I took you down to the little place by the river
I'm going down, down, down, down, down
Let you play with my heart like it's nothing but water
Falling down, down, down, down
~"It All Comes Down to This" by Aquilo
"Edmund!"
The Just King turned to see his younger sister running full force down the corridor. In her hurry, she nearly ran into Flametail who had rounded the corner. Losing a tuft of feathers in his haste to avoid the young queen, he let out an ear-splitting squawk.
"Sorry!" she cried before running to her brother's side.
"Really, Lu," Edmund said, rolling his eyes. "Can't you show at least a little bit of formality while the Calormenes are here?"
"Isn't it better for them to see who we really are?" she asked with a smile he couldn't resist. She took his arm and they continued down the corridor together.
"Do we really need to suffer through another evening with that Prince Rabadash?" Lucy asked, tugging on his arm. "He is absolutely ghastly. How can Susan possibly consider marrying him?"
Edmund shrugged. "I think the union between Narnia and Calormen is what interests them both more than the actual marriage."
Lucy frowned. "I couldn't imagine. I think the Calormene ways are absolutely horrible. Can you believe the amount of slaves the prince brought with him?"
"It's a different way of life," Edmund said. "I don't agree with it by any means, but it's not our kingdom."
Lucy stuck her nose in the air and Edmund had to stifle a laugh.
"You're rather dressed up for this evening," Lucy commented, motioning to his attire. Edmund pulled at the stiff tunic and shirt at his neck. "Susan insisted. Apparently, tonight there will be guests from all over Narnia to introduce to Prince Rabadash. We'll be sharing the best of Narnia's entertainment and I'm only guessing we'll get to see some Calormene music and acrobatics."
"In the name of Aslan," Lucy sighed. "This will probably be worse than when King Lune's court came and we had to listen to Archenian poetry for hours."
"I think I'll prefer this banquet over that one," Edmund said.
"Why's that?"
"Because last time King Lune was trying to persuade Peter and me to marry Princess Aliena. This time I can actually relax and not worry about causing a war between two kingdoms."
"Don't relax too much," Lucy said. "Judging from Prince Rabadash's temper, if Susan does end up rejecting his advances, then there very well could be a war between Calormen and Narnia."
They both stopped their conversation as they arrived at the banquet. The kings and queens sat at the head of the table with Prince Rabadash sitting in between Peter and Susan. Edmund was more than happy to be seated next to Mr. Tumnus, where they were able to freely discuss politics and history without risking being overheard by any of the Calormenes.
As Calormene magicians, acrobats, and fortune tellers performed while they ate, Edmund kept a watchful eye on his older sister and her pursuer. They seemed to get along well, with Prince Rabadash carrying a pleasant expression and Susan even laughing at some of his commentary. While Edmund agreed with Lucy that he did not approve of the Calormene ways, there was no denying that Susan and the prince got along well together.
Peter, on the other hand, seemed to be on the edge of his seat, leaning far away from the prince as possible. In fact, the prince seemed to be acting the same way. Ever since last night, there seemed to be a rift between the high king and the prince of Calormen. This quite surprised Edmund, as Peter was usually very friendly with royalty from other kingdoms as he knew the importance of maintaining alliances and not creating new enemies. Whenever the prince caught sight of Peter, a scowl broke across his face and Peter was careful to keep his gaze steadily ahead. Edmund glanced at Lucy, but she was too busy talking with a pair of Tarkheens to notice the strange interaction.
When the last course had been served, Prince Rabadash snapped his fingers. A group of slaves carrying a variety of instruments rushed into the room and settled themselves on the floor.
"Some of the finest music from Tashbaan," the prince said with a smug smile. "Mr. Tumnus, I hear you are quite a talented musician."
Mr. Tumnus, embarrassed to be called out in front of the court, merely nodded.
"I hope you will let us know what you think of our humble Tashbaan musicians, then." The prince then turned to the group of slaves and gave a quick nod of the head. A young girl with poorly colored hair lowered her head and began to gently play the dulcimer in her lap.
"My dulcimer," Mr. Tumnus said to Edmund.
Peter, who had been staring blankly at the guests around him, suddenly tuned into Mr. Tumnus's comment. As he turned back to the Calormene musicians, he recognized Eviz at the forefront. Her delicate fingers strummed lightly on the instrument and he watched her carefully as her dark, black and auburn hair fell into her face. Her melody was exotic, haunting but entrancing. He couldn't help but lean forward in his seat, his fork clanging noisily onto his plate.
