Authours Note: Ooooohhhh lets discover the truth shall we. What will Eilonwy do? This chapter may prove slightly boring, but it is important for later chapters.Now I have decided to leave the whole Pevensie-trumpkin meeting thing out for the moment…however, there will be scenes in the next chapter where…well I don't want to give it away…
Nothing is ever a simple as we think.
…xoxo
Emmerald --
Cornelius
Eilonwy approached the grand oak door, which had always been left slightly ajar. She hesitated before knocking. She was so glad that everybody had retired to lunch, which had meant that there was no guard on her door, and with her father being preoccupied with gathering himself a worthy army, she had been placed in the perfect advantage.
She hesistated as she thought things over in her mind.
Maybe she was unwise believing that the Professor could possible know anything of Caspian's disappearance?
Surely he would have pulled her to one side and told her if anything had happened to Caspian. Then again, having only just discovered that her cousin had disappeared or "captured" as her father said, she could no longer believe a word from any Telmarine mouth.
If her father had opted not to tell her about Caspian, then how much more had he been keeping secret from her?
What other lies and secrets had he kept behind closed doors?
Not a path Eilonwy herself wanted to take a trip down.
Seeking entrance from her Professor, Eilonwy waited patiently, but there was no response. She knocked again.
Perhaps he had not heard her?
She decided to peer around the door. As she placed her head around the door, she saw that nobody was present. She opened the door, allowing herself full access into the Professor Cornelius' study. His study was always so immaculate, but his desk was always messy; covered in books and scriptures. His study was not so different from her own, except it was larger and contained books in which both Eilonwy and Caspian had been forbidden from Miraz to read. Books in reference to old magic and the Old Narnian history were forbidden by anybody to speak about. It was considered to be myths and fairy stories.
Eilonwy believed otherwise.
It had certainly not stopped herself and Caspian for engaging with the Professor in deep conversations about it when they should have learning about physical sciences, langauages and arithmacy. They had learnt about the Narnians used to watch the stars and believed that stars could reveal the fates of others. She remembered a passage that her Professor had read to her only a few nights ago. It went something like:
"When the stars aline on a midsummer's eve,
And the day yet ceases to become a mere night to any mortal
A fair maiden raised on wealth and greed of others
Will become but a stranger to the beholder's eyes,
For she shall seek something more than good fortune and luck
And love pushed aside
All she seeks is the new dawn.
An opening to another.
That was all she could remember. She knew there more, not that it would be of any relevance at the previous time. She walked around the study, approaching his desk, hoping she might find something there. She knew she shouldn't have been in there without his permission, but she needed answers. She sat on his chair at his desk and began to gently rummage through his books and papers. There were so many!!
Then, when she least expected it, she saw a book, which had been left open. She picked it up, and began reading it.
"The ancient law said that if the Horn were ever to be sounded, no matter where or when, whether in great peril or in the simplest of needs, help would come to those who asked for it."
She read a little further down the page, where she continued:
"The horn, which was believed to behold magical qualites, was not only able to summon help whenever needed, but was also said to call upon those who had reigned in a previous age. The horn was therefore able to call upon Kings and Queens of Old."
Eilonwy turned over the page, curiously wanting to read on.
"Many have searched for the this great artifact, No such horn as ever been found. The last occupier known to have used the horn was 1300 years previous, and belonged to Queen Susan The Gentle, who reigned through a period known as the Golden Age."
On the opposite page was a picture of the horn. It were shaped like a lion, which could have been a representation of power. Or could it have been a representation of something more powerful? Powerful like Aslan?
Why would the Professor need to be reading about a horn? What interest or fascination could he possibly have with this horn? Why was it relevant?
Eilonwy had studied about the Kings and Queens of Old, and she had learnt that Queen Susan was one of four rulers that Narnia had at that time known as the "Golden Age". She knew that they had abandoned Narnia long before the Telmarines, (otherwise known as her ancestors) had arrived in Narnia. She had been told that after Narnia was abandoned, all the Narnians had died out and become extinct, but after seeing the dwarf that had been presented in Counsel just a few hours ago, it had become obvious that Narnians had not become extinct after The Kings and Queens departure.
Had everything she had been brought up on a lie?
As she closed the book, she looked down on the table. There in front of her, laid across the table was a parchment. Not just any old parchment. As her eyes scanned over it, her fingers caressed the parchment, each time going over a different figure. She was looking at a picture of the Kings and Queens of Old. As her fingers scanned over one figure in particular, Eilonwy noticed that she was holding something. There in the hand of Queen Susan, was the horn.
Something clicked in her mind.
It all made sense.
"Impossible." She whispered.
Was it possible that Caspian had posession of the horn?
Eilonwy jumped suddenly as she heard footsteps approaching the door. She grabbed the book that she had been reading and ran for the Professor's closet. She pulled open the door, nearly breaking it off the hinge and climbed inside, leaving it slightly ajar. As she looked through the crack, meanwhile desperately trying to hold onto the book which was a lot heavier than she first thought, she saw a figure walk in.
