Two chapters in one night when I should be doing my Microbiology assignment! Oh well…it'll get done in time :D

Here's the next one!

We rode in comfortable silence beneath the pink sky. The sun had just set and the forest was filled with shadows and the owls and skunks were starting to wake up. I decided that Narnian woods did have a certain charm about them.

Finally, when we were far enough away from the castle, I pulled my horse to a stop.

"What are you stopping for?" Edmund asked as he turned his mare about to face me.

"I just think this place is beautiful," I batted my eyelashes, which I had NO idea why I did, "Can we just sit here and talk for a while?"

Edmund looked delighted.

"Of course!" he said happily, dismounting and tying the mare loosely so she could graze. We sat on two rocks that were placed close together by the edge of the clearing we were in, facing each other. The conversation started easily enough as we got on the subject of swords and proper care of them, which moved on to fighting styles.

"I could take you any day of the week," I said offhandedly. Edmund, however, took it very seriously.

"Oh you think so?" he said, waggling his eyebrows at me, "Are you willing to back that statement up with steel?"

"Don't be foolish," I scolded, "I don't have a sword."

Edmund grinned evilly and went to his horse. He came back with two swords and he handed me the slightly smaller one.

"Sword." he said, and I imagined a little kid learning the word for the first time and giggled, "Now what's your excuse?"

"I guess I have none," I took the sword gladly. Did he know he had just handed his own life right into my hands with this weapon? No, of course not, he had no clue.

"Well, let's put your money where your big mouth is," Edmund challenged as he fell into a perfect defensive form, sword point up and left leg bracing him slightly to the rear.

I immediately felt my training come back to me. It flowed through my veins like fire! I crouched down into my own version of a fighting stance, a much more aggressive one. I didn't stop to doubt as I lunged forward, jabbing at his hip region. Edmund dodged to the side easily and he knocked my sword tip to the side. He lifted it quickly and brought it around quick as a flash, slashing at my calves. I jumped over it and growled at myself when my footing faltered for a moment. However, I managed to block his next blow and push him back. I slashed at his chest and grinned as the very tip grazed him.

I assumed he would have made some kind of stumble from the sharp pain but he didn't, he just clenched his teeth and came at me again. Only, this time, he swung his sword in such a quick and elegant fashion that I barely even felt the sword leave my hand before he had his arm around my shoulders and the side of his blade against my neck.

Filled with shock at having been beaten, I merely stood there in silence. Edmund's breathing was heavy in my ear as he steadied his breathing behind me, not removing the blade or his arm. His chest pushed against my back as he squished me to him.

"Cute effort," he said quietly, amusement apparent in his voice.

I growled and yanked myself away from him and glared angrily at him.

"Oh, come on, Natani," he laughed at my expression, "It's nothing to get upset about. Can I help it if I'm a big brawny man and you're a tiny fragile girl?"

I lunged at him. Screw the sword!

He was caught off guard and we tumbled onto the grass in a writhing bundle. My fists trying to connect with anything they could and his hands trying to ward them off. We rolled and I kicked and he pushed. It was a sight…

"Natani!" he finally yelled in my ear, ouch!

I stood up quickly and realized how childish I was being. I brushed off the front of my dress and picked a leaf out of my hair.

"My apologies," I said, offering him a hand to help him up. I looked at his chest where I had nicked him and saw blood seeping through the tan fabric. "Oh, I guess I got you good."

Edmund winced slightly when I pressed the area gently.

"Better than I thought you did," he muttered, unbuttoning his tunic and pulling one side back. The cut was longer and deeper than I thought it would be and I felt a little twinge of sympathy (which only made me want to smack myself back to reality).

"Oh, come here," I said, pulling him to the rock, "We better do something about this."

Edmund looked wary, but followed willingly. He sat on the rock and looked up at me with big puppy-dog eyes.

"Take off your shirt," I said, piling some wood in a heap to make a small fire.

"Excuse me?" Edmund asked. I shot him a dirty look and he immediately pulled the garment over his head and set it on the rock next to him.

When the fire had grown enough, I grabbed the sword I had used during the fight and approached Edmund.

"Um…you may want to lie on the ground for this…"I said nervously. I hated doing this.

Edmund looked at me with uncertainty, but he slid down the rock and leaned back against it. I decided that was good enough. I stuck the tip of the sword in the fire and waited until the steel turned a bright orange-red color then turned back to Edmund. Comprehension dawned on his face and he paled even more than he already was.

"For the sake of all things holy…" he squeaked, backing into the rock as far as he could.

"Hold still, please," I said cheerily, kneeling down next to him. He wiggled away from me. My blade was going to cool off if he didn't sit still and take it like a man! So I straddled him. With his hips securely pinned down, he wasn't able to move far and I quickly pressed the hot metal to his skin.

Edmund's eyes widened and he bit his bottom lip hard enough to make a drop of blood appear. He hissed at the first split second of contact and then his hiss turned into a whimper as I held him firmly down and kept the metal placed.

When I pulled the blade back, the cut was closed. But the skin around it was burnt and swollen.

