Rising with the Dawn

When You're Ready

While the others talked, Demetria sat on the edge of her bed, a small bottle at her side. Lifting her skirt she grimaced at the sight of the metal brace that ran from the top of her thigh to halfway down her calf. The dwarves that had crafted the silver metal had etched flowers and vines into it, but that didn't help her think of it as anything but hideous. Mostly because of what it reminded her of. Taking the bottle she put a few drops of oil on the dainty gears on the sides of her knee. Those gears and oil were the only chances she had of bending her leg even slightly. Cleaning off the extra grease she let her skirt fall back into place as she stood. Demetria tucked the oil away in a small alcove behind a painting that hung on her wall. Normally the place would have been used to hide jewels but she had no jewels to hide at the moment. As the painting fell back into place a knock sounded at her door.

"Come in!" She called turning around to face the door. Edmund slipped inside, a smile on his face.

"Hey Demi," he greeted as he closed the door behind him. Demetria smiled, nobody had called her that since he left and even before that he was the only who did.

"Hi," she said and he crossed the room to wrap his arms around her waist, dipping his head so that his forehead resting against hers. She laughed softly, her hands travelling lightly up his arms to rest on his shoulders.

"What's this for?" Demetria asked almost teasingly as her eyes searched his face. He hadn't become any harder to read but he hadn't gotten any easier. Contentment and love were in his eyes, but worry brewed behind that.

"I just missed you." He answered, "it's been nine months since I last saw you." Demetria hummed in agreement, her eyes slipping closed as she enjoyed the feeling of him being there and the tip of his nose brushed against hers.

"What happened to your leg?" Edmund muttered, "you're limping badly." Demetria grimaced, pulling away slightly as her eyes opened.

"I'm sorry Ed, but I really don't want to talk about it." She admitted and the worry in his eyes grew, mixing with hurt, so she continued. "It's nothing against you, absolutely nothing, it's just really hard to talk about. Caspian and I don't even talk about it." Edmund nodded the hurt slowly fading away.

"Alright," he agreed, "whenever you're ready, I'll be here."

Demetria smiled. "How are things on the other side?" Edmund shrugged slightly,

"They've been okay." He said, sounding a touch bored, "Mum, Dad and Susan are in America, Peter is staying with the Professor, while Lucy and I have been staying with Eustace Clarence Scrubb." His face scrunched up in disgust to match his tone as he said the ridiculous name.

"What kind of name is that?" Demetria asked, making him chuckle.

"It's not as bad as he is." He sighed, "Enjoys getting others in trouble and pinning bugs to boards. Very much "glass is half empty" type and anybody that doesn't agree with him is wrong."

"At least he isn't here." Demetria tried to sound happy as she said it but the way he grimaced made her realize she was wrong. "Oh...nevermind then." Edmund laughed, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"It's not at all bad at the moment though." He said softly, and she didn't fail to notice the way his gaze dropped down to her lips for a heartbeat. A faint smile touched her lips as he tugged her closer.

"There is nothing that could argue with that." She muttered, letting her own gaze drop as he tilted his head slightly. She could feel his lips gently brush hers as he spoke.

"Absolutely nothing." He agreed before kissing her gently. Eyes slipping close, Demetria wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing closer to him till there was no space between them and nothing around them. All she could hear was the rapid beating of their hearts and all she could feel was his arms around her and his lips against hers. It was the lack of air that drove them apart and even then they kept their arms around the other.

"I love you." She said as her eyes opened again to meet his brown ones. She noticed they weren't just brown. His eyes held streaks of honey and flecks of gold. They were beautiful.

"I love you too," Edmund said, drawing her from the way his eyes had pulled her in. Brushing another, quick kiss on his lips, Demetria pulled away with a smile.

"Come on, the others will be wondering where we disappeared to." She grabbed his hand as she drew him towards the door. "You would be surprised how quickly rumours spread on board a ship."