But it was not Professor Cornelius.
It was her father.
Eilonwy, held her breath as he paced around the room. She could not be detected. If she did, it would blow her cover and everything that she had worked so had to achieve up to this point, would have been a waste.
Miraz quicked his pace around the room, and Eilonwy noticed he had something in his hand. An arrow of some sort, but it was not a Telmarine arrow from what she could see. Telmarine arrows were not tipped in red feathers.
Eilonwy studied her father's every movement, and she continued to hold her breath as her father approached Cornelius' desk. She watched as he scanned his eyes over the parchments. He too had come in here looking for answers. She saw him bend down and pick something off the floor, before placing it into his pocket. She didn't know what it was, and she did not care quite frankly. Her only thought was not getting herself caught.
His searching came to an abrupt halt when Cornelius entered the study. Eilonwy saw his face drop as he saw Miraz.
"You have a fascinating collection of books, Professor." Miraz said walking over to Cornelius' many bookshelves.
'Thankyou my lord," Cornelius replied. "Were you looking for anything in particular?."
Miraz turned his attention back to Cornelius, a smile perched across his lips.
"I was just wondering if you could tell me anything about why this Narnian arrow," he shouted, slamming the arrow onto the desk. "Was found in one of my men."
Cornelius approached his desk, placing his glasses onto the end of his nose. He peered down onto the desk and saw that Miraz had stuck the arrow through the parchment, through Queen Susan's horn.
Cornelius gulped. "I am at a loss as to explain, my lord."
Miraz slammed his hand on the desk, causing both Eilonwy and the Professor to jump.
"What can you tell me of Queen Susan's horn?" Miraz asked cruelly.
"You told me to never speak of the Deep Magic Miraz. You forbade me from ever discussing anything related to the old Narnia, including anything to do with the Old Magic." The Professor spoke.
"Well I am asking you to tell me now." He replied maliciously.
"It was said that the horn which belonged to Queen Susan, beheld magical qualities. Magical qualities allowing the bearer, at the appropriate time, to call upon the Kings and Queens of Old for help."
Miraz paced towards Cornelius.
"And tell me, what does Caspian or my daughter know of this horn?"
Cornelius paused, looking at Miraz, before glancing over towards where Eilonwy was hidden. He smiled.
"I will say this my lord. If Caspian or Eilonwy do know of the Deep Magic, my lord should have good reason to be nervous." Cornelius replied dangerously.
Eilonwy had never heard Corneilus make any threat to anybody, never mind her father.
"Is that so." Miraz answered.
Eilonwy watched as Glozelle appeared at the study door, along with two other Telmarine soldiers. "Take him away." Miraz ordered.
The two soldiers grabbed the professor by the arms and marched him out of the room. She wanted nothing more than to jump out of the wardrobe and save him, but do so would have meant she had risked getting caught.
"Lord Sopespian." Miraz called.
Sopespian entered the study.
"Yes my'lord?"
"How long until the bridge is finished?"
"Construction continues as scheduled." Sopespian answered.
"That's not good enough," Miraz replied, slamming his hands once more. "I need my army across that river now."
"My I suggest you contribute some of your own men," Sopespian recommended. "I only have so many at my disposal."
Miraz walked towards Sopespian. "A fact you would be wise to remember." Miraz dictated dangerously. "General, take a many troops as you need." He said addressing Glozelle. "We need to get to Caspian before they do."
""They" my'lord?" Sopespian questioned.
"Its time you learnt your history." Miraz whispered, before exiting the room. Sopespian looked anxiously from the desk and then towards the door before exiting himself.
Eilonwy remained hidden in the closet trying to take everything that had just happened into account. If Caspian was still alive she needed to find him before her father did.
Everything she thought had been confirmed.
Caspian had the horn. He had called the Kings and Queens, and they were in Narnia right now. As she turned to back of the wardrobe, still holding onto the book she had taken, she pushed her way through the coats which hung in the closet until she found an exit.
"Remember the passages well…"
Eilonwy was going to escape.
Tonight.
As Eilonwy descended down the passage way, which evidently lead to her own study, she had not noticed that one of the very many charms that had hung around her bracelet was now in her father's ownership.
As Miraz walked out of the door, he pulled Glozelle to one side.
"What is it my Lord?" Glozelle answered.
"I have a feeling my darling daughter has been doing some discovering of herself." Miraz held out in his hand a small silver cross charm.
Glozelle looked down at the charm that Miraz held, before returning his attention to Miraz. Miraz tightened his grip around the charm, forming a fist.
"You know what to do, General." Miraz nodded, before walking off, leaving a very torn Glozelle alone in the corridor, and a very unaware Eilonwy oblivious to the fate that might behold her if she did not escape in time.
