Author's Note: A day late, but better late than never! I'm most glad to be home after a most hectic excursion in Los Angeles. The Reagan Library is wonderful, though, and well worth the train fiasco that ensued in the getting there.
Anyway, thank you to my wonderful reviewers and their proofreading help. I always appreciate it, and I have made some revisions to this chapter accordingly. Special thanks to OldFashionedGirl, who helped a lot with Niusha's character.
I hope you enjoy the next chapter, dedicated to all my reviewers who wanted to see Juliana tossed to the wolves. Happy reading!
Disclaimer: Narnia isn't mine. See previous chapters.
Chapter the Eighteenth: Traitor Discovered
Galen awoke later than usual the next morning, feeling slightly groggy despite sleeping deeply the night before. The groggy feeling did not last long, however, after Galen looked out the window. The sun was clear and bright, and the land smelled the refreshingly wet, clean, grassy way it does after a good rain. After donning his soft blue cambric shirt, leather jerkin, trousers, boots, and sword-belt, the Narnian ventured out into the castle in search of breakfast. He hurried through the kitchen, and snagged a bit of biscuit and some sausage as he dodged around the bustling cooks. Galen ducked out the other kitchen doorway and nearly ran into Ayden in the process.
"Oh, good! There you are, Galen. Have you seen Lyra? She did not come for practice this morning."
"No, I've not seen her. What a strange morning this is indeed! I only just got up. Perhaps Lyra slept in as well?"
"Nay, I've already checked her rooms, and they are deserted. It may be nothing, but I'm beginning to worry. She usually never misses our morning duels," Ayden mused concernedly.
"Let us go look then," Galen replied.
"Aye," Ayden nodded.
The pair hurried through castle, narrowly avoiding crashing into several courtiers. The search of the infirmary, throne room, great hall, even the dungeons (although Ayden said he hardly thought she would go down there) proved fruitless.
"I do declare I am at my wit's end," said Ayden, puzzled. "Where could she have gone?"
"Perhaps the glen?"
"Of course, she must be there!"
Galen hurried up the stairs and out into the castle courtyard, Ayden at his heels. They set a moderate pace through the woods and quickly came up upon a familiar little stream. Galen hopped across and clambered up the rocks.
"Lyra!" Ayden called, "Aren't you here, sister?"
Only the roar of the waterfall answered him, and it became apparent that they were alone. The two boys returned the castle discouraged. Upon entering it, they found a great uproar in the courtyard. Soldiers blocked the way out of the courtyard, and the heavy keep doors were shut. The noise was coming from a good number of the local villagers, come into Anvard to see the Stone Knife, who were kept from leaving the courtyard.
"What is going on here?" Ayden demanded of the soldier in front of them.
"The Stone Knife is missing, my lord."
"What?" Ayden exclaimed incredulously, glancing at Galen, then back at the soldier. At the soldier's words, Galen's heart skipped a beat, and he gripped the hilt of his sword. Ayden paused a moment, looked down, then straightened with determination.
"Seal the castle!" He barked. "Search every one of these people. Report to me when you are finished."
"Aye, my lord," the soldier snapped to attention briefly, then ran to carry out Ayden's orders. By the time the Narnian and Archenlander reached the castle keep, they could hear the sound of the heavy portcullis clanging closed. The two entered the castle and pushed through a crowd of nobles to reach the Stone Knife Gallery. King Lorn and Queen Layla, along with General Astrophel and several lords, stood inside.
"Father, what happened? How was the Stone Knife taken?" Ayden asked as they reached them.
"Ayden, Sir Galen, - good. I was about to send for you. No one seems to know how it was taken, only that the Knife was discovered missing this morning by some of the villagers who had come to see it. I want you to organize a search of the entire castle. Search every single chamber, every single person. Your sister can help as well."
"That is just it, your majesty," Galen interjected. The king looked at him quizzically. "We cannot find her either," he explained.
"Surely she has just gone on a walk to escape the castle, as she is wont to do. Have you checked the glen?" Layla suggested.
"We have, mother. She missed practice this morning and I did not see her at breakfast."
The room went silent as the occupants looked at each other, wondering what evil was afoot.
"Then the search is doubly important. Make haste," King Lorn instructed. Ayden nodded, turned on his heel, and left with a determined stride. Galen lingered a half a moment more, eyes resting on the empty pedestal where the Stone Knife had rested the day before. Then he turned and followed Ayden.
"I should never have left it there," thought the Narnian to himself, shaking his head and looking up to the ceiling, hand never leaving the hilt of his sword.
The pair continued walking, descended a level to the chamber reserved for knights' living quarters.
