The point of view of Prince Corin of Archenland

I looked up and saw the window I had been seeking. I scrambled down the short wall and landed lightly as I could on the roof. I slowly and lightly walked across the roof. The window was a little higher than I thought. I stopped and listened. No noise. Hopefully everyone was at dinner or a party. Although it would just be postponing the scolding I knew I would receive. I jumped up and grasped the windowsill. I slowly pulled myself up. I heard a crash as a vase on the windowsill fell onto the floor. By the Lion, what else could go wrong?

I pulled myself up and pulled one leg over so I was sitting on the windowsill. Then I saw the last thing I was ever expecting. I saw myself. Well, a boy who looked just like me. We stared at each other in astonishment.

I finally croaked "Who are you?"

He scrambled to his feet. Our faces looked the same – although he didn't have the black eye or missing tooth that I had at the moment. His hair was a little longer, a little shaggier but the same wavy blond hair as my hair. His clothes were old, tattered like the tunics I had seen some of the Calormene slaves wearing. He had no shoes.

The strange boy asked "Are you Prince Corin?"

"Yes, of course" I replied "But who are you?"

"Nobody" replied the boy who proceeded to tell me how King Edmund had seen him in the street and brought him back to the palace.

I immediately had visions of what fun we could have – someone who looked just like me – this could be very interesting. But the strange boy wanted to leave immediately. He was afraid of being caught by King Edmund and forced to stay.

We only talked for a few minutes before he fled – he had been a slave his whole life. He was escaping across the desert with a talking horse named Bree. It sounded quite exciting to me. He told me that King Edmund had decided that the Narnians would flee in their ship tonight. I wished the strange boy would stay but he insisted on leaving. I had a feeling we could be friends if we met again.

"I hope we meet in Archenland. Go to my father King Lune and tell him you are a friend of mine" I said. Then I heard the sound of voices. "Look out" I said "I hear someone coming."

The stranger climbed out the window quickly and dropped to the roof. I watched him run across the roof and start to climb the wall. I heard the door open and turned around.

Queen Susan and King Edmund walked through the door and stared at me in astonishment. Several courtiers including Master Tumnus followed them into the room.

I smiled which demonstrated my missing tooth.

Queen Susan let out a cry. "Corin, dearest Corin. What happened to you?" exclaimed the queen.

King Edmund demanded "We left you lying on the sofa. By the Lion, how did you get a black eye and lose a tooth lying on the sofa? And what happened to your clothes? If this is a joke, prince, it is not an amusing joke."

"Edmund, don't scold him" pleaded Queen Susan. "He has been hurt. Dear playmate, what happened?"

I paused and looked out the window. No sign of the stranger.

"Well, it started yesterday, your Majesties" I explained. "I was walking near the palace when I heard a boy make a beastly joke about Queen Susan. I won't tell you what it was but it made me angry so I hit him. He ran and got his brother and I hit him too and knocked him down. Then they chased me and I got lost in the street. Then the watch came along and I fought those three men but they knocked me down and then they locked me up overnight. I wasn't trying to run away or anything. It just happened. It took me a while to find my way back. And then I climbed through the window and met the boy you picked up in the street."

King Edmund urgently said "What happened to the boy? He listened to all our plans! Who was he?"

"I don't know" I answered. "He said he was a slave who was escaping to the North with a talking horse from Narnia. He was very eager to leave and meet up with his friends. He climbed out the window and left."

King Edmund exclaimed "You let him leave? How could you do that? He may betray our plans to Prince Rabadash."

I shook my head and said "No sire. I don't know what plans you are talking about but he was honest and all he wanted was to return to his friends and get to the North. I can't believe he would betray us to Calormenes."

"Sire, if the boy was a runaway slave, I can't imagine he would seek out a Calormene to betray us. My sense is that Prince Corin is right and that this boy was a good-hearted boy. He probably is heading to the desert right now trying to escape from this wicked empire" said Tumnus.

"I hope you are right Master Tumnus" said King Edmund. He then turned to me. "This is your fault, Prince Corin. If you hadn't been so foolish to get into a fight and go missing, we would not be facing this possible betrayal."

"But I couldn't let that fool make a joke about Queen Susan. I wasn't looking for a fight. It just happened" I protested.

I was feeling a bit indignant. I admired King Edmund greatly but I was frustrated that he didn't appreciate the fact that I had been defending Queen Susan's honor. I adored Queen Susan. She was like a queen from a legend – beautiful, graceful, sweet and gentle. She hadn't taken the place of my dead mother but she had been a special confident who was always kind and patient. I wasn't a knight yet but I wouldn't allow anyone to make a joke about Queen Susan.

"I have never met anyone, prince or lord or knight or any boy, to whom more things 'just happen' than your Highness" said King Edmund. Despite his words being stern, he was smiling slightly.

"Corin didn't mean to cause trouble and he was defending my honor. I seem to remember a time when thou frequently got into trouble my dear brother" commented Queen Susan.

King Edmund laughed and said "Yes Madam, I also remember those days but I was younger than Corin is now and I was not the Crown Prince of Archenland at that time but an ordinary boy. But there is nothing we can do but hope the stranger does not betray us. My heart tells me that Corin is correct and the boy will simply escape to the North. By the Lion, let us hope his escape is clean and no one questions him."

Queen Susan wrinkled her pretty nose and asked "Dearest Corin while thou was escaping, did thou hide in a garbage heap? There is quite an unpleasant odor."

I smiled and said "I am afraid so, your Majesty. I should probably take a bath."

Queen Susan said "At once. Bathe and throw away those clothes. Lady Alyce has some healing herbs. I will ask her to make a potion for your eye and other scrapes. Go now and hurry. We have to leave for the ship in an hour. I'll send for some more food and drink so you can eat after you are done bathing."

I asked "Is it true? Are we escaping? This means you aren't going to marry that horrid Rabadash?"

The beautiful queen answered "Yes, we are making our escape back to Narnia this evening. Rabadash will be furious when he realizes I have refused his suit. Now go and get ready my dear playmate."

I was delighted that Queen Susan was not going to marry Prince Rabadash. I never understood why she even considered his suit. I was ready to leave this rotten city and return home to the North.