Assumptions and Slip-Ups

When Saedra and Susan entered the party hall after wandering around for some time trying to find it, it was already dark outside. The attendant at the door asked them their names, which they provided. As they were stepping down the steps into the atrium, they were startled by the attendant yelling in the loudest voice possible, "Please welcome Susan, Queen of Narnia! Please welcome Saedra, Duchess of Archenland!"

Susan slipped her arm through Saedra's, whispering, "See, I knew I would be glad that you came. Look at all the people!"

Indeed, the room was flooded with people of all sizes and shapes wearing brightly-colored clothing. There were so many jewels all around that it was hard to see from all of the flashing. The center of the room was reserved for dancing, while one side of the room turned into a patio where there were tables with food piled high. On the wall to their left was a platform similar to the one that the Tisroc had been sitting on in the court, and he was eating plate after plate of food. Saedra could not get the vision of him using young women for his pleasure out of her head as she stared at him and his overflowing fat.

"There's Rabadash!" Susan gasped, but this time it was more like a panicked gasp. "What do I do?"

"Act naturally," Saedra advised. "You'll know the truth by what he says."

"Good evening, O my Queen," Rabadash said smoothly when he had come over. "I was afraid you'd gotten lost. King Edmund and his creatures have been down here more than half an hour." He gestured to where Edmund, Corin, and the other Narnians were gathered in their own little group. "I must say, they aren't very sociable."

Perhaps it's because everyone keeps staring at them as if they're diseased, Saedra thought hotly, feeling bad for Tumnus and the Dwarves.

"Dear Queen, would you like to dance?" Rabadash asked.

"I would love to," she replied. "Do you mind, Saedra?"

"Not at all!" her friend said, shaking her head and stepping back. "Go right ahead."

"Perhaps that Tarkheena over there may keep you company," Rabadash said casually, pointing to their right to a woman who was eying the Prince. She was shorter than Susan or Saedra and a few years younger.

"Tarkheena!" he called.

She ran over to them expectantly. "Yes, your Highness?"

"Keep Saedra here company while I dance with the Queen," Rabadash said, grasping Susan and steering her away.

There was a moment of silence as Saedra and the Tarkheena watched Susan and Rabadash make their way onto the dance floor, Saedra curiously and the Tarkheena sullenly.

"Well, we might as well do like the Prince said," the Tarkheena said, looking Saedra over. "I'm Lasaraleen. Who might you be?"

"Saedra," she replied. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Come, let's get some food. Then we can watch the dancers and gossip."

They walked around the room, and when Saedra passed Edmund, she smiled at him. He looked so miserable that she would have stopped if Lasaraleen didn't have such a firm grip on her arm.

"Let's sit." Lasaraleen plopped herself down at one of the tables, adjusting her clothing so that it flattered her best.

"That's a beautiful dress," Saedra said, trying to be polite and having nothing else to say. In reality, she didn't find it appealing. It was orange and green, bared her stomach, and had an excess of sparkles on it.

Calormenes sure like their sparkles, she thought.

Lasaraleen brightened and said, "Why, thank you! You're the first one to comment on my new dress tonight. I was beginning to fear that I made the wrong choice. But of course I wouldn't make the wrong choice. I do have the best taste in clothing. And it appears you have the same taste as me. I know! We must go shopping sometime. There are simply glorious stores in town, and while you are here, you must get some new clothes. What are you doing tomorrow?"

Saedra was a surprised at her sudden eruption of talking, and even more that she stopped to hear Saedra's reply. "Why yes, that sounds lovely. Um, as far as I know I don't have any plans tomorrow."

"Excellent!" Lasaraleen exclaimed, adjusting herself in her seat so that her back was straighter. "I'll come by around noon and we'll go shopping and take a tour about town. Oh, you haven't seen Tashbaan, have you? I get to be the first one to show you around!" She giggled delightedly.

"Do you live in town?" Saedra asked politely.

"Yes, I do, and it is the most marvelous thing! My husband just left town today, and I'm going to throw a party at my house sometime while he is away. It will be sumptuous, and you must come to it! We will have the best band, of course, and the most sumptuous decorations…" She continued to drone on about how sumptuous her parties were, and Saedra only half listened.

"Sounds delightful," Saedra said when Lasaraleen paused for breath, though she wasn't sure if she thought that it was really delightful or not.

"You must help me with the preparations. Oh, this'll be so exciting! Sometimes I get so lonely around here, and it'll be nice to have a new friend."

