Eeep! I'm excited about this chapter. I hope you are too.

You know the deal. Anything marked with an * indicates a direct quote from the hand of a man far more brilliant than I.


The Naiad Trilogy

Part 3: The Naiad Queen

Chapter 29

*"Welcome Overworlders!"* The young man exclaimed as Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum stepped through the curtain barrier and into the room. The three travelers looked over the young man with quiet reservation. He appeared kind enough; his hair was fair, his eyes blue, and his face bore a cheerful smile. Yet there seemed to be something strange to him as well, a sort of darkness about him, but neither the children nor the Marsh-wiggle could quite figure out what it was.

"But wait!" the man continued. "I have seen you three before, have I not? Were you or weren't you the three travelers who met me on the bridge by the boarders of Ettinsmoor when I rode there with my fair Lady?"

"Oh! You are the silent Black Knight?" Jill asked.

"'Tis I, young maiden."

"And that lady, was she the Queen of this deep realm?" Puddleglum asked.

"Because if she was, it was awful cruel of her to send us off to giants who intended to eat us!" Eustace exclaimed.

The Black Knight quickly rushed upon Eustace, took him by the collar of his shirt, and pressed his back into the wall. "Do not dare to speak of my Lady in such tones! I will not stand for it! You know her not as I do. I assure you, whatever she told you she meant you no harm. She knows only virtues of the likes of truth, mercy, kindness, and all else things of a most honorable nature. You know her not, but you shall know her hereafter and you shall love her."

The Black Knight released Eustace's collar and brushed out the wrinkles gently before stepping away. *"If you were not so young a warrior, Boy, you and I must have fought to the death on this quarrel."* Then all the anger seemed to vanish from his face and he smiled cheerfully once more. "Now, what brings you three Overworlders into Underland?"

The three travelers glanced warily at one another; what were they to tell this Knight? Even Puddleglum didn't seem to have an answer, and so Jill spoke up and she told him the truth.

"Please, Sir, we are searching for the lost Prince Rilian of Narnia."

*"Rilian? Narnia?"* he said curiously. "I have never heard such names before. Is this land a part of the Overworld?"

"It is, Sir," Eustace replied.

"Well then, how strange, it must be many leagues from the parts of Overworld that I know. And this, how do you call him—*Billian? Trillian?*"

"Rilian," Jill said.

"I do not know the name, and by my knowledge there is none by that name in these Deep Lands. Your man is not here. Why did you come here to seek him, I wonder."

"We were given instructions on how to find him," Eustace said. "First we were told to find the ruined city of the giants, and then we had to find the message written in stone there and do as it said. Well, we found the city and the message. It said UNDER ME, and so we came down."

The Knight laughed loudly and for a long while at this. Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum exchanged more wary glances. They hardly saw the humor in what Eustace had told the Knight. "Perhaps his problem is that he's a bit mad?" thought Jill. "I think I would be if I had to live in this black dungeon."

"I'm afraid you were greatly deceived, my friends," the Knight said at last. "You should have but asked my Lady and she could have given you great council. Those words had nothing to do with your quest. They are all that remain of a longer script, which as my Lady well remembers, read:

*Though under Earth and throneless now I be,

Yet, while I lived, all Earth was under me.*

"From this verse it is clear to see that some great King of the ancient giants caused this boast to be written upon his death. I do believe it is the merriest jest in all the world that you thought the remaining two words were written for you."

The Knight laughed a bit more over this matter, but Jill and Eustace fell into utter despair. Perhaps this Knight was right. What if they hadn't found the right message after all? What if they had come down all this way for nothing? How would they ever get back to the surface? Puddleglum thought differently though.

*"Don't you mind him,"* the Marsh-wiggle said. *"There are no accidents. Our guide is Aslan; and He was there when the giant King caused the letters to be cut, and He knew already all things that would come from them; including this."*

"You speak as though you are a long-liver, strange friend," the Knight said.

