Marina

Part Four

Caspian felt like he was walking on air. His steps were light, and his lips had curled into an easygoing smile. He wanted to believe that it was because of the day's fair weather, complete with a sunlit sky, fluffy clouds, and a warm breeze blowing through Cerulean Cove's Western Village.

The truth is, he felt happy because he was holding his wife's hand.

They were walking on a cobblestone road leading towards the village square. It took them past cottages big and small, as well as flowering gardens and cheerful people going about their own business. Many of the men and women he knew waved at him—then tailed him with their eyes after realizing that, this time, he hadn't come into the village alone.

Not that he minded. After all, Marina was beautiful, even in her hand-me-down clothes. Even the blindest fool would take a second glance at her if she walked by.

They passed a group of children playing with wooden swords. One was pretending to be some sort of rogue creature, whereas the other played at being a knight. Marina's chuckle upon hearing their banter made him smile wider.

"You look happy," he said, moving just a bit closer to her to make room for a man pushing his weighty wheelbarrow.

"I am," Marina replied. She had just as big a smile on her face. "I've never been to this village before. I didn't know it would look so beautiful or have so many people."

"Didn't you have any villages that looked like this?" Caspian inclined his head. Yet another clue as to where she might have come from, but he was still no closer to figuring out her former home's exact location.

Marina's eyes darted to the side, as if trying to recall what the other villages she'd seen were like. Or perhaps she was trying to think about how she could answer him. "There were, but... I always thought that the villages here would be quieter."

"At least that means you'll be used to the crowds in the shops," he said, dropping the subject.

Although he was curious, he didn't want to ruin their afternoon by needling her for more information. This was their special day, even if it had been done out of convenience. Caspian only hoped that they would reach a point where Marina could trust him, preferably before their hair had turned gray.

Marina swung her wicker basket at her side as they turned a corner. "Where are we heading?"

"To the seamstress, for one," Caspian replied. He readjusted the straps of his canvas pack so that the vegetables already inside wouldn't tumble out. "You need new clothes."

His wife looked at her frayed skirt and faded peasant blouse. Her hand-me-downs were serviceable for now, but they were already so old that they wouldn't last until the end of the season. "You're probably right."

Caspian nodded. Thankfully, he'd saved up a bit of money just before Marina tumbled into his life. It meant that his new net and sail would have to wait a little longer, but at least his wife wouldn't freeze to death in the colder season.

"We'll go to the mercantile after that," he continued. "Then, the roadside market for fruits and other vegetables. We'll stop by the butcher last."

"What's a butcher?"

Caspian stopped short. If he hadn't been holding Marina's hand, she would have continued walking without him. Since he was, she also paused in the middle of the road, thankfully nowhere near the path of another couple going the opposite way.

"It's the man who sells meat like beef and chicken," he explained, a little confused by her question.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "You eat beef and chicken, right?"