Chapter 30

Meggie was asleep in their bedroom, the journal open in front of her, when the pages turned, as if by a breeze. She felt the pages touch her cheek as her eyes opened and then she smiled.

"Capricorn" whispered Meggie, his name slipping out as she saw his messy handwriting scrawled across the page her heart yearning for the pages to be his fingers across her cheek. Every time Meggie saw his handwriting she smiled as she remembered how she had taught him to read and write. He hadn't taken to it at first, but as time passed, he had developed his own style.

That style was the messy scrawl she read now.

"What happened to get you woken up? Is everything alright, my queen?" Capricorn's words glowed green for a moment before fading to a simple black ink and picking up her pen, Meggie responded to him immediately even after the time he had spent ignoring her own pleas.

"One of the guards was waking me. We have a new visitor in the dungeon" wrote Meggie, after a moment, Capricorn replied.

"Who?" wrote Capricorn, he was writing in his tent, worry beginning to fill him. Since parting from his wife, Capricorn had known he'd yearn for her, but he hadn't imagined how that yearning for her would build inside of him. He woke up those first few nights and thought of her only to realize she was so far away. He reached out to her in the midst of his dreams and found nothing, but empty dirt. It pained him each time it happened. And then, they had been reunited. They had fought and made up again as was their way. None of it made it any easier on them. They were two parts to a whole and any separation no matter how long always pained them. They loved each other. They worried after each other.

Capricorn knew he worried more for her then he should just as she worried more for him then she should. Especially now that they were apart. Capricorn worried something would happen to her. He worried someone who try to hurt her as revenge against him while he wasn't there to protect her. Just as Meggie worried that he wouldn't come back at all, that he would find some other woman that pleased him more then she could. He knew it was a wife's worry which is why he worked to make sure he proved his love to her each day. He worried after her. He loved her. And if anyone ever hurt her, he would kill them. He made sure the world knew that even though he was away. He feared that was already happening as he waited for her answer.

"Dustfinger came to see you that's why the guard woke me. I toyed with him a bit and then I revealed who I was and had him shown to a room in the dungeon. Every guard I have available is watching him and more will be put on once the others return from reaping havoc" Meggie wrote quickly yet her words were still in her perfect elegant scrawl that he could never quite achieve. Capricorn found himself tracing her words with his finger as he smiled as he read them. He had taught her well; the thought eased his heart even as he worried after her. Capricorn's worry still pounded in his heart though just as Meggie's own worry for him had done the same. That worry had been there since he'd left and only blossomed when he had ignored her for so long. Capricorn knew that worry was there as he started to respond to her. They could feel that worry in their hearts somehow. Like they were still connected even as they were in different worlds. They both knew it was their bond, as husband and wife, king and queen, and most importantly two people in love. It would always be that way; they both knew that as she waited for Capricorn's response. Meggie could sense his worry even before his words appeared on the page.

"Why did he come? Did he harm you?" wrote Capricorn, his writing almost unreadable. Meggie saw his worry in that unreadable scrawl and moved to sooth it almost immediately.

"Stay calm, I handled everything just as you taught me. He wanted to try to convince you to let my father read him back into Inkheart. He changed his tune though when he found out who I was and what I could do. He tried to convince me to read him back…said he could save me from you…he was like my father. He thought I needed saved, that I wanted to be saved. That was when I had him escorted to the dungeon. I don't think he'd hurt me as long as he thinks I might consider returning him to Inkheart. Don't worry, my love, have faith in your queen. I'll make you proud" Meggie sounded so confident in her words that in that moment, Capricorn was so proud of her. She had blossomed as his queen and as his love. He didn't tell her that right away though because deep down he was struggling internally. He wanted to say those words, but at the same time, his worry was overpowering him. On Meggie's end of things, she was hoping those words would appear on the page, but as she stared at it, nothing appeared. She had expected to see him respond right away with those words, but the longer they took to come the more crestfallen Meggie became. The truth was another part of Capricorn was overwhelming him. Because as one part wanted to say how proud he was, another part had a whole new set of words for her. Because she had put herself in danger by telling Dustfinger anything at all. He wanted to do that even as he knew it was the right move. Capricorn knew Dustfinger would have found out everything eventually, but he didn't like that he was in the castle while Meggie was there alone. He could suddenly remember that day when she had been shot and he knew that if Dustfinger decided she was of no use to him that he would put her in the same type of danger. It scared him and kept his pen from touching the page. And yet, he didn't think it would happen that way. Part of him knew that she was right. That any knowledge Dustfinger had of her gift would be to their advantage. Somehow, he knew Dustfinger wouldn't harm her if she could be of use to him, and with her gift she was of use to him as long as she possessed it. It was because of that that he was so torn on what to say to her now. In that moment, he wanted to have her there, in his arms, but then her words appeared across the page.

