A small fire crackled in the fireplace warming the chilly room. It was late summer and the trees were just beginning their yearly change of color. The tips of the leaves burned a fiery orange, lighting up the forests.
Susan stroked a lock of hair as she stared around the dark room. "Caspian?" She asked quietly.
"What?" He muttered, not looking up from the slightly ripped page of his book.
"Do you want a boy or a girl?" She wondered. When he didn't answer she turned her head to see him still captivated by the words on the page. "Caspian!"
His head whipped quickly away from the book. "Hm?"
"Did you hear what I just said?" She asked impatiently.
"No, sorry. What did you say?"
Susan glared sideways at him before repeating herself. "I said 'Do you want a boy or a girl?'."
Caspian leaned his head back in thought. "I want a healthy baby who grows up to be as smart and beautiful as it's mother, and as charming and good-looking as it's father." He joked.
"Caspian!" Susan smiled, playfully slapping his arm. He laughed and his eyes danced the familiar dance. "C'mon now, be serious."
"Susan I don't care what the gender is, I just want it to be healthy. Besides, we can't choose that so I don't think there's any point in discussing it." He reasoned. He leaned over and kissed her cheek before blowing out the candle and nestling under the covers.
"But what if you could? What would you choose?" She pestered, placing a hand on her stomach.
"Susan, I don't know. We have both a wonderful daughter and a wonderful son. Whatever the gender it will be just as loved." Caspian assured her, a bit of annoyance hidden behind the truth of his statement.
"You're right." Susan sighed.
"Of course I am." Caspian snickered, closing his eyes. Susan glared at him and let out an airy bit of laugh. She pulled the covers up and leaned her head over onto Caspian's shoulder. He lovingly slipped his arm under and around her. The castle was quiet and dark but outside the crickets and locusts sang their nightly song, lulling them to sleep.
~
"I'll be back late this evening." Caspian promised. Peter, Edmund, and himself were traveling to Talmar for the day to take care of business and check up on the people. They did this every so often so it was nothing new, but still Caspian hated to leave so early and return so late, especially when his wife was in such an uncomfortable condition. "You sure you'll be alright?" He asked.
Susan laughed. "Caspian you make it sound like you'll be gone for weeks! I'll be fine! It's only for the day."
"I suppose you're right." Caspian admitted. "I'll see you tonight." He kissed her quickly before leaving to the stables.
They day dragged on. Caspian sat through boring council meetings with papers and seemingly pointless discussions. All day his mind traveled back to Cair Paravel where Susan paced the halls, her nose buried deep inside the pages of an old story she'd found in the library that morning.
She could hear soft giggles erupting from behind one of the bedroom doors she was passing. Lucy had volunteered to entertain the children for the evening and was in the nursery now, telling them story after story of her adventures in Narnia. Susan smiled contently as she walked passed. There was nothing she enjoyed more than the joyful shrieks of laughter from her children.
She remembered how they had both smiled ear to ear when she told them about the baby. Their eyes lit up and their little hands clapped with excitement. Eliana's surprised gasp turned into a bubbly laughter within seconds.
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Not Even Death Can Come Between Us (3)
Fanfiction(THIRD STORY IN THE 'BETWEEN US' SERIES)
