Darius was surprised to still be getting real meals. And even more surprised that alongside it was bandages and such to treat his arm. Today he even had a meal nicer and bigger than he had since… well, ever really.

"So much for bread and water," he mumbled. Maybe their goal is to make me feel even guiltier about this whole thing by being nice to me…. if so… it's kinda working. Darius had never before really cared about his targets. But he really didn't want to hurt the High King or queen. They were just way too nice. Especially the queen. But all four of them really. He couldn't even bring himself to hate the faun who shoved the hilt of his sword into his side. Darius knew anywhere else he would have gotten much worse. And sure that vile poison hurt like hell, but it was temporary, and they even gave him stuff to treat it with. Darius was used to leaving interrogations bloody dripping everywhere and immense pain. Well, either that or he had escaped during the interrogation. Thanks to Darius' talent, usually the latter. Am I not really trying to escape? Darius suddenly thought. Fiddlesticks! I think that's it… I seriously am slipping. But maybe he didn't want to. But he had to for his family. For Lisette. And for Pheneus. And-

"You have a visitor," the minotaur said as she and the other minotaur walked in. Darius furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Um, I do? Ah, thanks for telling me Bernadette."

"I'm Killroy!" the minotaur said angrily, pushing Darius to the ground. The minotaurs then chained him up as usual and brought him down a different hallway. Oh, look. It's labeled "Prisoners' Visitation Room." Of course.

The minotaurs shoved him into an incredibly comfortable chair and chained him in, leaving the chains loose enough that Darius could get up and walk around a bit if he wanted. They then walked to the door and let the guest in.

"Pheneus! What are you thinking?! They might imprison you too! You should be with your sisters and mother!"

"I'm sorry, uncle. We were all just so worried about you! And then there was talk about you being arrested!...What happened?!" Pheneus said, visibly upset. Darius took his nephew into his arms and gave him a tight hug and buried his face in his nephew's messy hair.

"I'm so sorry; I'm so sorry; I'm so sorry," Darius kept murmuring again and again to the distraught boy.

"What did you do?"

"I made a horrid mistake. I broke my promise to your mother and went back to doing what I did before I met the four of you and you changed me."

"Why? Because you missed what you used to do?" Pheneus said, a bit bitterly.

"No! No!" Darius protested, horrified that Pheneus would think of him that way. Then he thought it over. Was it that? "Well… I'm honestly not sure."

"What… what do you mean?" Pheneus said quietly, confused by his uncle's words.

"I thought I was doing it to help you all. And if I had succeeded, it would have provided for us forever. I bargained that even if I almost completely failed they would still provide for you. But… there was a part of me that was happy to have a weapon again. Happy to do what I was… best at. A job that wasn't menial. But lately, I've had more time to think, and I would rather do any sort of menial, demeaning work that this. My mercenary work before… it was easier."

"Easier?"

"I always felt guilty doing my work. But it never bothered me much before now. But I tried to kill them and they…they had every right to execute me on the spot. At the very least, the interrogation should have been sheer torture the entire time through, not just one wound. Which they then gave me stuff to treat it with. Instead they wanted to know my name, she took my hands into hers, they've given me decent food and living space. Even when I was purposely rude to the incredible, gentle queen I was only punished with a slap. And supposedly rationed to only bread and water because of that, but they still gave me decent food anyways. I've been treated worse as a guest before. And I don't deserve any of it. I deserve to be tortured to death."

"But uncle, if you did it to help us…"

"I got swept by the idea of easy money to provide security. Maybe our life was bad, but I should've struggled through it. If I wanted to provide more for you I should've worked all night and all day rather than resort to my old ways."

"Uncle… I… want to ask you something. The jobs before, they didn't make you feel guilty?"

"Of course they did. But I learned to just not think of it. And I never really got to know anyone else. And when I did get interrogated, it was violent and horrendous enough that I despised the people so much I didn't feel guilty. But I was also a different person then. Your family brought out the best qualities in me," he said, meaning every word.

"It wasn't just us though that changed you."

"What do you mean?"

"I believe Aslan touched your heart. I've seen him. He told me you were in danger so I came to see you." Pheneus gently placed his hand on his uncle's chest to emphasize his point.

"Pheneus, the only true danger for me now is if you are in danger. You shouldn't have come here. Now I don't know what their majesties are going to do to you and I don't know what will happen if neither you nor I are there to protect your mother and sisters..." he trailed off as tears started forming in his eyes. He suddenly heard the sound of a door opening and looked towards the door he had come in through. It was still closed.

