narnia au;

[illuminescent]

how did you get here? through a wardrobe, or through death, or maybe a portal gone terribly astray. a ring. the roar of a lion. in the bottom of a cup. because you were looking for something, or missing something. no matter how you got there, this is where you belong.

Comments

[illuminescent]

They will think you the strangest of guards. To always be by my side.

[She stays close, though. She doesn't mind.]

I will always have you.

[curlytop]

I have never cared what they think of me.

[He kisses the top of her head, fingers stroking lazily over her spine.]

I will be yours. Nothing else is important.

[illuminescent]

[She presses her chin on his chest.]

Truly?

[She smiles a little.]

You know I would ask you to marry me. If we could.

[curlytop]

[He plays idly with her hair, smiling faintly.]

I know you would.

{It's not the greatest comfort in the world, but it's enough.]

[illuminescent]

And I think you would do the same.

[She relaxes a bit more in his arms.]

I cannot wait to be home.

[curlytop]

I would have done already, if I thought you could say yes.

[He closes his eyes and relaxes as well.]

Nor me. I don't like the way they look at you here.

[illuminescent]

How do they look at me?

[She sits up a little, to look at him in the eye.]

[curlytop]

[He curls his fingers under her chin.]

Like you should not spend so much time with your guard.

[illuminescent]

[She looks a little surprised, then.]

Do they?

[She holds onto him, then.]

I do not like how they look at you.

[curlytop]

[George tilts his head, curious. He doesn't pay attention to how people look at him.]

How do they look at me?

[illuminescent]

Like you are too close to your queen.

[She frowns, and comes up to push her hand in his curls.]

Like you forgot your place, and they seek to remind you of it.

[curlytop]

[He leans into the touch, his eyes closing for a moment.]

I know exactly what my place is.

[illuminescent]

[She is quiet a long moment.]

I think I am going to request a return sooner than anticipated. I do not like to be away from Narnia, no one will think it odd.

[She presses against his side, her face in his neck, her fingers tracing the lines of his tattoo.]

I do not wish to linger. I want to go home, where you can be close by me and no one thinks you odd for it.

We can go to the sea. There are coves that are private, that are mine.

[curlytop]

[He cups her cheek in his hand, thumb brushing over her cheek.]

We cannot keep running away, Lucy. You are still queen; we can't ignore that.

[He does want to run away with her, though, to a cove or wherever they can be together, for a day or forever.]

[illuminescent]

[She wishes that this did not feel so impossible.]

I know.

But you were hurt, and I know I cannot make it less so, but.

I do not know how to make it better for you.

[curlytop]

[He presses his cheek to her hair.]

You don't need to make it better for me. I can't make it better for you either, but I have you, and you have me. We can't change the world, but we can make the best of it as it is.

[illuminescent]

But I am a queen.

If anyone should be able to change the world, it should be me, do you not think?

[She doesn't often have doubts. But right now she does, and he gets to hear them.]

[curlytop]

[He's quiet a moment because this is heavy, and he's not sure exactly how to approach it.]

I think that sometimes a queen is less free than a slave.

[illuminescent]

[Her silence is loud. She shakes her head.]

I would never say-

[Its an uncomfortable thought.]

Maybe I should tell Edmund. My royal brother knows the power of secrets.

[curlytop]

Tell him about us, you mean?

[That's an uncomfortable thought for George. He trusts Lucy, and he knows the Narnians are not Calormenes, but he doesn't trust that Edmund wouldn't send him away.]

[illuminescent]

Yes.

You do not like the thought. I see it in your face.

[She looks tender, then. Gentle.]

Tell my why, my love.

[curlytop]

[George hesitates, because he knows that Lucy will tell him Edmund can be trusted. He's her brother, of course she will.]

I think...if your royal brother knew a guard was bedding his sister, he'd have me sent away.

[illuminescent]

[She goes still.]

Certainly Peter might think it. And even Susan, if she suspected you of ill will.

But I think Edmund would understand.

[But that said.]

Do you think I would allow them to send you away? How could they manage such a thing and keep my love?

[curlytop]

[What George knows of royalty comes from a year in Calormen and a lifetime of BBC period dramas. He has some pretty grim ideas of what royals will do to their own families.]

By thinking you'll forget me.

[He's quick to add, so she doesn't think differently] I know you would never, but they might.

[illuminescent]

[She shakes her head, fierce.]

If they tried I would go after you. I promise.

I think the Lion brought you to me.