Thank you, thunderbird shadow, for continuing to review, faithfully. I can always count on your reviews to keep me motivated.
Can't wait to get this story running downhill. Stick with me here, guys. I'd love to hear from some of you newer readers or some of you who haven't reviewed yet. I'd like to, also, say that I will write another chapter for a follow or a favorite; those are always appreciated.
Also, another long chapter, so dinner will have to be put off once more. I don't exactly think you're looking forward to it, but I know you guys expected it to happen two chapters ago. To make up for my horrible judgement, I've given you guys some of the answers you wanted. Please don't hate me. I'm sorry if it's hard to read.
Susan dismissed her and Lucy's guards as soon as they were back inside Cair Paravel. Though she wasn't comfortable with the Calormenes inside the Cair, she wouldn't have soldiers guarding her like she was a delicate being that couldn't take care of herself; besides, a man would have to be insane to try and hurt a queen in her own palace. Even if a man did try to harm her, she was well trained and could fend for herself. If she and Lucy were seen by the Calormenes with guards, it would imply that the queens were unnerved by their presence, and that was the last thing they wanted; though Susan was grateful for the guards presence, especially Ziddim, a wolf and the Captain of Edmund's guard, who often insisted on accompanying her and Lucy on potentially dangerous trips. She guessed that he must feel guilty for what happened.
"Excuse me," came a voice, and Susan stopped her parade through the palace to face its owner.
"Yes?" Susan recognized the man as one of the men who entered the throne room with Judas. He was about Peter's age, she assumed.
"You are Queen Susan, are you not?" The man - who was more of a boy - asked.
"And Queen Lucy." Susan gestured to her young sister who stood beside her, but Lucy just gave a small courtesy and walked away toward her private room. Her sister wanted no interaction with a Calormene. Susan turned back to the boy, "I recognize you from the throne room. You must hold some rank. A Tarkaan, perhaps?"
"I am King Judas's nephew; his first heir." The boy responded.
"I see," Susan cast her eyes down, almost as if in disappointment His heir, "and does this heir have a name?"
"Ah, yes," The boy chuckled, as though just remembering that he did, indeed, have a name, "Prince Agatone of Calormen."
"Well, Prince Agatone, what do you want from me?" Susan asked, bluntly. She was not looking forward to a conversation with a Calormene.
Agatone got straight to the point, "I know that you Narnians have something against my people. I don't see why we can't all be friends."
"You don't see why? The man you call king has wronged us in a way that we struggle to forgive. It wasn't our fault." Susan argued, crossing her arms.
"So, we decide to keep slaves, why does that count as a wrong against you? And I heard about my uncle's attempt at your silverware; a folly mistake, whether on purpose or not. I think you should drop it." Agatone seemed completely oblivious.
"Are you joking?" Susan scoffed, "This isn't about some silverware, and it isn't about your slaves - yes it is wrong, but it is no offense against us, and we cannot change it."
"Then what is this about?"
"My brother; that's what this is about." Susan snapped back.
"High King Peter? What has he got to do with this?"
Was this boy so oblivious that he didn't know? "Not him." Susan closed her eyes for a few lingering moments, trying to hold back both anger and grief.
"King Edmund." Agatone seemed to just realize, "This is about your lost brother?"
Susan opened her eyes, once more, to look at the prince, "It is."
"What could my uncle have done? Everybody knows that King Edmund was killed on a military mission."
"It isn't what King Judas did do; it's what he's not doing."
Agatone furrowed his brow, "I think you've lost me."
"He won't accept his responsibility. Are you really so oblivious that you don't know what's happening in your own kingdom?"
Agatone shook his head, "Uncle never tells me much. He says that I should keep my nose out of his business if I don't want to lose my inheritance. He could easily give it away to one of my cousins."
Susan couldn't believe she was about to say this, "You're not like your uncle, are you?"
"I know my uncle is an evil man, unlike my relatives. Calormen is falling apart under his rule, and I feel it is my duty to save it. I believe that, in knowing our arguments, I can help fix them."
"You really want to know why we have separated ourselves from you?" Susan wasn't entirely sure she was ready to talk about it, but she had a chance to change all of Calormen's future right before her, and she wouldn't let her grief get in the way. If she could persuade this young heir into changing Calormen, it might save a country and prevent a, seemingly inevitable, war.
"I do. Please, why don't we walk while you tell me. It will be good for my people to see you are not intimidated by us. I know how their minds work." Agatone gestured for her to walk and matched her pace when she set off.
"Well, it started a few months ago, as you might expect. It was supposed to be routine - it's common for Narnia to send out companies of soldiers to demonstrate our power and ward off anyone who might think they stand a chance against us in battle." Susan took a deep breath, "I don't know how it all went; I only know what Ziddim told us."
"Only tell me what you know for fact; no hearsay."
Susan nodded, "Ziddim said that they were passing by Calormen when it happened. There was no warning, he said, they were surrounded. Ziddim tried to get to Edmund, but they were separated. He described men in large turbans with scimitars as their weapons; both of which are clear indicators of Calormene assailants."
"I can't imagine any Calormene attacking a Narnian group with a king in it." Agatone piped in, "I know they can push their rights, but that's ridiculous."
"Ziddim said that it was dark; they may not have known." Susan lowered her head, "It still didn't affect the outcome, however. Our forces were able to push them back, but by the time the battle was over, many were dead and some were captured." Susan paused for a moment, caught up in the thoughts of what her brother must have been through.
"Your brother was among the dead?" Agatone asked.
"No," Susan sniffed away the tears that dared to enter her eyes, "But I wish he had been."
Agatone looked utterly confused by now, "How could you say that?"
Once Susan got a hold of herself, she continued, though she seemed to be speaking through a trance, "It would have been much more simple... The next morning, they found his body... He'd been beaten and mutilated beyond recognition. I couldn't bear to see him, but Peter had to; he couldn't let it go... I wish he'd never told me what he saw. Edmund's dark hair was barely visible underneath all the blood. His royal tunic, marked with the Pevensie crest, clung to his lifeless body like a wet rag. His body was broken and there was hardly a patch of skin that wasn't covered in blood."
Agatone stared in stunned silence for a few prolonged moments before being able to speak, "You describe it well for one who never saw his body."
"I've seen it." Susan replied, but she didn't turn to look him in the eye, "I see it every night when I fall asleep."
Agatone gulped, "I think... I understand why you are upset with my people."
"They took away something very precious to me, and I'll never be able to get it back. I don't know if I'll ever learn to forgive them." Fresh tears sparkled in Susan's eyes.
"I don't expect you to. You were wronged by my people, and I'm afraid all I can do is apologize." Agatone replied, and Susan could hear the sorrow in his own words.
"You've already done more than any of the other Calormene; for that, you have my respect." Susan nodded toward the boy.
"Thank you, Queen Susan of Narnia. I'm afraid I must be going, but please feel free to speak with me at any moment. I will always be here to listen." Agatone froze his step and turned to Susan.
"Thank you, Prince Agatone of Calormen, for giving me a new insight into your people. Perhaps you aren't all as bad as you seem." Susan gave a small smile to the young man.
"I certainly hope not." Agatone returned the smile, took a deep bow, then turned and left.
Susan dared to wonder, had she just made a new friend? With a Calormene - no, the Prince of Calormen - no less. No, she wouldn't consider it that. For now, it was only an acquaintance; nothing more. Susan never wished for anything more than that.