AN Sorry this has been so long in coming - life, and Christmas got in the way. Exerts are from another of my stories 'Prince Rabadash of Tashbaan and Queen Susan - formerly of Finchley. Hope you enjoy this - please review!
Edmund and Tess straightened before the bowing wolf pack. Edmund glanced towards Peter; he had noticed his brother's slight change of expression, when Edmund had, once again, been addressed as High King. Anyone else would have missed it, but Edmund knew his brother well. This would have to be addressed. But first there were the wolves …
Edmund turned to the Alpha.
"We thank you for you and your pack's service Lupa" he said. "and for your timely assistance just now."
"It was both our pleasure and our proud duty High King" replied Lupa.
"Your name" Tess asked. "You are named after our Lupa?"
The Alpha turned to her.
"Yes, High Queen" he said with a slight bow. "It had been the honour of each Alpha of our pack to be named after His Majesty's esteemed guard and I am in fact, the direct descendant of the Lupa that you knew."
Peter came forward then, a puzzled frown on his face.
"We were told that the palace pack were wiped out defending King Rillian and his family when the Telmarines attacked." He said. "How is it that you are here now when none have heard from nor seen you in all these years.
With a brief curious glance at Caspian, Lupa addressed Peter.
"We have been in hiding High King" he explained. Edmund was relieved to note that Lupa addressed his brother by the title 'High King' also. "Aslan himself charged us with a mission, one that is only now coming into fruition."
"What mission?" asked Peter curiously.
"I apologise Your Majesty, but I can give that information only to Kind Edmund and Queen Tess and then only in the presence of Aslan" answered the wolf.
Peter's brow furrowed at this – he did not like information being withheld from him, did not like being passed over – but – if it was Aslan's will …
Edmund pulled Tess closer to him. It was comforting to once again have a pack around him and a Lupa protecting him and his wife. He puzzled at what their mission might be; but could not imagine what Aslan could have charged them with which would have taken this long to come into fruition.
Caspian had remained silent throughout this exchange, mortified that, once again he had let down the Kings and Queens of old. Silently he left the chamber. He would make it up to them. Make it up to Susan … even if it cost him his life!
Susan found herself drifting into consciousness once more, expecting to once again find herself chained in a dungeon. It was a somewhat pleasant surprise to find herself instead feeling warm and comfortable, and seemingly in a bed … had she been rescued? But no, if she had been rescued, she would be on a palate in a cave, not in a warm comfortable bed.
Hearing someone moving about in the room, Susan subtly started moving her body, preparing to defend herself if necessary, all the while keeping her eyes closed so that the person in the room would not discover that she was awake. It was then that she discovered that her wounds had been tended to. Her ribs had been bandaged and the abrasion on her head dressed. Susan's brow puckered even while she tried to maintain the illusion of still being unconscious. Where could she be? Opening her eyes gradually, Susan found herself staring into the startled brown eyes of a young woman.
"Y… Yo… Your Majesty" the girl stammered dropping into a low curtsey.
Susan sat up observing the girl and the room around her. The girl was dressed as a maid. The room was large and comfortable, beautifully decorated with a fire blazing in the vast fireplace. It put Susan in mind of the guest rooms in Cair Paravel. She turned to regard the girl again who was now standing at the bedside, nervously twisting her hands.
"Where am I?" Susan asked.
"Why, Your Majesty is in the castle of King Miraz." Exclaimed the girl, seemingly puzzled that Susan did not know.
Susan looked at the girl speculatively. She seemed harmless enough, but one could never be too careful.
"And what are your instructions regarding myself?" she asked the girl.
"I … I …" the girl seemed at a loss, but Susan waited. As a Queen, she had long since learned that people longed to fill a silence and the more silence you gave them, often the more information you received. The girl did not disappoint.
"Your Majesty is the honoured guest of King Miraz and I am to treat you as such" she explained. "I am to bring Your Majesty anything you need and do anything you require."
Susan smiled at the girl.
"Guest is it?" she queried with a raised eyebrow. "Then if I wish I can just walk out the door." With this Susan leapt out of the bed and ran for the door. Opening it she found two bulky Telmarine soldiers with spears barring her way. Closing the door and turning back to the girl Susan regarded her with a wry expression.
"I expect then that I would probably be wasting my breath were I to ask you to bring me my weapons and armour." She quipped.
The girl hung her head blushing. Susan took pity on her.
"What is your name?" she asked.
"Romona, Your Majesty" came the barely audible reply.
"Well then Romona" Susan continued, deciding to play along until she could find out exactly what Miraz wanted of her. "I shall instead ask for a bath, food and a change of clothes – might that be acceptable?"
Nodding and clearly relieved Romona left to carry out Susan's instructions. Susan walked through the double doors to the room's balcony. She found that she was high up in one of the castle's towers. There was no escape that way – there was a sheer drop from her balcony, one that nobody would be able to survive. Susan's only option was to wait, wait and see what scheme Miraz had hatched and what part she was to have in it.
Bathed, fed and dressed; Susan paced about the room, nervously awaiting word of what was to become of her. Fortunately (or unfortunately) Miraz did not keep her waiting long.
Susan was ushered into Miraz's throne room almost as soon as she had finished dressing. Only Miraz was there. Susan was unsure if this was a good or a bad thing.
"Queen Susan" Miraz called to her as she approached the throne with some trepidation. "I have a proposal for you."
Susan raised her eyebrow at this but did not reply. She was sure that any proposal that Miraz had would be of no interest to her.
At Susan's silence, Miraz continued.
"I believe you will find that my proposal will be beneficial to both our peoples and will save much bloodshed and suffering."
Susan regarded Miraz warily.
"I'm listening" she said cautiously.
MIraz came towards Susan. She eyed him with trepidation. What did the man think he was doing? Suddenly Miraz sank to his knee in front of Susan.
"Marry me Queen Susan, be my Queen" Miraz declared
Susan felt the blood draining from her face. She heard a voice echo from the distant past …
"What think you? We have been in this city fully three weeks. Have you yet settled in your mind whether you will marry this lover of yours, this Prince Rabadash, or no?"
… Miraz, mistaking her silence for uncertainty continued
"By marrying me you will unite our peoples, there will be no cause for war between us if we are united. No call for your people to be slaughtered."
Susan recoiled from Miraz. Once again, she was being put in a position to sacrifice her freedom to save her people – although she knew that no one would ever ask it of her. She could almost hear Edmund's voice …
"You must never feel that you have to sacrifice your happiness for Narnia. No one, least of all myself or Peter would ever ask you to marry for a political alliance."
… No … her brothers would never ask her … her sister would never ask her … Aslan would never ask it of her … but … would she ask it off herself?
Miraz, sensing her uncertainty continued.
"Your people are at a disadvantage, we have them vastly outnumbered, if they meet us in headlong battle, they will be slaughtered. You have a chance to stop that, My Queen."
Susan shuddered, could she again watch while her people fought a battel which she, with one word could have prevented? More voices echoed from the past …
… "Your Majesties!" Chervy gasped. "I bear a message of grave importance. At this very moment, two hundred Calormene soldiers, under Prince Rabadash are attacking Anvard!"
… "It's me that Rabadash is waging this war for. I cannot just sit idly by here and wait for others to fight my battles for me!"
As Susan stood tormented in indecision, she was unaware of eyes watching her and Miraz from a hidden alcove.