"Edmund!"

"Edmund"

"Close your Mouth Edmund!"

"EDMUND! For Alsan's sake close your mouth, and tell Peridan to do the same, Sara is becoming upset!"
Edmund jumped as a sharp elbow dug into his ribs. He turned to regard his fuming sister. Discretely nudging his friend Peridan, he forced his attention away from the dancers before him.

"Sorry Su" he said apologetically. "They're just very … um … diverting."
Susan raised her eyebrow.

"Indeed" was all she said.

The dancers were indeed diverting, beautiful, sensuous … and … half naked. No wonder Edmund and Peridan were staring in a good imitation of hormonal adolescents.

Although, Susan reflected, the clothes of the dancing slave girls were truly not that much more revealing than the outfit she wore herself. She could not believe she had let Sara talk her into this …

… "But it is the fashion here in Tashbaan, My Queen," Sara had said holding the wispy ensemble up before her.

"Fashion it may be" Susan replied "but I can't wear that, it's so .."
"Sensual … exotic … sexy … brief?" answered Sara grinning.

Susan smiled back at her lady-in- waiting. This was one of the reasons she liked Sara so much, she was mischievous and honest to a fault.

"Exactly" she answered. "I'm not sure that the Gentle Queen is supposed to be 'sexy'"

Sara pouted at her Queen.

"At least try it on" she cajoled. "After Rabadash went to the trouble to send it, it would be rude not to try at least."

Rolling her eyes Susan gave in.
"Alright" she conceded. "But if I look ridiculous, it comes off immediately!"

But it hadn't looked ridiculous. It looked beautiful. The top draped around her form in silken folds, enhancing rather than concealing her figure. Her midriff was bare, and the filmy trousers were sheer, covering her legs but allowing their shape to be dimly perceived through them. Susan looked in the mirror and barely recognised herself. Along with the Calormene-style make up that the slave girl had applied, the outfit had transformed her. She looked like a woman, she looked desirable …

That had all been very well in the privacy of her own rooms, Susan reflected. Edmund had nearly choked on his own tongue when he saw her, but had wisely remained silent. Now here in the banquet hall, the eyes of many on her, she felt exposed, vulnerable. Sara, she noted sourly, was clad in a Narnian dress. She had explained that, somewhat conveniently, as a married woman it would not be appropriate for her to dress in the Calormen fashion.

Susan's eyes drifted to the top table, where Rabadash was seated with his father and brothers. She and Edmund had expected to be seated at the top table with Rabadash as he had been with them in Narnia. However, they had been advised by the Grand Vizier that 'The Tisroc, may he live forever, is a right descendant from the god Tash and as such would never deign to sit with anyone but his own blood.' Edmund was resigned to a dull night's conversation with the Grand Vizier who was unfortunately sitting next to him and who had already quoted numerous poets to the young King. Also, at their table with was a tall, grim looking Tarkaan by the name of Azrooh, one of the Tisroc's most trusted advisors, with his giddy wife Lasaraleen. Susan sat, with a practiced smile on her face, barely listening to Lasaraleen's prattling as she observed the top table. She wondered again, at the lack of female members of the Royal Family at the feast and asked Lasaraleen.

"Oh, don't you know?" said Lasaraleen, "delighted to be asked. "Only palace people ever see the Princesses and their mothers, but then …" here she tittered, "we practically are palace people. I do so love the Princesses. I visit them often you know, but it is not allowed for them to leave their enclosure. Why just yesterday …"

"Mothers?" Susan interrupted. "Do you mean to say that the Tisroc has more than one wife?"

Lasaraleen stared at Susan, a shocked look on her face. "Why of course not" she cried. "The Tisroc has only one wife, the mother of Prince Rabadash, the mothers of the other Princes and Princesses are his concubines silly!"

Susan was stunned. Careful preparation aside, she had not even considered the idea that the Tisroc, and by extension Prince Rabadash might have concubines. She looked again at Rabadash he was reclined on his chair, a bored look on his face as he too watched the scantily clad dancers. One of the dancers, more adventurous, or more ambitious than most approached the Prince, and started to give him, what could only be described as a lap dance. Scandalised, Susan watched, waiting for Rabadash to make the girl move on. After all he was courting her, and she was right there, looking at him. To her horror though Rabadash did no such thing, instead he caressed the girl as she danced provocatively around him. Mortified, Susan glanced at Edmund, he was deep in conversation with the Grand Vizier and hadn't noticed Rabadash's behaviour. Looking back at Rabadash, Susan caught his eye. But instead of looking away embarrassed, Rabadash held Susan's gaze, a challenging glint in his eye as he continued to fondle the slave girl.

Susan looked away mortified, her cheeks flaming. Suddenly she heard a clatter coming from the top table, and she looked back sharply. It seemed that in her eagerness to please Prince Rabadash, the slave girl had lost her balance and had fallen backwards onto the table, splashing the Prince with wine. Rabadash stood over her, his face incensed.

