Estel woke up to a familiar, comforting voice whispering as she was pushed over in her bed, "Move over my love..."

Estel opened her eyes slowly as she rolled over, "Rilian...what are you doing here? Our parents said-"

He interrupted by laying a quick kiss on her lips, "I just wanted to lay with you for a few moments."

She smiled and snuggled into him as he wrapped his arms around her. He took the time to stare at her as she blinked slowly and lazily, obviously preparing to drift back off to sleep. The truth was, after watching Dharmesh paw at her all day, he needed to be reassured that his touches were the only ones she truly responded to. As she lay in his arms, molding her body to his, it was clear she only wanted to belong to him.

He kissed her forehead and whispered, "I will visit you in Calormene as often as possible."

She opened her eyes, looking hurt at the thought of only being able to see him during visits to a distant country. She fought back a sob as he pulled her closer, allowing her to curl into his chest and breath in his scent...his lovely, familiar scent of sandalwood and vanilla, "Stay until I am asleep Rilian...please?"

He looked down into her eyes, "As you wish."

She kissed him and smiled, then immediately began drifting off. Rilian watched her for a while, then fell asleep himself.

When the servants came in that morning to wake the princess, they left as quietly as they had come to alert Susan that Rilian was in Estel's room. Susan cracked the door and looked in. She knew, as a mother, that she should rush into the room and give them both a stern talking to for disobeying direct requests from both of their parents...but seeing them cuddled next to each other broke her heart.

She closed the door quietly and turned to the nearest female servant, "Go into my daughter's quarters and wake them. Be sure the prince returns to his room without being seen."


Edmund and Peter returned to Cair Paravel the following day after traveling to the forests to visit an ailing Trufflehunter. They both knew of Estel's impending marriage and had agreed to return in time to be there for the wedding. Both uncles were angry about the arrangement, but understood how precarious Narnia's future was without a stronger allegiance with Calormene. It was only 19 years ago that the current monarch was fighting a civil war on two fronts. Narnia was still vulnerable.

Susan sat in the study with her brothers, "I feel like I'm tossing my own daughter into a volcano as some sort of sick sacrifice to the gods."

Edmund nodded and sighed as he ran a hand through his dark hair, "How is Estel handling it?"

Susan looked down, "She is so strong and so brave. I couldn't be prouder of her...but I wish she didn't have to be so strong."

Peter put an arm around his sister, "She's just like you Sue...strong, smart, confident...brave. You risked your life for Narnia multiple times."

"...and now my daughter is risking her life's happiness. This isn't the life I wanted for her."

Peter and Edmund looked on as Susan put her face in her hands and cried silently.


Rilian had worked his magic as a skilled negotiator to convince his parents to allow him to remain at Cair Paravel until the wedding. The following afternoon, he sat on the training grounds, watching Estel practice as he prepared to sharpen his sword.

Estel placed an arrow in her bow and took aim at the target, releasing, and hitting the very center of the bulls eye. Rilian smirked and looked back down as he sharpened his sword, "Estel, you really must learn how to handle a long sword as well. It may take a bit of extra forearm strength, but I am certain you would excel."

"Encouraging the delinquency of my future queen, are we Rilian?" Dharmesh said as he walked down the stairs toward the training grounds. Estel turned away from him so only Rilian could see her face. She stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes to imitate Dharmesh, causing Rilian to giggle slightly.

Rilian tried not to glare at Dharmesh as he put an arm around Estel who politely, but sneakily, slid her body away from him, "Delinquency? You think Estel learning how to defend herself is delinquency?"

Dharmesh watched her as she turned away to pick up another arrow, "I just do not think a woman should know anything of bows, arrows or swords. A man will protect her...just as I plan on protecting you, my darling."

Estel smiled uneasily as Rilian stood, twirling his sword, "So you would deny her the right to defend her country and her subjects?"

"Well...I just don't believe her place is on the battlefield."

Rilian took a step forward as he continued to playfully twirl his sword, "And where is her place?"

Dharmesh smiled and took Estel's hand and kissed it. Rilian had to stop himself from punching the cocky man as he caressed her hand, "Her place will be by my side...and in my culture, we find that nothing domesticates a woman quite so well as motherhood, so I believe she should get right to her duties."

Estel almost choked, "Excuse me? My duties?"

Dharmesh turned to her and caressed her jawline softly as Rilian cringed, "Yes. Your duty as future queen...you must bear me a son...the sooner the better in my opinion."

Rilian almost charged forward, but was stopped as an arrow whizzed between the three of them to hit the target in front of them. Legolas stepped forward with a knowing smile on his face, "Pardon my interruption, but I was hoping to join you all."

Estel breathed a sigh of relief. Her father was there to save the day, just as he always had.


When Rilian came to visit Estel in her room that night, he grabbed her and kissed her more fervently than he ever had. He felt by touching her, he was erasing the uninvited touches that Dharmesh had laid upon her earlier.

She moaned into his mouth and ran her fingers through his thick, brown locks before he pulled away, trembling in desire, "I hate seeing him touch you and talk about you giving him children. It's sickening."

Estel smiled and touched Rilian's cleft, "I know my love..."

Rilian kissed her cheek softly and shook his head, "Maybe we should stop meeting like this. We're only torturing ourselves."

Estel lowered her head and nodded, "Perhaps you are right. I just can't stop thinking about you when he is mauling me! It's terrible."

Rilian pulled her into a warm embrace and rubbed her back, "Come...let's lay down."

As they lay down, they were unaware that the Calormene prince had been standing on the other side of the door listening to their whole conversation. Dharmesh gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as he began formulating a devious plan in his head.


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