A/N: Thanks for being patient with me. Next chapters are in development! Please keep reading and let me know what you think!


Chapter 11: Lucy Makes a Discovery

Lucy walked swiftly through the dark hallways of Cair Paravel. There were still Narnians around, some finishing putting the party things away and some hurrying to their guard posts. She passed through the ballroom, the main dining room, up the staircase, through the library wing. Anyone who had taken a second look would have seen her eyes sparkling, her cheeks flushed, and her lips drawn tightly together. Then, she abruptly stopped in front of a tapestry hung on the wall, nearly the size and length of the entire hallway. She reached out and touched the fabric, caressing the images. Aslan was in the center, with all of the Talking Creatures standing around him. There were flags and banners from many of Narnia's allies. All standing together, she thought.

Hyreus ran up beside her. Lucy turned to him. "Did you send the prince away?" The Faun nodded. "I fear I may have placed Narnia in danger. The High King said I was too trusting. Hyreus, will you help me now?"

"I am always here, Your Majesty."

She took his arm. "Then walk with me. I need to clear my head. And I need to speak with my sister." Together they walked past the rooms filled with books. Hyreus was a little uncomfortable escorting the queen in such a fashion, not completely sure if it was proper to do so. But he held his head high and continued walking, hoping that no one would see them. Lucy simply remained silent, and in truth, it was a good thing that Hyreus was there to lead her, because she was so deep in thought that she may have wandered right out of the castle.

When they reached Susan's room, the door was open, and there were three guards standing outside. Lucy felt a little better knowing that she had not been singled out. She pushed the door open and slipped inside. She found Susan sitting on a chair by the fireplace, writing in a small book. "Lucy!" she said when she saw her sister. "What are you doing here?" She pushed her things aside to make room for her.

Lucy sat down and took Susan's hands. "Did you know you had a guard outside your door?"

Susan gave a small laugh. "Of course, silly. Peter sent them earlier. Did you think I would not notice?" She grew more serious and leaned in closer to Lucy. With a low voice, she said, "The King Marlan seems to have proven he is very dangerous, although I don't know what it is Peter fears. As if the Terebinthians could snatch us away in the night! Do promise to be more careful, Lucy, and not wander the hallways. I just hope that this is over quickly. The prince has become such a dear friend." Lucy said nothing, but suddenly Susan exclaimed, "Lucy! Whatever is the matter?" and she used her thumb to brush away the small tear that had slipped down her cheek.

"It's my fault, Susan," said Lucy. "I think I put all of Narnia at risk. Peter told me to be more careful, but I was too mad at him to listen." She looked at Susan with eyes wide with fear. "How could I forgive myself for letting danger in through the door?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"The king is a threat to all of us," Lucy replied. "He wants to force a marriage between the prince and me. He thinks that then he can take control of Narnia."

To Lucy's surprise, Susan laughed. "You are a goose, Lucy. Where in the world did you get such an idea?"

Lucy started to fume. "From the prince! He told me all about it! His father is truly mad. And the prince can do nothing to stop him, or else he will be passed over for the crown. Then there will be war in Terebinthia." Susan raised her eyebrows at Lucy, but when she saw the earnest look in her face, she said, "All right, Lucy, I believe you. But you must use reason. Peter would never agree to such a thing. After all, I'm not even married yet, and you are entirely too young! Besides, even if he had no suspicions (which of course he does—just look at the guard at the door), he would consult you first." She looked closely at the younger girl. "You would refuse, would you not?"

"Of course, Susan," Lucy said with an annoyed voice. "The prince wanted me to run away with him tonight, in fact! He thought it would make everything just go away. But I refused him!" she quickly said, seeing Susan's shocked expression.

"Perhaps we were wrong to trust the prince so easily," said Susan slowly. They looked at each other for a moment, but then Lucy shook herself and said, "I won't even consider it a possibility. I believe that the prince would not betray us."

"Regardless," Susan replied, "It doesn't matter now. Peter will send them away, and that will be the end of that."

Susan considered the matter settled, but Lucy sat in thought. Her mind had returned to the strange encounter she had had at dinner that evening (was it really the same night?—Lucy could hardly believe it). Marlan's advisor had asked so many questions about them . . . and then Cirdon had come to her rescue and ended the conversation. Then Cirdon had disappeared. Now it all made complete sense.

She thought then about the day the king had arrived. Cirdon had told her that Marlan had searched everywhere for him. All of the places he visited, Lucy thought. Marlan must have sent out every ship in the navy to find him. Hadn't the prince mentioned something else about it, as well? In his bitterness, he has become a ruthless king, and reigns with little love or mercy for Terebinthia. Sometimes I wonder if he hates being king, and if he hates all of us. That's what he had said. When King Edmund arrived, he expected a great warrior. He was almost insulted to meet him.

