The Heir I Need

Part III: Chapter 6

"Oh, hello," she greeted with a bright smile.

"Hi," Gael squeaked with a little wave.

"Lucy, this is Gael. Gael, this is Lucy. You can share a room with her if you would like. Or you could share a room with me," I offered.

"I'll stay here," the little girl replied then looked to Lucy with wide eyes, "If that's okay with you."

"Of course it is," Lucy nodded with a small laugh. She held out her hand, "Would you like me to peel that for you?"

Gael nodded placing the orange in her hand, "Yes, please."

Lucy easily removed the peel before passing the fruit to the little girl. Gael sat down on the bed beside her, happily biting into the delicate orange slices. I smiled lightly at her before heading back up to the chart room. I decided to take a detour upon seeing Caspian, Drinian, and Edmund standing at the helm looking toward something.

"What do you see?" I asked as I approached.

"An island, Your Majesty," Drinian answered pointing.

I followed his gesture to a distant speck of land. Caspian handed me the scope, saying, "It looks uninhabited. But if the lords were heading East, they may have stopped here."

I looked through the scope to see a beautiful beach which ended with a forested area. It seemed quiet and empty.

"It could be a trap," Drinian stated with a frown.

"Always the downer," I mumbled making the man give me a slightly irritated look.

I merely smiled in response.

"It could also have some answers," Edmund pointed out, "Caspian?"

The king seemed to think a moment before answering. "We could also find more supplies there. I think it will be safe. Aewryn?"

All three men looked to me as I lowered the scope. I almost chuckled at the child-like expressions on their faces.

"We'll go ashore and spend the night there then," I suggested, "We can explore the island in the morning."

Everyone nodded in agreement and Drinian called for the longboats. We made it to the sandy beach just as the sun was setting. I went to help Edmund start a fire.

"Would ya look at that?" he hummed drawing my attention.

I looked up and followed his line of sight to those across the pile of timber. I then smiled seeing Percy offer a blanket to Gael. She accepted it with a timid smile thanking him. His face tinted pink as he nodded.

"Oh, dear," I chuckled shaking my head.

"I think they'd be cute," he remarked with a thoughtful look.

"Ed!" I scolded playfully and he laughed.

We continued stacking wood until we were certain it would last us the night. Drinian then lit the fire with a lantern brought over from the ship.

"Does Percy suffer from panic attacks?" Edmund questioned suddenly.

My face fell instantly. He must have had one while we were on the Lone Islands. I sighed and nodded.

"Ever since he was maybe three or four. I don't know why or what to do about them," I answered slowly, "Caspian and I have tried everything. But he gets so worked up so quickly...They're certainly less frequent now, but when they happen..."

I shook my head. It was horrible watching my baby suffer like that. The fear in his little eyes...

I glanced over to see Percy sitting beside Gael, both of them looking up at the stars. He was pointing upward and gesturing as he spoke. He must be telling her some of the bedtime stories Caspian used to tell him. His professor had taught him loads about astrology, and Caspian had been more than excited to pass on his knowledge to my son.