xxvix

Ophelia walked forward and slammed the doors to her balcony shut and yanked the curtains closed before walking to the room divider and crossed her arms before unbuttoning the cape. She flung it onto the bed and tried to reach for the zipper but couldn't reach.

Caspian walked into the room, quietly shutting the door, and noticed that Ophelia was struggling with the zipper. He walked over to and gently tugged the zipper down. Ophelia looked over her shoulder and noticed that Caspian was there, not saying anything.

"Thank you." Ophelia said lowly, facing the front and closing her eyes. "No problem, Darling." Caspian responded, rubbing her biceps softly.

The shoulder of the dress slipped down Ophelia's arm. Caspian leaned down and pressed butterfly kisses against her shoulder. Ophelia sighed lovingly before turning in Caspian's grip and faced him.

"Yuki warned me," Ophelia looked into his face. "She warned me to not take the crown." Caspian pursed his lips and shook his head. "No, you did the right thing. If you would've given the crown to Yuki, imagine how decimated the kingdom would become." Caspian reached up and put his hands on the sides of her face.

Ophelia closed her eyes and leaned into Caspians hand. "You made the right choice." Caspian repeated once more. Ophelia nodded.

I made the right choice.

---

Ophelia - who had changed into a more suitable dress and slowly walked down the hall. She had sent Anaieese and Caspian away, telling them that she had something personal to do. Ophelia stopped in front of a set of french doors, hand outstretched towards the handles.

She stopped, emotions churning in her chest. Ophelia breathed through it and gripped the handles, pushing open the doors before she could change her mind.

Abraxas and Natalia's room seemed like someone still lived there, yet no one at all. Books were scattered around the desk on the far wall and journals were scattered on the messy bed. Ophelia took a step in, closing the doors behind her.

She ran her hand over the statues placed beside the doors. Dust had gathered on her finger. Ophelia sighed and wiped the dust off before walking towards the desk. She picked up the first book, which was written in German. She set it down to the side and picked up the next book.

She opened the book and saw Natalia's neat scrawl. She ran her hand over the words and smiled softly. Ophelia closed the book and turned, walking towards the large bed and pulled the newest looking journal towards her.

She opened it and saw Abraxas' messy scrawl taking over the page. Ophelia closed the journal and picked it up, and the one beside it before making her way back towards her room.

Caspian was walking past when Ophelia was walking into her room. "What're you doing, my love?" Caspian asked, causing her to jump and spin around.

"Oh, you scared me!"

Ophelia smiled and held out a journal. "I was going to read through some of Dad's notes, just to get the jist of how to rule a kingdom." Caspian grabbed the journal and grabbed Ophelia by the hand. They passed some servants on the way down the staircase.

"Would you please bring the journals on my father's bed down to the library?" Ophelia stopped and asked. Caspian turned and looked at her, before shaking his head and smiling.

"Of course, my queen." The servants bowed and left. Caspian and Ophelia started their way towards the library again.

They went to the back of the library, and sat down. Caspian leaned back and started reading through the journal. Ophelia set her journal on the table and leaned forward, looking at Caspian.

Caspian dropped the journal down from his face a bit as the servants set the journals on the table. "What?" Caspian asked once they left. Ophelia shrugged and leaned back, flipping to the last page Abraxas had written in the journal. She read through the page, which was talking about a plan to get Perseus and Yuki dealt with.

"The last time he wrote in the journal was before Perseus was killed." Ophelia sighed, setting the journal down and looked at Caspian, who stuck his thumb in the middle of the journal and flipped to the page.

"I wonder why that is." Caspian responded, looking up at Ophelia. "Have you seen Kahlil since after the coronation?" Ophelia asked, suddenly.

Caspian set the journal down and sighed. "I hope what I'm suspecting is wrong." Caspian ran a hand down his face and looked back to Ophelia.

"What are you suspecting?" Ophelia asked, sitting up tall. Caspian looked her in the eye, before looking away again. "Ophelia. I don't want to say anything without knowing the truth." Ophelia tensed before looking to the side.

"You suspect Kahlil is the other spy?" Caspian snapped his head up and looked at Ophelia. "How did..." "I suspected it, too. This isn't the first time he's disappeared without a trace." Ophelia concluded and pushed away from the table and ran a hand through her hair.

"I thought we were done with all of this traitor shit." Ophelia sighed out before turning back and facing Caspian. "That's probably why he forced everything to happen at a certain time. This is his plan." Caspian stood up and walked up to her and gripped her biceps.

"Let's talk in private, my darling." Caspian pressed a kiss to her forehead and led her to a part of the castle she had never been to before.

"Where are we going?" Ophelia asked once Caspian pushed open a dark wooden door. Caspian moved to the side and let her walk through the threshold. "You're going to my room." He answered finally.

Ophelia looked around the room. It was a simple room, with a simple bed, simple chair, and a large window. It fit Caspian.

"Oh." Ophelia answered, walking around the room. "I knew no one would overhear us here because no one knows about it being here." Caspian shrugged sheepishly. Ophelia looked back at him and smiled. "No kidding."

Caspian walked up to the bed and gestured to the chair. Ophelia sat beside him. "You're stubborn." Caspian laughed out. "I know." Ophelia responded, smiling.

"We need a way to lure Kahlil into slipping up." Caspian started. "Leave for a day and observe." Ophelia pointed out. Caspian looked at her. "If only it were that simple."

A silence settled between the both of them as they thought through different ways. Ophelia gasped out. "The wedding."

Caspian stared at her, confused. "What about it?" Ophelia smiled. "After a wedding, the couple usually goes on a trip - the honeymoon. That's where we can get him."

Ophelia starts telling him her plan.