Author's Note: I want to thank everyone for all of their reviews! I've appreciated them. If you've been reading and not reviewing, go ahead and review. It's not too late! Hope you enjoy. I finally got some action in there.
Hassin smiled as he watched the King, Edmund, ride away. With him went the entire 300 person army that made up the Castle Guard. It was a mind boggling array of centaurs, fawns, animals, and a small number of human squires from the human kingdoms. They set out at a quick pace, although it was considerably slower then the messengers that had already been sent out.
Hassin waited until they were out of sight before turning away from the window and going down to the dining hall for breakfast. Already there was Clorin and the Queen, Susan. And standing instead of sitting at the table was a huge centaur.
He was a chestnut color, at least on the horse part. He had long black hair, and piercing eyes. His gaze looked up at his arrival, and seemed to study Hassin. Then it flicked back to the Queen, who was talking to Clorin.
Hassin seated himself at the table beside the Prince, and was soon given food. As he dug in, he listened to the conversation.
"And I want to show you the view from the north tower. You can see everything from there. It's marvelous."
Clorin looked almost bored, but he nodded.
"Sure. I would love to see it."
Hassin grinned into his food. Perfect. He could barricade them up there. All he had to deal with now was the centaur. But that would be easy enough.
He finished his breakfast, then hurried to the harbor.
………………………………...
Jaselle walked into her father's study. He was seated behind a large desk, reading a letter of some sort. He looked up, and gestured for her to sit.
She sat down across from him, and glanced at the papers atop the desk. There was a large map there, with red lines going down from the north. She noticed they went down through Calormene.
Her father looked up at her. His face was stony.
"There are a few things I need to tell you. I need to get them off of my chest."
The King looked down, then continued.
"18 years ago a young woman stumbled up to a castle., with a baby. The prince of the castle took her in, and fell in love with her. He took in the baby as his own, but always knew she wasn't his own."
His gaze lifted, and that was when she realized he was talking about her. She gasped.
She wasn't his? But then, who was she? Who had her mother been? Who was her real father?
The questions swirled around in her head. This couldn't be happening to her. She wasn't ready for it. This wasn't the time.
As Jaselle sat there in shock, her father just watched. Impassively.
"Why didn't you tell me before this?"
The King shrugged.
"Your mother wanted to wait until you were older. Then she died. I had no need to tell you before now."
"Why now, then?"
Her father's face changed slightly. Was that guilt lining his brow? But as slightly as it came, it smoothed back into impassiveness.
"I needed to get it off of my chest. And it won't matter to you now."
Jaselle wasn't sure what he meant.
"Why won't it?"
Finally, emotion. But it was in the form of a smile.
"Once you find out what else I have to tell you, you won't care about that."
His smile widened, and his eyes flashed. Jaselle felt sick to her stomach.
………………………………...
Hassin climbed up onto the deck of the ship. A few moments later, the flag had changed and the cargo vessels were maneuvering into berths. The large cargo doors in the sides came open. Then, instead of cargo or sailors, soldiers came rushing out.
Dozens, then swelling to hundreds of Calormene soldiers rushed out, overwhelming the small number of dock workers, whatever species they were. Then they rushed on towards the castle.
Hassin grinned. Beautiful. He had given specific orders for a small group of the Tisroc(may he live forever)'s soldiers to barricade the entrance into the north tower.
Pulling out a small telescope, he looked up at the window of that particular tower. Sure enough, he could see the Prince and the Queen's backs. They were facing away from the port. It wouldn't have done them any good had they seen the soldiers racing up the shore, but this way they would be unaware for even longer.
Hassin watched as the soldiers ran through the open gates of the castle(foolish people, leaving their gates open) and up into the courtyard. A few seconds later, the leaders were in the castle.
He took this as his cue to follow. Walking down the plank, he started off at a nice pace towards the castle. Shouts, screams, and the occasional clash of metal rang from inside. Hassin's orders were to kill if you must, but take as many prisoners as possible. The Tisroc(may he live forever) enjoyed slaves. The more Hassin pleased his master, the more land he would be given with this castle. Which had already been promised him.
The calm, uncaring nature he had changed suddenly when a shout rang out from inside of the castle. Then a screaming man fell from a second story window. His garb declared him as Calormene.
