Stubborn woman

Naomi sat up, tired of being bedridden already. Caspian had left some time ago, fetched by someone to go to Haf's bedside. Finally alone, she could do what she wanted without reproach.

She looked around the bedroom, finding it a little curious that she had spent more time away from her home than in it since she'd come to Ceto. Her mind was a little foggy with some medicine Mayra had given her for the pain, and she blinked to try to clear her thoughts.

The bed was far more comfortable than the hard wooden floor of the ship, but she found that she missed the gentle rocking of the calm sea. Despite the stressful nature of her time on the boat, she'd managed to find a quiet contentment in certain aspects of it. What a strange thing.

She would have thought to grow sick of the constant movement, but the opposite was true. Now, on land, she felt stagnant and still.

With a sigh, she put on the sling that Mayra had fashioned out of some cloth, admitting that her shoulder indeed hurt intensely. Her ankle also hurt, but not quite as badly. If she could avoid putting weight on it, that would be best.

She pursed her lips together, wanting to get up and walk around. Caspian hadn't specifically told her to stay put when he'd left… but she'd stayed put so well for so long on the ship, surely she deserved a bit of freedom now?

Biting her bottom lip, she used her good arm to stand herself up, favoring her sprained ankle.

She half-hopped a couple of times to reach the doorframe, jostling her shoulder a little in the process and wincing. She hopped a couple more times to reach the nearest chair, and sank gratefully down into it.

She smiled at her own success, and valued her new vantage point. That is, until she heard someone walking up to the door.

It opened and Caspian strode in, looking deep in thought, which quickly changed to surprise when he saw Naomi sitting in a chair at the table.

She smiled a little in chagrin, and shrugged her good shoulder a little bit in apology.

Her husband sighed, and then sat down at the table with her.

"I'd get onto you for leaving bed, but I'm a little shocked you bothered. Aren't you in pain?" He asked.

"I'm fine," Her voice was still quite scratchy, and he frowned. He stood and fetched a cup of water, putting on the table next to her before sitting back down.

"Do you actually think that, and are therefore delusional, or are you just lying to me?" Caspian asked seriously, causing Naomi's face to fall a little.

"I'm teasing," He clarified to soften the criticism. "I wish you had stayed in bed and rested, but you're not a child."

She drank the water and looked at him over the rim, having no real reply to his statements.

"Throat still sore?" He asked, and she nodded. "Are you hungry?"

Naomi pursed her lips and thought, then moved to stand.

"No. That's not how this is going to work," Caspian looked pointedly at her until she lowered herself back into the chair. "You can either stay here, or I can move you back to the bedroom."

The young woman sighed slowly, and then looked him up and down. He had been through much of what she had, from being tossed about by the gargoyle to being thrown into the sea, and all the rest.

"Only one of us is allowed to be hurt at a time," He quipped as he noticed her scrutiny, "and right now that's obviously you."

"But–" She tried, but he glared at her and she stopped and closed her eyes.

"By the way, Father is conscious, in case you were wondering." Naomi's eyes flew wide open, begging for more information. "One of the new Rhone brides had some magical healing something that she tried. It didn't seem to work right away, but he's awake now. Whether that's coincidence or not is up for debate."

As he spoke, Caspian moved toward the kitchen area and discovered that Cora had kept it stocked and cared for while they had been away. He gathered a few soft foods and brought them to the table for Naomi to try eating for a light supper.

She smiled at him tentatively and took a few bites of things she felt wouldn't irritate her throat.

"The doctor, and of course Mother, seem much happier now that Father is awake and able to drink a little. The doctor said that without your tending him, he wouldn't have made it home alive. I'm sure Mother will be paying a visit soon to thank you."

Naomi gulped and looked at him, wide-eyed. His expression was nearly unreadable, but there was a genuine warmth in it that she hadn't seen from him before.

She'd paused her eating, and he reached over to lay his hand on hers across the table. Her heartbeat took off and her breathing became a little shallow as he continued looking at her.

"Thank you," He said after a moment, and her mood sank, just a little bit. He was merely grateful, nothing more. "And I'm sorry for ever taking you on that ship."

She shook her head vehemently, and he gave her a half-smile.

"You're too kind to blame me, but there it is. Although, we should never have gone to another world." His brow furrowed in thought.

Naomi bit her lip and inhaled, wondering how his investigation into Edmar and the entire situation was going. Caspian looked at her quizzically, but she dropped her eyes, not wanting to seem nosy.

"I haven't talked to him yet, or my mother about that." He said as if he'd read her mind. Her face flushed pink, not particularly liking being so readable. Her husband was brave, strong, selfless, and clever. He hadn't hesitated to throw himself into danger to save her life.

She worried that she was very quickly, very deeply, falling in love with him. It wouldn't do for her feelings to be that much more intense than his, and so easily discovered. She should avoid thinking about it.

"You're tired," Caspian guessed, noticing that the sun was low in the sky and it was getting late.

Naomi nodded at the excuse for her sudden change in demeanor. It was true, even if it wasn't the whole truth. Caspian leaned closer to her for a moment, causing her to hold her breath, but he simply finished off the rest of the meal she had left behind.

She exhaled as he leaned away, and then began to gather her strength to push up into a standing position. Before she could, he was there, hand outstretched, to help her.

The woman took it with a smile, but grimaced as she tried to put some weight on her ankle. Her husband frowned heavily. He took hold of her good arm and put it up on his shoulder, then wrapped his arm around her waist, low, where he wouldn't bother the wounds on her back.

He helped her hobble to the bedroom, and he sat her on the bed while he looked through her things.

She blushed heavily as he pulled out a nightdress and held it up for her inspection.

"Is this the right garment?" He asked tentatively, and she nodded, keeping her eyes down. She felt a bit awkward. The only times she'd worn it, she had already been under the covers by the time he came in the room.

He had also been polite enough not to stare at her during those times, for which she was grateful. 

"Do you need help?" He asked softly,

She shook her head no, confident that she could get out of the loose clothing and into the nightdress without interference on his part. He nodded and left her to it, taking his own nightclothes out to change in the other room.

As quickly as she could, she readied herself for bed. She washed herself as best she could out of the basin, unable to do a particularly good job with her hair. When Caspian came back in, she was sitting on the bed trying in vain to pull a brush through the damp locks. 

Without a word, he took it from her and sat beside her on the bed. Gently, he began pulling the brush through her tangled hair. Though difficult at first, he managed to do it fairly well. Her hair slowly dried as he worked, and soon the locks were smooth and silky in his hands.

"You like to sleep with it braided, do you not?" He had noticed? She nodded, chewing on her lip and eyeing her injured shoulder.

Without further ado, he put down the brush and worked his hands into her hair. Naomi closed her eyes in contentment as his gentle fingers grazed her scalp and began softly, but firmly, braiding her hair.