"The Lady With Crystal Eyes," holds a very nostalgic place in my heart. Written quite a few years ago now, and originally published here on FanFiction under the pen name Aslan's Breath, the whopping 43,064-word tale was the first novel-length story I had ever written, with the most complex plot I had written to date. As I pulled out this tale several weeks ago and dusted it off in order to rewrite and adapt it to my own world, I remembered how much I loved "Crystal Eyes," its exotic setting and colorful cast of characters. Now, I am publishing "Lady With the Crystal Eyes" here so this story can be experienced once again through the eyes of a new generation of readers. It might not be as polished as my newer fics, but I hope some people will still enjoy it. :)
And as always, feel free to comment with your thoughts and opinions! I thrive on reader feedback! I am also trying to rewrite this story, so any reader suggestions on how to make this story better would be greatly appreciated and considered!
Chapter One:
In The Market
King Edmund the Just had always suggested that a trip to Calormen to discuss the issue of slavery would undoubtedly be a good idea. But as time progressed and Edmund began to learn more and more about the customs and laws of Calormen, the idea of discussing anything with the ruler of Calormen, the Tisroc, seemed highly impossible.
As the years went on, however, Susan became old enough to court. Susan had many lovers (she was, after all, the fairer of the two queens) but she had so far not been engaged. One of Susan's latest lovers was a Calormen Tarkaan. A few days ago, the Kings and Queens had been sent an invitation to meet the Tarkaan in Tashbaan. Peter had been the one to accept the invitation, but he then was forced to settle some troublesome giants in the Northern Mountains. Of course, the Queens could not travel alone, so the two queens were placed under Edmund's care and protection, which was why Edmund found himself in a private room in a spacious palace on the east side of Tashbaan with a monkey clinging to a column above his head. Across from him sat Susan and Lucy, who were whispering and giggling quietly. Edmund, however, grew rather annoyed at being left out of the conversation.
"I'd like to know what you two are talking about," Edmund called to his sisters over the pages of the Calormene law book he was reading.
"Su's telling me about the ball she went to last night," Lucy replied. She sounded rather bored and uninterested. Edmund knew that Lucy wanted no part in the conversation. Edmund was very glad that his little sister did not fall for the handsome face of a man as readily as Susan did. Like Edmund and Peter handled the princesses who came to Cair Paravel seeking their hands in marriage, Lucy waited to find out what was behind a handsome face before she passed judgement as to whether a man was a suitable partner or not.
"Was it enjoyable, Su?" Edmund asked Susan as he returned to the pages of his book. He didn't genuinely want to know, but Edmund had learned that sounding at least remotely interested in what Susan was saying would keep her happy.
"Oh, yes it was! You should have seen it, Edmund! There were lots of handsome young men and loads of pretty Calormene girls…" After listening to his sister's chatter for a full minute, Edmund decided that he had enough for the moment, and so he abruptly stood up and said as he bowed to his sisters in a most polite fashion,
"I am sorry to halt your lovely story, dear sister, but I fear that business calls me to the marketplace."
Susan smiled and arched an eyebrow, knowing her brother's true intention for going to the market. "Since when did you start going to the market, Ed?"
Edmund smiled cheekily and returned, "I could use the fresh air."
Susan rolled her eyes as Edmund quickly left the room. She then turned to Lucy and said softly with a giggle,
"I knew that this conversation of ours would make Ed flee the room." Edmund smiled as he quietly shut the door behind him. He was quite sure he wasn't supposed to have heard what Susan had just said.
Outside, the air smelled of citrus and spices. Edmund took a deep breath and walked out of the front gate of this Tarkaan's palace. He needed to get away for a while.
The only problem about living in Tashbaan is that when one steps out of one's courtyard, they are immediately bombarded with noise and crowds of people. It took Edmund about ten minutes to get to the center of Tashbaan, where, to his dismay, he found that it was market day. The crowds were so tight that it was a wonder that people could move. The crowds worsened considerably every time a litter passed through the crowded streets, because many of the commoners (Edmund included) were pushed back against the walls of buildings to make way. If they did not, they either got butted with the end of a spear, or got a crack from a whip. Edmund had finally had enough of this crowd, and he was about to try to make his way back to the Tarkaan's palace and back to his sisters, but something caught his eye. It was the most beautiful thing that Edmund had ever seen.