Dinner was strange. It wasn't a bad experience, just unusual considering. You were leaning against the railing, munching on an apple after finishing a bit of salted meat. Lucy was talking to you about Susan and Peter going to a land called America in her world and how she wished she could also see the world.

You were invested in the conversation– you were– but when Caspian strolled by with Drinian and his eyes met yours… you missed the rest of what she said. The memory of his kisses had you forgetting how to chew your food, thus causing you to choke on it.

"Oh, dear!" Lucy said, putting her hand on your back as you coughed over the edge of the ship.

Your face was glowing red when you cleared your throat and wiped your mouth on your sleeve. "I'm so sorry, Lucy. I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"You were choking! There's no need to apologize."

"No, there is. I may have missed the last bit of what you said, too."

Her eyes shifted past you and she smiled. "A certain king had nothing to do with it?"

"Of course not."

"Mmhmm."

You sighed. "Okay, fine. Yes. I was a bit… preoccupied."

"Any particular reason why?"

"No."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like that."

"What happened after we returned to the ship?"

"Why do you think something happened?"

"Come on, Y/N."

You shook your head and scanned the deck.

Of course, you found Caspian right away and he was laughing at something Tavros said. He seemed so much happier compared to that morning after returning to the ship.

"Something happened between you," Lucy said.

"What? No. Nothing happened."

"Are you finally dating him?"

"Dating?"

"You know, like courting. He takes you to supper, you dance together, he walks you home, kisses you goodnight. Dating."

"Is that normal in your world?"

"Usually. Susan has dated a few men since coming home. That's how her dates seem to go according to her letters."

"Nothing like that has happened… not really."

"But something happened."

You pursed your lips and took a deep breath. "Maybe."

"Oh, please tell me! I only ever hear about Susan's love life. You and Caspian are my friends. I want to hear about you two!"

You thought about telling. Actually, you opened your mouth to. You never got the chance to speak because Caspian came over with a sweet smile and bright eyes.

"I hate to interrupt, but I must steal away Princess Y/N for a moment."

Lucy grinned. "Of course."

Caspian took your hand and pulled you toward the front of the ship. You glanced back at Lucy and found her giggling behind her hand.

Caspian brought you up to the small viewing deck behind the dragon figurehead. He stepped just out of sight and tugged you closer.

"Caspian," you said, putting your hands flat against his chest to keep you from falling into him. Warmth crept up your neck to your cheeks, nose, and ears.

He brushed your hair back and smiled at you. His face was so close, but he didn't make a move. "How are you?"

You blinked. "Uh… I'm okay."

He chuckled. "No, I mean since this afternoon."

"Oh." You looked at your hands while ridding Caspian's shirt of a piece of fuzz. "Um, better than I expected."

"You're not lying to make me feel better, are you?"

"No, I'm not lying." You busied yourself by straightening his shirt, so you didn't have to meet his amused stare. "I'm really okay… about this. I'm just wrapping my head around it still."

Caspian kissed the top of your head. "Please talk to me if you're concerned about anything, Y/N. Above all else, I want you to be happy."

You nodded and finally looked at Caspian. Timidly, you pressed your hand against the side of his face. He quickly kissed your palm without diverting his gaze. "Are you happy?"

He wasted no time meeting your lips in a strong kiss. His hands cradled your face and he was careful to keep you both hidden. He pulled away enough to speak. "I am unbelievably happy."

"Does this mean you want to-to court me?"

"Only if you'll have me."

"You'll have to speak with my father before announcing anything."

The warmth of his lips on yours again left you breathless. Were you foolish holding him at arms-length for so long? Another quick kiss and you thought yourself dimwitted.

"I already have," Caspian grinned. "When I visited? I believe your father nearly cried when I asked. He told me it didn't matter how long it took. He already sees me as a son."

"You… You already talked to him? About this? What if I-I-I never changed my mind?"

"After what you said when you were intoxicated, I had to ask. I hoped beyond all hope you would. I was ready to wait as long as I had to. I couldn't see myself without you… I can't see myself without you." Caspian hugged you and kissed your head. "It's far too romantic, but it's true."

"I can't believe you talked to my father already."

"I didn't know what would happen when I wanted to invite you aboard this journey." Caspian had you look at him. "I didn't overstep, did I?"

