The Tarkheena's Testimony

The courtroom became complete pandemonium after Reine's declaration. People were on their feet, yelling at either Reine or Saedra. Others were talking excitedly. Others were gasping disbelievingly at Reine's outrageous accusation. Corin's voice was particularly distinctive above the roar, cursing Reine to high heaven.

Saedra was still seated, too shocked to react. She was vaguely aware of those around her, but she couldn't focus. All she could think was: It's over. She had lost not only Harden, but her marriage, reputation, and family. She had once had everything; now she would have nothing.

Lune somehow managed to get everyone settled down again. He said: "Lord Reine, there is nothing in the testimony of Princess Rahai that alludes to this dire accusation." He flipped through his papers. "Here Princess Rahai refers to Lady Saedra as one of the best woman she knows, as someone she has the deepest admiration and respect for. It says right here that 'Saedra welcomed me into her family with open arms, and is the best friend and cousin a woman could hope for.' How then, did we get from this heart-felt testimony to Princess Rahai now saying that Lady Saedra is a traitor?"

"I will let Princess Rahai speak for herself," Reine said, smiling at Saedra smugly. He stepped back from the podium.

"This is madness!" Lucy whispered disbelievingly. "Peter—stop this!"

If Peter was going to say something, it was cut off by the sight of someone in the crowd behind Reine standing up. It was Rahai, who must have been there the whole time. Gasping and muttering erupted in the crowd.

Rahai had a hard expression on her pale, tired face as she came forward with her head held high. She stared at Saedra with such hatred and betrayal that Saedra wished she could somehow vanish from the spot and appear someplace else...any place else. This was worse than her worst nightmare come true. A lions' den would be a nice relief.

Rahai stepped behind the podium and addressed King Lune in a clear, cold voice. "What your Majesty read was correct at the time. I did believe Saedra was a wonderful woman. She'd been such an inspiration to me, and I wanted to be just like her. Truthfully, I wanted to be her. I thought she was the strongest, most capable woman I knew. She was a loyal, fierce friend, and very brave and principled."

She looked at Saedra, gritting her teeth in disgust and hatred. "But then I discovered the truth: she is a traitor, a liar, and a back-stabber. With one hand she will wipe away your tears and with the other she will knife you in the back. She has done the unthinkable: She has betrayed her husband, her family, and her countries. She has engaged in an affair beneath all of our noses, betraying our trust."

Saedra was immobile. She hated to look at Rahai in the eyes, but didn't dare look away. She feared the expressions on her family's faces too much to have the courage look over.

King Lune spoke haltingly, trying to be tactful. "My Princess, how did thee come by this information?"

"Her lover himself confessed all to me, your Majesty."

"But why would he do that, oh Princess?" Lune pressed. "What gain is there for him?"

Rahai's lip trembled. "None. But I had already suspected the truth, for he was most desolate after Saedra left Cair Paravel, refusing to eat. He didn't even bother to hide his anguish anymore, and I confronted him." Rahai swallowed, and a small gasping sound escaped. The tiny sob betrayed how deeply heart-broken she was. "He told me everything: that they loved each other, and had an affair that began at Queen Susan's wedding. It was after learning this information that I contacted Lord Reine."

"My Princess, I must ask this," Lune said. "Why did thou bring this information to Lord Reine instead of speaking to thy cousin? Is this not a private matter?"

Rahai's lip curled. "I want Saedra to have a small taste of how I've suffered. I want her to understand the betrayal I have endured. She has ruined my life and my marriage and the lives of those that I have come to love." She paused. "I have not told your Majesty the worst part of it." Furious tears were in Rahai's eyes as looked at Saedra. "The man with whom she carried on this treacherous affair was no commoner. He was her brother-in-law—my husband, King Edmund, the very man she encouraged me to marry!"

All were on their feet again, unable to believe their ears: all but Saedra. She felt light-headed, like she was going to faint.

This wasn't real. It wasn't happening!

King Lune's cheeks were red. He looked at Peter, hoping for him to interject or end the discussion with a resounding counter to Rahai's claims. Peter, however, did not speak, and Lune said, "Thu-thank you, my Princess. I will take this into consideration."

Rahai nodded sharply, and stepped back. She looked immensely satisfied to be getting her revenge, staring at Saedra odiously.

Reine stepped forward and spoke above the roar in the chamber. "To conclude, your Majesty, I point out what I mentioned before: that Lady Saedra is to have the child of her lover, which Princess Rahai has now testified is her husband, King Edmund of Narnia. I have confirmed from those within Harden itself that Lady Saedra is with child."

