Caspian is gone for around two hours. During that time, I've had multiple servants come up to me and offer me food, which I took and ate, but kept half for Caspian.
When he comes out, his face is all blotchy, parts of it bright red, and others white as snow.
"Cas?" I snap to attention.
He doesn't say anything, but instead, just wraps his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. I can feel the tension leave his body as I return the embrace.
"What happened?" I ask, rubbing the back of Caspian's neck gently.
He won't respond, just hugs me tighter. He shakes violently, like he's holding back from sobbing.
"How about we take a ride?" I suggest finally. "We can get away for a couple hours, just us."
"I would love that." Caspian's voice is thin, small, struggling not to break.
"Then I'll go get the horses ready. Meet me in the square." I let our foreheads touch for a second, then I bolt down the stairs, toward the stables. The royal horses are kept in front, then the knights', then finally, a few for the servants. I take a royal horse and a servant horse and lead them out onto the cobblestone road.
Caspian is sitting on the steps with two large bags at his feet.
"Woah, I said ride, not moving out." I laugh, stroking my horse's nose to comfort her.
"Well, that's what I'm doing." Caspian latches one of his bags to his horse. "If you want to come along, this one's yours." He tosses me the second.
"What about your parents?" I ask, but fasten the bag to my saddle as well.
"I've written them a note. It's not the best way to leave, but I can't stay here anymore." He climbs up, reaching out his hand to help me onto my horse.
"Okay? But where will we go?"
"I've got an idea." Caspian kicks his horse, and takes off, me trailing along beside him.
We ride through the trees and alongside the river, neither of us really talking until it gets dark.
"Should we set up camp?" I ask, slowing my horse to a stop. She sighs sleepily.
Caspian nods reluctantly, sliding down, then coming to my side and lifting me off, though he's so weak by this point, I send both of us tumbling to the ground. Somehow I twist in midair, landing on my back, Caspian on top of me. Our noses are barely touching, and his inky black hair cascading into the white-blonde of mine.
"Hello there." I attempt a light joke, trying not to notice that neither one of us have moved, or even tried to. My eyes travel to Caspian's lips, which are just a few tempting centimeters away, but I force myself to look into his eyes. He looks back at me with the same intensity.
I'm brought back to the time I first met Caspian, he was one of the only people who didn't avoid me because of my eyes, who didn't judge me, who treated me like a normal person. He makes me feel like my eyes are the best thing about me, a feeling I never thought I'd feel.
"Are you okay?" Caspian takes me away from the past, forcing me back into the present. His hand is resting on the ground next to my face.
"I'm awesome." The words come out before I can stop them.
"Okay, then." He stands, reaching out his hand. Whenever I take it, I feel his silky smooth royal skin up against my rough calluses, and yet, it still feels perfect, like our hands were made to fit into each other's.
I'm pulled to my feet, and Caspian gives me an awkward smile. He no doubt knows what I was thinking, but he's kind enough not to bring it up.
I desperately look around for anything to change the subject, and begin picking up random sticks and assembling them into a pile, where Caspian then takes out a couple sharp rocks, and begins to fling sparks onto the wood.
We sit together around our fire, sharing a bowl of soup, so as not to waste food. Caspian's cloak is wrapped around both of our shoulders like a blanket, but, again, neither of us seem to mind. Intimacy is just something that comes so unspokenly natural to us, that, at this point, we don't question it.
"We really should get some rest." Caspian sets the empty bowl down on the ground.
"Yeah," I rub the back of my neck, "I'll take first watch."
"Nonsense, Davy. You've agreed to come this far with me, let me make it up to you."
"Cas, there's nothing you have to make up to me." I'm sure I said that a little more flirtatiously than I meant to.
"Well, we can't both take first watch, now can we?" Caspian chuckles, scooting closer to me, so that I have to push my shoulder behind his to let our sides touch.
"I suppose not." With a yawn, I move to settle down behind Caspian, but he wraps his arm around my shoulder, leading my head onto his lap.
"I think it'd be easier to keep watch if you're right here." He whispers as I close my eyes, curling up on my side, facing the fire.
I fall asleep with Caspian's hand on my head, keeping my hair from falling into my nose and eyes, and strangely, it feels like home.
YOU ARE READING
Caspian Jones
Fantasy*READ THE NOTES FROM A DRAGON SINGER SERIES BEFORE THIS ONE* Caspian Quillsnake has it all. The cushy royal life, his best friend, Davy, by his side. But Caspian has a secret. When his uncle, the only one who knows Caspian's secret, is attacked, C...