"Your Lady must be a long-liver too, if she remembers the verse when it was first written."

"Right you are, Frog-face!" The Knight laughed again and clapped Puddleglum on his back. "She is of a divine race who knows neither death nor age; she is as beautiful today as the day I first met her."

His eyes turned strangely glossy as he continued to speak. "And for her long life,*I am the more thankful to her for all her infinite bounty to such a poor mortal wretch as I. For you must know, Sirs, I am a man under most strange afflictions, and none but the Queen's grace would have had patience with me.* I say patience, but it goes far beyond that. She has sworn to make me a King and a great ruler of some foreign nation in Overworld. Then once I am King she has promised to give me her own beautiful hand in marriage. What a day that will be! I will tell you all about it, but first, some food."

Then the Knight called out to the Earthmen down below and ordered that they bring up some Overworld food for him and his guests. The children were most excited to eat a real meal again, even if they were stuck underground. There were pigeon pies, sweet ham, salads, and delicious honey cakes brought before them, and the children ate until they could eat no more.

XOXOX

While they ate the Knight regaled them with his tale of enchantment and the Queen's means of freeing him. The Knight said he did not know how he came to dwell in Underland neither did he know how long he had dwelled there; he could remember nothing and knew nothing before coming to this dark kingdom. He only assumed that his gracious Queen had saved him from some great and evil enchantment, and brought him here to live under her tender care.

This belief was strengthened by the fact that even now he suffered from a strange enchantment. In the last hour of each day the enchantment came over him and his mind was given over to great fits of rage and anger. A sort of wild frenzy would come about him, and even his body would change into that of a serpent mad with hunger. Each night he was bound to a chair so that he could not harm anyone.

His gracious Queen, however, knew how to break this enchantment and plans were well under way. To be freed the Knight must be made King of one of the Overworld kingdoms. The kingdom had already been chosen as had their point of entry. The Earthmen were hard at work, night and day, to dig their way into the kingdom; they were now only a score of feet beneath the surface. Very soon the Knight, under his Queen's guidance and with his army of Earthmen, would break through and overtake the kingdom by slaying their King and all their Lords.

*"Is it not the most comical and ridiculous thing in the world to think of them all going about their business and never dreaming that under their peaceful fields and floors, only a fathom down, there is a great army ready to break out upon them like a fountain!"* The Knight laughed hysterically, but neither the children nor Puddleglum found it very funny at all!

"I think it is rotten!" Eustace said. "What harm has this kingdom done to you?"

"I think you'll be nothing but a cruel tyrant," Jill added.

The Knight only laughed harder which annoyed Jill even more. As they continued to eat their meal, the Knight spoke further of his Queen's kind grace. By the end of it, they all rather disliked the Knight and thought very little of him. When the meal was over at last they noticed a great change in the Knight's demeanor. His skin had become quite pale and all the laughter seemed to be out of him.

"It is nearly time now," the Knight whispered. "The hour and enchantment are nearly upon me. The Earthmen will come shortly to bind me. I think I hear their feet even now on the stairs."

"Sir, we are frightfully sorry about your enchantment, truly we are, but what might those Earthmen do to us when they come for you?" Eustace asked.

"Oh please! I don't want to go back into some dark place. Mayn't we stay here until you are better?" Jill asked.

"I would hate for you to see me in my madness, and yet I dread to be alone. Go quickly now into there, my other chambers," the Knight said as he pointed to a door. "You may wait there until I come for you, or, if you wish, you may sneak back once they have gone and sit with me through my hour."

The children and Puddleglum fled through the indicated door and stepped into a lit hallway which led to other rooms. They searched these rooms until they found one with water and a mirror. There they did what they'd been longing to do since falling into the first cavern; they washed. After washing they discussed what they should do next: stay there, or return to watch the enchantment. Jill had no mind of going back. She didn't much care for the Knight and wouldn't have minded never seeing him again. Puddleglum, though, thought they should return and see what sort of information they could get from the Knight.

