Early in the morning, Edmund stirred which made Eva, who had fallen asleep next to him, awaken as well.
"You all right?" Caspian asked.
Edmund groaned as he sat up. "Yeah."
Caspian angrily kicked the cell door three more times, but it still didn't budge.
"It's hopeless," an old male voice called from the shadows. "You'll never get out."
"Who's there?" Caspian called.
"Nobody. Just a voice in my head."
The owner of the voice came out of the darkness to reveal an old man with unkempt gray hair and a long, worn beard.
"Lord Bern?"
"Perhaps once, but I'm no longer deserving of that title."
Caspian looked at Eva and Edmund.
"Is he one of the seven?" Edmund asked.
He nodded and slowly knelt down next to the old man.
Lord Bern's brow furrowed when he got a close look at Caspian. "Your face…You remind me of a king I once loved well."
"That man was my father."
Lord Bern's eyes widened. "Oh, my lord." He quickly got down onto his knees and bowed his head. "Please forgive me."
"No, please. Please." Caspian took his arms and helped him to his feet.
"No!" a woman's voice rang out from down in the square. "No!"
"Helaine!"
"Mummy!"
"No!"
"Helaine!"
Edmund and Eva used some of the crags in the cell wall to lift themselves up to the barred window so they could see what was causing the commotion.
Down in the square, Elizabeth, Eustace, and Eva could only watch in horror from their chained positions against the wall as some of the slave traders pulled a cart full of people, including several of those the two girls had befriended the night before, through the square.
A man and a little girl started running after it.
"Please!" the woman in the cart called as she held out her hand for the man.
The man tried to take her hand, but two slave traders punched him away and he fell to the ground.
"Mummy!" the little girl screamed again as she ran to her father.
"Stay with Daddy!" Helaine called back.
"Don't worry!" the man yelled. "I'll find you!"
"Mummy!"
Helaine could only watch her husband and daughter disappear from her view as the cart pulled her away.
Lucy put her hand to her forehead in fear. Elizabeth took her hand in her own and tightly squeezed it.
Up in the cell, Caspian joined the other two at the window and they all watched the slave traders force the people out of the cart and into longboats at the port.
"Where are they taking them?" Caspian asked.
"Keep watching," Lord Bern answered ominously.
The longboats floated away from the port and out to sea. Suddenly, storm clouds and shadows rolled over the ocean, and green mist appeared out of the water. It grew in size with the shadow until it snaked itself around the longboats. When the mist dissipated, the longboats had disappeared without a trace.
The mist and shadow retreated back into the sky and sea as if satisfied with the human offering.
"What happened?" Caspian said.
"It's a sacrifice," Lord Bern told them.
"Where did they go?"
"No one knows."
Edmund, Eva, and Caspian got down from their perch against the window.
"The mist was first seen in the east. Reports of fishermen and sailors disappearing out at sea. We lords made a pact to find the source of the mist to destroy it. They each set sail…but none came back. You see, if they don't sell you to the slave traders, you're likely to be fed to the mist."
"We have to find Lucy and Elizabeth," Edmund said quickly. "Before it's too late."
Eva lightly hit him on the arm. "And Eustace."
"Oh. Right."
Two slave traders barged into the cell and slapped shackles back onto their wrists. Then they roughly pushed the four occupants out of the cell door.
Down in the square, several traders unchained the prisoners from the wall and forced them all to stand in a line behind the bidding area. The auctioneer was the man who had captured Eustace the night before, Pug. One by one, he auctioned off each prisoner to be a slave to a greedy merchant.
Finally, he came to Elizabeth. Pug grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her up onto a small stone block.
"Now for this young lady! She's small, but her callused hands indicate she's no stranger to work." He lightly ran his hand over Elizabeth's cheek. "Perhaps some of you might find other uses for such a beauty."
Elizabeth took shallow breaths as she fought back tears. She looked out at the audience before her and couldn't understand why any of them were so eager to purchase another person and treat them as if they were less than human.
Perhaps it was strange of her to notice in the midst of such a horrific event, but there seemed to be an unusual number of men in blue robes.
"I bid 100!" a man called.
"140!" another shouted.
"200!" yet another called out.
Elizabeth listened as the bids got higher and higher so someone could steal her away and make her his slave. Or worse.
"Sold for 400!" Pug called.
A broad and angry-looking man leered at her as he handed one of the traders 400 gold coins.
Pug slipped a small piece of wood marked 'SOLD' over her head and yanked her away from the stand to be reserved until the auction was complete.
The man then pulled Lucy up onto the stand next.
"I offer 60!"
"I bid 80!"
"100 for the little lady!"
"120!"
"150!"
"Any more bids?" Pug called out.
When no one else placed a bid, he placed the 'SOLD' necklace on Lucy as well then yanked her away to stand next to Elizabeth.
