The next morning found Edmund returning from the docks with Peridan. They had been to the Slendour Hyaline to inform the Captain of their imminent departure. And, to look for Corin. The foolish Prince had not been seen since the night before, they had to find him! Many preparations needed to be made before they left that night. Edmund was in a hurry to return to their palace, but the crowds were thick, and their progress was slow.

Even though he hated others being made to make way for him, Edmund was almost glad for the soldiers and criers that went before them clearing a path.

"Way! Way! Way" one shouted. "Way for the White Barbarian King, the guest of the Tisroc (may he live forever)! Way for the Narnian Lords."

Edmund supressed his annoyance at the repeated label of 'barbarian' as he scanned the crowds around him, alert for any spies that might be watching him. What he saw nearly made his heart stop.

Standing at the sides of the crowd was a ragged boy, who might at first be mistaken for Prince Corin, as they were as alike as two peas in a pod. But this was not Prince Corin, his whole manner and posture was wrong, as was the expression in his eyes! This must be … could only be … the missing Archelandish Prince … Prince Cor.

Edmund's mind was working rapidly now, they must bring Cor back with them, but it was unlikely that he knew who he was. And they could not reveal it now, not with the Tisroc's spies dogging their every move. And then … there was the prophecy …

Edmund quickly signed to Peridan. 'Follow along with everything I say, do not let anyone realise that we do not think the boy is Corin.'

Peridan looked at the boy mystified 'Isn't he?' he signed.

Edmund winked at Peridan 'Later' was all he signed.

"There he is!" He shouted seizing the boy. "There's our runaway!"

The boy looked as if he was going to reply. But that could not happen, if he were to deny being Corin! If he were to speak with a Calormene accent! The soldiers and criers were crowding around them now. Edmund did the only thing he could think of. He smacked the boy in the face and shook him. Hopefully, the shock would render him mute for a while.

"Shame on you My Lord" he continued loudly, all the while looking around for any danger. He noticed a Calormene girl doing her best to look as if she did not belong with the boy, which made it painfully obvious that she did. Checking to see who she was with, Edmund saw to his surprise that she held two talking Narnian horses. What in Aslan's name …? But there was no time, he couldn't bring the girl and the horses, it would call too much attention on them. He would just have to trust that they would follow along and send Sallowpad back for them.

The boy was foolishly looking at the girl and the horses, if he didn't stop, someone would notice. "For shame Prince" he said again hoping to bring the boy's attention back to him. "Queen Susan's eyes are red with weeping because of you!" 'Prince' … 'Queen Susan' – There was no spark of recognition in the boy's eyes – he had no clue who he was. This was going to be tricky.

Looking at Peridan, whose face clearly revealed shock, as he realised just who the boy standing before him must be, Edmund reflected that the Lord would need a lot more training before he became an adept spy. He snapped out a message. 'Peridan! Help me! We need to get him off the street!'

Peridan visibly pulled himself together. The boy looked as if he may try to speak again. "What my Prince" he said, helping at last. "Truant for a whole night, where have you been?" Peridan winced as he realised he had asked the boy a question.

Before he could answer it however, Edmund spoke loudly. "Take one of his little Lordship's hands Lord Peridan and I'll take the other" he said, starting to lead the boy away. "Our Royal sister's mind will be greatly eased when she sees our young runaway safely in our lodging."

And with that they made their way back to their palace, talking constantly to stop the boy from saying anything that might give his identity away.

Passing into the Palace gardens, Edmund realised that he couldn't bring the boy to the others without warning them first. There was too much potential for someone saying the wrong thing. Who knows what might happen if the Tisroc's spies brought him word that the Narnians were harbouring the missing Prince? The Prince, who had been prophesised to 'save Archenland from the deadliest danger in which ever she lay.' It had disturbed the Tisroc so much that he had paid Lord Bar to kidnap the Prince as a baby. Aslan only knew what he might do now.

"Peridan" he instructed. "Find Queen Susan and the others, tell them all to meet us in the main reception room. "They will all be relieved that our Prince is safe." But Edmund's rapidly moving fingers were saying much more.
'Warn them which Prince we have' he told Peridan. 'We must meet to figure out how we are to flee the city with two Archenlandish Princes. And send Sallowpad out. Tell him to find the Calormene girl who was with the Prince. She'll be with two Narnian Horses. And we must find Prince Corin!'

"I'll take the Prince to one of the smaller rooms while we wait" he continued out loud. "Tell Queen Susan where we are before you find the others."

Susan however proved difficult to find. She was in search of Rabadash, determined to speak to him about his behaviour the night before. Well, reflected Susan, what she wanted to do was yell at him, but talking would have to do. If only she had Saris with her, Saris would have brought some pointed arguments to the table. Probably ten pointed ones, at the bottom of her two front legs.

Susan finally caught up with Rabadash in the ornamental gardens of the Tisroc's palace, he was lounging on a divan, two slave girls stood above him with large ornamental fans. The gardens themselves were beautiful. They sloped down in terraces towards the city walls with quietly bubbling fountains and tall cypress trees.

Rabadash, noticing Susan called her over.

"My Queen!" he called. "Come join me. You treated me to a picnic in Narnia, now come let me show you a Calormene style picnic."
Rabadash was once again the charming Prince, not a trace of last night's arrogance showing on his face. His moods changed so fast he was making her head spin, thought Susan.

"Rabadash" she greeted him coolly. "I was looking for you, may I speak to you?"

Rabadash frowned up at her, a puzzled expression on his face as if unaware as to why she might be annoyed at him.

"Of course, My Queen" was his reply. "Please, sit by me. I thought that you might come to me last night, come to my bed – I was waiting for you!"

Susan was speechless. He thought she would come to him? Sleep with him? After she had told him of the boundaries of Narnian courtship. After his behaviour with the slave girl last night!" She sat to give herself time to think, making sure to keep a goodly distance between herself and the Prince.

"I have not, never had and never will have any intention of going to your bed Prince Rabadash" she said stiffly. "I should have thought that the dancing girls would have been able to meet Your Highness's needs in any case!"
Rabadash moved towards her. "My Queen" he crooned. "It was not my intention to make you jealous. Please" here he moved towards her and cupped her chin. "Let me make it up to you. Let me show you how much I care for you My Queen."

Susan gazed at the Prince thoughtfully. He was such a contradiction. Tender now and yet; angry and proud at other times – which was the real Rabadash? A thousand answers flickered through her mind. A thousand rebukes. But where would that get them? She had hoped that Rabadash could be saved. That he could be a good man, but now she saw that here, in his own land, Rabadash would not change. The best she could hope, was that the change might begin at some stage and that his experiences in Narnia might be part of the catalyst for this change. Susan gazed into Rabadash's dark eyes. She could have loved him, she reflected, but she could not give up her life to be there for him until he became a man that she could love and respect.

Removing his hand gently from her face. Susan rose to her feet. "I know you care Rabadash" she said gently. "And I hope you can grow to be the man I know that you are capable of being."

With that Susan walked away from the Prince and did not look back.

As Susan walked through the gardens, she noticed a small dark shadow slipping through the trees to her left. Angling her path slightly, Susan headed towards the old palace. It was a deserted part of the complex, rarely used, except by the Tisroc, for his most secret meetings; the meetings that Edmund's spies had been unable to penetrate.

Slipping into one of the rooms and lighting the lamp that stood there, Susan turned to greet the small shadow that had crept into the room behind her.

"Greetings Kalloo" she said to him. "How goes your assignment in Lasaraleen and Azrooh's palace?

"Challenging My Queen!" the monkey replied. "But most illuminating!"