THE SERPENT AND THE TURNCOAT


"How did it get this bad?" Cedric, the Governor of Narrowhaven breathed.

His face had paled all the way up to his balding hairline. He was seated in the governor's seat in the meeting chamber, with the Council of the Lone Islands seated around the room, as Cor and Aravis presented their news.

Cor and Aravis had already secured the promised aid from Duke Paulis of Galma and Lord Iras and Lady Eraka of Terebinthia. They had all been fast friends with the Four and their families, and so they were enraged at the idea that Saedra had been cut down in the very place that she had once called home. They were now gathering what troops they could, while Cor and Aravis went on to Narrowhaven, their last stop to plea for aid.

A slight pause met the middle-aged governor's exclamation.

"We don't know how it got so bad," Cor admitted. "We were unprepared, had no idea that things were so serious…"

"Telmarines in control of Archenland?" Cedric cried. "Calormenes holding Cair Paravel? Princess Saedra, King Lune, Prince Corin, and Lord Peridan dead? King Cor, Lady Aravis…how? Narnia was unstable, to be sure, but not this unstable!"

"It happened so quickly. All of the people you mentioned were dead within a fortnight, with the exception of Lady Saedra. It began shortly before Christmas," Cor said.

"This has all transpired in the last three months?" Cedric breathed. "By the Mane...!"

Aravis stepped forward. "Your Sufficiency, we come asking for aid. Galma and Terebinthia have already promised about two thousand men to help. If you—"

"Of course Narrowhaven will help!" Cedric rushed to assure her, and the council members around the room nodded in firm agreement. "If you but give me a few days, we could muster another two thousand or so."

"That is what we hoped," Cor nodded. "If we returned with four thousand soldiers, that would be a great help to Narnia and Archenland."

"But we're not going to fool your Sufficiency," Aravis added. "Even with those many soldiers, it will be tough. The Telmarines had about five thousand when they took Anvard."

"Since the siege, the Birds tell us that they have about four thousand now," Cor said. "But we do have an advantage: now that they have Anvard, they are spreading out in the country to secure the individual provinces. Their forces are thinner that way, which would make taking it easier. In Narnia, there are about one thousand Green Narnians and three thousand Calormenes."

"I appreciate your forthrightness," Cedric said, "but I am not deterred. As a colony of Narnia, we have a duty to help our mother country, just as Narnia has helped us in the past. On a more selfish note, without the protection of Narnia, we could easily be taken by enemies as well."

Cedric issued orders to the council members to start spreading the word about the gathering of an army, dismissed the gathering, and approached Cor and Aravis. "I'll wager your trip was strenuous, coming on Gryphons."

"It was certainly...different," Aravis smiled.

"Let me personally show you to our guest chambers. Now is the perfect time for you two to rest and prepare for the journey back to the mainland while we take care of the army business."

"Thank you," Aravis sighed, looking relieved. She did have dark circles under her eyes, and her dress had seen better days.

Cedric offered Aravis his arm. She took it, and the two of them walked down a hallway back to the main residence with Cor following. Cor smiled to himself, thinking how patronizing Aravis viewed the tradition of men offering women their arms. ("You'd think I don't know how to walk by myself the way men shove their elbows at me every time I try to go somewhere!")

"My Lady, have you lost anyone in the war?" Cedric asked. "A husband, a betrothed?"

Cor rolled his eyes. Typical. He felt like he was back at Anvard in happier days, watching another fool try to flirt with Aravis. He always enjoyed watching them fall flat on their faces.

But this time, Aravis giggled and said, "Why, no! I have no betrothed or husband."

"No?" Cedric seemed surprised. "A beautiful young woman like you probably has all the men of your country at your feet."

"Almost all of them," she replied with a straight face.

Cor wasn't sure if she was joking or not. But she had been more enigmatic to him than ever these days. Always one to speak her mind, Aravis rarely kept him guessing what she was thinking. However, ever since the awkward—and wonderful—kisses they had shared, she had become quieter, retreating into her thoughts. They had fought several times, but about inconsequential things that made him certain that they were both struggling with something else.

Her mysteriousness could not have come at a more inconvenient time. He was both proud and embarrassed about the way he had thrown himself at her that time when they entered the Keep. He needed to know what she thought. Had it meant anything to her? But she had kissed him back, hadn't she? And then did it again the next day...And when Lady Eraka had mistaken them for a married couple, Aravis had been quite flustered...Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

Cedric stopped and showed them a bedroom that was decorated with the typical Islander decor, but was obviously for royalty.

