A/N: I promised it didn't I? This has been in the works for a while, and it's slow going. To make it clear I do not own Narnia (do you think I'd be sitting on the internet if I did?!) and I do not own the characters from the Narnia series. I do however own my OC's and will beat you up if you steal them. (Just kidding… kinda). ALSO for those of you who read my Loose Ends For All Things, I outlined most of the sequel today :) so Enjoy!
XXX
Panicked shouts penetrated the silence of the dark night. They grew louder and more numerous, quickly joined by the sounds of a fight.
The girl crouched in the cabin, below the deck of the ship, stood and moved silently to the door, peeking through the tiny barred window. Men rushed past, holding swords and knives, all heading above deck.
She frowned and pushed against the door, hoping that in their haste, one of her guards had forgotten to lock it. No such luck. She put her shoulder against it and pushed. Again, nothing happened. Next she took a few steps back and slammed into the door, shoulder first. Pain shot down her arm and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.
The door stayed where it was but there was a splinter in the wood that led straight down to the lock. She glared at it as she massaged her shoulder and sat back down, her back leaning against the wall of the tiny cabin she'd been put in.
The sounds of the fight grew louder, now more like a full out battle than a simple fist fight. Suddenly a bang echoed through the cabin as a man was thrown against the already splintered door. It caved inwards with his weight.
The girl leaned forwards, taking a tentative step towards the door and waiting to see if anyone had noticed it was now open and that there was someone inside.
Peeking through the crack between the now open door and the ruined door jamb, she saw only a dead man slumped on the floor.
She eased the door open and climbed over the man's body, picking up his sword before creeping up the stairs and easing the door to the deck open.
A violent battle surged around her, the gruff pirates from the ship, shouting in their strange incomprehensible tongue, fought with what appeared to be soldiers. Men along with other creatures, fauns, minators and dwarfs. Narnians.
A soldier swung his sword at her, assuming she was one of the pirates on the ship. She ducked quickly and spun, kicking his feet out from under him before slipping away. She had no desire to kill these men, she didn't even know who they were.
She felt a sword at her back and whirled around forcing the man who held the sword to her to duck as she whirled hers at about chest level.
He jumped back up and she was taken by surprise. Instead of a typical soldier, this man was young, probably no more than twenty-five. He wore no armor and held a broad silver sword that gleamed even in the darkness and had a gold lions head at the base of the handle. Everyone in all of Narnia knew that symbol. It was the sign of Aslan.
The man, who could be no other than one of the King's of old, seemed surprised as well. He stopped for a second, staring at her, which gave her the opportunity to swing her sword towards him. King or not, he needed to back off.
He quickly recovered and blocked her shot, aiming one of his own towards her already injured shoulder. She ducked down low, making him miss and step towards her. She took her opportunity to slash at his legs but he jumped over her sword.
The girl didn't even have a moment to appreciate his agility before she was tackled to the ground. A heavy soldier rolled on top of her, pinning her much smaller frame to the deck and wrenching her stolen sword out of her hand.
She pulled back a fist and punched him hard in the jaw. The man let out a grunt and raised his sword to kill her when someone shouted "No!"
The soldier looked up, as did the girl, the non-soldier she had been fighting stood over them, his hand raised to stop the man on top of her from killing her.
"Your highness?" the man questioned, letting his sword drop a little. The battle on the ship was over, the Narnians clearly the victors, and a small crowd of soldiers had amassed around them.
The girl squirmed, drawing unwanted attention to herself. "Let her up" said the King, for the way the soldier addressed him confirmed her suspicions, "We will take her back with us" he decided.
The girl began fighting the man, pushing at him and punching at him everywhere she could reach. She wouldn't go with them, she had to go home to her family to make sure they were alright after the pirate's raid.
A minatour grabbed her by the arms and pulled her out from underneath the soldier. She screamed as pain shot through her injured shoulder. The minatour looked down at her with an apologetic grimace before gently slinging her over his shoulder where she promptly passed out.
XXX
"What are we going to do with her?" an annoyed male voice asked.
"We're going to ask her some questions and see if she knows anything about this army from the other side of the ocean" the voice of the King answered.
The girl cracked her eyes open, allowing herself to see the room she was in. It was well lit and beautifully furnished; clearly a room in the castle of the Kings and Queens of Narnia.
