Sorry it took so long. I've only got a few more chapters to write, but I have exceptionally little time to write nowadays. It looks like my schedule may be simmering down come July, so hopefully I'll be able to finish this story before the end of this summer. :)

Thank you for your patience, my lovelies. I know I'm such a pain in the arse when it comes to updating. Never fear, though, I have not abandoned you!

This chapter is kind of short, but important nonetheless. Things are starting to heat up.

I brought Storm to the top of the cliff over-looking the Castle of Anvard and sighed. I had been in Archenland for two weeks, but the death of the heir to the kingdom was still evident across the capitol city. Not that I had expected them to recover so soon, but I was disappointed that King Lune was still spending his time mourning and not comforting his family and subjects. Queen Alanis would not be removed from her bed chambers and the king never ventured near them. The only royal subject that I had seen more than a few passing moments was Becky and she was just recently becoming consolable.

I had taken Storm out for a ride that morning, just as I did every morning, and tried not to think about what my friends in Narnia were doing and, more specifically, what Edmund was doing. I had received a letter from Peter scolding me about leaving without saying goodbye. I had also since received a letter from Lucy and Susan, but not from Edmund. I tried to tell myself that he was only angry and would eventually get over the things that I had said. But, I knew even then that what I had said had been harsh and untrue.

"I don't know what to do," I said to Storm as I brushed her down that morning after our ride.

"I don't know how to make Becky feel better nor what I'm going to do about Edmund."

Storm looked at me with her sapphire eyes and I felt strangely like she was attempting to communicate with me.

"It's a shame you don't speak, Storm. I feel as though we could have great conversations," I said to her.

I finished brushing Storm and left her at the stables before heading back towards Anvard. I walked through the looming stone archways leading into the castle and marveled at the lack of activity. I didn't see even a single servant bustling around.

I headed towards the throne room to see if perhaps King Lune had decided to grace the court with his presence. I slipped in the back door to the throne room and, sure enough, the room was full to the brim of people and every one of them silent as stone. I slipped through the crowd trying to get to the front of the room. When I got nearer to the front, I could see King Lune and Queen Alanis on their thrones. Becky was standing the the left of her mother and was staring straight ahead towards the back of the room.

I turned to the person nearest me and asked, "When did King Lune call for court?"

"Not yet an hour ago," the woman replied to me.

"Do you know why?"

"He seeks to punish the physician who looked after Prince Nicholas. He does not think the proper care was given to the boy."

"Is there evidence against the man?"

"Not that I know of. I know poor old Robert too. He's a good man. Wouldn't hurt a fly if it was biting him."

"How does the king mean to punish him?"

"Death, o'course."

"What?" I asked harshly. "He is serious?"

The woman eyed me nervously. "You do not mean to question the king's judgment, do you Miss?"

"Of course I mean to question his judgment! He cannot let his grief over the loss of his son allow him to make such lawless decisions."

"He is the king, Miss. His decisions are the law."

I pushed further into the crowd trying to get closer to the front. I seethed at the actions King Lune was preparing to take. He was king. He did not need to be making irrational decisions based upon intense emotions.

"How do you plead, Dr. Ross?" King Lune's voice called out.

"Not guilty, Your Majesty. I...I did all I could for the boy," the doctor pleaded, stuttering his words slightly.

"And yet my son died under your watch," King Lune responded.

"Your Majesty..."

"I shall hear no more," King Lune interrupted. I saw Queen Alanis rest a hand on her husband's forearm. He shook it off.

"As protector of the realm of Archenland, I hereby find you guilty of negligent care given to the heir to the throne of Archenland, your prince, and my son. You are sentenced to death for your crimes."

"King Lune, you cannot be serious!" I called out, stepping forward from the crowd.

The three monarchs on stage looked down at me, as did the rest of the court. I caught Becky's eye and saw her shook me a desperate warning look and shake her head. I felt a soft pressure on my arm and turned to my right to see Merie shaking her head vigorously at me.

"Not here, m'lady," she whispered.

I looked away from her and caught eyes with the king.

"Are you questioning my sentence, Lady Ashlynn?" King Lune asked, his voice tense.

