Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.
Summary: The wrath of Dame Sepphora was made all the more fearsome by her zeal to protect the innocents.
A/N: This is part of my A Light in the Darkness universe and contains the details of what happened when Kat (here referred to by her chivalric title of Dame Sepphora for the most part) was in Redhaven before she returned to Narnia in Don't Judge a Book, which was mentioned but not fully detailed. However, this story can be read without reading Don't Judge a Book first (you'll probably want to read it after this one, though).
Additional story warning:This story is rated a high 'T' and is very dark, particularly in the first chapter.
Zeal to Protect: A File from the Desk of General Oreius
Part One
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The details of the events occurring in the Seven Isles on the island of Brenn in its capital of Redhaven for the duration of the period from the thirty-third day of Snowbrice to the second day of Quickening in the fifth year of the Four as witnessed by Lieutenant Alaois…
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"Lieutenant Alaois, she's leaving."
"Is Lieutenant Lonn with her?"
Miriel narrowed her eyes in response. "Dame Sepphora has no one else with her."
Dismissing the Lynx to gather the rest of the soldiers assigned to provide Dame Sepphora with her diplomatic escort, I hurried to catch up with her. Dame Sepphora spoke as soon as I closed in on her as she walked through the corridors of the governor's palace. "Lieutenant Alaois, are you still keeping track of how often I don't follow the protocol for ambassadors and representatives of the Four to the letter?"
"General's orders, Dame Sepphora." I could see the servants we passed were giving us wary glances, but they were not so wary as those in Terebinthia. "What task are we seeing to today? Governor Harbrace seemed anxious for you to inspect the sights of Redhaven in addition to the stores where the annual tribute of goods are being collected."
"I see it's your turn to attempt to remind me of the diplomatic schedule, so tomorrow it will be Lonn again. We will be inspecting the sights of Redhaven. The tributes are not my concern at the moment. I am more interested in seeing how Redhaven's orphanages hold up under scrutiny."
"Yes, Dame Sepphora."
According to the information offered by some of the servants and two guards, there were six of these orphanages within Redhaven. The concept of these orphanages, of gathering parentless young ones and simply placing them in a house rather than having someone step up and taking the young one or young ones into their own homes and raising them as no different than a child by blood, was foreign to me still. I watched Dame Sepphora as she interacted with the children (ten in the first orphanage and six in each of the next four). To them, she never said a harsh word and they flocked to her eagerly, paying no mind to the rest of our group. Even to the adults of the two rundown 'orphanages,' these appointed caregivers who had been unable to keep the houses in good repair due to their own age (both the grandnanny who was moved with her six charges to a new house and the almost as elderly buck and doe who were able to remain in their house), Dame Sepphora was not harsh. Instead, she listened to their tales of how they were doing their best, considering the circumstances, and praised them for remaining faithful in their tasks. She arranged a master carpenter, his journeyman, and two apprentices to repair the house where the elderly buck and doe cared for ten young ones. After purchasing a new house for the grandnanny and her six charges and arranging for a younger doe and buck to help in looking after the young ones and the upkeep of the house, Dame Sepphora's personal funds were expended. She gave orders for the Satyr Electrus to bring a generous portion of the emergency funds from the ship and continued to make donations for supplies to the other three orphanages as she made her way to each one.
Five days after first setting out to inspect the orphanages, only one remained. Dame Sepphora summoned Lieutenant Lonn and myself to the quarters she had been given as Narnia's ambassador an hour before dawn that morn. "Lonn, Alaois, I want you to inform the rest of the soldiers to be on their guard."
I exchanged a look with Lonn, but allowed the Faun Lieutenant to question Dame Sepphora as he had greater seniority than myself. "Was a threat received, Dame Sepphora? We had received no such news if there was one."
Dame Sepphora shook her head as she paced the room, looking far more agitated than I had seen her on this journey thus far. "No, not a threat. But, I have a bad feeling about this last orphanage. Those I questioned about it have been unable to tell me the sort of details I should expect to be common knowledge…and it is very close to the port. It may be nothing, I pray to Aslan that it is nothing, but I want all of you to be on your guard."
"Aye, Dame Sepphora."
"And, Alaois?"
I stopped and turned back while Lieutenant Lonn continued on his way. "Dame Sepphora?"
"You and I are going to pay a pre-inspection visit to this one."
"When?"
"Now."
Her words surprised me since she had always waited until after breakfast was over before setting out to visit the other orphanages. "It is not yet dawn. Will not the caretakers and the young ones still be abed?"