"Did you show your mother who's really in charge?" Meggie's words had lost their excitement. Now, they had a coolness to them even as they encouraged him to continue his journey. Yet, he knew she was only trying to change the subject as he read the words. He decided to let her, a smile coming to his lips as he pictured that moment between them when they'd taken the potion the first time. When his mother had sunk him low, Meggie had picked him up, and held him high. It was one of the reasons he loved her as he put pen to paper once more.

"I put her straight. You would have been proud, my queen" Capricorn wished she was there in that moment so he could see the shine in her eyes as he told her everything and the smile of encouragement, she always gave him.

"It went beautifully. Thank you for the inspiration" wrote Capricorn knowing that would tease her just enough to drive her mad.

"Is that all you're going to tell me?" wrote Meggie, Capricorn could see the pout she wore, in his mind, he could picture her laying across their bed as she wrote to him.

"I was so looking forward to you telling me about how the buildings burned and how the people went screaming" Meggie knew that would fuel him and it did as it combined with the image in his mind until he couldn't take it anymore.

He had to see her again.

"There aren't enough words, my dear, I'd much rather tell you myself" wrote Capricorn, knowing she would understand his meaning.

"I'll be ready in fifteen minutes. I want to make sure no one will wake me up this time and disturb us. I covet my time with you" Meggie wrote the words as if they were something sacred. Capricorn knew they were as they were to him as he waited the allotted time to see her. It felt like too long to him. The same was true for Meggie even as she was the one asking for it.

"Patience, my love, we'll be together again shortly" Meggie's words appear seconds after the others. Capricorn would have shown her the true meaning of patience if they were together still, but he decided he could do that later. He would do that later, he promised them both that as he prepared the potion for the time when he could take it. Meggie closed her journal in preparation for seeing her husband again. She felt her heart pound at the thought. She wanted this meeting to be different from the one before. This time, they wouldn't fight, but love each other unconditionally as they had always done. Leaving her room, she ran down the hall until she ran into Demetri, the second in command now that Basta was gone, and as he bowed, she turned on him.

"I'll be in my room. No one is to disturb me, I don't care what the problem is, ask yourself if you can handle it yourself before you bother me with it" exclaimed Meggie making the guard look her in the eye while she was speaking. He wouldn't have had to be told to do so if Capricorn was there and Meggie had decided long ago while he was away that the guards would show her the same respect. When he nodded, she walked away, her steps hurried as she returned to her room. Meggie was anxious to see the man she loved. To kiss him and hold him in her arms. To feel him near her even if it was only a bit of magic. When Meggie entered her bedroom again, she didn't take the potion right away, but began to undress. When she had planned to see her husband for the first time after he was gone, she had wanted to look beautiful for him, but then things hadn't gone as she had planned. Instead, they had fought only to make up again. Now, Meggie would do as she had planned originally, and appear to him as the beautiful woman he had left behind. She would give him something to miss. Something to long for and come home to.

"Red is considered such a sinister color, but you made it almost holy" Capricorn had said that to her once, before she was his wife, when had been a scared girl just leaving Mo's influence unsure of who she was or who she was falling for, Meggie remembered those words as she changed into his favorite red dress with the black lace that hugged her curves the way he liked, choosing her black stilettos then brushing out her hair until she was the vision of a goddess, only then did she lay back on their bed hoping he would be with her when she opened her eyes again. Meggie took the potion, when she did it took effect almost immediately as her eyes fluttered shut. Capricorn took the potion in almost the same moment. He felt it take effect immediately too and then he felt a flutter in his chest at the thought that when he opened his eyes, Meggie would be there. The sleep that met them was not dream like though, it was pure darkness, but they both ignored that as they waited to be reunited with each other.

"My king are you here?" whispered Meggie, when her eyes opened only to find she was standing in their bedroom as a fire crackled in the hearth, wanting to hear his voice come from behind her almost immediately.

"You owe me a tale of burning villages and screaming victims" whispered Meggie, feeling him as an additional burning heat in the room as he finally arrived, when he did, Meggie didn't see him, but feared something had went wrong until she felt that warm heat fan over her.

"I would never disappoint you, my love" said Capricorn, his heart beating fast as hers did the same seconds before she turned to look at him. They looked at each other for only a moment before suddenly, Capricorn strode towards her on quick feet, and Meggie found herself finally in his arms. She expected him to say something, but he didn't. Capricorn only looked at her, a certain sparkle that touched her soul in his eyes as he dipped her without another word to kiss her soundly.