[ten: runaway]

There are no words, for there are so many to describe true love. It is intense, passionate and most often, unforgettable. Love is pain that broke your heart yesterday and yet love is joy that picked up the pieces to create a beautiful tomorrow. Love is ephemeral as lifetime ends and yet eternal as it is embodied in memories that build one. There can be no life to be lived, no completion if love seems absent. In a way it is an enigma that will continue to both astound and haunt generations to come as they feel an unthinkable desire to surrender.

Genevieve awoke the next morning with a secure arm around her waist and a familiar scent of gunpowder and cinnamon filling her nostrils as she let a small, genuine smile grace her features as she cuddled into the boy who held her broken heart with a safety pin. She turned her head slightly to look at his sleeping figure as a bigger smile crept to her face as she looked at him.

She never knew six months ago that the relationship they had, which she had thought was completely platonic, would evolve into something so beautiful that words could not describe how they felt in each others presence. She had read about love in library books; the ones that envisioned the idea of butterflies being set in the pit of a girls stomach as the boy swept her off her feet in the most beautiful but upmost cheesy way. She had read about how nothing could ever go wrong with love and that when you find it you'll keep it forever - but Genevieve knew that wasn't the case.

She knew that as soon as she left this room that her relationship with Edmund would have to be strictly platonic once again and she hated the idea of it. She didn't want to go back and forth with Edmunds feelings like this but at this point it was the only way to heal her broken heart. Genevieve stared up at the raven haired boy and softly brushed her hands through his hair as she looked at the soft smile that appeared on his face. She undoubtedly was in love with him, she knew she was because her heart told her so, but she knew there could never be development there because of the deal Susan made with the King of Telmar.

And yet Genevieve no longer hated Susan, she hated herself for allowing it to happen. She had been lying to Narnia since the beginning and only she and Aslan knew it and she regretted never telling them the truth in the first place but now she was in a situation that was entirely her fault. She figured if Susan knew her real reason for being in Narnia then she would never have made that deal with the King of Telmar and Genevieve would be allowed to spend her life with Edmund, to marry him if she so pleased to in the near future.

Genevieve allowed a stray tear to fall from her eyes as she continued to look at the boy she was in love with as she gently cupped the side of his sleeping face as she let a shaky sigh escape her lips. The shaky sigh then turned into uncontrollable sobs as she turned away from the by she loved and buried her head into her pillow.

I'm an idiot, she thought as she turned and buried herself further into her pillow as she felt the arms around her waist tighten and breath on her exposed neck.

"No you're not." She heard Edmund whisper against her neck before he placed a kiss there, allowing Genevieve's heart to skip a beat despite the oppressed thoughts that circulated around her brain as she turned in Edmund's arms to meet his tired eyes that held a loving gaze towards her.

"Good morning." Genevieve whispered towards Edmund, who lifted his hand to her face to wipe the dry tear that was planted on her rosy cheek before leaving it there, smiling fondly at the girl he loved.

"Morning love," Edmund returned, watching as crimson crept onto Genevieve's face as she looked away from him with a smile tugged on her plump lips. "How'd you sleep?"

"Best sleep I've had in months," Genevieve admitted and she bit her lip and watched as Edmund smirked towards her, a confident look on his face. "Don't look too happy Ed, I blame it on your bed being comfy."

"Hmm, sure you do." Edmund teased as he pulled her into his chest and lent down to whisper in her ear. "It just definitely wasn't because of the well... activities we took part in last night."

Flushing, Genevieve swatted Edmund away before sitting up and pulling part of the quilt with her before looking around the floor for her clothing - even if it was just her cloak which was sprawled over by the window, crinkled on the floor as if it had been thrown there forcefully - which had been close to the truth. Genevieve assessed the situation, not wanting to be exposed to Edmund despite the events that had happened last night, but she also wanted to collect her clothing and get out of bed that morning - but neither seemed applicable without the other.

Edmund watched her face with confusion as he followed her gaze to her cloak on the floor and Edmund chuckled before throwing the covers off himself and walking carefully towards the window and picking up the cloak, turning to Genevieve who was looking up at him with wide eyes and an ever growing red face. Edmund threw the cloak towards her, watching as she caught it and turned around to place it carefully over her exposed body - causing Edmund to laugh as he collected some clothes from his wardrobe and threw one over at Genevieve as he quickly changed, feeling her lingering eyes on him.

"No need to be shy love," Edmund said as he sat down at the end of the bed and smirked at Genevieve. "You've got nothing to be ashamed of, you're beautiful inside and out."

Genevieves heart melted at his words as she bit her lip to meet his lingering gaze as he offered her a soft, loving smile. Even without telling many souls it was soon common knowledge that Edmund and Genevieve were lovers. It was in the way their gazes lingered on one another, the way their voices became softer and in the shy grins they'd never worn before. In casual conversation they stood that little bit closer than folks usually do, their body language so open and relaxed.

