'I didn't think you'd remember,' Susan murmured as Camillo led them through the garden. 'Even I forgot about the roses.'

Caspian smiled and lifted a drooping branch out of the way so she could pass. 'I may or may not have exaggerated your admiration of the roses.' They continued slowly behind Camillo, who wisely remained silent. 'It was that night,' he continued quietly. Susan frowned up at him in confusion. 'The night before you…left. After the celebratory feast, I asked you if you would like to walk around the gardens with me.'

Her forehead smoothed in recollection and she smiled fondly. 'And I said yes.'

'And you said yes.'

'And Peter overheard us and insisted he come along to chaperone,' she continued, laughing softly at the memory of Peter, who had been slightly tipsy from the peach wine Trumpkin had allowed him to drink, adamantly insisting he accompanied them while tripping over his words.

'And Lucy overheard him and insisted she come along to ensure Peter didn't drunkenly prick himself to death on a shrub,' Caspian added.

'And Edmund suggested that everyone might as well come along for a walk.' They laughed, catching each other's eyes and looking away shyly.

'That's how I knew you liked the roses at Cair Paravel. Or, assumed you liked the roses,' he amended with a sheepish grin. 'We were walking around here, with Lucy holding the boys back behind us. And we passed these bushes with red flowers in full bloom. They weren't roses, just carnations, but you told me they reminded you of the roses in Cair Paravel. The ones with red so rich and dark, they were veritable rubies of the garden.'

Susan winced and wrinkled her nose in distaste. 'Were those my exact words?'

'Your exact words,' he replied sombrely.

'Goodness, I wasn't much of a poet, was I?' She made a face, comically poking her tongue out. 'Red like rubies. Blech.'

He flashed her a quick grin. 'On the contrary, Your Majesty, your words were most helpful when I stumbled upon them while planning the building works. You see,' he crossed his arms on chest and adopted a casually arrogant look. 'I simply had to fish out one of my spare rubies, hold them up to the roses and I knew that I had finally found them.'

Rolling her eyes, Susan scoffed and absently brushed aside a wayward strand of hair from her face. 'One of your spare rubies?'

'Naturally. I happened to have a few lying around in my pockets. Why?' He frowned at her, the surprise on his face ludicrously exaggerated. 'Don't you?'

Susan burst into peals of delighted and decidedly unqueenly laughter that had Camillo turning his head slightly to check on the youths.

'Everything alright, Your Majesty?' he called over his shoulder, noting how the two monarchs seemed to drift closer towards one another as they walked. 'Not feeling overheated? Should we leave this for another day?'

Susan waved her hand, dismissing his suggestion while subduing her hiccups of laughter. 'Nonsense, Camillo. You've peaked my curiosity and I must see these roses today.'

'Well, then. We're almost there, Your Majesties. Just a few more turns.'

Susan nodded, clearing her throat and quickly composing herself. 'You're being ridiculous,' she muttered.

'What's that, Your Majesty?' Caspian lowered his head towards her, subtly using the gesture to shift closer towards her. 'I didn't quite catch that.'

'You,' she punched his arm, sending him stumbling sideways. 'You're being ridiculous.'

Grinning smugly, he straightened his tunic. 'But I made you laugh. That's always good.' This time, when he caught her gaze, he didn't look away. For that one moment, when it seemed as though time itself was suspended, he allowed himself to fully drink the intoxicating nectar that was her presence. His gaze bore into hers, brown eyes drowning in a sea of sparkling blue, and, entranced by the siren call in her eyes, he leaned towards her. His hand was raised, lightly cupping her soft cheek. 'Susan-'

'Ah! Here we are!' Camillo's booming voice tore through the thickening tension and Caspian registered the shock flaring in Susan's eyes before she jerked away from him. Her cheeks were growing increasingly flushed as she turned away, nervously tucking her hair behind her ears. 'I was beginning to think we'd never get here,' Camillo continued loudly, chuckling under his breath at the sight of the sovereigns.

'Wait-' Susan coughed, nervously flicking her hair over her shoulder as she hurried after him, leaving Caspian standing alone in the heavy summer dust. His hand dropped limply to his side and he stared at her retreating figure. Frowning, he kicked the soil, sending pebbles bouncing against a nearby tree and kicking up more dust into the air.