"Whether I am to have a child or not is none of your business, Reine!" Saedra sputtered angrily, trying to salvage the situation.

"It is in this case, my Lady," he retorted. "Do you deny the reports that you are to have a child?"

Saedra's mind was racing: Dare she deny it? If she denied it, the word could so easily get out. All it would take is one person to find out otherwise, and she would be exposed as a liar and a perjurer—and Mrs. Quigley already knew!

"I do not deny the reports, Reine, but to think my personal information and the workings of my bedroom are pertinent is pushing your luck indeed," she came back.

"It has been common knowledge at Cair Paravel that your Ladyship and your husband have been keeping separate quarters. Do you deny Princess Rahai's testimony that you have had an affair this summer? You presume to claim that all of these first-hand witnesses are lying?"

Saedra licked her lips. What could she say? Peter, who was standing right next to her, knew the truth! He knew that they had not shared a room since Willem's death. He knew the child wasn't his! No doubt he was horrified beyond belief. If she could have made herself look at him, she would have known what he was thinking.

She opened her mouth to speak—

"I do," Peter's firm, authoritative voice came. "I presume to claim that these witnesses are lying."

Reine looked at him in shock, blinking disbelievingly.

Peter continued, his face dripping with a fury that seemed to be directed at Reine, but was, no doubt, directed at someone else. "I, the High King of Narnia, hereby claim that my wife has been faithful and if we are so fortunate to have a child—we have been separated thanks to your lordship and I had not yet learned the happy news—this is cause for celebration, not censure."

Reine opened and closed his mouth, but no words came.

"What has thee to say to this, Lord Reine?" Lune asked, a little more triumphantly than was appropriate.

"He lies!" Reine croaked. "The High King lies! This is utterly untrue!"

"Thou dares to accuse the High King of Narnia, a fast friend of this throne and Archenland, of perjury?" Lune asked furiously, standing up.

Reine looked scared. "I—um—"

"If there is nothing more to say, we will take a break so that I may decide the case," Lune said, angry patches still on his cheeks. When no one else spoke, he half-stormed, half-waddled out of the courtroom.

The crowd dispersed, gossiping about the abrupt ending to the session. Saedra stayed where she was, staring at the ground. Suddenly, Stamprin entered her line of vision, looking up at her murderously.

"Follow me, my Lady," he ordered.

Without a look towards her family, she followed Stamprin out of the courtroom through a side door to avoid the crowds. Saedra was vaguely aware of moving though Anvard. They ended up in a study where Stamprin locked the door.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Stamprin exploded as soon as they were alone, no longer bothering to address her formally. "Why? We were supposed to have a plan for every possible situation, and Reine exposing a pregnancy is certainly a possible situation, concerning your condition!"

"He wasn't supposed to know!" Saedra exclaimed. "No one knew—except for Mrs. Quigley, who helped me discover that I was indeed expecting. I have no idea how he found out!"

Stamprin's eyes bugged. "Surely you are not as daft as you sound! I wouldn't trust that nurse woman with the smallest of secrets, not if my life depended on it! Anyone can tell that that woman has a loose tongue!"

"But...but she promised..." Saedra fumbled, realizing how childish she sounded.

Stamprin just stared at her disbelievingly.

Saedra tried another approach. "So if I had told you, what would you have done? There's no way to prepare for an attack like this! Peter is the only one who could have helped us, and we would have wanted him to do the exact thing he did here! What could we have done otherwise?"

Stamprin looked at her with a gleam in his eye that answered her question: Whatever Stamprin would have wanted her to do, it was nothing good.

Just then, a knock sounded on the door. With another poison-filled glance, the Dwarf unlocked the door. It was Abrastan.

Saedra's father looked at her with a disappointed, sympathetic expression. "Your husband wants to see you, Saedra."

She had expected as much, but her stomach dropped all the same. She looked down and saw her hands were shaking furiously. Anything would be better than facing Peter, to have to look him in the eye and admit what she'd done.

She only nodded, however, and followed Abrastan silently through the halls. They passed a few people who wished her well, and others that said nothing. But all stared at her with doubt in their eyes, still not sure that what the High King had testified was the truth.

"You did your best, daughter," Abrastan said in a low voice. "It's in Tash's hands now."

Saedra didn't reply.

They arrived at another room, and Abrastan knocked before entering. Saedra followed him, heart pounding with fear. Her hands were sweating.