Edmund raised an eyebrow at his brother's behavior. But as the lilting melody of the dulcimer was joined by soft percussion and flute, the music drew him in as well. The prince, who had been smiling throughout all of the Calormene entertainment thus far, let a frown decorate his face. The prince looked from Peter to the young girl and Edmund began to wonder if this court musician had caused discourse between the two monarchs.
Peter stared at Eviz, studying her every feature. She did not look Calormene, but he knew that their slaves were often from different lands. Her hair was clearly blonde, not the dark black that streaked through, and her skin was pale compared to the tan complexion of the other slaves. Her eyes were also a bright blue, much like his own, that contrasted strikingly with the dark eyes of those around her. There was something about her that reminded him of another time and place…
Suddenly, the melody of the dulcimer changed. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy all stiffened, as if remembering a dream of a dream. Peter watched Eviz raise her head, her blue eyes sparkling, and her gentle voice began to sing.
"I will give my love an apple without e'er a core
I will give my love a house without e'er a door
I will give my love a palace wherein he may be
And he may unlock it without any key
My head is the apple without e'er a core
My mind is the house without e'er a door
My heart is the palace wherein he may be
And he may unlock it without any key"
The room applauded politely at the conclusion of the song and Eviz lowered her head, hiding her eyes. The banquet hall was once again filled with the sound of traditional Calormene music and the guests began to chatter, but the four siblings looked at one another in a unified understanding.
At the conclusion of the banquet, Eviz and the rest of the musicians began to pack up their instruments. Peter nearly leapt from the table to go see them, thankful to avoid a group of Tarkheenas that had been trying to get his attention all evening.
"Peter!"
He turned to find Susan without Prince Rabadash at last, staring at him with her arms crossed. She looked lovely in a red, satin gown with her dark hair spilling in curls down to her waist. He was well aware his sister was the most desired monarch for a union thanks to her beauty and reputation as a fierce and loyal leader. At this rate, there would surely be a marriage between the two kingdoms if she continued to dress so exquisitely around the prince.
"You should come say hello to Prince Rabadash's guests," she said. "They're quite eager to make your acquaintance and you cleverly avoided them all evening."
Peter tried to hide a sigh, knowing full well that she was right. He glanced over his shoulder where the girl, Eviz, was helping put away the many varieties of instruments the Calormenes used. Reluctantly, he followed his sister to the awaiting Calormene court.
As Eviz finished putting away the last of the drums, she couldn't help but continue to watch the high king from the corner of her eye. She had noticed him watching her intently during her performance, but she was also aware that Prince Rabadash had noticed the high king's interest. She prayed that she wouldn't be required to provide any more entertainment that evening, as it would certainly result in a beating. As she handed off the last drum to one of her fellow musicians, she was stunned to see the high king standing before her, a gentle smile on his face.
"I hope I'm not bothering you," he said.
She curtsied deeply. "Not at all, Your Majesty."
"I hope you are pleased with the dulcimer," he said, taking the instrument from her hands and admiring it.
She couldn't help but let a smile break across her face. "It's beautiful, Your Majesty. How lucky your court musicians are to have such fine instruments."
The high king mirrored her bright smile and handed the dulcimer back. "I spoke to Mr. Tumnus, the one who made this dulcimer, and he insists you keep it."
Eviz took a step back, unable to stop her mouth from hanging open. "Your Majesty, I couldn't possibly—"
"Please," he said, holding up a hand. "Think of it as a gift from the kingdom of Narnia to the Calormen Empire. Besides, you truly do the instrument justice."
She bowed her head. "Thank you, Your—"
"High King Peter," he said, cutting her off. "I can only take so many 'Your Majesty' in one evening. It would be nice to have someone other than my siblings call me by my name."
She looked up into his eyes and saw that his insistence was genuine. She nodded, before excusing herself.
"Wait," Peter said. "Please, your music… where did you learn it?"
She blushed. "All slaves are taught the basic Calormene instruments, but it is up to my mistress, the Tisroca, to determine who will be appointed court musicians in her household."
Peter shook his head. "That's not what I meant. The last song you sang, where did you learn it?"