Saedra suddenly felt bad for Lasaraleen, being young and married—probably to an old, fat man—and apparently not having many friends. "That sounds excellent."

"Where do you live? In the southern territories? You have the look of a southerner."

"Me? From the South? No, no, no. I'm from Archenland."

Lasaraleen giggled as if Saedra was being sarcastic.

"I'm serious! My father was a Duke in the Harden Province on the Winding Arrow River."

"You jest! You're as Calormene as I am!"

"She doesn't jest," a female voice said behind them. "She really is from Archenland."

Saedra turned and saw her favorite person in the world standing behind her chair, looking more ravishing than ever. It was Rabadash's cousin, Rahai Tarkheena. "May I speak with you, Duchess?"

Startled at Rahai's request, Saedra stuttered, "Why, yes…of course!" and stood up.

"I hope you don't mind, Lasaraleen dear," Rahai said sweetly to the Tarkheena sitting across from Saedra. "Saedra and I have been inseparable since we met in Narnia."

"Not at all, darling," Lasaraleen said, waving her hand. "We have plans for tomorrow, Saedra dearest, don't forget!"

"I won't," Saedra said. "It was nice to meet you."

Rahai linked her arm through Saedra's as they walked away from the table. She steered Saedra so that they left the veranda and went inside to where the music was louder and they could see the dancers. Saedra was relieved to be away from Lasaraleen's incessant chatting and giggling, but being with the silent Rahai didn't strike her as being any better.

"You must be happy to be home," Saedra commented lightly, trying to make conversation.

"I am," Rahai replied. "I loved Narnia to death, but it's always more comfortable to be around people you know well."

"You liked Narnia?" Saedra asked, surprised.

"I did," Rahai nodded. "You thought I didn't?"

"You were usually quiet and didn't care to leave Rabadash's side," Saedra said bluntly, "so I just thought you didn't approve."

Instead of being offended by Saedra's forthrightness, she chuckled. "Oh, I did approve. But since I didn't know anyone else up there, there was really no one I could keep company with besides Rabadash. I'm not outgoing like Lasaraleen, where I can just make friends that easily. To be honest, I was intimidated by how closely knit you and the Narnian rulers are."

"I admit, I am surprised! I feel guilty now. I wasn't friendly at all to you!"

"Oh, I don't hold it against you," Rahai said earnestly. "I saw that there were other things on your mind with regards to the High King."

"I see I'm an open book!" Saedra exclaimed, dismayed. "I had hoped it wasn't quite so obvious."

"I cannot speak for anyone else, but to me it looked like a lover's quarrel. I do hope it has been resolved. I had the distinct impression that the High King was paying attention to me in order to make you jealous!"

Saedra was speechless. Not only was Rahai a sweet person who was not angry at Saedra for her rudeness, but she was sympathetic to her plight with Peter! She knew that the Tarkheena's assumption about Peter was false, for there was no plausible reason why Peter would need to make her jealous, but she appreciated Rahai's sympathy.

"I'm afraid that I was very mistaken about you, Tarkheena. I have been incredibly self-centered, and now you're giving me the courtesy in your home country that I didn't show you in Narnia."

Rahai laughed. "You're making me out to be a saint, and I'm the last person to be described as such."

"From my perspective, you are," Saedra protested. "I hope you can give me another chance."

"What do you think I'm doing now?" Rahai said, grinning at her.

They both laughed, and Saedra decided that Rahai was the kind of person that she could learn to like very much.

"I see King Edmund over there," Saedra said, pointing to where Edmund was talking with Tumnus. "Let us go keep him company, for he hasn't moved from that spot all night."

"Oh! All right."

As they made their way through the crowds of people, Rahai adjusted her dress and hair quickly, which Saedra found odd. When they reached him, Saedra put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Edmund, surely you remember Rahai Tarkheena."

Edmund smiled and bowed. "Good evening, Tarkheena. It's a pleasure to see you again."

Rahai curtsied as gracefully as a swan with a tinge of pink on her cheeks. "It's a pleasure to see you again as well. I hope you've been enjoying your visit thus far."

"It's been very informative," Edmund said diplomatically. "I hope you enjoyed your visit to Cair Paravel also."

"I did," Rahai smiled. "It was very…informative."

They all laughed at her use of Edmund's description.

"And you've met Tumnus," Saedra said, nodding at Tumnus. "I don't know if you've met Stamprin and Moonshackle, the Dwarves."

"How do you do, Tumnus?" Rahai asked. "No, I have not had the pleasure of meeting you two before."

