Mayra looked at the scene, a mixture of fear and embarrassment plain on her face. Peter took her hand as he passed, and she gratefully squeezed it before letting him go to continue loading the riverboat with supplies.
Riley and Ashley were fighting.
"I'm not staying here." Defiance lit Ashley's eyes as she glared at her husband.
"Yes, you are!" He insisted. "You're staying in Ceto where there isn't an imminent threat of total destruction."
"I was in the army! I should come back when our nation is threatened!" She shot back.
"You didn't finish your year of service, you're not officially a swordbearer," Riley paused his tirade to give instruction to a passing soldier.
"So I'm not officially under your direct command, Supreme Officer Riley, Sir." Ashley's voice rose, and Mayra watched in surprise as Riley's face suddenly softened.
"Please." He whispered. "Please stay here."
"You know I won't leave you, or stay away from our people. My parents are there, and our friends. And you'll be there." Ashley's tone quieted to match his.
She lifted her hand to his face, and he sighed. A brief smile touched her lips.
"We're co-conspirators, remember? No mischief without me. Fighting giants certainly sounds mischievous to me." She urged.
Mayra glanced over to where Peter was loading things onto the boat, and backed away quietly from her brother and his wife. Maybe while they were looking at each other…
"Stop right there, Little Miss." Riley suddenly said, louder. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I was just… going to help Peter." Mayra put on her best innocent expression as she turned to Riley. "The faster the boats are loaded, the faster the soldiers can get to Klain."
"And sneak aboard. You think I wouldn't notice that at all?" Riley asked her. "I've been playing dumb a little too well, it seems." He said this more to his wife than his sister, but she grimaced anyway.
"You're just awfully busy," Mayra said. "I didn't want to bother you…"
"Get on the boat." He jerked his chin at her. "I already let you get on a far worse one recently. What's the point now?"
She balked at the resignation in his voice.
"I didn't mean…" She began.
"We're wasting time. Both of you, on the boat. We're shoving off and heading upriver as soon as we're loaded." Riley's mood was sour, but softened again as Ashley hugged his waist before obeying.
He watched her go before he turned to bark more orders at the remaining Klain soldiers.
Mayra looked back towards the settlement.
Many Cetoan men were also preparing to depart, under Caspian's order. None of them had ever been in a war… not that being in a war previously could prepare one for fighting with giants.
She felt bad for leaving the remaining Rhone brides without a matchmaker, but with her home in danger, she couldn't bear to stay in safety. Cora understood, and most of the bachelors would be coming as soldiers anyway. More weddings were unlikely to happen soon.
Was it abandoning her job? She'd seen so many married and settled. Cora had assured her she was welcome to stay for as long as she desired, but understood the urge to go home to her mother and brothers.
Mayra had already packed her bag, anxious to get home if her family was in danger, and lifted it now. Suddenly, it was out of her hands, and she looked up in surprise to see Peter hauling it.
"I finished loading everything except this," He explained with a grin, and started with long strides towards the boat.
"Thank you, but I can carry my own–"
"I've been ordered to load the boat. You wouldn't want me to disobey orders." He teased.
"How can you be this relaxed when our home is about to be under attack? Maybe it already is?" She fretted.
"Because you're upset, I suppose." He hopped on board the boat and turned back to offer his hand to help her.
She put her hand in his and climbed on board as well. "What do you mean?"
He kept her hand and held it, and she began to feel his calm seep into her. It felt so natural.
"If we both go crazy with stress, what would happen? So when you're upset, genuinely upset about something real, I feel calmer. Even if I can't fix anything, I know that if I can help you keep your head, I'm doing some good." He shrugged.
It was oddly sweet, but it also made sense. Whenever a patient's relative was panicking over their injury in Dr. Sherman's office, Mayra became calmer and more focused to deal with the problem.
"Thank you, Peter." She took a deep breath, and squeezed his hand. Why was he so often exactly what she needed him to be?
"I guess I was just made that way." He smiled at her.
"Would you stop that?" She asked, and his eyes widened before a slow understanding dawned in him.
"Ah, yes, the mind reading. Sorry about that," He grinned unrepentantly before sobering, "Although, weren't you about to tell me something a little earlier before you were interrupted? Something about feelings?"
She swallowed, not particularly liking being backed into a corner like this. She glanced around at the boat they were on to buy herself some time before answering.
"This is different than the ship," She commented to distract him. There were benches for sitting, and though the boat had sails, it also had a lot of oars for travel upriver. Peter had put her bag down inside a shelter near the middle of the boat where cargo was held.
They were out of view of the other passengers, she noticed. He seemed to realize that at the same time she did, and stepped a little closer.
"You're avoiding the question." He said in a low voice.
"Yes, I am," She looked up into his face.
"And since I'm not sure we'll be alone again anytime soon, Perhaps now would be a good time to tell me whatever it is you wanted to," He coaxed.
He released her from the intensity of his eye contact, dropping his gaze to bring her hand up gently to his lips. Her heart stuttered.
"Please?" He asked, meeting her eyes again. His lips were warm against her skin, but she shivered.
"I… shouldn't have to tell you." She whispered. "You already read it from my mind, remember?"
"But hearing your voice is so lovely," His voice was low, almost hypnotic. "Won't you say it out loud?"
"I…" She paused, and moved back. He released her hand, and an expression of sadness flickered across his face before he could hide it. He swallowed, and stepped away to give her more space.
"I'm sorry, Mayra. I shouldn't tease you about something like that, should I? I should probably go. Riley probably has orders for me. Impending attack, and all. Lots to do!" He attempted a grin, but it fell a little flat, and he turned to go.
"Peter," She huffed, growing a little irritated, "Will you stand still for one minute?"
"That sounds like something I've said to you a few dozen times," He frowned, and she recalled how busy she'd kept them both in the past weeks.
"What I mean is, just… stay there. Don't look at me." She shook her head. He frowned more deeply but compliantly looked away.
"I'm confused. What exactly is happening right now?" He asked.
"I told you, I have trouble thinking when you're too close. You're going to stand there and not look at me if you want the answers to any of your questions." She insisted, taking a deep breath.
"This feels weird," He cut his eyes over to her and she held up a finger in reproach. He looked away again. "Would it be easier if I just turned my back?"
"No, because I need to see your face to see how you're reacting," Mayra decided. Staring at his back while talking to him would drive her half-mad with assumptions and guesses about what he was thinking.
"So… you just want me to look away while you stare at me and talk to me?" He clarified.
"Yes, exactly! Thank you," She exclaimed. "That would be wonderful."
"I suppose it's nice you think I'm worth staring at," His eyelids twitched as he worked to keep his gaze from darting to her.
"Do you want to hear this or not?" She sighed.
"Yes, very much, but this does seem like a lot of trouble. My curiosity is rather intense." He smiled, and she took a deep breath.
"I love you." Mayra spat out the words all at once, fearing she would lose her nerve.
Peter kept his gaze forward, away from her. Several seconds passed before she spoke again.
"Well??" She demanded. She had expected some kind of response, or reaction, but he was stone-faced. It was disconcerting.
"Am I allowed to move now?" He asked.
"Um, I suppose," Mayra hadn't thought this far ahead.
In a flash, before she could hardly blink, she found herself in Peter's arms, his mouth pressed to hers.