If I'm alone tonight
Staring up a road to nowhere
Will it be alright
If I'm alone tonight
Staring up a road to nowhere
~"Roads" by Westerman
Chapter 1
"Eviz! You better hurry up! You know the Tisroca is just waiting to find an excuse to punish you!"
Anah stood by the entrance to the Tisroca's apartments, beckoning madly.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Eviz panted, doing her best to balance the heavy dulcimer and large stack of sonnets in her arms. "I hope the Tisroca is aware it takes more than a moment's notice for me to be ready."
"Hush," Anah said when she had finally reached her. "Really, Eviz, if anyone ever overheard you talking like that and told the Tisroca, your head would be put on a spear on Tashbaan's walls."
Eviz rolled her eyes, but she knew there was some truth in what Anah had said. The Tisroca was a bitter, paranoid woman who assumed there was treachery around every corner. Eviz had been a personal target of her since she'd arrived at the court twelve years ago. No one was quite sure what to make of the blonde child with a foreign name the slave trader had brought to the court. She didn't care to admit it, but she often had trouble remembering her name before coming to the palace. They had given her the name Eviz to mark her entrance into slavery and it was all she had been called since.
She was still never quite sure how she had made it to this strange, foreign place all those years ago. She had never spoken of Berlin, the train ride, Freya, or any other part of her past to anyone… not even Anah. Once she had been placed in the Tisroca's household, she had learned that she was in the city of Tashbaan in a country called Calormen. She couldn't remember any of her teachers in school talking about such a place or on the maps that had been plastered all over the walls in her classroom. Perhaps the Führer had no interest in it? As a child, she had tried to escape many times to try and find a way home, but one too many beatings had finally made her accept that being a slave to the Tisroc, the ruler of Calormen, was her fate.
Anah and Eviz scurried into the bedchamber where the Tisroca was lounging on a settee, a small boy fanning her vigorously. They both curtsied deeply before Eviz made herself comfortable in the corner and began to play her dulcimer. The Tisroca was both beautiful and powerful. Despite being middle-aged, she did not have a wrinkle on her face and not a single gray hair. Her lips were always tightly pursed in disapproval and her voice cut like a knife whenever she spoke. Despite what Eviz had been told all those years ago, the Tisroca was a cruel and harsh mistress.
"Enough of that," the Tisroca snapped at the boy, swatting his fan away. She turned to Eviz, her eyes narrowed. "Girl," she said, "I do not want this lighthearted music. Play me something softer, more somber."
Eviz obliged, careful to lower her eyes. She had learned the hard way to never speak back to the Tisroca over the years. The Tisroca settled back onto the settee, satisfied with the change in music.
The doors to the bedchambers flew open. Servants scampered out of the way and Eviz immediately stopped playing. The Tisroc was the only person allowed into the Tisroca's apartments unannounced and his entrances usually brought news that would displease her mistress.
"My dear," the Tisroc said, bowing and kissing her hand. The Tisroca smiled brightly at him, clearly pleased by the attention. She was one of many wives to the Tisroc, but she was deemed the first and only one who could provide him heirs to the throne. Eviz guessed that her mistress's bitterness raged whenever her husband showed preference for anyone else.
As the Tisroc stood, his eyes flashed towards Eviz. The Tisroca had been after Eviz ever since she'd grown into a woman due to her husband's attention to her slave. When Eviz had turned fifteen, the Tisroc had invited her to perform for the royal court and had beckoned her to his apartments that evening. The Tisroca had unintentionally saved Eviz by going to his bedchambers only to discover them before anything had happened. Eviz was severely beaten the next day for "seducing" her mistress's husband, but she had taken the beating willingly, strangely grateful for the Tisroca's untimely entrance. Anah had then taught Eviz how to dye her blonde hair black with indigo and henna so she fit in better with the other Calormenes. It seemed to have worked, for the beatings had reduced over the years and she hadn't been invited back to the Tisroc's apartments.
"Why am I honored by your presence at this hour?" the Tisroca asked. "Shouldn't you be meeting with your council?"
The Tisroc folded his hands behind his back. "I've come here to discuss our son. It is time for him to find a wife and begin producing heirs. I believe an opportunity has presented itself."
Eviz scowled at the mention of the Tisroc's son. Prince Rabadash was a spoiled and entitled Tarkheen in the Calormene kingdom and was no better than his father when it came to women. In fact, it was rumored that the prince had slept with hundreds of women, slaves and Tarkheenas alike, and was known to have several mistresses at once. In addition to the Tisroc, Eviz was one of several slaves who had to constantly avoid the prince's advances.
"Don't tell me it's those Archenians again," the Tisroca said. "Haven't we had enough of that King Lune and Princess Aliena? And his spoiled boy, Prince Corin. Why, last time they brought so much insult to our empire that we nearly declared war!"
"Do not fret, my dear," the Tisroc said, standing behind her and gently massaging her shoulders. "No, this time we have heard of interest from Narnia in forming an alliance between our kingdoms. It seems Queen Susan is quite taken with our son."