"You clumsy wench!" he shouted at her. "How dare you cause such a scene, you accursed daughter of a dog!" With this Rabadash took off his jewelled belt, threw the girl to the floor and started whipping her mercilessly.

In a flash, Edmund was there. As Rabadash swung the belt once more, he caught it in his hand and prevented the angry Prince from swinging it at the terrified girl.

Rabadash turned to Edmund, his face furious. He jerked the belt out of his grasp and drew it back behind his head, as if intent on using it to strike the King. Edmund did not move, merely standing between the Prince and the slave girl, Looking Rabadash levelly in the eyes. Daring him to strike him. The banqueting hall was so silent that you could have heard a pin drop.

Susan was about to move, to go to her brother's aid, when the Tisroc rose heavily from his chair. He clapped his hands twice and the slave girls disappeared out of the room, bringing their wounded companion with them.

"Rabadash" he called harshly.
Rabadash continued to stare challengingly into Edmund's eyes, who met his gaze impassively.

"I do what I wish in my own court!" he hissed at the King.

"Not that … not while I'm here!" Edmund replied quietly.

Rabadash looked as if he were about to answer, but instead drew a deep breath and returned to his father. The Tisroc clapped his hands again. This time a signal that the night was over.

Edmund gave Susan his arm and led her out of the room, guards trailing them and their party as they returned to the palace that had been given over to them by the Tisroc.

They did not speak until they were back in the sitting room of their palace.

"Oh, Edmund! Your poor hand" Susan proclaimed, drawing him to a low sofa in the corner of the room. "Sara, please get some healing ointment and water and bandages. I shall need to see to this."
As fast as Susan spoke and acted, her fingers were speaking even more rapidly. They were all aware that the Tisroc had spies everywhere, watching their every move, listening to their every word.

'The tyrant' she signed furiously. 'How could he act like that!'

Sara returned with the bandages, she and Peridan were watching every word that was signed. They and the rest of the party, as close friends and confidents of the Royals, were of course proficient in the secret language. Edmund looked up at his sister as she bathed and bandaged his hand.

"You should not have challenged Rabadash" she scolded out loud, "we are his guests!"

'Surely now, you are no longer thinking of encouraging the proud, luxurious, cruel …'

Edmund's signing was interrupted by a loud bang, signalling the return of Prince Corin. He had not been allowed to go to the feast because of his youth and so Tumnus and the two dwarves; Brickle and Brocket, had stayed behind with him to keep him company, not altogether comfortable with the stares that they knew would be directed their way every time they went out in public.

Corin burst into the room like a hurricane.

"I heard there was a fight!" he shouted excitedly.

Susan looked at the excitable young Prince. "No Corin, there was not a fight" she sighed. "Edmund and Rabadash merely had a difference of opinion, that is all."

Turning slightly to her brother she signed her answer to his previous question.

'No brother, I will not take Rabadash, not for all the jewels in Tashbaan.' She declared.

One of the dwarves let out a low whistle, but quickly disguised it as a cough.

Corin, oblivious to the underlying conversation, was not to be dissuaded. "Well" he declared. "It's all that's being talked about all over the city. A boy on the street said that they were fighting about you Queen Susan and then he made a rude joke about you. I couldn't knock him down because he ran away, but I'll get him later!"

"You will do no such thing Prince Corin" Edmund told the young Prince sternly. "There has been enough trouble tonight without you joining in!"

Turning from the now sulky Prince and angling his body slightly to the others, Edmund signed to them.

'Right,' he ordered. 'Tumnus contact Sallowpad. We leave tomorrow!'

Peridan and Sara started to tell Tumnus, the dwarves and Corin about the night, so that Edmund and Susan could sign without the distraction of speaking at the same time.

'Tomorrow!' Susan asked incredulously 'But how can it be done? They will be watching us, all the more so after tonight!'

Tumnus held his hand up an idea lighting up his face. 'I have it' he signed rapidly. 'How would it be if Your Majesties bade the Prince to a great banquet to be held on board our own galleon, the Splendour Hyaline, the night after tomorrow? And let the message be worded to make the Prince think that King Edmund wishes to make amends for tonight.'

'And then' continued Tumnus excitedly, 'everyone will expect us to be going down to the ship all day making preparations for our guests. And let some of us go to the bazaars and spend every minim we have at the fruiterers and the sweetmeat sellers and the wine merchants, just as we were really giving a feast. And let us order magicians and jugglers and dancing girls and flute players all to be on board tomorrow night. And as soon as it is quite dark, up sails and out oars, and so to sea, to Narnia and the North!'

There was a croak from the window. Sallowpad had arrived unseen and had been watching the silent conversation. He flew to Edmund's shoulder.

"This is very good council Sire" he whispered in Edmund's ear.

Susan walked over to Tumnus and embraced him.

"Dear Mr Tumnus" she whispered into his ear. "Thank you, you have saved us all!"