Disclaimers: I don't own Narnia, C.S. Lewis does, you know the deal...
Notes: Message me before using any of my characters, yadity-ya-dee-yah, ya'know, the usual. Also, because I'm a lazy penguin this story wasn't getting finished (as I'd hoped to do)... So, I'm posting it, because then I feel some freaky blood-pact agreement to finish it. Strange, eh? Whatever. Anyway. So. Read, review, favorite, throw it out the window, make it a teddy bear, I don't care, do something with it...
.: Prologue :.
The residents of Charn struggled against the blustery winds, unaware of the importance of the day. Maybe some were, for Charn had not seen this white substance called snow in over seventy years, however, this was not the main event, because inside the great palace of Blocaille, Emperor's wife gave birth to a second daughter. Of course, he had wanted a son, given that his first heir had been Dispa nearly two years ago, but things do not always go as one wants.
When Dispa had seen the gaunt, pale face of her sister Jadis and reached out to grasp the baby's outstretched hand, only to find the baby would withdraw it and give a fierce glare seemingly impossible to receive from a newborn, it was destined for the two to be rivals always degrading the other to reach the top. Of course, Emperor did not realize this for many years, until he was an old soul ready to pass on his throne, but this is far in the future.
At the age of five, Jadis was already a cruel excuse for a human being. Then again, she wasn't full human, either - rumors of Empress having affairs with someone else, someone of giant heritage, spread widely. It was a hard rumor to ignore, given Jadis's already towering stature. Dispa, seven at the time, was many-an-inch shorter than Jadis, and instead of being discouraged, she used this to her advantage.
"Come along, Jadie," called Dispa, using a nickname Jadis despised, "Don't you want Father's ring?" The gold and jewels caught the light of the big, orange sun of Charn and reflected over the pillars in the palace courtyard - or rather, one of the palace's many courtyards. To be honest, even Dispa had no clue where they had wandered off to, but she was nowhere near admitting it.
"You know that isn't yours," Jadis said spitefully, "Father gave it to me."
Yes, Emperor had given Jadis the ring, but only because she had chosen it as a pacifier (much to Empress's dismay; "She could choke!") and would not be quiet without the object stored safely in her palm, mouth, or on her fingers, though it wasn't quite secure resting on Jadis's frail fingers. So, Emperor had his finest dwarfs tinker the ring until it fit perfectly. Then, he had presented it to her on the year she turned four.
"Well, it's due time Father gave me something." On Dispa's fourth birthday, she had merely received a small stack of presents containing modest gowns and mediocre trinkets, accompanied by a brief birthday wish from her parents and no party. "Talk about favorite children," she sneered, and ran down the corridors, losing herself in the palace, dashing under the feet of servants as she went.
Jadis had no choice except to follow, with great difficulty due to her towering size, though her legs were longer and she was soon treading on Dispa's heels. Dispa glanced behind to see her sister growing ever closer, and she ducked into a hole in the wall to the right. The smooth flooring sent Dispa skidding into a room full of Emperor's advisors, and at the head, Emperor himself. Jadis, meanwhile, was squirming and wiggling her way through the hole, when she heard several gasps and the voice boom out.
"I pray thou hast not been eavesdropping, my child?"
"No Father, I was just-"
"We will talk in private," said Emperor. He steered Dispa by the shoulders mere feet away from where Jadis lay stark still. In a hushed voice he said, "Shame, Dispa, shame! How did thou enter?"
"I was..." Dispa let her voice drain. Did she admit to chasing Jadis? Or try and hide it? Emperor solved this riddle for her.
"Child, is that the ring of the child Jadis?"
"Yes, Father. Why does she get this?" Dispa flashed the ring. "I haven't got anything nearly as nice."
"Give the ring here," said Emperor. Dispa dared not to disobey her father and her emperor, and therefore she reluctantly passed it over. "Thou hast plenty valuable treasures. What about all of thy dresses, hmm?"
"Father, I don't want dresses. I want-"
"Nonsense, child. Thou will want what thou hast been given."
"But father-"
"No excuses. Now go. I have matters to tend to. I have no time for meddling children."
This could have been the end of the story - maybe Dispa would have learned to stop taunting Jadis and accepted what she was given, maybe Jadis would have not continued learning evil ways, maybe they would not have had a quarrel over the rightful heir to the throne, and maybe the great city called Charn would not have met such a sorry destiny. But, that is not what happened, and the sorry truth is that later, Emperor had called Jadis to return her ring, and as fate would have it, Dispa was off finding ways of busying herself when she walked past the room in which the event took place.
"Here you are, my darling Jadis."
Dispa could not believe her ears - she had always been child, or daughter, but Jadis got to be called darling? She tip-toed closer to the door, which had been left slightly ajar, and pressed her eye to the keyhole instead of peering around and risking being noticed.
"Thank you, Father!" Jadis hugged Emperor with a little too much enthusiasm. Dispa scoffed silently to herself. Of course Jadis was Father's favorite, because she put on this disgusting play-acting every time she was with him.
"Speak, daughter, what is it you wish? I can tell something is troubling thee." He took a finger and poked her softly on the nose. Jadis giggled and shrugged.
She said, "Father, I want to rule!"