"This will be your room, your Majesty," Cedric gestured, studying the room with a wistful face. "Queen Lucy herself stayed in this room when she visited."

"Were you close to the Queen?" Aravis asked, catching his look.

"Not as close as I would have preferred...She was kind, but never cared for me the way I wished she would. I always felt like there was someone else that held her deepest affections..."

Cor vaguely remembered seeing Lucy and Cedric together at Queen Susan's wedding, but hadn't made any inferences from it. He would never have caught on the way Aravis looked like she had. Cedric had cared for Lucy?

"I'm sorry," she said compassionately. "Have you found anyone else?"

"Not yet." Cedric smiled and squeezed her arm.

"So," Cor interjected, "where is Ara going to sleep?"

"Follow me. You may be interested to know that this next room was the exact one that High King Peter and Lady Saedra stayed in."

They halted at another chamber with a grand fireplace, a couch by the window, and a large bed. Cor couldn't help but be interested. Peter and Saedra's relationship was a thing of mystery to him, as it was to most people. As royalty, so much was known about their lives, and yet it was hard to distinguish between fact and myth. What had transpired in this room, years ago?

"This is a quite cozy setup," Aravis complemented.

"I appreciate that, my Lady! I have no doubt you have impeccable taste—"

"Should we allow Ara to rest?" Cor suggested.

Aravis wrinkled her nose at the suggestion, but Cedric nodded.

"Of course, of course. My Lady, I will send a servant to assist you and draw a bath."

She thanked him.

Cedric looked Cor in the eye. "Care to join me, your Majesty?"

"I'll follow," Cor said. "I wish to have a word with Ara before I go."

Cedric nodded, and with another smile for Aravis (which she returned), he exited.

Aravis walked over to the fireplace and examined the figurines on the mantle. "These are Narnian! Look—this one is a Satyr, this one's a Faun..."

When Cor didn't respond, she glanced at him. "What are you scowling about?"

"I'm not scowling."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not," he insisted stubbornly.

She rolled her eyes and turned her back on him to examine another figurine. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

He struggled to vocalize what he wanted to say. Hell, he didn't even know what he wanted to say! He just had felt the urge to stay behind...

She turned and arched her eyebrows. "Sometime today would be nice. I do want to take a bath and nap before dinner."

"Ara, we're on an important mission here," he blurted. "People are dying back home as we speak. This—this is not the appropriate time to be thinking about baths or naps or Cedric…"

He expected her to get angry, but she merely sighed.

"Relax, Cor. Everything's in motion. Our mission has gone perfectly. We have four thousand troops mobilizing as we speak. We have hope again! And it won't do anyone any good if we don't refresh ourselves before another journey and battle. How long has it been since we've had proper baths or slept in beds?"

"That doesn't change the fact that Father and Corin are dead! How can you be so blasé?"

Her face tightened. "I am aware that Lune and Corin are dead. Trust me, I am suffering too."

"You have a funny way of showing it!"

She paled and her voice was cold. "Lune was a second father to me. Corin was the same as a brother. How dare you try to make me feel guilty for not mourning them! I feel it, Cor, I do. It's like I haven't been able to breathe freely anymore. But the only way I can stay normal is to ignore it."

"And by throwing yourself at Cedric!"

"You're just jealous!"

"Am not! I just feel like I've lost enough people in my life lately. I don't need to lose you too!" He knew he sounded like a little boy, but he couldn't stop the verbal diarrhea.

The anger left her eyes.

"You're not going to lose me, Cor," she said in a low voice.

"Yes, I am," he insisted dourly. "If you don't marry Cedric, you'll find some other lucky brute and make him the happiest man alive."

"No, I won't!"

"Yes, you will. I know you. You'll fall in love with some Lord or Knight or Duke or Governor…."

"No, I won't, Cor! I promise. You're being paranoid."

"You can't promise something like that!"

"Of course I can! It's my life!"

"How? How can you guarantee you won't marry some fool like Cedric?" he demanded.

"Because I love you, you blubbering idiot!"

Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth. Cor felt like he had been punched in the gut and handed a precious gift at the same time. He was dumbstruck. She loves me. She loves me!

But he had to make sure he heard straight.

"Could you repeat that?" he asked timidly.

"Of course not. You heard me."

"You love me…?"

"Yes."

"I…I didn't know…."

