Hi. I've added some of the wonderful Eustace - I loved how Will Poulter played him in the movis and now can't picture Eustace without him. I'm also trying to work out how to rescue Susan - it's a sticky one but I'm getting there. I thinks Ed might have an idea.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Narnia - wish I did
"We need more men!"
The others nodded their agreement. The Pevensies, Caspian, Captain Drinian, Lord Bern and Glozelle, Trumpkin and Reepicheep were gathered, trying desperately to think of a way to rescue Susan.
"We have roughly thirty men here on the ship, including ourselves." Drinian put in. He turned to Caspian.
"How many men does the Calormen Ambassador have?"
"I'm not sure Drinian." Caspian answered, Lucy noticed that the King's tone had become much more respectful when speaking to his Captain.
"We saw maybe ten guarding the estate this morning and another ten saw us off the premises … Bern?"
Bern's face was grim as he replied.
"The Ambassador keeps about thirty men at arms in his estate, I believe. But the Prince … I have never seen a Prince of Calormen travel with less than a hundred men!"
"A hundred!" Lucy exclaimed in dismay.
"But will the Prince risk fighting us?" Reepicheep asked. "After all His Majesty is the King of Narnia. Would he risk open war with our country?"
Peter considered this.
"I believe that Calormen fears us little." He mused. "In any case, we are far from home. I am sure that the Prince and the Ambassador would make sure that no news of this ever reached Narnia."
He looked around the room.
"The amount of soldiers available to the Prince are about what I expected. We're vastly outnumbered."
He turned to his brother.
"Ed, you're our strategist. Can you suggest anything?"
To Peter's relief he noted that his brother already had that look on his face that he always wore when he had a plan.
Edmund grinned at his brother.
"Why don't we ask the slave King where we can get men?" he asked.
Caspian was about to retort angrily when he caught Edmund's meaning. They needed men, and he had them, slaves all waiting to be freed. Surely they would fight in the name of those that had freed them?"
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Lucy leaned on the rail of the Dawn Treader, waiting for her brothers and the Telmarine Lords to return from the slavers' ships. It had been decided that it would be easier to persuade the slaves to fight with the Narnians if Caspian did not go with them. Many associated his name with fear and slavery. It would take time and effort to change this conception. Time that they did not yet have. Bern and Glozelle had accompanied Peter and Edmund, as the slavers would know that Bern had authority to act on Caspian's behalf and Glozelle knew many of the slaves and their leaders and could prove invaluable.
Lucy heard a step behind her on the deck and turned.
"Caspian" she smiled, motioning the King to join her.
Caspian stepped to her side and leaned on the rail beside her.
"I admit, I was not sure of my welcome." He told her. "I know that you cannot be happy with what I have done … with how I have acted."
Lucy considered the King beside her.
"Of course I am not happy." She told him. "But, you have admitted what you have done. You have determined to set it right. And it is not up to me to judge you. It is up to Aslan to do that."
Caspian's face paled.
He had been avoiding thinking of Aslan at all in the past years. Had dreaded what He might say, what He might do.
Caspian shook himself. This was one of the many consequences that he would have to deal with. Perhaps the greatest one.
He smiled at his friend to let her know that he understood. They stood on the deck in companionable silence for a time and then Caspian remembered what he had meant to ask Lucy.
"Lucy?"
"Hmm?"
"I meant to ask. I seem to remember a story of Queen Susan and another Calormen Prince?"
Lucy turned to him, her face sombre.
"Rabadash." She said, her face serious. "I have been thinking about him too. I can tell you about it. But I warn you, it isn't so much a story as it is a nightmare!"
And so the young Queen told Caspian the tale of the handsome Calormene Prince who had come to Narnian seeking the hand of the Gentle Queen.
How Susan, who knew how the small land of Narnia would benefit greatly from such an alliance had persuaded herself half in love with the Prince and was ready to accept his proposal.
How her brothers and sister, not entirely trusting the Prince's seemingly benign character had persuaded Susan to see the Prince first in his own home where she could better sketch his true character.
She told how, the Prince's true character had indeed been unveiled in his home. That of a bloody, cruel dictator.
Lucy told of how Susan and Edmund had fled, but not before Susan had met with the Prince one last time, to sooth his suspicions that his suit was cooling, in order to allow them greater freedom to flee Calormen.
"Susan never told anyone what happened in that meeting with Rabadash." Lucy concluded. "Never told us what she had to say, had to do to have the Prince believe that she still considered his proposal and was not a flight risk … and I have never had the heart or the courage to ask her, valiant though Aslan named me.
Susan never wanted to discuss any of it. She felt so guilty that Archenland and Narnia had to battle the Calormens because of Rabadash. Felt the weight of those that died in that battle!"
Caspian prised his hands from the rail on the deck. He did not realise that he had been gripping it so hard, until his fingers began tingling as he released his hold.
That Susan had been through so much. That she might now be suffering a similar fate. That she might feel that now too, she would have to encourage this Prince in order to win her freedom. And it was all his fault! How many other slaves had suffered similar fates because of him? Caspian turned and retched over the side of the ship.
