ignite me / p. pevensie

chapter twenty-four

As the morning's bright sunlight poured onto her face, Rowyn began to stir in her sleep. When the light met her open eyes she winced heavily and heard footsteps rush to her side.

"Ro?" Susan questioned, sitting on the bed beside her friend. The honey-haired girl turned to look at Susan as well as her siblings that stood behind her.

"H-Hey." She mumbled out through the tiredness that surrounded her. "How long was I out?"

Susan turned to look at her siblings then back at Rowyn. "A week, but we woke you up every here and there to use the bathroom and eat, but you were practically still asleep when we did."

Rowyn's face appeared shocked and she moved to sit up. Susan instantly rushed forwards to help her. "How did you do that with your fire and yet not kill anyone?" Edmund questioned, earning a glare from Susan.

"She's just woken up, give the girl a minute will you?" She scolded her brother and handed Rowyn a glass of water which she devoured in a few large gulps. Susan stifled a laugh and poured the girl more.

Rowyn looked down at her broken hand, now wrapped in a makeshift cast. "For the past few years, ever since the Battle of Beruna, Aslan has been teaching me how to control my gift—to tame it, understand it, yada-yada-yada." She waved her other hand which also held wraps that she would ask them about later. "He taught me how to control it's intensity—the amount of pain it could cause someone-"

Peter perked up. "That's how you didn't burn me with your fire daggers when we trained last month?"

Rowyn nodded and swallowed down another cup of water. "When I spoke with Aslan about Jadis' corruption of them—just like how only I could kill her, only my fire could rid the people of the ice that plagued their minds . . . He knew that, I think, that's why he'd been teaching me all that stuff that I thought was useless." She gave a small, weak chuckle. "But he gave me a way to save an empire—to save many Narnian lives from being lost in another major battle."

Susan smiled at her friend and gripped her hand. "You did amazing, Rowyn—truly." Rowyn smiled at her friend and squeezed her hand again. When Rowyn yawned and rubbed her eyes, Susan stood up and began to shoo her siblings out the door before they could protest. Susan was by Rowyn side quickly once her siblings were gone. "I'll run you a bath."

....

After Susan helped Rowyn bath so she wouldn't get her casts wet and helped her change into a loose silver dress, Rowyn stood on her balcony watching the ocean while leaning on her forearms.

"I was wondering when you were going to check on me again." Rowyn smiled softly and turned to look at Peter who had walked onto her balcony.

Peter smiled gently at her and came to stand beside her and lean against the railing she had once leaned on. "Aslan sent word that you might experience a 'burnout' or something. Do you feel . . . different or weaker?"

Rowyn looked down at the burn mark that rested beneath the wrappings around her not broken hand. "I usually can feel this . . . fire in my stomach that burns constantly but now it's just . . ." She took a deep breath. "Gone. Well not completely but it's definitely different than before."

Peter nodded. "Aslan said he will speak to you about it at your next training session next month." Rowyn nodded and turned around to face the ocean again.

"I feel drained." She confessed and then looked down at her palm. "The fire I produced that night burned me—actually burned me . . . it's never done that before."

Peter carefully placed his hand over her burnt palm. "Fire can't cause absolutely no pain—that would be too convenient . . . maybe by preventing it from hurting them, it hurt you instead." Rowyn sighed.

"Maybe . . ." She said and then met Peter's gaze. "I thought I told you to tell me after, Pete." Rowyn smirked softly.

Peter's shoulder shook with amusement as he smiled. "Well you also told me not to follow you so I'd say your orders are pretty shit." Rowyn scoffed and carefully slapped his shoulder.

"Dick." She muttered under her breath as they shared a small laugh. "D-Did you mean it though? Or was it just some spur of the moment 'we could die' thing?"

Peter stared at her for a moment before cupping her cheeks and pressing his mouth to hers. Rowyn's eyes widened her a bit before she shut them and returned the kiss. "I love you, Wynne . . . I have for a few years now." His thumbs stroked her cheek softly as he kept his forehead pressed to hers.

"Well, I love you too, Pevensie." And then she captured his mouth once more, this time not stopping for anything.