Hello to my readers! I am so sorry about the absence of uploads, but now that school is out I am looking to upload regularly. Forgive me for the long delay to find out what happens to Joy!
-Fair Echo
Chapter Three
Joy swallowed hard as she looked around the interior of the Telmarine stables. A boy a few years younger than herself took the horse's reins and both of her captors came up on either side of her. "You take her," said one of the soldiers.
"No, you take her and I'll speak to Glozelle," said the other.
"But," protested the first one, and the shorter guard of the two walked away among the crowd of men. The taller, thinner man sighed and looked up at Joy. Surprisingly, whatever fears he'd had before were gone from his expression. He easily lifted Joy out of the saddle and set her feet on the stable floor. She slipped and fell hard on her side. The soldier quickly knelt by her side and helped her up. "Are you well?" he asked in a soft voice when she was on her feet again. Joy wanted to pull out of his grip and run for the stable door but one glance at the men around her, all of which were wearing swords, quelled the desire. She gave a brief nod and he let go.
"Bring the spy here," called the leader.
"Yes, General," said the soldier, and Joy slowly walked through the crowd of men towards him. Her captors followed behind her, one on each side. The shorter, stocky man seemed to glare at Joy with intense hatred while the other looked at her with curiosity. Joy wished she knew what Aslan was doing by allowing her to be captured by Narnia's enemies, and tried to see a way out of this potentially dangerous situation. As she came out of the crowd, she saw that the General was joined by King Miraz, the so-called Protector. She stood before the two men and curtsied as best she could while her hands were still bound.
"So, General Glozelle," said Miraz "this is the girl you spoke of." He looked her up and down in a way that made Joy feel like an insect about to be crushed. "What is your name?" he asked her.
"Joy," she said. Miraz's eyes lit up strangely for a brief moment and then narrowed. Joy bowed her head and dropped her gaze to the floor. "Joy, Your Majesty," she said, even though speaking the words left a bad taste in her mouth.
"Well done," he said, even though he eyed her suspiciously. He turned to General Glozelle. "And where did you say you found her?"
"Near the entrance to the Black Woods," he said. Miraz looked back at her.
"You are obviously not Telmarine," he said, "for any Telmarine would know to fear the haunted woods."
"I am not a Telmarine," said Joy. "I am Narnian and the woods are not haunted."
"But how do we know you are not a spy from one of our enemies?" asked Miraz. "Native Narnians were killed or died off after our invasion of this land." He ripped off her hood. Joy's head flew up and she found herself staring face-to-face with Miraz. For a moment, his face went white but Joy could not tell if it was from anger or fear. Miraz drew back and stared at her coldly. "You are a spy," he said. Something akin to recognition was in his expression too, but Joy could not figure it out. How had a Telmarine heard of her? She and Rebecca took care of the Narnians and fought against her enemies, like Telmar.
"No," Joy protested. "I am not a spy!" She began backing away and her captors came up beside her, grabbing her by both arms. "What are you doing?!" she asked, looking up into Miraz's face.
"We must bring you before the Council and let them decide what is the truth about you," said Miraz and he began to walk away. "Take her to the dungeon until we send for her," he said to a guard and the man saluted him before walking away.
"No!" shouted Joy. She tried to break out of her captors' grasps but only found bruises in her attempts. "Let me go," she said to the two men. "I'm only a girl! Please let me go!"
"You stand still and keep quiet," said the shorter man. "If you don't, I will ask Miraz for the pleasure of silencing you for good." He gave her an evil smile and his companion shushed him.
"If we find out she's from our allies, then you will have to answer to Miraz yourself," said the taller man, and his companion frowned. The soldier whom Miraz had spoken to before returned and clapped irons around her wrists after removing the ropes.
"Stay still, spy," he ordered, his rough Telmarine accent making the words difficult to understand.
"But why?" asked Joy. "I am not even allowed to defend myself! I demand to speak to the King again!" Her shorter captor, who Joy nicknamed "Hammer" because of his size and temper, moved behind her and grabbed her by the shoulders, while the other, who Joy nicknamed "Beanstalk" for his breadth and height, still held her right arm. The other guard who had brought the irons, "Grumpy", tightened them until she could no longer slide her wrists in and out of the loops. When he finished, he looked up at Beanstalk.
"That will hold her," he said. Beanstalk nodded and the guard began marching away. "Come," he called over his shoulder, and Hammer pushed her forward. Joy lurched and stumbled, the weight of the irons catching her off balance. Beanstalk caught her and set her upright.
"Careful," he said softly and Joy frowned at the guard. She was tempted to turn around and glare at him but chose to ignore him instead.