The Tisroca's face paled. "But our son will not be Narnian! He is your only rightful heir! His children must be Calormene to continue the lineage!"
"And so they shall be," the Tisroc said in a reassuring voice. "All of the details will be decided later. They haven't declared a courtship yet, so let us not worry about the arrangements of it all."
The Tisroca settled back into the settee, clearly displeased with his answer but choosing to remain silent.
"High King Peter has requested for Rabadash to travel to Cair Paravel," the Tisroc continued. "They want to make proper introductions, as not all the kings and queens could travel to Tashbaan together and leave their country without a ruler. I'm sure High King Peter wants to demonstrate the splendor of Narnia to help influence an arrangement of marriage for his sister."
Eviz listened with intense interest. She had grown up in Tashbaan hearing the stories of the four siblings who had defeated The White Witch and now ruled a peaceful and prosperous Narnia. The few brave enough to speak of their tale said the siblings owed their sovereignty to Aslan, the lion who was rumored to have created Narnia and all of its inhabitants. While her memories of her old life grew duller and muddier as time passed, she could distinctly remember the lion she followed through the Austrian woods. Had that been this Aslan the Narnians so loyally followed?
She shook her head to herself. No, if that had been Aslan, why would he have led her to slavery in Calormen?
"Rabadash must help them see our ways," the Tisroca said. "Tash has sent me visions of his conquering of Narnia and Archenland with your army. His victory in your name will allow our bloodline to prosper for generations."
The Tisroc paled at the mention of the Calormen god. Tash was feared throughout the empire and sacrifices were made daily to the terrible god to appease his wrath. The Tisroca was said to be a direct descendant of Tash and could easily sway her husband in any direction by claiming to have visions and dreams of the terrible god's will.
"We must impress the Narnian kings and queens by showing them our power and wealth," the Tisroc said. "I have instructed our son that if a courtship and potential marriage should happen that they must come to us so we may keep Queen Susan in our grasp."
"We cannot let Rabadash go to Narnia with only his servants," the Tisroca said. "He must bring the finest gifts and entertainers while he's there! Otherwise, they will think us weak and barbarians."
"I very much agree," the Tisroc said. "Which is why I'm here. You have the finest musician in the empire at your disposal. I've come to ask if she may travel with Rabadash to Narnia. Can you spare her for a few days?"
Eviz's cheeks grew hot as everyone in the room suddenly turned to look at her. The Tisroca's eyes grew dark, but she flipped her black hair carelessly over her shoulder and let out a laugh. "She may go, but I fear she will not please the Narnian kings and queens as she rarely pleases me."
Anah placed a firm hand on Eviz's shoulder when a scowl crossed Eviz's face. The Tisroca was known for giving beatings for much less than a betrayal of expression.
"Hush," Anah whispered in her ear. "If you go, you'll get to escape the Tisroca for a few days."
The Tisroc turned to Eviz and she lowered her head, ensuring she did not make eye contact as a sign of her lowly status. "Girl," he said, "Be ready to leave at first light in two days' time. Bring all of your instruments with you. My son will give a report of your performance upon your return to Tashbaan. This will determine if you will remain at the palace or if we will sell you to a less… forgiving master and mistress."
Eviz nodded and the Tisroc left, clearly sensing the anger from the Tisroca at his request. Eviz quickly began playing her dulcimer again, praying the subject would be dropped. The rest of the servants continued what they had been doing prior to the Tisroc's arrival, easing the tension in the room. As she played, her mind couldn't help but wonder if this was her opportunity to escape. She was aware that the journey to Narnia meant crossing through The Great Desert and Archenland, both wild landscapes that could lead to certain death if you were not a survivalist. But she had heard that High King Peter was a fair and merciful ruler. Surely if she escaped while at Cair Paravel, they would not force her to return to Calormen.
Later that evening in the servants hall, Anah was putting crushed henna and indigo in Eviz's hair. Eviz had managed to avoid the Tisroca's anger for the rest of the afternoon, but her mistress had demanded she re-dye her hair before she left. Slavery was frowned upon in the Narnian kingdom and the Tisroca was aware that Eviz's blonde hair would reveal she was not Calormen.
"You must be careful," Anah said as they rinsed out her hair. "Prince Rabadash's temper is worse than his mother's. I've heard of slave girls who have tried to reject him that were nearly beaten to death."
"I've avoided him long enough," Eviz said, wringing out her hair. She frowned as the leftover dye had turned her hands black. "This time will be no different."
"Just promise me to be careful," Anah pressed again. "And remember your place. If Prince Rabadash is displeased with you, you could be imprisoned… or even offered up as a sacrifice to Tash!"
Eviz turned to her friend, who was clearly concerned. "Please don't worry about me," Eviz said. "I'll be able to take care of myself. Besides, I have a feeling that Rabadash will be too focused on trying to impress the Narnian kings and queens to pay much attention to me."
"Let's hope you're right," Anah said, dumping out the leftover contents of the dye. "And pray to Tash that Queen Susan is as beautiful as the Narnians say she is."
Don't forget to R&R!
