Author's Note: I apologize heavily for the wait. I've been dealing with school on top of being sick. I severely hope it doesn't happen again. Thanks for sticking by me to those of you who waited patiently!
Caspian was in his bed chambers, attempting to get ready for bed. It wasn't working very well since the king was wide awake now after the impromptu meeting in the library. He couldn't bring himself to go to sleep now, not when things were falling into place in a way he had never anticipated.
He truly never expected to fall for Alena in the way that he has, though he wasn't the type to question things. He let things go how they needed to, let the chips fall where they may. He remembered doing that with Susan. Except the Galman princess is nothing like Susan to begin with, and she was right there within arms' reach. He needed to see her again, but he did not want to appear too eager.
Calling a palace guard to summon the girl from her room, Caspian waited patiently. Maybe they should talk about what happened. He was curious to see where she stood in all of this. Did she feel the same way? Or was he over-reaching like he sometimes does?
He just needed to see her, to see if she was even interested in where this was going. He wanted to read her feelings in her eyes, and he wanted to kiss her again. Damn, did he want to kiss her again.
The door opened and his mood escalated. The guard entered the room with no princess in sight, and his mood suddenly deflated.
"Your highness, the princess is not in her room," the guard explained.
The king's eyes were piqued with interest at the words. "Then where is she?"
"I do not know, my king."
There were only a handful of places in Cair Paravel that Alena could venture off to at this time of night, so at least the options were limited. Caspian ushered himself and the guard out of his room and dismissed his loyal servant before taking matters into his own hands. He went to the library first, only to discover no presence of Alena. He changed course and departed to the throne room, remarking how inquisitive she was over his crown. She wasn't there either.
The last place on his list was the stables, considering Alena had grown very close to Azalee recently. Perhaps the princess went to confide in her horse.
The king's boots clicked against the stone floor as he moved about through the corridors, ignoring any presence that tried to stop him or talk to him. He was quick on his feet as he practically slid down the marble steps before taking the path that led to the stables. The stalls were full with their horses, some sleeping, and some eating. Upon further inspection, however, he couldn't find Azalee.
No Azalee meant no Alena.
The post guard on duty was asleep, lightly snoring away against a wooden beam while gripping a spear for protection. Caspian riled the guard awake, who frantically scrambled to his feet and pointed the pointy weapon at the king. Caspian just stared, more annoyed than amused at the moment.
The guard, realizing his mistake, lowered the spear the moment he recognized the king. That didn't curb Caspian's annoyance in the slightest.
"Where did Alena go?"
The king's voice was in a slight sense of panic as much as he tried to hide it. This was the second girl he has grown to love, and this was the second girl who walked out of his life after he initiated his feelings. He would be damned if he let her go, at least not without an explanation. He deserved one.
"She left on her horse," the sleep guard responded while stifling a yawn.
The king gapped at the obvious statement with sarcasm. "Where did she go?"
The guard leaned against his spear, as though to help support his weight so that he didn't collapse from exhaustion. Honestly, Caspian needs to pick better guards to look out for him, because he could have already hitched his horse and be on his way to find the girl before she found trouble herself.
"She said you would know, your highness," the guard replied as his heavy eyelids drew to a close. He was determined to keep them open in front of the king, but to no avail. Soon, the sleepy guard was back to sleep again in the position he was in; leaning against his spear and standing straight up. Caspian made a mental note to count the horses when (perhaps IF) he returns, considering this guard was not in the least bit trustworthy.
The king just watched his guard for a moment. How is it that when Alena was involved, the guards were just stupid? First Cydare and Bayde with their idiotic mistake on calling Alena a thief, and now it was this one who just went to sleep right before him. The notion had to make Caspian roll his eyes. Cair Paravel needed some shaping up now that he is king.
Walking into the stables, he opened the stall that was occupied by his horse, the one that was vanilla in color. As he was saddling the horse, he knew exactly where Alena had gone. Part of him even felt like he knew why but he wouldn't know for sure until he talked to her.
He mounted his horse and adjusted the reins accordingly. With a quick snap, the horse was off, and Caspian raced through the wind and the trees to find the girl he loved.
She wasn't sure what she was feeling. This was all new to her and her head could not grasp it. What was going on? She had bid goodnight to Caspian after their encounter and went back to her room. What happened between then and now? She racked her brain trying to remember.
