A Gift For You, My Darling (Susan only, please)(R)

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"Let him stay," She whispered to them as they pulled him away.

"You are in no condition to speak, my lady." The nurse told her leaving Caspian and going back to her and searching for the source of her pain. Susan knew it would not be found, not without some powerful magic, but she would humor them and let them try. "Besides, he may catch whatever is hurting you."

"He will not, I know that." She told her gripping the nurse's wrist with her trembling arm. "Please . . . I need him," The nurse was hesitant, but something - perhaps the desperation in her eyes or voice or simply her weakness - struck her and she left her side for a moment to bring Caspian back to her.

[King Caspian X]

Caspian came to her side and sat down next to her. He ran his fingers through her hair. "You're going to be okay." he told her, smiling a bit. The man leaned down to kiss her cheek, and this time the nurse didn't pull him away. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Any better?" Caspian took her arm softly and trailed his fingers up and down it, just barely touching her skin. His mother had done that to him whenever he was ill or hurting, just before she was taken away.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

When his kiss touched her warmth did not pass over her as it always did, worsening her condidtion in the case now. But instead she felt something else, something she almost didn't reconize, for a long while. Soon she noticed it, but still didn't know what it was. Her body became more aware of what was around her. The ice on her limbs burned with cold fire. At the nurse's objections she tried to push the ice away not wanting contact with it. They only put it back though she thought she didn't need it anymore. Because of her objection one of them put the back of her hand centimeters above her brow. Not finding the results she expected she touched her cold hand to her forehead. After a moment of touching various places she looked to Susan and Caspian confused. "It's gone," She said, "Her fever's broke, as if it never happened."

[King Caspian X]

"Really?" asked Caspian, happily. He looked down at his wife. She didn't look like a tomato anymore. Just his normal Susan lay there in front of him. The King was pleased. Maybe her pain would be gone too! he hoped. "How's the stitches?" he asked, still stroking her arm lightly.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"Same,"She said and the nurse pulled her hand back the second she reached down to touch the skin beside it. She didn't like having so many people around while she was with Caspian. The moments were becoming rarer by the hour and it seemed as if each passing day would lead to the disaster of either one of them or both. She wished she could just be alone with him holding her and the soft touch of his lips against her skin. She could want nothing more. How could any being want anything more? But she did not dare send them away. They were only trying to help her become well again. She had become far to reckless over the time of his absence. She seemed to feel no pain and Lamont's assults on her body meant nothing. Even if there was a chance at her escaping this fate without putting Caspian or Galen in danger she could never remove the scars he had left her with. She changed the subject not wanting to think of the countless injuries. "How is Galen?"

[King Caspian X]

"He's doing well." Caspian answered. Then he laughed slightly. "He's been trying to crawl already. He hasn't had success yet, but he's not giving up. He's strong, Susan." Caspian told her, his voice as proud as a father. His son would be a good King of Telmar and Narnia. He had to be. And so far, Caspian was impressed.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"He is," She would have screamed and jumped at Caspian if the nurses were gone, but restrained them. They had been kind enough to help her as much as they had, she did not need to aggravate their duty. Instead she only took his hand and held it tight bringing it to her lips. "Thank you, so much. I could never have done so well. He's already trying to crawl, only a few weeks old too. So strong, so spirited, so brave, so soon."

[King Caspian X]

Caspian beamed brightly at her happiness. "You could have done wonderfully." he told her, and then laughed a little bit. "I didn't really do anything. I just play with him on the floor and hide behind the pillows and stuff. I think that he sees be crawling and wants to do the same. Your son is very strong." Caspian told her. Then he tried to be funny. As soon as the nurse turned her back he quickly leaned down and pecked Susan on the cheek, and when the nurse turned back Caspian sat up with a goofy, guilty, kid-like grin on his face. "I didn't do anything." he said childishly.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"You had to have done something," She said happily still wanting to scream for the sake of her son. "All he did was lay in my arms and cry until I sang. But then Lamont would hit me saying I was making him a weak coward. He hardly moved, just drank and cried and pooped, nothing more. But now he's with you trying to crawl. He'll be standing and running and holding a sword like his father before he's old enough to read if he keeps like this." Out of impulse she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head so she could kiss him. The moment they pulled away she looked into his eyes, pleased to see the joy in them she used to see. Her fingertips softly caressed the side of his face as she spoke again, "I named you well: you truly are Vidar."

[King Caspian X]

Caspian smiled. "And you are Cuddle-bug." he said. He loved it when she wrapped her arms around him. When she kissed him. The man wanted to ask her many questions when she spoke of his cousin, but didn't want to ruin the happiness that they had right now. If they only got a few hours together, Caspian wanted them to be happy. He smiled at her, "I missed you."

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

"I've missed you more," She said kissing him again. "Ever since I left it's all i've wanted, all I've dreamed of having is you with me. It hurt to wake up each morning and see hin lying beside me. I've wanted it to be you each time. I've lied to myself and said it won't last very long, but the voice would keep telling me this is my fate forever and that I could never escape it. A few times I woke and my face was wet from me crying in my sleep. Once Lamont saw this and called me weak and beat me. He finds any excuse to punish anyone around him. His servants and slaves, his children, and his master if he could. He finds odd pleasure in bring pain to those foolish enough to cross paths with him. Galen and Secret, the poor children, he was cruelest to them claiming to bring them to a prosperious life. He would have Secret harnesd to a wagon meant to be pulled by at least clydstales and whip her until she pulled it up one of the northern moutains. He kept me seperated from Galen unless he cried so I could never know what he did to him. I hate him even more than I did before, if it's even possible, and I want to go back with you." The Cuddle-bug curled against him letting her longing for him control her. But there was always something to discourage her. She could not meet his eyes as the voice came as always. How can he accept you after what you've done?

[King Caspian X]

Caspian frowned. He didn't like the sound of Susan and Galen and Secret being hurt. He wrapped his arms around her, very careful not to touch her new stitches, and kissed her neck. "You can stay now, though." he told her. "You're here, Galen's here, and we're safe." Caspian smiled at her, and then pleaded like a child, "Pleeeease."

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

Maybe, just maybe . . . She kissed his cheek and touched his neck. "I think I just might. Where is my little Galen. I haven't seen him since I left. I miss him too. He is still alright isn't he? I trust that you've protected him better than I could, but I want to see him myself and hold him in my arms. Please, my Caspian, bring me our son"

[King Caspian X]

Caspian smiled happily. "Alright. You wait here, don't you move." he told her, and got up from the bed. He went upstairs to his bedroom, where a few nannies were taking care of the boy. These were the same old women that had taken care of Caspian when he was younger. He took Galen from them with thanks, and came walking carefully back down the stairs to the medical chambers. He moved to lay him on Susan's stomach, but stopped, remembering her wound. So instead he placed the babe by her side. Caspian sat back down by his wife and smiled. Galen had grown a lot in the weeks that she had been gone. He was bigger, stronger.

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

Her arms wrapped around the month and a half old baby and she brought it close to his chest. His blue eyes met with hers and he laughed at the sight of his mother. She could feel herself ready to cry from the joy of holding him again as she kissed his head. He was in her arms again. She was beside Caspian again. Nothing else mattered. She lightly pressed her finger to his open palm and his fingers reflexivly closed over it. The grip was strong, more than she had expected from any child, and he did not let go as he laughed at his mother's surprise. "You never exagurated," She said smiling and nuzzeling her nose to Galen's, "He is strong, even in his voice."