In Stone

17: "You're mine!"

17: “You're mine!”

She was beautiful. It was always a surprise to Caspian just how beautiful she had become in the years since leaving Galmora. It wasn't that she had changed overly drastically physically, but she held herself in a new way, looked at him differently and that was enough to make her almost a completely different woman altogether.

There was a sensuality to her now that the sweet Rowan he once knew never possessed. She didn't hide or even attempt to hide her curved body from him. It was like she was wanting him to look, to admire and bemoan what had almost been his.

It was infuriating.

Why was she beautiful? She didn't have the right to be beautiful. She should be as ugly on the outside as he knew her to be within. She shouldn't be allowed to smile with the blood that stained her hands, or look at him as though she had always known he would be back. Just seeing her again had his blood boiling with fury. What right did she even have to live?

Then Caia reached forward and put her hand gently against his back. He could tell that she hadn't done so to calm him down, she had done so because she herself was afraid. She was seeking comfort and assurance, and nothing else could have calmed him more. Someone else needed him, truly needed him, he could focus on that.

His focus narrowed for a brief moment of the warmth of her hand on his back. Doing so eased the red from the edges of his vision. He could still feel the fury, his blood was still hot with the need to kill the woman that had taken so much from him, but he could put it in perspective for the moment. It would be so easy now to rush forward except he had to worry about Caia.

“I'm surprised actually, Caspian,” Rowan said as if oblivious to his inner turmoil. She began walking around the kitchen, giving them a wide berth to avoid being struck by Caspian's sword. He hadn't drawn it yet but he had his hand on the hilt, prepared to do so.

As if they weren't at all important, Rowan began making herself a glass of water. She grabbed a cup from the cupboard and went to her refrigerator to get them ice and Caia found herself giggling nervously at the sight. It was just so ridiculous considering the situation. There was no way that they weren't going to jail tonight.

Rowan heard the giggle and looked up. “Oh, how rude of me. Did either of you want something to drink? We have water, lemon tea, nothing alcoholic I'm afraid. Cid isn't allowed by order of his doctor to have it anymore, so now he sneaks the scotch when he thinks I'm not looking.”

“Not that you care,” Caspian sneered.

“Why would you say that?” she asked as if genuinely surprised.

“Don't tell me that you actually love that old man. You married him for what he could give you. You're waiting for him to die so you can have it without needing to lay with him.”

Rowan was shaking her head gently before he finished speaking. “You seem to have the wrong idea. It's true that I married Cid because he could offer me what no one else could in this world, but I do love him. He gives me things that you, Caspian, never did. He accepts me, he adores me. He thinks my power is charming and encourages me to use it.”

“You aren't a creature that's capable of love!” Caspian snapped angrily. Like it was a rope tied to his waist, only Caia's gentle hand on his back kept him from leaping forward.

Rowan looked hurt. “Why would you say that? I love as anyone loves, Caspian. I have needs and desires. That's not wrong. That you treated it that way is your mistake, not mine.”

“I was trying to protect you!” Though five years had past, it was like they were picking up the argument exactly where they had left it off. Caspian felt like he was going to make exactly as much progress as he had encased in stone.