In the days prior to setting out, you spent your time learning from the crew of the Dawn Treader. You refused to only be a passenger. You wanted to be useful with more than just your sword. It gave you the perfect opportunity to get to know the men Caspian and Drinian chose to sail with. Plus, they were a hoot.

You never caught him, but often Caspian would stare at you interacting with the sailors. Your laughter was infectious, causing him to chuckle under his breath from the opposite side of the ship. The Dawn Treader felt right with you as part of her crew. Even Drinan brought up the good your presence did.

"Although I suspect her gender plays a part in their happiness," the captain said.

Caspian glanced at you taking in the lesson on how to work the sails. Suddenly, the polite smile of the sailor twisted into something leery that only his mind perceived. "Don't tell me something like that, Drinian. You know how I feel about her."

The captain grinned. "That's exactly why I said it. My men won't bother her if the king as a claim on the lass."

"She isn't something to be claimed." Caspian watched you secure the rope around your body to give you better leverage when raising the sail. "I have to earn her."

"Well, maybe you should start earning your princess. We have a long journey ahead."

"Your men… our crew will treat her with the utmost respect," Caspian said, warning in his voice.

"Your princess will be treated like a queen."

The men helping you cheered when you successfully tied off the rope for the sails. It was exhilarating.

You found Caspian watching from beside Drinian and grinned at him. He smiled back, the serious look he had long gone. You hoped he was okay.

When it came time to leave the dock as the sun came up the next day, many Narnians gathered around. All cargo and crew loaded up before Caspian, Drinian, and yourself. Caspian said a few words to bid his people farewell and then the three of you climbed aboard the Dawn Treader. A satyr blew a horn and she was set out to open seas.

Your help was denied at first simply because the crew wanted you to experience the awe of sailing on the waters. You stood by the railing near Drinian as he guided the ship farther from Narnia. You gripped the railing each time a wave jostled the ship enough for you to feel wobbly. You prayed you'd gain your sea legs quickly.

Caspian stood next to you. "Trouble?"

"I'm still working on balance." You leaned against the railing. "I just hope we don't get caught in a storm while we're out here."

"Aside from balance, how do you feel?"

"Excited. I'm at sea for the first time with my favorite people." You shot Caspian a smile. "It feels good to be here. I think sailing runs in my family's ancestry because I can't imagine being back on land. It doesn't matter if I can't stand upright. I'm supposed to be here."

"And I'm pleased you're here." Caspian hesitated a moment before resting his hand on yours. "You're already an asset to the Dawn Treader and her crew."

Your eyes lingered on your hands. "That's good to hear. It warms my heart to think this crew accepts me so easily."

"You're likable in every situation, Y/N. You've taken an interest in their craft and they appreciate that. There are few royals like you."

You finally looked up at Caspian. The wind blew his hair into his face, making you chuckle. "I think your hair is too long for sailing."

He brushed it back. "A young princess I knew cried to my mother when she cut it too short because she thought my hair was too pretty. I've only cut the ends since for her sake."

"Your mother felt so bad." Your cheeks were red from the memory. You were legitimately distraught she had cut off so much of his hair. "We should find a solution that doesn't require cutting that pretty hair, so your princess friend doesn't get upset."

"Would it upset her?"

You looked at your boots and shrugged. "She believes the king relies too heavily on what the princess thinks."

"Her opinion matters."

A pause. "Come with me."

Caspian blinked as you pulled your hand off the railing and climbed down from the helm. You looked back at him expectantly, kicking him into gear.

He followed you into his cabin where you ordered him to sit at the desk while you disappeared into your room. Caspian watched you dig through your things silently.

You returned with your brush and a leather tie. "Has your hair ever had a brush through it?" You stood behind his chair and tugged on a lock of his hair.

"I don't recall honestly."

"Then I apologize." You grabbed a hand full of hair and pulled your brush through the ends. The wind put a few tangles in his hair, but it wasn't at all like yours after a small breeze. Gradually, you moved the brush higher up his scalp to remove the remaining tangles. He hissed a few times, particularly when brushing the tangles out at the nape of his neck and the top of his head.

Once you were pleased with the ease in which your fingers passed through his locks, you attempted to gather his hair into a ponytail. It wasn't working. His hair wasn't quite long enough, so you improvised. You pulled the top half of his hair back and tied the leather around it. The small ponytail you created fell nicely against the hair you didn't include.

