A Wife is an Asset, but Two Are Better
Saedra locked herself in her room for the next couple of days on the pretense of packing for the journey. She would come out for meals and put on a happy face (and thankfully Lucy and Tumnus had kept her argument with Peter to themselves), so nobody knew the turbid thoughts swimming through her head. She hadn't seen Peter since the party because he was busy getting ready for a possible clash with the Giants.
Saedra ached to be gone from Cair Paravel. Every inch of the building reminded her of Peter; it was as if she was being haunted. She couldn't wait to get away, so after her self-induced solitary confinement, she helped Susan, Edmund, and Terrill (the captain of the Splendor Hyaline) make last-minute plans. The plans fell into place over the next couple of days, and soon the castle was buzzing with excitement over the impending journey.
The people who were going to Tashbaan with them were Tumnus, Stamprin and Moonshackle the Dwarves, Sallowpad the Raven, and some courtiers and lords that Saedra didn't know personally. Lord Peridan (Peter's emissary to Calormen) would be there to greet them when they arrived, and they would stay at his house on the Tisroc's palace grounds.
Rabadash and Rahai and all of their people had left the day after the party in order to prepare Tashbaan for their arrival, and the castle was only slightly quieter without them.
Dinner the night before they were to sail on the Splendor Hyaline was mellow, for they were worn out from all the preparations: Peter for a possible battle with the Giants, and Edmund, Susan, Saedra, and Corin for their journey. It was the first time Saedra had seen Peter since the dance.
"Whatever will I do when you all are gone?" Lucy sighed, toying with her food.
"Get some much needed sleep, I bet," Edmund grinned. "I intend to sleep as much as possible on the voyage down."
"Queen Susan and I were just talking about that on our way down to dinner," Saedra agreed. "At least it will make the trip seem faster."
She and Susan had warmed up to each other greatly as they planned what clothes they should bring and speculated about what the parties were like down south.
"What am I going to do while everyone is sleeping?" Corin complained, matching Lucy's tone.
"Bother the sailors, I expect," Edmund guessed.
"Aww," Corin moaned. "All they'll do is tell me to go below as if I'm a baby."
"Remember High King Peter said that you may be a Knight of Cair Paravel one day. He even wrote to your father to tell him about it," Susan reminded. "It would be in your best interest to start acting like one."
At that, Corin started sitting up a little straighter and looked over at Peter (who was sitting farther down the table) to see if he noticed his good behavior. Peter didn't notice, though, because he was sipping on his cup and looking moody.
"I say," Lucy said, catching his attention. "What's got your tunic in a knot, Peter?"
"I think he misses the Tarkheena," Saedra said in a light voice, trying to appear unconcerned—though it hurt her to say it. It was still a mystery to her why things had turned sour between them.
"And if I do?" Peter said dully, looking directly at Saedra.
"Then it's a pity you can't go down to Tashbaan to see her," Saedra replied sweetly.
Peter studied her for a minute more, and then looked away at something else in the distance.
The next day, the Splendor Hyaline left Cair Paravel. Many Narnians gathered to see the ship off, so it was more like a parade than anything else as they walked down to the ship. The dock seemed more empty this time because Saedra had sent her ship, The Forben, back down to Archenland since she didn't know how long she would be in Calormen and didn't think it fair to keep the sailors away from their families so long.
Peter and Lucy went down to see them off. Lucy gave warm hugs to each of them, and gave Tumnus a bonus kiss on the cheek. Peter hugged his siblings, but when Saedra moved over to him (hoping he might hug her and say something—anything—that might give her hope that he still cared for her), he looked at her eyes for a split second with an unhappy expression, then down at her nose and bowed abruptly, saying, "Thank you for your visit, Duchess. It was most pleasant." Then he deliberately walked away from her.
Once the ship left the dock and was on its way, Saedra and Susan went into the cabin that they shared in the back of the ship.
"This is terribly exciting," Susan said, itching to see her lover in Tashbaan. "I haven't been any farther south than Anvard before!" She sat on her bed across the room from Saedra. "What about you?"
"Harden Castle where I grew up is right on the mouth of the Winding Arrow River. It's a little more south than Anvard, but I've never even crossed the river once even though I've lived on it my whole life."
"I think I'm going to take a nap," Susan said, stretching out on her bed. "I'm too tired to even take off my dress."
