"You sure you want to do this?" Rowyn smirked at Peter. "I may burn you."
Peter cocked an eyebrow. "Bring it on, Fireheart." That was all Rowyn needed to lunge at Peter with her daggers in hand. He was quick to move his sword out and block her attempt.
They shared a smirk behind their blades before Rowyn twisted around to cut his arm and trip him so he stumbled forward.
"Bitch." He spoke playfully, ignoring the pain in his arm.
Rowyn smiled sweetly. "Thank you."
He lunged for her and the sound of her daggers clattering to the ground made Peter smile. He swung his sword at her—to which she dodged easily—and was able to grab her shoulder and turn her around so her back was to his chest and his sword rested against her neck.
"You're dead." He whispered, his lips brushing the shell of her ear.
"Oh really?" She questioned and Pete felt something pressed against his ribs. He looked down and saw a dagger made of fire resting there, luckily the fire didn't burn him for some miracle. "The quickest way to a man's heart is through the fourth and fifth rib, didn't you know?"
"I guess we're equals then." Peter said and she chuckled. "Not that I'm surprised, though."
Peter stifled a laugh and released his hold on her. Rowyn laughed quietly and her fire daggers disappeared. "There are other ways to get to my heart, didn't you know?" He asked.
Rowyn picked up her daggers and flipped them around in her hands. "Oh really? And how would that be?"
Peter smirked and grabbed a rag to wipe the sweat off of his brow. Rowyn did the same.
"You know how." Peter told her. Rowyn smiled down at her feet and rubbed the back of her neck.
"I don't even know if I'm going to go." She confessed. "I mean, I'll show up for Lucy but the chances of me staying long enough to be dragged into a large dance are slim."
Peter shrugged. "Well if you don't, then I'll come to your room and we can dance there." He winked.
Rowyn scoffed playfully and rolled her eyes. "You play with fire, Peter, you get burned." She smirked at him.
Peter came closer to her. "Maybe I want to be burned." He was so close that she could feel the heat radiating off his bare chest—feel his breath on her face. He grabbed her hand and placed her palm over his heart. "Ignite me, Fireheart." Rowyn studied his eyes, his lips, his beautifully toned chest, the way his skin was warm beneath her fiery palm.
With a smirk, she removed her hand from his skin. "You're really interested in me, aren't you?" She crossed her arms, unknowingly pushing her breasts together more and making it harder for Peter not to look.
God, did she really have to wear that short black top when training? Peter found himself thinking while forcing his eyes to remain on hers.
"Would it be so bad if I was?" He questioned, crossing his arms as well.
Rowyn bit her lip and took a deep breath. "If I show up, I'd love to dance with you." Peter smiled at her and nodded.
"Does that mean that you're possibly . . . interested in me?" He questioned, taking a step closer.
Rowyn chuckled and glanced down at her feet for a moment. "Play your cards right and I just may be." She winked at him and walked over to the bucket of water they brought down for them. Grabbing a cup and bunking it into the water, she gulped it down quickly.
"I talked with Pentalin." Peter told her, coming up to get his own cup of water. "He said that since your older and more mature, he will allow you to enter his library now."
Rowyn smiled instantly and threw her arms around Peter. "Oh thank you, Pete!" She said as he held her waist, keeping his hands off of her bare skin to be respectful. "God, I could kiss you!" Rowyn shouted happily when they pulled away, but she kept her hands on his shoulders.
Peter smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "What's stopping you?"
"Well, you're very sweaty right now so that's kind of a turn-off . . . most of the time . . . unless you're sweaty and on top of me." Peter chuckled at her response.
He carefully pushed her away and laughed. "You're such a dick."
Rowyn's shoulders shook with amusement as she smiled up at him. "You love it . . . here." She grabbed his hand with hers and twisted their hands so she could kiss his knuckles. "Thank you, Peter."
He smiled down at the golden brown-haired woman and then kissed her knuckles as well. "Anytime, Wynne."
Rowyn dropped her hand back to her side and rolled her eyes. "I hate that nickname. You know that."
Peter smirked and nodded. "Oh I know, that's why I call you it—you get really cute when your frustrated." He quickly tapped her nose and then crossed his arms while she glared up at him.
"And to think, I was going to ask what color your tunic is gonna be tomorrow so I could coordinate with it." She spoke and then moved to walk away from him.
Her smile widened when she heard him running after her. "Woah, woah, woah! I was kidding, I promise!" He told her when he walked in front of her to halt her movements. When he saw her amused expression, his face fell and he clicked his tongue. "I hate you."