Eviz suddenly felt lightheaded. The high king of Narnia had recognized "I Will Give My Love an Apple." That's not possible! Unless…
"I learned it from my mother," she answered carefully. She was wary to let anyone know how she came to be a Calormene slave and her life before coming to this strange place. High King Peter looked puzzled and opened his mouth to speak, but Eviz felt the blood drain from her face and looked away as she noticed Prince Rabadash was watching their interaction. The high king drew his eyebrows together as she excused herself and scurried away. When he turned around, he couldn't help but scowl seeing Prince Rabadash coming towards him.
"High King Peter," the prince said. "Don't bother yourself associating with our slaves. They are well taken care of, I assure you."
Peter tried to hide the rage that flashed before his eyes as he vividly remembered the way the prince had slapped the poor girl just the night before. "I was paying my respects," he said, forcing a smile. "We are appreciators of fine music here in Narnia. Calormen is the first kingdom we've met whose musicians challenge our own."
Just as he had intended, he saw that the prince was flattered by this compliment when a smirk crossed his face. "We must give credit where credit is due," the prince said. "We don't need Narnian charity."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Pardon me?"
"The girl is perfectly capable of using our own Calormene instruments," the prince said. "I spoke to Mr. Tumnus and he informed me that girl is using his…" The prince scrunched up his face, searching for the right word.
"Dulcimer?"
"Yes," the prince snapped. "Leave that girl to me and I will do the same with your servants."
Peter opened his mouth to explain there were no slaves in Narnia, but the prince had already returned to Susan's side. Lucy came bouncing across the room to stand next to Peter, taking his arm.
"Are we allowed to leave yet?" she asked, winking at him. "The sooner we get this visit over with, the sooner I'll be able to relax. Prince Rabadash makes my skin crawl."
Peter smiled. Of all his siblings, Lucy was always the most straightforward with how she felt. Since the Calormenes' arrival, she had not hid her disgust at their use of slaves and this evening had only heightened those feelings. He was rather surprised his youngest sister hadn't left the banquet altogether upon witnessing the slaves' performances.
"I'm ready to turn in," Peter said, acknowledging the late hour. "Only a few more days and then they'll be gone forever."
"I highly doubt that," Lucy said. "Edmund told me that Susan and the prince are getting along very well. I wouldn't be surprised if she actually pursues a courtship with him."
Peter groaned. "In the name of Aslan, I pray she has a change of heart. These Calormenes have barbaric ways and I think her fondness of the prince is overshadowing everything else."
Lucy pulled him from the banquet hall and they made their way to their apartments for the night.
"Who was that girl you were talking to?"
Peter blushed at the question which only made Lucy laugh. "I saw you staring at her earlier when she was performing."
"Did you recognize the song she sang?" Peter asked.
Lucy nodded, a far off look in her eyes. "Do you think she's from… the other world?"
As Peter and his siblings had spent more and more time in Narnia, their memories of before their arrival had grown dimmer. Peter even struggled to remember what his mother and father's faces looked like now that it had been over twelve years since he had seen them. The only person that seemed to openly talk about their previous life was Susan. Peter, Edmund, and Lucy all preferred the lives they were living under Aslan's protection rather than return to the war-torn home.
"Her name is Eviz," Peter said. "I'm worried about her. Prince Rabadash has a foul temper and I saw him treating her cruelly yesterday."
Lucy scowled at the image. "We must offer her a place here, so she can escape from slavery."
"Not so fast," Peter said, stopping suddenly. "We can't take away their slaves. Knowing Prince Rabadash, it would result in a war."
"But how can we just stand by and do nothing?" Lucy asked, her eyebrows drawing together in concern. Peter tugged on her arm, encouraging her to keep walking once more.
"I will have Ardas and Flametail keep an eye out. Anymore cruelty may result in me asking them to leave."
He could tell Lucy wasn't completely satisfied with this plan, due to the fact the slaves would remain under Calormene control, but she kissed him on the cheek before retiring for the evening.
When Peter lay in his bed that night, Eviz's haunting melodies continued to float in his head. How had she come to Calormen as a slave? How did she know an English folksong?
He smiled thoughtfully before drifting off to sleep. Outside his window, on the beach just below the palace, a great lion strolled along the crashing waves. The water moved around his paws, but never actually touched him. He knew the slave girl was in the castle and he knew she was making the high king question his current life and the one he lived before.
Little did the kings and queens of Narnia know these two lives would ultimately come crashing together.
Don't forget to R&R!
I based my version of "I Will Give My Love an Apple" on the one by Benjamin Britten with guitar. It's a lovely arrangement and I'd highly encourage you to give it a listen!
