Chapter 13
"Let her go," Peter said quietly in a voice few would dare to disobey. The man released Georgie's wrist and pushed her away, causing her to trip over her nightgown and fall backwards. She heard the man gasp and saw that Peter had grabbed the man's arm and most likely had pressed his sword harder to his neck.
"Had I not needed you alive to tell me why you were here to kill me, a move like that would have quickly ended your life." He pushed the man forward and into a nearby chair, keeping his sword pointed at him. "Georgiana," said Peter, never taking his eyes off the now seated man. "Pick up his knife and yours." Georgie quickly grabbed the two knives, holding hers positioned in her hand in case she needed to use it. "Tell me why you are here," Peter demanded. The man smirked, keeping quiet. Peter moved and pressed the tip of his sword against the man's throat, causing a tiny trickle of blood to run down his neck. "I don't ask twice," he warned menacingly. Before the man could answer, a muffled scream came from the room next to Peter's.
"Susan!" cried Georgie, turning towards the sound of the scream.
"Georgiana, are you able?" Peter asked, looking at her, fear for his sister's life present in her eyes.
"I am," she answered.
Peter nodded, saying, "Be safe!" as Georgie ran out of the room to Susan's.
Georgie flung open the door and saw a second intruder, his blonde hair gleaming in the moonlight which filled Susan's room, stalking towards Susan who had backed into a wall, a knife similar to the first intruder's in his hand. The door hit the wall behind it, causing the man to turn to face Georgie.
"I'll be with you in a moment, dearie," he snarled, his evil face glaring at her. The man turned back to Susan, poised to move, when a heavy book hit him on the back of his head with a loud thud. The sudden blow caused him to stumble forward, dropping his knife. He righted himself and lunged at Georgie, grabbing her roughly. He lifted one of his large hands and struck her across the face, causing her to fall to the floor and drop the knife and dagger she held. The man reached down and jerked Georgie up, causing her head to fly backwards. He lifted his hand again to strike her, but before the blow could come, Georgie heard a soft woosh and suddenly a red-tipped arrow protruded from the side of the man's throat, blood pouring from the wound and gurgling out of his mouth. The man fell backwards to the floor at Georgie's feet, where she was frozen in place from the sight of the dead man in front of her.
"Georgiana, let's go," Susan said softly, tossing her bow aside and holding her hand out to her friend. Georgie slowly looked up at Susan, her face blank as though she had not understood what was said. "Georgiana, come! Come away from him!" Susan ordered, her voice a mixture of a regal queen and a concerned mother. Georgie slowly nodded and walked around the man, moving as far away from the pool of blood that had quickly formed around him. When she reached Susan's side, Georgie felt herself being pulled into Susan's arms in a tight embrace. Her body quickly began shaking from sobs that escaped her chest, tears flowing down her face and drenching Susan's nightgown. Susan tried to pull her towards the door, but Georgie was rooted to the floor.
Susan began rubbing her back, offering soothing words trying to ease the fear from Georgie, when Peter yelled "Susan! Georgiana!" and appeared in the doorway. He noticed the dead man lying on the floor and Georgie's crying, and immediately went to their side. "Are you okay?" he asked frantically.
Susan shook her head, "I think this was all too much for Georgiana. I can't get her to move."
Peter pulled Georgie back from Susan and lifted her into his arms, carrying her into the sitting room. Susan pulled the door shut as Peter set Georgie down in the large chair in the corner, the same chair where she had first noticed the intruder. Georgie's crying had stopped, but her body still shook in terror.
Why can't I control myself? My friends could have been killed! she thought. Peter crouched in front of her, instructing her to take deep breaths. Susan went to a table across the room and poured an amber-colored liquid into a cup and brought it to Georgie.
"Drink this, it may help to calm you," she offered, smoothing her hand over Georgie's hair. Susan had forgotten how horrifying it was the first time she had seen a creature killed in front of her, wondering if the situation had been different for her (not being in the midst of a battle) would she have reacted this way as well.
As Georgie sipped the fiery liquid, she felt herself calming. When Peter and Susan were convinced she was better, Peter turned to Susan and asked, "What happened?"
Susan told him of how she had woken up to see a man standing over her with a knife and screamed, rolling off the bed quickly as the knife came down. She told of how seconds later Georgie entered the room and thew a large book (one Queen Clair had loaned to Susan upon hearing of her love of fashion) at the man, hitting him in the head.
"When he gathered his wits about him, he jumped at her, grabbing her and striking her across the face!" Susan explained. Peter gently grabbed Georgie's face and turned it to the side. A large bruise was forming from where she had been hit. Peter growled in anger before releasing her, his face darkening. Susan continued, "He picked her up again and was about to hit her when I grabbed my bow, which was luckily next to my bed, and shot him in the throat with an arrow. I regret her closeness, but I'm not sorry I killed him."
"I admit, I'm not either. And I'm glad you did, for if I had been in there he wouldn't have died so quickly."
"What-" Georgie began, struggling to breathe again after hearing Peter's words. Susan and Peter both turned to look at her, quickly shushing her and urging her to sip more of her drink. Georgie shook her head, for her mind was beginning to become cloudy. "What happened to the man in your room?" she asked Peter.
