Arriving back at their inn in the upper level of the city, Caspian asked Kala to come to his room; there was something he needed to discuss.
"Kala—" he started somberly, but she cut him off.
"I know I was a burden after what happened today," she said, biting her lip. "But from this day onward, I will become stronger so that it will never happen again."
Shaking his head, he rebuked her gently. "Stop that. It's not because of you in any way. I just realised I'm too weak right now. I need to change that quickly, and to do that, I need to complete these dungeons. However, I'm worried about a repeat of today."
His eyes shook with vulnerability as he continued, "I need to focus on this without the distraction of worrying about you, because I know now, I… actually love you. And my heart can't bear to see what happened today happen again—especially if it was because of me."
She froze, stunned by his words. "L-love?"
Her heart beat faster at the realisation. "But we're from different worlds. How can I, a commoner, be with someone like you? I don't want to be some forgotten woman when you marry a noble—"
He grabbed her hands and pulled her to sit beside him on the bed, looking directly into those sea-blue eyes.
"I don't care about ridiculous notions like needing to marry a noble. And anyway, as long as I'm powerful enough, I can do what I want. We can stand up to scrutiny."
His grip tightened slightly as he dropped a bombshell. "So I'll have Vaxen take you back to my suite in the palace and have him explain to my mother that I want her to watch over you while I'm gone—and train you. That way, you can become stronger too while I'm away. That's what you want, right?"
His voice was layered with compassion and care.
Kala was stunned. To live with him… and meet his mother… already? Her mind spun as countless scenes from the books she'd read flooded her thoughts.
Caspian noticed and laughed softly when she avoided his gaze.
"I hate that you always make me feel so exposed…" she whispered.
He seized the chance to tease her. "Come on, you don't. How could you hate anything I do?"
She finally looked at him, her weak defence shattering. "It's like I'm an open book—but that's the thing I've come to… love about you. One of the many things, actually."
The words spilled out quickly as she waited anxiously for his response.
Overwhelmed, Caspian made a decision in the moment. He leaned in before Kala could react, pressing his lips to her warm, soft ones.
Her mind short-circuited for a second, but soon she responded, clumsily at first. The kiss was amateurish and sloppy, yet they quickly found a rhythm, their movements syncing as they lost themselves in the moment.
When they finally pulled apart, both were out of breath, Kala's face flushed red.
"You taste amazing," Caspian quipped.
She covered her face, her thoughts spiralling. The books do not do it justice. That was amazing…
"I didn't overstep, did I?" he asked, suddenly worried by her silence.
"N-no. I enjoyed it… your taste too," she mumbled, barely audible—but he heard it anyway.
"Good," he said with a grin. "Then let that be my parting gift while I'm away. I hope we can pick up where we left off when I get back?"
The next day, Vaxen waited by the carriage, greeting them both. He noted Kala's rosy cheeks and the bounce in Caspian's step, muttering to himself, "Seems he's quick. Got Thalric beat there. That man took nearly a decade to confess…"
"Your Highness, Miss Kala, we are ready to leave," he said with a bow.
Kala, still unused to such respect, simply nodded.
"I won't be going with you, old man," Caspian said. "I'm heading to more dungeons for training. Look after Kala, and let my mother know I want her to help train her while I'm gone. Also, procure two more water spellbooks for her. Make sure her training focuses on mastering them—just tell her to trust me if she questions it."
Vaxen wasn't surprised by any of this. "Very well, Your Highness. Have a good rest of your trip."
Caspian turned to Kala and pulled her into a hug, bending down to her level. In her simple cotton dress, she fit easily against his broad chest.
"I'll miss you," he whispered.
Blushing at his breath against her ear, she whispered back with newfound confidence, "I'll miss you too, Cas."
Soon, the carriage disappeared from sight. Caspian's expression shifted from tender affection back to calm resolve.
"Time to get to work."