Disclaimer: Yada yada yada… I don't own Prince Caspian… blah blah blah. Ok? On with the story!!

Chapter 8

"Tell me you monster!" I screech, lunging towards Laurence. Hands grab my arms and prevent me from tearing that man's eyes out.

"Tie her down," he says, bored. He motions to the chair in front of me. The hands force me into the chair and I am restrained with rope. I struggle as best I can, but to no avail.

"Please Queen Susan, control yourself." He looks at me, seeming to take me in for the first time. "My goodness!" he exclaims, "You look as if you've fallen off a cliff... Well we can't have that." He walks back to his desk and opens a drawer. He takes out a key. "How's about I make you a deal? You do what I need you to do, and I'll let you change out of your clothes." I watch him toss the key to a man and the man runs out of the room. He is back, moments later, with three maids. One is holding a pail of water, another holds a hairbrush and several pins, and the third holds a dress. The gown is beautiful, a stunning velvet red with gold embroidered on the bodice. I can't help staring. Dignity Susan, dignity, I remind myself. I glare at Laurence but stop struggling against the ropes.

"So what will it be, your Highness? Would you like to get out of those rags? Put on something worthy of your status and title?" he says walking towards me. If he thinks I'll give in to such a deal, then he clearly doesn't know what he has coming.

"That's it? You expect me to bend to you when shown worldly items, like an obedient old cow? You're pathetic," I spit, disgusted. I hear a few of the men behind me snort, one even chuckles. Laurence's eyes flash with anger. With two quick strides he is next to me. He grabs my hair and yanks it back so my face is looking up at his and my neck is exposed. I whimper in pain.

"You think you're being brave, acting out, but one more word and your dear little Caspian is dead. You understand me?" he hisses in my ear. He pulls a dagger out from his belt; he cuts the ropes and launches me forwards onto the ground. I land with a grunt and prop myself up on my elbow, still staring at the floor. Luckily, my hair hangs down and covers my face, so Laurence doesn't get the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Another pair of hands pulls me back up to my feet.

"Fix her up. Then bring her back." He motions with his hand with a dismissing wave. I don't meet his gaze, but I feel his eyes as he watches me being dragged out the door.

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I am locked in a bathing room with the three maids. They strip me of my clothes and toss them into the blazing fireplace. I am pushed towards the tub and forced in. The maids tear at my hair and pull at all the dirt and grime. When they are through with my hair, they pull me up and scrub me roughly from head to toe. I am then dressed in the beautiful gown. They lace up the bodice tightly and pull at the buttons. I bite my lip as the maids end their torture by fighting the knots and tangles in my hair and then pinning up my curls with deadly pins. Finally I become what they believe to be suitable enough.

There is knock at the door. "Is the prisoner ready?"

Great, I've always wanted to be a prisoner, I thought sarcastically.

"Yes, sir," answers a maid with a sour face. She opens the door and shoves me through. Hands catch me, again. I pull my arm out of the cobra like grip.

"I can walk on my own, thank you," I spit. He shrugs and points forward. I start walking, but not before doing a subtle 360 scan for exits or escape routes. I spy two windows and three corridors, however I don't know where any of them lead. And I have to find Caspian. I decide to wait. Wait until the opportune moment. I sigh and turn into the second corridor like the man tells me to. I memorize the route as best I can and I soon find my self in the same room I had met Laurence in. It looks like an office although it still lacks some furniture. The lone chair has been moved towards the desk and there is a cloaked figure now in it. It's talking with Laurence in hushed whispers.

The man behind me coughs and Laurence looks up annoyed. Upon seeing me, a mischievous smile takes the stage. I can't help rolling my eyes.

"This is Queen Susan," says Laurence to the cloaked figure. It nods once. The blackness from the hood stares at me and I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise. It nods at me, but says nothing. It stands and so does Laurence. It starts walking towards the door. I am pulled out of its way. As it passes, every uncovered piece of skin becomes cold. A shiver runs up my back and I run my hands up my arms to warm them. As the figure walks out of the room and I notice a lock of white hair escaping the black hole. But before I can ponder much more on it, my attention is directed elsewhere.

"Queen Susan the Gentle… Hah! Alright, I need a little favor from you."

"No."

Laurence chuckles. "But you don't even know what it is yet."

"No. I won't do it. I don't care what it is. I won't do it." Laurence laughs.

"Ah… but you will darling, you will," he whispers just loud enough for me to hear. He motions his hand behind him in a circular flicking motion. "I have many ways to bend people to my will. Believe me," —he leans in towards my ear— "I am the master."

I snort and roll my eyes. Just then the wall opens. Well, it isn't really the wall. It's more of a hidden door in the wall. But it gets Laurence's attention since he turns to see who is interrupting his threatening lecture.

A wet corpse is dragged into the room. It has a dark mop of brown hair, but the head is hanging down so I can't see who it was. The corpse can't walk apparently and I can see it faintly shivering. It's dropped in the center of the room. It looks a lot like Edmund when he fell into a frozen lake last winter, except this person seems to have been in the water for quite some time now.

Laurence walks over and stares at the body. A grin spreads across his face. He walks over to the fallen body and kicks its side lightly. The body stirs. Suddenly, as if he was in danger, he sits up and casts a fleeting glance around the room. He glances around the room twice and then his dark eyes fall on me. I gasp. Caspian!

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