You leaned over Caspian's shoulder and grinned at the sight of his relaxed expression. "Mama used to put me to bed playing with my hair," you said, tapping the side of his head. "But now you need to give me your honest opinion on my solution." You held out a hand mirror for him.

Caspian studied what you did, a smile growing the longer he stared. You were dazzled by the pure joy in his eyes when he looked at you. "This is perfect. Thank you, Y/N."

"I'm here to help even if only to free my king's face of his hair."

It was strange how comfortable you felt at that moment, both of you smiling at each other. You studied his face without all his hair to frame it and decided that although he looked handsome with his hair pulled back, you would always prefer seeing it down.

"That princess friend of yours was right to cry to your mother," you said softly. "Your hair is far too pretty to cut."

Caspian stared at you surprised by your admittance. "As long as she is willing to help me do this," he waved his hand over his head, "I will never cut it again."

"Maybe she'll just teach you how." You smirked. "I suggest we return to the crew, yes? I want to take in as much of the sea as I can before our adventure truly starts."

"Don't waste your time in here. I'll be out momentarily."

You smiled once more before leaving Caspian alone at his desk.

He fought the urge to run his hand through his hair so your kindness would remain untouched. He could still feel your brush, your fingers against his scalp and he wished it lasted a hundred times longer. It reminded him of the nights he fell asleep with his head on his mother's lap. She would tell him a story about his father and comb through his hair, putting him to sleep in minutes. He craved that sort of affection from you and what you gave him wasn't enough to satisfy him. Living on a ship with you so near was proving difficult as if he was being tested.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Time on the Dawn Treader was spent in a multitude of ways. Each day always started with breakfast and hard work. Once the work was finished, sword fighting or table games occurred until lunch. After lunch, there was cleaning and more hard work. Dinner was the first step to ending the day. Often there was music and dancing that followed, or an incredible story told by Drinian. Then it was off to bed.

You loved every minute of your time at sea. Even when a cool rain fogged up the water and your clothes were soaked through, you kept a smile on your face. The sea was your new favorite place to be. Nothing bothered you. You were chipper and friendly. You danced with the crew, laughing while they twirled you across the deck. Dancing with Caspian was just as fun despite how calm it was compared to the other dances.

For Caspian, things were changing in his favor when it came to you. You didn't shy away from the subtle reminders of his feelings. Sometimes you would smile at him like the news didn't scare you anymore. His stomach flipped each time. His hope grew exponentially. Caspian wanted you more and more as his queen with every look, with every gentle touch you left on the side of his face after pulling his hair back… with every fiber of his being.

Yet, he still hesitated.

Had he earned you for such a title? Had your feelings come to light? Were you interested in being a queen, a wife… his? He didn't have those answers and it made him pause when he was around you. When he knew exactly how you felt - if your drunk confession wasn't a fluke - then he would take the next step.

One morning, the sun was bright by the time you woke for the day. You were dressed and out on the deck in minutes. You grabbed an orange for your breakfast and decided to spend some time with Reepicheep.

"Good morning, Reepicheep," you said, standing beside the knight as he looked across the sea from his perch. "Anything interesting out there?"

"Everything, Your Ladyship. It's so wonderful to be sailing the ocean!"

"I agree. The salty air, the millions of stars we see at night… It's a dream being out here."

Reepicheep studied your face. "You know our king has a love for the sea, yes?"

You nodded.

"I suspect he'll spend a lot of his reign sailing after this journey."

"I can't simply invite myself to every one of his adventures on the water. I will have my own kingdom to rule."

"Yes, but there's a simple solution to this."

"And what would that be?"

The mouse smiled and turned your head to look at Caspian speaking to Drinian by the helm. His hair was free-flowing around his face. "Merge your kingdoms."

"The only way to do that is through marriage, Reepicheep."

"I can't imagine marriage to a king like ours would be so bad."

You squinted your eyes at the mouse. "Caspian didn't tell you to bring this up, did he?"

"I speak as a friend."

You chewed on your lip and looked at Caspian again. "When it's time for me to be a queen, Aslan will make it happen. Until then, I'm enjoying this adventure with my friends."

"And what of Caspian if Aslan chooses another man for you?"

"I suppose we will remain friends. I hope we'll stay friends. I don't think I could be happy without him in my life."

Reepicheep said no more but watched you stare at the king with a sad smile.

"Man overboard!" someone shouted, causing a mad dash of people to various parts of the ship.

You ran to the railing to see a young girl in the water. Farther away were two boys. Your heart leaped into your throat.

