A/N: Though it has been a very long time since I've written Narnia fanfiction, I've been roleplaying Jadis for a couple months now on myspace. The task definitely gives me some ideas, so all ideas unusable in roleplay will definitely be made into fanfiction and placed on this site. This one is a little pointless, but no one ever did mention what happened to Father Christmas. As a strong Jadis supporter, here is my version...enjoy.
Banishment
"YOU!"
The harsh, icy tones of the White Witch Jadis caught the attention of Father Christmas, who was in the process of handing an abandoned baby squirrel a sack of nuts that would last him a year. His heart leapt to his throat, but he let none of his alarm show; he was intruding on her land. It was sure to anger her, and he had expected it coming. But he had definitely not expected to come face to face with her any time soon.
"Run along," Father Christmas said to the tiny squirrel, whose eyes had grown wide at the sight of the Witch. But Jadis, donned in her long gown and ice crown, her wand clutched tightly in her right hand, in all her splendor, wasn't having it.
"Remain where you are," she snapped at the squirrel. "Punishment for disobedience is death."
"You know, Witch," Father Christmas said calmly, turning to face Jadis fully. He was surprised to find her alone; a rare occurrence, as she was continually surrounded by members of her court (namely, Ginarrbrik and her General). "He is but a baby. Scaring him with death threats can be considered cruel." Of course, he knew who he was talking to, and cruelty on her part didn't surprise him in the least. But then again, it wasn't every day he was able to barb the White Witch herself.
"Silence," Jadis snapped. "After a hundred years you return, why? Your banishment is still issued."
Father Christmas was silent for a few moments as he studied the false Queen. Her entire demeanor was stiff, her expression solid. The only emotion she showed was in her eyes, which reflected jade flames of icy anger. Something Father Christmas never thought possible, but then again, Jadis was one of another world. Anything was possible, for all he knew.
"The power keeping me away has faltered, as you clearly see," Father Christmas said finally. "The Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve have brought hope. You surely realize how unlikely you are to triumph over them?" He looked down at the squirrel as it darted around the back of his leg and huddled in a ball in the trail of his pantleg.
"How dare you!" Jadis hissed in anger, taking a few steps forward; she was still a good distance away, the two had to talk in raised voices to hear each other. But now she was close enough to hear perfectly. Father Christmas shrunk back just slightly, but did his best not to show his now highly severe alarm. Weakness in front of her would only give her reason to use her wand on him, and that was the last thing he wanted.
"You've no right to speak in such a manner to a Queen," Jadis continued, her fingers still wrapped tightly around her wand. Slowly, she began to twirl it, a menacing glimmer visible within the depths of her eyes. "Have you forgotten exactly what I can do, you foolish man?"
"How could I forget?" Father Christmas responded; she had done quite a few horrid things to him in the past, things that kept him away this long. He told himself he wasn't going to be afraid anymore, and that was final. He was the spirit of a joyful holiday, one meant to bring hope to those whose lights had been dimmed. He took pride in his job; Narnia needed new hope.
"Shall I remind you again, or shall you exit my dominion at once?" Jadis asked softly, and Father Christmas could hear the dangerous underlie in her tone. She was offering him the chance for mercy…would he take it? He knew he should. If she, of all people, was offering, he should have been the first to grasp it and flee at once. Her magic may have been weakening, but who knew what she could still do?
However, he did not grasp the opportunity. He had already brought hope to those who knew of his presence, and he would not let his believers down. Drawing himself up to his full height (which was nothing in comparison to Jadis' seven feet), he said in the best constructed voice he could manage, "I will not leave these people to suffer once more."
Jadis' thin marble brow climbed slowly, almost to her hairline. Her expression remained emotionless, but her eyes flared with hatred and anger, with a ferocity Father Christmas had never seen before. Now he did take a few steps back. He had briefly forgotten about the squirrel, who squeaked loudly when he moved and darted for a nearby tree.
"Halt!" Jadis screamed at the squirrel; the animal didn't listen. Jadis tried one last time, a thundering fury in her voice that could have toppled an entire castle. "As Queen of Narnia, I order you to BE STILL!"
But still, the squirrel didn't listen. Jadis' moves were quicker than the infant animal's, however; in less than a blink of an eye, she had moved forward, and her wand caught the creature by the tail. All that dropped from the slowly blooming tree (as they were in an area in which the snow had melted, to be replaced by wet grass and growing plants) was a stone replica.
"You monster," Father Christmas said softly, his beady eyes wide. Jadis turned slowly towards him, her fur coat brushing the ground below her feet gently. She seemed more dangerous now than she had five minutes ago, though Father Christmas knew that looks were deceiving. Jadis wasn't just dangerous; she was evil. And, one way or another, evil always got their way.
"I offer you chance to escape, and you are foolish enough to deny me," Jadis said, moving forward. Her wand was twirling in her hand again, and the tip glowed a soft blue. "How dare you deny a Queen her word."
"And how dare you deny a country its freedom," Father Christmas shot back. His back was to his sleigh now; there was nowhere to run. In one fluid movement, Jadis lashed out with her wand, knocking the overgrown man backwards into his sleigh. With one more quick jab of the wand, he was nothing but a stone sculpture; just another addition to Jadis' stone courtyard.
Turning, Jadis brought the handle of her wand down upon the squirrel, crushing the stone figure to bits. Normally, she just would have left it, but her patience was being pushed to the limit. Four children after her throne, a Lion bent on her end, and now a sickeningly brave deity invading her land and bringing back the one holiday she despised most.
And, as she swept off towards the resting ground of her army, she knew she would soon have her victory.
