. I suppose I was feeling sorry for myself. And for us. We've had some of the best times of our lives, but we also keep having so much heartache. It just doesn't seem fair," I admit.
Caspian stops what he's doing. "No, it doesn't. But we still have each other. And as hard as this journey has been, I'm still confident that we'll make it to Mahjay. And we'll get her back."
"I feel so guilty when I don't think about her," I say, realizing that it's been a while since I've thought about Molly.
"I know. I feel that too sometimes. But it's been weeks so far in this journey, and we've been trying to keep ourselves alive, too. I don't think she'll mind that we haven't thought of her every second that passes."
I nod, knowing he's right. "Besides, maybe she'll even let me give her a big hug when we're together again," he says, which makes us laugh. It feels good to talk like this, like none of us are really in danger. It may not be practical, but it gives me hope, and makes me want to find her all the more.
"What do you think is going to happen when we get to the city?"
"Well, it's hard to tell. We have to be careful and calculated. But I have no idea what we'll find when we get there. If they only have one or two main gates, they might not even let us in if we don't seem trustworthy. I don't want to go straight to fighting, though, if there is a peaceful solution. I've been thinking that maybe I can send a few of our men into the city as scouts to see what it's like. Anyway, I'm sure we'll work out a good plan when we get there."
"You're good at making plans."
Caspian stands and walks over to me, pulling my hands into his. "I try. So don't you worry, ok?"
I pull my hands from his and wrap my arms tightly around his middle. He instantly returns the hug, and we stand for a few minutes, just holding each other silently. "So what happens when we get back to Cair Paravel?"
"Hmmmm. We'll sleep in our own bed. And we'll get back to our duties."
"Ugh. That's boring."
Caspian laughs. "Yes, well, that's true. But Dr. Cornelius and the Council will probably be begging at our feet for us to come back right away. Besides, we have fun things to look forward to, too."
"Yah? Like what?"
"We can get back to our sword and archery training. Although now that I think about it, we'll probably want a break from it after this journey."
"Yes, I might not want to look at a sword for a long time after this. So that doesn't count. What else?"
"Feasts and lots of good food. Reading books. Being warm and dry and out of the sun. Oh—and our fireplace."
I chime in. "Mmmmm. I wish I was there right now. Oooh—we could sit out on our balcony and watch the waves. Or go to the palace gardens."
"I love all those things. And you know what else I love?"
"What?"
"Having you alone in our room for hours. Then we don't have to keep quiet or sneak off somewhere."
"You mean just sitting around talking, right?"
He laughs and squeezes me tighter. "Of course! What else would I be talking about?"
"Hmmmm. I'm not sure. Maybe you have some ideas," I say.
"Oh, I do my love," he says, walking up behind me and snaking his arm around my waist, holding me close. He brushes my hair away from my right ear so he can whisper, "take off your dress."
I teasingly comply by facing him and slowly shimmy it up my body, then throw it on the floor. I'm now left only in my panties as he looks at me more than satisfied with the view. "What now, my King?"
"Go lie on your stomach on the bed."
I'm intrigued, so I do what he says. I cross my arms under my head and lay it to the side. I watch as he comes over to me, removing his shirt in the process. He gently settles himself on top of me, but I can't really see what he's doing. The next thing I know, I feel his hands massaging my neck. I can't help the quiet moan that escapes my mouth. He squeezes my flesh and kneads his thumbs into my neck as I relax, releasing all the tension in my taut muscles. He spends about a minute on my neck before he begins to move elsewhere. First, my shoulders. Then down lower along my back. I shiver from pleasure the lower he gets, especially as he starts his ministrations just above my butt. He stops for a second to readjust, so I think he might be finished or be moving lower on my body. Instead, I feel his lips brush along my neck. Then he starts licking and kissing the skin all the way down my back in the same places his hands just were. Heat once again floods to my core, and I can barely hold back because it feels so good.
When he's done with my back, he moves on to the back of my legs, being just as diligent with his hands and eventually his lips. With this, he's successfully massaged my whole backside, so I'm excited once more when I feel him readjusting again up towards my head. He must be on all fours, hovering over me. "Turn over, please. My Queen," he says, emphasizing the "my." I eagerly turn myself over, now facing my extremely tempting husband. I know that he still has work to do on the front of my body, but I reach up and bring his head down to mine. My mouth captures his, gently pressing against his over and over. He finally pulls away to catch his breath, but not for long. He immediately starts a slow track of kisses down my neck, and I close my eyes in bliss. He then pulls back and looks longingly at my body as he very softly rubs the skin in front of him, but he teases me by avoiding my breasts altogether. His hands run slowly up and down my stomach and sides until he can't keep from where he wants to really touch. I sigh as his strong hands gently knead my breasts, and he spends ample time massaging both. He slowly caresses my nipples at first with his thumbs and then his tongue. I'm getting more wet by the second, but I try to concentrate on what he's doing, which is actually a very easy task. I run my fingers through his silky hair, and he looks up at me without stopping, and I can see the smile in his eyes.
