A Promise to keep

[King Caspian X]

"But that is my uncle's generation." Caspian said. "They are old and soon they will lose the little power that they have left, along with their ability to convince the public. Our generation has better hopes of opening eyes." he watched as the first bit of sun escaped the world's edge and rose into the sky slowly. "It is wonderful." Caspian commented, allowing the light to spread across his face. It felt warm and good in the cold morning air.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

She sighed in releif as the sun rose and she forced herself to stand. The fish inside her squrrimed in protest against movement, but when she he stopped he did the same against being still. She smiled and stroked it softly and waited for Caspian to join her. She looked to the forest where months before she had seen Lucy and the event of her kidnap. But now Lucy was safe, probably asleep, within the castle walls. She only prayed the monster didn't come for her again. After his little trick to summon Aslan she was unsure, yet again, of her trust for him. Somewhere beyond this forest was his secret tree with both of their names carved eternaly in its trunk. But she had never seen it and desperatly wanted to. "Let us go." She said "It can't be far right?"

[King Caspian X]

"No, not far." Caspian said as he stood. He liked the warmth of the sun, but he also wanted to show her the tree that he had spent those months carving their names into. The man took her by the hand and lead the way, that nervous feeling returning to his stomach was stronger this time. He lead her across the grass and into the tree line, chosing the path with the least amount of brush. His tree was only a few minutes walk into the woods. His heart was racing the whole way. Caspian felt like a rabbit that had run to fast, as if his heart would leap out of his chest at any moment.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

She wanted to be beside him, wanted to see his face. But just like in Casr Paraval, she did not know where she was going. She had to follow after him like a loyal hunting dog follows his master. As she walked the child moved more often, as if telling her to stop. The child was against her now, constantly turning and trying to bring her body to stillness. But she pressed onward, always persistant and determined to see her prize that was nothing more than a tree. The susnlight faded away until it came in small patches that leaked through the canopy overhead. Some of the trees moved and fanned out their leaves as if to sheild them from the sun's bright rays. Two or three allowed themself to take more human forms and drift around them only to dissapear. "This place," She whispered, "Is beautiful. I didn't know there were Narnian trees this close to Telmar before we came." The thought drifted through her mind that perhaps these trees were saplings, born not long after Caspian's crowning, but the thought was overruled as she took note of their size knowing some of them had to be born about halfway between the years she had left and returned.

[King Caspian X]

Caspian turned a corner and then looked over his shoulder to make sure that she was still with him, even though he could feel her hand in his. He smiled and entangled their fingers together. A great oak stood before them, tall and strong. Caspian followed the oh so familiar trail to the middle of the tree. There he could see the large inscription that he had carved. Their names forever standing in one of the oldest trees in the forest, a heart cut around them. "This is it." he said to Susan, and also to himself. His hand went into his pocket and he clutched the ring, waiting for the perfect moment to remove it from its hiding and ask her his question. His heart was banging against his chest so hard now that on a normal day it would have hurt him. But right now he felt no pain, only complete nervousness. Now the question ran through his mind so loudly that he couldn't get it out of his head. Would she say yes? Would she turn him away? His mind fought with itself, switching back and forth from yes to no.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

She stepped ahead of him seeing, and knowing instantly, that this was the tree he had told her about. It stood proudly, higher than any of the others, with great, wide leaves that coated most of it blocking even more of the rising sun. The sounds of the chirping and chattering animals that lived inside it echoed on the breeze as she neared the trunk and traced the carving of Caspian's name as well as her own and the heart that circled it, seperating the both of them from the world. She then went around it, following the immence circumfrence until she reached the starting point. The tree could have eaisly been standing in the time of her leadership. "Caspian, it's beautiful," She said meaning the tree and all around and within it. "You couldn'tve picked a better tree. What some people would give to be like you, to see the things you saw."

[King Caspian X]

Caspian beamed proudly when he heard how much she liked the tree. "I... I think I have something that you might like even more." I hope. He thought to himself. What this the right moment? Or would there be a better one to propose? Guessing would get him nowhere. The man suddenly felt bashful. Never had he really been shy infront of Susan. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. "I have something to ask of you." he said, his face growing a little bit red.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

Susan looked towards him thinking only of the world around her. But her thoughts changed instantly when she saw his face. She had known him to be afraid, known him to be nervous. It was normal emotions that came with his duties of being king. But never in the time she had known him had she ever seen him blush before. It was something she didn't truly understand. But when she heard him say he had a question her reaction was almost instinct. She sat on one of the roots of the great tree that came up from the earth and back down. "It's about Lamont, isn't it?" She asked sadly.

