You didn't talk to your father about sailing with Caspian. Things got busy when you returned, so bringing it up wasn't a priority.

New rumors surfaced about you and King Caspian. Your nameless lover upgraded to a king. What made the situation worse was the roar of support from your people. It seemed his visit warmed their hearts to him and Narnia. They wanted their princess to marry the king of Narnia.

Along with the rumors, your dreams started up. You would see a ship with a dragon figurehead, Caspian sword fighting with a faceless stranger, and a dragon flying above the ship. But as more dreams occurred, a green tint filtered over what you saw. It grew more and more opaque the longer you let the dreams go without thought. Sometimes a figure would appear in the green mist-like substance. One day you'd see Caspian. Another day you'd see a part of Narnia falling. The nagging at the back of your head telling you to go with Caspian dimmed.

Months passed before you mentioned anything to your father. It was after the worst dream you had since they began.

The green mist was thick, clouding any images your mind conjured. There was a moment where the clouds thinned, and you saw the shadow of the ship. The more of you focused on it, the more you could see. You were eventually left with the image of the ship smashed against a giant rock formation, the green mist trying to cover it back up.

Suddenly, a roar echoed in your mind. It pushed the green mist far away, letting you see the aftermath of a horrible battle. That was when you heard Aslan. He pleaded with you– his voice thick with desperation. The need to be on that ship grew. Caspian needed you. Aslan needed you. Enough was enough.

You woke up and jumped out of bed without wiping your cheeks of your tears. You marched right up to your parents' room still dressed for bed. They jumped when you slammed their bedroom door open, both of them already dressed for the day.

"Are you all right, sweetheart?" Your mother was on her feet instantly.

You took a quick deep breath and let everything spill out of your mouth. "Caspian has shown interest in me and it scares me. But what scares me more is the thought of him perishing because I'm too caught up in my fear to help. He needs me. Caspian will be sailing out in the coming year and he invited me along. That was months ago…

"I-I've been having dreams about this journey. I was too blind to see what was going to happen, but Aslan broke through. He pleaded with me to go. I have to.

"I'm here to tell you that I intend to follow Caspian at Aslan's request. How he feels about me will not stop me. You will not stop me… I will not stop me."

Your father didn't say anything for a moment. Then he sighed. "When will you go?"

"I have yet to tell Caspian I'm coming, so I'm unsure. I plan to send out a letter promptly."

"We will help you prepare for this journey, Y/N. For Aslan. For Narnia."

You nodded. "Thank you, Papa."

Your letter to the Narnian king was short and simple, announcing your acceptance of his invitation. You inquired about when you needed to return and that was it.

A week later, you received a letter back. Caspian was happy to hear you were coming. He didn't have an exact date for you to set out on, but he mentioned spring. It was coming quick.

As the months passed, clothes meant for travel and various weather were made for you. Several pairs of trousers and shirts were sewn together along with a dress for you to wear on your return to Narnia. Once the clothes passed your inspection - as well as your father's - you packed them away in your trunk.

You were relieved your parents refrained from asking questions about the news of Caspian's feelings for some time. Of course, it became too much for them to ignore it any longer. It was your mother who brought it up.

"Has Caspian mentioned anything about courting you? Marriage?" she asked.

You sighed and closed your eyes for a second. "No. He simply confessed romantic feelings for me. He hasn't asked to court me or to marry me… Nothing because I told him I can't give him that right now."

"So, you've considered it?"

You thought of the piece of parchment tucked away in your jewelry box. "Only as a passing thought. No more." You failed to mention the several times in a day you found yourself pondering the possibility. You could hardly accept that thought yourself.

"Maybe this adventure will prove fruitful for love?"

"I don't know, Mama. It's not the reason why I need to go. This is for Aslan and Narnia."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see then."

You didn't respond. Fear of the unknown gnawed at you, but you pushed it away. If anything were to happen between you and Caspian, well, you trusted him with your life. Maybe the adventure would change things.

Spring came with a letter from Caspian. They weren't ready to sail yet, but he was sure midsummer was their departure date from Cair Paravel. You blushed at the simple phrase he left at the end of his letter. "I miss you" sat under his name in elegant script, smaller than the rest but held everything.

You wrote back to confirm you got his letter and understood the change in plans. After signing your name, you hesitated. The piece of parchment he gave you a year ago fluttered into your thoughts. There was nothing odd with telling Caspian you missed his company. But even in writing, you could feel what his words carried. Yours couldn't carry the same emotion and you hoped he knew that as you scribbled out a quick "I miss you, too." You folded the letter before scrapping it and sent it out immediately.

Summer came quickly and soon you had to go out to Narnia. A carriage waited for you outside the castle where several townsfolk were whispering to each other. You knew immediately it was about you going to Narnia. Hearing Caspian's name said rubbed you the wrong way.