She was lying on a large, comfortable bed and in front of her stood three men. One of them was the king she had fought on the ship, which one was he, she wondered, Peter or Edmund?
The other two men looked to be his advisors. The annoyed one spoke again "I don't see how she can help us. She's either a pirate herself or one of them anyway and she won't tell us anything. She could be a spy for all we know!" he complained.
The girl curled her hands into fists, her, a pirate, that was ridiculous. A spy, now that was even worse.
The third man finally spoke "She may provide some useful information. I doubt she is a spy, she's far too young." His voice had a slight accent that the other two didn't posses and because of it she immediately trusted him.
She opened her eyes all the way to get a better look at the room, hoping the men in it wouldn't notice right away. No such luck, immediately the annoyed one glared at her "She's up, ask her your damn questions" he snapped.
The King and the other man, a very tall, very thin man, turned to her. She sat up giving them wary looks.
The skinny one sat on the end of her bed and the King kneeled beside it. Realizing that it was terrible etiquette to keep a King kneeling while she sat on the bed, she began to scramble off it.
"Stop, we will not hurt you" the King said placing a hand on her arm to still her, then he smiled "though I doubt a swordsman such as you has cause to fear from anyone."
The third man rolled his eyes and stomped over to the window but the King ignored him. "I am King Caspian the tenth, King of Narnia, what is your name?" he asked her.
She furrowed her brow, "You're King Caspian? Not King Peter or Edmund?" she asked.
Caspian smiled slightly "No, I am not, but Peter and Edmund are like brothers to me. I am sure they don't mind that I am King of Narnia in their absence" he assured her.
The girl raised an eyebrow and looking him over critically. His dark, shoulder length hair was almost as long as hers and his dark skin lent him an exotic look. He was the perfect image of a King, despite her attempts to find fault in him.
"Where are the Kings and Queens of old?" she asked, when she could find nothing obvious to complain about.
The man at the window snorted "I thought you two were supposed to be asking questions, not her" he said still facing out the window
The skinny man gave him a look that he couldn't see "This young lady is confused as to where she is, we at the very least owe her an explanation. My name is Philario, and please ignore him" he said the last part to her with a kind fatherly smile.
The man at the window scoffed again but remained silent as the King turned back to her, "The Kings and Queens of old have returned to their world" he said simply.
She frowned. It made no sense for the Kings and Queens of old to not be in Narnia. It was the entire reason her people had been preparing to join the Narnians.
"My dear, you had better explain who you are, we are as confused as you are" Philario said gently.
The girl sighed, she would have to tell them eventually "My name is Elara, I come from the island of Averin. We are far away from any other civilization and trade mostly with the people of Archenland. We heard a few years ago that the Kings and Queens of old had returned. My people are great believers in Aslan and we wished to be ruled by the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve that he chose." She explained, her polite manner unusual for her.
The man at the window scoffed again "And King Caspian isn't good enough for you?" he snapped, finally turning around and glaring at her.
"Sigan!" Philario snapped at him "There is no reason to terrorize this young woman, if you're not going to help, please leave" he glared at the other man.
Sigan glared back at him before stomping out of the room. King Caspian turned back to Elara "Do you know anything about the ship you were on?" he asked.
She shook her head "I was trying to get to Narnia to speak with the Kings and Queens of old and they kidnapped me. They spoke some foreign language I didn't understand and attacked my people."
The King frowned "We thought they were a ship from an army that is heading towards Narnia. Have you heard anything about the upcoming war then?" he asked, his voice hopeful.
This time Elara nodded "The army from the other side of the sea. They are from a place far north of Narnia and are the most fearsome army I have ever seen."
Caspian and Philario exchanged worried looks before Philario gave her what was supposed to be a reassuring smile. "Come now my dear, you must be tired, let us find you a room to sleep in" he said.
She nodded and climbed off the bed, she dropped into a curtsey for the King and followed Philario out of the room.
They walked down hallway with tall windows along one side and ornate, full length mirrors along the other. She glanced out the windows to see a courtyard filled with people and a drawbridge beyond. Glancing the other way she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror.
It was then that she realized what a mess she was. Her short mess of red-brown curls smelled of sea salt and was sticking out in every which direction. The kohl she usually wore around her eyes to keep the sun out of them, was smudged around her eye sockets, making her face look gaunt and sad. She had a small cut on her cheek and her sun-browned skin was smudged with leftover sea salt, blood and dirt. The mans clothes she was wearing weren't in much better condition.