"How could you know? I think I've always been in love with you, but I only just realized it on our journey this winter. I think your father paired us on purpose to help Narnia when this all began…" She looked across the room at him expectantly.

Say it, Cor! he told himself.

He licked his lips, ready to speak, when a knock sounded at the door.

"Yes?" he called.

"I have come to assist Lady Aravis," a woman's voice said.

"Come in!"

Cor glanced back at Aravis to find her looking simultaneously devastated and thunderously mad. However, the servant stepped in. Feeling awkward and like he was somehow messing this up supremely, Cor raised his eyebrows and gave Aravis what he meant to be a "we'll-talk-later" look.

"I'll see you at dinner?" he asked.

"Get out," she sneered.

He hesitated. "Ara…"

"Get out!"

And she rushed at him, shoved him out the door, and slammed it in his face.


The Free Narnians waited tensely for what they all knew was Narnia's last stand. If they lost this battle, the war was over. Calormen would hold Narnia completely.

All of the Animals, Humans, Marshwiggles, Centaurs, Satyrs, Tree People, Minotaurs, Fauns, and Dwarves that were able to fight were suited up and waiting on the ridge that bordered the Marshes. Their armor was a mix and match of whatever they would scrounge up or smuggle from the occupied lands. They grimly watched as Keeneyes and two other Owls glided towards them from the south.

Talia was riding a noble Talking Horse by the name of Breehy-hinny-brinny-hoohy-hah, but who said non-Horses liked to call him Bree. So few dumb horses had escaped Cair Paravel with them that the Talking Horses had volunteered to carry riders, as was tradition in times of war. Bree was well-respected and had experience with Calormene battle, and so had personally offered to carry Talia, even though he warned that he was "getting on in age and wasn't nearly as spry as he used to be." Talia had humbly accepted.

Reau and Rahai were on either side of her. Reau was on the horse Cor had ridden from Cair Paravel and Rahai was riding her own.

"Do you think Cristabelle will be all right?" Rahai asked. "She didn't strike me as the leader-type, and in her condition..."

"She'll be fine," Talia said confidently. She had left Cristabelle in charge of those who were unable to fight, and had instructed her to move them to the north side of the Marshes, away from the fighting. Caulitha, Ethan, and Tumnus were with her as well.

"Lady Crista is a strong woman," Reau added. "She took the death of her husband stoically."

Keeneyes and the Owls landed before them.

"The Green Narnians will be emerging from the forest in minutes, your Highness," Keeneyes reported. "There are several hundred of them. Behind the Narnians, the Calormenes are advancing. It's strange—some of them stopped to do something. It looked like they were setting up tents. Maybe they'll let the Narnians make the initial charge and go in when they are depleted. There are about one thousand Calormenes all together."

"That's less than we anticipated," Talia said, inclining her head to Rahai. The smaller amount of enemies was surely due to the Merpeople sinking the fleet.

"But still way more than we have," Rahai said, eyeing the scattered Free Narnians.

"Please spread the word that the Calormenes approach," Talia instructed Keeneyes.

He nodded, and the Owls flew along the line.

Talia touched Susan's horn at her side. "Should I blow it now?"

Rahai frowned. "Not yet."

"Aunt, things can't get any worse than they are now..."

"Oh, they can," Rahai responded. "Don't forget the message Sallowpad brought from Priyah this morning that Telmar is eyeing Narnia. Even if we win this battle, we'll have to defend against the Telmarines."

Sallowpad had been sent to Priyah in order to relay messages back and forth. Priyah's first message had been confirmation that she had been accepted back into the court, the second was that she was expected to marry the Telmarine General in charge of the Archenland conquest, and the third was that Meridian really didn't have any interest in Archenland and was planning to invade Narnia as soon as it was convenient.

Not understanding Rahai's caution, but trusting her judgment, Talia hesitated before untying the horn and handing it over to her aunt. "You take it. I fear your self-control will be better than mine."

Rahai took the horn wordlessly, then jerked her head around to look toward the forest. As it was dusk, visibility was worsening, so they heard before they saw. They heard the rustling of leaves, whinnies of horses, the creak of armor, and footsteps.

The sound went on for some time before the Green Narnians emerged from the wood. There were Tigers, Centaurs, Dwarves, Hags, and all manner of other Creatures. In the lead was the same pale Centaur Aravis had described, holding his long sword in the air.

"This is it, my Princess," Bree neighed.

Talia's heart thudded in her chest. She was acutely aware of the saliva in her mouth, of the heavy sword at her side, of the smell of Bree. She probably wasn't going to live to see dawn.

