Always || Edmund Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia) [1]

Chapter 11

"Really?"

"Yeah. Can I ask you a question first?" Caspian nodded unsurely. "Do you like Susan?"

Caspian coughed, taken aback by her straightforward question.

"What?"

"I said what I said."

He cleared his throat once more. "Well, yes. She's a lovely lady and very respectable. I think we all like Queen Susan."

Mary breathed out a small laugh at how he tackled the question by going around it instead of answering it directly.

"I meant romantically."

When Caspian's ears turned red, Mary decided he had gone through enough embarrassment and didn't force him to answer. "Never mind. I'll answer your question."

Caspian noticeably sat up straighter and Mary fought the urge to laugh again. It was entertaining to see him so flustered over simply asking about Susan.

"To be honest, she isn't very vocal about this kind of thing," Mary admitted, thinking back to her earlier conversation with Susan and Lucy just before Caspian approached her. "But, when she does mention you, she really speaks highly of you."

Mary didn't add the part of Susan blushing at Lucy's questions about him, not wanting to give the man false hope. After all, Susan had never verbally said she liked him romantically even if Mary and Lucy could see it. It was up to them if they both wanted to act on it, anyway, so it wasn't her place to assume how Susan felt about him.

Fortunately, that was enough for Caspian. He smiled in satisfaction and nodded.

"Thank you, Mary," he said. "You won't tell anybody about this, will you?"

"No, of course not," Mary told him. "Although, I think the glances you and Susan steal of one another tells people enough."

Caspian rubbed a hand over his face, embarrassed once again.

"It was a pleasure talking to you, but I think I will take my leave now to prevent further shame."

He stood up and Mary laughed, "I was only joking."

"I know," he said, a faint smile on his lips as he patted her shoulder. "I have to go see my professor now, though."

"Alright."

"Thanks again, Mary. I'll talk to you soon."

And then he left, leaving Mary to her own thoughts again. That is, until someone else called her name, breaking her train of thought.

"Mary!" said Lucy, dragging out her name.

"Lucy!" Mary mimicked.

"What are you up to?"

"I was just finishing my food while you left to interrogate Susan earlier."

"Oh, sorry for leaving you alone," Lucy said apologetically.

"No, it's fine. Caspian kept me company for a few minutes."

"Caspian?" said Susan. Mary looked over her shoulder to find her walking towards them. "He was here?"

"Yeah," Mary replied as Lucy gave a knowing grin. "He may have asked about you the entire time he was with me, though, but it's alright."

"Oooooo," Lucy teased, nudging her older sister.

"Shove off," she muttered, pretending not to care. "Anyway, Lucy and I were planning on going for a walk since she wouldn't stop bothering me while I tried to practice my archery."