Disclaimer: The Chronicles of Narnia and the associated characters do not belong to me - I am merely playing with C.S. Lewis's creation.
Beta'd by BrokenKestrel, with many thanks!
Chapter 1 – An Unexpected Meeting
When the heralds of King Caspian the Ninth announced that His Majesty was coming to stay at the castle of Lord Rethisbar as a part of long overdue inspection of Narnia's border defences, the entire castle bustled with preparations. Everyone hurried about cleaning guest chambers, preparing food, polishing armour, and generally making their sharpest impression. The castle belonged to a lord of the Telmarines, a people who prized valour and military prowess. Though the land was now at peace (apart from an occasional incursion of giants to the north), many militaristic and warlike expressions remained in their everyday speech. Since sharp weapons were good, sharp had become a favourable description for nearly everything.
Part of making a sharp impression was keeping undesirable family members out of sight. As soon as the heralds delivered their message, Lord Rethisbar's ward, his niece Elkarna, was confined to her rooms with only her Nurse for company. Lord Rethisbar had been obliged to take in his sister's daughter after a plague had decimated her husband's small holding, and he had never stopped resenting the responsibility.
Not that Lord Rethisbar troubled himself overmuch with the responsibility. He had waited months after Elkarna's arrival to trouble himself to learn what had become of his sister and his niece's inheritance. Those months of delay destroyed anything he might have salvaged for Elkarna's inheritance. Any survivors of the plague had fled, leaving crops and buildings in ruin. Lord Rethisbar had burned what was left, claiming it was necessary to prevent further contamination. No one had ever asked what had become of the things that could survive fire, such as gold and jewels. Certainly, none of it had come to Elkarna. She heard little from her uncle except his complaints about how expensive it was to keep her. It was one reason she kept out of the family's sight as much as she could.
Lord Rethisbar went to some lengths to minimize whatever Elkarna's maintenance cost him. The nurse who had brought Elkarna to the Rethisbars remained her only attendant for the next twenty years. Most of Elkarna's personal possessions were Lavinia's castoffs, and Elkarna had learned to not become too attached to her toys. Lavinia was not above taking back what she had despised days or even months earlier. Nurse's protests to Lavinia's attendants and the Rethisbars had fallen on deaf ears.
If Lord Rethisbar saw his niece as a nuisance, Lady Rethisbar saw her as a threat. The Rethisbars had one child, their daughter Lavinia. Although Lavinia had a most respectable dowry while Elkarna had none at all, Lady Rethisbar brooked no chance that Elkarna would make the better marriage. Lavinia never handed down her governesses and tutors. Lady Rethisbar was not such a fool that she believed women caught husbands by looks or even charm alone, so she did everything she thought proper to educate Lavinia, and nothing to teach Elkarna.
Elkarna knew her relations did not love her, and she learned quickly to stay out of their way as much as possible. The one attendant she was allowed, her nurse from infancy, did all she could to make up for the Rethisbars' cruel neglect. Nurse taught Elkarna how to read, how to sew and to knit, how to sing, and how to keep an account book. On their walks in the garden, Elkarna learned about flowers and other plants. Elkarna never had to sit through one of Lavinia's lessons, but she heard her complaints about how dull and tedious they were. There were many things Elkarna would have changed about her life, but her education was not one of them.
As a result, Elkarna was a good student - she understood early on that unlike toys, lessons were something no one could ever take away from her. She listened eagerly to everything Nurse had to tell her, but her favourite subjects were Astronomy and what the Rethisbars called fairy tales. Nurse called it the History of Narnia.
Nurse did not bother with the very dull (and very untrue history) taught in Telmarine schools and by Telmarine tutors and governesses. Instead Elkarna learned about all the wonderful creatures who had once lived in the land, and of the good humans who had lived with and ruled over them. In Nurse's stories, Centaurs, Fauns, Talking Animals, Walking Trees, and Dwarves all lived in peace (at least sometimes). There had been times of evil and great danger, but with courage, and the help of the Great Lion, Aslan, all had been put to right again.
The Telmarines were only the latest in a long line of enemies, and though they had taken the land for themselves, killing and driving all other creatures into hiding, Nurse seemed sure some of the Old Narnians still lived, though she had never said why.
Though she was a Telmarine by birth, Elkarna longed to see Old Narnia for herself. Aslan accepted all who came to him, no matter who they were or what they had done. King Edmund the Just had betrayed Narnia and his siblings to the White Witch, a far more terrible enemy than the Telmarines. And those who fled cruel Calormen were welcome in Narnia and Archenland - the Tarkheena Aravis had become the Queen Consort of Archenland, and mother to its greatest king, Ram the Great.(1)
When the Rethisbars took any notice of the stories Nurse told (and they seldom did), they laughed, as did all Telmarines. Though Telmarines were the villains when they appeared in the old stories, no one had seen the strange heroes of the old stories. The stories were just stories (or perhaps propaganda from Archenland), and there was no need to fear enemies who don't exist. It was actually convenient for the Rethisbars that Elkarna listened to the old stories so readily - it gave them a reason to keep her out of sight. After all, only an imbecile would continue to listen to children's stories long after nursery. The Rethisbars were only careful to make clear that if the condition was hereditary, it must come from her father's side of the family.
Though they spent much of their time indoors with stories and needlework, Elkarna and Nurse were fond of walking in the castle gardens, usually in the afternoon or early evening. While the King stayed with the Rethisbars, they were only allowed to walk in the very early morning, when no one else was around and they would not be seen. For Elkarna herself, the rule was restrictive but tolerable - she was generally an early riser. But Nurse was no longer young, and though she was the one who had taught Elkarna the value of the early morning hours, she felt an ache in her bones when out in the cold damp mornings.