The sight that met her made her want to throw herself out the stain-glass window across the room: Talia had tears running down her heart-broken face, which was buried in Lucy's shoulder. Lucy had red eyes as well, and the look that she shot Saedra was pure venom. Behind them was Peter with his back to the door, staring at the colorful window with his arms crossed.

Peter spoke without turning. "Tarkaan, will you take my daughter to get some lunch? She will need to keep up her strength."

"With pleasure, your Majesty," Abrastan nodded.

Talia disentangled herself from Lucy without looking at Saedra. It was only as she passed her step-mother on the way out the door that their eyes met. Saedra had to look away from the disillusioned, disappointed, and thoroughly hurt look on her daughter's face. It was a stark reminder of what a failure she was.

As soon as Abrastan had shut the door behind them, Lucy flew at Saedra.

"How could you?" she demanded. "How dare you? Who do you think you are? Did Peter not do enough for you? Was the High King of Narnia, Peter the Magnificent, not good enough for you?"

Saedra bit her lip, but didn't speak.

"And to think, I was the one who was demonized. I was the one who was made to look like a fool and to apologize. You remember, sister? In Narrowhaven, when I suspected this very thing—that you and my bastard of a brother were having an affair? Do you remember that?" she shrieked, her lovely face red and crazed. "Answer me!"

"Yes, I remember," Saedra replied quietly, very aware of Peter's silent presence in the room.

"And I was right the whole time? Do you know that whenever I had a stray thought that there was something going on between you and Ed that I reminded myself of that time where I supposedly jumped to conclusions? You made me feel like the bad one when I was well within my right to be saying something! Rahai was completely right! You and him both: You're disgusting, pitiful, backstabbing, repulsive, ghastly-"

"Lu, that's enough," Peter said, but not sharply.

Lucy wheeled around to face her brother's back. "Oh, it is not nearly enough, Peter-"

"Leave us, Lu. Please."

"I'm not done with her!" Lucy snarled.

"I wouldn't expect you to be. But she and I, we need to talk."

Lucy addressed Saedra with her teeth bared: "You'll be sorry for this, Saedra. Mark my words. What goes around, comes around. What happens to one of us in the family affects the rest. You've done a horrendous thing. Horrendous doesn't even begin to describe it, actually. No word describes your evil! I swear, you'll pay for this, and the sooner the better!"

The Queen brushed past her and left, slamming the door behind her. The room echoed with the sound, then fell silent. Saedra watched Peter's back with terror, unable to fathom what he was going to do.

Would he scream at her? Have her thrown in the dungeons? Would he hit her? She knew he was well within his rights to do any of those things, and fully expected them.

Peter turned around slowly. Saedra had to put her hand up to her mouth to stifle her sob as he looked her in the eyes: He did not have a furious expression on his face—not even an angry one. His face was a portrait of abject misery, tear stains running down his chiseled, kingly face.

He watched her, but his eyes weren't hard and condemning. They were questioning...and devastated at the same time.

His lips parted and uttered a single raspy word: "Why?"

Saedra shook her head, hands still covering her mouth.

"Why, Sae? Why? Help me understand," he pleaded.

She only continued to shake her head. She couldn't answer. It was such a simple question, but there was no adequate answer to be given that could justify the sight of the shattered King who had loved her so much.

He took a step closer to her. Even though he was across the room from her, she still flinched.

"If I don't understand now, I'll always wonder. Tell me, Sae. What does Edmund have that I don't? Why did you do this? How...?"

Her lips trembled as she whispered, "You pushed me away, Peter, remember? During a time when I needed your love the most...I was hurting. I thought you blamed me for losing Willem."

She paused, waiting for him to interrupt, to say that her reasons were ludicrous, that it didn't justify her actions. He remained silent.

She continued, her voice becoming stronger. "I thought you didn't love me anymore. You said we'd never recover, and that you wished you could send me away. And Edmund was there...I was so lonely."

Peter nodded, his lip firm.

Saedra waited for more.

"You love him," he stated. It didn't sound like a question, but it was.

She hesitated, but couldn't avoid answering. She nodded.

"How long?"

"I...I'm not sure. It came-slowly."

He closed his eyes with a pained expression on his face. A long moment later, he opened his glassy eyes and asked quietly, "Why did you marry me?"

"Oh, Peter, because I loved you! I denied it to myself then because of pride, but I did love you."

He didn't look like he believed her. "And you loved him too?"

"Yes."

He turned away disgustedly.

"You may condemn my actions, but don't look at me that way, Peter! It is entirely plausible to love more than one person."

"Oh? And how do you figure that?"

"Do you still love Priyah?"

