milliways_bar | (no subject)

Strata happens to look up and see Caspian. She mutters about him making her come to him, in her condition, but grins anyway.
"Hello, Caspian," she says, sitting in the chair next to him.
"What are you making?"

He looks up, a little startled, then smiles warmly at her.

"Lysistrata. Good evening." He holds up the rattle. "A present, for the baby. I'm making a cradle, too, but I can't work on it inside." He shrugs, slightly, looking chagrined.

"As an apology for being away so long. I hope you have fared well?"

"I have fared well." She blushes. She had almost forgotten how handsome he was.
"And..thank you for the presents. You are too kind."
"How fares the ship?"

His grin flashes at her again, lit by the flickering firelight. "It goes well, although I've paused for a while to work on these, instead. I think they may be more necessary. I hope you have not been wanting too much for company?"

His gaze is concerened, but warm.

"I have talke to some peope here; they're all very interesting. But I have missed talking to you. Very much so. Who else can I tease so much, or speak of the sea and of war so much, and with so much understanding? You are a true friend, Caspian. If our fates had been different..."
She stops and smiles.
"I think I have a little time until the baby comes. At the very least until the full moon after next."

"That is well." He smiles at her, and his eyes are warm. "I have missed talking with you, also." He moves his attention back to the rattle, his tone casual. "And...have you decided where you will have your child?"

"I will not go back to Athens, if that is what you mean. I have no intention to suffer my child to have that type of life. I do not know if I will stay here in Milliways, or if I will go to someone else's world.
"I think I would like a real family," she says quietly. "Like some of the others' here. With a loving husband, and a real home, and a safe place for the baby."

Caspian pauses in his work, but does not look up. "Such is as all your friends wish for you as well, my lady," he tells her quietly. He goes back to his whittling, but something in his posture communicates his relief.

"I am glad that you will stay. It is better, I think."

"I know, Caspian." She smiles indulegently. "You would not have me hurt again. See, even the bruises are fading, and I am beginning to feel more confident again.
I still do not like the idea of abandoning my husband, as it is his child too. Although somehow I think it will be a girl, and he will not regret the loss of either of us.
Perhaps he would not mind finding his wife and her baby dead."

This time, he does look up, and his eyes are wide. "Dead? What do you mean?"

He looks at her closely. "You're going to fake your own death?"

She grins widely.
"I'm thinking about it. I will see after the baby is born, because I won't endanger its life. But indeed that would mean I would be free of my life in Athens, and of my husband as well. I've been told it is possible to travel to other people's worlds."
Her tone turns serious.
"I hope you did not think I would take my own life, and the child's. I have no wish to be bound here, or pass to the world of Hades, as bad as this life is."

"Of course not!" He looks shocked. "First of all, you wouldn't endanger your child's life like that, or your own. Secondly, I wouldn't stand for it. I've no desire to see more friends of mine die."

He looks into the fire, a faraway look in his eyes. "We will make sure you and your child are safe, my lady. By this plan or another."

"And by another plan you mean 'kill the bastard for everything he's done to the woman you love.' All manly and such." She snorts in amusement.
"He'll be taken care of, one way or another, eventually. There's always a better way than violence."

He looks at her, mischevious. "Yes, there is. So perhaps I was not thinking that after all."

He turns back to the fire. His tone is teasing, but his heart is not quite in it. With a sudden flash of guilt he thinks of Ivy, of Lucy, of his queen, of his own son.

"Caspian. Something's on your mind, what is it?"
She grasps his hand and attemps to make eye contact with him.
"You know you can tell me about anything."

He smiles at her, perhaps a little reluctantly. "Thinking, my lady. I work and work all day to busy my mind as well as my hands, but I find little relief. These thoughts are swirling in my head, and I don't know what to do about them. I am worried, and miss my own son. I worry for him, stepping up as king. I miss my queen, and will never be able to assuage my guilt. I wonder what will become of you and your child."

He does not mention Ivy.

He shakes his head and touches her face, lightly. "These are not things for you to worry over, Lysistrata. I would not cloud your pretty face with my troubles when you have your own."

"There you go again, with that whole stoic thing again! It's horribly out of fashion in Athens, thus I expect it also has in yur world too. And we are better for it."
She places her hand over his on her face, looking at him intensely with her large brown eyes.
"Troubles shared are lessened, and I am your friend. If I did not want to hear about them I would not ask. And you know I am not one for falsehoods or niceties."

He only smiles at her, his expression kind. And old. Much older than he looks.

"I thank you, Lysistrata. You are a true friend. But there is nothing to do about the troubles of my mind--they cannot be banished nor can they be acted upon." He holds up the rattle. "So I work, and I talk with my friends, and it is good. Now," he levers himself up. "It is getting late, and you need your rest. Shall I help you up to your room, or will you stay here for a while longer?"

Strata streches a bit and yawns.
"You can certainly help me to my room."
She gets up and lands a peck on his cheek before he can get up.
"You are...indescribably sweet, you know that?"

For a second, something like guilt flashes in his eyes, but then they clear and he smiles his usual smile at her. "You must bring it out in me." He offers her his arm.

"Shall we?"

Slowly, slowly they go up the stairs, and Caspian teases her lightly once again becoming nothing more than her dear friend.

Strata sees the look, but says nothing. She's overheard enough converrsations to know he's been spending time with someone else, but hides it, knowing that it is foolish to be so jealous.

They stop outside of her door.
"I think I can put myself to bed, don't you think?"
There's just a tiny bit of distance in her voice. The action alone of not inviting him in is enough to signify this.

"Of course," he replies, and there is no trace of resentment or acceptance in his voice, merely friendly concern. He leans forward and kisses her lightly on the cheek.

"Sleep well, Lysistrata."

And then turns and walks back down the stairs. It is well, he thinks. It is what I deserve.

Strata watches Caspian walk away, his shoulders slightly hunched. She disliked being so needlessly cruel; then again she had never experienced such jealousy of someone else.
Closing the door, she laughed bitterly at herself. There wasa wish she knew she could never have. She should just put it behind her. Ray was such a nice man, so kind, with a great smile.
But he's not Caspian.
No, he was not.
Strata shook her head at herself. No more mind games; she liked stating things directly, for better or for worse, and she would state stuff to Caspian tomorrow.
But what if he realy did prefer her?