Zanze had decided to use the Western Gardens as her classroom for today. Early summer brought the invading armies of the flower blossoms to the trimmed, green hedges. Trees were ripe with fruit as well were the trimmed bushes. Many visitors to Mohthelieum are told about how large and beautiful the Western Gardens were. 'Any plant you can imagine, it grows in that garden!' was one rumor spread by the castle's guests, which was pretty close to true. Only the rarest of the rare, such as the fire flower, would not grow in the rich soil.

Though, the center piece of the garden was found in the heart of the maze of colorful plants. An extravagant fountain, that had but only a small Acacia tree in it's view. The figure of the fountain was standing upon a short, wide column in the middle of the limpid water. It was a lion. Its head was held high as his enormous, sharp teeth bared in a unheard roar, as water shot out of his great mouth. A beautiful mane encircled its huge neck and upper chest, which was puffed out, like the proud creature it was. Its forelegs were straight and tall while his flanks were slightly bent, making a elegant arc in his back. And finally the lion's tail was low, the tuft of hair on his tail's tip barley touched the water. It was made with such detail, that when the Prince was little, he actually thought it was a real lion, taking a bath in the water. Nowadays, he'd laughed at that silliness. This was the spot Zanze chose to have lessons today, which made Aslan happy. It was one of the sunniest spots in the garden and it was an open space. No bushes or trees blocked his view, with any luck he would be able to see Lilly walking along with Courtland if they came by.

" You know your father ordered that fountain to be made when you were born?" Zanze told the Prince.

" Yes," Aslan answered gazing up at the gigantic lion. "He told me when I was little."

"Then you know what the lion resembles then?" Zanze asked. It was a tendency of hers to speak in inquiry, and also to give long detailed answers to questions. A habit many teachers tend to have.

"Father saw a lion on the beach the moment of my birth. That is why he named me Aslan, which means 'mighty lion'."

"Indeed you are," Zanze remarked gently, sitting in the soft green grass. "Now, let us see what you remember from last winter's studies." Aslan sat in the grass across from Zanze, still facing her, waiting for her to quiz him.

Zanze was not the kind of teacher who enjoyed teaching inside a small room with old, archaic books that tend to be wider than your head. She taught by lecture. 'Where I come from,' Zanze would tell her pupil. 'We do not have books to teach us, but we have our words. Language is one of the most precious gifts the Nameless Emperor has given us. Books only tell you what happened in history. People tell how it happened. That is the difference, you get so much more out of speech than those musty old books in your Father's library.'

"Who created the Universe?" She asked.

"The Nameless Emperor." was the hasty response.

"And who is the Nameless Emperor?"

"The Nameless Emperor was the first Emperor. Whom created Earth, Mohthelieum, and all other realms and worlds known.'

"Tell me the story of Adam and Eve." Zanze said.

"The Nameless Emperor created both a man and woman to rule these new universes. However, they failed a test the Nameless Emperor gave them and were deprived of their heavenly lifestyle. They were sent away from his Grand Home to live on Earth. And so began the long line of Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve. That is what humans that cannot harvest magic are called." His tutor smiled and nodded her head.

"Very good," she praised. "You remember well. Then I guess we can begin today's lesson. You heard of Jesu, the Second Emperor correct?"

"Zanze?" Aslan asked quietly. She looked up at him, seeing worry in his tawny eyes.

"What is wrong, My Prince?" She asked softly.

"Father told me that you would tell me who Dark is," Aslan began. "Who is he? And why is he after me? What have I done to him?"

"You have done nothing wrong, child!" Zanze said placing her hand under his chin, raising his head back to her eye level. "It's a matter that might be difficult for you to understand."

"Zanze, please?" Aslan begged. " I will surely drive myself mad if I don't find out."

The tutor slowly blinked her eyes. "You are right," She replied. "You of all people should be given the right to know who he is. Do you know the Tri-Magi?"

"Yes," Aslan answered. "The three kinds of magic. Deep, Ancient, and Dark."

"Do you know how they came about?" Zanze asked. Aslan shook his head.

"Then we shall start there," the tutor began. "When the Nameless Emperor sent Adam and Eve to Earth, he began to doubt whether or not the race would thrive and accept their job to protect Creation. So, he created three more humans. Two men and one woman, brothers and a sister. Their names are lost, thus we call them by the kind of magic they created. Deep, the eldest brother. Ancient, the middle child and sister. And then Dark, the youngest of the three."

