An Unexpected Romance

Chapter 24

"Y/n, wake up, love," I hear Edmund say to me softly as I wake up.

I open my eyes and see Edmund already up and dressed.

"Why are you up already?" I ask as I sit up, holding the comforter up to cover me.

"Caspian and I went riding this morning and discussed some important things," he responds as he changes into a fresh shirt.

"Important things?" I ask.

"Mostly policy and things regarding his rule over Narnia once we leave," Edmund says casually.

Right. We don't get to stay here forever.

"Ah," I nod as I watch him freshen up.

Edmund walks over to me in the bed and kisses me sweetly. I smile up at him as he pulls away.

"Can you bring me my clothes, Ed?"

"But I like you so much more without them," Edmund teases as he brings me my folded clothes from his dresser, "and we have so much more fun without them."

"Shut up," I blush and think about how we spent yet another night together.

I stand and pull my slip on before going to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Edmund lies on the bed and throws one arm back behind his head and rests the other on his stomach. I wash my face and brush my teeth. I glance in the mirror and notice Edmund looking at me lovingly from the bed. I smile at him and turn towards him.

"What are you smiling about?" I tease.

"I'm just enjoying looking at a beautiful girl," he says to me proudly.

I giggle at him and lean on the door frame, crossing my arms and raising my eyebrows at him. We keep eye contact for a minute, just smiling at each other in the mid-morning sunlight shining into the room.

"I'm very lucky," Edmund breaks the silence between us.

"Yes, yes you are," I wink at him before going back to getting dressed in the bathroom.

Edmund chuckles at my sass and gets up off the bed and comes to lean on the door frame to the bathroom.

"Y/n?" Edmund sighs.

"Yes?"

"I...I think we might not be staying here much longer," Edmund says heavily.

I turn and look at him as I put up half of my hair.

"Why do you think that?" I ask him.

"Caspian said that Susan told him that she and Peter spoke with Aslan," he explains, wrapping his arms around me from behind and making eye contact with me in the mirror. "She seemed to be under the impression that Aslan will be sending us home soon."

I ponder Edmund's words for a moment.

"Susan wants to stay with Caspian," I tell him. "I can't say I blame her. If you were here, I would stay too."

Edmund squeezes me tighter.

"I'd stay too," he says. "Luckily, I get to take the best part of Narnia home with me."

I smile at him in the mirror and hug his arms around me. I finish getting dressed and Edmund goes back to the bed and waits for me. Once I'm ready, we walk down the hall and meet Peter, Caspian, Lucy and Susan. The boys go off together, and Sue, Lucy and I take a walk in the gardens.

"Y/n, are you Edmund's girlfriend?" Lucy asks me.

Sue and I giggle at her innocent question.

"I think the fact that she's staying in his room at night is answer enough, Lu," Susan says with a smile.

"I think you two are lovely," Lucy smile at me. "And I want Edmund to be happy. You make him happy; I can tell!"

I laugh at Lucy's confidence in her statement and the big smile she gives me. I put my arm around her shoulders and hug her.

"Lucy, I don't think anyone could ever bring anyone joy as much as you do," I tell her. She beams up at me and I smile back.

"Susan, I think you make Caspian happy, too," Lucy adds.

I look nervously at Susan. Her smile fades a bit and she takes a deep breath.

"I can't stay in Narnia," she says and her voice cracks a bit. "I-I like Caspian, a lot, but I love home. Narnia isn't my home."

Lucy looks up at her sister sadly.

"Narnia is home, Sue," she says. "Finchley is home too. We're lucky enough to have two homes, and we'll always have both."

I squeeze Lucy's shoulder again and sadly smile at her.

"Narnia is a different world," Susan continues. "It's only natural that we don't stay forever, Lu."

"I love it here," I say to the Pevensie sisters. "Im sorry you can't stay Susan. I don't know what I would do if I were in your position."

Susan purses her lips together. I see her eyes tear up, and Lucy and I hug her as she sobs quietly.

"Why did I have to fall for Caspian?" She says. "Of all the boys in all the worlds, why him?"

I rub her back as Lucy wipes her sister's tears away.

"Susan, Caspian is a good man, but he's not the only good man" Lucy says kindly. "Everything in Narnia is to help us, and maybe he's to show you what kind of person you deserve."

I look at Lucy and marvel at her wisdom at such a young age. Susan hugs us both.

"I'll always have you two and my brothers," Susan says, regaining her composure. "Wherever you all are, I am happiest."

"We love you, Susan," I tell her. "Let's enjoy the rest of today and forget about boys, shall we?"

"I think that's a grand idea," Susan says, wiping the last tear from her eyes. She takes both of our hands in hers. "I love you two."

We spend the rest of the day walking around Narnia and befriending the Telmarine people. We even ride back to the ruins at Cair Paravel, and the sisters give me a tour of what was once their home. We finish the day swimming in the ocean where we started our journey in Narnia. As we head back to Caspian's castle that night, we prepare to part ways and go to our separate rooms. Before we do, I pull Susan aside.

"Sue, spend tonight with Caspian," I tell her.

"Y/n!" She says shocked.

"Not like that," I say. "I mean go with him and spend time together. If this is the end of our journey, don't spend it mourning what you haven't lost yet. Take tonight and learn what you can from him."

"I will," she nods. "I know exactly where to take him."

I squeeze her hands before hugging her.

"If you need me, you know where to find me," I tell her. "I love you."

"I love you too," she says. "You're like a sister to me, Y/n."

"And you to me," I reply. "Go find your prince."

She smiles and heads off to Caspian's chambers, and I turn to head back to find Edmund.