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: There was sorrow in the night, but triumph comes in the morning.

A/N: This story is part of my A Light in the Darkness universe.

Sorrow

OOOOOOO

We gathered at the Stone Table. She had called us and none dared to disobey. The small misgivings in my heart I silenced with as much ruthlessness as the Secret Police showed. Night had fallen. All those who served Jadis had gathered here. Creatures even I had never seen before though I had committed myself to the Queen. Anything to avoid her wrath.

A Harpy flew over my head and I almost ducked. Yet, I resisted for fear that they had see my flinch and think me disloyal. I am not disloyal. I am loyal to Jadis, my Queen.

But what if her power wasn't as strong as she claimed? My gaze fell to the ground at my feet, ground that was not covered in the snow I had seen for all my life. Instead, it was green. I had seen it first a few days past but even now beneath the flickering light of torches I could see the life there. This was spring. Why did she hate it?

A Minotaur snorted, his hot breath ruffling my hair. I froze, hoping that no one could tell I had been disloyal. I was not disloyal. There was movement between the pillars, drawing my eyes. Jadis. Her tall, pale form was unmistakable. The look in her eyes chilled me as she drew closer to the Stone Table. I stumbled back only to feel a rough shove. I stumbled back near the front of the crowd, close to a group of Hags. Drawing my cloak close around me, I hoped she had not noticed me as her gaze slid over the crowd. No light seemed to penetrate her eyes. I remembered they had been green but now her eyes seemed pools of black. Fear curled around my spine. She was dangerous. Only a fool sided against the most dangerous witch in the world.

I held back a shudder. Then, something changed.

I felt… I felt a Presence. Something that frightened me even more than Jadis. I lifted my head, searching past the assembly to find the source of that Presence. Gold. I saw gold amidst the darkness, shining faintly beneath the torchlight as He came closer.

My father's stories of the Great Lion flitted through my mind even as I stared at the One I had always discounted as just a legend. My father… I swallowed hard and shoved back those treacherous thoughts. My father had paid for his foolish beliefs. And if He had come here to surrender to Jadis, how could He truly be the powerful One my father had believed in?

It was impossible.

Wrenching my gaze from Him, I returned my attention to Jadis. She had summoned us to witness this surrender. She stood atop the Stone Table, her gaze fixed on Him as He stopped just before her, and a dagger held loosely between her clasped hands. An eerie light entered her eyes. It chilled me to see it but I could not turn away. She stared at Him. "Behold. The great lion."

Laughter, harsh and ugly, spilled out of the mouths around me and I laughed with them. There was no greatness in this Lion. He stood silent in our midst. Otmin, Jadis' Minotaur general, came forward and approached Him. He prodded Him in the side with the butt of his battle-axe. I heard a slight growl before it was drowned out by the mocking jeers around me. I wanted to join in but the words would not come as I watched in silent fascination. Otmin turned to Jadis. She raised her chin.

With a triumphant bellow, the Minotaur slammed the haft of his battle-axe into the Lion, tossing Him off His feet. He landed only inches away from where I stood. I drew my cloak closer around me, not wishing to allow even the hem to touch Him, though I could not explain why. I expected Him to fight. Do not all creatures lash out when they are in pain or danger?

He did not react. He only lay there even as the jeers grew louder. Jadis' voice echoed in my ears, "Bind Him."

I was pushed forward even though I had no rope as there was a rush to carry out her command. I watched as He was bound, expecting Him to take a bite out of whoever was tasked to bind His mouth closed, but He did not fight.

Jadis' voice cut through the noise again. "Wait!"

We all froze. We looked to her as she stood observing us. "Let Him first be shaved."

Ginarrbrik reacted first, unsheathing his dagger and rushing forward to chop off a piece of mane. He raised it above his head, waving it in triumph. We cheered. Taking care not to look into His eyes, I drew my own dagger and joined those in the task of cutting off His mane. The fur was soft and sweet-smelling. I had not expected that. A Black Dwarf jostled me as he clambered over the Lion to find a remaining clump of fur. Some of the Hags fought to posses those handfuls that the others tossed in the air. I ran my thumb over the fur again and looked down. I had meant to look for another handful to cut off but I met His eyes. He stared at me.