Rowyn smiled proudly and placed her palm on his cheek. Peter leaned into her touch as she gently stroked his skin. "I'm gonna wear dark blue—royal blue—if you wish to coordinate." Her voice was soft when she spoke.
Peter looked into her amethyst eyes and smiled. "No red?"
Rowyn chuckled and dropped her hand. "I always wear red . . . I'm beginning to branch out into more colors, you should be proud." Her voice held amusement as he laughed quietly.
"Oh I am, Ro." He told her and she smiled. "I'll see you at dinner."
....
"After Lu's birthday, Edmund and I are going to travel to Calormene to meet more with Prince Rabadash." Susan told her siblings and Rowyn as they sat around eating their meals.
Rowyn looked up from her glass of red wine. "Are you sure?" Her eyes danced between Edmund and Susan.
"We will bring guards and Oreius has offered to accompany us as well." Edmund reassured Rowyn. "They sent word that they will have an answer about your offer prepared when we arrive there."
Rowyn nodded. "Just be careful, okay? If anything seems to be wrong, I want you both to flee . . . We can't lose you." She spoke her words to both of them.
Susan, who sat beside Rowyn, gripped her hand and squeezed it. "We will, don't worry."
"How soon after will you leave?" Lucy asked with curious eyes.
Susan and Edmund shared a glance. "Saturday morning." The morning after Lucy's birthday. Lucy nodded in understanding.
Rowyn held Susan's hand for the rest of their meal until everyone dispersed to attend to their own things. But Susan remained with Rowyn as the pair walked through the castle, arm in arm.
"If things seem okay there, I'll try and learn as much as I can about how their slaves are treated, how many there are, and where they are kept." Susan told Rowyn as they walked.
Rowyn squeezed her arm, lovingly. "Thank you, Susan." The girls stopped walking as they reached a small garden and bench that overlooked the ocean. "I truly appreciate it."
Susan smiled at her best friend. "If we're going to free those slaves if worse comes to worse, then we will need all the information we can get." Rowyn smiled at her and then leaned down to pick a small blue flower.
She handed it to the deep brown haired girl. "I love you." Rowyn smiled at her.
Susan took the flower and rested her head against Rowyn's shoulder. "I love you too." The pair fell into a comfortable silence as they enjoyed the warm, summer breezed laced with the ocean's salty scent. "You want to tell me what's going on with you and Peter? You haven't been arses to each other in awhile—well like two days, but that's a lot for you both." Susan asked after a moment, lifting her head from her shoulder.
Rowyn acted confused. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Susan rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I see the way he looks at you—I know my brother, he's extremely interested."
Rowyn shook her head and looked down at her lap. "There are plenty of other woman here in Cair Paravel that would cut off an arm just to be in the same room as him-"
"And yet, he never pays them any attention. You think he doesn't see the woman who purposely giggle loudly to make him look at them? The woman who push out their breasts when he passes by? Trust me, he does—it annoys him . . . you're honestly the only other woman—besides Lucy and I—that he gives his attention to." Susan told Rowyn, who watched the waves crash into the rocks placed randomly on the shore. "He cares about you . . . more than I thought he could, honestly." She chuckled softly and Rowyn smiled at the sound.
"I care about him too." She told Susan, who's smile brightened. "He—uh . . . he painted me the other day."
Susan's eyes widened and she let out a happy laugh. "Oh my God! He's definitely interested in you. He doesn't even let us look at his paintings."
Rowyn chuckled and fiddled with her fingers in her lap. "I told him I wanted to learn how to paint and he offered to teach me, but the thing is . . ." Susan cocked an eyebrow and urged her to continue. "I've been painting since I was six." Susan laughed out loud.
"You're unbelievable!" She chuckled and willed herself to calm down.
Rowyn gave her a look. "I wanted an excuse to spend more time with him, okay!" Susan's laughter fueled Rowyn's and pretty soon the girls eyes were tearing up from the intense laughter. "Oh shut up, Su." Rowyn said as they wiped their eyes after calming down enough.
Susan smiled brightly. "You should dance with him at Lucy's ball."
Rowyn smiled as well. "I plan on it."
"Good because if you don't I may shun you for a week or so." Susan said, faking up a serious tone, looking out towards the sea.
"Shun me? How old are you?" Rowyn chuckled once again and Susan's fake expression broke and she smiled more.
She stood and offered Rowyn her hand. "Come on, I want some chocolate."
That was all Rowyn needed to quickly stand up and rush with the Gentle Queen to the kitchens in search for chocolate cake.