Daring to Dream
Chapter Nine
No Reprieve
Never in her life had Tarlana known a night quite like this one. After watching her sister's spirit take hold, she had been powerless to hold her back as Karna had simply lost control. Abandoning all reserve and obedience, her tongue had taken on a will of its own.
In front of them all, she had not only refused to marry Master Lavarin but had insulted their visitor and called him vile. In short, she had disgraced her entire family in the worst possible way.
Utterly powerless, she and her mother had been forced to watch while first Lavarin and then their father had beaten her beloved older sister. She had turned away, unable to block out the cries and shrieks of Karna. When next she had dared to look, Master Lavarin was gone and Tarneesh had bodily thrown Karna out of the house before spitting on her. Eagerly, his sons had followed his example. The door had slammed and after shouting and ranting at his wife, Tarneesh had stormed through to the bedroom. He had closed the door so violently that it was nearly wrenched out of its frame.
A sleepless night in the main room had followed this as the family tried to get comfortable on the mats and tattered rugs. Once she had been sure of her brothers' slumber, Tarlana had nestled her head in her mother's lap.
She had wept silent and bitter tears as Hezal stroked her hair; murmuring over and over again, "Why? Why did you do it, Karna? Why?"
In the first light of morning she had awoken to find her mother leaning against the wall; her pale cheeks scored with tear tracks, and her eyes staring into space. Startled by Tarlana's movement, she glanced down and stroked her daughter's cheek before rising.
On the table, the remnants of the meal still sat, uneaten and some upturned by the violence. Wordlessly, Tarlana helped her mother tidy the room. With care they stepped over the two snoring figures of her brothers as they lay, sprawled upon the mats. Neither of them spoke as they worked to meticulously clean the room. Eventually with the task finished, they took the dirtied fragments of plate and left the house.
It was still very early when they arrived at the well. Few were about. Even the beggars still lay, huddled beneath their piles of rags.
So in the dim light they both sat, side-by-side. Each lost in her own thoughts, unable to speak as they thought about the previous night.
Eventually Tarlana forced herself to look at her mother and saw a reflection of the hopelessness that crushed her own heart. With an effort she managed to say what they were both thinking, but didn't wish to admit.
"She can never can home, can she?"
For a final moment, she indulged the juvenile hope that her mother might be able to do something, to say that it would be all right. Almost desperately, she sought to banish her common sense as it smothered the silly, childish hope that her sister might one day return to their home.
However, her mother's answer and tone was enough to end any foolish fancy. "No, my daughter, she is beyond our reach. Karna is lost to us. Forever."
There in the light of early morning, in that back street of Tashbaan; a mother and daughter wept openly, hugging each other. They gained what solace they could from the other's presence, weeping for a loved one whom they would never see again.
Unlike many of his companions, Lord Marken of Narnia lacked an ability to converse easily with those with whom he was not acquainted. In comparison to the courteous Peridan, he had never enjoyed meeting new people. This was something that had caused him to question King Edmund's decision to make him one of the Calormen delegation many times.
Their primary aim in being sent to Calormen ahead of the royal party was to oversee the preparation of the house within which Queen Susan was to reside. The fulfilment of this task required them to attend meals with people of influence and importance. Action done to develop acquaintances and good relations - a thing that Marken could not have been less qualified to fulfil!
They had now been in Tashbaan for over a week and every evening had been spent in feasting and polite conversation, whilst each day required engagements and the attendance of meetings. All in all, he had found their time in Calormen to be extremely dull.
It seemed both wasteful and even disconcerting, as they had been exposed to some sides of the society that he had at times thought barbaric. Only in the company of his friends had he felt the ease to laugh and truly be himself.
Now, as he dressed in a clean tunic to attend yet another lunch with the Grand Vizier, he found he anticipated little pleasure in the event.
Peridan heartily agreed with him as they met in the garden of their residence.
