As everyone headed off to bed, that evening, Susan met Caspian in the hallway.

"Your room is next to mine. That's the guest room. It's so close, I can hear anything from there. This will be our signal. You give two taps, when you want to come into my room. If the cost is clear, you will hear me giving two taps, identical to yours."

"And if not?"

"I won't tap. You won't hear a single sound if any of my family is watching, either on purpose, or by accident. I know Peter is watching closely."

"Do you think Peter might be watching?"

"I know for a fact that he is. He might even be coniving with Edmund to spy on me, right this minute."

They each went to their rooms, and turned out the light. A few hours later, Susan heard two taps on the wall. She crept out of bed, opened the door, and checked the hallway. No one seemed to be stirring. She went back in, closed the door, and went back to bed. Then, she tapped on her wall twice. This would be Caspian's signal that the coast was clear, and that he could enter Susan's room, as promised.

At the moment Susan and Caspian met outside their rooms, Lucy came out of hers. Susan motioned for her sister to keep quiet, putting a finger to her lips. Susan nodded, and waited for them to get into Susan's room.

As soon as Caspian and Susan had closed the door and locked it, Lucy ran into the study and got a rocking chair, which she put in front of Susan's bedroom door. She sat, and started rocking.

When Edmund came out of his room, he noticed his sister sitting on the rocking chair.

"Lucy? What on earth are you doing there?"

"I can't sleep. And besides, it's hot."

"Really? Funny, I feel rather cold," he said, mockingly.

"Oh, shut up, Edmund! I feel hot. Just go away, Ed!"

Edmund gave her an incredulous look. When he made no attempt to move, Lucy screamed.

"Mum! Edmund's bugging me, and he won't sleep!"

"Shh! Shh! Alright, I'm going back to bed!" Edmund said, and then added, under his breath, "Tattle-tale."

Inside Susan's room, the two lovers giggled uncontrolably. They held each other close. So close they can hear each other's heartbeat, and hear each other's breathing. Caspian leaned in to kiss Susan, covering her mouth with his. Susan reached up to unbutton Caspian's shirt. Slowly, with shaking fingers, she undressed him, as they continued to kiss.

She stopped and pulled away, as Caspian began to undress her.

"I should tell you, this is my first time to do this. I haven't done this before."

"Neither have I," he whispered quietly, in her ear.

They kissed with passion, tasting each other's lips, their tongues touching. Susan led Caspian to her bed, and both were in the throes of passion.

As Susan and Caspian lay in each other's arms, Susan smiled. It was the sweetest feeling in the world. Oh, to be in the arms of your lover! The man you considered to be king. But with it also came a bittersweet feeling that washed over her. What if she would never see her Prince again? She didn't want to wake him up. She just wanted to stay in his arms. But she knew it was impossible. As morning approached, the time for Caspian's departure was coming closer at hand. A tear slid down her cheeks. As Caspian watch the tears cascade down Susan's cheeks, he wiped it with his thumb.

She hugged him tight.

"Don't go," she whispered, "Please, don't go."

"I don't want to, but I have to. I need to."

"You know how much our distance is killing me each day? We're from different worlds," she sobbed.

"I know. It is hard. And as much as possible, I want to be with you. Here, now. But it's not."

"I know, it's not easy. I wish I were in Narnia with you. But that's not possible, either."

Suddenly, they heard a nock on the door. It was Lucy.

"Susan? Susan, are you awake?" she said, trying her best not to sound sleepy. Their mother would be up in a couple of minutes, and Peter and Edmund might be waking up as well. Caspian couldn't risk being seen in Susan's bedroom. They quickly got out of bed, and dressed.

"They'll be awake in a couple of minutes, Su!"

"Alright, alright! I'm getting up. It's not like it's a schoolday. I can sleep in."

"But what about Caspian?"

True, they couldn't risk Caspian being seen in Susan's room. After he had hurriedly dressed, Susan said, "Must you really go?"

"I'll be back," he answered, giving Susan a quick kiss on the lips, before exiting through the window.

As Peter came out of his room, Peter noticed the rocking chair in Susan's doorway. Susan had just opened her door.

"What is going on here? Why is there a rocking chair in front of your door? Where is Caspian?"

"He's in his room!" Susan retorted.

Peter checked the guest room and found that Caspian was not present.

"Where is Caspian? He's not in here."

"Maybe he went out for a walk," Lucy suggested.

"Alright, what have you to do with this, Lu? Where is he?"

"Nothing!" she said, "I fell asleep here, reading."

"Wait! I remember seeing him from my window, when I woke up. He seemed to be heading for the theatre," Susan said.

Peter pushed his way past her, and into her room. He searched under the bed, then not finding Caspian there, he looked out the window, but could not find the person he was looking for.

Then, the thought of Caspian leaving and returning to Narnia filled Susan's head.

I never even got to say goodbye to him, she thought.