You met Caspian's eyes before he rid himself of his coat, boots, and weapons. He didn't hesitate before diving into the water. Two other men followed behind him.

Running alongside the railing, you waited for Caspian and the girl to be pulled up onto the deck. Tears poured from your eyes when you saw her face.

"Lucy!"

She turned just in time to see you as you wrapped her up in your arms. Caspian watched you for a second before helping bring the four still in the water.

"Princess Y/N! You're here, too!" Lucy grinned at you as you wrapped the blanket brought over around her shoulders.

You brushed her wet hair out of her face. The roundness that was once there was long gone, making her look older and more beautiful than ever. You hugged her again. "I'm so happy you're back."

You looked up to see Caspian putting his arm around Edmund as they headed toward you and Lucy. You let go of the girl as they approached and as soon as Caspian released Edmund, you hugged him tightly.

"It's been rather dull without your meddling," you teased, not letting go of him.

"Are you queen yet?"

"No."

"I guess I'll be meddling some more."

You laughed and finally stepped away from Edmund. You felt Caspian's lingering stare but ignored it because of the third guest upon the Dawn Treader who was shouting.

Reepicheep was sitting on the young boy's chest until he was tossed toward the four of you. He rolled and slid on his feet to stop his momentum.

"Reepicheep!" Lucy exclaimed, holding the blanket tightly around her.

The mouse looked up at the King and Queen of Old. "Oh! Your Majesties!" He bowed low.

You shifted your feet, bumping your arm into Caspian's, your sleeve getting wet. You didn't move, too interested in the interaction in front of you. Caspian glanced down at you, a tiny smile appearing on his face.

"Hello, Reep," Edmund said. You adored his nickname for the mouse. "What a pleasure."

Reepicheep fixed his fur and the feather on his head while standing straighter. "The pleasure is all mine, sir.

Your eyes were brought over to the boy who was on his hands and knees coughing up the water caught in his lungs. He was an oddly dramatic boy.

"What do we do about this hysterical interloper?" Reepicheep asked.

You chuckled to yourself. You heard of a woman falling into hysteria, but never a boy. You hid your amusement under your hand, glancing up at Caspian to see if he noticed. He was already peering at you with a smile. You blushed.

The strange boy pointed at Reepicheep. "That giant rat thing just tried to claw my face off!"

"I was merely trying to expel water from your lungs, sir."

The boy stood, eyes wide and mouth open. "It talked! Did you see?! Did anyone hear that?! It just talked!"

"He always talks," you said, crossing your arms and smirking.

Caspian joined in. "It's getting him to shut up that's the trick."

Reepicheep looked at you both unamused. "The moment there is nothing to be said, Your Highness, I promise you, I will not say it."

You both grinned.

The boy started pointing and stomping his foot as he spoke. "I don't know what kind of prank this is, but I want to wake up right now!"

"Perhaps we could throw him back?" Reepicheep suggested seriously.

You looked at Edmund and Lucy, Edmund visibly considering the idea. Lucy scolded him and elbowed him hard. You laughed.

The boy wandered to the other side of the ship where some crew stood watching.

"I demand to know where in blazes I am!"

Tavros, a minotaur, steps into the group of men. "You're on the Dawn Treader, the finest ship in Narnia's navy."

No sooner did Tavros finish his sentence that the poor boy fainted right there on the deck. Although the crew laughed and you found the situation amusing, you were worried he hurt himself. You jogged over to the unconscious boy to check him over while Caspian stood beside Tavros.

"Was it something I said?" the minotaur asked the king.

Caspian grinned and watched you check the lad for any bumps on his head. It made him feel good to have such a caring woman with him on the ship. "See to him, will you?" he said to Tavros.

"Your Majesty." The minotaur nodded and took your place at the boy's side.

Caspian waited until you neared him before walking over to the steps leading up to the helm where Drinian watched.

You stood between Edmund and Lucy, eyes fixed on Caspian as he addressed the crew.

"Men, behold our castaways: Edmund the Just and Lucy the Valliant, King and Queen of Narnia."

The entire crew, Drinian included, knelt down with their heads bowed. Lucy and Edmund smiled as they studied the crowd acknowledging their status.

You hugged Lucy again, laughing in joy, and you clasped your hand with Edmund's. Narnia felt whole again.

Caspian continued to smile although his eyes zeroed in on you holding Edmund's hand even after his crew stood up again. And when the young king leaned over to tell you something that made your cheeks redden, he felt something stab him through the chest. Who was the King of Old to you?