You shook your head. "I guess it's always better to be prepared, right?"

He kissed you gently. The hair on your arms stood up at the sound of his lips gradually disconnecting from yours. Mentally you may not have completely accepted you and Caspian as a romantic unit, but the rest of your body seemed to be on board.

"I would hate for anyone to find us like this," Caspian said softly. "Can I find you before we retire for the night?"

You were still reeling over his last kiss, so you only nodded.

One more abrupt kiss was left on your lips before the Caspian descended the stairs down to the crew. You leaned back against the railing to stabilize yourself. Who knew Caspian could leave you flustered in such a way?

And the way he said goodnight to you! He touched your cheek with the backs of his first two fingers while he wished you sweet dreams in a low voice. Then he leaned in, nose brushing your cheek. His hand slid to the back of your head and your lips met. Again, it was short and sweet, but it left you dumb. You wondered how he was so good at kissing.

Unfortunately, the warm feeling in your chest that whisked you away to bed didn't stay throughout the night. A new nightmare plagued your sleep.

Everyone was on deck wearing armor. The green mist swirled around the Dawn Treader like a fog. A horrible roar and a terrifying serpent-like creature emerged from the mist. You saw destruction and death. You cried out as Caspian was buried under debris from the ship. Edmund leaped onto the creature, but its mangled teeth went for his flesh. The minute its fangs touched him, you woke up.

Edmund was the first face you saw leaning over you, worry etched onto his face. You cried, weeping his name, and wrapping him in a tight hug. You couldn't hear the footsteps that halted at your door.

While you cried on Edmund, he cautiously patted your back, his eyes meeting Caspian's. Hurt filled the king's eyes and Edmund tried his best to kindly release himself from your grasp.

Thankfully, Lucy sat beside you, taking your attention. She held you close while you struggled to calm down.

Edmund stepped away and nodded for Caspian to go to you. He rolled his eyes at the warning stare the king gave him. It wasn't his fault his hammock was closer to the floor.

"What happened?" Lucy asked you as Caspian sat on your other side.

"Everyone was dying," you sniffled. You hugged Caspian, relieved he was there and still okay. "The green mist caused it. I-I… I watched so many of you fall." Tears welled up again and you hid your face against Caspian's chest.

"You were shouting and crying. I couldn't wake you up," Lucy said. "I didn't know what to do, so I went to Caspian. Edmund woke up, too. You were tossing around when they came up."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Edmund said. "You're okay now."

Caspian ran his fingers through your hair. "Do you think you can sleep again?"

"I don't know." Frankly, you didn't want him to leave you alone.

Edmund looked at Caspian. "Maybe you should stay with her. At least until she falls asleep."

Caspian looked at you, wiping away the tears on your cheeks. "Do you want me to stay a little while longer?"

You nodded and sniffled again.

"I hope you find some peace, Y/N," Lucy said before her and her brother left.

"Do you need anything?" You shook your head and curled up against Caspian, holding onto him in case he disappeared. He kissed your head. "I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

"It felt so real, Caspian." You stared at him with watery eyes. "I watched you… get crushed under debris. I… I don't want you to die."

"I'm not going to. I have you, remember? Together we'll beat the mist. Both of us will be okay… All of us will get out alive."

He stood up to blow out the lantern Lucy lit and came back to you, coaxing you to lie down. "I'll stay here as long as you need me."

"You need to sleep, too."

"I will once I know you'll be all right."

"Stay here." You pulled your covers over your nose to hide your blush. "You can wake me up if I have another nightmare."

"You do understand what you're asking?"

You nodded.

"This is hardly proper in light of our relationship, Y/N."

"Is it any different from all the other times? I mean… really?"

Caspian chuckled and took your hand. "It is very different."

"Please… Leave before the sun rises if it's a matter of propriety. But I need you here or I'll just wake up again."

He sighed. "Only because of these dreams… I'll stay. But this can't become a habit… for both our sakes."

"Thank you."

He leaned forward to kiss your forehead. "Of course."

You fell into a dreamless sleep minutes later. Caspian watched you long enough to make sure you would be all right before letting sleep take him as well.

The ever-brightening morning sun pulled you out of your slumber. It was the warmth and tickle of something against your nose that forced our eyes open.

