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: "Life is a reflection of intent. Love reflects love. Hate reflects hate." - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Can the reflection in the ocean waves be trusted?

A/N: If you have not read the first six stories in the A Light in the Darkness main story arc (Awakened, Shadowed, Revealed, Concealed, Rekindled, and Refracted), I highly recommend you do so for the full experience. However, I have included a quick summary of the previous stories so if you want to give this one a whirl on its own, you can.

What's Gone on Before

Shot entering a courthouse in our world, a stranger comes to Narnia one year into the Pevensies' reign. This stranger, Katerina Alambiel, gains the trust of young Queen Lucy even though others suspect she might be a witch. Still, she is allowed to remain in Cair Paravel as a guest. Oreius begins to earn her trust as she earns his. When the evil sorcerer, Jannes, takes Lucy, Katerina Alambiel is accused of being an accomplice even as she crafts a plan to rescue the Valiant Queen. Infiltrating the sorcerer's lair, Katerina Alambiel leaves a trail for Oreius and the Kings allowing them to rescue Lucy. Katerina Alambiel pursues and kills Jannes with Oreius' aid (Full story: Awakened).

After six months of finding a niche in the daily life and routine of Cair Paravel (Full story: Shields), Katerina Alambiel is counted as a friend rather than a guest by the Four and by General Oreius. She accompanies High King Peter and Queen Susan on a trip, unaware that another sorcerer intends to frame her as the High King's assassin. Just before parting ways with Susan, dark secrets in Katerina Alambiel's past are revealed. A pair of assassins frames Katerina Alambiel in two attacks on the High King's life before she and a badly wounded Peter are captured by the sorcerer, Jambres. As he tortures them, Jambres reveals that Katerina Alambiel is part Human and part Narnian. Katerina Alambiel interferes with Jambres' attempt to kill Peter, taking the brunt of the spell herself before Oreius and the other Narnians rescue them. Aslan confirms to Katerina Alambiel that she is both Human and Narnian, and that her Narnian heritage is that of Nymph and Centaur due to her mother being the Nymph daughter of a Centaur, before charging her with the task of searching for the identity of her birth family, thereby unlocking the forgotten memories of her early childhood. Katerina Alambiel survives the spell with the addition of two white streaks in the front of her hair as souvenirs and Peter decides to knight her into his chivalric order for her actions (Full story: Shadowed).

Two years after being knighted Dame Sepphora of the Most Noble Order of the Lion, Katerina Alambiel is nearing the end of her search for the identity of her Narnian birth family. While her long-forgotten memories begin to resurface, she runs afoul of Count Hendrik of Sisemaal, one of Narnia's allies. Afterwards, Katerina Alambiel discovers that she was born Alambiel, daughter of Lew the last King of Narnia, and the only survivor of Jadis' massacre of the original royal family. Before Katerina Alambiel can decide how to handle the information, she and King Edmund go on a border patrol but are captured by the vengeful disgraced Count Hendrik and his cousin, Heikki, who leads a group of mercenaries employed by the Witch Medea. As Peter and Oreius lead a huge rescue party to find them, Edmund and Katerina Alambiel are tormented by Medea. Peter and Oreius rescue them just after Medea turns Katerina Alambiel over to Heikki and Hendrik and prepares to kill Edmund. Medea is defeated and her forces routed and scattered. Katerina Alambiel swears Oreius and the four other Narnians who know the truth of her identity to secrecy (Full story: Revealed).

Two and a half years after the incident with Medea and the Sisemaalian mercenaries, Werewolves and Hags plot to resurrect Jadis through the sacrifice of royal blood. While General Oreius and the Kings are on a diplomatic journey to Archenland, Oreius is forced to reexamine his feelings for Katerina Alambiel. In the absence of the General and the Kings, Katerina Alambiel and Queen Susan are ambushed by Werewolves and Susan is spirited away to be the sacrifice. Katerina Alambiel and her small party pursue the Werewolves but without the aid of the soldiers led by General Oreius and the Kings, Katerina Alambiel offers herself as a trade. With Katerina Alambiel now prisoner of the Fell, the remaining soldiers and Susan finally meet up with the Kings and Oreius. While the injured Susan is rushed back to the Cair and the healing power of Lucy's cordial, Oreius and the Kings seek to rescue Katerina Alambiel before the Fell ceremony on Winter Solstice and the truth of Katerina Alambiel's royal heritage is revealed to the Four. Oreius and the Kings disrupt the ceremony and aid in Katerina Alambiel's escape. Upon returning to the Cair, Katerina Alambiel presents the Four with an edict resolving many potential issues concerning her heritage, which is now common knowledge, but Oreius waits for a better time to reveal to Katerina Alambiel that he cares for her as more than a friend (Full Story: Concealed).

