The High Queen of Narnia

Chapter 19

After a brief tour of the ship, Elodie and Caspian had gone to spar as per their daily ritual. The king had insisted that his wife learn how to use a sword despite her proficiencies with daggers and an axe. Seeing as it was the most common weapon, especially for pirates at sea, he thought it wise for her to master the weapon. And boy, did she master it.

Aslan had even presented her with a silver sword as a wedding present, the blade rather the opposite of her twin's shining golden sword.

While Lucy continued to explore the ship, Edmund watched with intrigue as his sister duelled his new brother-in-law, he supposed. And after which she beat him, ending up with both swords in her hands and with one against his neck and the other pointed at his heart, Edmund asked for a go. The queen had deemed that the loser of their duel should be the one to fight against Edmund, and Caspian had raised his eyebrow at his wife since she wasn't one to shy away from a fight normally. Suspecting that it was because she didn't want to fight her little brother, Caspian had agreed before the two kings faced each other and the battle began, the crew watching eagerly.

Though it was a friendly match in which no blood was drawn, they still went all out as they stuck, swiped and dodged each other, dancing around the ship and ending the fight with a draw, their swords pressed to each other's necks as they laughed and the crew clapped, Elodie especially before the men began approaching her.

"Alright, back to work!" Drinian called.

"You've grown stronger my friend," Caspian praised as he twirled Peter's sword in his hand.

"Seems I have," Edmund agreed as he walked off to accept a cup of water from a sailor and Caspian approached his wife who quickly hid something behind her back.

"What have you got there?" he asked suspiciously as he pointed the blade at her, and she raised a brow.

"Nothing. And are you sure that challenging me again is a wise move, my love?"

He sheathed his sword as he closed the distance between them, yanking his wife to him by her waist as he stared into her eyes, her hand still behind her back as the other gripped his bicep. "If I cannot fight you for the answer, I suppose I'll have to kiss it out," he threatened, and she smiled.

"Oh, and you know I'll never be able to survive that. It's almost cruel that you'd resort to it," she flirted.

"I think you'll survive," he replied as he lowered his lips to hers, the smell of sea salt on the air combined with her husband's kiss making her weak in the knees as she brought her other hand out to rest on his shoulder, and it snaked into his hair. She'd been right. It was a million times softer after it was washed.

Caspian was the one to pull away first when he heard a familiar jangling sound and his expression became accusatory. "Ellie, please tell me that you were not part-taking in bets for my duel against Edmund?" he asked and her smile was lazy as her finger moved from his hair to trace his jawline.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, my love."

"Then at least tell me that you betted on me?" he questioned further and her smile became sheepish.

"I'm afraid I can't do that either, my love."

His brow raised. "Are you telling me that you bet against the man you married, the man you claimed to love and the man that allowed you to stay in Narnia?"

"Ok, you can't keep throwing that in my face, Cas. You wanted me to stay in Narnia and you admitted as much at our wedding," she reminded him before continuing on to answer his question. "And technically I made two bets. One that it ended in a draw and another that Edmund won."