"Not that it matters here, your Majesty," Saedra said as she lay down as well. "I don't think Edmund will care much if your dress is wrinkly."
Susan laughed lightly, saying, "Do call me 'Susan,' please…" and Saedra could tell that she was already drowsy. But while Susan went to sleep in no time, Saedra didn't. Even though she was extremely tired from getting up early and the past week's exertions, she just couldn't get to sleep. All she could think about was what had happened in the last month in Narnia, especially with Peter.
Things were going so well, she thought. Then all of a sudden he acts weird after the night at the Bear's den. What happened?
Something happened to change Peter's mind about her, she was sure of it. She racked her brain, replaying all the moments with him in her mind.
Maybe he thought I wasn't interested when I acted normally when we were around his siblings after the first kiss. Should I have told someone so that he'd know I was excited about it?
Then she had another thought. Maybe Rahai poisoned him against me! Or maybe it was just that I was not good enough for him. I am rather outspoken, more than I should be at my position…perhaps he was looking for a demure woman like her, and he realized that he had put his affection in the wrong place. But then why did he kiss me after she arrived?
The thoughts kept circling in her head until finally, she drifted off to sleep and into strange dreams that all revolved around Peter, the White Witch, and stars.
The trip down to Tashbaan was restful for all the passengers aboard the Splendor Hyaline. When Saedra wasn't sleeping, she could be found walking around the boat deck with Susan, Edmund, Corin, or Tumnus. She was still nursing the wound that Peter had left in her pride, but as the waters got warmer and clearer, her excitement grew along with everyone else's. Corin and Susan were bursting with excitement while Edmund and Saedra were only slightly more subdued. The only person who wasn't thrilled about the trip was Sallowpad the Raven, who commented when he saw the great island of Tashbaan looming ahead of them, "Dear me, look at those high walls. Easily in, but not easily out."
"You sound so thrilled to be here, good Raven," Saedra chuckled at his observation.
All of the passengers and some of the sailors had gathered in the front of the ship and were staring at the immense city on the hill.
"I'm here to serve His Majesty and the Queen," Sallowpad replied in his husky voice. "If my presence can aid them in any way, then that is enough."
"Very noble of you," Saedra nodded without sarcasm. She was surprised to see how green everything was on the banks of the river; she'd always had the impression that Calormen was a desert land.
"Look at the size of that gate!" Corin exclaimed, hopping up and down and pointing. "And look at all the people! I've never seen so many people in all my life!"
"Neither have I!" Saedra said. "This must be the biggest city in the whole world."
"As far as we know, it is," Edmund said.
"I've a faint recollection of being in a place with this many people and more," Susan said slowly. "But I can't put my finger on the place, and it's going to irk me."
"I have the same thought!" said Edmund. "In the back of my mind…maybe in another time or place…or something like it."
"That's very odd," Saedra commented, not having the same thoughts that Susan and Edmund were. Tumnus' face was turning a little pink, so she asked, "Are you all right, Tumnus?"
"Yes, yes. I'm just trying to remember…" He paused. "Spare Oom. That's it! When I first met Lucy, she said that she came from a place called Spare Oom. Do you think that had many people in it?"
"Could have…" Susan said, but then was distracted by the ship docking at the wooden pier. There were people of all sorts gathered to see the arrival of the strange ship. Word had spread that the Northerners were coming, and the Calormenes were curious what the pale people looked like. There were fishermen carrying nets, women carrying baskets and babies, slaves with heavy loads, and donkeys with heavy burdens on their backs.
Once the ship was tied up at the dock and the plank lowered, the passengers started down it cautiously. There were murmurs in the crowd when Tumnus, Stamprin, and Moonshackle followed them; most Calormenes had never seen a Faun or a Dwarf before, and they hadn't believed they even existed until that very moment. Some of the people looked like they still couldn't believe their eyes.
"Is there no one to greet us?" Susan said with a hint of disappointment.
"Lord Peridan was to meet us here. Surely Rabadash told him of our coming," said Edmund.
"Who cares?" Corin shrugged. "Let's explore!"
He was about to walk off, but Edmund stopped him by grabbing the back of his collar. "Hold on there, your Highness. It's not wise to wander about in a place that you don't know."
"But that's what you and King Peter do all the time!" Corin whined.