The two soldiers marched her up into the castle, where the windows seemed to be in odd places in the hallways, making everything appear pale and shadowy. They turned down a dark and narrow hallway where a lone and rather large guard stood watch. Grumpy stopped and asked him for his keys, which the guard handed over without saying a word. Then, he unlocked and opened the large door at the end of the hall. Joy felt an instant chill as she stepped into the stairwell. A large set of stone steps greeted her, leading down to someplace where she could only see a lit torch at the bottom. Something about it reminded her of the Witch's dungeon, and the persistent chill only increased the more the group descended the stairs.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Joy could barely see beyond the torch on her right. Something gleamed in front of her and she figured it was the bars of a cell door. Her only consolation was that the dungeon was not made of ice so it did not feel as cold as the Witch's dungeon. But in her mind, it felt pretty close. Grumpy continued marching and stopped in front of a cell. There, he lit a torch and Joy could see more of her surroundings.
There were cells lining both sides of the hallway. Scones where torches would be placed sat at every three cells, and so Joy calculated that she was at the third cell in from the wall on her right. Grumpy looked over the ring of keys and unlocked the cell. Beanstalk led her inside while Hammer gave her one final push, making her fall to her knees from the weight of the irons.
"We should unlock her," said Beanstalk, looking down at her with what appeared to be pity.
"No, leave the irons on her," said Grumpy. "The Council should be in session soon, and once they finish dealing with the dwarf, then Miraz will send for her."
"No," said the soldier. "She's only a girl." He held out his hand. "Give me the keys."
"Alard, don't tell me you are getting soft on the Old Narnians and their allies," said Hammer.
"Tarsian, if she was a Telmarine, we would treat her very differently," said Beanstalk, or should she say, Alard. He extended his arm and Grumpy slapped the keys into his open palm. Alard knelt beside Joy and began unlocked the irons. Joy warily looked into his face and tried to understand why he was being so helpful. He nodded once and turned his attention back to the irons, leaving Joy terribly confused.
"But if the stories about her are true," argued Hammer, or Tarsian, "then you'll want to keep those irons on."
"She's only a kid," said Alard, and he gave Grumpy back the keys and the irons. "She won't harm anyone while in the cell." Grumpy slammed the cell door shut and quickly left in a huff with Tarsian right behind him. Alard lingered at the cell door and Joy could sense that he was watching her again. She looked up from her place on the floor.
"What are you looking at?" she asked.
"You'll be out of here soon again," said Alard, and Joy was curious as to why he was being so…kind? She studied him and realized he was only a few years older than her, probably about Peter's age if not a little older, only this solder had dark hair. His beard, if she could call it that, was scanty and he had hazel eyes which looked down on her with what appeared to be sympathy.
"Why am I in here, Alard?" she asked, hoping to get a straight answer. She stood up as the soldier sighed.
"Well, Lord Miraz says it is because he suspects you're a spy," he said. "But," he looked around and leaned forward so the tip of his helmet touched the cell bars "I don't believe that to be true," he whispered. Her curiosity peaked, and Joy stepped closer to the bars.
"Why do you say that?" she whispered.
"Because you're a Protector," he said, "and Protectors are bad news to Telmarines." Joy gasped and stepped back from the bars. She'd been certain that Miraz knew who she was, but this soldier did too?! Alard quickly shook his head, noticing her silent panic. "You have no reason to fear me," he said quickly. "I am loyal to Old Narnia."
"What's Old Narnia?" asked Joy, and Alard looked at her with confusion.
"Old Narnia is the creatures and peoples who lived here before us Telmarines invaded," he said. "The Telmarines call them by that name to make the peasants believe they are a thing of the past." He looked away. "Our ancestors tried to wipe out the entire Narnian race after they invaded the country." Joy gasped. All her old friends, what had happened to them? As possibilities drifted through her mind, she stared hard at Alard.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.
"Because I want you to trust me," said Alard earnestly. "I do not hunt and kill the Old Narnians. I was raised on the stories of Old and believe in them. I also have been trying to help the Old Narnians by not reporting any of their sightings to my superiors." He looked her straight in the eyes. "I am not your enemy." Joy hesitated, unsure what to believe about the young man in front of her. "I believe in you, Protector," said Alard, and Joy decided she had no choice by to trust him.
"Alright, I trust you," she said. "What made Miraz believe I am one of the Protectors?"
"Your hair," he said, "no Telmarine has hair the colour of yours." Joy remembered the reactions of the men when she'd taken off her hood in the woods. "It is famous in the stories of the Protectors that they have light-coloured hair like the people of Archenland," continued Alard. "However, no person from Archenland has ventured North in over two hundred years. Also, no persons live in the Black Woods because they're afraid of the dryads, so General Glozelle knew you were lying."