"I know what time it is, Alaois. That's why we're going now. I am very displeased with the fact that this merchant Fyren, who purportedly owns the building and makes frequent inspections, has not made details such as exactly how many children are being housed there or their ages known. And too many people aren't looking me in the eye when they deny any knowledge of the specifics concerning Fyren's Haven for Orphaned and Abandoned Children." Pulling a large dark cloak around her shoulders, Dame Sepphora moved past me as she commanded, "Come, Alaois, we've a visit to pay ere the sun rises."
I had no choice but to follow her. As soon as we left the shelter of the palace, Dame Sepphora raised her hood, using its shadowed depths to shield her face. We stuck to the shadows mostly, using them to obscure our presence, until we finally reached the large house whose sign proclaimed it to be a haven for young ones. Though the streets were mostly deserted, candlelight bloomed in most of the windows of the house and we watched a number of men coming and going from the house. Dame Sepphora gave no indication of her thoughts, not even when we watched a group of Calormene enter the house.
"Come on, we need to see for ourselves what is happening in there since those going in and coming out don't much look like kind-hearted people seeking to open their homes to unfortunate foundlings." Dame Sepphora adjusted her hood, pulling it forward so it was impossible even for me to discern her features. "No matter what we see, we cannot react, not yet and do not refer to me by any of my names."
"Yes, Dame Sepphora."
"Good, now take my arm. We're travelers who mistook the place as an inn."
"We are?" It did not seem to be the wisest ploy.
Dame Sepphora merely held out her arm. "That's what you're going to tell anyone who asks what we're doing there. Now take my arm."
Taking her arm, we approached the house. I could hear laughter and chatter within, but it felt wrong. The laughter was cruel and sinister, the kind made by those who enjoyed inflicting pain and suffering. As we drew closer to the door, I could discern other sounds, wordless cries and frightened pleas. When we entered the house… I cannot find the words to fully describe the evil within that place. Everywhere men drank and laughed as they or their fellows tormented and despoiled children, none of whom were remotely close to being considered grown bucks and does. I could hear a child scream in fear and pain from somewhere on the floor above us. This was no haven. It was a place of torment where defenseless innocents had no respite from the evil desires of these foul men.
None had taken notice of our presence yet, but Dame Sepphora turned back to the door. With great reluctance, I left with her. The eyes of the children I had seen, so empty of hope and filled with pain and tears, haunted me, urged me to turn back and save them. Dame Sepphora grabbed my arm with her sword hand as if she sensed what I was about to do and squeezed. There was a lethal promise in her voice as she whispered, "Soon."
As soon as we returned to the governor's palace, Dame Sepphora did not return to her own quarters or the quarters assigned to the rest of our party. Instead, she pointed at one of the guards and demanded, "Where is Governor Harbrace?"
I could not see her face, but the lethality of her earlier tone had not fled and if her expression matched her tone, I could well understand why the guard paled under her inquiry. "The governor is not awake. He does not rise until two hours after the sun and he does not conduct business until after he has broken his morning fast."
Dame Sepphora took a single step closer to the guard and her tone softened, belying the threatening nature of her words, "You will go wake the governor this instant and inform him that the Narnian ambassador has urgent business to discuss with him or I will drag him out of bed myself. I don't think your governor or your superiors would very much like it if you caused me to do so, do you?"
He shook his head, hands tightening nervously around the haft of his spear, "N-no. I will…I will speak to his valet."
"You will accompany his valet to wake the governor and you will assign someone to take the Narnian lieutenants and myself to the governor's private study."
"Yes, my lady."
"And you only have twenty minutes in which to do so or I will become personally involved in rousting the governor from his bed, do you understand?"
The guard nodded nervously. "Tw-twenty minutes. Aye."
In a matter of moments, the guard was on his way to rouse the governor's valet and then the governor himself while another guard led Dame Sepphora and myself to the governor's private study as a messenger went to fetch Lieutenant Lonn. Dame Sepphora was silent the entire time we waited, not speaking even when Lieutenant Lonn joined us. I was the one to brief him. Ten minutes later, Dame Sepphora marched toward the door. Lieutenant Lonn was the one who spoke up, "Dame Sepphora? Where are you going?"
"It's been twenty minutes. I'm going to drag the governor in here so he can tell me what's been going on and so I can tell him what will be happening from this point forward."
"But, you cannot do that, Dame Sepphora."
She finally looked at Lieutenant Lonn and myself as she stated quite simply. "On the contrary, I'm perfectly capable of doing so, Lonn, and I already warned that guard that I would do so if necessary. Since it has just passed the twenty minute deadline I issued, I deem it necessary to do so."