"In your room!" exclaimed Susan, who was unaware of the first intruder. Peter nodded before explaining how a man had crept into his room, with the same murderous intentions.
"He would have succeeded too had Georgiana not snuck up behind him and ordered him to drop his weapon. Her words woke me up and I reached for my sword and apprehended the man." Turning to face Georgie, he answered her question, "He still would not answer me, and since I did not wish him dead just yet, I dragged him to the hall and threw him to the nearby guards. They took him to the dungeon where he'll wait until we question him later." Georgie nodded and sipped more of her drink.
Susan declared that Georgie needed to sleep and offered to stay with her. Peter nodded and left with King Sol, who had rushed into the sitting room immediately upon hearing of the attempted assassination of the king and queen, to discuss what had happened.
Georgie entered her room, followed by Susan, went to wash her tear streaked face and climbed into her bed. Susan sat beside her and ran her fingers through Georgie's hair in a motherly fashion.
"Things will be alright in the morning. You'll see," she said softly. Georgie nodded and closed her eyes, letting the soothing feeling of Susan's fingers in her hair lull her to sleep.
This is what it must be like to have an older sister, a last thought running through her mind. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.
The next morning after breakfast, King Sol asked Peter, Susan and Georgie to speak with him in his private meeting room. When they entered with him, they noticed Queen Clair was seated at the end of a long table. Several other men were seated at the table as well, each with a grave look on their face. The men rose as the four entered the room, remaining standing until they had been seated, King Sol in his place at the head of the table, Susan and Georgie to his left and Peter to his right. Once they had been seated, the men returned to their seats.
King Sol stood and began, "As you all were told early this morning, an attempt on High King Peter and Queen Susan's life was tried late last night after the ball. His Majesty apprehended the culprit who was responsible for attempting to assassinate him and Queen Susan killed the man who attempted to end her life. We took the first assassin to the dungeon where we questioned him until he gave his purpose for this crime. He told us he was hired to murder the king and queen of Narnia and was paid quite handsomely for this act. When questioned of the man behind this, he was silent. After relentless motivation, we have acquired the name of the person who hired him. Guard!" King Sol called. A guard dressed in Archenlander armor entered the room, bowing before the king. "Bring Lord Brin to us so that we may question him!"
The guard nodded and left, moments later returning followed by two other guards dragging a very ruffled looking Lord Brin.
"Lord Brin!" began King Sol. "You have been named as the man responsible for the assassination attempt on the lives of the king and queen of Narnia. How do you answer to this?"
Lord Brin sneered before answering, "I admit it. I hired the men to kill them."
Low murmurs came from the men at the table. Georgie gasped low at the lord's admission.
"Why?" Susan asked, her voice void of all emotion.
"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty?" Lord Brin asked smirking at the queen.
"Why would you have us killed? What grave injustice have we caused you?" Susan had become slightly sarcastic in her questioning, insulted by Lord Brin's lack of respect for her.
"Perhaps you should ask your brother," Lord Brin replied nastily.
Susan looked at Peter, who shrugged in his confusion.
"I don't understand," she stated.
Lord Brin laughed menacingly before explaining, "He came here to marry my bride."
"Wait! What? I came here to marry no one!" Peter yelled, jumping up out of his chair.
Susan stood up quickly in reaction, saying firmly, "Peter! Sit down."
Peter's eyes grew wide in anger at his sister for speaking to him so in front of the others.
"Please," she said softly. "We need to get to the bottom of this first. Then you may hack him to tiny pieces with my blessing."
The men in the room chuckled at the vicious words of the queen who was supposed to be known as Susan the Gentle. Peter smiled slightly before nodding and turning to Lord Brin, his smile quickly replaced with a look of hatred.
"Who is your bride, then, that I was planning on coming here to marry?"
Lord Brin smiled an evil smile before looking beyond King Sol and answering, "Princess Laira."
"What?!" bellowed King Sol, jumping out of his chair so quickly that it overturned. Shouts rang out through the room from the men seated around the table. Queen Clair gave a tiny shriek and fainted dead away in her chair, her body slumped over the arm. Peter, Susan and Georgie all sat silently, their eyes large and exchanging shocked glances with one another.
"You had better explain yourself sir!" yelled King Sol, drawing his sword and pointing it at Lord Brin.
"Father, no!" cried a voice from behind King Sol. Princess Laira rushed to her father's side and grabbed his arm. "You cannot kill him! I love him!" she cried, tears pouring from her beady eyes. The king stared murderously at his daughter before turning to Peter.
"First, Your Majesty, I would like to apologize to you for ever thinking my daughter would be a good bride for you. I see now that I was gravely mistaken. Secondly, on behalf of all of Archenland, I am truly sorry for the attempt on your lives and will do all in my power to ensure peace between our lands and between ourselves. And thirdly, I would ask what you would have me do with this traitorous murderer," the king stated, a mixture of anger and sorrow furrowed on his brow.