You scanned the crowd of people there. "Rumors about me are one thing, but to include the King of Narnia is something else entirely. If you are so bored to come up with these outlandish rumors about my love life, then find a way to use that energy to better Anvard.

"I am taking my leave for an undetermined time and I hope during my absence you all start making a difference for our home in a positive way. No more gossip. No more rumors. Make a change you want to live with. I look forward to seeing you all at my return."

You walked away without a look back and climbed into your carriage. Staring out the tiny window as it pulled away, you saw people talking to each other and glancing at your departing carriage. Maybe what you said would make things worse or maybe Anvard would be different when you returned.

A smile came onto your face. At least you finally got your trouble off your chest. Whether or not the people changed was left to them. Your smile stayed even as you pulled up to Cair Paravel two days later.

The castle was still in the middle of construction, but closer to completion. It looked amazing.

Kind maids met you at your carriage and started taking your things to a finished room of the castle. Instead of going with them, you were led down to the dock where a magnificent ship sat – the very one from your dreams.

"Princess!"

You smiled at the mouse who scampered toward you. "Hello, Reepicheep!"

"We didn't expect you this evening! What a wonderful surprise!"

"I may have forgotten to inform Caspian of my arrival. Is he here?"

"Yes, of course! Follow me!"

Many greeted you as you followed Reepicheep. There were so many people coming with Caspian, making your dreams even more terrifying. What could have destroyed the ship and crew in that nightmare?

"Your Majesty," Reepicheep said after knocking on the door you presumed led to Caspian's quarters.

The door opened to reveal Drinian. He grinned at the sight of you. "Well, well. Our favorite princess returns!"

You heard the scrape of a chair against the floor and then Caspian was in the doorway with a blinding smile. "Welcome back, Y/N."

Caspian's hair was even longer than before, brushing the tops of his shoulders with the ends. His beard was fuller but short like before. You were surprised by how much he changed each time to saw him.

"I'm happy to be back." You smiled to show him you really were glad to be there again. You watched his eyes light up more.

Caspian looked at Drinian and Reepicheep. "Could you excuse us for a moment?"

Both nodded and stepped away. Caspian directed you into the room, which you silently obliged. He didn't let the door close all the way.

"Come with me," he said, leading you past a desk and bed to a door in the corner. He opened it to reveal a smaller room with another bed and what looked to be like a simple washroom. "I know it isn't much, but I wanted you to have a private room. Had you decided to join us earlier, we would have had more time to make something bigger."

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to respond to your invitation." You took a deep breath and met his warm stare. "I was afraid."

"I'm sorry." He looked down.

"Let's not worry about it, Caspian. Not with this quest ahead of us. I'm here now and I'm ready to help where I'm needed." You nodded toward the room. "Thank you for giving me this space. I was ready to sleep with the rest of the crew."

"You would have taken my room."

You chuckled. "I'm glad that won't have to happen."

Caspian smiled and his eyes fell back on you.

You couldn't hold yourself back any longer. You took a single step closer and slid your arms around his middle. As soon as your ear pressed against his chest, you tightened your arms. It had been far too long since you gave him a proper hug. You closed your eyes.

His arms wrapped around your shoulders and he squeezed tighter than you. He pressed his face into your hair, welcoming the affection he missed so much.

Your voice was soft when your apology spilled from your lips. Tears sprung from your eyes not just for denying Caspian your affection but for denying yourself his.

Caspian knew tears rolled down your face when your breath hitched. He took your face in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe them away. He searched your eyes, finding guilt eating away at you. It broke his heart.

You closed your eyes when he leaned down to kiss your forehead, whispering kind words about your horrid behavior. It only upset you more how forgiving he was.

"I'm not hurt, Y/N," he said staring at you. "And if nothing changes, it's okay. Don't feel bad for doing what is right for you. You're still my best friend. Always."

You nodded in his hands, chewing on your bottom lip in embarrassment. You leaned your head against his chest, and he moved his hands to cradle it there. You'd never felt safer.

The two of you stayed like that for what felt like hours but was only a few minutes. The moment ended only because someone called for Caspian.

The king pulled away, but not without wiping your face clean of dried tears. He smiled and urged you to take a few moments to explore the cabin before making your way up to the castle for dinner. You nodded, giving him the okay to answer the call of his crew. Caspian paused at the doorway to look back at you watching him leave. He smiled once more and stepped out.

You sniffled and wiped your nose on the sleeve of your shirt in the most unladylike manner before wandering into your small room. You sat on the edge of the bed and looked around. It would be cramped at first, you didn't doubt that. But you figured it'd get cozy the longer you were at sea.

Your eyes shifted to the doorway. Caspian would be right outside that door while you traveled with him. Months ago, that would have left you uneasy and uncomfortable. Somehow it was the only thing bringing you comfort. You assumed it was because of Aslan's desperation to get you to join the crew. It was the only way you felt you could get over the awkwardness of his confession. It had to be that.