Pug then dragged Eustace onto the block. "And now, for this…fine specimen! Who'll kick off the bidding?"
All of the bidders just looked at each other and stayed silent.
Elizabeth didn't know if Eustace should be relieved or insulted that no one wanted to buy him, and she might've smiled if she wasn't so scared about what was going to happen to her once the bidding was over.
"Come on now," the auctioneer said. "He may not look like much, but, uh…he's strong."
"Yeah, he's strong all right," one man in the audience said. "Smells like the rear end of a minotaur."
"That is an outrageous lie!" Eustace yelled. "I won the school hygiene award two years running!"
Pug raised his eyebrows and nodded. He didn't really understand what the boy meant, but if it got him sold, he could say whatever he wanted. "Come on, someone make a bid!"
"I'll take them off your hands," a familiar voice called as one of the robed figures stepped forward. "I'll take them all off your hands!"
The man whipped off his hood, and to Lucy's surprise and relief, it was Drinian with Reepicheep on his shoulder.
"For Narnia!"
All of the men in blue robes ripped them off to reveal their Narnian armor. "Narnia!" they replied in a battle cry.
Immediately, a brawl broke out in the square between the Narnians and the merchants and traders.
And it was at that moment the other traders led the ones from the cell through the walkway above the square. Seeing his men fighting below, Caspian hit one of the traders across the face with his shackled hands and threw another one over the railing and down to the stone below.
Edmund and Eva hit the other traders, then Edmund wrapped his handcuffs around one trader's neck. "Get the keys!" he ordered.
Eva dug through the man's pocket and snatched the key ring. After undoing hers, Edmund's, and Lord Bern's shackles, she threw the key ring over to Caspian on the walkway beside them so he could undo his own.
Down in the square, Reepicheep used his tiny sword to unlock the manacles on Lucy's wrists and neck.
"Thanks, Reep," she smiled. "I knew you'd come."
"Your Highness."
Lucy picked up a book and slammed it into two of the traders' heads which knocked both of them unconscious. Eustace, panicking at all the fighting, retrieved a set of keys from one of the unconscious traders and undid his shackles before racing down to the port to try to escape from the island.
Elizabeth nervously backed away from everyone. She didn't know how to fight, and she worried that if she tried anything, she might end up getting herself killed.
Drawn out by all of the commotion, people from the city began to come out of hiding and help the others in the fight against the slave traders. Even the faun from last night, who had told Elizabeth and Lucy that there was no hope, took out at least two traders, evidently tired of the heartless men having their way with him and all of the rest of the humans and creatures on the island.
Caspian swung down to the middle of the square on a rope, taking out two more slave traders on the way, while Edmund, Eva, and Lord Bern hopped down the stairs to join in the fighting.
Eva retrieved a fallen sword and showed no mercy to those who had hurt so many people over the years with their greed and lust.
One of the merchants quickly ran up to Elizabeth on the outskirts of the fray. He yanked on her shackles and began leading her to a different port on the other side of the city. "I spent good money on you, girl, don't think I'm going to walk away from here empty-handed."
Elizabeth cried out as she stumbled when he pulled on the chain faster than her feet could go.
The brawl behind her started to get quieter.
"I'll have no complaints or protests from you while you're a servant in my house. You won't like what happens if even the tiniest whisper of contempt reaches my ears."
Tears of fear filled Elizabeth's eyes, and she stumbled again.
The merchant looked back at her. "Are you weeping?" He stopped and clutched her face in his dirtied hand. "Believe me, girl, this will be the last time you'll ever weep in my presence. I don't need tears sullying that beautiful face of yours. You may be my servant now, but I already have other plans for you. Don't even think about letting tears fall from your eyes again."
He raised his hand and struck her across the face so hard that she sprawled onto the ground. She touched her stinging cheek and her hand came away wet with blood. He didn't want tears to 'sully her face' but he was perfectly okay with hitting her?
"Consider that a warning of what happens when you disobey me."
He stepped towards her, and Elizabeth raised her hands in defense.
Then to her utter shock, Caspian sprinted up from behind her and pointed his sword at the merchant. "I'll be taking the young lady back to my ship, sir."
"That's my property, boy! I paid for her and now she's mine."
"All such transactions are now officially null and void. You have ten seconds to turn around and walk away, or I will run you through."
The merchant angrily pulled out a sword and clashed it against Caspian's.
The swordfight lasted about half a minute before Caspian fulfilled his promise and ended the merchant's life.
Elizabeth's previously unshed tears now slipped hesitantly down her cheeks from the immense and overwhelming relief that she was no longer condemned to be the slave to a greedy and evil merchant.
Caspian quickly came over to her and knelt down beside her then helped her into a sitting position. "It's all right now, Elizabeth," he said gently. He used a set of keys to unlock the shackles on her wrists and neck. "It's all over."