She faced forward again and followed Philario, trying not to think about how she just met the current king of Narnia looking like she'd just been dragged out of the sea.
"Sir?" she asked politely, walking quickly so she could walk with him.
He looked down at her "Yes?"
She bit her lip and had to remind herself to stop. Her mother usually did that for her, but her mother was far away now. "I was wondering when the Kings and Queens of old were coming back?" she asked.
He chuckled "Coming back? Why my dear the last of the Kings and Queens of old left Narnia some time ago. High King Peter and High Queen Susan were told by Aslan that they would never return five years ago. King Edmund and Queen Lucy were told the same after their last visit two years ago. They simply will not be coming back to Narnia."
Elara had to try very hard not to let her jaw drop. Never coming back? But they were the entire reason her people had reinvested their faith in Narnia. They couldn't just never come back. Where had they even gone to anyway?
She carefully arranged her face into an expression of disinterest "Well then it is a good thing King Caspian is ruling Narnia" she said.
Philario nodded enthusiastically "The great Aslan himself deemed him King of Narnia in the place of the Kings and Queens of old" he sounded almost like a proud father.
Elara bit her lip again. Aslan did say Caspian should rule, and she did think he was a good King, but what would the Averinian people think of it? They had vested all their faith in Aslan's original four, the rulers of Narnia's golden age.
She was still mulling over the idea of talking her people into accepting Caspian as King when the man she was following suddenly stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. He pushed it open and led her inside.
The room was beautiful, large and comfortable looking with a small balcony that perched over the deep ravine below.
"Will this be sufficient?" Philario asked.
Elara grinned "This will be perfect! It is far bigger than my room in the palace at home, and I'm the King's…" she trailed off realizing a second too late that she had given away too much.
"You are the King's what?" he prompted.
She thought fast, the kings…. "Favorite ambassador" she improvised tacking on a smile at the end, "The ambassadors live in the palace as well as the King and his family."
He nodded "How interesting. I am sure you will be comfortable here, you must be very tired after such a long and strenuous journey. Rest and you will feel better" he said, before dipping his head to her and exiting the room.
The second he was gone Elara began to pace. Her people had put their faith in the Kings and Queens of old and in her to find them.
Caspian seemed like a good king, a kind man and a trustworthy person. She was sure he would do a good job as King of Narnia, but her people were very closed minded.
They were the descendants of a gypsy tribe from the Southern kingdoms and had been around when the Kings and Queens of old ruled Narnia. They migrated to the island where they had lived for the last thousand years. They hadn't had much contact with outside people, retaining their culture and keeping in their old ways.
There had to be some way to convince her people that Caspian could rule them. Personally Elara was dying to join Narnia. She loved the island but this was the first time ever she had been off it. Mostly she dealt with the traders from Archenland and longed to join them as she watched them load their ships and sail away from the only place she had ever known.
She had barely seen any of Narnia, but already she was in love with the castle and sure she would adore the rest of Narnia as well.
But none of that helped her situation. Flopping back on the large comfortable bed, Elara stared hard at the ceiling, willing it to give her the answers.
As she saw it, her options were; admit defeat and go home, or try to convince her people to follow King Caspian. Neither option sounded inviting.
She wished she could just return the Kings and Queens of old to Narnia.
She sat straight up, her back cracking loudly in the process but she ignored it along with the slight twinge of pain from her injured shoulder.
That was it. She would have to find a way to bring back the Kings and Queens of old! It was perfect, her people would have someone to follow, and even King Caspian admitted he thought of Kings Peter and Edmund as brothers. Everyone would be happy!
And Elara could stay in Narnia as ambassador of Averin, she would be able to see the world and broaden her extremely narrow horizons.
Now all she had to figure out was how to summon the Kings and Queens of old. She fell back on the bed again, that was so much easier said than done.
She let the Narnian legends she had been told as a child run through her head. The story of the Hundred Years Winter at the hands of Jadis, the white witch, the story of the battle for Narnia between the army of Aslan and the forces of the Witch, the tales of the majestic Cair Paravel, which now lay in ruins, and story after story of the Kings and Queens of old. Their talents and adventures as they ruled Narnia throughout its golden age.
