And still, Caspian watched her silently.
It was a strange thing. Ordinarily, Thalia would describe the look in his grey eyes as cold and removed. He had a way of detaching himself so that his face looked like a mask behind which nobody was home. Only this time, it was different.
There was a subtleness to his frown. There was a hint of sadness, perhaps even worry. He did not make it obvious. He did not gloat about it. But in that moment, Thalia could feel the concern that her husband had for her wellbeing.
“I do not see what there is to cry over,” he said.
She sneered. “I do not expect –”
“When the answer is so simple,” he cut over her. “When one makes a plan, it is best not to tell others what that plan is, lest they try and stop it. And your brother, as much as I respect the man, committed this most fatal mistake.”
“What…” She sniffed back the tears and wiped her nose. “What are you saying?”
“Your brother is heading north to find Laurent and Lady Rosaline, yes? Presumably to catch them unawares? If you wish to save them, why not just write to them and warn them of what he plans? Give them a chance to escape before it is too late?” He shrugged. “That is what I would do, were it me.”
Thalia stared blankly at Caspian.
His words rolled through her head, the sense of them quickly becoming apparent. The sadness she felt faded. The fear that swept her slowly left. And somehow, despite the situation, a smile found her face because she could see a light at the end of the tunnel which had not been there before.
And then, before she could stop what she was doing, Thalia threw herself at her husband.
“Thank you!” she said as her arms wrapped around him. “Thank you, thank you!”
Caspian went stiff in her arms, which was not a surprise. What did surprise her was how he relaxed once he came to terms with what she was doing, and how his arms soon found their way around her so that he could hold her in comfort.
“That is quite alright,” he said, stroking her back gently. “Just make sure you write the letter as quickly as possible. I’ll have it sent with my best rider. You don’t want your brother beating you to the prize.”
She sniffed and pulled away, beaming.
And Caspian, while his expression remained flat, wore the hint of a smile behind his eyes. Not nearly so cold. Not nearly so emotionally vapid. He almost looked pleased with himself…
Thalia was quick after that to write Rosaline a letter.
She hurried to her room, sniffing back her tears, even smiling now because she knew that once again she was going to save her best friend.
Rosaline,
I cannot write you the letter that I wish, one in which I tell you all about my new life and ask nonstop questions about your own. Oh, how I wish too, and believe me, I have many questions that are in need of answering. But that will have to wait.
Rather, I am writing this letter to warn you.
My brother has found out about you and Laurent. And not just what you have done, but where you are both currently. He is coming to retrieve you, Rosaline, forcing you to return home to your father. The moment you read this letter, I need you both to leave. More importantly, I need you to stay hidden and safe.
Do this for me, please. But more importantly, do it for the two of you. You both deserve the happiness you have found, and I will not let it be taken from you.
Signed, Thalia Turner, the Duchess of Amberhall
Thalia exhaled when she finished writing the letter, the weight of the situation falling from her shoulders. Then she read the letter quickly, making sure that she did not miss anything. It was when she reached the end that she realized what she had done.
Without even considering it, she had signed her new name and title. It was not done on purpose. It was not done to prove a point. It was done automatically and without thinking. As if…as if it were natural.
She stared at her signature, her mind now casting back to the interaction she and Caspian had just shared. While he was indeed a little stiff and unemotional, he had also provided her an answer to her problems. More than that, he had comforted her.
Thalia closed her eyes as she remembered the feeling of her arms around her husband, and his arms around her. She felt her heart beating, and she felt the way her limbs began to tingle just to imagine his touch.
It was such a small thing, but in the context of all that had happened it was huge.
Her marriage might not have been moving along how she wanted. She and Caspian might still have far to go. But slowly, things were changing between them. Slowly, they were turning into a real married couple.