"Well, I was looking for my sister," said Joy quickly. "We were separated when magic brought us here." At least, Joy hoped Rebecca was somewhere in Narnia and not stuck on the platform by herself.
"Which Protector are you?" asked Alard.
"I am Lady Joy," she said, and she held out her hand. "Pleased to meet an ally of Narnia's in this place." Alard smiled and shook her hand. "Can you help me escape from this place?" she asked. Alard's smile fell and looked around. Joy held her breath, nervous of what her new friend would say.
"I will help you," he said, turning to face her. "Things may be changing in Narnia soon, and I will not allow Miraz to murder a Protector." Alard stepped closer to the bars. "But I must ask for something in return."
"What is it?" asked Joy. "I have no money if that's what you mean."
"No," he said with a shake of his head, "but I must ask to go with you and help the Old Narnians. If Miraz finds out what we are planning, I will be forefeiting my own life. He does not take kindly to those who believe in the Old Stories." Joy nodded.
"Agreed," she said. "I cannot guarantee that they will trust you, based on what you have told me, but I will stand by you if we escape." Alard nodded.
"Very well, I will try to get you out of here tonight," he said. He looked up at the stairs and then back at her. "I have to go now. Tarsian will become suspicious if I linger here much longer." Joy nodded and Alard stepped away from the bars.
"I will be back when you are taken to the Council," he said, and he ran up the steps. Joy watched him leave, suddenly feeling terribly alone, and went to the back of the cell. Sliding down the grimy wall, she sat on the cold, damp floor and pulled her knees up to her chest. Her thoughts quickly returned to the others and wondering where they were. Why was she all alone, here in a chilly dungeon? What was happening to Rebecca? Had she run into any of the Telmarines as well? Her brain felt confused and muddled, and she rested her head on her knees in an effort to rest her eyes.
She must have drifted off to sleep, for the sound of keys and chains jolted her awake and she sat up to see Tarsian standing in the cell doorway. "Wakey, wakey spy!" he said in a taunting voice, and Joy glared up at him. Tarsian turned to Alard and nodded towards Joy. "Put the irons on her," he ordered. Alard entered her cell and clapped her wrists in the irons. His face was as cold as stone but he gave her a wink which told her he still could be trusted. After tightening the irons again, he pulled her to her feet and marched her forward with his hands gripping her left arm. As she was dazed and confused after her sleep, Joy was almost grateful for the extra support.
Tarsian and Alard marched Joy up the dungeon steps and out into the dark hallway again. This time, they took her in a different direction, turning right instead of left once they came out of the hallway. Here, things were a little brighter and more ornate. Joy saw tapestries on the walls and fancy metalwork decorating the walls and ceilings as they walked. She tried to remember the various rooms of Cair Paravel and figured that her captors must be leading her towards the throne room. When they turned the corner of the final hallway, Joy spotted the crest of the Telmarine kings hanging over the door of the throne room.
As they approached the giant door, Joy saw two men leading away a bound Red Dwarf. His face and clothes were dirty, and he had a tight gag around his mouth. He looked sullenly at Joy as he walked past and Joy realized he was the bundle in black cloth the soldiers had taken from the forest that morning. A sense of failure washed over her and Joy looked away. Tarsian opened the door to the throne room and Alard led her inside.
All the men inside stood up when they saw Joy and several looked at her with fearful glances. Joy wondered if they all thought the same as Miraz or if some thought truly thought she was a spy. Alard gently forced her to her knees in the middle of the room and then he and Tarsian left to stand by the door. Joy quickly looked up at Miraz, who was standing on the dais before the Telmarine throne. He was looking down at her with a triumphant smirk and Joy decided a glare was the best way to respond. She took notice of the surrounding thrones where the men of the Council sat.
"Lords of the Council," Miraz began "I have brought before you, shall we say, a new arrival to our land. She says her name is Joy," he paused after leaving an emphasis on her name "and she has come to our land in search of her sister." Joy's heart sank, her suspicions about Miraz had been correct. He knew who she was, and if Alard was correct, he would want her dead. "Our General Glozelle arrested her in the Black Woods and brought her here, accusing her of being a spy from Archenland or one of our enemies to the West," said Miraz. He stopped squarely in front of her and folded his arms over his chest. Joy looked at the floor, terribly confused. Why was he not saying she was a Protector? "She was sent here to find out about our defences and strength in case of an attack." He walked towards her, stopping just a few feet away. "And for her crimes, she must be punished by death." Joy's head flew up.
"What?" she asked, and Miraz glared at her.