Lucy sprang to her feet. "Where are you off to now?" Susan, who was starting to feel sleepy and therefore was a bit grouchy, said. "I must find Peter," Lucy said, and took off for the door. She heard Susan call after her, and when she entered the hallway, Hyreus exclaimed, "Madam?" But Lucy continued running as fast as she could down the hallway, holding up the bottoms of her heavy dress, her shoes tapping loudly on the stone floor. She reached Peter's room, the room they all shared, and burst through the door. Lucy managed to startle both of her brothers, who had been sitting in deep conversation together, and who should not have been so startled, being used to Lucy bursting through doors red-cheeked and out of breath, as she had on many occasions previously.

Edmund was at her side in an instant. "What's wrong, Lu?" he asked, leading her over to a chair.

"King Marlan," she said. "He's planning an attack. His military is stronger than you think. The reports he may have sent you—the arrangements you have made with him—he's been lying the entire time."

"Why would say this, Lucy?" asked Peter, his eyes narrowing.

Lucy shook her head. "I don't know for sure. But everything the prince has told me—it makes so much sense. He must have more ships than he told you, Edmund. He chased the prince to every island and country in the known world. And his army he has been using to keep order in Terebinthia. He has invested much in his military, and is more of a threat than you may think." The two kings looked at each other over Lucy's head, which made her blush furiously. "You must listen to me! I know that the king wants to force through a marriage—" at which Peter raised his brows in surprise and Edmund half smiled in amusement "—so you may as well not even try pretending. He thinks that you two are no more than boys who are play-acting. And more than half of our army is out at the southern border, so he has not seen any sign of strength—not that it would make any difference to him. I truly believe he will try an invasion, or at least a siege."

Edmund stood and immediately left the room without a word. Peter, however, was smiling at Lucy. "I must say, you have a sharper mind for military strategy than I have given you credit. How did you find out all this?"

"The prince," she answered, and told him of the state of Terebinthia, and how the people were at unrest and how Marlan was controlling the country with a tight fist. While she was talking, Susan entered the room. "Here you are!" she exclaimed. "You ran out as if you had seen a ghost!"

"Lucy has been advising us on how to best deal with Marlan's threat," said Peter. Lucy smiled at him.

"I don't know if it is wise to believe everything the prince has told her," she said. "We still are not sure whose side he is on, after all."

"Susan!" said Lucy, shocked. "How could you say such a thing?"

Susan folded her arms. "Did you tell Peter of how the prince tried to steal you away this evening? Of how he tried to run again, and take you with him?" Peter's eyes were wide as he turned back to Lucy. "Lu? Is this true?"

Lucy gave Susan an incensed look and replied, "I suppose so, yes. But it is not what you think."

Edmund returned just then, holding a pile of parchments. "Marlan reported having only four ships in his navy, and about 400 soldiers total in the army. If Lucy is correct, he has been lying. How could I have overlooked this?" He slammed the papers down on the heavy oak table, making the others jump. Edmund was not one who had many outbursts.

For the first time, Susan was beginning to look nervous. "When you refuse the proposal tomorrow, will he attack us then?" There was a moment of silence that was finally broken with Peter shouting for the guard. "I need any of the Gryphons who are in the castle immediately, as quietly as possible." The guard bowed and left. "I will send them to fly out and see if there are more ships offshore."

"Regardless of what they find, we must find a way to get the army here as soon as possible," said Edmund.

"I will go tonight," said Peter. He felt as though he needed his sword at his side. But Edmund shook his head. "No, that will rouse too much question. Our guests must remain happy and unsuspicious. Besides, Susan is right, we must decide how we will deal with the refusal tomorrow."

Their council lasted into the night, as they formulated a plan to deal with Marlan's wrath should it come to force the next day. Across the grounds, Marlan was holding his own war council. He examined a map of Narnia that lay on the table before him. Small cubes were staggered across the map, as his generals explained where this attack would happen and how they could conquer that part of the border. "Victory is assured," he said, smiling.

When he dismissed the men, he waited for Cirdon to arrive. "You are late," he said to him when he finally entered.

"I was delayed," came the short answer.

"And?"

"She refused," he said. "She would not go with me. Your plan did not work."

Marlan frowned. This would make things more difficult in the morning. "Bah," he said. "Then the girl will suffer the more for it. Get your rest, son. Tomorrow, Narnia will be ours."