AN: Thanks everyone for the reviews - you don't know how much I love hearing them. Sorry for the long silence - but be prepared. Better get a pillow and blankie, this chapter's long.

Meg: Thanks for the advice. I tried to label them a little better - hope it helps.

tsubaki-sakura: Sorry it took so long - meant to cut this down a bit more, but decided to just post it before I found any tri-headed canines coming after me :)

Lady Viola: My favorite sister, my only sister, please read, please respond, please quit knocking on my door when I'm sleeping!

"Rilian?" Jill called as she closed the door to their chamber.

"I'm here," he said, coming out of his closet wearing a robe and carrying a towel.

"Feel better?"

"I suppose. I needed to relax. Sorry I kind of blew up back there." Jill suppressed the urge to laugh. Her husband was one of the calmest people she'd ever known. And he thought he had just 'blown up?' She couldn't help smiling.

"You didn't, you were just upset. Understandably so."

"Thank the Lion for Eustace. If he hadn't found out about Adelaide – "

"Oh, can we just quit talking about Adelaide for tonight? I'm so tired of it." Rilian smiled and nodded.

"I arranged it with Trumpkin. We'll all discuss what's best to be done with her and the islands tomorrow. Till then..." she grinned.

"I need to get changed," she said, kissing his cheek. "I'll be right back." Rilian watched his wife disappear into her dressing room, then sat down on the bed.

"Eustace seemed to be in a better mood tonight," he said.

"Yes, he was," she answered from the next room.

"He was pretty angry this afternoon."

"I think he was more annoyed at being left out than anything else. Poor Scrubb."

"I remember the stories my father told me of how Eustace was before he met Aslan."

"Oh, he was a horrid little troll."

"Yes, I think that was it." Jill couldn't help laughing.

"But don't ever let him catch you asking about how he was before. He was always very touchy about it." Jill came out of the dressing room and sat next to him.

"Well, he's allowed to be. Anyways," he laid back and wound an arm around his wife, "I was hardly at my most charming when we first met, now was I?" Jill giggled as he kissed her.

"You were a beast."

"I love you too."

Later that night, as Jill slept, Rilian glanced over a few papers before putting out the light. He turned and watched her for a moment. It seemed so strange sometimes, their being together. He could understand why Eustace had been so shocked to find out about it. He smiled, maybe he hadn't broken the news the most gently... But Eustace had calmed down. Yes, Jill was probably right. Eustace wasn't mad, just frustrated at being left out. Now that he understood the situation, he seemed truly happy for them.

Perhaps Eustace also remembered what it had been like when they had first met. Rilian watched Jill as she breathed gently – he had always liked her. When he had first seen her she had been just a girl – but an undeniably sweet one. He had been unable to speak – only to watch as she, Eustace, and Puddleglum talked to the Green Lady, and were happily sent to be eaten alive at Harfang... Well, fortunately they all had had someone watching out for them.

There had always been something about Jill that he had liked from the very beginning. When he saw her again in the caves he instantly recognized her, and despite the spell, tried to treat her properly. Jill had been the only one of the group at that time that looked at him sympathetically. That was why he had asked them to stay when the enchantment came. He was out of his head, but he always knew he could trust her.

And she had saved him. Oh, to be sure, it was just as much Eustace and Puddleglum – and Aslan come to think of it – but it was Jill alone who had looked at him with compassion throughout the enchantment. He'd never forgotten it.

Then that wonderful day when she had reappeared before him, in the treasury of Cair Paravel. All grown-up and independent, he had found her bewitching. He hadn't gotten over her – he never would.

That ball he'd thrown for her – and all the dances he'd stolen away from the courtiers. All the winks and grins he'd tried to ignore from his advisors as he whisked his favorite lady around the room. She had thought he was crazy – dancing all night with her. He probably was – there had been an awful lot of wine involved...

Jill put down her glass as she saw the king approach her again. She was having a fantastic time – despite all the protestations she'd put against his throwing the ball in her honor. She'd only been in Narnia for a few weeks, and had been very nervous. Fortunately though, she didn't need to worry about embarrassing herself trying to dance and make small talk with dukes and lords with names she couldn't pronounce – Rilian had kept her occupied most of the night.

She had danced with a few other people, but none of them were anywhere near as amusing as Rilian. She adored being with him, and he was by far the best dancing partner she could have hoped for. She couldn't help being proud of the fact that the handsome king was a great friend of hers – and would be sure to cross the room and beg for dance after dance, just for the satisfaction of seeing the jealous glances she was getting from the other ladies of the court.

