Beyond the Sea

CHAPTER THREE: KARA

Kara climbed back on deck, still smiling to herself. She was so happy for her sister, that she found true love in the mess of their adventures. It had always made her miss Ed something awful, but she was no less rejoicing than Annaliese was.

The deck was quieter at sunset, with just a few sailors up to keep the ship going smoothly; she had asked to be put on night rotation too, not wanting them to think their queen was unwilling to do the work they had to do, but she had been refused. Which, admittedly, she was fine with. She'd been so tired as of late, more so than usual. She had a feeling the last few years were catching up with her.

She found a quiet place by the railing toward the back of the ship and looked up at the sky. It was her favorite time of night, where the sun was set, but the lighter blue on one side of the horizon slid smoothly into a rich, darker blue on the other side of the sky. She could see a few stars already.

That was one thing she truly loved about these lands; there were so many more stars than at home.

After three years, she really needed to stop thinking about the world she'd come from as home. It wasn't where she was born, anyway. She banished the thoughts and began unraveling her braid, combing her fingers through it until it hung in loose waves to her waist.

"Kara."

Well, she supposed it was only a matter of time.

She turned to meet Ed's eyes. "Ed," she said, forcing herself to sound cheerful. "I was just looking at the...the stars. Do you want to join me?"

"I would love to." He flashed a grin, and she could've sworn her heart stopped momentarily. Even after all these years, he still had such a strong effect on her. Her heart ached with longing and fear.

He stood next to her, close enough that his arm was pressed up against hers. It was silent for a long, agonizing minute or two, until he spoke. "I think that we need to talk."

Kara gave a breathy laugh, feeling suddenly very, very anxious. "I was afraid you'd say that," she whispered.

"Why?" Ed turned so he was facing her full-on, but she couldn't bring herself to do the same. "Why are you afraid? I haven't seen you in three years, Kara. Every moment spent away from you was like a knife in my chest." Such dramatic words would normally have made Kara laugh, except for the ragged tone of his voice. He wasn't joking, and Kara still couldn't look at him.

"Didn't you miss me?" His words hitched, and the pain within them sang through Kara's heart.

"Of course I missed you," she replied, staring at her hands where they clenched the railing. "I missed you every single day. I dreamed about you every single night. It killed me, Ed, being away from you. But I couldn't do anything about it, so instead I had to figure out how to deal with it." She sighed. "I don't know... I don't know what else to say..."

"You could tell me if you love me."

Kara's breath left her lungs.

"I love you, Kara."

He said it. Just like that. So simple. So easy. And yet nothing about this was simple and easy at all. As Kara tried to find air again, she choked on the words she had whispered into the sky many a night.

She couldn't say it.

"I..." There were tears slipping from her eyes. "Ed... I..."

His hand was on her shoulder, gentle and familiar. "Kara..." his hand moved from her shoulder and cupped the side of her face, gently tracing the tears. "You don't have to answer now, alright?"

How good he was. His hands still held her face, and she reached up to grasp his wrists. "It's... it's been three years. A very, very long, difficult three years, for both of us I know," she said falteringly. "I just need time. You...you're my best friend." She finally met his dark eyes, and with a start realized she recognized the look in them. It was the look he'd worn in her dream only that afternoon.