Because she was going to fight off the Calormenes and traitorous Narnians until she had no breath left.

She swallowed and nodded to the Centaur near her. "Give the signal."

The Centaur put a horn to his mouth and blew. The sound of the horn echoed over the slope, and the Free Narnians started moving as a mass down the slope to meet the enemy. Talia found she was biting her lip as Bree marched forward, head held high. The Green Narnians started running towards them, encouraged by the enemies' horn.

There was a moment full of the pounding of the feet upon the frosted earth, the battle cries, and Talia's own ragged breaths, and then the armies met. It was a heart-wrenching sight seeing Narnians killing Narnians. Once the armies crossed with each other, it was near impossible to tell who was friend and who was foe, just as it had been at Cair Paravel. The Free Narnians had lacked the resources to make uniforms, and the Green Narnians had doubtlessly chosen not to wear uniforms in order to confuse their opponents.

Talia was only able to defend herself or someone she recognized. She feared attacking a Free Narnian, and thus found herself limited to searching for the one person she needed to kill: Lord Reine. The bastard needed to die. But he wasn't in sight, and his bright white hair would have stood out anywhere.

It was fully dark out by the time the Calormenes joined the fight, coming out of the forest. At least they were distinguishable. The full moon overhead lit up the gruesome scene. Injured Creatures cried out in pain on the ground, getting trampled by the Calormene front. The ground was spattered with black liquid that glistened in the starlight.

Talia and Bree were a good pair. He knew exactly how to charge a Calormene in order to catch them off guard or in their weak spot. They pressed through the army, running straight through with no regard to their safety. Talia hacked and screamed as they trampled their way through the masses. There was liquid running down her face; it might have been blood, but it was probably tears as well. She was doing this for those she had lost, and those that she would lose tonight. But she and Bree were of one mind, knowing that is would be their one last night of vengeance.

At last they realized that they had cut a line straight through the Calormene ranks. They were deep in the forest, fighting off soldiers that had turned to pursue them. Soon the soldiers were dead on the ground, and Bree and Talia were alone in the forest with the sound of battle not far off. They gasped for breath.

Bree turned to go back to the ridge, but Talia said: "Wait!"

Her mind was racing. Keeneyes said that the Calormenes had stopped to set up some sort of encampment. Was that where Reine was? It seemed in keeping with his devious character to stay away from the battle.

"I have to find the man who killed Mum," Talia said. "If you wish to return to the battle, I will go on alone."

"I'm not much nearly as much use without a rider," Bree said. "Direct me, your Highness!"

Using her instincts, Talia followed the tracks in the moonlight until they reached the point where the Calormenes had stopped. There were old campfires on the ground, still smoking. The battle sounds were barely audible, and the forest was deadly silent.

"We're close..." Talia said.

"Listen," Breen said, his ears twitching.

She vaguely heard the sound of someone's voice. They travelled in that direction, and saw a light behind the trees. They followed it and found a large tent, and there was a shadow of a male figure on the side of it. There were soldiers stationed outside, and without stopping to plan, Bree raced at them, allowing Talia to finish them off before they knew what was happening.

Talia cut the tent open. It was Reine, amid a smattering of maps. It was a two-part tent, and he was in the front part. The man cried out in surprise and dove toward his weapons, but she leapt off Bree and had her sword at his throat in a second.

Staring into his wide ice blue eyes, Talia paused for the slightest second.

"Do you know who I am?" Talia growled. He had to know why she was killing him.

His voice was surprisingly even. "You must be Saedra's girl."

"Smart man. Then you know why you're going to die. You tried to kill her countless times and ruined her marriage. And you killed my little brother before we ever got to know him—"

"Ah, but there you'd be wrong. It was Priyah that killed your brother, not me."

"You're lying!"

"Ask Priyah herself! She's back in Telmar. I'm sure she'd love to recount how she tried to kill the evil Saedra out of love for your father."

Talia let go of him, shocked. She saw truth in his speech. Priyah, the woman that Rahai spoke so highly of as the most trustworthy person she knew, was no better than Reine! Was there anyone who was not devious?

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply with relief.

"Finish him, Princess," Bree ordered. "Or I will! Saedra was my Princess, just as she was for every Narnian."

"She won't do it," a woman's voice taunted. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Talia. You always were too soft."

Talia whirled to see a Calormene pushing back the partition and leaving the back side of the tent. Her face was coated with makeup and she wore extravagant clothing.

