The Unusual Disappearance of Prince Corin…

Sometimes only one person is missing and the whole world seems depopulated.

~Alphonse de Lamartine

That night, the Tisroc hosted a banquet in honor of the wedding of one of his daughters. Edmund, Susan, Corin and most of the Narnians attended.

Corin no longer felt lighthearted and watched Rabadash most of all, now; he finally realized why Edmund had been so silent these last two weeks. Susan, he saw, seemed quite happy. It vexed him to think that she could possibly be happy with such a creature as Rabadash sitting opposite her and ogling over her beauty. How could she be so blind?

Edmund sat on Corin's left and Corin saw that Edmund watched Susan and Rabadash quite as much as he did. Corin almost felt that they were in a secret together and the thought gave him a warm feeling. To Corin's right sat Mr. Tumnus and the faun seemed quite jolly. On the other side of Mr. Tumnus sat the Grand Vizier.

"And how do you like Tashbaan?"

Corin was startled out of his reverie as the Grand Vizier spoke to Mr. Tumnus.

"It's a very fine city," Mr. Tumnus said, "But now, with high summer coming on, my heart turns to the cool woods and dewy slopes of Narnia."

The Grand Vizier shrugged, then smiled thinly, "There is nothing to hinder you from dancing there again, little goatfoot, always provided you leave us in exchange a bride for our prince."

Suddenly there was a crash to Corin's left and looked across the table to see that a serving girl stood behind Rabadash with a pitcher of wine. Rabadash's glass was missing and Corin realized that she must have knocked it off the table.

Angrily Rabadash rose and stuck her across the face, sending her reeling backwards and causing her to drop the pitcher as well. Corin heard it shatter on the floor. With a shout, Rabadash half drew his scimitar, then caught sight of Susan's horrified eyes. Grudgingly, the prince pushed the scimitar back into the sheath and sat down again.

The feast dragged on.

At least half the Tarkaans were drunk, Rabadash included. The Tisroc, high on his lonely dais, clapped his hands and a group of dancing girls, barely clad, entered. In fact, they were wearing more of nothing then anything.

Susan, stared at them for a moment, completely horrified, then spoke to Peridan who sat on her left. Peridan nodded, then rose and made his way to where Corin sat.

"The Queen's grace wishes you and I to go home," Peridan whispered. "Quietly now."

Corin stood up and followed Peridan, close to the wall, out of the hall.

~o*o~

Susan's evening was turning from bad to worse. First the incident with Rabadash and the slave girl, and now these dancing girls…her relief was beyond expression when one by one, they filed from the hall.

The next bit of entertainment was worse.

Two men, very tall and skin black as ebony, entered. They were armed and wore leopard skins over their shoulders.

Now the tables had been arranged in a circle about the room, with a large round place in the middle where the entertainment performed. The two men went to the middle of this place and saluted the Tisroc. Then, to Susan's shock, they began to fight.

It was horrible. Susan had seen enough sword fights to know that these two were really trying to kill each other. She sat frozen until she saw first blood. One had caught the other on the arm and crimson blood welled up.

Susan was on her feet in a moment, the blood pounding in her head. She didn't realize what she was doing before she did it.

"Mighty Tisroc!" she called up to the dais. "I am a healer, I fight to save lives, not watch two people try to destroy each other without purpose or meaning! I beg you, spare their lives!"

Rabadash stood up so suddenly, his chair fell over. His face was red with anger and his temples throbbed. Edmund stood up a moment after him, waiting for the worst.

Time stood still. The room held its breath.

But the eyes that looked out from under the Tisroc's camelish eyebrows were benevolent and he was feeling especially pleased with himself that evening.

"Fair lady! Do not concern yourself!" he cried. "I will give you these two gladiators as a gift! And you will never have to watch them fight again!"

~o*o~

They road home through the dark streets on litters that night. When they reached their house, Susan took Edmund's hand and wouldn't let it go until she reached a deserted room.

"Edmund!" she cried, turning to him, "I cannot marry that man! He has proved himself to be nothing but a cruel and bloody tyrant during our stay. I am ashamed to think how I loved him when we were still in Narnia," Her voice broke. "Oh Edmund, I cannot bear it! That we could leave at once!"

Edmund put his arms around her and stroked her hair while she cried and remembered, for some strange reason, how she used to comfort him when he had gotten a splinter or cut as a little boy.

"I promise you, dearest sister," Edmund whispered, "That we will leave this place before the week is through."

Susan pulled away and tried to wipe her tears away. Edmund offered her his handkerchief.

"Thank you," She said, sobbed, tried to smiled and sobbed again. "Thank you for everything."

"Perhaps you should try to sleep now," Edmund suggested.

Susan nodded, "I'll go kiss Corin good night first."

Edmund smiled and kissed her on the forehead, "be good."

"I'm always good, Edmund!" Susan said, archly.

~o*o~

Edmund had just reached the door of his room when he heard footsteps running down the hall. He turned to see Susan, hair flying and face white.

"What is it?" he exclaimed.

"Corin! He's gone!" Susan panted. "I went into his room, the window is open and he's gone! Oh Edmund!"

Edmund pounded down the hall to Corin's room. It was dark and the breeze ruffled the drapes on the window.

"He must be in the house somewhere!" Edmund cried.

"No, no," Susan panted. "Loki and Corin were talking and Loki fell asleep against the door. He woke up when I tried to open the door, Corin was gone then."

"Where's Loki?" Edmund asked.

"I sent him to fetch Lord Peridan, Mr. Tumnus and Flavis," Susan said.

"Good," Edmund said, "Because we must go out and look for him. Susan, don't breathe a word of this to anyone. The Tisroc, and least of all Rabadash, mustn't know anything is amiss."

A/N: Sorry I haven't been able to answer all your reviews, I've had a lot of Doctor's appt.s this week, but I've read them all and appreciate them much. This weekend I shall reply.

I will leave you with this, don't lose hope. As Edmund said, even a traitor may mend. :) Peter will say later in my story, 'Hope is a waking dream'. I think it is.

~Psyche