He grinned as he reached her. "Another dance?"

"Oh no, now please, Rilian. Not again!" As much as she liked it, the fact was that after ten dances, she knew the whole room was watching them. She'd enjoyed herself all night, but she knew she shouldn't push it too far. The foolish grins on the advisors faces told her that one more dance and they'd be expecting an announcement of their engagement in the morning. The faces of the ladies of the court told her that one more dance and there would be bloodshed.

"You're turning me down?"

"No – yes – I – oh, you're aggravating. Can't we just talk?"

"Oh... yeah, sure we can." He seemed to lose his balance for a second, but then stood upright.

She stopped and looked at him. "Are you alright?" she asked. He stumbled a bit, but remained focused.

"Yes of course. I'm fine. How are you?"

"Are you drunk?"

"Drunk? The idea! I'll have you know a king is never intoxicated."

"Oh? Then what are you?"

"Festive."

"Oh dear. I better get you upstairs."

"Can we?" Jill groaned as she led him up the stairs. "Oh, I've got to take my royal leave."

"Well then bow. You've got to go before anyone else notices."

"Notices what?" he said, far too loudly.

"Rilian, let's just go. Right now. This could be really bad for you if you're caught."

"I'm not drunk, Jill. Hey, why don't you call me 'Ril'? See? Then we'd be Jill and Ril!"

"Oh God, just stop talking."

After a few more protests from the king, Jill had been able to get him into his rooms and tried to sober him up. Unfortunately, the longer he was awake, the worse he got. She finally gave up and left him to sleep it off.

The next morning she crept into his room to check on him. She was relieved to find him wide awake, and speaking in complete sentences again. He smiled when he saw her, although he did have the grace to be embarrassed about his behavior the night before. She came in and joined him by his seat at the fireplace.

"I'm very sorry I put you through that."

"Oh really, Rilian, it wasn't that bad. I've seen boys far worse off than that."

"What?" he looked honestly shocked. "They let you see them like – like – "

"Ones that can handle their liquor far worse than you. You ought to see Scrubb at his new fraternity... Well, we won't go there. But really, Rilian, don't worry about it."

"I shouldn't have behaved that way. It was no way for a monarch –"

"It was a fun party. Everyone enjoyed it. And don't worry, really. I don't think anyone noticed you. You were far from the only one who got into Puddleglum's special brandy. Or as you were calling it last night, 'Wiggle-Wine.'"

Rilian stared at Jill in horror. "Wiggle-Wine?!! Oh no. No, please tell me you're joking."

She shook her head. Rilian hung his head in shame. "I'm never touching that stuff again."

"Oh sure."

"Okay, time to change the subject," he announced. "You were by far the most beautiful girl at the ball last night. Everyone's eyes were on you." Jill rolled her eyes in response.

"I can't believe you actually made me dance with you ten times. Rilian, there were other people at that ball!"

"I suppose so. But you didn't really mind. Uh, did you?"

"I didn't. It was fun. But those advisors of yours. Always grinning and nodding... what did they think we were doing?" Rilian knew better than to answer that honestly.

"If we'd danced together anymore they may think you'd fallen for me."

"I'd fallen for you! You're the one that kept crossing the room, ignoring all those ladies who would have given their teeth for you to glance at them. Do you have any idea how much they hate me now?" Rilian grinned. She looked so pretty when she was trying to lecture.

He hadn't been able to stop himself from kissing her then. It was the first time he'd done it, and she had been so surprised that she just stared at him in amazement. Of course he then lost all his courage, backed away, excused himself, and spent most of the next week trying to avoid her.

That of course hadn't worked very well. She'd always been far more direct than him.

Well, that all was a long time ago. He smiled as he blew out the candle. Perhaps he'd tell Eustace the whole of the story in the morning. Yes, he knew he'd want to hear it. He was happy for the two of them, but he still didn't know how it had all happened, or what the change had been like for Jill, once they had married and she knew she'd never return home.

Rilian leaned over and lightly kissed his wife on the cheek before closing his eyes. Oh, of course over their years together things had gone up and down. Nothing was ever perfect, but he was so happy to have her with him. And he knew she was happy being there. He probably couldn't tell Eustace what the change had been like - to this day he still didn't know what she had left behind in her world, because she did not talk about it. For her, her life in England was as dead as his life underground. She never spoke of it and he never asked. They had both moved on.

TBC