"Zahar?"

"So you remember me," Zahar smirked. "Funny you did. Saedra couldn't." She sauntered fearlessly without any visible weapons.

Another figure left the back of the tent.

"Edina!" Talia cried, seeing her little sister. "Don't worry, everything will be all right. You're coming with me!"

Edina just stared up at her with wide green eyes. She sneered at Talia.

"Hmm, Talia, I don't think your sister wants to come with you," Zahar taunted. "You see, with you, she'll never be Queen. But I have given her unimaginable power that she has barely tapped, and she'll reign as Queen of Narnia under the Tisroc. Isn't that right, my girl?"

Edina giggled maniacally.

"Your planning won't work, Zahar," Talia insisted. "Even if you win this battle, Telmar is planning on betraying you. Priyah told us herself! Meridian wants Narnia, and is prepared to betray Calormen for it."

"Preposterous!" Zahar scoffed.

"Ask him!" Talia demanded, pointing her sword back at Reine's hairy neck.

Reine chuckled. "Poor Talia will try anything to break our alliance. Your lies mean nothing to us."

But Zahar started to look uncertain. She looked at Edina. "Get the truth from him."

Edina bent before Reine and placed her hand on his forehead. "Speak the truth," she said in her cold, childlike voice.

Reine's eyes glazed over. "Talia speaks the truth. Meridian wants Narnia. Telmarines are preparing to come north from Archenland as soon as the country is secured."

Zahar's lips tightened with fury. "Kill him! Kill the conniving bastard! I've had enough of treacherous men taking advantage of me! Kill him!"

Talia involuntarily stepped back as she witnessed the most horrifying scene she had ever seen. Where once Edina had been standing before Reine, a bright green serpent had appeared. Reine screamed in horror and Bree whinnied as the serpent dove at Reine's neck. It bit hard, tearing away flesh. Talia could see the poison bubbling against his neck. He twitched violently, his eyes rolling back, and then he was dead.

"Get on me, your Majesty!" Bree said urgently.

"Now kill the woman," Zahar ordered the serpent. "She's just a bad as traitor as him, leaving her best friend to be abused and used and treated like scum for years. Talia needs to die."

The serpent turned to Talia, who was still too stunned by Edina's transformation and Reine's death to react. But the serpent didn't move forward. It hovered on the spot, flickering between child's body and serpent's body.

"Do you hear me? Kill her!" Zahar screamed.

Finally, in a child's body, Jadis spat, "I can't. Edina won't let me. She's never fought as hard as she is now. She has strong...affection...for that woman."

Zahar let loose a string of curses. "Overcome Edina! She's just a child!"

"But she has a strong will. She has...attachment to her..."

Zahar cried out in rage. Talia took that moment to recover her wits. In an instant, she dove at Zahar, pinning her to the ground. Zahar struggled, but was no match for her larger friend, who straddled her and restrained her arms. Talia was unsure of what was happening behind her, but she heard hisses and angry grunts from Bree.

"Go ahead," Zahar said, spitting in Talia's face. "Kill me. Finish what you started all those years ago."

"No!" Talia yelled. "I'm not going to kill you, Zahar! You were my friend!"

"Some friend you were! Leaving me in Tashbaan to rot, after all I did to protect you, to make you feel safe...!"

"I'm sorry!" Talia said, feeling guilt boiling in her. "I'm so sorry! I was a stupid child that was overwhelmed with my new life and trying to forget the old one!"

"Overwhelmed? Oh, yes, I can see how overwhelming it would be becoming the High King's daughter! I should have been with you. Every time I heard references to the North, I was reminded of how it could have been me as the Princess too, if you had just taken the time to find me! Do you know what I went through? I was a courtesan at age eleven, Talia! You know what they do to courtesans!"

"I'm sorry!" Talia reiterated, sobbing. "And I know 'I'm sorry' is never good enough! But I regret it so much!"

Talia was blinded by tears and had lost her will to fight. She didn't even know what she was fighting for anymore.

She couldn't be certain, but she thought Zahar was crying as well; she couldn't see through her swimming eyes.

There was no sound of Bree or the serpent. Talia was afraid to turn around and find that she had doomed another friend.

Just then, a deep, reverberating sound echoed through the forest. It sounded like a bugle, and resonated as if it was being blown right beside them, even though she knew it had to come from far away. Talia knew what it was.

For some undoubtedly horrible reason, Rahai had finally blown Susan's horn.