"Owwww," Edmund groaned weakly.

"Had to do it," I said simply, looking him in the eyes. I had no idea why I had just done that…because now I had him exactly in the position I knew he was at his weakest. I don't know HOW I knew, but something in his eyes told me the truth: the cauterizing was second on his mind at this point.

I examined my position. My knees were on either side of his hips and I was settled quite nicely between his thighs. My hands were pressed against his skin, one on his abdomen and one on his chest. My face was inches from his and my hair cascaded over my shoulders, forming something like a curtain beside our heads.

I smiled a crooked smile and did an experimental shift with my hips. Edmund's eyes fluttered shut and a small moan escaped his lips as his head lolled back onto the rock. Perfect.

"Natani…" Edmund's voice sounded small as he whispered my name softly, "We shouldn't be…"

Don't give him time to think. He only has so much blood to go around, after all! Keeping that blood flow from his brain would be simple enough. I captured his lips in a forceful kiss and pressed my hands into his torso firmly. Just as I planned, Edmund's stiff shoulders relaxed and he eagerly began returning the heated kiss. His tongue slid across my lower lip and I jerked back slightly. What on earth?

Edmund chuckled and, what with every inch of me being pressed up to every inch of him, it felt really funny.

"Is that not something your culture does?" he asked, his dark eyes were dilated with lust and I knew I had won. But I had to admit, I was intrigued by this odd concept.

"No," I admitted, leaning back in, "But I think I may like this Narnian custom."

He grinned and I felt his right hand bury in my hair and pull my face back to his. His tongue pushed past my lips and I felt like he was drawing circles on the roof of my mouth and my eyes widened at this totally new sensation. Despite my better judgment, I let a small sound of pleasure slip out. This must have triggered something major because, the next thing I knew, I was on my back with Edmund pressing me down firmly.

No! No, no, no! I had to maintain the upper hand to I could do what I had to do. I tried to think quickly but, when his lips found their way to my collarbone, my mind sparked and my judgment got hazy. I found myself relaxing and my fingers found their way into his black hair and tangled themselves there. And when his teeth nipped the lobe of my ear, I lost it.

I began to reciprocate with as much force as he was giving out and we were soon breathing in gasps between kisses and nips and licks. I felt a knot forming in the lowest part of my abdomen and I wrapped my legs around Edmund's hips, pulling myself up to him. He brought his hips down to mine in response and the sweet friction it caused made my head spin. Without thinking, I ran my hands from his hair, down his neck, across his back, around his hip, and between his legs and gave him a firm squeeze.

Suddenly, with a sharp gasp, Edmund's assault on my pulse point stopped abruptly. He jerked his head up and locked eyes with me. He blinked a few times then slowly shook his head. Then he did what I had not expected…he rolled off.

He lay on the grass next to me, panting and trying to calm his breathing. He ran a hand over his face and looked at me, something akin to fear in his chocolate eyes.

"Natani," he whispered heavily, still recovering from the lack of air, "What are we doing?"

"I should think it's obvious…" I replied, wheezing a bit myself. I was still recovering from the shock of being suddenly deprived of his body over mine.

Edmund sat up and pulled his knees to his chest. I knew what that was for and I didn't want it to happen. Keep him going! My mind shouted.

I leaned over and tried to make our lips connect but he leaned away and stood up quickly. He took my hands and stood me up as well. I leaned forward to pull him closer but he pushed me back.

"Natani, please stop," he said desperately,"Don't make this harder for me to do than it already is."

I looked at him in confusion. He looked so…scared.

"What's wrong, Edmund?" I asked, using his name without a title for the first time.

"I can't do this," he replied quietly, "I can't take advantage of you like this."

Take advantage? If I remembered correctly, I had been the one to start all this!

"But…" I started, but he cut me off with a hand over my mouth.

"Natani, what kind of honor would I have if I used you like this? You're a prisoner of war, my servant, but definitely not my wife and I am so sorry!"

Your wife? Old fashioned, huh? In my culture we could mate with whoever we desired at the time. In fact, marriage was rare.

"Please try to understand I only want to keep you from doing something you'll regret," Edmund went on, "Something I would regret too, for that matter. I'm sworn to protect people not... well what I mean is…I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," I sighed, stepping back from him. I looked up at him and something stirred inside me. This man was an honorable man, honest to the core. I began to see how I had been deceived to believe otherwise and I felt so ashamed of having suspected him of being anything other than a king who lived by a code of chivalry.

I reached into the small satchel that hung on my side and took out the small dagger that was inside. I had intended on stabbing him in the middle of our passionate tangle but…I couldn't imagine harming this man that stood before me anymore. I dropped the dagger into the dirt and I saw comprehension come across his features as he looked from me to the knife to me again.

"You were going to…" he said slowly, disbelief and hurt in his eyes. They made my throat tighten and tears welled up in my eyes.

I nodded. There was no point in denying it now. The truth was out.

Tada! Sorry if it was steamy for any of you readers…but I DID change the rating so yep!

Reviews are welcome and encouraged!