This chapter is the longest yet. However, it was so much fun to write, I simply couldn't stop :)


It was evening and Iva's mother was braiding her hair.

On her lap, Iva was holding a bowl of raspberries that they had bought earlier that day. They both were eating the raspberries slowly.

Iva was not happy exactly. No, she would not call it happy. But tonight she felt at peace. In the silence, she was able to take a question that had been hiding in her heart for several days…and put it into words.

"Mother, do you think The Absolute Evil is real?" she asked.

She could speak of such things with her mother. After all, she was a Terebinthian. Narnian customs did not apply.

In the large mirror, Iva saw her mother smile. "I think it is an interesting idea."

"Then you don't think it is real?" Iva pressed.

"I doubt it. Of course, there are evil people in the world. There always have been and there always will be. But a malevolent being of some sort that wants destruction for no reason? I doubt it."

"Then where does illness come from?"

Iva's mother shrugged. "I think illness just is."

Iva sighed. She had expected as much. She changed the subject. "I want to give some of the spices you brought to my neighbor Leepechina. She has been very kind to me and I'd like to do something for her."

"I did not know that mice could cook."

Iva laughed. "Well, of course, they do. Talking mice do everything humans do. And they often do it better."

"Well, forgive my ignorance." Her mother smiled and sighed contentedly. "You seem to be back, my little owl. After spending the day with you yesterday, I was worried. You didn't seem the least bit like yourself."

Iva was a little bothered by that. "You think I am not really myself if I am unhappy?"

Her mother finished the braid and tied it with two green ribbons. "That isn't what I meant. Of course, you can be unhappy for a little bit. But you were…well, despondent. And you are never that."

"That isn't true," Iva said. "I am many things."

Her mother stood and stretched, admiring her figure in the mirror. "Any rate, is there a reason for this change?"

Iva hesitated. Well, after all, she would have to tell her eventually. "I was offered a position."

Her mother raised her eyebrow. "Not as a scullery maid, I assume."

"As a tutor. I was offered work at the palace by King Rilian."

Her mother gasped. "Do you mean to say that you were speaking with the King of Narnia today?"

Iva smiled and nodded.

Her mother clapped her hands. "This calls for a celebration!" She reached for one of her satchels and took out a bottle of wine. "I had meant to do this yesterday...but now we have a reason!"

Iva stared at the bottle. She recalled Sir Vern sobbing in that first agony and pouring himself wine through the night, sparkling red against his black garb.

She closed her eyes briefly.

Her mother did not notice. "When did you speak to the king?" she asked, pouring the wine.

Iva poured herself some water. "King Rilian has been staying at Sir Vern's home. I went there this morning."

"And you were wearing that gown?"

Iva found herself irritated. "It is a decent gown! And it wouldn't have been proper to dress up. Now at a place where people are grieving."

Her mother nodded, acknowledging the truth of that. Then she folded her arms. "You knew that the king was visiting. But you didn't write to me about it."

Iva shook her head.

"Why not?"

Iva shrugged. "I don't know."

Her mother threw up her hands. "She doesn't know! Incredible answer. Just perfect."


When a little time had passed, Iva began to regret sharing the news. She had expected some excitement but her mother seemed determined to analyze the event to the point that it made her uncomfortable.

"This really is astounding! May I tell your aunt? Your cousins?" Her mother paused to think about it. "Of course, a girl of your beauty and intelligence was bound to rise to the top eventually."

Iva winced. "I didn't rise there. I was invited."

"Yes, but a king hardly invites anybody! He must have chosen you for something. And the timing is so fortunate too!"

Iva stared. "What do you mean?"

"For you to…be free from any sort of obligation or duty just now."

"Alerei was my duty."

"Well…" Her mother seemed to be struggling for words.

"You mean that you are glad she is dead," Iva whispered. The words came out before she could stop them.

Her mother looked pained and a little puzzled. "No, not glad...But I am a little…relieved…for your sake. You deserved better. Don't think about it, dear, if it hurts you."

"Don't think?" Iva thought for a moment that she might be suffocating. She stood up sharply. "You might as well tell me not to feel, as not to think about it!" She walked to the door and stepped out into the cool air of the evening.

Her mother followed her outside. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know!" Iva saw her mother begin to follow her but then she hesitated and returned for a cloak. That is when Iva began to run.

She had lied to her mother. She did know where she was going. She wanted to sit by Alerei's grave and cry.


The painting wasn't there anymore. Iva breathed a sigh of relief for that at least. It would hurt too much right now.

She leaned against the apple tree and burst into tears.

She sobbed for a full ten minutes before she heard someone clearing his throat. She looked up and saw King Rilian, his eyes searching hers.