[King Caspian X]

"No, no!" Caspian said quickly. "It's about you... and me." He gathered is courage inside his heart, even if he knew it might fail him anyway. The man walked over to where she sat on the root and knelt down on one knee. He took her left hand carefully in his, and from his right pocket removed the ring. It glittered with diamonds and gold, and even a few other rare gems. It was colorful, and as unique as a warrior's sword. There wasn't another in the World like it.

Caspian looked up at her, and immediately his words were lost, trapped behind his tongue that felt as if someone had tied it and he couldn't speak. You can do it. He thought to himself. "Susan..." he began. "I love you. I want to share the rest of my life with you. I want to be with you every day, and shield you from any harm that comes near us. You are the reason that I'm alive. That I can even breathe." His tongue was tied again. Will you marry me... he thought. This isn't the time to be mute! You say, 'Will you marry me'...

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

Susan's heart stopped as he knelt before her. She saw the ring and found she couldn't speak. As he began to speak the unborn child within her stopped, as if even he knew what was to happen. She thought she could feel tears forming, but she couldn't tell. She watched his eyes and continued to look back at the glittering ring. The great tree that sheltered them from the sun seemed to shake its leaves with the wind to let sunlight creap in and out causing the gems to gleam and dim, sparkle and dim, and then glitter only to dim once more. But then he stopped and she waited. He did not need to be pushed or proded. She would wait for him.

[King Caspian X]

Caspian smiled up at her and rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb. "Will you marry me?" he finished. Now all that was left was for her to answer. Please say yes, please say yes. He begged in his mind. "Please?" Caspian asked. His heart seemed to slow to almost a stop as he waited for her. All he could see or hear was Susan, nothing else. He couldn't hear the wind, or the chirping of birds. He couldn't see the forest or the wild flowers that grew in small patches. He couldn't see the sun that shone through the leaves. All that existed at that moment was her, his lover.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

Her smile returned when she heard these words brighter than before. To say she did not know this was going to happen was a lie. The had hoped, and prayed, and longed for this moment since the day she had returned and he first told her he loved her. But now that it came, now that his words were free and she was certain she had heard them and she was not trapped in another perfect dream, she couldn't speak. She threw herself at him, crying and kissing him as she did, with enough force to knock him over. Her mind screamed her responce, but none could manage to force themself from her throat. She could only cling to his body and cry joyously hoping he understood.

[King Caspian X]

Caspian toppled over as she embraced him. Endless laughter sprang from his lips, and he knew exactly what her answer was. He pulled away from her kisses only long enough to slide the ring onto her finger, then he happily embraced her again. "I'll take that as a 'yes'! " he exclaimed joyously. Caspian could feel a few tears fall from his eyes but he quickly dried them. He was so happy he could have exploded. Thank you, God. he silently said in his mind.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"Yes!" She cried at last with more life in her own voice then she knew she could have. She laughed and cried as she felt the warmth of the metal against her finger. A feeling of warmth passed over her body as the ring made contact with her skin. It took a long time for her to calm down enough to roll over on her back and look at the tree. This would be their special, secret place from now on. Only the two of them would know of it and its signifigance to their lives. Only Caspian would know to come here when she was hurt and missing. Only she would know to come here when his mind could take no more stress as king. This would be there place. She spent a few moments panting as the excitement left her almost exausted before she could summon the strength and the voice to speak. "I love you," She said, "More than anything I have ever known."

[King Caspian X]

Caspian lay beside her as they both looked up at the tree. His heartbeat returned almost back to normal, and Caspian knew that for the first time in fifteen years, he had a family. A real family. Susan. "I love you more than you could ever dream of." he told her, and grasped her hand in his. Caspian was now indeed the happiest man on earth. He kissed her again and then looked back up at the tree. This would no longer be a place of pain and sorrow-filled memories. It was a good place, it was a secret place. Whenever he came here from now on, he wouldn't think of those endless days without her, but only of the countless days that he would have to spend with her. The rest of his life started here, now that Susan was his fiance.