Previously in 'To Save the Saviour'
"Wait, where is Susan?" Lucy asked urgently.
The three Kings looked at the young Queen and then desperately scanned the crowd.
Susan was nowhere to be seen.
Caspian's face paled as he realised that Susan, the woman he loved, had been sold into slavery by the very men who he … Caspian shook himself. He could not panic, not now … action was needed.
Susan's brothers stood beside him. Caspian almost took an involuntary step backwards. By the Kings' faces they were likely to start a war to get their sister back, if they could only find out who was responsible.
Caspian swallowed.
"We must first find out who bought the Queen." He reasoned, his eyes went to the body of Pug lying at his feet, blood still seeping out from the fatal wound that Caspian himself had inflicted.
"Pug cannot tell us, perhaps his first mate, Jarra can give us some answers." Caspian turned to Captain Drinian.
"Find the slaver Jarra and have him brought to us." He instructed curtly. Drinian nodded and moved off into the crowd.
Edmund and Peter's eyes snapped to Caspian; it was Edmund who spoke.
"How did you know the name of the Pirate Captain's first mate?" he asked suspiciously glaring at Caspian.
Caspian was momentarily stunned and could not think of an answer.
Lord Bern fortuitously came to his rescue.
"I told His Majesty the names of all the slavers that I know." He supplied.
The King's suspicious gazes slipped to the Lord.
"And how is it My Lord that you are so familiar with the slavers names? The day that we were taken you gave the impression that you were in business with them." Peter asked his voice deceptively level as he stared at the Lord.
Lord Bern opened his mouth, but no words came out – he was seemingly unable to come up with an answer. However, he was saved from answering, as at that moment Captain Drinian returned with the slaver mate Jarra. He threw the slaver onto the platform beside the Kings and Queen.
The man was shaking with fear, his eyes fixed on the body of his leader. Caspian came threateningly forward towards the man, his sword drawn.
"Who was the Queen Susan sold to?" Caspian barked at the man.
The man started violently and stared at the tip of Caspian's sword which was dangerously close to his face.
"I … I … Queen?" he stammered. "We sold no Queen!"
Caspian growled and would have moved towards the man had Lucy not suddenly placed herself in his way. A horrible suspicion was beginning to grow in the youngest Queen, one fuelled by what Reepicheep had confided in her and by what Caspian had said and done that day.
"What!" she begged Caspian. Turning to the slaver, she sat beside him where he lay on the platform, turning her head so that she did not have to look at Pug's body.
"We want to know who bought my sister, the pretty dark haired woman who was brought in with me."
The slaver still looked terrified but his face cleared.
"Of course that one" he said in a relieved tone. "She sold really quickly – a real beauty, many men were vying to be the one to possess her."
Jarra backed away in fright as all three kings made to move towards him. The growl; when it came this time could been from any of them or all three.
"The book!" Jarra hurried on. "All sales and buyers are recorded in the book!"
Lucy cast desperately around for the book and found it on a stand on the platform. A stand which she found Eustace cowering behind.
Lucy gave her cousin a quick, reassuring smile before turning to the book. She drew her finger down the columns searching for Susan's name.
"Here it is!" she said triumphantly. "Susan was bought by a man acting for Ashora Tarkann."
Lord Bern's face paled.
"That is the Calormen ambassador to the islands." He told them. "He will not lightly relinquish his ownership of the Queen."
"He will do as he is commanded!" Caspian disagreed. "Come we must go back to the ship and formulate a plan to free the Queen."
Caspian made to signal the men to leave the market when Lucy spoke up.
"Wait … Caspian … what of the other slaves?"
Caspian looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"What of them?"
"Well … aren't you going to free them … Aslan would not want slavery in Narnia and the islands are Narnian!"
Caspian looked conflicted but at last he sighed and smiled at the young Queen.
"But of course." He raised his voice. "I declare all slaves in the market free." He proclaimed. "And henceforth slavery is outlawed in the Lands of Narnia."
"But My King." Lord Bern objected but fell silent at a look from Caspian.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Caspian had left for the home of the Calormene ambassador, taking only Lord Bern and several of the ship's crew with him for guards. Peter, Edmund and Lucy had all wanted to go but Caspian had overruled them, saying it would be safer if only he went, as he was the only one that the Ambassador would acknowledge as King of Narnia.
The Pevensies had not argued with Caspian overmuch as this gave them the opportunity to talk to Reepicheep and Trumpkin to see if they could get to the bottom of Caspian's behaviour.
"Reep." Lucy was saying. "Tell them what you told me."
Reepicheep looked around at Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace and Trumpkin who had all gathered in the girls' cabin, his face conflicted. He looked reluctant to speak out against his King in front of so many but after a long exchanged look with Trumpkin who gave him a grim nod he began.
"Know first Your Majesties," he began in his piping voice. "That I would not speak against my Liege if I did not think that it was for his Majesty's own good. Nor would I speak to any save Your Majesties, especially you High King Peter who outrank him and may be able to reason with, or if reason cannot be brought, command King Caspian."
Peter laid his hand on the mouse's head.
"We understand Reepicheep, you are a mouse of honour, you do not break that honour by confiding in us, rather you enhance it."
The Mouse nodded, satisfied.
"It began shortly after Your Majesties left for Spare Oom." He started.
"Spare Oom?" Eustace interrupted.
"Another name for England," Lucy explained. She turned back to the mouse.
"Go on Reep."
"King Caspian feared that many of the Telmarine people and the Lords who stayed, did not stay out of a wish to integrate into Narnia, but because they did not trust Aslan's offer of a new home. King Caspian's fear grew until it became almost an obsession. He was convinced that the Telmarine Lords plotted against him."