*"There is a stronger smell of danger and lies and magic and treason about this land than I've ever smelled before. We need to keep our eyes and ears open,"* Puddleglum said.

And so the children and Puddleglum walked back down the hall, into the room where they had dinned, and into a side chamber where they found the Knight bound to a silver chair. There were strong cords securing him to the chair by his neck, elbows, wrists, waist, knees, and ankles. His sword sat leaning against the wall by the door. In the short time the three travelers were away, the Knight's face had become even paler and there were tiny beads of sweat on his forehead.

"You have returned merciful friends," the Knight whispered as he looked up at their entrance. "Come in, come in; the madness is not upon me yet, but keep quiet for I have told the Warden that you have gone to bed. Take heed, my friends, and beware. It is quite likely that while I am under I may beg and plead with you to loosen my bonds. I may make great promises or vile threats. You must swear your word that you will not release me, whatever I say. You must not free me, for in the frenzy, I would slay even my greatest friend."

"Right you are," Puddleglum said. "You have our word that we will not release you. It is not our intent to face wild men or serpents."

"There's nothing you can say that would make me want to release you," Jill said.

"The same here," added Eustace.

The children and Puddleglum promised the Knight and then turned and promised each other. The Knight did not notice though, for his head lolled forward and he began to moan. He withered in the chair and pulled lightly on his bonds. He mumbled indistinctly at first, but then slowly his words became clearer and clearer.

"Sun. Blue skies. Oh! How I wish to see them again. Trapped. Enchanted. Locked in darkness as though buried alive. Please, someone, have mercy and free me."

Then all at once the Knight threw his head back and looked on the three of them with wide eyes. "Children? Children! Quick, release me! I am in my right mind now. I am sane now, all the hours of the day I am enchanted, save for this one. I am sane. Have they told you I will turn into some violent beast? I know they have! It is a lie!"

"Hold steady now," Puddleglum said. "We knew this might happen."

"Please, I beseech you. Cut loose my bonds. If only I could break free of this enchanted chair I would be free of this enchantment, and I may be a man again. My sanity would last. You are not my enemy, and yet why do you keep me confined? Oh! You are cruel children with hearts of stone; you watch a man suffer! And oh how I have suffered a thousand pains over, more than any man should bear! Please. Please, save me before the hour is past, for when it has past I will be witless again. On this of all nights, while the witch is away, why do you take from me a chance to be free? A chance that may never come again."

"Oh this is right horrid! I wish we had stayed away," Jill said near tears.

"Keep steady now," Puddleglum said as he placed a webbed hand on Jill's shoulder in comfort.

The Knight began to fight against his restraints even harder. He pulled so hard on his bonds they began to cut into his wrists.

"Let me go! Why do you do nothing but stand and watch? Bring me my sword and cut me loose! Beware! One night I did break free, but that vile witch was there to stop me. She is not here to help you tonight! Let me loose! *Free me now and I am your friend. I am your mortal enemy else!*" The Knight pulled even harder on his bonds.

"I do hope those knots are tight enough," Eustace said.

"Why? Oh why must you be so cruel? It is almost over now; my chance for freedom is almost gone. Please set me free. By all that is good and right and pure in this world. By Him, by the Great Lion, by Aslan please release me."

"Oh!" Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum all gasped together.

*"It's the sign,"* Puddleglum said.

*"It was the words of the sign,"* Eustace said a little more warily.

Now the children and the Marsh-wiggle had a great decision to make. They had promised each other and the Black Knight that they would not release his bonds no matter what he said, and yet he had invoked the name of Aslan as stated in the fourth sign. "Oh! What did it say exactly?" Jill wondered. She knew it involved something to do with Aslan's name; she could not remember quite what, but she felt they must obey the Knight. After all, they had certainly flubbed the first three signs, should they risk flubbing the fourth too?

*"Oh if only we knew!"* Jill said.

*"I think we do know,"* Puddleglum replied.