"Prince, don't talk to the King that way," Saedra chastised. "He's right, and as your guardian, I'd be very upset if I lost you. Your father would have my head if anything happened to you!"
Corin wasn't listening anymore, and Saedra gave up. He was staring ahead of them at the end of the dock where the crowd was parting to make way for a procession. In the lead were four men, obviously slaves, which were carrying a litter with open curtains. Behind that were several other litters with their curtains closed, each carried by four more men.
A well-dressed slave walked in front of the procession, calling out, "Make way for the Grand Vizier! Make way for the Grand Vizier!"
The first four men stopped in front of them and lowered the platform so that the man who had been sitting inside it could stumble out of it. Three words can be used to sum up the ridiculously opulently dressed man: hunchbacked, small, and ugly. His wrinkled face showed no emotion as he spoke in a dull voice.
"It is a great honourb that you have come to our great land from afar, O Barbarians. As the poets say, The man who turns away his guest shall be under the wrath of Tash the Inexorable, and also Blessed is the man who finds comfort in a distant land, for he has found a friend."
Corin snorted loudly. Saedra didn't dare reprimand him because she was trying her best to make the smile on her face pleasant without smirking in amusement at the silly proverbs. Edmund said nothing either, for he was in the same predicament as Saedra.
"Thank you," Susan said graciously and curtsied. "I am Queen Susan, and this is my brother King Edmund. With us is Duchess Saedra Harden of Archenland, and in her charge is Prince Corin of Archenland. This is Tum—" she was about to introduce Tumnus, the Dwarves, and the Raven, but the man interrupted.
"I am the Grand Vizier Ahoshta Tarkaan, and by the power of the Tisroc (may he live forever) I will bring you, O Barbarian Queen, to his home as a guest. For The man who shares with those in need is worthy of many wives."
At that, Saedra had to turn around on the pretense of coughing because she could no longer hold in the laughter. Corin was guffawing loudly, and this time Ahoshta did look at him, staring blankly.
"I apologize for the Prince," Susan said, reaching for a plausible explanation. "He's not himself today. Perhaps it's the new climate."
"I didn't know that you could have more than one wife here," Saedra said, referring to the verse once her coughing fit was over.
"It is not common practice, for only the Tisroc (may be live forever) has more than one, for he is most deserving. As it goes, The jewel—" Ahoshta was about to go into verse again, but Saedra was too curious.
"How many wives does the Tisroc have?"
"I believe he has twenty-three, and much does he deserve it. The wife is an asset, but two are better for those who can forebear."
Saedra bit her lip hard to stifle her amusement, but funny little sounds still escaped from her nose. She glanced over at Edmund, who in spite of himself was ready to erupt with laughter as well.
Susan kept her head and asked, "Shall we go up to the palace now? Will you show us the way, Grand Vizier?"
"I need not do that!" Ahoshta said, almost offended. "We have provided you with an escort that will carry you up to the palace. The man who does not provide means is not a good host and does not deserve to eat even foreign food."
The quotes were beyond ridiculous at this point, so the Northerners weren't in any mood to delay. They allowed themselves to be escorted into the litters. Susan and Saedra were put into one, Edmund and Corin into another, and there was an awkward moment when it seemed that Tumnus and the Dwarves wouldn't be accommodated, but they were put into the final one. Sallowpad must have known that he would have spooked the Calormenes by talking, so he just pretended to be a dumb bird and followed them by air.
Susan and Saedra were hardly settled in their cushions before they were lifted off of the ground by the slaves and taken up the road that led to the main gates. The curtains were open still, so they attracted countless stares as they passed the crowds. The two women exchanged glances and giggled excitedly.
"This is so mad!" Saedra said. "I feel like a Tarkheena or something!"
"By Aslan, I was afraid I would burst while the Vizier was talking!" Susan admitted. "And it didn't help at all that you were laughing the whole time!"
"I couldn't help it!" Saedra giggled, and then made a somber face. "'One wife is an asset but two are better.' I've never heard anything so preposterous in my life. If I wasn't so amused by it, I would be quite offended!"
"Twenty-three wives!" Susan mouthed in awe. "I wonder how many children the Tisroc has!"
"More than fifty, no doubt," Saedra snickered. "You can marry Rabadash, and I will marry one of his twenty-five brothers."
"Then we shall be related!" Susan chortled. "Oh, this will be so much fun!"