"But did Caspian not talk to the Telmarine people and the Lords?" Asked Peter. "After all they are his people too as much as the Narnians."
"So we counselled." Answered Reepicheep. "Myself, Trumpkin, Glenstorm, Trufflehunter … but Caspian wouldn't listen."
"What of Doctor Cornelius" asked Edmund, wondering about the name that had not been mentioned.
"Surely Caspian would listen to his oldest friend and advisor?"
"That is one of our problems Your Majesty." Trumpkin answered Edmund.
"Dr Cornelius can see nothing more nor less in Caspian than the saviour of Narnia. He will not hear a word or a criticism against him, nor will he gainsay or caution our King,"
"I see," said Peter. "And this is why Caspian left Cornelius as Regent instead of Trumpkin."
Trumpkin nodded.
"And took me with him so that he could keep an eye on me."
Trumpkin made a wry face.
"I questioned Caspian one too many times it seems!"
But surely Caspian can't have done anything too bad!" said Lucy hopefully, despite the realisation of the truth that was growing in her head.
Peter and Edmund remained silent. From what they had seen and heard in the last two days, they too knew full well where this conversation was headed, but wanted to see how much the Narnians knew or suspected.
Reepicheep looked sadly at the young Queen.
"The truth is Your Majesty, we are not sure what it is that Caspian has done." He admitted.
King Caspian and the Telmarine Lords became more and more divided. Neither of them speaking to the other. I think that the Lords might have tried, had Caspian not killed their King in cold blood. They reckoned that if he would do that to Miraz, he would do so much worse to them.
It came to a head when Caspian commanded all of the Lords to meet with him and sent guards out to collect them – and their families. The soldiers also collected anyone who had spoken in any way against Caspian."
Reepicheep paused, glancing at Trumpkin.
"What happened to them?" asked Peter.
"I'm afraid none of us knows" High King." Trumpkin answered. "Caspian made sure that any Narnian who would speak against him was out of the castle that day. But we do know this. Not one of those people had been seen since."
"But where did they go?" asked Lucy, although in her heart of hearts she already knew, too many things added up. She just prayed to Aslan that someone else would say it first.
'Please Aslan, don't let me be the one who has to say it – let someone else say it first!'
"I can tell your Majesties that!"
The answer to Lucy's heartfelt prayer arrived from an unexpected quarter.
The ragged man who had been imprisoned with Edmund and Peter was suddenly there. They had taken him back to the ship to see to his many ailments. The man had entered the cabin unnoticed by anyone there.
"All those Lords and those men who spoke against Caspian when he was too harsh … their wives … their families … their children … Caspian sold every last one of them into slavery."
There was an awful silence, then Peter found his voice at last.
"This is a grave allegation." He told the man solemnly.
"Do you have proof of this?"
The man looked at the High King, his face a strange mixture of sadness and hope.
"I have the proof of my own eyes." He answered. "The proof of my poor ravaged and wrecked body standing here before you." He paused.
"Do your Majesties not recognise me? I am Lord Glozelle, former general of Miraz's army."
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Meanwhile Caspian and Bern with three of the sailors from The Dawn Treader acting as guards had entered the home of the Calormene ambassador Ashora Tarkaan. They had explained to the man that Susan had been sold in error and that they wished to buy her back. They did not dare to admit to the man who Susan really was, as they feared that the Calormens would use that knowledge for nefarious purposes.
"So, you see, my lord" Caspian was saying. "We must ask that you return the girl to us. You shall be generously compensated."
Caspian motioned his men forward and they placed the chest of money and jewels that they had brought from The Dawn Treader and placed it at the Tarkaan's feet.
The Tarkaan glanced at the treasure, his face darkening with greed, but then swiftly changing to regret.
"I am afraid I can do no such thing Your Majesty." He told Caspian to the Young King's shock and dismay.
Caspian jumped to his feet.
"Then I command you to return the girl." He insisted. "I am King of Narnia, and you are in Narnian territory, you cannot refuse me!"
The Tarkaan did not so much at flinch at Caspian's tone.
"Ah but I think that you will find that I can." He countered. "I bought that girl because she reminded me of Queen Susan, the Barbarian Queen of Narnia from its golden age. I have seen her picture many times hanging in my master's quarters in Calormene. I bought her for my master who is visiting here."
"And how is this significant?" asked Caspian, his lip curling. "I hardly think your master outranks me!"
"I beg to differ!" came a smooth voice from the doorway. "A young man in splendid robes came forward.
"Does not a Prince of the Empire of Calormen, outrank the King of a little pigsty Kingdom of the Barbaric North.
The Tarkaan ambassador gave them an oily smile.
"Allow me to introduce my master Prince Rasheen, Crown Prince of Calormen."
Caspian and Bern stiffened, their hands going to their swords.
"I would not do that if I were you!" Ashora cautioned them.
And then Caspian saw what he had not noticed before, so intent he had been on the Ambassador and the Prince. The room was now filled with soldiers, and he, Lord Bern and the sailors were surrounded.
Prince Rasheen addressed his soldiers without taking his eyes of Caspian.
"Please escort the slaver King and his friends out." He addressed Caspian then.
"I am sure that you will soon recover from the loss of one slave, given the countless lives you have sold into slavery."
Caspian heard a smothered gasp from the back of the room. Craning his neck as he was marched out of the room he saw Susan, her hands on her mouth and her eyes full of shock and disappointment.
She had heard everything!