"I do not care for this Grand Vizier either Marken. But until Queen Susan arrives, we must maintain a show of courtesy and politeness. I am of one mind with you concerning this country and its people, though. The more I see of it, the less I am pleased."
"What do you think of Prince Rabadash?" Marken asked as they nodded to their soldiers, good men who had come as a sort of escort for their party.
"I find him as vain and untrustworthy as I did in Narnia and have spoken of this with Queen Lucy. She agreed with me entirely. There is a strangely veiled manipulation and cunning about his courtesy and gallantry to the queen. I find that I distrust him even more in his own country."
"I am glad that I am not the only one who found little to trust when he was with us at Cair Paravel …"
Marken had wished to go on but was stopped by the entrance of the Grand Vizier's guide. Both men inclined their heads as was expected in response to the guide's low bow.
"My master the esteemed Grand Vizier has asked me to escort you to his humble home. Would you please care to follow me, my lords?"
"We humbly accept the offer of your master and will follow," Peridan replied formally. He inclined his head once more to the man before he led them away down the road.
As he strode ahead, he called loudly. "Way! Way! Way for the barbarian lords of the north! Way for the lords of Narnia!"
As they passed through the dusty, cluttered streets, Peridan found himself once again wondering about the girl Karna. He recalled the expression on her face when he had last seen her. Flustered and submissive, she had shown little of the wonder and curiosity that he had seen at their welcoming feast. Instead, she had seemed almost deadened and lifeless as she had told them of her forthcoming marriage.
He had been truly shocked to find that maidens were forced to marry against their will in this country and something within him had longed to aid her in her distress. The intensity of this longing had taken Peridan by surprise.
In his life, he had ever been a man of judgement and contemplation. But now he found himself fervently wishing to help this girl, despite the impossibility and likely failure of his intervention even if he had happened to find her.
The man led them out of the busier streets and into the wide, cleaner cobbled ways that led to the gardens and palaces of the Tarkhaans and Tarkheenas. They were taken into the now familiar garden of the Grand Vizier.
As always, Peridan was struck by the lovely fragrance of the jasmine that grew in abundance. Amidst the dust and dirt of the city, the garden was a haven of beauty and serenity. But they did not dawdle in that pleasant place and had soon gone into large, cool entrance hall of Tarkhaan Ahoshta's palace.
As he entered, Peridan took in how ornately the walls were carved, beautifully inlaid with coloured stones and a masterpiece in themselves. However, he had little time to admire the beauty of the architecture. The Grand Vizier stood before them with a silken turban upon his head and a wide smile upon his overly oiled face.
He bowed low to the Narnians, emphasising the hump upon his back. He appeared rather silly, to bow so deeply and yet be bedecked as he was in all his finery. Peridan had long ago surmised that this man owed a lot of his success to having developed a great talent for flattery.
"My honoured lords, in the name of Tash - the inexorable, the irresistible, I welcome you to my humble home once more. It is indeed an honour to have been so graciously accepted by your most excellent persons. Have the poets not said that the condescension of great men is worth twenty times the flattery of a pauper?"
Playing the role that was expected of him, Peridan returned the bow with one of his own,
"We in turn do thank you, most gracious host, for the kindness of your extended invitation and in the name of Aslan, we greet you."
The Grand Vizier nodded gravely before drawing aside,
"My lords, you are most welcome, please enter and partake of your refreshment. If you have any wish whatsoever, do not hesitate to ask. My slave-girls will attend to your every whim. Refresh yourselves before beginning your meal."
Still rather embarrassed by the Calormen tradition of being waited upon hand and foot, Peridan accepted the fragranced water bowl gratefully. He failed to receive even a glance from the slave girl in response. Her eyes remained downcast and obedient.
After the rest of the Narnians had seated themselves, the Grand Vizier lowered himself into a cushioned chair. At the clap his hands, servants hurried forward bearing countless dishes and platters.
