Susan had at first hoped for rescue but quickly realized the force of one hundred Calormenes was too large. Narnia did not keep a standing army at Cair Paravel and had not been prepared for this treacherous attack. As the troop rode though the woods, Susan learned to her horror that they came through Archenland and that while King Lune and his nobles were out hunting, the Calormenes easily stormed Anvard and took possession of the castle. She had cried when she saw Anvard in the distance with the Tisroc's flag flying overhead. The rest of Rabadash's troops were at the castle. More troops were arriving to keep the castle securely in Calormene hands.
They did not go to the castle but rather to the coast where they boarded a ship. The Calormenes had ridden across the desert to attack Anvard but once the castle was secure, Rabadash had sent for the ships. Susan, Nola and Deidre were locked into a small cabin and left alone for about three hours. Then the door opened and Rabadash came in followed by two soldiers and a slave. The slave put down a tray of food and drink.
Prince Rabadash said "Ladies, please leave us."
Lady Nola bravely replied "It is not proper for you to be alone with her Majesty. We will stay."
Rabadash motioned to the soldiers and said "I do not care what you think is proper. You can walk out or the soldiers will drag you out by your hair."
Susan quickly said "It is alright Lady Nola. You and Lady Deidre may leave."
As the soldiers closed the door, Susan turned to Rabadash and said "I must plead for the safety of my ladies, your Highness. They do not deserve to be mistreated in anyway."
Rabadash slowly smiled and replied "Their safety depends totally on your behavior, Susan. If you cooperate, they will not be harmed."
Susan calmly asked "And what cooperation are you seeking, your Highness?"
Rabadash replied "That is a foolish question, my beautiful queen. I only want what I always wanted which is for you to be my wife. You encouraged me at Cair Paravel and at first in Tashbaan. Then your brother obviously turned your heart away from me. You made a fool of me by fleeing Tashbaan in the midst of the night. Now you will return to my fair city and be properly repentant of your misbehavior. You will marry me and stay in Tashbaan. Besides, you belong in our great city blessed by the gods not in your barbarian woods."
"Why in the name of Aslan would you still want to marry me?" asked Susan.
Rabadash grabbed her arm and pulled her close. Susan tried to shake off his hold but he was much stronger.
"Even though you are a false jade, I still love you. I cannot sleep and my food has no savor because of your beauty. I must have you even if you are a proud, false daughter of a dog" replied the angry prince. "I am a descendent of Tash the Irresistible. Your Aslan is powerless next to the great god Tash."
Susan suddenly felt a wave of anger rather than fear as she replied "How dare you? Have you ever met Tash? No! He is a gold statue in a temple. I watched Aslan die on the stone table and I watched Him come back to life the next morning. I have ridden on His back and felt the healing power of His breath. He crowned me a queen of Narnia. I know He will not let me spend my life in captivity as your wife. You must release me and let me return to Narnia."
"You are a stubborn woman. I am the heir to the greatest empire in the world. I am offering you jewels and wealth you cannot imagine and you talk about a demon lion. You are mine and I will never let you go" yelled Rabadash.
He pulled Susan close and kissed her. She tried to pull away from the kiss but he held her tightly.
"Why are you being so false? You enjoyed my kisses when I was at Cair Paravel" said Rabadash.
"I did enjoy your kisses" replied Susan, trying to stay calm. "When you visited us at Cair Paravel, you behaved like a perfect knight and prince. You were kind and courteous and romantic. Your kisses were gentle and sweet not cruel like this. You held me like I was precious not leaving bruises in my arms as you are now. When you were at Cair Paravel, I did think I could love you. My royal brothers did not trust you. I should have listened to them but to my folly I did not. Later in Tashbaan, I learned how cruel and arrogant you were. You were not the same prince as in Cair Paravel. You call me false but you were false when you visited us. My behavior and what I value has been consistent, your Highness."
Rabadash released her and stepped back. Susan looked at the rage in his face and took a deep breath. She felt fear replaced her righteous anger.
"You obviously need more time to contemplate your situation, Madam, and more distance from your brothers who are barbarians and do not understand how royalty behave. I believe you will do best with silent contemplation so I will have your ladies moved to another cabin" replied Rabadash. "We will talk again tomorrow."
He walked out of the cabin. The door slammed behind him and was bolted shut.
Susan sank down on the bed and began to cry.