Almost six months after having her royal heritage become common knowledge, Katerina Alambiel travels as the Princess Royal with General Oreius on a diplomatic mission to the country of Zelaia. On their last night in Zelaia, Katerina Alambiel comes to the realization that she loves Oreius. However, before either one speaks up, they are captured by slavers and sold into the underground world of the Blood Games. Forced to fight by the man who bought them, Katerina Alambiel and Oreius teeter on the brink of despair. They finally escape with another fighter and return to Narnia. Once they recover from their wounds, Oreius and Katerina Alambiel confess their love to each other and are now courting in secret (Full Story: Rekindled).

A little over five months after Katerina Alambiel and Oreius return to Narnia, they travel with Peter on a diplomatic trip to Telmar. However, due to treachery on part of one of the Lords of the Council of Telmar, the three are forced to end negotiations early and attempt to leave Telmar. Before they can cross the border, mercenaries attack them. Oreius stays behind, allowing Peter and a wounded Katerina Alambiel to escape. Once Katerina Alambiel is in the care of healers, Peter sneaks back into Telmar to discover Oreius' fate. When he finally finds the mercenaries though, he is captured. Tormented by the mercenary leader, Peter is then forced to fight for his and Oreius' freedom. After winning their freedom, the mercenaries once again ambush Peter and Oreius but the fight ends with the mercenary leader dead and Peter gravely wounded. Receiving guidance from an unexpected source, Oreius carries the wounded and, at times, delirious Peter through Telmar and the Western Wilds until they finally return to Narnia. Once he receives the cordial, Peter becomes betrothed to the Beech Nymph, Thalia, whom he's been courting for some time (Full Story: Lion and Flower), while Oreius and Katerina Alambiel choose to wait to announce their courtship until Peter and Thalia's wedding (Full Story: Refracted).

A Light in the Darkness: Reflected

Chapter One: On the Sea

6 Mayblossom 1008

The Splendor Hyaline was undoubtedly the most magnificent ship in the Narnian fleet. And, she was built to accommodate all Narnians save the Good Giants, Elephants, and Giraffes, which meant even though it was uncommon for Centaurs to sail, Oreius had no difficulty as he emerged from the quarters below deck onto the main deck. Joining the captain, a Gorilla by the name of Attar, as he steered the ship, Oreius frowned slightly when he spotted Alambiel clinging to the ship railing she was half-slumped over, forming a truly miserable picture. Attar followed his gaze and the Gorilla chuffed a laugh, "Do not worry, General, the Dame Sepphora is always like that when she comes above deck."

Oreius still frowned, "We have been at sea for over three days, I would have thought that her seasickness would be past by now."

Attar chuffed another laugh as he patted the ship's wheel with one large black hand, "That's because Dame Sepphora doesn't have proper seasickness, if she did, she'd be cured by now. Instead, she remains miserable to varying degrees until we reach land again and we put her ashore." Oreius fought to hide the sudden urge to chuckle as Attar added in a most amused tone, "The poor dear."

Alambiel was still clinging to the ship's rail when she rasped, "I'm going to tie you to the anchor, Attar, and let you slow this bloody boat that way."

Attar chuffed, completely unintimidated by Alambiel's threat, "She's a ship, Dame Sepphora, not a boat. The finest ship to be found in the Eastern Sea for that matter. And you make such a threat every time that you board this fine vessel and you have yet to gain your sea legs enough to even come close to carrying it out. And if you have finished kissing the Splendor Hayline's fife rail, perhaps you should go below deck?"

Oreius finally had control enough of his urge to laugh to insert his opinion, "Perhaps you should, Sepphora, and this way you won't be as likely to fall into the ocean."

She moaned, "I hate you both." Finally straightening, she turned to face them, looking a bit peaked as she then walked with precise care across the deck and retreated below deck.

Oreius watched her go, quietly promising himself that he would check on her later. He turned back to the Gorilla and grinned, "How is it I did not know that Dame Sepphora was such a poor sailor?"

