THE PRINCESS, THE APPLE, AND THE HORN

Disclaimer: The characters of Peter Pevensie, Susan Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie, Lucy Pevensie, and Aslan are all property of Disney® and C.S. Lewis, as is Narnia.

A/N: STOP! Do not read this story if you have not read Electra of the Lone Islands. This is the sequel.

Forgotten

The dimly lit hall-like room lined by dull grey stone walls gave off a sense of deep authority as it did treachery. Chairs lined the mid perimeter of the room along the sides while one solemn one stood in the head like at a table. The men who sat in the chairs all were looking in the same direction, some of their hands were stroking their dark pointed beards while others simply sat as still as stone statues. All had similar expressions upon their faces: they were lined with doubt, scorn, but most of all interest.

"And how do we know we can trust you?" the man in the head chair asked with an accent asked the woman standing in the center. "Your home country exiled you many years ago. How do we know you're not about to trick us?"

"Because," the woman answered with a sly smile, "I, like you, wish nothing more than to see Narnia fall. I have no grudge against Telmar and want nothing more than to see it prosper."

"And how do you suggest we overtake Narnia?" one of the Telmarine Lords asked her. "Calormen, with an army even greater than our own, was unable to overtake even Archenland due to Narnia on its side. How do you suggest we overtake them?"

"Simple," the woman sneered. "Narnia is only great now because of it's leaders. Aslan called upon the four to rid Jadis. The four have kept the country safe for near on fifteen years. The only way to overthrow it—take away the High King and his family."

There was an outburst of murmuring among the crowd inside the chamber as the men talked amongst themselves. A few of them seem worried, others interested, and some looked outraged. Some were even laughing

"You think this is easy?" another one of the Lords stood up to ask her. "Many have tried to kill the Kings and Queens of Naria over the past fifteen years, with magic or physical force. None have succeeded. How do you propose to overcome this impossible feat?"

"Simple," the woman replied with a wicked gleam in her eye. "Not kill them." Another soft murmur issued through the crowd. She carried on before it had quieted down. "Aslan protects the Kings and Queens of Narnia with a deep magic far greater than anyone or anything of any world. It is not something to be taken lightly, or to be underestimated. He protected them during their fight against Jadis. He protected them against the pirates that reined the seas. He protected them against the Calormen attack not that long ago. Aslan is powerful, and it is a power not easily defeated. Killing the High King and his family is impossible. But taking them away from Narnia is another story entirely."

One lord looked as though he were about to speak, but the Telmarine King held his hand up to silence him. "Continue."

"Legend has it that the Kings and Queens are from another world entirely. One even they do not remember. If they return to it, Narnia is left leaderless and completely alone. It will be easy to overtake their fruitful lands then."

"And for this, what do you want in return?"

"I have already offered my end of the bargain," she replied, "something of legend that I now your Highness will find very beneficiary. All I want in return is the stone knife left behind by Queen Jadis."

"What makes you think we have it?"

"Rumors," she said slyly. "All I hear are rumors. But perhaps one would say rumors are sufficient evidence. This is an artifact I have been tracking for the past nine years. I'm very sure I know who has it. It was a gift to you, your Majesty, from someone who bought it from the Black Market."

The King watched her for a moment before waving his hand. A page from behind him came forward holding a pillow with a small silk cloth over it. He removed the cloth to reveal a stone dagger. The woman's eyes glinted maliciously as she slowly stepped forward to claim the weapon as her own.

"You know the powers this beast holds," the King commented, watching her closely. "You wouldn't have handed it over without already testing this theory out."

The chamber doors opened and a guard entered, pulling on a tethered rein a white stag. Many of the men murmured to one another. The king stood up and walked over to the beast, not touching it but merely watching it with fascination.

"You are correct," the woman replied, taking the knife delicately. "I have already tested its powers. But they have yet to be proven true. But I have no doubt they will be most helpful to you, your Highness. All you have to do is catch it, and one wish is yours. Have the guard let go of the reins, and you take it, and one wish is yours."

The King looked at the stage, nodding his head. The guard let go of the reins. There was a moment when the stag was free before the rope was once more in Telmarine hands.

"I wish," the King said in his harsh voice, "for Telmar to rule over Narnia. That it have a prosperous future and history that all will remember."

The sky beyond the windows suddenly grew dark and lightning flashed. The stag reared up, causing the King to let him go. The animal turned around and sprinted from the chamber and from the castle. The king watched the magnificent creature flee before turning to the woman, the sky no longer dark.

"Well?" he asked.

"Now you must wait," the woman said, walking over to where he stood. Silence encased the entire room. The Lords looked at one another before every eye fell upon the King and the woman who stood before him.

"You were the first to catch the stag," the King said in a hard voice. "What did you wish for, Trinity of the Lone Islands?"

"That in its most glorious hour," she replied, looking at her stone knife greedily, "Narnia's beloved Kings and Queens disappear without a trace."