Zanze paused for moment, waiting for a question to arise. But Aslan was silent and told her to go on.

"The Nameless Emperor gave the siblings a task to protect the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve in the many years to come. The Tri-Magi were ordered to produce powers for the new race of humans---Harvesters. Deep's magic was powerful and just, and is now the magic of The Great Emperor's. The Ancient Magic was simple and lenient. Also, those whom harvest this kind of magic tend to be considered traitors, because they are easily fooled into taking sides that they would not originally take part in if they were more self-reliant. Usually, only Talking Beasts and the mythical creatures posses the Ancient Magic. It is considered rare for humans to posses the ancient power. And then there is Dark. The deserter of the Nameless Emperor."

"What did he do?" Aslan asked. Zanze continued with the story.

"Dark was tricked by the Lord of Hell. Dark was promised to be a god. So powerful that the Nameless Emperor would bow before him, and Dark believed every word. Under the Lord of Hell's command, the wretched creature gave birth to a terrible magic, full of nothing but evil and hate. The Nameless Emperor immediatley refused the powers, knowing that that kind of magic would destroy not protect. Dark flew into a mad rage and killed both Deep and Ancient in cold blood."

"Why would he kill his own siblings?" Aslan asked shocked at such an act.

"The Serpent was a monster from birth, his heart was filled with nothing but evil and hate. That was why the Lord of Hell could easily persuade him to kill the competition."

"What did the Nameless Emperor do?"

"The Nameless Emperor punished Dark by disfiguring him. Making him to have the appearance of a snake, that is why Dark is referred as 'The Serpent'. The evil powers Dark had created were destroyed and the Serpent was sent to spend eternity with The Lord of Hell."

"But I don't understand," Aslan said when Zanze finally finished the story. "What does this have to do with me?"

" My Prince, you know Jesu correct?" Zanze asked.

" Of course, the Second Emperor. He delivered the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve from their evil ways by sacrificing himself."

Zanze nodded in agreement. "But, Dark was the cause of the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve's evilness. The Nameless Emperor may have destroyed the magic from the race of Harvesters. (Whom were now thriving and living peacefully.) But he did not deprive Dark of how to resurrect the evil power again."

"He possessed the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve with Dark Magic didn't he?" Aslan answered slowly. Again, Zanze nodded.

"But Jesu led a rebellion against the Dark Magic. He and his followers tried to make the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve good again by reminding them of their Lord's kindness, and in the end he gave his life up to save all from the fate of Dark Magic. For a long while, Dark was not heard from since.

"Earth was coping well for a long while, until the Lord of Hell allowed Dark to leave the damned land and start to spread the evil magic again. This time, to the Harvesters lands. He grew a huge army, many wars and much blood was spilled trying to hold off the Evil. But then, at Mohthelieum, the sacred land which was only used for Realm Gatherings became the birthplace to a baby boy...of whom was to save us from the Evil of Dark. A second Jesu. Destined to kill Dark and rid the universe of him once and for all."

"Would I know him?" The Prince asked.

The irony of his question made Zanze smile. Her dark hands reached out for the Prince's own hands. Now came the moment of truth. The time when the prophesied savior would accept his fate, just as Emperor Jesu accepted his. There is a long journey ahead of the Heir, one that does not accompany a compass. He will have to try and figure out himself which way is North.

The tutor looked Aslan straight in the eye. Pride surging through her soft tone. "Much better than you think." was her response.

"Lilly," said Cortland breathlessly. " Blast that girl! Where has she gone off to? Lillian!" The young girl came running from behind a hedge.

"Sorry," She said handing him a basket full of ugly green leaves and sticky yellow stalks. " I was taking care of the weeds." The older man blinked slowly as a weak smile bent his thin lips.

"Thank you, my dear." He sighed, taking the wicker basket from her hands. " But please, stay by me. I'm still figuring what I am to do with you about last night."

"Papa, I was in no danger." Lilly said compellingly.

"It does not matter, dear girl do you realize that three of Emperor Kalecgos' militia had to leave their post to bring you back to me? It's incredibly embarrassing for them and for me. Their job is to the Emperor not the workers of the castle."

"Kalecgos is the one that told them to bring me back!" Lilly retorted defensively. " Besides, I was not alone. The Prince was with me too."