"Wha—what?"

"Do you still love Priyah?"

"What does she have to do with this?"

"You loved her once, Peter, and I'm sure you still have feelings for her. You were so attentive to her at Su's wedding."

"Oh, don't start acting like you might actually be jealous, Saedra!"

"That's not my point! I'm saying that, assuming you loved me at the time—which, mind you, you didn't seem like it—I think you loved her too. It's not hard to care for more than one person at all, so stop giving me that judging look!"

"But I didn't act on it!" he snapped, his bleary eyes flashing. "I didn't carry on an affair, no matter how tempting it may have been! That is where we differ, Saedra. I did not betray you. I did not betray Talia, I did not betray Caulitha. You did."

Saedra looked down and spoke in a small voice. "I'm not excusing my actions, Peter. Not in the least. You said you wanted to understand; I was trying to explain."

He shook his head slowly. "I was wrong. I don't think I'll ever be able to understand. Never. If it was anyone else besides my brother, maybe. But not him...Not him."

Saedra waited in uncomfortable silence.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked. "An apology doesn't scratch the surface, so I won't even attempt it. What do you want me to do, Peter? I'll do anything you say."

Peter's jaw muscles tightened, and his lip curled.

A shiver ran through Saedra's body as she awaited her fate.

Peter spoke firmly:

"I never want to see you again. As long as I live, I never want to see your face again. Just looking at you reminds me of you and Edmund...You must never go to Narnia again."

Saedra stumbled backwards. She had expected a dire punishment, but it was still heart-rending to face her doom. Never enter Narnia again? The land of the people and Creatures she had become friends with? Never see Remanda the Dwarf again? Nor Tumnus? Nor the Beavers or Bears? Nor the great castle of Cair Paravel or the Horses or the Satyrs or the sand dunes or Susan?

Suddenly, Saedra realized that even if she went back, things would never be the same: people would hear about this sooner or later, and all would look at her the way the Archenlanders looked at her today. No matter what Peter ordered, her life was altered anyway.

"What about our girls?" she choked.

"Talia is at an age where she can travel back and forth between Cair Paravel and Harden. She will decide for herself. "

"Harden?" Saedra half-laughed. "There won't be a Harden for her to go to. Reine won the trial decisively, in case you didn't notice."

Peter shook his head. "No, he didn't. It's apparent that the trial was a farce. It was always in your favor, no matter how much King Lune wanted it to look otherwise." At Saedra's surprised expression, he elaborated. "Saedra, the Narnian court has always been close with the Archenlander one. You having myself and Lucy and the rest on your side assured your victory, provided you gave a decent defense. Watching King Lune's reactions today, I'm convinced Reine never had a real chance."

"But—but the whole affair thing—" she sputtered.

"Do you really think Lune believed it? And even if he had, he had my word to go on. My word as High King was more than enough to prove your innocence."

"Why did you do that? Why defend me? Rahai was more than glad to get her revenge."

He looked like he hated himself at that moment as much as Lucy hated Saedra. "Because...I still love you. Even after all this, I don't want to see you slandered. I don't blame Rahai a bit for what she did, but I...I'm different. I want you to be happy, and to have a home to live in. I want Talia to have a place to inherit when she gets older, since she can never rule Narnia because of Caulitha being a blood-heir."

"And..what of Caulitha? What will become of her?"

He paused. "Caulitha stays in Narnia. She mustn't leave."

Saedra paled. "Peter—she's my daughter! If I can't enter Narnia, I shall never see her!"

He shook his head. "She's too weak to travel. Maybe in a few years she'll be able to, but she's not a healthy baby."

"You can't do this!" she gasped.

"Who brought this upon us?" Peter said harshly. "You. These are the consequences you must bear-that we all will bear."

Saedra stared at the floor numbly.

"As soon as I walk out of here, I will leave Archenland," he said.

Saedra nodded.

"And we'll never see each other again," he concluded. "Ever."

She jerked her head up and met his eyes. Their eyes locked for a long moment.

His piercing blue eyes reminded her of all of their happy times they had shared: dancing, sledding, at Talia's birthday... Those times were just memories now of a life that would never be regained.

Peter looked away and walked towards the door behind Saedra. As he was walking past her left shoulder, he paused. They stood facing opposite directions, shoulders nearly touching.

Saedra looked up at Peter. His sad blue eyes met her brown ones one last time. They gazed at each other's faces as if trying to memorize the other's features. Saedra felt the beginnings of a spark of hope-

And then Peter was gone, the door shutting behind him.