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"You are aware of how much I hate riding horses right, your Majesty?" Nerissa questions as she eyes the outstretched hand her King had offered her.
"I do." Peter grins from atop his horse, "But we're going to change that today. Come on now, Nerissa. Don't leave me hanging. Take a leap of faith."
With a huff, Nerissa picks up her skirt and takes his hand, letting Peter pull her onto his horse's back.
"You could have at least told me not to wear a dress."
"Why would I? You look nice in a dress." Peter's grin widens even though Nerissa couldn't see him from in front.
Nerissa shuddered as Peter leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her as he took hold of the reins. She could hear her heart beating against her chest like a trapped animal trying to break free.
The sheer proximity between them making her mind a turn into a muddled mess- not to mention that Peter was so close Nerissa could feel his warm breath against the back of her neck that drove her insane and she couldn't help but wonder if being this close to her affected her King as much as it did her.
"Are you ready, my Darling?" Nerissa could feel the rumbling in his chest against her back as she spoke.
Not trusting her voice not to tremble as she spoke, Nerissa nodded in reply instead. Peter let out a chuckle, deep and throaty at the flush working it's way across her cheek.
"Adorable." He whispered, planting a light kiss right under Nerissa's ear.
She had tried to suppress the shiver that shot through her but had failed miserably so.
Without warning, Peter snapped the reins and the horse surged forward. Nerissa shrieked so loud that it shocked even herself as she grabbed ahold of Peter's arm.
The brilliant blush that tinted her cheeks flowed even brighter now. No one has ever seen Nerissa this flustered- no one, not even Jed who had known her best.
Peter let out a hearty laugh, "Relax, Darling. I've got you. I'm not going to let you fall."
"You better not, Peter, or I'll have your head." She threatened- yes because nothing appealed to a man more than threatening to kill him.
"Nerissa, you're making even the horse nervous. Relax."
"I'm trying!"
Horseback riding has always made Nerissa feel queasy. The only reason why she'd taken up Oreius's offers give her rides before was because it would give her an advantage that she couldn't pass up.
On top of that, the route Peter had chosen to take seemed particularly bumpy.
Nerissa could only imagine how this date would go if she had vomited all over her King. Perhaps at the end of this, it would be him who would refuse to go on another date with her and not the other way around as Peter had expected.
"I've got you," Peter mutters against her hair, the words sounding more like a promise when he says them.
Nerissa takes a deep breath, calming herself down and surprisingly, she found herself enjoying the ride more than she thought she would after a while. She relaxes against her King's chest, finally releasing her death grip on his arm. If her nails digging into Peter's arm had hurt him, he was certainly gentlemanly enough to not say anything.
She could feel Peter smiling against her neck and in turn, she smiled too.
"I told you it'll be fun, didn't I?"
"Oh, shush." Nerissa smacks him playfully as she let out a laugh.
Perhaps she had really started to see horseback riding in a new light. Or perhaps it was just the company she enjoyed.
Looking back at Peter, she found his gaze intently on her.
"Peter! Focus on the road!" She scolds and his smile only widens.
"But I don't want to miss the beautiful scenery." The King replies without even missing a beat.
Nerissa swallows hard at his response, the blush that she'd painstakingly gotten rid of starting to creep back to her cheeks.
Her heart flutters as Peter lets out yet another chuckle before he announces: "We're here."
They had stopped at the base a hill, covered in beautiful green grass. The aromatic smell of flowers hits Nerissa's nostrils as she inhales sharply and a soft breeze dances across her face. Even from down here, the view was simply breathtaking, to say the least.
Peter hops off the horse first, before turning to help his date. His hands wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the horse and setting her onto her feet as if she weighed nothing.
For a moment, he doesn't move. He simply studies her, drinking in the sight of her.
His intense gaze making Nerissa want squirm beneath it. Nerissa's breath catches at her throat as he reaches up to tuck the stray strands of hair behind her ear before he takes her hand, brushing his lips against her knuckles.
The light contact leaves sparks in its wake as Nerissa lets out the breath she didn't realise she had been holding.
"This way, my dear."
Peter intertwines their fingers, never once letting go of her hand as he leads her further up the hill.
"Here," Peter pauses as they reach an uneven patch of grass.
Before Nerissa could react, she was being swept off her feet and into Peter's arms. She squeaks at the suddenness of his actions.
"You know, I'm more than capable of walking, Your Majesty."
"Oh, I have no doubt that you are, Nerissa." Peter shoots her a charming smile, "But just for today, I'll be taking on the incredibly important role of treating you like absolute royalty. Maybe I should be the one calling you 'Your Majesty'."
Nerissa rolls her eyes, but she couldn't help the smile that tugs at her lips.
"This is ridiculous. I think you can put me down now, your majesty."
"None of that. I'm just Peter to you today." He shrugs, "And why would I? I quite like this actually- having you in my arms."