There was no hate in them. He looked only…sad, grieving for something…but surely He only grieved for His own pending death. I had not expected it at first, but now I could see that there was no chance Jadis would leave Him alive to further challenge her. She had already driven Him out of Narnia once. Now was her chance to end this battle once and for all. She would be a fool not to use it. Jadis was not a fool.

I hardened my heart and crouched with deliberate determination beside Him. Taking up my dagger once more, I grasped one of the few remaining handfuls of His mane and I cut it. My blade slipped, nicking His skin. Blood welled up from that small cut, staining His golden fur. I looked away, reminding myself that those who challenged the Queen deserved death and punishment.

"Bring Him to me."

The command could not be dismissed. I stepped back as the Cyclopes and Ogres grabbed the ropes and dragged Him across the ground, up the steps, and onto the Stone Table. All around me this demonstration of Jadis' power invoked cheers. I stared at the golden fur I still held in one hand and the bloodstained knife I grasped in the other. Hardening my heart, I raised the bloody knife and cheered as He was dragged before Jadis. They tied Him down. My throat grew raw as I kept cheering along with the others.

Jadis held out one arm. We grew silent as one. I glanced at those golden eyes once and then focused on her. One of the Hags began tapping her staff against the stone. Her sisters joined her. Paws, feet, and hooves slammed against the ground in time with this new rhythm. I swayed with it. The time had come, the beat sang. It was time. It was time.

Jadis knelt next to Him, running her hand down His side. She whispered to Him. I saw her triumph, though I could not hear her words until the end. "…So much for love."

I kept swaying in time with the rhythm, losing myself in it. It was time. It was time.

She rose to her feet once more as we continued the rhythm. Her voice carried over it all. "Tonight the Deep Magic will be appeased!"

We cheered.

"But tomorrow," she continued with a smile, "we will take Narnia forever!"

Raising my hand, I shook my bloody knife and cheered along with the others. The rhythm grew faster and faster.

"In that knowledge, despair…" she raised the knife as our frenzy grew. I made a mistake. I looked down and met His eyes as Jadis shouted, "and die!" The knife plunged into His flesh.

He jerked, the light in His golden eyes flickering and then dying out.

"The Great Cat is dead!" Jadis' triumphant shout echoed on the heels of my own horrified realization. He was dead.

The crowd around me cheered but something cracked inside me and I wanted nothing more than to flee or weep or beg forgiveness for my part in His death. What had I done? My gaze fell to the bloodied knife in my hand and I felt ill. Something had gone wrong tonight. With me. With His death.

In that moment I could not explain even to myself why He had died. Jadis had said it was a traitor's death but… I had been in the camp. I had seen the traitor. And that traitor had not been Him. Why had He come here? Why had He done this?

What had I done? I had not slain Him but in my despair I realized that I had still contributed and participated. What have I done? How could I have not voiced an objection? He wasn't the traitor. Why had He come here to die?

A cold voice called my name and fresh terror overwhelmed my despair to seize my heart as I looked up to meet Jadis' gaze. She studied me, tilting her head slightly. "Why are you not joining my troops? Do you grieve Him?"

I dared not even look at His body for fear that she would see my doubts. "I am merely surprised that it was so easy to kill a legend."

She gave a cruel laugh that made me feel as though ice had wrapped around my spine in a chilling grasp. "He was always weak. This ending only proves it. Now come. It is time to end this foolish rebellion."

I followed her, first walking then sprinting and then running away from the Stone Table and the dead Lion.

Yet, my heart still bled from the knowledge that I had done something unforgivable. I had helped kill One who was innocent.

OOOOOOO

So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God." - Matthew 27:54

OOOOOOO

A/N: Please Read and Review! A story for Good Friday seemed appropriate this year but don't worry Sunday is coming. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.