"Knights of Archenland, attend," Ayden ordered once they reached it. At once, a great many knights gathered around him.
"The Stone Knife and the Princess Lyra are missing. We are to turn this castle upside down until they are found. Gather ten soldiers, each of you, and sweep the section of the castle you are assigned. Report to the throne room as soon as you are finished."
Ayden, Galen, and two of the more senior knights divided a map of the castle into small sections to be searched and assigned one to each knight, ordering them to leave no room unsearched.
All of the knights along with Ayden and Galen went about the business of searching the castle at once. Galen and his party of soldiers were assigned to search the stables and practice yard.
"Aiolos!" Galen called as he and two soldiers entered the stable. "Have you seen Princess Lyra?"
"Why, no, I haven't, my friend. Her horse is still here, though. What is the matter?"
"Lyra is missing, and the Stone Knife has been stolen!"
"By the Lion! Where, who-?"
"I don't know, my friend. Would you help us search?"
"Certainly!" the Horse answered determinedly, pushing open the stall door and following his fellow Narnian. The two finished searching the stables, and rejoined the soldiers who were looking through the grassy practice yard. Galen ducked into the armory, searching behind every sword and bow. However, everything was in its proper place, and he looked around the armory disappointedly. He exited the armory back out to the practice yards.
"Have you found anything at all?"
"No, Sir Galen, we've not," the nearest soldier answered with a shrug. Aiolos whinnied and shook his mane, indicating his own negative results.
"We might as well return to the throne room, then," said Galen.
He and the soldiers returned to the throne room, where Ayden and the knights who had already finished their searching were discussing the matters at hand.
"Nothing in the second quarter?"
"Not a thing out of place, my lord," a knight was answering him.
"Anything, Sir Galen?" Ayden looked up and asked as he entered. Galen shook his head in response.
"The princess's horse is still in the stable. Other than that, we have found nothing."
"Nor have we, although several parliament members are lodging complaints with the king at their chambers being searched."
"Hardly surprising, my lord," one knight smirked, eliciting a laugh from all present.
"What of the villagers?" Galen inquired.
"No one was concealing anything, so I let them go."
"Prince Ayden!" An urgent voice interrupted from behind Ayden. All turned to see a knight standing in the stairwell doorway behind the thrones.
"Have you found something?"
The knight nodded grimly.
"You had better come see for yourself, my lord."
Lyra awoke to the sound of methodical wooden creaking. She blinked several times as her surroundings came into focus, her head throbbing with every heartbeat. She became aware of a rocking motion, and finally realized where she was: lying on one seat of a Calormene traveling carriage. The seats were padded with long cushions, although the cloth was a plain woven indigo. Lyra sat up, and her head began to throb more. She tried to raise a hand to her head, but found her wrists tightly bound with rope.
"Good morning, your highness," a small, almost shy voice startled the Archenlander. Lyra looked up to see a girl only a little younger than herself sitting across from her. She wore soft ivory colored pantaloons, a light, long coral colored tunic with long sleeves, and a yellow sash was tied around her waist. The girl's skin was a dark olive, her eyes and hair jet black.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Lyra demanded.
"I am Niusha, your highness. Prince Karim assigned me to attend you."
"You mean to watch me and make sure I do not escape?" Lyra asked pointedly.
"Yes, your highness," the girl answered, avoiding Lyra's gaze.
"I see. And where, pray tell, are we heading?"
"Prince Karim's manor, your highness, near the Three Lakes."
"Ha! So he was not called back to Tashbaan after all. 'Tis no great surprise. Do you know, then, what plans the cowardly prince has in store for me, Niusha?" Lyra spoke scornfully, looking casually out the window as though bored, although she was in reality making a tactical assessment of the surrounding area, which was covered in trees at present.
"From what I have heard from the other servants, he means to make you his wife, your highness."
"He said as much last night, although I will not allow that to happen."
"But surely it cannot be too terrible a thing? You would be a lady of high standing in the very household of the Tisroc (may he live forever)."
"I was perfectly happy in Archenland, and to marry this weasel of an excuse for a prince is not what I want."
"In Calormen it does not matter what women want. We must accept what we are given, and be grateful for it."
Lyra looked at her in shock.
"How can you accept this?" She asked incredulously.
"Is it not natural for things to be this way? Men protect us, and we provide for their comfort. It has always been this way, your highness."
"No! It has not always been this way, and it is not how things are done in Archenland. A woman is every bit the equal of a man and I cannot understand how any woman could accept such conditions as you describe! Why do you not fight back?" Lyra shot back.
"Even if we wished to fight, how could we? We are not as strong, not allowed to learn the use of weapons, and neither the priests nor the courts recognize us as legal equals. This is how things are, and this is how they will remain forever."