I looked back at Merie shaking her head and then back up at Becky, who too shook her head at me, before turning my gaze back upon the king.

"I..." I paused for a moment, considering my actions. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Merie sighed heavily beside me and I felt her grip on my arm tighten even more before she pulled herself away.

Anger flashed across King Lune's face as he stared down at me.

"And what cause have you to question my judgment?" he demanded.

"Your Majesty, you accuse this man of the negligent care for your son and you sentence him to death and yet you have failed to provide clear enough evidence to prove that his care was negligent. I fail to see the rationale in killing a man based on the assumption that his negligence caused the death of Prince Nicholas when there is absolutely no proof that was the case! It is a lawless decision."

"I am the law!" King Lune roared, standing up from his throne.

"You are the king!" I retorted. "And as the king you should give your subjects fair trials when accused! Otherwise you are no king, but a tyrant!"

"You dare insult me, child? Guards, throw her in the dungeon! Let us see if chains will teach her to mind her tongue."

Several guards rushed towards where I stood. I held my ground and did not fight them. A velvety brush against my arm told me that Merie was still with me.

"King Lune, please! Listen to me!" I cried as the guards grabbed my arms and started dragging me away.

"Killing this man will do more harm than good!"

"Lock her away!" was all he replied.

I was thrown into a small cell in the dungeons and chained against a cold stone wall. The guard who chained me up looked at me with pity in his eyes.

"Lotta good that did 'ya, huh?" he whispered while attaching my chains.

I glared at him. "Who would have spoken out if I had? Hm?"

He did not answer.

"No one. Every person in the room knew King Lune was making a mistake and no one would have spoken out," I answered for him.

"The doc's still gonna die, m'lady. Ya' dinna' stop it. Ya' only caused ya'self pain by speaking out," he said before leaving me alone in my cell.

I turned my glare to the floor and felt powerlessness filter through me. It wasn't fair that the old man had to die for not being able to prevent the death of Nicholas. It wasn't like he was Aslan. He didn't have power over death.

I dreamed about the meadow again that night, and every night following that I stayed in the dungeons. In most of my dreams, I was staring at the marble table trying to figure out what it was and who the "Light" was. In other dreams, the meadow was burning, and I along with it.

"You shouldn't have spoken up," a voice said, shaking me from my fitful sleep. I opened my eyes from where I lay on the bare ground and met with the emotionless eyes of Becky. "You should have just kept your mouth shut for once in your life."

"Was he killed?" I asked, my voice hoarse from lack of water.

Becky stared at me with a hard expression for several long moments.

"He was beaten, but yes. He lived. My father revoked his death penalty."

"Then I regret not," I replied, closing my eyes.

"You've been marked as a traitor to the king. You won't leave this dungeon unless Kings Peter and Edmund bring an army down here and demand your release, which would then cause war between Narnia and Archenland. That won't happen, of course."

"When did you become vile?" I asked bitingly, keeping my eyes closed.

"When my best friend challenged my father, the king, and was thrown in the dungeons and labeled a traitor!" she cried.

I opened my eyes and saw her crying.

"Bexxi..."

"Don't you 'Bexxi' me, Ashlynn. This isn't Narnia. You don't have the privilege to speak to the monarchs however you, regardless of your friendship with me."

I didn't respond and we were silent for a few moments.

"Father officially declared me his heir today," she whispered.

"Congratulations," I murmured sarcastically.

"Perhaps I'll be able to pardon and release you if you're still alive by the time I take the throne."

I flinched at the harshness of her statement.

"How do you know Peter won't come for me first?" I demanded, using Peter instead of Edmund because of my uncertainty of Edmund's feelings at the moment.

"Well, for one, they still don't know you're in prison even though you've been in here for a while."

Had it been that long? I tried to sit up and found myself to weak to do so.

"It doesn't help that they haven't exactly got an army to spare in order to save you."

"What do you mean?" I asked, watching Becky with cautious eyes.

"You've been in here for almost a week."

"What is wrong with Narnia's army?" I demanded.

"Ashlynn, Narnia is at war."

Let me know what you think. :)