The cheeky side of Peter is a constant around Nerissa. Still, it never fails to make her heart pound, or maybe it was just the sight of him.
Peter only sets her down when they reach the peak of the hill. In the center, an intricately designed blanket was spread out across the grass, accompanied by a huge basket filled to the brim with food and drinks.
Nerissa quirks an eyebrow at Peter, "A picnic?"
"Do you not like it?" He asks, "We can do something else if you'd like-"
Nerissa cuts her king off and surprises him by rising on her toes to plant a kiss on his cheek, "It's perfect."
Peter's lips split into a wide grin that he wouldn't be able to wipe off even if he'd tried, "And just for you, my darling."
"Come now. Let's eat, you must be starving by now."
Nerissa threads her arm through the one Peter had offered her, letting him lead her to the beautifully designed picnic blanket laid down on the grass.
The two settled in, digging into tea and sandwiches. Conversation came easy for the two, considering how well the they had known each other.
Eventually, the two somehow found themselves laying down on their backs and staring up at the sky.
"That one right there." Peter points towards the clouds, "Kind of looks the Beavers doesn't it?"
Nerissa squints, wrinkling her nose at the sky, "I don't see it."
"That one right there. You see it?" She follows the direction of Peter's finger and shakes her head.
"Nope."
The next thing he does sends Nerissa's mind into a complete whirlwind.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulls her to his side.
"Do you see it now?"
The answer to that question was a big fat no. There was a chance that Nerissa couldn't even remember her own name right now. It was as if her mind had completely shut down as soon as she was tucked into her King's arms.
"Breathe, Nerissa." Peter chuckles, his breath tickling her cheeks, "Relax. I don't bite."
Eventually, she does and it doesn't even take much for her to at all. Perhaps...she was wrong to have denied this for so long. Lying here next to Peter with his arms wrapped around her felt right, and God knows it hasn't for a long time. Things got better, sure, but it never felt the same since Jed died. Maybe it never will. But in this moment, it didn't really matter.
"Quit thinking so hard, would you?" Peter's voice pulls her away from her thoughts. Reaching over, he smooths the lines that had formed between her brows away, "I hate it when you frown like that."
Nerissa couldn't help but smile at the sentiment. A grin breaks through and Peter returns one with a look of approval.
"That's better."
Nerissa just couldn't seem to resist burrowing further into his arms, not that Peter seemed to mind. His arms tighten around her waist, pulling her even closer until her head rests on his chest, and just like that, the two basked under the afternoon sun, simply enjoying each other's presence until the sun dipped and disappeared, making way for the moon before the two finally (and heavy-heartedly) made their way back to castle.
The halls were quiet as Peter walked her to her room.
"What are you thinking?" Peter finally breaks the silence.
"That I had fun today." Nerissa confesses, "Thank you for that."
"Yeah?" Peter smiles- something he seems to be doing a lot of today, "Does that mean I can take you out again sometime? Maybe next week?"
Nerissa takes a deep breath as they both come to a stop before her room. Looking up, she meets Peter's gaze. His eyes bore so intently into her that it almost feels like he was looking into her soul.
There was no denying her feelings for the King, not any longer.
"I'd like that." The words come spilling out of her lips before she could ponder any further.
"Good."
Nerissa sucked in a sharp breath as Peter took a step closer to her, closing the distance between them until they were practically standing chest-to-chest.
Reaching up, he trails a finger across her jaw, leaving heat in its wake before resting his hand on her cheek.
Her heart flutters against her chest as Peter leans in, so close that she could feel his breath against her lips.
"You need to stop me now, Nerissa, or I'm going to kiss you. I can't seem to help myself when it comes to you." Peter mutters against her lips.
A part of her knew she should probably stop this now, but a part of her didn't want to and right now, the latter seemed to be winning.
Nerissa tilted her head back and that was all the confirmation he needed.
Peter lowered his lips to hers, just the barest of touches as if giving her another chance to back out before he claimed her lips in a deeper kiss, one that Nerissa felt all the way down to her toes.
Her heart was pounding now, as Peter's arm curled around her waist pulling her against his hard chest. His lips moved against hers with such need and desperation, like a starving man finally having his first meal in years.
The sound of someone clearing their throat makes the lovely couple fly apart in an instant.
Nerissa's eyes dart to the doorway, where she finds the source the noise has originated from. There, stood Edmund with his hands crossed over his chest and an amused smirk on his face. Beside him, the Pevensie sisters stood with their jaws practically scraping the floor.
There was a beat of silence, before the halls which were now filled with the high-pitched squeals that had unmistakably belonged to Lucy who was now jumping in excitement where she stood. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
"Oh, no." Nerissa mumbles, burying her face against Peter's chest, "We'll never hear the end of this."
Peter's chest rumbles as he lets out a laugh, before lowering his lips and planting a kiss on the crown of her head.
"Don't worry, darling. I won't let them torment you too much."