I can't help but pout when he eventually stops and sits back on his legs above me. His eyes lock with mine and he looks mischievous as he runs his hand from my chest on down towards my lower abdomen. I'm relieved when he starts pulling on the sides of my panties, and I lift myself up to help him remove them. When they're finally off, I spread my legs as wide as I can around him to give him a tempting display. I thought I knew what he was going to do, but he surprises me when he bends back down a little and starts to teasingly massage the outer lips of my pussy. It's pure torture as he massages everywhere but where I want him to touch most. It feels like I have to wait forever, but he finally rolls one of his thumbs over my clit, pressing just right. I let out a moan that I know I've been holding in, and I finally can't take it.
"I need you inside me. Now." I practically beg. My pussy aches I'm so turned on. He looks at me with a seductive smile as he slowly removes his pants. He's clearly just as turned on as I am. He lowers himself over me and continues to tease me as he rubs his cock up and down across my entrance without entering me.
"Ugh, you're torturing me," I say.
He rests his head on my shoulder and laughs, and then he picks up his head and looks into my eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about," he says teasingly as he finally thrusts deeply into me. There's almost no friction because I'm so open and so wet. "God Anna. You feel so good," he says quietly as he begins slowly moving in and out.
"It's all for you baby," I say in return. The ache I have is now mixed with complete pleasure. I pull him even closer and suck on a spot on his neck, and one of my hands again threads into his thick hair. He wraps me in his arms as tight as he can, and we move together, connected physically and emotionally. I know that we both want to hold out longer than we actually do. I climax hard and fast, my muscles clenching down I think as hard as they can. Of course that friction makes Caspian moan, and I'm even tighter, so he only lasts until a few seconds after I finish.
After we lie together for a minute, he pulls out and props himself up beside me like he does often in bed. He leans his head on his hand and looks down at me.
"You're quite the tease, my love," I say.
"True. But I'd say it worked out well for the both of us."
I rub my hand across his bare chest. "Yes, I suppose it did. In fact, that's the best massage that I've ever received."
"I hope that's the only massage like that you've ever received!" He says teasingly.
I laugh. "Of course you know it is. Besides, you're my Caspian. I don't want anyone else."
"Well that's good because I don't even want to let you out of my sight for the rest of this trip."
"I'm ok with that. Especially with the way things have gone so far."
"I know. I still can't believe what happened in Lavina. I'm just so glad you're ok."
"Me too," I say, playing with his hair. "Your hair is getting so long. I'll have to cut it for you soon."
"That's actually the only reason I let you come along with me. I need a hairdresser I can trust," he says jokingly.
"Oh really? Well, then. Maybe I'll 'accidentally' mess up. Then who will help you?" I say giving it right back to him.
He chuckles and then leans down with his torso, effectively pinning me to the bed, which takes me by surprise. In a low, sexy voice he says, "You wouldn't dare." He takes advantage of his position and sucks and kisses along my exposed neck.
"You don't play fair." I say.
He leans back and I see the glisten in his eyes. "No, because it's fun to torment you. It always has been."
"What if I had stayed with Stephen?" I blurt out of nowhere. I'm not sure why I choose this exact moment to ask him, but I can't help it. I want to know.
He looks serious, so much so that I think I shouldn't have asked. But then he speaks gently. "I used to think about that, especially right when we started courting. Almost right away I couldn't imagine not being with you. So I'm not sure what I would have done. To be honest, I think I would have tried to get you to break up with him. But I wouldn't have taken it too far. I loved and respected you enough to let you go if you decided to choose him instead, especially if I knew you were happy."
A smile creeps up on my face. "That's what made me realize that I should choose you, you know. All along I had a choice, but the more I was around him, the more I saw how selfish he was. And for some reason, it took me an alarmingly long time to realize how you have always put me first, even before we were together."
He looks slightly embarrassed in a sheepish manner, like I've discovered some dark secret. But this only makes me adore him more. Only he would be embarrassed of such a good trait.
"I don't know what I've done to deserve you, but I feel like the lucky one. You're spoiling me by being too good to me," I admit.
"No, I'm the lucky one, my love. You've always been worth it. You're beautiful and encouraging, and I can be myself around you no matter what. You've been one of my greatest supporters, and you look past my flaws. And I know that life has been hard over these past few months, but it only makes me more thankful to have you as my wife and queen. My life has been the best it's ever been with you by my side," he says.
I reach up my hand behind his neck and pull him down for a kiss. My husband. My comfort. My lover. Everyday I'm more thankful for this man. We are able to communicate so much without words. Each kiss and caress is perfection, and soon I'm breathless. He pulls away, and again looks down at me with loving admiration. It's going to be hard to get out of bed.
"Good thing no one is around to listen to us. We were getting pretty lovey-dovey."
"I meant every word, my queen. You're mine always," he says, and then kisses me again. "Now, as much as I want to keep you in here with me forever, I guess we should start getting ready for the rest of our journey."
"Ugh. I wish you weren't right. But I guess we can't be late since you decided on noon, huh?"
He chuckles. "Yah, the men might not ever forgive me then."
I sit up first to get up, and I make sure that I run my hand down his still exposed body.
"Like I said, when we're back at Cair Paravel, I'm locking you away in our room and I might not ever let you out."
"Ok," I say, winking at him.
He finally gets out of bed and we both redress in our clothes and armor, ready for the next phase of our journey.
A/N: Yet again, thanks for reading! Lemme know what you think! Feel free to favorite/follow if you so desire :) Encouragement helps me feel motivated!
