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After leaving the celebrated streets and presented a sword from one of the Lords of Talmar they all ventured to the longboats and returned to the Dawn Treader. Anna knew that after everything that had transpired the day before that a goodnight rest would be a good option but she could not bring herself to retire to her shared quarters with Lucy and rest.

"How did I seem to know that you'd be here?" A melodic voice with a lilting accent hummed beside her. A tired smile etched upon Anna's face as she turned to face Caspian who leant beside her at the bow of the ship.

"A coincidence?" Anna suggested with a raised eyebrow. Anna had turned to face the King with a smile only to find that he was already smiling at her. Butterflies swarmed within the pit of Anna's stomach again and she knew it was a mere matter of moments before blush would flood into her cheeks.

"You fought bravely, Anna. I know that Aslan would be proud. I am." 

Anna dipped her head and smiled once more, brushing numerous blond tresses behind her ear that caught in the salty wind, "You have a smooth way with words, your majesty."

"Caspian, Anna. Address me as Caspian. We are friends, correct?"

"Alright," She surrendered with a soft mumble of her lips.

"Just alright?!" The King repeated peering at the blond who only laughed and turned her attention to the beautiful setting colours of the sun.

"Caspian," She started rolling his name over her tongue and turned to the King but no words fell upon her lips when she met his brown eyes. Anna felt that she had lost the power to speak as she opened her mouth and then closed it.

"Your cheek Anna," The King mumbled reaching out, his fingertip tracing ever so softly over the ugly purple bruise, although it had been slightly bruised when with Anna's brawl with the mermaid, now it only seemed to worsen. It made the King feel horrible and it suddenly dawned upon him that he wished he could protect her from every ounce of harm that may possibly ever come her way.

His hand dropped away to his side.

"It's okay. It didn't kill me. It was just a part of the grand adventure itself. Please loose look that look on your face it wasn't your fault. You don't need to worry, saving me twice now is plenty to make up for it."

"Twice?" Caspian repeated slightly amused.

"Yes. Has your memory of noble deeds been failing you lately, Caspian? Remember the mermaid and that man you shot in the shoulder with your crossbow?"

"I remember," was all he seemed to say.

Anna looked at him dead in the eye, mustering all the strength she had so she could say, "You're a good King and a good man, Caspian. I hope that you know that."

Caspian lightly punched her shoulder playfully with a slight laugh as if he was in disbelief of her words, "And you say that I'm smooth with words."

"That's because you are!" Anna blurted before continuing slightly flustered by his depthful gaze, "I-I just know that if my experience here in Narnia are anything like Lucy's or Edmund's I'll go home sooner or later. And I felt that you needed to hear that."

"I hope that won't be for a good while," Caspian confessed so truthfully without any filter he could feel his stomach flip nervously when he spoke them. Her reaction proved to be so much better than he expected, by two simple words, "Me too."

Anna suddenly felt the need to explain herself, "It's so colourful here than back home with living with my horrible aunt and the world war looming over our heads but it's so much more than an escape. I feel free, even so possibly than I was when I was a girl before I lost my parents. It's truly wonderful."

Anna remembered her father being enlisted in the war. Then losing him even when he promised he would come home. Then losing her mother when she got sick. And then losing all the traces of both her childhood and her parents. It riddled her heart with a painful ache. It hurt to remember but even if it hurt it was apart of who she was.

"I'm terribly sorry. If it contributes any comfort knowing that I understand, I've lost my parents too," The King contributed, although Anna could hear an only a slight echo of sadness within his voice yet she saw it fully revealed within his eyes.

"You don't deserve that," She blurted.

"Neither do you," He confessed softly.

It amazed Anna how such a light-hearted conversation full of teasing and smiles had ended up to be so sombre and raw but it wasn't forced but she had no idea how Caspian felt on the other side.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to ruin the conversation or if I offended or upset you in any way."

The King put a hand over her own and gave it a light tender squeeze, "I enjoy talking with you, Anna. Very much. No matter what it is about."

Anna could feel herself blush crimson which made her thankful under looming darkness, the sun barley just touching the sky.

"Perhaps I should go," Anna suddenly suggested nervously, "It would be unfair to keep Lucy waiting."

"Of course. I'll see you in the morning."

Anna nodded, racing across the deck so fast she could have been running then suddenly halted and turned to face the King with a final smile and a wave before they both disappeared towards their sleeping arrangements thoughts of each other plaguing their minds.

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When Anna awoke with Lucy sprawled out and snoring softly beside her, she had rushedly got dressed and she bustled into the Kitchens to receive a bright, shiny red apple for breakfast.

Stepping out onto the main deck she noticed how it was overcast, no more of the bristling, shiny rays of sunlight she had grown used too. Anna had woken a little later than usual due to her lack of sleep the previous night but it seemed that everyone was at work which meant no watching the sunrise.

Edmund was seated on top of a bucket with Reepicheep muttering words of encouragement, scraping away the debris from the sword Caspian had placed him in charge of.

Reepicheep had noticed her first, "Good morning, Anna!"

Anna smiled in return, "Hello, you two. That sword is coming along lovely."

"Thanks," Edmund mumbled with a quick smile in Anna's direction before turning his attention back to the sword. Lucy marched over to them all bright and happy with a large Cheshire cat smile as they all said the usual morning pleasantries Anna who was so bewitched by looking in Caspian's direction as he conversed with Captain Drinian —— she didn't even notice Lucy say good morning to her and so she was it in the back of the head by Lucy.

"I said good morning!" Lucy repeated to Anna. Then Lucy called out to Caspian and shared a wave with the King direction to tease her poor embarrassed friend and her blossoming conflicting feelings. Luckily, Edmund seemed so interested in his sword he couldn't have cared less what the girls were on about.

"Good morning!" Anna said in a loud mumble biting into her mostly eaten apple, sinking down onto the decks and wanting to hide away for all eternity.

Lucy looked awfully pleased with herself and then disappeared. Anna turned to have a conversation with Reepicheep but she noticed that he was gone too. Edmund was clearly occupied so it would have been silly to distract him from his personal goals.

Mumbling unladylike things under her breath due to being bored out of her mind and telling herself not to be a coward, Anna pulled herself to her feet and clambered up the steps of the far side of the deck before she could stop herself.

"Ah, Anna," The King spoke with a wide smile, his eyes boring her own, "Good Morning."

Anna returned a warm smile just as enthusiastically as he did but she knew just to get right down to the point, "Caspian, is there anything I could do? I'm getting sea restless."

"Sea restless?" He repeated with a chuckle as he began to steer her along with him by the elbow, "Well, come along, you can help me."

Caspian had taken Anna to the map room to help work out the mathematical sides of things as calculating many rations they had left for a certain amount of days and working out exactly where they were on the map which was a little difficult but Anna had sensed that it was a one-man job.

"So when are we suspected to see land?" Anna asked brushing a lock of hair behind her ear as she peered over to the King who stood on the opposite side of the map.

Caspian smiled to himself before glancing over to the young woman, "If we are correct it should be before dusk tonight or bright and early tomorrow morning."

"How splendid, I look forward to it," Anna added with a smile.

They both stepped away from the map and slowly walked to the glassed double doors that Caspian pushed open for Anna with a smile.

"Afterall," Caspian continued his dark eyes locking with hers as they wandered down the short hall and out onto the main deck, "We don't want to get you too sea restless now, do we, Anna?"

A smile as bright as sunlight rose upon her lips, "No. That would be an utter disaster."