This is the tale of a journey that takes Luna not only to discover the world beyond Narnia's borders; she will find a purpose that goes deeper than protecting her king.
» That's why. I can't protect you the way I should... « As she looks into his ey...
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» I thought I'd find you here, « he hears her voice before he sees her. Luna strides into the secluded room with barely a sound. Startled, Caspian looks up from the book in his lap. Hastily, he sets it aside and rises from his position on the sofa by the fireplace – he always does when she enters the room. Though, over the past years he had to suppress that instinct. A smile now adorns his features as he offers his hand, palm up. Luna's lips quirk in amusement as she places her hand in his and he brings it up to press a kiss on its back. Though, a faint blush coats her cheeks, her eyes shimmering fondly. All things she finally is free to allow.
» You know me too well, « he gestures towards the space beside him as he settles on the sofa once again. A blanket is draped over the back, stitched with delicate stars and ornaments. This is one of his favourite places to be. So when in search of the king, Luna usually looks here at some point. He has always loved to read and seeks solitude for it – as prince he fled from the harshness of the world his uncle built, as king he needs the quiet to hear himself think again. He often is seen with a book or scroll under his arm around the castle grounds. Previously, his Crown Shield would be a few steps behind him, rarely carrying anything beside her weapons. So, some think her uneducated. That her reading habit is simply not displayed in the open does cross few minds – it would, after all, distort her vigilance. Also, she is a commoner. But she does read, a perk of growing up among centaurs, the habit only increasing as Cas would bring her books and scrolls he likes or tell her about something she needs to read up on.
Instead of sitting down beside him, Luna takes a turn around the room. Old habit – checking entrances, windows, angles, shadows. Cas watches her stroll along the shelves, one hand lightly trailing over the backs of various literature with restrictive caution.
» They aren't gonna bite you, « his chuckle accompanies the familiar teasing. He leans back, draping his arms on top of the sofa's backrest. She glances at him with fond exasperation, mischief dancing in her eyes.
» I'm aware, « she smiles, » I do read, you know. «
» Do you now? « His smile broadens, proceeding to a chuckle at the playful glare she sends him. He loves these evenings when she would find him here and stay. They would look at the books together then, sometimes competing in who knows more of the titles by heart – surprisingly she would not always lose. He may read most, but she observes. He can tell the contents, she the cover. Or he would simply watch her slender fingers graze over leathery books, pulling something out here and there to skim over a few pages. A feeling of familiarity would wash over him, creating a cosy and sheltered atmosphere. In the past, it always left the king wanting, longing, wishing it to be a regular occurrence, like their very own, intimate hiding place to be the friends they used to be. Before he was trusted with the crown and she with the shield. Now, his wish is coming true a little more every day. He relishes the time they spend in this very room, hidden away at the top of the vast archives of the library – sometimes he takes her hand and lead her here. Here, where they can express any feeling without worrying about prying eyes or sharp tongues revealing secrets that are not yet meant to be. Where they are simply Cas and Luna.