"How do you find the cuisine of Calormen compares to the fare of your own land my lord?" The Grand Vizier enquired, taking great care to only eat after his guests had started.
"I find the cuisine of Calormen quite similar, my lord," Peridan replied, "although there is a greater abundance of somewhat simpler foods eaten within Narnia. All of the food of Calormen is wide and varying. There is such a variety. The tastes are so rich and I find myself experiencing a different dish at every meal that I attend."
The Grand Vizier nodded agreeably before taking a delicate sip of wine from his goblet. He seemed to deeply contemplate every word Peridan spoke.
"We take a great deal of pride in the diversity of our cuisine, my lord Peridan. It is the mark of a good host and hostess that a guest never experiences the same dish throughout their stay. I look forward to the day when I shall have a wife to aid me in the expansion of my own table's variety."
Peridan paused. "Are you to be married, my lord Ahoshta?"
The Grand Vizier nodded sagely, attempting to remain solemn, though Peridan could see eagerness in the man's small eyes.
"I am, my lord, to take the Lady Aravis Tarkheena as my wife this coming autumn. She is the daughter of Kidrash Tarkhaan the governor of Calavar Province. A lady of great family and noble birth. I very much look forward to our forthcoming marriage."
"How old is the lady, my lord?"
"She is not yet fourteen, and of very marriageable age I have been informed by her father. He is as pleased by the match as I, and even the great Tisroc (may he live forever) has nodded in condescension at the suitability of the marriage."
"What sort of lady is she?" Peridan asked, forcing back his exclamation at the extreme youth of the bride-to-be. Within Narnia, such a child would have still been under the tutelage of her governess.
"One of grace and virtue, modesty and beauty," the Grand Vizier replied self-satisfactorily. "I have met the lady on three separate occasions and found her to be very pleasant and agreeable. These are definitely qualities to find desirable in a wife."
Peridan forced himself to keep a pleasant smile upon his face.
"Have you a wife my Lord Peridan?" The Tarkhaan asked politely.
"I have not my Lord Ahoshta. As of yet I have found no reason to desire a wife and have not met a young lady whom I might consider as compatible with myself."
The Calormen nodded solemnly,
"If one doesn't find oneself compatible with a woman it does not savour of much good for the future relationship," he agreed, taking a sip of his wine. "Have you seen any women among my own race who have caught your fancy, my lord?"
The Grand Vizier's glance became suddenly suggestive as he motioned towards the servant girls who stood along the walls. Peridan visibly struggled to maintain his composure at the implication of the Calormen's words.
"I have seen no women who would inspire such feelings within me, my lord," he replied somewhat stiffly, cutting his fish with more vehemence than was completely necessary.
It was an action that was noticeable to all in the room. Least of all the Grand Vizier who adroitly changed the subject to hunting, sensing the anger of his guest.
All of her life Karna had loved the colour green, but in the dusty, cluttered back streets of Tashbaan there was not a colour that they were less likely to find.
As a child, she had loved walking with her mother by the side of the river and catching glimpses of the green sanctuaries that had been created for the enjoyment of the Tarkhaans and Tarkheenas. Even later in her life when she had first gained her employment under Master Tirshan, she had loved walking with Tamara and her sisters amongst the vegetables gardens. They had even occasionally dared to glance into their master's own beautiful escape from the dust of the city.
But she had never walked upon grass until that strange night with the lion. Yet now, her dreams seemed to be full of the colour green. When she slept she would find herself within deep forest glades; either dancing among the trees in the firelight or lying upon grass in the sun. She was surrounded by the colour and loved it.
At night she would remember tales that her mother had told her about the colour green. Of jewels that were supposed to contain the very depths of nature in their colour - emeralds they were called.
Only in sleep did Karna find her rest and peace.
Her days were filled with a pain far greater than any that she had every experienced. Every day Karlis would sit by her, tenderly nursing her wounds and caring for her needs whilst going about her everyday life. Always keeping her hidden.
