Flatline ⤞ Peter Pevensie [2]

xiii

"Come on, Pete! We're going to miss it if we don't hurry!"

The Huntress jumped over yet another log laying in the middle of the dimly lit forest, the early evening birds chirping and flying away as the two figures ran past the trees.

"Gray, slow down!" The King yelled, a small laugh coming out of him as he chased after the girl.

"Hurry!"

Fallon finally came to a stop once the trees cleared, skidding to a halt just before the drop at the edge of a cliff, far from the castle grounds and prying eyes.

Peter slowed his steps as well, leaning on a tree to catch his breath. And he simply watched her. He watched as her hair flitted around in the soft summer wind, as she spread her arms and took a long, deep breath before dropping them to her sides once again, exhaling the cool air.

She turned to look at him then, and he took in the rare expression she now wore: calm. And happy. The sunset made her amber eyes look like glittering gold, rather than blood drenched grounds, and her smile made his mouth give one of its own. Rare indeed, to see a girl such as her, constantly guarded with a brutal look in her eyes, so carefree and gentle and vulnerable. Then again, he'd fallen in love with all sides of her.

"Well?" She said suddenly, breaking him out of his daze. "Are you going to join me, Your Highness?"

Peter let out a chuckle and pushed himself off the tree and walking towards the Huntress, his eyes never breaking from looking at her. That is, until she said, "Isn't it beautiful?"
The King slowly turned then, and his breath nearly caught in his throat. She was right.

The sun was midway through setting, its rays creating a display of orange and red and golden lights.

It had been almost a year since the Pevensies and the Hunter girl had entered Narnia, yet Fallon always managed to bring Peter to places around the land he'd yet to see.

Slowly, the King reached his hand out, intertwining his fingers with Fallon's. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her smile once again. He'd fallen in love with her, bit by bit, a long time ago. It was as though he'd seen her before they even met —perhaps in a dream.

Ever so carefully, he took her other hand, turning the brunette towards him.

Fallon said nothing, though she gave him a curious look.

Peter took a breath before speaking. "Fallon, I love you—" —the Huntress smiled. She would never get tired of hearing him say that. "—and I don't know what will happen here, to the kingdom, to us . . ." he let go of her hands then, bringing his left to take off the golden ring that laid on his right. Taking her hand again, he placed it in her palm.

The girl said nothing, simply staring at him. She remembered how he was, when they first met. And though nothing had changed —everything had. And she loved him just the same, still as much as the first time she'd told him. If not more.

He looked at her then, their eyes meeting and mixing with the last bit of light skimming just above the trees.

"If something does happen," Fallon said, placing her free hand on his cheek, "then perhaps I'll meet you again— in another life. Or in a dream."

§

"Fallon, for Aslan's sake, wake up!"

The Huntress shot forward before throwing away the blanket that had been placed on her.