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: It was supposed to be a simple diplomatic trip to Telmar. They had been guaranteed safe passage. It was all a lie.
A/N: If you have not read the first five stories in the A Light in the Darkness main story arc (Awakening, Shadowed, Revealed, Concealed, and Rekindled), 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: Awakening).
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 Light in the Darkness: Refracted
Chapter One: Telmar
4 Lenisgale 1007
"If the lord from Akti would come down from the crow's nest, then perhaps he would realize that the council must hear out the concerns of the Narnian Empire since we have been trading in their waters."
Peter exchanged a tired glance with Kat and Oreius as the Telmarine council erupted into arguments again. It had been like this for the last week. A council of lords ruled Telmar; unfortunately, they never agreed on anything. And the lord from Akti seemed suspiciously belligerent about entertaining the negotiations for Telmar to cease conducting slaving raids on Calormen's behalf in Narnian waters. He leaned toward Oreius, "I do not think we shall get any further today. See if you can gain their attention, so we can leave without starting a war."
The General nodded once then he fixed a steely gaze on the Telmarine lords and, in the same voice Peter had heard him use to command the army in the middle of a battlefield, cut through the squabble, "Lords of the Council!"
The Telmarine lords stilled and darted very nervous gazes at them, or more accurately, at Oreius. Peter glanced at Kat and she winked at him. He smothered a smile as he drew himself up, "Lords of the Council of Telmar, We fear our negotiations shall proceed no further today and, with respect, We and our party shall withdraw until negotiations continue on the morrow."
The Telmarine lords nodded, apparently too intimidated by Oreius to form a spoken reply, and Peter gave a slight nod then withdrew as Kat and Oreius fell into step with him. Peter watched as the Telmarines in the halls shot wary, suspicious, or even outright hostile looks at them. Although, he'd probably received the least...Kat and Oreius seemed to be tied at the moment on who received the most looks. Kat's height and the white streaks at the front of her deep blonde hair seemed to gather a number of whispers involving 'witch' and 'sorceress.' Not to mention her manner and carriage even as the Princess Royal instead of as Dame Sepphora was far bolder than Telmarine women ever conducted themselves (when they spoke to the Narnians…or were even introduced to them). And, Oreius...well, Telmar had no Talking Beasts or Magical Creatures, only Humans and dumb beasts, and Oreius was the first Centaur to come to Telmar itself, so the reason he drew such attention was fairly obvious.
Once they reached the assigned quarters for their party, Peter shook his head, "This is taking much longer than we'd planned."
Kat shoved him slightly to the right as she passed him then sat on the settee, "This is what happens when dealing with a country that can barely run itself. There is no true balance in the government, what with the council of six lords with six different agendas at all times, always struggling for power, and they're even more superstitious than the Sisemaalians and Calormenes combined. We are fortunate that our gamble that there was a significant number on the council who are afraid that Narnia will choke off their trade in the Eastern Sea has paid off."
Peter frowned, "Save for the lord from Akti, old...whatever his name is-"
Kat looked up from where she was pulling off her shoes, "Lord Kazimierz."
Oreius nodded, "And the one who seems most willing to cooperate is Lord Tuanka."
"Right, but at this rate, we're still going be here next Yule."
"You worry too much, Peter. We're far more likely to meet some Murphy-approved fate well before Yule." Kat smirked as she stood back up and crossed to her room, opening the door long enough to toss her shoes in, before turning back to them, "Now, let's just enjoy the fact that tonight we get to eat without being stared at throughout the entire meal."
Peter chuckled, "Don't forget that we do have to go over more paperwork after dinner, Kat."
She just sighed, "Naturally."
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A frost coated most of the city, biting into him, reminding him why he was so willing to make the treacherous five-month sea voyage from Telmar's cold shores along the Western Sea to the warmth of the Eastern Sea. Never mind his profitable pursuits; he made it so he could flee the accursed cold that was Telmar's winter and early spring. He turned at the sound of the door opening and set his hand on the curved Calormene scimitar at his waist, narrowing his eyes at the one responsible for his inability to sail away from this miserable place. "What is it you want?"
