ignite me / p. pevensie

chapter forty-nine

A knocked at Rowyn's wooden bedroom door made the sore young woman stand from her silk sheets and head towards it. She stifled a groan when she saw the man standing behind it. "What do you want, Peter?"

Peter appeared nervous. "I'd like to talk to you . . . please." Rowyn took a deep breath before moving out of the doorway and motioning for Peter to step in. Rowyn shut the door and adjusted her silver nightgown before walking out onto her porch where Peter had gone. "I'm sorry about yesterday." Rowyn mentally groaned at the thought of their vicious argument the day before when Peter pulled her away from her tent to scold her.

Rowyn just shook her head and looked down at her hands which rested on the marble railing. "You need to stop underestimating me—I'm stronger than you like to believe."

"I know that I just-" He paused for a moment to take a deep breath and silence over took them.

"You're such an asshole." Rowyn breathed out as her eyes burned and she bit her lip with anger.

Peter nodded and leaned more on his arms which also rested on the railing. "I know." Rowyn turned her head to his. "I just—Narnia can't lose you, Rowyn . . . we can't lose you—you're too important so when I see you out there . . . I panic . . . I'd rather have you constantly pissed off at me and alive then liking me and dead." Rowyn's heart twisted at his words and she shifted her weight between her feet.

"I'm the one who can create fire in my palms—if anyone one should be worried about someone it should be me worrying about you." Rowyn told him. Peter bit back a smile.

Peter straightened his posture more and gripped the railing. "We need to try and work together more."

"Susan's been saying that for the last four years and yet here we are." Rowyn told him and turned back to face the night sky above the ocean just below her bedroom balcony.

Peter sent her a glance. "I'm trying, Rowyn—really I am—I want to be able not think about the thought of losing you all the time but it'll take time." Rowyn nodded at the ocean. "It'll just take some time." He repeated.

Rowyn turned to face him again as he still kept his gaze onto her. "You need to trust me, Peter—I'm your equal but you aren't really treating me like it—I mean, you don't even baby Lucy as much as you do me . . . what the hell is that about?"

Peter opened his mouth to speak but no words formed. Rowyn's eyes widened as she turned away from his eyes, trying her hardest not to assume what he meant when he let out a deep breath and looked into her eyes with something she didn't want to believe. "I'm trying, Rowyn . . . just remember that—you're just . . ." He let out another almost shaky breath. "You're too important to us."

Rowyn turned to face him as her palms began to dampened. She gulped hard and spoke,"Does 'us' include you?" Peter let out a small laugh and then turned back to face her.

"Yeah . . . yeah, it does." More nerves fluttered into her chest as his eyes shined more with the one thing that terrified her more than anything else. Love.