𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 | ❝Hope is good, Hope will never disgrace, but make no mistake, Hope will hit you in the face!❞
In which the Just King becomes betrothed to a princess from a neighboring kingdom, only to fall in love with the prin...
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THE TIME HAD COME for the Narnians to infiltrate Telmar. Night had fallen, but everyone's anxieties were climbing. It was now or never. They were going to avenge Narnia, and they would do it tonight. Everyone was ready for what was to come — everyone but Hope.
Hope knew what to expect from tonight: fighting, death, shouting, maybe a Telmarine or two running around in their pajamas. But that didn't mean she felt ready. How does one simply... walk into a bloodbath?
Despite the not-so-small part of her that said otherwise, she kept trying to convince herself that she was ready. Perhaps she could trick her brain into believing she was if she kept saying it to herself. No time remained to fret and worry. She had to be brave, and she had to be certain.
And that was what she (sort of) believed until she caught Odette's gaze just before leaving Aslan's How.
The How rumbled with low chatter as the small militia left. Whispers of prayer circled the room. Some wore valiant faces as they bid one another goodbye. Others were too anxious to speak. Those who would fight and those who would wait at the How would part, but for this moment, they held their breath together. A final moment of unity.
Hope was among the silent. She spoke to no one — not Edmund, not the Pevensies, not Trumpkin, and certainly not Caspian. Not even did she speak to Odette, though they did see each other before parting for what could be the last time. Granted, they only shared a brief glance across a crowded room, but the world slowed to a stop when their eyes locked.
Odette's blue eyes seemed calm, but Hope knew better now. Behind her ocean eyes existed a tsunami that coursed with apprehension and dread. It was clear Odette longed to say something to Hope. Hope saw it in her bobbing jaw. She was holding herself back. Maybe she wished to say good luck or goodbye or some random last-minute thought she had. It was practically on the tip of her tongue. Hope thought about saying something to her, too. Susan's advice kept nagging at her subconscious.
But Odette didn't say a word to Hope.
And neither did Hope speak to Odette.
They didn't even bother opening their mouths, nor did they move toward each other. They shared only that short glance across a crowded room, and nothing else.
As Hope left the How, Odette's worried eyes invaded her mind. They bore into her brain, washing every thought, memory, and dream inside her head with a blue tint. Even as she blinked, all she could see behind her eyelids was Odette's gaze. Hope couldn't stop thinking about Odette and the notion that maybe she should've said something before leaving. Just in case.