A pouch the size of his fist was tossed at his feet, the ties coming loose and spilling silver coins across the tavern roof. "A task...regarding the Narnians who plague our country with their unnatural presence."
He glanced from the glinting Calormene Crescents resting against the toe of his dirt-encrusted boot to the other Telmarine. One who usually pretended he was of a higher sort than him, just because he could trace his ancestry in an unbroken line to one of the first Six Families...but now he had to stoop to paying him for help. He tapped one finger on the hilt of his sword, "For the task I believe you have in mind, you better have five more pouches of the like or you won't have to wait to find out if the woman with them really is a seer or sorceress."
The look of disgust on the other Telmarine's face as he tossed five more pouches at his feet was very enjoyable. He gave a mocking half-bow, "You are too gracious, my lord. Now, what is this task?"
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Katerina stared at the words on the report concerning Telmarines trolling Narnia's island territories and allies for slaves who would then be sold to Calormene slavers and taken to slave markets, which they were hoping to use for some leverage in this diplomatic nightmare of trying to coax Telmar's squabbling lords into cooperating. The words were starting to blur together and her headache was getting worse. Peter had been staring at the same page of his report for the past twenty minutes. Only the Kentauri was still making any sort of progress (sometimes she could swear that he lived and breathed paperwork). Tossing the report back on the table, she rubbed her aching temples, "No more paperwork for tonight. Peter, go to bed. We can't have you yawning your way through negotiations tomorrow. Oreius and I will take care of this. Go on."
Not even offering a token protest, Peter just yawned then set his report down with precise care before pushing himself out of his chair, "Good night, you two."
"Good night, your majesty."
"Good night, Peter." Neither of them moved from their spots though until they'd heard Peter slide the lock on his bedroom door into place. Retrieving the reports from her side of the table, Katerina leafed through them with more care than she would ever be forced into admitting. Putting them mostly in the proper order, she handed them to Oreius, hiding a grin as the Kentauri deliberately caressed the back of her hand when he took the reports from her only to frown and give her a mock glare as he shuffled the reports into their proper order. She smirked, "Is breá liom tú ró, Kentauri." (I love you too, Kentauri.)
Oreius returned the reports to the diplomatic pouches then, taking her hand and squeezing lightly, he led her over to sit in front of the large fireplace. Lifting their still entwined hands, he pressed a kiss to her fingertips then to the back of her hand before he leaned in, cupping the side of her face with his free hand and brushed his lips against hers then he breathed against her ear, "And, I love you, my cheeky little pest."
She laughed softly then pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before she shifted so she was leaning against him instead of facing him. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she lightly rubbed her free hand up and down the inside of his arm, and whispered, "The negotiations are making me nervous."
His fingers tightened slightly, gently squeezing her hand, "We will go home soon, Alambiel. Although, I am not certain if it will be with the results we were hoping for when we came here."
Katerina gazed at the fire that was slowly dying to embers, stilling her hand against the crook of his elbow. The words came soft and unbidden. "They burn accused witches at the stake here. I really do not want to acquire any burns...they're even worse than broken ribs."
She felt him press a kiss against her temple, "They will not burn you. I will not allow it." She squeezed his hand in silent thanks and he kissed her temple again. The silence that fell between them was comfortable as she remained with her head pillowed on his shoulder and resting one hand against the crook of his elbow, while the other was still firmly entwined with his hand. They stayed that way for a long time before Oreius shifted, rousing Katerina out of her doze. She let him steal one more kiss before she retired to her room. She didn't tell Oreius, but she still couldn't shake the bad feeling she had about these negotiations with Telmar. Crawling into the uncomfortable bed (the Kentauri was lucky he was sleeping standing up), she carefully placed one of her knives under the pillow and promised herself to stay on high alert until they were out of Telmar.
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A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, I know I said I wasn't going to be back with another long story for awhile...but between having this plot bunny come together so very quickly and WillowDryad (the blame/credit for this very early return is mostly on her and she knows it ;) ), I couldn't help myself. So this story will only be updated on a weekly basis, right now I'm trying for Mondays, and it will be awhile before I finish. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about the beginning of this new story (and yes it is the first epic main story I've started without a prologue).
A/N2: This is also my 80th story.