I exchanged a look with Lieutenant Lonn, but we both knew that neither of us had enough authority to dissuade her. I was not certain if I even wanted to dissuade her, no matter the diplomatic implications. It was most fortuitous for us that the door opened just then as the rather-panicked-looking guard from earlier nearly tripped over himself ushering a half-wake Governor Harbrace into the room. With his thinning gray hair in utter disarray, his feet in slippers so worn that both large toes were poking out and his absurd yellow jacquard dressing gown not quite disguising the paunch around his middle, the governor looked ill prepared to face Dame Sepphora's wroth for all that he was taller than she was and very broad. He looked somewhat surprised at the presence of Lieutenant Lonn and myself, but then he swiftly returned his attention to Dame Sepphora. "What is the meaning of this, Lady? I do not conduct business until more civilized hours."
Dame Sepphora's eyes narrowed and her tone was cool as she responded, "You mean unlike the hours kept by Fyren? Sit down, Governor Harbrace, we've much to discuss."
The governor seemed shocked when he first heard the name 'Fyren' but then he bristled, attempting to cow Dame Sepphora with his size as he stepped forward. "We will discuss nothing, Lady, before the hours I have set aside for conducting business."
Dame Sepphora did not move back. Instead, she pointed at the large chair behind his desk and snapped, "Sit down, Harbrace!" Governor Harbrace took a step back in surprise at her tone, for until that moment Dame Sepphora had been friendly and even-tempered in their dealings with each other. As he took his seat, Dame Sepphora continued in a softer, but no less dangerous, voice. "And you will address me as 'Ambassador' because I am speaking to you in my capacity as ambassador and the official representative of the Four Thrones of Cair Paravel. What do you know of Fyren's dealings in that house he dares to claim is a haven for orphaned and and abandoned children? And, you should remember, Governor, that lying to me will be very unwise on your part."
The governor looked down at the worn surface of his desk, but not before we could see the slightest glimmer of shame in his eyes. Dame Sepphora stepped closer to the desk. "Tell me."
"I- Fyren is a merchant. He does have a legitimate shipping business, very successful. However, he also has many ties to those who are involved in shipping and trade of a more illicit nature, it draws even more sailors and others with more wealth to visit Redhaven, bringing with them more revenue, goods, and…and labor."
Crossing her arms, Dame Sepphora pinned him with a baleful glare. "You have allowed the slave trade to go unchecked, to flourish, and worse you have permitted this merchant of suffering to prey upon the weak, defenseless children whom it is your responsibility to protect for profit? Why?"
Governor Harbrace shook his head as he spread his hands, rueful dismay in every gesture. "Because without the profit of the more illicit going ons, Redhaven and all the Seven Isles would have long ago faded. We were cut off from Narnia and her protection for a hundred years. Trade with the other islands was limited until our ancestors made the decision to preserve the people of the Seven Isles by entering into any and all trade with Calormen…even if it was not precisely legal."
He jumped when Dame Sepphora abruptly slammed her fist on his desk as she hissed, "So children who've no parents or were the only survivors of shipwrecks are not worth your protection, Harbrace? Because they are alone, they deserve the treatment, no, the abuse that they are suffering within Fyren's house of terror? Is that it? Or have you been profiting personally from these illicit dealings?"
"No!" Governor Harbrace seemed truly taken aback by the accusation as he waved his arms in front of him as though to ward off Dame Sepphora's suggestion. "No! I never touched any of that blood money for myself. I merely-"
Dame Sepphora cut him off as she once again reverted to her lethally soft tone, "You merely allowed the trade producing that blood money to flourish unchecked. You merely allowed an unnumbered amount of children to suffer because their suffering allowed Redhaven to reap a profit. You turned a blind eye to the slave trade and exploitation of innocents that you know is against the laws of Narnia that you are sworn to uphold because it didn't hurt you and yours. I wonder, Harbrace, if you would feel the same if someone had put your son, Dornford, in that situation. And if I should learn that you are in any way involved with Fyren's trade, I will ensure that the court of Narnia will come down on you so hard that none in the Seven Isles will dare to so much as breathe your name for fear of incurring the same fate." She leaned toward the governor who shrank back in his chair as much as he could. "You will surrender the names of those involved in these illicit activities, particularly any who are involved with Fyren and his house of horror. I will take my soldiers and conduct a raid tonight when that place is at its busiest. Fyren and as many of his associates and customers we can capture will then be held for trial. A speedy trial, Governor, so none might bribe their way out of their fitting sentence."
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A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, so Kat is definitely not her typical fairly easy-going self in this story. The next chapter will also be more dark than not, so brace yourselves. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.
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