But there was very little that she was able to do for Karna's arm.
It had been hit so badly by Tarneesh that it had broken, and the result was agony for Karna. It meant that she could find no rest as she lay in perpetual misery. Rest was only found when Karlis mixed together certain herbs to give her sleep. But even then Karna would wake in the morning feeling drowsy and be ill for the rest of the day. It was a condition that did little to raise her spirits or aid her recovery.
However, the poverty of their lives meant that no doctor could be called for and, as she was, Karna was forced to suffer from the broken arm, without hope of recovery or healing.
As the days passed, she grew in strength. By the end of the week she was able to sit up in bed quite comfortably, although her lip was still badly scarred and her bruises quite prominent. She felt relatively comfortable except for her arm, and was able to feed herself with her left hand.
After much coaxing, she was finally able to persuade Karlis to leave her for an hour to visit their mother and tell her of Karna's condition and safety. This apprehension had been concerning her all week and causing concern for their mother's health. But after a short time Karlis returned, bringing their mother with her.
The joy of their reunion was greater than either could express.
With tears of relief and thankfulness in her eyes, Hezal embraced her daughter. She gently kissed her forehead and looked into the bruised, abused face with a mixture of joy and terrible sadness.
"Oh my daughter, my child," she murmured, "what has become of you?"
"Hush mother, I am well and safe," Karna comforted, gently taking her mother's hands in her own. "Karlis has taken care of me since the night of the attack and as you see, I am alright."
Hezal shook her head. "We thought that you were dead! No-one had seen you, though we asked far and wide throughout the city. There had been no sight of you and we were terrified that you have been killed.
"Oh my daughter, Tash be praised that you are all right! I have never prayed so fervently for anything in all of my life as I have prayed for your safe deliverance. But what is to become of you? We must pray that your step-father never hears of you again or it shall be worse."
Karna looked down, "Mother he will not care to hear my name spoken again and he will certainly not pursue me. I am dead to him. Do you not remember what he said that night?"
"Yes Karna, I do. But if he even hears your name again he will seek you out to kill you. He feels so greatly dishonoured and I have never seen him angrier."
Karna hung her head as tears stung her eyes. As she did so her arm throbbed once more, carefully bound though it was. She lacked the strength to restrain the shudder that wrenched through her body.
Always alert, Hezal missed nothing and reached out a gentle finger to remove her daughter's hand from her arm. Fearful, Karna watched as her mother touched the wounded limb lightly. Even this gentle pressure of a finger proved painful and she was unable to stop a cry escaping from her lips.
When she dared open her eyes, she saw the paleness of her mother's expression.
"Mother, is there no hope of it mending?" she asked fearfully, already seeing the answer.
"Oh my daughter … dearest Karna we have no money, and such an injury … it would cost more money than we could make in a year to set. A surgeon would never come to us."
Hopelessly, Karna let the tears fall, feeling the last of her hope drain away as they wet her cheeks.
She was utterly helpless, lacking even a body that worked.
Author's note:
More misery! I do apologise, but this is a bit of a filler chapter before we get more of Peridan. He's going to be playing a much more active role from now on and there are some interesting moments coming up! Some more Hezal coming up as well, her role will be more explained in later chapters.
We'll be seeing Susan probably the chapter after next. I'm currently working out a time frame for the rest of this fic, but I know the main events and have it roughly drafted.
HUGE thanks to my awesome reviewers – narniac, anyabar, meldahlie and Zoey – you guys just made my week! The comments were just so awesome and I was so pleased by how much you're enjoying this dramatic journey with me!
Meldahlie – thank you so much, you never fail to make me smile and your review was so long and entertaining and just brilliant, so major thanks!
Again, thank you so much for reading. I hope this upload schedule makes up for my previous absence! I am going to be (hopefully) say two weeks for the next one … maybe? : D
Please read, review and let me honestly know what you think!
Thanks again,
Breeze