Especially in that simple moment when wrapped his arms around Genevieve and she let her head rest upon his chest. All her thoughts stopped as if her heart took over from her head every time they were close. Next he would squeeze as if he needed to check she was really there with him, really there and really real... and she was, body and soul. She really doubted anyone else ever felt the way she did in his arms and for that she did pity others for not feeling what she assumed to be love.

"I love you Ed." She whispered into his chest and his arms tightened around her as he inevitably pulled her closer as he caressed her skin tenderly, almost afraid that if he let go then this would be the end of them again. "I wish I could just run away and get away from this conflicted place we seem to be in. I wish I could runaway with you."

Edmund lent back and studied her face, looking for the truth in her words and saw her whole heart placed in her eyes as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as a soft smile crept onto his face. He

"You say you wanna, but do you wanna run away?" Edmund asked her softly and he watched as her eyes widened as she looked at him with a growing smile on her face.

"I do Ed. I can't stay here anymore if its only going to cause heartbreak. I thought marrying Orion would help fulfill my purpose here but I've realised that it will do the opposite. I need to leave Ed, if not with you then on my own." She admitted as she wrapped her arms around her body, awaiting Edmunds response to her proposition of leaving.

"Where would we go?" Edmund asked her as Genevieve's eyes lifted to meet his with a smile as he took her hands in hers ad shared her excited look on his face.

"Anywhere you want to go." She whispered as she pressed her forehead against his. "It doesn't matter as long as I'm with you."

Edmunds heart swelled at her words as he swiftly placed his soft lips against hers for a small moment full of love and passion before he pulled back, disconnected their hands and walked over to his chest of drawers and looked like he was looking for something but huffed when he clearly couldn't find it. He looked back up at Genevieve as he placed his hands over his face for a moment before sighing and sending her a small smile.

"Can you wait here for a moment?" He asked her and Genevieve looked confused but he just sent her a pleading look and she nodded. "I promise I'll be right back."

Edmund quickly left the room swiftly, his nerves were frayed to the quick. In his building anxiety he constructed elaborate rationalizations for why everything would turn out alright, but still the nagging voice in the back of his mind spoke of nothing but doom ahead. He tried to block out the negativity as he hesitantly opened the door to his sisters room, relieved to find that she wasn't there as he maneuvered his way to her locked drawer - finding the key hidden under her pillow like it usually was. Edmund quickly took the box out of the drawer and locked it again, playing the key back into its exact location before leaving the room - bumping into Lucy on the way out.

"Edmund?" Lucy asked surprised as she walked down the hall only to see Edmund emerge from Susans room. "What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Susan, but it appears she isn't here." Edmund replied nervously, a bead of nervous sweat dancing down his forehead as he hid the box behind his back - which didn't go unnoticed by Lucy.

"Susan's in the ballroom Ed but I see you found what you're looking for." Lucy teased, full well knowing what was in his hand as she embraced her older brother.

"Lucy I-"

"Don't," Lucy said as she let a smile emit her features as she began to walk away. "Good luck Ed."

Edmund sighed as he walked back into his room, not surprised to see Genevieve fully dressed in some clothes she had obviously bought with her when she went to the Beavers the day before. He softly closed the door with a click, allowing Genevieve to look at him with a soft but confused look.

"Ed, what's going on?" Genevieve asked as she walked over and cupped his cheek and he took a shaky breath before taking her hands in his and looking her straight in the eyes with an anxious look on his face.

He took a deep breath before starting.

"Genevieve, marriage isn't a ring worn or a paper signed. It is not something endured but savoured. It is the union of two hearts beating as one, each that would sacrifice for the other's happiness and wellbeing. Marriage is something so beautiful that in that natural world it would be an opening rose, always with petals left to unfurl to a warm sun. Marriage is the blessing we give to one another, an eternal bond of soulmates and I believe that we are precisely that. Soulmates. I cannot imagine my life without you in it and I'm not afraid to say that I am in love with you and I am so in love with you that it feels like I can't function without you right here next to me. I don't care what we do or where we go, all I care about is whether or not you are by my side forever. Now I know you've had your fair share of Narnian rings in your life but I was hoping to give you one more..."

"Ed..." Genevieve murmured as she watched Edmund kneel down in front of her, pulling out a velvet box and opening it so that she could see a beautiful shiny diamond ring with her name engraved in it, causing tears to well in her eyes.

"Genevieve Ginerva Potter, I will run to the end of the world for you but I need to know right here, right now: will you make me the happiest King in Narnia and marry me?" Edmund asked her with a smile as Genevieve's eyes scanned his for any uncertainty in his words but found none as a smile lit up on his face.

"Ed," Genevieve whispered as she let a small sob emit from her mouth. "I would be honored."

Edmund smiled as he took the ring out of the box and placed it onto her dainty finger before placing a passionate kiss to her lips, snaking his arms around her waist and picking her up and spinning her in glee. He didn't care if she was supposed to be betrothed to someone else because she loved him and he loved her and there was nothing in this world that could keep them apart because they get to choose what their future holds.

Even if it takes running away to get there.