Cortland looked as if Dark had manifested himself and was standing right in front of him. " The Prince?"

"Yes," Lilly said pompously. " He came along with me. We saw the festival together."

"Stay away from him, daughter." Cortland said in a serious voice.

"Why?" She asked angrily. Lilly did not understand why her father did not find the whole thing exciting. She personally knew the Prince! That would excite any other peasant on the isle, why not him?

"You are a worker here at Mohthelieum, he is the heir to the Great Emperor's throne. Royalty never befriends their peasants let alone betroths them." Courtland only mentioned 'betroths' for he could hear the tone is Lilly's voice. She was not only proud that she actually talked to the Prince, but there was that underlying feeling that worried Courtland so. Even if Lilly did not realize the emotion was in her voice.

"Honestly Papa," Lilly said with a stamp of her foot. " It is not like I am going to wed him! I think he wants to be my friend, and I think we will stay friends no matter what you say!"

Cortland shook his head sadly. "I hope you are right, Lilly. I hope you are right." And then he went back to trimming one of the bushes.

"Since you are taking a licking to picking weeds, can you go and see if the flower patches around the fountain are rid of those annoying vermin." He ordered, still very focused on his work.

Lilly frowned at first. That was all she was good for, picking weeds. At least with the Prince did she feel a tad more important that some pest picker. With a sad sigh, she picked up the basket again. "Yes, father." and off she went to the grand fountain.

Since the girl and her father worked in the gardens, obviously enough she found the fountain with absolutely no trouble at all. Whereas visitors from other realms would get lost continually among the tall hedges of this maze of a garden. It was actually amusing to her when the Emperor or Empress would have to come and find their lost guests and lead them out. She recalled one time when a tall light blonde-haired man took a stroll through and was later found huddled on a stone bench whimpering like a lost dog. And they call those people 'royal', she thought with a giggle. Really, can't they use their magic to get themselves out? I did that my first time I got lost in here.

As she approached the magnificent fountain, she decided to take in the beautiful summer day. The sun was delightfully hot and the cool sea breeze helped make the temperature not so unbearable. The flowers were all in full bloom and the Prince was outside with another woman she did not know.

Her eyes gaped in terror as the basket fell from her hands. What is HE doing here?! she thought in anxiety, crouching behind the short stone wall of the fountain. Oh Nameless Lord! If he sees me-I-I...I have no idea what I will do!

" Who is over there?" it was a female's voice, it must have came from the dark woman sitting with the Prince.

"No one!" was Lilly's immediate response. She heard soft giggling, they must think her a complete fool for such an unintelligent answer.

"Well, 'No One'," that was the Prince's voice. " Do you mind coming out so we can see you? Or do you prefer to remain visibly unnoticed?"

Lilly felt her cheeks getting hot. This was so embarrassing! Unfortunately, she could not answer back for the Prince was already kneeling in front of her. His amber eyes beaming happily.

" I did not hear you come up," Lilly said in astonishment. How did he reach her so quickly?

" Why are you hiding from me?" He asked.

"I am not hiding!" Lilly denied. "I was picking weeds."

"I believe you," Aslan smiled rising up to his feet. Being a gentleman, he offered her his hand and she rose herself up as well.

The woman was sitting on the ledge of the fountain looking at the two suspiciously and with some other kind of look that Lilly could not name.

" Who is the 'No One', Aslan?" Zanze asked.

" Her name is Lilly, Lilly Swanwhite." the Prince said with a laugh. Zanze looked at Lilly with big eyes as if she recognized the little girl from a previous meeting, which was not the case.

"A friend then?" Zanze said. Aslan nodded and then added to Lilly.

"This is Zanze, my tutor." Both women bowed their head to each other.

"I must be off, my Prince," Zanze said rising from her sitting posture. "We will continue lessons tomorrow. It seems someone is in need of my attention at the moment. Farewell, Lilly Swanwhite." Lilly also gave her farewell back.

She could see a little ways off was the Emperor and the Empress.. The Emperor, had nothing but sheer joy in his eyes as he sweetly wrapped his arms around his wife's shoulders. The Empress was gently stroking her stomach with a stately grin breaking her lips. Aslan was not looking that way, so he could not make assumptions of why Zanze had to leave. But, Lilly could not help herself to making her own hunches.

A/N: Sorry if the chapter was a bit long. I had to finish this part up in one chapter so I can move on later in Aslan's life. I hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to review!!