Her hands still trembling, she allowed Caspian to help her to her feet.
Caspian looked at the cut on her cheek and her red and raw wrists. "Let's get back to the Dawn Treader so we can take care of that."
Elizabeth nodded so slightly that he almost missed it.
He quickly but gently returned to the main square with her just in time to witness Drinian defeat the last of the slave traders.
All of the citizens of Narrowhaven who had been under the rule of the traders for years cheered for their victory.
Caspian, Edmund, Eva, Lucy, and Drinian led the rest of the Narnians outside the square and back towards the port to return to the ship. All along the pathway, people continued to cheer and sing their praises for the people and creatures who had helped them win back their freedom after so long.
"Your Majesty!" someone exclaimed. "Your Majesty!"
"Hold it," Drinian said firmly as he stopped a man from approaching his king.
"My wife was taken just this morning!"
Caspian recognized the man as the one who had run after the cart an hour ago in an attempt to save his wife from being offered to the mist. "It's all right, Drinian."
Drinian released the man as the man's daughter ran up to him.
"I beg you, take me with you," the man pleaded of Caspian.
"Gael!" another woman called from behind them.
"I want to come," the girl begged, tugging on her father's sleeve.
"No, Gael, stay with your aunt." He turned back to Caspian. "I'm a fine sailor. Been on the seas my whole life."
Caspian smiled. "Of course. You must."
"Thank you!"
Lucy and Elizabeth watched the young girl, Gael, once again run up to her father. "But, Daddy—!"
The man put his hands on Gael's shoulders. "Have I ever not come back?" He hugged his daughter tightly. "Now be good."
He quickly joined the other Narnians while Gael's aunt took her into her arms, both of them sadly watching their father and brother leave the city.
Just as the party reached the port, Lord Bern quickly strode towards them with a sword in his hands. "My king!" he called. "My king!"
Caspian slowly approached him and looked upon the sword which was covered in barnacles from the brine of the seawater.
"This was given to me by your father. I hid it safely in a cave all these years."
"That's an old Narnian sword," Edmund realized.
"It's from your Golden Age. There are seven such swords, gifts from Aslan to protect Narnia. Your father entrusted them to us. Here, take it. And may it protect you."
Caspian gingerly took the sword from his hands, feeling unworthy to even gaze upon it much less touch it. "Thank you, my lord. And we shall find your lost citizens." As they walked towards the longboats, Caspian looked over at his friend. "Edmund."
Edmund turned to look at Caspian, and Caspian held out the sword for him. Edmund smiled as he took the handle and held it up to examine.
Eva smiled a little. She was sure it must've felt wonderful for him to be able to have a tangible piece of his former life here. "He does realize that you're not going to be able to fight with it looking like that, right?" she teased.
Edmund chuckled. "Not yet. I have some work to do, I suppose."
Once everyone had boarded the ship and the Dawn Treader had set sail for whatever lay past the Lone Islands, Caspian discreetly motioned for Elizabeth to follow him into the Chart Room. In order to ensure she wasn't uncomfortable, he left the door open and allowed for the noises and chatter of the crew working on the deck to reach inside.
Elizabeth sat on one of the chairs while Caspian got to work cleaning her wounded cheek and wrists. She winced a little when the liquid stung the cut.
"I'm sorry," Caspian gently apologized.
"It's all right, I'm fine."
"Elizabeth…may I ask you something?"
"Yes."
"…When that merchant was taking you away, why didn't you call for us? We were right there, we would've helped you."
Elizabeth avoided looking at him and didn't answer.
Caspian's heart sank when he realized the reason and he desperately hoped he was wrong. "You didn't think we were going to save you."
Elizabeth nervously clenched her jaw. "All due respect, you…don't know me like you know the others. And…what is the life of a mere…servant when next to a Queen or a Lady?"
"Who told you that?"
She once again looked away from him.
"Well, I don't know how things work in your world, but here, every life matters. From a king to a peasant, everyone is important."
From the way Elizabeth had avoided looking at him since they'd reboarded the ship, he was fairly certain she didn't believe him.
He finished putting bandages around her wrists and lightly put his hands on hers. "Elizabeth, I want you to promise me that if you ever find yourself in that kind of situation again, which I'm going to do my best to ensure that it doesn't but if it does, you will fight back until help comes to you. Because I swear to you that as long as you are in Narnia, it will come."
Elizabeth inhaled sharply and her body stiffened. She cleared her throat as she quickly stood up. "Thank you, Your Majesty. If it's all right, I shall go make some breakfast. I'm sure you and the others are hungry after the morning we've had."
Caspian decided not to acknowledge her sudden change of the subject. "All right."
She quickly curtseyed and hurried out of his quarters.
Elizabeth rushed down to the galley below deck as quickly as she could and was thankful that everyone, including Astram, was gone because this allowed her to begin sobbing softly against the table.