Queen Lucy laughed gaily as she clambered down from the rigging, "Because Kat's scarier on land than she is at sea, and she hung Alaois and Lonn upside down from the yardarm after they joked about mentioning it in their reports, after the ship was in port of course." She grinned at Oreius and Attar then her expression changed to one of alarm and dismay, "Edmund, look out!"

Turning, Oreius watched with no small measure of his own dismay as the Greyback brothers skidded across the deck and knocked King Edmund overboard. Though one might have considered it to their credit that the two young Wolves immediately let out yelps of alarm and promptly leapt overboard after their king. Oreius merely pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed as three Fauns, two Satyrs, and another Gorilla (one of Attar's cousins) hurried to toss ropes over the side.

Attar muttered, "Well, if the pups drown, you can pick experienced and level heads for the Just King's personal guard."

Oreius snorted, "If he does not drown with them." He left Attar chuckling as he went to check on the Just King's state. Leaning over the rail, Oreius stifled the urge to laugh for Romulus and Remus Greyback were paddling in circles around the Just King who was being held steady by two very amused Mermaids as he tied the ropes around his waist.

King Edmund glowered at the Wolves, "Romulus! Remus! If you two don't stop going in circles, you're going to have to swim back to Cair Paravel."

The Wolf pups stopped paddling and immediately sank before they surfaced and paddled toward King Edmund. The Mermaids giggled and fashioned harnesses around both Wolf pups, allowing them to be hauled back on deck along with King Edmund. As soon as all three were back on deck, King Edmund turned with a fierce scowl on his hapless guards. "Remus! Romulus! This is the twentieth time since we boarded the ship (not even since we left the port) that you two have knocked me overboard and you two inevitably make it worse by jumping overboard! What if we encounter a storm? If you pulled the same stunt you did just now, we'd all be lost at sea more likely than not. You two are bloody menaces! Until you two can quit charging recklessly across the deck and skidding into things and people, such as me, and knocking them overboard, I forbid you from coming above deck until we are anchored at Redhaven. Do you understand?"

Oreius merely crossed his arms, watching as the Wolf twins sank to their bellies with their ears flattened against their skulls as the Just King shouted at them. They formed a piteous picture laying there in twin puddles of seawater. The Just King crossed his arms and impatiently demanded, "Well? Have you no answer?"

The Greyback brothers looked at each other then they looked up at Edmund, all without even lifting their muzzles from resting on their paws. "Yes, King Edmund."

"Good. Now go dry off. You can't come in the cabin if you're wet." Oreius continued to watch impassively, hiding the slight smile that threatened to appear when Edmund spun back around and pointed fiercely at the Wolves. "And, don't you dare fall overboard again!" Then he spun on his heel, making the blanket one of the crew had wrapped around his shoulders flare, and stomped across the deck until he disappeared below.

The young Wolves looked at each other again and then they cautiously rose to their feet. One of them, Remus maybe, quietly asked, "Is he too angry to go near?"

The other Wolf twin, Oreius was fairly certain it was Romulus, nodded, "I think so."

"Maybe we should bring him food?"

"He didn't like it the last time we did that, Remus."

"I thought he just didn't like it because we forgot he likes to burn the meat."

Oreius cleared his throat and gave the Wolves a stern look, "Have you not been given orders by your King, Masters Greyback?"

The Wolf pups tentatively wagged the tips of their soaked tails as they peered up at him. Remus was the one who hesitantly asked, "General, do we really have to stay below deck until the ship reaches port?"

Oreius raised one eyebrow. "Are you refusing your orders, Master Greyback?"

The Wolf twins both shook their heads vigorously, sending droplets of seawater flying, as they backed up. "No, no, we're not!"

"Good."

Romulus' ears flicked back and forth then pricked up as he took a single step toward Oreius. "General Oreius, are we still on duty below deck? Are we still supposed to protect King Edmund?"

Oreius gave a curt nod, "Are you not his personal guards? Dry off then make your way back to your stations." The Wolf twins perked up immediately and walked with exaggerated care across the deck to where they would find the towels that had been set aside solely to dry them off. Oreius shook his head slightly. Those two had too much enthusiasm and not nearly enough experience to be more than loyal menaces…for now.

Seeing things on deck were well in hand and there was naught more he could do, Oreius returned his attention back to the one below deck who was occupying his mind the most. He tapped on the door to Alambiel's cabin and opened it as soon as he heard her rasp a reply. She was sitting on the bed, staring at something cradled in her hands. "I did not realize sailing was so difficult for you."