Lucy came closer to him and rubbed his back soothingly.
"We will save her." She reassured him. "And Susan, she is much stronger than you think. Aslan named her 'Gentle' yet there is a strength in her that few suspect. Many have made the mistake of thinking gentle means soft and too late have discovered the barb beneath the beautiful surface of my sister. Let us hope that this Calormene Prince discovers it to his detriment!"
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Only the battle-hardened senses of the two Kings stopped them from gagging and covering their faces at the rancid odour in the hold of the slave ship.
This was the largest of the three galleys anchored in the bay. Despite Caspian's pronouncement at the market freeing the slaves, the hold was still packed full of slaves.
Lord Bern was arguing with the captain.
"Many heard my Lord King's announcement." He told the man. "King Caspian ordered all the slaves free and banned slavery on these islands."
The captain's face took on a belligerent cast and he looked ready to argue, but then his eyes darted to the armed sailors that had accompanied the Kings from the Dawn Treader.
"Very well!" he spat on the floor at Bern's feet and threw the Lord his keys. "You are welcome to them. But what you intend to do with such a motely lot is a mystery to me."
And with that he climbed the ladder to the deck motioning to his two handlers with their whips to follow.
The hollow, hungry eyes of the slaves on the ship followed the movements of the slavers and then returned to the Kings and the Lords, their faces suspicious.
Peter motioned for the sailors to take the keys and they moved around the hold freeing the slaves from their shackles. As the sailors moved around the stinking hold, Peter spoke to the slaves. He noted that many were not in a condition to fight, but he had to win as many of them over to their cause as he could.
"King Caspian has ordered every slave in these islands free." He started.
"Aye" interrupted a voice from the back "and put most of us here in the first place!"
Peter looked the slave who had spoken in the eye.
"That is true" he replied, refusing to lie to the slaves or to try to minimise what had happened to them.
"But now he is reformed … or reforming, and he would have you be free. But in return he asks a boon of you. He asks that you fight with us, to free another who has been made a slave."
"We will do nothing for Caspian!" another voice called, many of the slaves nodded and murmured in agreement.
"Why should we fight with him when he is with the one who sold us into slavery?"
"What of us?" Peter gestured to himself and Edmund. "Would you fight for us?"
"Pah" one of the slaves spat.
"You hide him now, but we know that you are with Caspian."
Edmund stood forward.
"We may be with Caspian, but we are not under his command. We too are Kings of Narnia."
"And what if you are?" returned the first that had spoken. "Kings of Narnia … we know what that means! Slavery! Tyranny!"
Peter looked at his brother his face saddened. They had expected the slaves to resent Caspian, but not that they would believe that they too were capable of the same acts!
Edmund spoke softly.
"Once it meant something different to be a King or Queen of Narnia!
It meant to live and sacrifice for your people.
To put their needs first.
To serve and protect them,
not the other way around."
Many of the slaves, seeing the sincerity in the Just King's face appeared to be wavering. However the first spoke again.
"Fine words" he spat. "But if we do not fight. You will refuse to free us! You will keep us slaves!"
"No" Edmund replied going up to the man and placing his hand on his shoulder.
"We will still free you and strive to return you to your families."
At this the slaves look shocked. They had not expected this, none of them had. Glozelle spoke up then.
"Many of you know me, I too have been a slave, have lived among you. You know that I am a man of my word. And I tell you … these Kings, High King Peter and King Edmund are different. They are the Kings from the golden age of Narnina and they seek to free their sister Queen Susan.
They fought against a Tyrant, they fought to free Narnia and now they free you … will you help them free another … or would you leave her to face the fate that many of you have faced, that your sisters and daughters have faced?
These Kings will let you be free no matter what you decide, I promise you that.
So go on your way … be free … but first … make that freedom mean something … fight for it … Fight for King Peter and King Edmund!
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Caspian restrained the impulse to roll his eyes. He had been pacing the decks, unable to settle as he waited for Peter and Edmund to return. He had needed something to distract him and so had decided to combine this with his new resolve to be nicer to others.
"No Eustace, the Bishop can only move diagonally!"
"What about the horsey thing?"
Caspian heard a smothered laugh from behind him where Lucy was watching the proceedings with scarcely veiled amusement.
"The Knight … can move … either in a 'L' shape or a '7' shape."
"In a diagonal then … like the Bishop."
"No not quite."
"But you said …"
Caspian sighed. In hindsight, perhaps it would have been better to start with an easier person than the Pevensie's annoying cousin.
"You're not very good at explaining are you? You know Alberta says that I, on the other hand, have excellent descriptive linguistics."
"You know what Eustace … let us continue this later … when I'm more … when I'm less …"
A guffaw sounded from behind him.
"Less likely to throw him over the side?" Trumpkin suggested.
Caspian grinned at the dwarf as Eustace stomped off in a sulk.
He and trumpkin had been friends … good friends … perhaps here was a better place to start. He gestured at the barrel that Eustace had vacated.
"Chess Trumpkin?"
That's all for now. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed - it's so encouraging. I can't reply to anonymous reviews directly so thanks for those!
Maedhbh