She wanted to mentally kick herself for pulling the move that she did, that brought her to this point. But she was confused. Surely that was a good enough reason, wasn't it? Nothing like this ever happened to her on Galma. Why was Narnia and its king having this effect on her?
After the kiss, she went to her bedroom. What happened after that, Alena? Think!
She remembered sitting down on the bed, and she contemplated what had happened. But how did she get here? Why did her body take her here? She remembered feeling scared, not sure what to say or do. Was she embarrassed at all? No, she doesn't remember that.
Her body felt like it was carrying its own weight in lead. She looked down at her sprained arm, and clawed at the sling under it fell to the ground in a tattered mess. A sigh escaped her lips. It felt better, but not by much.
She looked around, hoping to focus her eyes on something. But everywhere she looked, she saw King Caspian's face. He was a beautiful man, and just thinking of his smile made Alena involuntarily smile in return. She was smiling at nothing, but she was happy. Like it or not, the king made her happy.
Unfortunately, that only confused her further because she is here. She is not at the castle. She ran away from Caspian and came here. Why did she come here? What was her mind trying to tell her?
She plopped down on the ground. The grass was cold and she shivered a little. She felt a push against her back, and jumped in fright at the sudden move. Alena thought she was alone, and when she turned around, she saw Azalee nudging her. Smiling, Alena pet her horse and found comfort in the fact that she wasn't as alone as she expected. The princess rested against her companion, feeling safe despite the darkness. Even the light from the full moon above her, though illuminating the area, was not making her feel as safe as her horse was.
She looked downward once more. She remembered leaving her room to go to the stables. There was a palace guard there. Did she say anything to him? She must've, otherwise why else would he let her go horseback riding in the middle of the night? The horse began to nest her head against her hooves, obviously ready for sleep.
Alena wasn't the least bit tired right now. She could not think of sleep right now, not when so many other questions plagued her mind. So she was at the stables, hitched Azalee, and rode here. That was when the answer hit her. It struck her like a lightning bolt and she gasped for breath. It all made sense now.
Her body carried her here for one reason and one reason only; she was in love with the king.
Her eyes, bright with wonder, increased in size at the revelation. How did it get to this point? What was the contributing factor that ultimately set her feelings in stone? Caspian had been nothing but kind to her. He saved her life twice already. That was more than enough. She smiled while sitting against Azalee. Maybe she will stay at Cair Paravel after all.
She heard him before she saw him. It took a while for her mind to process the new sound as it hit her ears. He spoke her name, a soft whisper that almost disappeared in the branches of the trees. Looking up, she saw the vanilla horse appear in her line of vision, and her eyes scanned up to its rider. He did not look happy, but he did not look angry either. It was an emotion that she could not read, yet it broke her heart at the same time. He dismounted, his eyes never left hers. What is this emotion and why did it strike such a chord in her?
"You're leaving?" he asked. It was in the same tone of whisper, as though that was all he was capable at the moment.
She was trying to think of ways to rectify the situation as she scrambled to her feet. Her head was swimming with thoughts and she tried to form a coherent sentence for him. She couldn't find one quick enough and he spoke again.
"Are you leaving because of me?"
His eyes were pleading for an answer, yet the rest of his body was taking on a more defensive tact as though the princess was some kind of threat and he needed to be ready in case she were to attack him.
Alena gapped at him while he took a step closer. He gauged her reaction, to see if she would back away. When she didn't he took another step forward. "Don't do this to me."
The king had lost control of his voice. He was begging and he was shocked by it. A king is not supposed to beg. The princess before him was struggling for words. He could see it in her eyes. She wanted to say something but the words were not forming easily.
"Caspian," she breathed out his name, for it was the only word that made sense at the moment.
He took another step, taking advantage of the opportunity while he had the chance. "I'm sorry for what happened in the library," he murmured quietly. Yet when the moment the sentence left his mouth, his eyes were darkened with an even more unreadable expression. "Actually, no I am not."
Her eyes were wide with surprise, not at the fact that he took it back but more at why he was even apologizing in the first place. The kiss in the library had to happen. Why would he apologize for something that had to happen? She stared at him, getting angrier at how her voice was betraying her right now, right when she needs it. He stood staring at her, his unreadable expression becoming too much to bear.
