Disclaimer: I own nothing, alas!

She turned, determinedly not looking at him, slicking her palms against the smooth, too-bright fabric at her hips. Without asking he knew that she hated it, this dress that had been prepared for her. Little wonder, too. His star's daughter was still very much a child of sea and sky.

"Love…"

"This is foolish," she choked out, a rising sob hidden behind the quiet control she always managed to keep. He saw the tears rising and could only watch helplessly as she raised one barely trembling hand to dash them away, roughly, angrily. "It's just that I… I..."

"Don't concern yourself-"

"It is important, though, isn't it?" She turned and gave him a quiet look. It never occurred to him- not now, not ever- to give her anything less than the truth. She wouldn't have wanted it, wouldn't have believed it. This would be the one part of his life where he would never deal in falsehoods.

"Not to me," he whispered, and stepped forward to pull her into his arms. The yards of ivory silk and lace and flounces and gems came along with her. "Love, it would not matter to me if you wore sackcloth and ashes to our wedding." She laughed brokenly into his shoulder. "Truly, you are always radiant, never mind what trappings you don."

She pulled away at that, guessing at the double meaning behind his words. "Caspian…" A warning, but there was laughter there as well.

He raised one brow in amusement before pulling her closer, closer till he could smell the wind and sea in her hair, closer till he could see the faint redness that lingered in her eyes. And then he kissed her, gently at first, then stronger, like the sea in a storm. She never hesitated, returning passion for passion.

When they finally parted, her eyes were no longer red. The silk and lace and flounces of the gown were crushed almost beyond repair and, seeing this, she laughed. "Who needs trappings?"