'Stupid,' he muttered angrily. They'd been talking, joking even, comfortably to each other, which was a first since she arrived. No other Pevensies had been around to eavesdrop and Susan was relaxed, not skittish and jittery as she'd been every time he approached her the past few weeks. He had to go and spoil it. Classic. He'd been too eager, too forward, extremely ungentlemanly. Actually, he paused just as he turned around a corner wall of the garden, Camillo had a hand in spoiling it and he probably did it on purpose, that old centaur, Caspian thought sullenly. His palm tingled where it touched her cheek and he held it up, as if expecting to see something there. Maybe an indelible print from the softness and warmth of her skin. Nothing. Exhaling heavily, he joined his two companions.

'And you think it might be a problem with the soil?' Susan asked Camillo, intent on focusing all her attention on the centaur. She could feel, rather than see, Caspian approaching them and a light shiver traced down her spine.

'It could be,' Camillo hazarded. 'Though the distance is not vastly great, there is quite a difference between Telmar and Narnian soil. I understand that these roses were also brought over from Earth by the First Queen of Narnia, whose express intention was to have something at Cair Paravel that reminded her of home, so that could be a reason for its decline.'

'First Queen of Narnia?' Susan repeated. 'Do you mean Queen Helen?' Her lips parted in understanding. 'Hence, the name.' She bent down and touched the wilting petals. So the First Queen brought English roses to Narnia.

'Hence, the name,' Camillo repeated. He regarded the dropping rosebush, with its petals blackened at the edges from decay, sadly. 'I have tried every trick known in these lands to revive them but I'm afraid it's not meant to be.' He looked up, beckoning Caspian closer. 'Unless Your Majesty would like to return it to Cair Paravel? Although, with the building works planned, I cannot see the builders watching their step around the plants…'

'Lucy!' Susan piped up and Caspian whirled around, fully expecting to see the youngest Pevensie come creeping up with yet another prank to spring on him. Worms down his back, perhaps. Although, he suspected that lately Lucy's pranks were less for mischief and more for vengeance. 'Lucy could help,' Susan continued excitedly. 'She's a healer, isn't she? And she's worked with plants before. What do you think, Camillo?'

'I'm open to anything that could save these beautiful roses.' He turned to Caspian. 'What does Your Majesty think?'

'Yes, well-' Caspian cleared his throat, casually smoothing his hair and trying not to appear as though he was terrified of a seventeen year old girl terrorizing him. 'I think it's an excellent idea. I'm sure Lucy would- Ah!' He jumped, wriggling and cursing richly as what felt like hundreds of spiders scurried down his back.

'Lucy would what?' Lucy repeated, giggling as she looped her arm through Susan's. A basket of freshly picked herbs and fruits hung from her other arm and she grinned mischievously as she watched Caspian writhe and frantically flap the back of his tunic.

'Are these worms?' Caspian demanded. 'Spiders? Why aren't they moving?'

'Well, they're dead leaves, Your Majesty,' Camillo supplied helpfully.

'Dead leaves?' Caspian stilled and slowly straightened as dozens of dead leaves slowly fluttered down his back, out of his tunic and on to the ground. Under the healthy golden tan, his cheeks were red and burning with mortification. The dead leaves lay harmlessly on the earth, much like the pieces of his manly dignity that he could never salvage, not when Susan has witnessed him at his absolute worst.

'Although, worms would have been better,' Lucy mused thoughtfully, eyeing the dead leaves reproachfully.

'Lu!' Susan chided, nudging her shoulder. 'That's a horrid thing to do and you should apologize to Caspian.'

'Sorry,' Lucy offered half-heartedly.

'It's alright,' Caspian replied, smiling nonchalantly. 'No harm done.' His hand slid to his back surreptitiously, determined to get all the leaves out of his tunic without Susan noticing. 'Certainly one way to announce your arrival.'

Lucy grinned smugly before turning to Susan. 'I heard my name. Did you need my help?' She glanced down at the dying Helenian rosebush. 'Why are we standing solemnly around a wilting plant?'

