Chapter 18

Hi guys I wasn't going to add an author's note to this chapter but I have two things to say very quickly. Firstly I have completed the next story I will be posting which is a Harry Potter fanfiction based on a Hermione/Severus relationship. Secondly this is my favourite chapter of the entire story so please make my year and review and as always enjoy.

Love C.J.

It took a little longer to get to Redhaven from Narrowhaven than the reverse journey had taken. They landed in the town in a little over a week. The whole ship's company was given the entire day in the town after they had refreshed their supplies for the longer journey to the south and Archenland.

Henry decided to buy as many of the Redhaven apples as he could carry which turned out to be six as he discovered when he dropped the seventh and eighth. Rillian spent his time talking with the Duke of the Severn Isles at his private residence about politics and the economy and the things grown ups usually talk about.

Victoria decided to escape the town, she had not seen countryside since they had left Narnia and she was longing for it. Fallamore accompanied her he said he wished for the green grass of home too and it was true he spent a long time grazing but Victoria was convinced that Rillian had encouraged him. "As though I were a kid," she thought angrily. But they actually had a rather pleasant afternoon talking of Narnia and their adventures and Fallamore began to tell her more about healing in Narnia which she found fascinating.

They were the last two to return to the Queen Elspeth and although everyone knew they wouldn't come to any harm it eased their minds to see the whole company together. Henry later divulged that Rillian had been driving them mad pacing the ship.

They put out to sea in the morning light with a wave and cheer from the people of Redhaven. A week into the voyage to Archenland (it would take them two in total) Rillian woke up suddenly in the night. He thought at first there must be a great commotion as he normally slept as sound as anything. The ship however was silent except a wheezy snore from Horan's hammock and a snorting from the hold. Rillian knew this to be Fallamore. After several nights of bad weather the centaur had taken to sleeping in the hold of the ship beside a bag of sugar or flour.

Trying not to disturb anyone else Rillian crept upstairs to the deck. At the top he felt the night's sea breeze on his face. Walking to the side of the ship he tripped over something. "Owww," he said as his knee smashed into the deck.

"Rillian," said a voice.

"Victoria?" Came the quizzical reply.

"Yes it's me."

"What in earth are you doing lying on the deck?" He looked down to Victoria who was lay sprawled on the deck of the ship looking upwards her dark hair fanned about her.

"I couldn't sleep I thought I could watch the stars. I don't know a thing about Narnian skies but it is beautiful."

Rillian lay down too his feet pointing in the opposite direction to hers so his head was beside hers as they stared up.

"That is Entra the great centaur he pointed at a group of low stars near the horizon. And he is chasing Alba the female centaur. And this is the great tree of life sprawling out there are its branches and and below the roots."

"Oh I see that." Rillian pointed out star after star naming the constellation and how it moved over the year.

"Wow," she said after some time. "You must have spent more time talking to Fallamore than I realised."

"It wasn't Fallamore who taught me this. It was my father. My grandmother was a star remember."

"Yes I do." Suddenly she sat bolt upright. "I say Rillian look at me."

He glanced over "I am looking at you."

"No really look at me." He sat up on his elbows and peered around so that their noses were barely an inch away. Victoria looked at him closely as though she was scrutinising his face. "Your eyes I knew they reminded me of something."

"What?" He asked curious.

"The night sky they are that blue when the night is darkest but not yet black.

"Yes father used to say I had grandmother's eyes I suppose that is what he meant."

"I'm sorry I shan't talk of it if you wish me not to how rude and insensitive of me."

"No, please you see no one ever does. They all think I want to lock it away but that is all rot."

"The hair?"

"Sorry?"

"Your hair the very blondeness of it is that your grandmothers too or did your mother have that hair?"

"No mother had dark hair but father and grandfather both had blonde hair. Not this pale but still blonde." By this point they had both flopped back onto the deck and were watching the stars again. A long silence existed between them before Rillian said.

"I have a question."

"Fire away."

"Who is Romeo? You did promise to tell me one day."

"I did. Well Romeo is a character in a play in my world, a very famous play. He falls in love with Juliet but their families have been at war forever, so much so that it is tearing the city apart and the Duke of their city has said that the next person to kill someone will be executed. But Juliet's cousin kills Romeo's friend so Romeo kills the cousin. Are you following so far?" He nodded. "Then Romeo is banished because the Duke knew he only killed the cousin in revenge and anger but then Romeo and Juliet secretly get married, that might come before the murder I forget so then Juliet takes a potion so that it appears as if she had died and a note is sent to Romeo so he can rescue her. But the note is too slow and he hears the news as if she has really died. So he buys some poison rides back to the city then drinks it as he lies beside her. Then he dies she wakes up and sees he is dead so kills herself with his dagger."

"That sounds rather tragic at the end."

"It is one of my favourite. You see it is very famous in my world so when people called someone a Romeo they usually mean a boy pining over a girl. The playwright of the story is rather a favourite of mine too he wrote the most wonderful poetry."

"Couldn't you remember one?"

"Let me think," she paused for a long while before remembering all her lines then beginning.

" Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come:

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved,

I never writ, nor no man ever loved."

"How lovely," he said.

"And very appropriate," she said." You see a bark means a ship. So-"

"In the same way we are looking at these stars for our guidance towards our destination then a lover uses his love to guide him through life." He finished they both stared up at the stars bright and gazing down upon them. Victoria had let her right arm trailed above her head and felt Rillian squeeze it just for a second and she felt the same as she had when he had passed her that apple in the Redhaven market all that time ago. Their peace was ended by a door opening probably the men changing shifts.

"I ought to go," Victoria said.

"Sure," he said "of course," holding the door open for her. He in turn headed for her favourite spot on the side if the ship looking over into the calm sea.

Up at the helm Lant walked over to Jepson.

"Anything happened Cap'n."

"Silent as the grave Lant," he said staring at the spot the young couple had been a moment earlier. "Silent as the grave."