"I thank the Lion that I was not born Calormene, then," she said quietly. "And I will not set foot there, I assure you," she finished, looking at the servant girl with fire in her eyes.
Galen, Ayden, and several more senior knights followed the knight down the staircase behind the thrones to the corridors beneath the castle. Galen had never been down in these tunnels, and looked around with interest.
"Over here, my lord," the knight pointed towards the wine storage room. Ayden stepped towards the room, Galen at his heels. Upon entering the room, a grisly sight awaited them. Blood pooled on the floor, mixing with wine trickling from a broken barrel. A Calormene soldier, who the two boys recognized as part of the prince's personal guard, lay dead on the floor. A straight Archen sword, stained with crimson, lay in the corner.
"What happened here?" Galen asked aloud, bewildered. Ayden, face ashen, picked up the sword.
"This is Lyra's. And that Calormene her handiwork. I would recognize her style anywhere." The Archen prince leaned against the wall, finding his knees weak for a moment. "I should have been more careful to protect her!" He whispered, eyes still lingering on his sister's blade. "How could she have let herself fall prey to such a trap?"
"I do not understand either," Galen puzzled, but a slip of paper that had gotten stuck to the back of the door caught Galen's eye.
"Ayden, look at this!" Galen reached down and picked it up. His eyes widened as he read it. "Why, I did not write this! I have never been down here before, and did not even know these tunnels existed."
"She was betrayed!" Ayden exclaimed, taking the letter. "And by one of the court of Anvard, I'll wager, for the handwriting looks oddly familiar, but I cannot seem to place where I last saw it."
"I surely hope you remember," replied Galen, grasping his sword hilt out of habit.
"Keep this area secure," Ayden ordered the knights as they turned to the other door in the room. Galen and Ayden followed the other corridor for a little space.
"Look-there is more blood," Galen pointed to the splattered crimson droplets on the side of the corridor. "At least one of them was wounded."
Ayden looked back towards Galen, his eyes communicating unspoken worry for his sister. He hurried down the corridor at a faster pace. Soon, the corridor lead to stairwell and the two followed it.
"Is there nothing Calormenes will not do?" Galen exclaimed as they came to the top of the stairs, which opened into the now-empty Stone Knife Gallery.
"No. There is nothing to which they will not resort if they want something," Ayden affirmed grimly, almost bitterly. The two hurried back to the throne room, where the king and queen were waiting.
"Anything?" an anxious Queen Layla inquired.
"We found a dead Calormene, mother, and Lyra's sword beside him, along with the letter that betrayed her to them."
"Then the spurned prince has taken her?"
"Aye, mother, we fear so."
"And the Stone Knife?"
"We can only conclude it was he as well."
"Organize a pursuit party immediately, then! Well armed and well supplied."
"And should we need to cross Calormene borders?"
"The crown of Archenland cannot officially recognize such a mission, as you know, Ayden," King Lorn answered. "But we have been sorely provoked, and I have no patience for diplomacy. Lion be with you, my son."
Ayden smiled a little and nodded, turning to gather the party. Galen made his way towards his room to prepare for the journey to rescue Lyra as well as recover the Stone Knife.
"Hello, Sir Galen," a voice spoke from behind him in the corridor, startling him from his concerned musings.
"Hello, Lady Juliana," Galen replied with a sigh, impatiently turning around and recognizing the speaker.
"The castle seems quite abuzz this day, I see," she remarked casually.
"Indeed," Galen replied wryly.
"I say, why don't we go for a ride in the countryside, just you and me! It would be so lovely to get away from this bustling castle for a while."
"You act as though there is nothing at all the matter, my lady, when Princess Lyra has been abducted and the Stone Knife stolen. I daresay you act almost pleased!"
"Why, whatever do you mean?"
"You behave as though Princess Lyra is kidnapped every other day and there is nothing at all amiss in such an attack. Why are you so nonchalant?" Galen inquired pointedly, suspicion coloring his voice.
"I am sure I do not know what you are talking about, good sir," Juliana flipped her hair behind her.
Galen did not reply for a moment, as his gaze was drawn to the stunning emerald, and the intricate Calormene insignia engraved on it, that hung around the Archen lady's neck.
"Oh, do you like my necklace?" She asked, noticing where his attention had gone. The Narnian did not reply, but a spark of realization flickered in his blue eyes. More swiftly than Juliana could have anticipated, the green-eyed lady found herself pinned to the wall, Galen's hand around her throat.
"You are the traitor!" he growled. "What have you done with Lyra and the Stone Knife?"