"Talk to me. If you are leaving, then I deserve an explanation," the king boldly said. He was not going to play games right now, not when he had put his heart on the line. If she truly did want to leave, he wasn't going to stop her. He was not the kind of person to keep someone against their will, despite how much he wanted to. He just needed some clarity, a peace of mind, before the two of them go their separate ways. It hurt, naturally, since this was the second girl he had grown to love since Queen Susan. He did not want to give up hope but there was not much hope left to hold onto.
Alena cleared her throat, and her squeaky, barely audible voice slipped past her lips. "I'm not leaving."
She could see the relief as it washed over his face, though there was still some trace of that unreadable expression that was driving her mad. "But you left the castle," Caspian said slowly.
Alena nodded because that was obviously the fact, but she left for other reasons, not what he was thinking. His reaction was slowly morphing into that of a concerned man rather than a bold king, and it was refreshing to see. She was still gaining traction with her voice but she felt that got the point across for the present moment.
"Why did you come here, to Dancing Lawn?" Caspian asked her. Even he would admit this was not the first place he expected her to go, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized why she picked this place. A brief flashback involving the two of them dancing together with the beautiful dryads swimming in the air around them was all the lucidity he needed as to why she chose this place.
From the look on Caspian's face, Alena was able to determine that he figured the answer out himself, without her having to say anything. "I'm scared," she ended up telling him. She was finding her voice, as she grew more and more comfortable with the idea of finally opening up to him.
"Scared?" It was his turn to be surprised, "of what?"
She was dreading that question, because there was no way her mind would allow her to process the reasons. She tore her eyes off of him, not sure where to begin. Things like this never happened to her on Galma, and she was not sure how she was supposed to react. All she knew, all that she could be sure of, was that she loved him. She loved this man before her. And no other words were needed to be said.
He understood and his facial expression reflected that. He cupped her face within the palms of his robust hands, forcing the princess to look at him. Their line of sight crossed and Caspian emitted a small smile. "You don't have to be scared of this," he told her gently, soothingly.
She said nothing and wanted to look away. His eyes grew lighter at the realization that he finally figured her out. The cloud of smoke from where her defensive wall crashed was finally clearing after all this time. Alena didn't have to say anything because he knew. He leaned in and pressed his lips against her forehead. In a comforting move, she slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him close. In that moment, everything became clear. She needed this man in her life.
He pulled away, looking at her, drinking her in. She finally spoke, having found the courage in her voice. "This is all new to me, so please forgive me, your highness, if I start acting foolish," she said while she had the chance. Caspian laughed at her. It was a pleasant laugh and exactly what he needed after worrying about losing her.
He ran a hand through her silky hair, unable to get enough of her. "Just do not think of leaving again," Caspian responded.
Alena was about to point out that she wasn't going to leave in the first place, but at this point, it was pointless to argue. She nodded in response while keeping the king in her arms.
"You have been very kind and patient with me. How can I possibly repay you?" she asked him.
She did not want to be indebted to him for his kindness and everything he had done for her as of late. There was a sparkle in his eyes and it chilled her to the bone. It was a good feeling, like her ligaments were tingling with anticipation.
"You can accompany me to a very special ball," Caspian explained. He smiled brightly at the confused look that was plastered on her face. He did not wait to have her ask the question he knew she was going to ask, "for the fallen Galma."
The spark in her eyes was exactly the reaction he was looking for. She was appreciating the thought, and the small smile that cracked against her lips was all the proof he needed to know that she agreed to it.
"You don't have to do that, your highness," Alena explained clearly.
In truth, she really admired him and his way of thinking. He had a pure and kind heart, which was a true Galman quality. She looked at him, watching the corners of his mouth curl up into an amazing smile. "I don't have anything to wear," she told him, only to have him laugh at her for the second time.
"Let me take care of that," he responded with ease, as though it were a natural response to him.
Alena could not think of a better way to say goodbye to her family, friends, and citizens by remembering them in such a fashion. It was perfect, so modern, and very exciting. With her newfound alliance with King Caspian, the so-called alliance that they shared before running to Dancing Lawn the first time, there was no better way to solidify her status in Narnia by honoring her people in a way that they deserve to be.
"I would like that," she accepted.
He pulled her in, and his lips crashed against hers. It was more than just a regular kiss. It was a promise. It was a promise to keep the integrity of Galma at the ball, and it was a promise to keep the lone princess of the fallen country safe from harm. Where in Narnia would she be safer than at Cair Paravel? It was a promise to stand by her, to help her. Though it seemed like such a simple kiss, sweet and romantic, the message it held was so much more.