Hassin began getting anxious. Who or what could have pitched a well-trained Calormene soldier straight out of a window?
His questions were answered when he saw a pair of Calormene soldiers rush out onto a balcony, also on the second floor. They were quickly followed by a large form. Hassin, despite the distance, immediately recognized the General, Oreius.
As he watched the General fight, Hassin began to feel worry seep into his mind. The centuar was easily fighting the two soldiers, and pushing them further and further backwards. Hassin quickened his pace, reaching the gate in around two minutes. As he passed beneath the balcony, a cry came out and a bloodied body plummeted down, striking the earth. Hassin swore and hurried into the castle.
He quickly located the Calormene captain.
"Captain, rally your men. The centuar general is picking them off on the next level.
Minutes later, Hassin, the captain, and almost thirty soldiers charged up the stairs.
Just in time to see the General's flanks disappearing around the next corner. The soldiers charged forward. Hassin ran with them, but paused halfway. Something…
The first of the Calormene soldiers rounded the corner. Immediately, two of them fell back, skewered by a spear. The clash of steel indicated the next one had been more prepared. Hassin shouted, and ran forward.
As he rounded the corner, a rush of air blew over him, knocking him onto his rear. He looked behind him, and saw Oreius rushing to the staircase. The Calormene captain crumpled to the ground in his wake, his head rolling on the hall a few feet away.
Hassin, who had seen that and worse before, grimaced but stood up quickly.
"After him!"
He rallied the men to him and rushed up the staircase, but not before directing a small group of soldiers to go down and come up by another staircase.
They reached the fifth, and highest floor outside of the towers and connecting passageways. Racing along the hall, they reached the entry into the North tower.
The two guards laid dead at their posts. Hassin growled at the half-human General's wake.
The soldiers he had dispatched the other way came up, now increased to around twenty. Hassin directed them to break down the large wooden doors of the other room on this floor, and quickly form a barricade over the door. This may still work to his advantage. If the General was trapped in the tower with the Prince and the insolent Queen, then all three would be out of the way.
If they could make the barricade quickly, and strong enough, to stop the monstrous centuar. Which was what caused sweat, something Hassin almost never had to deal with, to break out on his forehead and neck.
He went to the next room over, and walked out to the balcony. Looking up, Hassin noted the height. Good. They wouldn't be able to jump, or climb, down. He hadn't thought so, but it was better to be careful.
A large seagull flew from the upper window of the tower. It headed south, towards Hassin's homeland. And beyond that, Lorsolum. He shrugged, and went back inside.
………………………………...
The King leaned back, still smiling.
"Why do you really think we called the Narnians here?"
Jaselle felt too sick to reply. She was afraid of the answer.
"Not to bolster a friendship, that's for sure."
He steepled his fingers.
"As you know, we have this Calormene problem. They have a larger, better trained army. And it is focused down here, on their southern border. So we have no chance against them."
He paused. Jaselle began to see where this was going.
"We needed someone who could attack from the north. Like the Narnians, for instance. With their allegiance to the Archenlanders, they have enough military might to cut into the Calormene kingdom. But how to get them to do this?"
His grin turned menacing.
"Well, once their High King became infatuated with you, it was quite easy, actually."
Jaselle gasped. She had been used to manipulate Peter into attacking a land he had no quarrel with? Where many of his subjects, and possibly close friends, would be killed? A wave of guilt washed over her.
And her stepfather wasn't done yet.
"The Narnian army will push the Calormenes south. Where we will come up and crush them between our two armies. And then, of course, wipe out the trusting Narnians as well."
Jaselle was horrified. She tasted bile at the back of her throat.
"Your King Peter will be kept here, and Clorin has his two sisters under control at their castle. Which will be his. I will take the Calormene palace."
He shrugged.
"Maybe, if you cooperate, you can have this one. But for now, you can't be trusted. I'll have to keep you locked up. Peter may find some way to contact his brother. A talking fly, or something. So you will go to your room. Under guard, of course."
Jaselle had to ask one question.
"What will happen to them. Peter, and Susan, and Lucy?"
The King just laughed.
"They will be disposed of properly."
Author's Note: Hope you liked it. To let everyone know, I'll be writing a sequel focusing around Susan after this, and will include her viewpoint of the events here. So watch for that. Read and review, please!