Juliana shrieked, but her cry was cut short by the Narnian knight's grasp.
"I don't know what you are talking about!" She gasped. "How dare you lay hands on me, a lady of the court, in so unchivalrous a fashion!"
"I have grown tired of your scheming attentions, my lady, and I will have them no more, blast chivalry. You wrote the letter, did you not? You lead Lyra into the trap!"
Juliana did not answer.
"No matter. You will answer to the king."
Galen released his hold on the treacherous girl, then seized her arm firmly, drew his dagger from his boot, and settled the sharp edge along Juliana's throat. She coughed as Galen released her, then gasped at the sight of the razor sharp Narnian blade.
"You, a knight, cannot do this to a lady!"
"You little deserve the title 'lady,'" he scoffed. "Chivalry will not save you if you choose to try to escape, I promise you."
Juliana, now shaking, nodded speechlessly, and Galen began to practically drag her away towards the throne room.
"Your majesties!"
"Sir Galen, what is the meaning of this?" King Lorn exclaimed upon seeing Galen and his captive.
Galen unceremoniously deposited Juliana on her knees in front of the thrones.
"She has betrayed Archenland, your majesty. Do you recognize the jewel around her neck? I last saw it around Prince Karim's. I little doubt it was she who lead the princess into the Calormenes' trap and by whose help the Stone Knife was taken."
"Lady Juliana, is this true?"
"How dare this simple knight make such accusations and threaten my noble person!" Juliana screeched. "I have done nothing wrong!"
"Oh really?" Ayden answered. "I now recognize whose hand wrote that letter- it is yours and no other, traitoress," Ayden declared.
"Search her rooms!" The king ordered, and a knight and several soldiers hurried to follow his orders.
A little while passed, Galen pacing impatiently behind Juliana, his hand grasping his sword hilt. None too soon for Galen the soldiers returned, one of them holding a little chest and the other holding a letter.
"What have you found?"
"Your majesty, we found this chest of jewels, emblazoned with Prince Karim's standard, under her bed, and this letter in the waste basket."
"Let me see the letter," said the queen, and the soldier complied. She proceeded to read the crumpled letter, then exclaimed, "This is from Prince Karim requesting Lady Juliana's help in abducting Lyra, with the promise of payment afterwards! What could have possessed you to do such a thing, Juliana?" The queen asked incredulously.
"She was always meddling in my affairs! I have no allegiance to her, and I hope you never find her!" Juliana snarled.
"I see," the queen's face hardened, her husband's countenance equally darkened. "You will tell us what we need to know. Where has Prince Karim taken Lyra?" The queen demanded.
"I do not know," Juliana answered petulantly.
"Your majesties, perhaps we might take the lady on a little excursion to meet the new inhabitants of the Archen forest?" Galen suggested icily.
"The wolves?" Ayden grinned.
"The wolves." Galen confirmed. "I daresay they would find her an easy meal."
"You...you wouldn't...couldn't do that!" Juliana stammered, eyes wide with fear.
"As much as I we might like to do so," the queen interjected, "Guards, take the traitoress away. Lock her in the dungeon. Perhaps that will change her mind. Ayden, Sir Galen, make haste in your pursuit. Lion guard your way."
The two bowed, then left the throne room.
In less than an hour Ayden, Galen, Aiolos, and ten Archen knights streamed out the castle gates towards the south.
"Any tracks, Sir Ferian?" Ayden asked one of the knights, who was a skilled tracker as well.
"Nay, my lord, none of use. Last knight's rains have obscured any tracks that were left. Perhaps we will find some beneath the trees."
"Spread out, everyone! Yell if you find any sign of the Calormene party!" Ayden ordered.
The knights spread out, and Aiolos kept his sharp eyes on the path.
"Here!" Shouted one after a little while.
"You found the trail?"
"Aye. It leads to the southwest."
"And you are sure it is Calormene? Sir Ferian, what think you?
"No other sort of people would take so many wagons through the forest, my lord."
"Then let us make haste!"
The party moved as quickly as they could, but tracking is a tedious business and the forest darkened all too soon. Galen looked out through the trees, where he could see the sun's last golden beams disappearing behind the western mountains.
"We must make camp," Galen declared dejectedly, gaze lingering on the mountaintops, glowing as though aflame.
"I agree. We cannot follow the trail in darkness," said Ayden, equally disheartened.
Soon a campfire brought a little bit of light and warmth to the cold, dark forest around them. The knights gathered their cloaks around themselves and made the most of the lackluster food they had with them.
"I hope she's alright," Ayden said quietly, staring into the dancing flames.
Galen pulled his cloak tighter around himself. "Me too," he answered softly.
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