ignite me / p. pevensie

chapter thirty-nine

 "Here," Rowyn said to Peter from across their shared bedroom. "Let me help." She chuckled at the way he struggled to get his tunic to look decent. Rowyn came up behind him and fixed the back before moving to the front and straightening everything out. "There . . . now you look devilishly handsome." She placed her palms on his chest and stood up taller to kiss him quickly.

Peter removed his hands from her red silk-covered hips to cup her cheeks and keep his mouth on hers for a few more minutes. Rowyn held back a smile and fiddled with the ends of his hair, but when his tongue traced her bottom lip she forced herself to pull away.

"What-"

"If we keep this up," Rowyn began, pulling herself from his arms. "We'll never leave this room—or the bed."

Peter cocked an eyebrow and began to secure his sword on his hip. "You don't know that."

Rowyn turned to him and placed a hand on her hip. "I know you, Peter Pevensie." She cocked her eyebrow and Peter shook his head with a laugh.

"Fair enough."

A knock sounded at their door and Rowyn sent Peter one more smile before moving to open it. "Hey, Su."

The brunette smiled at Rowyn and spoke, "Aslan wants to speak with us before the meeting with Miraz's former people."

Rowyn turned back towards Peter and nodded. "Okay." She told her best friend and the couple followed her to a small courtyard that over looked the mountains surrounding the city.

"Your Majesties." Aslan bowed his head at the three and smiled. "I must speak to you about some important matters."

Rowyn grew concerned and shared a look with Susan. "What is it? Is everything okay?" Susan questioned.

Aslan told them to follow him and then began to walk through the hall of the castle. "Unfortunately, you three have learned all you can from Narnia." Rowyn stopped moving. Her heart stopped beating. "It is time you return to your world . . . and stay there."

Her face paled and her stomach dropped clear to the center of the Earth. "W-We aren't coming back?" Peter asked after a moment. His voice was a silent whisper of brokenness at the moment.

Aslan shook his head. "I'm sorry, but all good things must come to an end." Rowyn's vision blurred and her throat closed. "You have learned all that Narnia could offer you."

"Now it's time to move on . . ." Susan finished for him with tears in her eyes. Rowyn couldn't think. Her lungs urged for air that she wouldn't allow them as she stood completely silent with her eyes glued to the ground in front of her.

"You will all be reunited again . . . one day, Fireheart." Aslan told her when tears silently slipped down her cheek. Peter watched her with tears streaming down his own cheeks. "This isn't the end of you two . . . of you and the Pevensie's."

Rowyn regained control of her body and took a deep breath while wiping her eyes. "If you'll excuse me." She didn't have a destination. She just needed to be farther away from the eyes of others when she let herself completely break down.

Soon enough, Rowyn was infront of her bedroom door and hastily opening it and sitting on the edge of her bed, squeezing her knees while a pained sob wrecked through her chest. She didn't even bother hiding it when the door opened and she met Peter's tear-stained expression.

The pair didn't say anything. Rowyn just ran to him and buried her head in his chest and broke entirely. "I can't do it . . . I can't be without you." She cried heavily into his chest as he cried just as hard—so hard that Rowyn herself was shocked. She had never seen the High King so broken. Peter held her impossibly closer to his chest as he shook through his own pained, broken cries. "You guys are my family . . . I can't-" A sob cut her off. Her forehead ached as her eyebrows held themselves close to the other while she cried. Her throat was tight and her nose became runny.