*"Do you mean you think everything will come right if we do untie him?"* Eustace asked.

*"I don't know about that. You see, Aslan didn't tell Pole what would happen. He only told her what to do. That fellow will be the death of us once he's up, I shouldn't wonder. But that doesn't let us off following the sign."*

While the children and Puddleglum whispered amongst themselves, the Knight continued to scream and fight his bonds.

"I can't take it anymore! Let's just do it! *Goodbye everyone,*" Jill said. The three travelers all shook hands in farewell before Eustace and Puddleglum pulled out their swords and stepped up beside the chair.

*"In the name of Aslan,"* Eustace said.

Then he and Puddleglum cut the cords that bound the Knight to the silver chair. Once he was free, the Knight leapt across the room and grabbed his own sword. He turned and rushed upon the chair, hacking and dicing the chair into small pieces. The silver seemed to melt under the blows of the blade and in a few seconds all that remained of the chair were a few twisted fragments. As the chair broke, there came from it a bright light, a great thundering roar, and a horrid stench of sulfur.

The Knight let his sword rest at his side; his chest heaving. *"Lie there, vile engine of sorcery, lest your mistress should ever use you for another victim."*

The Knight returned his sword to the sheath around his waist and turned to face his rescuers. As Jill looked on him now, she couldn't help but to note how different he seemed to be. The strangeness about him, the darkness that seemed to surround him, was suddenly gone. He looked now, to be a far nicer person than he ever appeared before. He looked at the children curiously as though questioning their presence, but when his eyes fell on Puddleglum they lit up with a great and honest joy.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Or am I truly seeing a Marsh-wiggle? *A real, live, honest, Narnian Marsh-wiggle?*" the Knight asked.

"So you do know of Narnia?" Jill asked.

"Know it? Why young Maiden, I am its Prince! I am Rilian, son of King Caspian tenth of that name!"

"Your Majesty," Puddleglum gasped and knelt to one knee; Eustace and Jill followed his lead. "We have been sent for no other reason than to find you."

"Find me you did, and you have freed me. I owe the three of you *a greater debt than I can ever pay.*Arise," Rilian said as he took Puddleglum's webbed hands in his; rise they did. He looked at the two children again. "Eustace? And Jill?"

"How do you know our names?" Eustace asked.

"My sister told me."

"The Princess was here?"

"No. Not truly at least. Her magic must have brought her here some nights ago. She told me you were coming, but I had forgot 'til now. Strange. Now that I am free I remember all of my enchanted life, yet while I was enchanted I remembered nothing but what the witch told me. Tell me, how long has it been that I've been held under her spell?"

"Your Highness, it has been eleven years since you disappeared in the northern Narnian forest," Puddleglum said.

"Eleven years!" Rilian ran a hand over his face. "I believe you. And my father, tell me, does he still live?"

"We don't really know," Jill answered. "He sailed east just before we left to find you, and that has been some weeks now."

"You must know though, that he is very old now and he had a cough when he left. *It is ten to one His Majesty must die on the voyage,*" Puddleglum said.

"Then we must tarry no more. Let us hurry home now; let us hurry to Narnia!" Rilian strode forward to the door and flung it open.

But waiting just on the other side, as though about to enter, was the Queen of Underland, the Green Witch; there stood Orlita-Lamia.


Sorry. I wasn't going to leave this as a cliffhanger, but the following bit just made the chapter too massive. And it's been a little while since we've had a proper cliffhanger. Don't you think?

So a bit of news... I can officially say how many chapters there are without fear of being wrong. That's right, earlier this week I typed the words THE END. Ahhh! I can hardly believe I actually did that. I'm so glad I still have I Will Wait to fall back on, and let me tell you Penelope and Rilian I love them more with each passing day.

There will be 32 chapters and an Epilogue. And we're on 29, so that's four more updates...maybe three if I post chapter 32 and the epilogue together. Which would you rather have? Take the poll on my profile please.

Thank you all so much for all the love!