Peter glanced at Lord Brin and Princess Laira before looking at his sister. Susan nodded to him and Peter turned to face King Sol. "Your Majesty, on behalf of my sister and I, we accept your apology and assure you that the relations between Narnia and Archenland have not been affected, nor has the relationship between my family and yours been damaged in any way. Now, as it turns out, this situation has become a family matter. If it is alright with you, I would like to forfeit my judgment of this man to you. I have always known Archenland kings and queens to be fair in their decisions and do not doubt that you will make a judgment accordingly and fairly to this man. Something I know that I would be unable to do," Peter added, narrowing his eyes at Lord Brin.
King Sol nodded and turned to the guards holding Lord Brin. "Take this man away until I know what to do with him," he commanded.
"If you don't mind, Your Majesty, I believe we will retire to our rooms for a while. The past few hours have been trying on all of us," Peter stated, gesturing to Susan and Georgie that it was time for them to leave.
Georgie rose early the next morning before dawn, still shaken from the events of the day before. She dressed quickly and walked out of the guest wing to walk the castle grounds. The cool morning breeze blew her loose hair, the dew on the grass soaking her shoes and the hem of her dress. She continued to walk until she reached a hill, climbing it quickly to the top. Breathing hard from the climb, she turned and looked back at the castle. She had walked quite a ways from it and could see the land stretch on for miles below her. With a heavy sigh, she sat down, drawing her knees to her chest and placing her chin on them. Recalling the look of the man as his life left his body caused her to shudder, a tear rolling down her cheek. What if I had been to late? What if I had not been there? What if he had killed Susan? Or Peter? She ran over these questions and others in her mind, each causing her to panic more.
A warm breeze blew behind her, causing her to sit up straight. She slowly turned to see a large golden Lion sitting next to her. She had not heard it approach, but felt an immediate calm when she looked up to it.
"Aslan," she breathed.
The Lion nodded his head and said, "You have done well Georgiana. I could not have asked for more from you, for you have given all that you could."
Georgie remembered Aslan's words from when they spoke before and he told her that she would save the kings and queens of Narnia.
"I don't understand, sir. King Peter captured the man trying to kill him and Queen Susan killed hers. I did nothing. I have failed you," she said remorsefully, looking down at her hands.
"What you say is true. Peter and Susan did handle their assassins. But to say you did nothing is a great insult to you. You woke Peter when you attempted to stop the man in his room. You saved Susan when you threw the book at the one in her room. I have helped them both find the strength to save themselves from danger, just as I will one day help you to find that same strength. Without you, they would have been unable to stop those men from murdering them. You have not failed me. You have strengthened me by saving those I love."
Georgie was surprised at Aslan's explanation; she had never thought that her assistance had helped Peter and Susan stop their attempted killers. "Thank you Aslan, for helping me see."
The Lion nodded to her and asked, "You still have questions for me."
"I'm still confused. You told me I would save the kings and queens. King Peter and Queen Susan are only one of each. Will King Caspian, Edmund and Lucy be in need of saving? I'm so afraid for their lives now!"
Aslan smiled down at Georgie and answered, "Dear child, by assisting Peter and Susan, you have saved the others. Caspian has not lost his mentor and friend he has in Peter and he has not lost his first love that he had in Susan. Edmund and Lucy have not lost their older brother and sister and only family. Because of your actions, you have saved them from lives filled with sorrow, anger, and regret, for a life filled with these things is often worse than death."
"Thank you," Georgie whispered.
The sun began to rise as Georgie and Aslan sat in silence, watching the breathtaking view of the day beginning. As the sun rose higher in the sky, Aslan turned to Georgie and chuckled. "You have some friends who are worried for you," he said.
As he said these words, Georgie heard her name being called. She stood, her dress damp from the grass, and saw Peter and Susan hurrying up the hill towards her. When they reached the top, they saw Aslan standing next to Georgie and immediately knelt in front of him.
"Rise, High King Peter! Rise, Queen Susan!" Aslan called to them.
They both stood and Aslan said, "I have someone I would like to introduce you to." He motioned with his head to Georgiana.
"But sir," Peter began. "We already know Georgiana. We've been looking for her all morning."
The Lion chuckled before continuing. "Yes, Peter. You do know Georgiana. But not as I know her." He turned to Georgiana, nodding to her before speaking again,
"I would like to introduce you to Georgiana, Princess of Narnia."
AN: Whew! As much as I whined and complained over writing Chapter 11 (and, btw, thanks for your kind words about it and I'm glad you enjoyed it!), it was totally worth getting through it to write these past two chapters! I finally got to the point in my story that I've been waiting to get to since I began it!
Just a little explanation... All the info and places listed in the letters written to Georgie and Peter by Edmund and Lucy actually did occur in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. (I have ZERO imagination when it comes to making up fantasy lands and names) I had to sit with a copy of it, reading and rereading certain sections to make sure I was accurate, as well as read over lists of the various places in Narnia that Susan and Peter would travel to. This was the main reason why Chapter 11 was so tedious. Thanks again for reading and I'm glad you seem to be enjoying it! I know I certainly am!