Accidentally Falling | Narnia

18 | duties

Susan blinked and cleared her throat. "What did Aslan say, Caspian?" she asked.

At her question, Caspian's went grim once again.

The news. Just by thinking about it made him feel guilty.

How could he tell them? How could he tell them about the mission the Great Lion had given him? How could he tell them that he'd be abandoning them for two months knowing that the attacks on Narnia's borders have been increasing lately? How could--

Susan studied the black-haired King for those few seconds he went silent. "Caspian?" she asked quietly. "Are you alright?" She approached him and placed a gentle hand on his arm.

"I'm fine." Caspian managed a smile. "I just--"

Peter, who was trying not to look at Susan's hand on Caspian's arm and then mentally slapping himself for even caring, asked, "What did he say, brother?"

After another few minutes of silence on Caspian's part, during which Peter and Susan looked at each in worry about what Aslan had said that caused Caspian to suddenly have that unnerved look on his face, that the Seafarer King finally answered, "I'm leaving. Tomorrow."

"What?" Susan asked, with her mouth falling open.

"Why?" Peter asked, his eyebrows scrunched together in shock and confusion.

Caspian sighed, lightly shaking his head. "It's the Lone Islands. Remember the slave trade issue that we solved there last year?"

Peter nodded, his confused expression seemed to double. "But it has been taken care of. Lord Bern assured us that the Islands is free from slavery."

The Seafarer King shrugged. "Yes, well, apparently, slave dealers still had been working in secret all these months. BLord Bern found out but it's already too late. It's getting worse. Lone Islanders are starting to go missing and Lord Bern found out that they were being sold to other countries."

"And now," Susan supplied. "Aslan wanted you to go there to settle the issue yourself."

Caspian nodded grimly. "Yeah."

"For how long?" Peter asked.

"A couple of months or more," Caspian sighed. "Depending on how bad it really is."

"A couple of months?" Susan's mouth fell open in shock. "B-but--"

"I know, Susan." Caspian held her hand. "I don't want to leave, too. I want to stay here and protect Narnia and you. But--" he sighed. He was very at loss for words that he didn't continue what he was about to say. He just hung his head down and caressed Susan's hand.

Peter grew uncomfortable with his brother and Susan's position-- which was quite knew to him since everytime Susan and Caspian show affection to each other the past few days, all he wanted to do was snort and laugh. But this time, he did not feel the urge to laugh. Not even a little. Which made him guilty and even more uncomfortable.

He put a hand on Caspian's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Caspian. I'm here to fight the kingdom if an attack will happen. And as for protecting Susan--" Here, Peter looked at Susan who still got that shocked expression on her face. "Well, she doesn't really need protection, does she?" he said, jokingly.

Susan met his blue eyes. "No, I don't," she confirmed, her voice serious.

Peter shook his head in amusement.

"Of course, you don't, My Lady." Caspian smiled, squeezing Susan's hand that was still on his arm.

"And, besides," Peter added. "The Lone Islanders need you. You may be their only hope."

Caspian looked at him strangely which made Peter wonder if he said something that offended his brother. Was it that part about Susan? Was he still mad at him for dancing with her?

Then the Seafarer's King broke into a smile. "That's a great pep talk coming from the Emperor of the Lone Islands."

Peter rolled his eyes and suppressed a smile. "Whatever."

"So what time are you leaving tomorrow?" Susan asked Caspian.

"At sunrise," he replied. "The ship and crew are all ready so are the rations we will bring. Even my clothes too, come to think of it."

"Looks like your ladies-in-waiting are informed before you." Peter said thoughtfully with a laugh.

"Obviously." Caspian agreed.

"Well, then, what are you waiting for, Your Highness?" Susan asked bossily. "Time to go to rest! You'll be having a big day tomorrow."

"Not a chance." Caspian countered with a smile etched on his face. "It's still early. And I haven't danced with you yet."

At first, Peter thought that Susan would agree to dance with Caspian, considering the amazement on her face.

But she said, "Oh, no. You'll have your dance once you come back from Lone Islands."

***

When the party was finally over and all the inhabitants of Cair Paravel returned to their chambers, Susan couldn't get over the fact that Caspian would be leaving in the morning.

As she stared at herself in the mirror, erasing all the substances that her ladies-in-waiting had put on her face earlier, she kept thinking of his departure at sunrise tomorrow. Sure, she knows that it was very important that Caspian had to go to Lone Islands. Lives were at stake. She understands that.

But he'll be leaving her for a couple of freaking months (or more) with his brother who she couldn't take her mind off.

Susan's skin still feel shivery even though her dance with Peter were over for four hours now. Never, in her life, had she allowed anyone to hold her that close before. Not even one of her guy bestfriends back at England. If one would even attempt, she'd immediately send her fist crashing with that person's nose.

But earlier, she didn't understand why she didn't fled from Peter's hold when he held her very close, so close that she could literally feel his heartbeat. And what was that inexplicable feeling she felt during their dance? And why the bloody hell did she also hold him close?

Susan went to her wardrobe and took her red dress off. And, as she pulled it off of her, she caught a whiff of a familiar scent on it. Peter's scent, still clinging on her dress as if he was still there beside her.

Frustrated, Susan threw herself on her bed-- wearing the underdress that she wore under her dress earlier-- and screamed on her pillow.

Yep, she thought. I'm officially going crazy.

***

Lying on his bed, with his celebration clothes and boots still on, Peter stared at his chamber's ceiling once again. And he couldn't keep his mind off the dance he had with Susan Pevensie either.

As he lay there, he could still smell her sweet scent rubbing off of his clothes, and he couldn't help but feel a tingle down his spine when he remembered how Susan twirled under his arms gracefully during that dance, how her hair brushed against his cheeks...

And as he flashbacked on the way how she smiled up at him, how he held her close to him, he felt a wrench on his gut. That very same wrench that he felt four hours ago as he stared into Susan's eyes, unblinking.

It had seemed so long ago that he hated her, that she annoyed him, that he couldn't even stand five feet from her. And now he's feeling something for her that he was not supposed to be feeling.

He turned on his bed, grabbed the pillow off from the back of his head and forced it over his face.

I certainly am not falling for Susan Pevensie.

And Caspian would be leaving in the morning... For a couple of months...

***

Forget that dance even happened, Susan Pevensie!

***

I can't be falling for Susan Pevensie.