Your face was close to Caspian's chest, the ties of his sleep shirt touching your nose. Both of you were on your sides facing each other. His arms were wrapped loosely around your shoulders, keeping you cocooned.

With slow movements, you pulled your head back and turned to lie on your back. It didn't work to keep Caspian asleep. He blinked a few times, staring at you sleepily. He mumbled something incoherent before snuggling his face into your hair. He was asleep once more.

There was no way to get free until Caspian woke up for the day. In the back of your mind, you saw it as a problem. Overall, you were content to stay there and enjoy his warmth.

It was the ringing of the ship's bell that ripped Caspian into the real world. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, allowing you to sit up.

Caspian gazed at you once the sleep was cleared from his eyes. "It appears I forgot to wake up before the rest of the crew."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Please. Did you sleep okay?"

You nodded.

"Then there's no need to worry." Caspian rolled out of your bed. He leaned over to kiss your head. "I'll see you at breakfast."

Again, you nodded and watched him leave.

You collapsed on your bed and sighed. How odd it was to share a bed with a man you harbored some feelings for. Had you a foolish head on your shoulders, you would have asked him to stay a few moments longer. To be that close and feel every breath, every heartbeat… something stirred inside you. Maybe you fought so hard against being with the King of Narnia for a completely different reason than you originally thought.

You sighed and got up, ready to see what another day had to bring aboard the Dawn Treader.

It was uneventful for you, but a day of sword fighting for Eustace. You weren't present for the actual fight thanks to Caspian and his desire to see you were still all right from your nightmare. The kiss he gave you before checking in on the crew after Eustace's fight left your knees weak.

The day didn't get exciting for you until the second island appeared on the horizon. It was nearing sunset when Drinian pulled the ship into the cove. The plan was to sleep near the coast and explore the island in the morning. Caspian asked if you wanted to come along, his eyes boring deep into your soul. For the sake of sleep, you agreed. Caspian was relieved.

You slept near Gael and Lucy with Caspian in sight. Something about the island left you uneasy and you mentioned it to the king in private. He trusted your feeling and offered to investigate the land before sleep. You declined and said keeping an eye out would suffice. Your feeling wasn't something to be worried about to that extent.

Unfortunately, you were wary enough to miss out on crucial hours of sleep. Before the sun's light came over the horizon, you got up and meandered down to the water's edge for some quiet. It didn't last long. Caspian came down soon after you, his hair half up and armor still on from the night before. No one was willing to strip themselves vulnerable to sleep.

"You tossed about all night," he said sitting next to you on the beach. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I'm just unsure about this place. Something's off. I can't figure out what. I don't think we're in danger necessarily, but we should be cautious."

"That's nothing to lose sleep over, Y/N."

You stared at him. "That mist messes with my head, Caspian. I don't know if the mist is giving me this feeling or not. I was afraid to sleep and find out."

The king moved to kneel before you, cupping your face in his hands. He kissed your forehead. "Next time, wake me. I want to help you even if it's as simple as holding your hand until you fall asleep. We're in this together. If you can't come to me for help, how will we defeat whatever this mist is? Let me be there for you."

"I'm still figuring out how to do that."

"No matter what we feel toward each other, we're still friends. It doesn't matter if I'm a king or if you're a day's ride away. If you need my comfort like when we were kids, I'll be here."

"Is that enough to satisfy you?"

Caspian didn't understand what you meant at first. Why did his satisfaction matter when it was a matter of making you feel better? When it clicked, he smiled. "Making sure you're okay has nothing to do with courting you, Y/N. Well, it does, but I would do this same thing if nothing changed. If you think I expect your affection in return, you're mistaken. I only wish to be here for you when you need it."

You were blushing a soft pink in the steadily rising sunlight. "So… you won't expect me to… to kiss you in return when I seek your help?"

"Of course not." Caspian brushed some of your hair away from your face. "Although, I'll never turn down a kiss from you."

You groaned and hid your face behind your hands, making Caspian chuckle.

That moment alone with him would have continued had a shout about Lucy's absence never sounded. You and Caspian were on your feet, the conversation pushed aside for the young Pevensie.

Your stomach churned nervously. The strange island and then Lucy's disappearance? You worried she was in danger and she wouldn't be found in time.