'Camillo needs your help,' Susan clarified. 'These were taken from Cair Paravel to be preserved,' she elaborated, pointing at the roses. 'But it's not taking well to its new home. I thought you might be able to help.'

Lucy wrinkled her nose as she bent down and touched a blackened petal. 'It's not decaying like normal roses would,' she murmured. 'It's not shriveling, but these petals…' She pinched one delicately between her forefingers and looked up at her rapt audience of three. 'It looks almost burnt, doesn't it?' She scanned the surrounding soil. 'No fallen ashes, either.'

'Quite…' Camillo agreed thoughtfully. 'What does Your Majesty propose?'

Lucy pursed her lips and frowned. 'I can prepare a healing tincture, the ones I normally apply to burns. Might be a bit of a stretch, seeing as I use those on humans but it's worth a try.' She shared a look with Susan. 'Narnia doesn't seem to have the same boring distinction between humans and non-humans that we do on earth.'

'Worth a try,' Susan repeated. 'Do you need help making it?'

'Might,' Lucy replied, rustling through the contents of her basket. 'I'll need some things from the greenhouse. Camillo, do I have your permission to pillage and plunder your greenhouse?'

'To your heart's content, Your Majesty,' Camillo replied grandly.

'Lead the way,' Lucy commanded playfully. 'Su? Caspian? Are you coming with us?'

'Well, we were actually headed for the kitchens,' Susan explained reluctantly and glanced at Caspian. 'Maybe-'

'No, go accompany Lucy. Rein her in if she truly attempts to pillage the conservatory. Camillo will be far too distracted with his children to notice.'

Susan frowned, glancing at Lucy and Camillo's retreating figures. 'His children?'

Chuckling, he bent down, his lips dangerously close to her ear, and whispered cryptically, 'You'll see.'

'You really should tell him how you feel,' Lucy murmured quietly, her eyes on Camillo as he marched ahead, flamboyantly listing the names and properties of each and every plant they passed in the glasshouse. His children, indeed.

'Who?' Susan eyes darted frantically to Camillo.

'Not Camillo! Goodness, what feelings could you possibly have to tell Camillo about? I was talking about Caspian,' Lucy added in an undertone.

'What about Caspian?'

'You need to tell Caspian how you feel about him, about the two of you, whatever you need to tell him to clear the air,' Lucy replied patiently. 'And stop dragging the poor man around-'

'I am not!' Susan denied hotly.

'You are.' Lucy placed a reassuring hand on Susan's shoulder, smiling at Camillo when he glanced suspiciously at Susan's outburst. 'You don't mean to do it but you are. If you say nothing to discourage him, he'll always be hopeful. If you must let him down, let him down now.' Lucy discreetly broke off a small grape from its vine and quickly popped it in her mouth. Her delicate features quickly twisted in a grimace at the tart explosion of taste.

'There are sweeter ones up here if Your Majesties could move along,' Camillo's voice drifted back towards them.

'Right. Sorry,' Lucy grinned sheepishly. Once Camillo's magnificent silver tresses had disappeared among the greenery, Lucy clutched Susan's arm, halting her in her steps. 'It's been going on too long, Su. You told me you didn't want to encourage him.'

'I still don't but how-' Susan threw her hands up in frustration. 'How do I even begin to tell him…to put into words-' Her wide blue eyes stared desperately at her open palms, as if the answer would be presented to her hands. To put into words how damaged and broken I am?

'Tell him you're not ready to…continue what you had before,' Lucy explained delicately. 'That…you'd like to try to be friends with him first and foremost. You didn't really have much time to get to know one another and just be friends before this, what with Miraz roaring for our heads on his sword.'

'That's…' Susan paused and stared at her little sister with amazement. 'That's actually quite good, Lu.'

'You're welcome,' Lucy replied imperiously. 'But you must promise me that you'll talk to him soon.'

'All right, mother, I promise.' Susan snorted and pulled Lucy along, eager to catch up with their guide. 'Really, Lu. Sometimes I wonder if Peter really is the eldest.'

'Sometimes?' Lucy drew herself to her full height smugly. 'All the time, mind you.'