"What say you, gentleman?" he asked the Council, ignoring her question.
"Wait," said Joy, lifting her hands in an effort to get Miraz's attention. "May I say a word to the Council?" Miraz still ignored her, turning to the first councilmen seated on his right.
"Death," he said.
"Death," said another, and so they went around the room until they got to one man with short, black curly hair and a curly black beard.
"Lord Sopespian?" asked Miraz, and Joy looked over at the man. He was staring at her, as if he was trying to make up his mind. Joy silently pleaded with him not to sentence her to death.
"Should we let the girl say anything in her own defense?" asked the man. Joy sighed with relief and looked up as Miraz frowned at Lord Sopespian.
"If you so wish," he said. He then turned towards her. "Alright, Joy," he said in a sarcastic tone "tell us why we should believe you are not a spy." Joy lifted her chin and stared up at him.
"I am not a spy," she said in a loud voice. "I was lost in the woods and searching for my sister when I ran into the patrol that arrested me." Miraz nodded.
"Alright, you are not a spy," he said, walking in a slow circle around her. "What about," he paused and looked sharply at her "a Protector?" Joy swallowed hard as shouts rang throughout the room. She looked around and saw a couple men leaping out of their thrones and reaching for their swords.
Aslan, please help me, Joy silently begged. The first lord, a man with long grey hair stood up.
"Do you have any proof of this?" he asked. Miraz gave Joy a knowing look.
"Indeed, I do," he said. He reached into his robes and pulled out something round and silver. Joy gasped and bit her lips as every councilman looked at her. It was Rebecca's compass! "You see her reaction!" said Miraz, pointing at her with his free hand. "This compass, whose arrow has not moved since our ancestor, Caspian the Conqueror, found it among the Protectors' belongings at the ruined castle, is now moving again." He held it out for the councilmen to see, and Joy saw that the arrow was spinning around and around. It did not stop and point at any specific person or feature in the room, it only continued to spin until Joy looked away. She then remembered the compass doing something similar to that after the Witch killed Aslan at the Stone Table. After talking with Rebecca about Aslan for much of the past year, Joy refused to believe Aslan was dead and decided that he activated the compass when he brought them out of their world earlier that day.
"She is indeed a Protector," said the grey-haired man and he sat down. "Should we announce to the people we have caught one of them?" Miraz pocketed the compass and glared down at Joy the way a snake would look at a cornered mouse.
"Very good, Lord Salazar," said Miraz, and he looked up to address the room. "We will announce her capture to the people tomorrow, followed by a public execution."
"No!" protested Joy but Miraz ignored her.
"We must put an end to the stories once and for all, and prove that Telmarine power is supreme," he said in a booming voice, and the councillors roared their approval. Miraz looked towards the throne room door. "General Glozelle!" he called. Marching footsteps came up behind her and stopped on Joy's right.
"Yes, my lord?" he asked.
"If one Protector has arrived in Narnia, then the other must be out there somewhere," said Miraz. "Send additional patrols to the bridge and the surrounding forests. We must find the other one before she reaches Caspian or the Old Narnians." General Glozelle looked briefly at Joy and then nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty," he said. He quickly bowed and then left the room.
"You two," said Miraz, pointing back towards the door "take this one back to her cell and see to it that she stays there until tomorrow." Tarsian and Alard appeared on either side of Joy and grabbed her by the arms, pulling her to her feet.
"Wait!" she cried out. "That's all?! Your Majesty!" But Miraz turned his back to her as the soldiers led her from the room. Too shaken to stand, Joy allowed the guards to drag her back to her dungeon cell. After Tarsian marched away, Alard remained briefly to say he'd be back at midnight, and then disappeared up the stairs. Joy didn't know what to do except sit and wait. A small, narrow window could be seen near the top of the staircase, and Joy watched as the grey light grew bleaker and darker.
The large guard who carried the keys to the dungeon came down to her cell when the sky was completely black outside the window. He was carrying a tray of food and said since it was her last meal, she'd been given a feast. Joy, who had only eaten a light breakfast that morning back in England, waited until he turned around before tearing into the food. And what a feast it was, roast beef, potatoes, and vegetable-stuffed buns sat on the tray, along with fresh fruit. A pitcher of water came with the food, and Joy couldn't remember any water tasting fresher. The food tasted wonderful, but Joy was loathed to admit it. After washing down the food with the pitcher of water, the guard took the empty pitcher and tray and left the dungeon again.