She looked up and gave him a wan smile. "Hard to keep people in line if they knew that being on this thrice-accursed boat from Murphy's harbor was such a challenge."

Reaching her, he ran his fingers over her hair, trying to give her some distraction from the ship's movement. "I see. So are you attempting to keep me in line, Sepphora?"

"No, Kentauri, I just don't like admitting it."

"Is there nothing that can be done to help you?"

In reply, she raised the vial and gave it a little shake, "This."

"Why haven't you taken it already?"

A wry smile appeared then vanished as she sighed, "It's not so simple as that, Oreius."

He frowned down at her and flicked his tail, his fingers stilling a breath away from her cheek. It seemed simple enough to him. "Very well, explain this dilemma to me since I do not see it myself."

Another wry smile appeared and she leaned her cheek against his palm. "The dilemma, a chara, is the side effect of taking this solution. If I take it, I will be spending less time slumped over the ship's rail feeling like the poster child for utter misery and will be more likely to pay attention for the we're-almost-there-let's-make-sure-all-our-ducks-are-in-a-row meeting tomorrow. However, if I take it, I will be dead to the world for the rest of the day and all through the night. I do not like making myself so vulnerable when I'm on land, I hate doing it at sea."

A dilemma only his Alambiel could have and he would not be surprised to learn she had chosen to remain miserable during past voyages to keep herself from being vulnerable. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss against her temple, "Take the solution, Alambiel. I will make sure that you are not vulnerable and you will be of more use to us if you are not endanger of slipping over the rail every time you go above deck."

"I must be hallucinating. You told a joke and it was actually funny."

He snorted, "Take the solution, Alambiel." He crossed his arms and waited until his stubborn mare took a drink of the solution. Oreius pressed one last kiss to her temple and then left. At least, if she was teasing him, she was not so ill as to warrant his being overly concerned.

Walking further down the long corridor, Oreius stopped before the Just King's door, which was standing open. "Majesty?"

"Come in, Oreius. Are Romulus and Remus with you?"

"No." He did not miss the hint of worry that crept into his dark colt's eyes as he glanced past him to the empty corridor. Stepping forward, he gave the colt a serious look. "Tell me, King Edmund, do you wish for different personal guards? There are more seasoned guards I could assign if that is your wish."

His colt looked up sharply and scowled as he ran a hand through his still-damp hair. "No, of course not. Peter promised them and I'm not going to make Peter break his promise just because Romulus and Remus aren't experienced." He stood from his chair and started pacing the breadth of the cabin. "They could have drowned today. What if they did go overboard during a storm? We might not be able to reach them in time and even the Merfolk might not be able to rescue them. They need to show some common sense when aboard a sea vessel and learn some self-control. Otherwise, I worry they're just going to end up hurting themselves and I'd hate for that to happen. Their enthusiasm is unparalleled and I'm glad it is, but sometimes…" He shook his head and sighed, "Sometimes their enthusiasm is a bit much and it threatens to drive me out of my skull."

"Then you do not wish to replace them?"

Edmund shook his head. "No, I do not." He paused then gave Oreius a questioning look as he asked, "Would you advise me to do otherwise, General?"

Oreius folded his arms and maintained an impassive expression as he commented, "I would never have permitted the High King to make this appointment if I had not seen the great potential within the Greyback brothers. I see it still and my opinion remains the same as when the High King informed me of what he had done. It will take time to refine that potential into true skill. However, once it is accomplished, I do believe your Wolves would compare favorably with your brother's Tigers."

The tension eased from his dark colt as he nodded with the hint of a smirk. "Good. I-" The smirk vanished as Edmund's jaw dropped then he hissed, "Remus! Romulus! What is that?"

Oreius turned in time to watch the Greyback brothers walk in the cabin, their tails wagging cautiously. Remus Greyback had a roast chicken clamped in his jaws while Romulus was lightly grasping a (thankfully) stoppered wine bottle. They quickly carried their prizes to the table. Remus Greyback dropped the roast chicken on the table and looked excitedly at the Just King. "King Edmund! We brought your lunch! And, look, we even waited until Cook finished burning the meat this time!"

Suppressing the urge to chuckle, Oreius slipped out the cabin just as his dark colt wearily replied, "Remus, you are not supposed to carry my food in your mouth."

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A/N: Please Read and Review! So, to kick off 2014, I decided to start my seventh entry into the main A Light in the Darkness series. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one. Happy New Year!