Then it hit her, Queen Susan's horn! It was supposed to summon back the Kings and Queens of old whenever Narnia was in trouble, rumor had it that a Telmarine Prince, most likely Caspian now that she thought of it, had used it to call them back a few years before to return the land to its rightful owners, the Narnians.
The horn was to be blown for help in times of trouble, and from the little Elara knew of the army coming from the Northern Seas, trouble was on its way. In all honesty Narnia needed help, and who better to help than the old rulers, the ones who had fought alongside the Narnians to reclaim their land from both the White Witch and the Telmarines.
She jumped up, if Caspian had been the last to use the horn then it must be there somewhere in the castle. And she was going to find it.
XXX
"There is nothing we can do, your highness" Philario said as he, Caspian, Sigan and another one of the king's advisors, Rodrigo, stood around a large map of Narnia.
Caspian shook his head "There must be something we can do. Anything. I will not go into this war unprepared" he said, his voice firm and stressed.
"I know you want to be prepared your highness, but we cannot know where they will choose to attack" Rodrigo pointed out.
Caspian slammed a fist on the edge of the table "I will not leave Narnia unprotected! We must find a way to prepare for this war" he snapped.
Sigan frowned down at the map "We can amass troops all along the border and use scouts and spies to figure out where they will land and attack" he suggested.
"Do you know how much resources and time that would take?" Philario exclaimed.
"Then we should just sail out and meet them, Narnia's fleet is the finest in the world and I am sure we can win" Rodrigo jumped in.
The three descended into bickering and Caspian tuned them out. This war loomed on disaster and uncertainty and as young as he was he had no idea how to handle it.
He wished Aslan was there, to guide them, or even Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. Especially Susan. She had such a level head, and he wondered what she would do about this attack.
Probably find a way to counter them. A way to lead them someplace where the Narnian forces had the advantage, where they could fight on their own terms and, just maybe win.
The talk stopped as the door opened and a redheaded dwarf with a sarcastic attitude walked in. Trumpkin had been a dear friend of Queen Lucy's and had been extremely cross that he hadn't seen her on her last visit to Narnia.
"What? Am I interruptin' something?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No" Rodrigo said coldly. He had been one of Caspian the ninth's advisors and had never really taken to the Narnians. He was insulted that his King would consult with them on things, from war to treaties to how many new ships to build or how many bouquets of flowers to make for a banquet. He still thought they were inferior and was rather unpleasant to the Narnians Caspian trusted the most.
"We were discussing what to do about the coming army" Philario explained.
They had heard about the army coming by sea about a month before. A griffin scout had seen them from the Northern Deserts and flew as fast as he could to inform the King of their existence and direction. They were a large fleet and therefore very slow but they were nearing Narnia and for the last week tension had been high.
Trumpkin humphed and approached the table, leaning against it on his tiptoes to see the map. "Well it looks like there isn't much we can do until they get closer" he said and leaned back down to look up at the four men "And does anyone know why there's a strange girl wandering around the castle?"
XXX
Elara was hopelessly lost. She had checked every room on the hall where her room was located and every room on the hallway next to that. She'd climbed down a set of stairs and explored the floor below her own, wandering through hallways and up and down staircases until she couldn't even tell which direction she had come from.
She spotted a large set of oak doors and made a beeline for them, hoping there would be something interesting behind them.
She was right. The room she walked into, which just had to be the library of the castle, was huge, bookshelves towered from floor to ceiling and armchairs were strategically placed in front of the windows around the massive oval-shaped room, providing perfect places to sit and read.
The few open wall spaces that weren't covered by bookshelves, were taken up by artifacts mounted on the wall. One was the large sword of a centaur and another, the scale of a dragon. Further along the wall hung a beautiful bow and set of arrows. Across from it was a tiny dagger in a red sheath and over the fireplace at the far end, was mounted an ivory horn.
Elara grinned and made straight for it. She dragged over one of the armchairs and stood on it to reach the horn. It was easy to pull off the wall and once she had it, she hopped back down.
The horn was beautiful, its intricate engravings wrapping around the base and opening. It was surely Queen Susan's horn.
She took a deep breath and then another. This was for her people, this was for King Caspian and most of all, this was for Narnia.
So, she brought the horn to her lips and blew.