Iva straightened her back and took a step away from the tree. She searched for something to wipe her eyes. In her haste, she had forgotten to take a handkerchief. She thought for a moment about what a sight she must be. Then she decided she didn't care. She would try to be a lady even if she didn't look the part. "G-Good evening." Her voice still shook.

"Do you mind if I stay, Lady Iva?" King Rilian asked. "Or would you prefer to be alone?"

Iva tried to steady her breathing. "I don't mind."

King Rilian approached. "I just wanted to visit one last time…as I leave tomorrow."

Iva wanted to say something but couldn't. She stood, playing with the green ribbons in her braid.

King Rilian placed a small white flower on the grave. He stood by quietly for a moment.

Then he said, "Lady Iva, if you wish to talk, I can listen."

Iva's heart throbbed at the gentle words. But self-consciousness made her hesitate. "I...I am afraid it won't make sense to you," she began.

King Rilian suddenly laughed and Iva stared at him, surprised. What had she said that was so funny?

"I apologize," King Rilian said quickly. "It isn't you. It's just that, I said these exact words to my friend Puddleglum once. Do you know what he said?"

"Well?"

" He said, 'Course not. Marsh-wiggles never have been good at this sort of thing. Still, can't hurt to try. We must all try our best.'" In the moonlight, Iva saw King Rilian smile. "It turned out that he understood me perfectly."

Iva smiled back through her tears. "You see," she said. "My mother said something cruel today."

She told King Rilian all about what her mother had said and her own response. Now that she was retelling it, she saw that her mother hadn't meant to hurt her. Even as she still smarted from the sting of her mother's words, she saw that. Her mother had always been the sort of person to say things like that.

King Rilian listened carefully until she was finished. "If it helps any, I think that the way your mother views things is…wrong," he said. She heard in his tone that he was hesitant to say anything judgmental.

"I think so too," Iva said. "But I am surprised that it wounds me so much."

"What do you mean?"

"I used to be a calm, cheerful person. If I thought something was cruel, I reasonably explained why it was. I didn't rush out of the house in tears. Now, I've turned into someone unreasonable...and dramatic." She tried to laugh at herself but the laugh came out half-hearted.

Then King Rilian took her hands into his large ones and looked into her eyes. "No," he said. "I have known unreasonable and dramatic people. You are not either of these. For the time being, you are entitled to your feelings and entitled to your tears. Because you are weeping for something deeper, don't you see?"

Iva did see.

She remembered then how many times she had labeled Alerei 'unreasonable' and 'dramatic' in her mind. She had not done it critically, merely with amusement, but still, she had not seen anything beyond it.

Now she saw the grief of a child who was saying good-bye.

The thought made a sob rise in her throat again and she felt a sudden longing to hide her face in King Rilian's shoulder. Of course, she didn't. But she hoped he would keep holding her hands a bit longer.

"And what your mother said about me choosing you because of your abilities…well, that's all wrong too."

Iva felt herself blushing. She hadn't meant to tell him that. "I thought it was...and I couldn't figure out why it should be me..."

"I do not know if you are an exceptional tutor or not. I haven't the slightest idea what your abilities are. I wasn't thinking about that. I just knew that you were a good Narnian. And Aslan's mane! If I was to reward every good Narnian with a position in the palace, the place would collapse! I invited you, mostly because I thought you would like it."

Iva wasn't sure why she was so pleased with the king's characterization of her as a 'good Narnian'. The word 'good' wouldn't be high praise to a Terebinthian at all. But she was, in fact, quite pleased.

The pain of her mother's words had faded, at least a little.

She forced herself, finally, to withdraw her hands. After all, there was propriety. However, she also wanted desperately to express how very grateful she was. "You have a gift for knowing what to say, King Rilian, when people are unhappy." That was the best she could come up with.

King Rilian smiled. "They are mostly things somebody once said to me. I simply have a good memory for certain phrases. Like Zebulon has a good memory for images."

Iva shook her head. She didn't think it was so simple as that.


Iva did not let King Rilian walk her home.

"It isn't that late. And you must prepare for your journey tomorrow," she said.

King Rilian did not insist. Her did ask hopefully, "I will see you in two weeks' time, then, Lady Iva?"

Iva nodded. "Oh, yes."

When she entered the house, her mother was cold and quiet. "How was your walk?" she asked, looking away.

"I'm sorry," Iva said. "I shouldn't have gone so quickly. I should have tried to explain…but you don't understand how much it hurt me."

Her mother finally turned to look at her. "No," she said. "I don't. I did not think you cared about that little girl quite so much. It was just work. She wasn't your family."

Just work? No, Iva thought, her mother didn't understand and never would. "Let's make peace and forget about it then, shall we?" she said.

And her mother nodded. "Yes, dear, let's."