A/N: Nine chapters? Really. *Coughs* Um, yeah, so...NaNo starts in about two weeks. And I will not be doing much updating. Sorry.
Lucy paced her room, unable to look at the scroll on her table. The message it contained was more than she was ready to admit to. With her brothers on opposite ends of the country and Susan caught up with the ambassador, she couldn't ask one of them to take this off her hands. Joren had written to her his concerns about the Calormen ambassador's servant, and now, Lucy had to make a choice.
She looked at her bed for a moment before pulling her dressing gown tighter and turned away. She couldn't sleep. Not until she had decided what to do. Lucy turned to the letter, reading words that were already beginning to burn in her mind.
Majesty,
I have asked Kegen to help you in your studies since I am not there. There is a specific exercise I wish you to practice; you have a good head on your shoulders when faced with a practical exercise. I want you to work on that, to think of things that happen as part of your training…I should have warned you of this before our departure. The Calormen Ambassador is not as trustworthy as he purports himself to be. Among his servants is a man who was not always a servant. This man does not know that I recognized him. The only reason that he would be in the retinue of an Ambassador is if he has been hired as an assassin. I tried to warn the High King but he would not listen and the Just would not hear my words if I hired a herald to proclaim the truth to the masses.
I have left orders that the man be watched, but even the Fangs are not perfect and must sleep, at times. Kegen can access my file on the Ambassador's man when you are ready to learn about him…
Lucy turned away; she didn't need to read anymore. She spotted the tray with chilled fruit juice that Tirana had brought her and she walked over to get a drink. Just as she lifted the glass to her lips, someone pounded on her door. Junea and her night partner, a Faun named Lanus, came out of their alcove before Lucy could do more than jump. Junea crouched in front of Lucy as Lanus reached the door and eased it open. "Yes?" Lanus asked, coolly.
"Is Queen Lucy awake?" Someone asked loudly.
Lucy nodded to Lanus, he stepped back, opening the door to reveal Susan's maid, a faun name Lyrana. "Lyrana," Lucy said, "Is Susan well?"
"Majesty," Lyrana curtsied, "Queen Susan…she's missing! She was there when I went to get her some juice and when I came back she was gone. The Cair Guards are down, I think they're dead."
Lucy's hand twitched and the juice glass fell, shattering as Lucy's mind began to swirl in panic. She backed up to find her chair and sat down. "Missing," she croaked.
"Majesty," Junea said sharply.
Lucy looked at her guard, and swallowed, Pretend it's an exercise, she told herself. Kegen's just trying to make it realistic. "Kegen," she said. "Lanus, rouse Kegen and the Bloody Fang," she took a deep breath. "Lyrana, rouse the Captain of the Cair Guards, I want the Calormen Ambassador under guard now."
Lyrana nodded and left while Lanus departed through the wardrobe. Tirana came out as Junea pushed the door closed. "Majesty?" Junea asked.
"The glass, Tirana," Lucy said, "please." She slipped off her slippers, used the chair to get on the table, and walked down its length to the wardrobe.
Kegen came through moments later in boiled leather armor over his bodyguard uniform, bared sword in hand. "Lanus said Queen Susan…" he began. Lucy nodded, biting her lips as tears began to build in her eyes. She was only fourteen; she shouldn't have to deal with this. Kegen slid his blade in his sheath, "Come here," he said gently.
Lucy slid off the table and let him hug her closely. She buried her head in his chest with a strangled sob.
After a few minutes of crying, Lucy stepped back. "Better?" Kegen asked softly.
Lucy nodded, smiling tentatively at him. "Thank you," she said.
"What are your orders?" Kegen asked.
"I don't know," Lucy replied looking up at him helplessly, "what do I do?"
Kegen shook his head, "I can't tell you, Majesty." He smiled, "This is one of those times where you have to make your own decisions."
Lucy swallowed, and glanced around the room. On her bedside table was a book Joren had given her, a book of tales about kidnappings, coups and assassinations. It's an exercise, she reminded herself, Kegen and you will analyze the scenario after it's done. Her mind began to calm down, Good, now, if you wanted to get a person out of Cair Paravel quickly and unnoticed how would you do it? "The port," Lucy said as she looked at Kegen, "Send a mix party of Cair Guards and Fangs to close the port. All the vessels are to be searched. Raise…raise the chain."
Kegen nodded, "Anything else?"
"Majesty?"
Lucy turned to find the Cair Guard Captain standing in the doorway; "Captain Patrouse," she said, and waved her hand, "come in."
The young Centaur bowed as he walked in, "The Calormen Ambassador has been placed under guard."
"Excellent," Lucy said as she stepped away from Kegen. "I was just giving orders to Lieutenant Kegen. I want a mixed patrol of Fangs and Cair Guard to go at once to the docks. Order the chain raised and a ship to ship search." Rule number three, anyone escaping a place will only take the obvious route if they are stupid or have already been discovered Lucy told herself. "A second patrol, under Fang command, will begin to check the back passages. Send Wolves and Horses to take the roads away from Cair Paravel. Do not focus solely on the South roads." She turned and found Lanus bringing in a pair of pages and she nodded to them. "The Wing Guard should be prepared to take flight at first light with letters to Edmund and Peter."
"Yes Majesty," Captain Patrouse said.
"As you command," Kegen added with a salute.
"I'll leave you two to sort out the details," Lucy told them and watched as they left through the door. She turned to the pages, "Thank you Lanus," she added. "I need the Council and Mr. Tumnus in the Grand Council Chamber," she told the first, a Wolf, "they have two hours."
"Majesty," the Wolf said before taking off.
Lucy then turned to the second, a panther, and said, "Go to the Calormen Ambassador, tell him that I wish to see him, and his retinue in the Great Hall in an hour."
"Majesty," the Panther replied, and then headed out the door.
Lucy turned to find Tirana had finished cleaning the glass, "I need high court dress," she told Tirana, "and you have an hour."
Tirana smiled tightly, "I welcome the challenge, Majesty."
Lucy took a seat at her dressing table and closed her eyes, folding her hands in her lap and clenching them as tight as she could to hide the trembling that belied her fragile emotional state. You have to keep this up, she told herself. You will win this game.
As Tirana began to brush her hair, a warm presence leaned against her side, Junea, offering Lucy what little comfort she would take.
