A/N: Here's a new chapter! I tried to get one up sooner than I did last time, but I hope it's just as good! Thank you all for the reviews!

And yes, I know that 'Joseph' is not a very Calormen-ish name, but don't worry, I plan to sort that out later in the story. So please stop telling me!

Enjoy!

Evening fell; Joseph was pacing in his room, his mind on Susan. If things were working out as planned, then why was he so worried? He then stopped short. Peter. "Yes, Peter. The little boy who thinks he's the high king of Narnia. Well I'll soon put him in his place, I'll-" Joseph then heard someone outside his door; he quickly crossed the room and opened it. When he looked out, he saw Susan slowly walking down the hallway, her head hung low. His eyes then strayed to what she was holding and saw some bloody cloth in a small basin, his gaze turned to look down the hallway towards Peter's room. "So that's where she's been." He thought. He then quickly left his room and tried to catch up with Susan.

"Your Majesty?" He called softly. Susan stopped, but she didn't turn around. Joseph walked up beside her. "Is everything alright?" He asked. Susan shrugged and started walking again. "I suppose so." She murmured as she walked down the stairs to the kitchen and placed the basin on one of the counters. She figured the servants would take care of it in the morning. She then turned to Joseph. "I just…have a lot on my mind lately, that's all." She gave him a half-smile and walked out the servants' entrance into the garden, Joseph quickly followed.

"What did he say?" He asked. Susan stopped walking and looked at him. "What?"

"You've been upset ever since you left Peter's room and I would like to know; what did he say?"

Susan turned away for a moment, afraid to meet Joseph's gaze. She wasn't sure what to tell him, after all, she did promise Peter that she wouldn't let Joseph know that she knew about him hitting Peter. "It-it was nothing." She shrugged as she started walking again. Joseph sighed. "Susan, I'm serious." She could hear the frustration in his voice. "If he said anything that hurt you, I swear I'll-"

"Joseph!" Susan stopped walking and once again turned toward Joseph, this time in anger. "I would prefer it if you would stop putting Peter down! He would never do or say anything to harm meand you know that!"

"How do I know that?" Joseph asked, his voice getting louder. "Do you honestly expect me to trust him after he cheated in yesterday's race?!"

"Cheated?! But you struck-" Susan then stopped and bit her lip as she turned away. She knew that she had said too much. Joseph waited for her to continue, but she didn't.

"But I struck what?" He asked, calming down again. He spoke as if he already knew the answer and was just waiting for Susan to confirm it. But Susan just shook her head. "Nothing." Joseph walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "No Susan, I'd like to know. What did he say to you about me?"

"He said that…that you struck him on the leg with your riding crop." She then looked down at the ground with shame, not only because she considered believing this awful statement, but because she broke her promise to Peter. Joseph sighed and turned Susan around to face him.

"Susan, Susan, Susan." Was all he said as he placed his hand under her chin and lifted her gaze up to meet his. "Do you honestly think that I would do such a thing? True, your brother can extremely bothersome at times, but that gives me no reason to hurt him."

"But-"

"Susan, it's obvious that your brother can't get over the fact that he lost."

Susan's chest tightened as she once again thought about her locket that concealed the truth about her past. How she wasn't related to the three people whom she had come to know and love. Especially Peter.

"But Peter's not the type of person who would lie." She replied tensely; taking a few steps backwards.

"Jealousy does strange things to people."

"Jealousy?"

"Yes, it's clear that Peter is jealous of all the time we've spent together."

"Why would he be jealous of that?"

"It's because of power." He lied; taking a step towards Susan. "Don't you know that if you or your younger sister marries, that he would have to give up his right to rule?"

"That's only if he dies and besides, the power would then go to Edmund, not to whomever I or Lucy marry."

"And if Edmund dies?" Joseph took another step towards Susan, forcing her to take another step back.

"This is getting ridiculous!" She cried as Joseph took another step forward.

"Is it?"

"Of course! You're speaking of things that won't happen for years at the least!" She was backed up against a wall now with Joseph right in front of her, his hands planted against the wall on both sides of her head.

"Are you so certain of that? You know that there are dozens of men who would do anything to make you their queen." He leaned down and whispered in her right ear. "Even kill." Susan swallowed hard as she glanced up at Peter's bedroom window. The thought of someone trying to kill Peter or Edmund just to have her made her heart leap in her throat.

"But it is nearly impossible for someone to assassinate either one of them." She murmured.

"Do you really think so?" Joseph asked. Susan turned and looked at Joseph's face. "I know so." She answered with determination. Joseph furrowed his brow. Susan was smarter then he thought.



"And Peter has never been interested in power and even if he was, he would never harm anyone to get it." Susan continued; pushing Joseph aside. He couldn't help but grit his teeth at hearing this. "She's very loyal to her family as well." He thought as she began to walk away. He then remembered when she mentioned Peter and the riding crop and grinned.

"Tell me Susan, how do you think Peter will feel if he finds out that you told me this ridiculous story about me hitting his with a riding crop?"

Susan froze in her tracks. She had nearly forgotten that she even told Joseph about what Peter said. "He's not going to find out." She said softly.

"Can you be so sure?" Joseph asked.

"Yes."

"How?"

Susan looked over her shoulder at him. "Because if you were the honest man that you claim to be, you wouldn't say anything." She then turned and walked away, leaving Joseph alone.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." He murmured as he looked up at Peter's bedroom window.

A/N: I hope you liked that chapter! Please don't stop reviewing! It keeps me going!