The introductions were made between Rahai and the Dwarves, and a lively conversation ensued. While Rahai talked to them, Saedra turned to Edmund and asked suddenly, "Where's Corin?"

"He was getting antsy, so I let him go off to explore the gardens," he replied. "Would you care to dance?"

"I'd love to, but perhaps Rahai would like to. Rahai, would you like to dance with Edmund?"

Rahai paused in her conversation with the Narnians to say, "Oh! Um no, thank you. I'll see if I can persuade Tumnus to dance with me."

As Edmund took Saedra's hand and led her onto the dance floor, they could hear Tumnus' protests behind them. They grinned at each other.

The music was very different from the kind played in Narnia. While Narnian music was fast-paced with a light beat, Calormene music had a slow, heavy beat. The dancing was also different, with slow hip-swaying and fluid arm movements.

While Saedra didn't find it strange to move her hips to the beat, Edmund looked embarrassed to move in such a way. His face was beet-red, and Saedra couldn't contain her laughter; she burst out laughing.

"What?" he said defensively as she dipped under his arm. "Am I doing it wrong?"

"You're dancing beautifully, but you keep making funny faces...that's what's so hilarious!" she giggled.

"It feels strange," he grimaced.

"Oh, stop it! Look over at Rabadash. Do you think he looks funny?"

Edmund looked over at where the Prince and Susan were dancing together. They hadn't left each other's side all night.

"No, he doesn't," he admitted. "Though, the turban is a little much."

They both laughed at that and danced for a little while longer in silence, enjoying the sights around them and the comfortable companionship.

A couple of minutes later, Edmund said, "Looks like Tarkheena Rahai managed to get Tumnus to dance with her."

Saedra looked over and saw that Tumnus had overcome his fear of the Calormene style and was laughing with Rahai. "I was completely wrong about her. She is very nice!"

"You didn't seem to like her much back at Cair Paravel, did you?" Edmund recalled.

"I was only thinking about myself," Saedra admitted. "I mistook her shyness for pride."

"I think we all did," Edmund said. "Don't be too hard on yourself."

"Don't be too easy on me," Saedra countered. "I'm in a penitent mood and could be easily talked out of it. So don't, or I'll go back to thinking I'm right about everything."

Edmund laughed heartily. "That's what I love about you, Saedra. You can never be too hard on yourself for long."

After he said that, he blushed deeply.

Saedra was confused why he was turning red, and asked, "Are you all right, Edmund?"

"Why do you ask?" he asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

"Your face is very red!" she replied.

"Is it? Perhaps it's the warm climate of Calormen getting to me."

Saedra didn't believe him, but sensed that he didn't want to talk about it anymore, so she changed the subject.

The party lasted long into the night. When Susan and Saedra were finally in bed in the room that they shared, Susan sighed. "I can't believe I was so quick to think ill of Rabadash earlier! He's a complete gentleman, and incapable of doing something so horrid."

"I noticed you were inseparable tonight," Saedra giggled. "I hardly saw you at all after Rabadash whisked you away."

"Oh, I hope you had a good time," Susan said. "I didn't mean to abandon you!"

"I did!" Saedra quickly assured her. "I met many new people…a few Tarkheenas and Tarkaans. Ahoshta tried to talk to me a lot towards the end, but Edmund saved me from him. You may be surprised that I have made a new friend, though it's someone that we know already."

"Who?"

"Rahai Tarkheena."

"You mean the one who was clinging to Rabadash all the time? I didn't like her at all. You say you are friends now?"

"Susan, we were completely wrong about her. She has to be the nicest person I've ever met. I know you'd love her."

"As long as she stays away from Rabadash, I'll like her," Susan sniffed.

"Susan!" Saedra admonished. "Do you honestly think that Rabadash has eyes for anyone but you after the way he acted tonight?"

"You're right. Okay, I'll give Rahai another chance. When will we see her?"

"Tomorrow. A Tarkheena named Lasaraleen invited me to go shopping with her tomorrow, and Rahai promised to go along with us. You must come too!"

"What's this Lasaraleen like?" Susan asked.

"She likes to talk a lot," Saedra chuckled, "but she's harmless. She tries to act superior, but it is more amusing than anything, considering she is at least five years younger than us."

"I'd love to go with you tomorrow," Susan yawned. "By the way, did Ed have fun?"

"Yes, I think so," Saedra said, following her friend's lead and yawning. "We danced a lot…"

"That's good. I know how much he likes to dance with you…" Susan said, her eyes heavy.

"Does he? That's nice…"

Not another word was spoken, for both of them had drifted off to sleep.