Needing exercise but not wanting to trouble Nurse unduly, Elkarna began walking by herself in the early morning. At first, Nurse had protested, saying that this was not considered proper for a lady of Elkarna's station. But Nurse knew Elkarna needed exercise, even if the King was visiting. The castle would be safer than ever, with extra patrols from the castle garrison and the King's soldiers keeping watch. And as for propriety, the entire point of going so early was to avoid anyone's notice. At last Nurse relented, once given a promise to be very, very careful.
Though the sky was still dark on these walks, Elkarna did not carry a lantern. She had lived in the castle nearly all her life and knew every path in the garden. And without the lantern, on a clear morning, she could see the stars more clearly. Elkarna loved looking at the stars. In Nurse's stories, the stars were the first part of Narnia Aslan had sung into being. They had joined in his song then. Now they danced in the Great Dance, Nurse said. Sometimes, on very, very quiet mornings, Elkarna imagined she could hear the music of the Great Dance.
Several weeks after Elkarna had been confined to her room, came several very foggy mornings in a row, and Elkarna stayed indoors. There was no sign that the King would ever leave or that the weather would improve, so after several days with no exercise, Elkarna wrapped herself in her heaviest cloak to take her usual turn in the garden. The gardeners did not usually begin their work until after the sun rose, and there was no one else about so early. There was little reason for Elkarna to take watch where she was going.
Elkarna was almost done with her walk when she walked into something. She stumbled and clutched at the hedge to keep from falling.
When she had steadied herself, she looked over and saw two men. One lay sprawled on the ground. The other was carrying a lantern. He set down the light, and helped his companion to a nearby bench.
Elkarna's first thought was to run. She was embarrassed by the accident, and did not want to learn what would happen if her uncle heard about it. But though they kept out of sight as much as possible, Nurse had raised her to face the consequences of her actions. Besides, the injured man might need help, and he should not have to stay alone while his companion searched the castle.
Taking a deep breath, Elkarna walked towards the small pool of light cast by the lantern.
"I'm sorry," she said. "There's usually no one in the gardens this early. Are you badly hurt?"
Even in the dim light of the lantern, she could see the clothes of the man she had knocked down (now seated on the bench) were of fine quality. Elkarna did not recognize him, so she decided he must be one of the courtiers accompanying the King. The other man must be his servant. Elkarna hoped the lord would not be too angry about the mishap and would have no need to talk about it.
The servant must have seen to his master's immediate needs because now he turned and began scolding Elkarna.
"No one usually around? Is that any cause to go running into injured men?" He lifted the lantern and scrutinized Elkarna's face and attire. "What's a noble lady doing out alone at this hour, eh?"
Before Elkarna could think of what to say, the lord spoke instead.
"Peace, Olin. I doubt the maiden meant any harm." He turned to Elkarna. "But where is your maid, especially at such an hour? Your dress bespeaks you a noblewoman, but there is no attendant in sight."
His face was stern, but he seemed curious rather than angry.
"I am Lord Rethisbar's niece," Elkarna began. "El – Lady Elkarna." The Rethisbars rarely introduced her to company, and her title was so seldom used, she had almost forgotten it.
But she was not certain how to explain her presence in the garden. Her uncle did not want her seen. And as little as she liked the Rethisbars, Elkarna knew it was not right to spread stories about them with strangers, especially when the strangers were the Rethisbars' guests.
"Niece, eh?" said the man. He looked at Elkarna closely. "I suppose your uncle prefers to keep you out of sight. But still, where is your maid? Surely he is not so negligent as to leave you unattended altogether?"
"I have my Nurse," said Elkarna, "but the mornings are very damp for her. While the King is visiting, this is the only time I can walk, so some mornings, I come alone."
The lord looked at Elkarna for a moment. "Noble sentiments. I suppose speaking to your uncle would do more harm than good. But you should be more careful – there are more people in the castle than usual."
"Yes my lord." Elkarna curtsied and turned to walk away. But then she thought of something.
"Begging my lord's pardon, do you know how much longer the King will stay here?" Fearing she sounded like a petulant child, she continued hurriedly, "I know what an honour it is to host his Majesty but –"
She broke off, unsure of how to properly phrase her complaint.
But the lord took no offence. "Such honour as it is, you cannot partake of it." He rubbed at his leg. Elkarna noticed for the first time that it was in a splint. "But I am afraid the King will be here some weeks more. I cannot ride until my leg heals."
"Does the King care so much about his courtiers?" Elkarna asked. "I would have thought he would continue his border inspection and leave you in good care here."
The sky was light enough for Elkarna to see the lord's face. One corner of his mouth was twitching.
Uncertain what had made the lord smile, Elkarna asked, "Have I said something so amusing, my lord?"
The servant Olin had been standing silently beside his master. "Lady Elkarna," he now said, "the King cannot move without my master because my master is the King."
For a moment, Elkarna was stunned. Then she remembered the few lessons in etiquette Nurse had been able to give her. She curtsied and said, "Your Majesty's humble servant."
Though she had little love for the royal house of Telmar, Nurse had taught Elkarna to respect authorities. And the King had done nothing worthy of disrespect. Indeed, he had been courteous, when she had accidently provoked him. Elkarna knew her uncle would not have responded so kindly.
Caspian the Ninth, King of Narnia, inclined his head in acknowledgment. Then he looked up at the sky, turning pink in the east.
"You should return to your rooms," he said. "People will be about soon. Have no fear, the story shall not reach your guardians from us."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Elkarna gave another curtsey, then all but ran from the garden.
(1) The Horse and His Boy, pg. 241