A clear strong voice pierced the room. "I have heard enough."

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy were all hidden behind a painting in the guest room. Susan had purposely ordered a secret compartment to be there in case they ever needed to use trickery to get a confession. Pheneus had arrived at Cair Paravel, saying Aslan had told him to come for his uncle's sake. The four wondered if that meant that Peter's dream of Aslan was about Darius. Susan, hoping Darius was indeed acting for his family's sake, suggested they use Pheneus to trick a confession out of Darius.

Pheneus said he would do whatever they told him to do and agreed to be part of their trickery, even though he seemed reluctant to not be honest with his uncle. Susan admired the young lad's love for his uncle. Darius must deep down be a good man for Pheneus to have such trust in him. Susan studied her brother's face. Peter's face seemed to become less taut quickly. Eventually she started to see even pity in his eyes. Susan leaned over to her brother.

"I see why Aslan sent you the dream. I wish to think that in his place you'd have made a wiser decision, but I fear you would fall in the same trap he did," she whispered softly. Peter looked into her eyes for a few seconds and then slowly nodded. He pushed the picture open.

"I have heard enough," Peter said.

Darius turned around slowly. His face turned ashen at the sight of the four standing there. Pheneus reacted swifter, knowing this would happen and knelt, pulling down his uncle with him. However, Pheneus still looked scared, unsure if Peter saying he heard enough was good or bad for his beloved uncle. Susan gave a soft smile in hopes of reassuring the young boy.

"Your majesties," Darius said blankly, staring at the ground. "I had no idea you were listening."

"We know," Peter said evenly. "We ordered your nephew to speak to you, so we could determine your motivations for the assassination. Aslan himself sent your nephew here and appeared to me in a dream." Susan could see that Darius had no belief in Aslan from his reaction, but he said nothing.

"There remains one thing we need to know. Who sent you to assassinate my sister?" Peter said firmly. Darius remained silent. Peter repeated his question, anger creeping into his voice, "I said, who sent you to assassinate my sister?"

"Your majesty. I-I-I can't," Darius stammered. Susan noticed a look of intense fear in his eyes. She frowned. He should by now have realized that Peter's bark was worse than his bite so Peter's anger didn't warrant that much fear. Then she noticed his eyes flicker towards Pheneus. He whispered quietly, "They'll kill them."

"Darius, we will send escorts for family immediately if you speak and they will be safe and provided for here," Susan said.

"Susan, you can't just…" Peter trailed off as Susan frowned at him. They stared at each other for a few minutes, like children having a petty staring contest. Peter then broke eye contact. "Darius, we promise no harm will come to your family if you are truthful with us."

Darius took a breath and spoke. "It was the Calormens, your majesties. They wanted to hire me so that you would believe Archenland had betrayed you. The Calormen Varash was the one who approached me with the job offer."

"Calormens," Peter hissed angrily.

"Was the request from him, or was he simply relaying the commands of the Tisroc?" Edmund interrogated.

"He didn't say, but I expect the latter."

"One more question. Why did you show mercy when you could have killed Sir Richard easily?" Susan asked.

"When you called out his name, I realized I had been mistaken about him being one of my targets. There was nothing in my agreement with Varash about whether I could show mercy to others present or not, your majesty."

"You had targets other than my sister?" Peter asked.

"Yes, your majesty. You." Darius shifted uncomfortably.

"I see. Siblings, let us step outside for a moment to confer." Peter turned to leave through the front door, the three others trailing behind. Susan lingered behind, taking one last look at Darius. There was still something about him that fascinated her. An assassin who was also a family man? It wasn't that she didn't believe him, but that she was intrigued by the idea.

"Brother, let us forgive his transgressions," Susan pleaded, taking Peter's hands into her own.

"Peter, we can't simply forget everything that this criminal has done. If we did, we would have to let every criminal walk free," Edmund protested.

"But Edmund, As–" Peter was interrupted by Edmund

"Peter, whether I can find it in my heart to forgive him or not is not the question here. I am not so presumptuous as to question what Aslan has told us and of course believe in redemption. But there are already many talking about Darius who are fully aware of the happenings of that night. There must be some sort of justice, or else every criminal will want their case reexamined." The siblings fell quiet at Edmund's words. He was the Just after all.

"So do you have any idea on how justice can be served while still forgiving him?" Lucy asked, knowing her brother's slyness when it came to helping criminals with lenient punishments while appearing harsh.

"Indeed I do."