Joy moved to the back of the cell and sat down, drawing her knees up to her chest again. She suddenly felt nervous, and worried that Alard would not succeed. If not, she would fight and hope that Aslan would rescue her. A dozen plans went through her head, but Joy could not decide on a single one. A little while later, she heard some soft footfalls on the stairs above her. She looked up and saw someone in a hooded cloak coming down the stone steps. She looked at the sky in the window and saw only blackness. Was it midnight already? The hooded figure reached her.
"Alard?" whispered Joy. The figure slowly pushed back the hood, and Joy saw grey hair, spectacles, and a wrinkly face. "Who are you?" she asked, stepping away from the bars.
"I am Doctor Cornelius," said the man with a whisper. "Alard told me of his plan to help you escape this place." Had this man been sent by Miraz to talk her into false trust and a sooner execution? If that was true, Joy had just sentenced Alard to death by mentioning his name.
"Why should I trust you?" she asked. "Why would Alard tell you such a thing?"
"Because he and I helped Prince Caspian to escape this castle only last night," he said, his eyes lit up by the torch outside Joy's cell. "He is the rightful heir to the throne, but his uncle, King Miraz, planned to murder him to secure his own line to the throne. Alard told me of the murder plot last night so I was able to get Prince Caspian away safely." Doctor Cornelius moved closer to the bars. "He told me to tell you he has a definite plan and will be back at midnight to get you out."
"So, I should believe you, even though I have never heard of this Prince Caspian?" asked Joy skeptically. "What proof do you have of this?"
"You know what Miraz is like," said the Doctor. "But Prince Caspian is nothing like his uncle, and you must help him reclaim his rightful throne." Joy nodded, that made sense. Maybe that was why Aslan called her, Rebecca, and their friends back to Narnia. "I am also here to give you a few things that will help you escape," said Doctor Cornelius.
"But why don't you get me out yourself?" asked Joy.
"I will only slow you down," said the Doctor. "Alard's plan requires him to get you out of the cell later so I must leave you here."
"Will Miraz suspect you of being involved though?" asked Joy, feeling a rush of concern for her new ally.
"Miraz does not suspect me of doing anything wrong so I am not under suspicion right now," said the Doctor. "If I need to get away, I have a bit of magic to help me."
"Magic?" asked Joy quickly, and Doctor Cornelius smiled.
"Yes, it helped me retrieve what I believe brought you into our world," he said with a knowing look and Joy gasped, remembering the words Rebecca had told her about one of the gifts from Father Christmas.
"Susan's horn?!" she whispered, and the Doctor nodded.
"I gave it to Caspian last night, and recognized its call early this morning," he said. "I believe that is about the same time the compass was activated." Joy nodded.
"Miraz said so," she said, and stepped closer to the bars. "But what things could help me escape?" asked Joy. The Doctor looked over his shoulder and produced a sack from underneath the large cloak. Joy heard clink of metal against metal from inside the sack and figured some kind of weapon was inside. He pulled out a sword and Joy recognized it. "Rebecca's sword!" she gasped. Doctor Cornelius slid it through the bars and Joy caught it with both hands. "But how?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Miraz has a secret room connected to his office where he holds all papers, books and artifacts to do with the Protectors," said the Doctor. "I merely raided it just before coming here." Joy smiled as she strapped the sword belt around her waist.
"And the compass?" she asked when she looked up from the belt clasp, and Doctor Cornelius shook his head.
"I'm sorry," he said. "Miraz won't let it leave his person. I will have to find another way to pilfer it from him." Joy nodded, slightly disappointed but grateful she could bring the sword to her sister. When and if she found her.
"All right," she said. "What else do you have in there?" she asked. The Doctor then took out an awfully familiar quiver and bow and happy tears filled Joy's eyes. "My bow!" The Doctor smiled at her like a father would smile at a child excited about a present. He passed the items through the bars and Joy hugged them to her chest. "I'm so happy to see these again," whispered Joy.
"And here is some food you will need for your journey," said the Doctor, handing her a cloth bundle. "Hide all these items until Alard comes," he instructed. "Just in case the guard comes back." Joy nodded. "You must head South, for I sent Prince Caspian in that direction towards Archenland. I have no doubt Aslan put your sister in his path, so that is the way you must head if you want to find them."
"All right," she said. "Thank you for everything." Doctor Cornelius nodded.
"If I can do my part to put the rightful King on the throne, it is my pleasure," he said, and then pulled the hood over his face. "Good-bye," he said, and walked towards the stairs. Joy watched him head up the steps and disappear at the top. Once the door closed, she set about putting away the weapons and food. Hiding everything beneath her cloak on the floor, she sat down to wait for Alard. As the night dragged on, she began to feel drowsy and curled up at the base of the wall, arms around her bow.
"Only a few minutes," she whispered, and then she heard the dungeon door open on the landing above the cells.