Iris’s affirmation that she believed he would be a great king only reassured Caspian that for once, he was making the right decision. He had always been insecure in his own abilities, following in the footsteps of a powerful ruler like Atlas. His father had the fortitude to effortlessly make difficult decisions that he’d never been able to commit to without squirming. He was apprehensive that when he was eventually crowned as the next monarch, he would fall short of the Aspirian people’s expectations and undo all the hard work his father had done to build the nation into a respectable one. So, hearing her say that she thought he was what the people needed elicited a sense of self confidence that he’d never felt before.

He leaned into her lips as she reciprocated the kiss, as if he could make up for all the time they had lost since the incident in the capital. The instant he had caved to his desire for her, he’d realized just how foolish he had been by fighting back against the bond that continued to form between them. He cared about her more than he cared about anyone outside of his immediate family, and he was being a coward by pushing her away. No matter what he decided, the journey ahead of them most likely wouldn’t be easy, but she was worth fighting for. If he returned to the capital, he would do just that, no matter what his father or anyone else had to say about it.

When she pulled back briefly, he panted to catch his breath, having lost control of his respiration in his hunger for her lips. The words she whispered sent shivers up his spine, and he smiled, happy to hear that her feelings for him hadn’t wavered. Being with her felt right, and for a moment, he let himself forget about everything they had just endured in Bel Bicis as she kissed him again. Right now, there were no war zones, dead bodies, bombs or uncertainties. There was only the two of them, finding comfort in each other alone in the trees beyond the eleventh district’s border.

Heart pounding, Cas pressed his weight into Iris and slipped his hands from hers, bracing himself as he pushed her down on the blanket and hovered over her without breaking the kiss. In the back of his head, he knew he shouldn’t put too much strain on her when she was still sick, but he couldn’t help himself. He had craved to be with her since the day they had escaped from Regis’s basement, and her touch was driving him wild. It was like he was an addict on withdrawal, and she the drug he’d been abstaining from. Every movement of her lips, sweep of her tongue, and caress of her fingers lit him up like fire.

Leaning his weight on one arm, he held her by the waist with the other, kissing her deeply until he felt dizzy from lack of oxygen and had to come up for air. [color=#b97703]“I missed this,”[/color] he breathed, studying her blue eyes in the hazy, afternoon light that filtered through the swirling dust over their heads.