Title: The Taste of Murder

Author: Rolletti

This story takes place during the Golden Age.

Unbeta'd

Sorry for the delay, RL kidnapped me, but I escaped it's clutches.

Disclaimer: Yep, I do not own any part of C.S. Lewis' works, and I'm still regrettably poor.

The Taste of Murder Chapter 11

Galenor slowly sunk to his knees consumed with unrestrained fear as he looked into the eyes of death at last.

The dark eyed being that entered the room drenched in the life essence of his enemies stood tall and imposing. The sickening, unmistakable sound of entrails sliding off Rhindon only served to give notice.

Lucy glanced back at Yori suddenly afraid for him. Their guardian, their High King has come.

He came like a hurricane, an unstoppable force, a mortal threat to anyone and anything in his path; a maelstrom of death and destruction. Nevertheless, like all such horrific storms there is a center, a calm eye. In this eye stood a big brother who assessed his three siblings well being. It only took a well practice moment. Then it was gone. The storm returned.

Immediately following Lucy's silent plea for her new friend, a man, who had managed to somehow hide himself during the earlier slaughter, charged into the room with a double edged blade. The dangerous steel gleamed in the torchlight aimed to do its owner's bidding. The target was the High King. Blind with the promise of gold, he couldn't wait to plunge his knife repeatedly into the back of the eldest king, shredding his lungs from behind.

Instead of victory he immediately discovered he was soaked in blood; his own blood. His blade was plunged through his mouth and exited out the back of his skull. The whites of his eyes seemed to envelope a large part of his face as he stood in shock. Like all the others he too underestimated the High King's little brother.

The girls closed their eyes, but could not conceal the horrific sound of gurgling, bubbling blood.

Yori's eyes grew as the scene before him unfolded; Edmund bringing down a man twice his size, and Peter never flinching. He realized the magnitude of just how much he miscalculated not only the strength, but the skill of this boy king. Sweat rolled down his face and neck, yet he felt chilled to the very marrow of his bones thinking of his fate. Will Edmund speak for him?

Galenor flinched out of shock as he watched Edmund in action. He would never have thought the smooth, beautiful move was possible by a mere boy had he not seen it with his own eyes. He now understood why Edmund was not afraid of him. He honestly had no need to. It would seem Manwen was right; he would have lost his head had he tried to remove the little queen.

But it would seem that losing his head was inevitable.

Trembling, Galenor returned his gaze to the one who stood before him. The rage that boiled in Peter's eyes told him he would not survive the day. He wanted to lower his head to get it over with, to have it removed by the sword dripping with blood. But first he wanted to say…

"No, do not speak. There are no words," Peter said, low and dangerous.

The Narnians could hear Galenor's teeth chatter from their position in the hall, and those with sensitive hearing could hear his blood rushing through his veins as his heart hammered against his ribs in fear.

Muscles twitched in Peter's face as he tried to force the storm within him to calm. Unfortunately, the longer he gazed at Galenor he felt the urge to feel the man's life blood ooze through his fingers, his pulse weakening until the last satisfying beat.

With his head lowered Galenor heard Peter's approach until he could see his boots. He took a deep breath in anticipation of the blow. Surprisingly enough that is not what happened. Instead of the swoosh of the blade he heard the High King gently say, "I have a special gift for you. I traveled a road less traveled to get it. Because you are the leader, the master mind behind all of this, the ultimate gift is yours. I mean, you are the one behind this are you not?"

Galenor reluctantly agreed.

The children brow's wrinkled as they saw an Aardvark approach Peter's out stretched hand. With great care, the soldier placed a small, yet heavy sack into the Kings hand.

Susan squeezed Lucy's hand in warning, because she knew the curiosity of her sister would lead her to peek into the bag herself.

Peter painfully squeezed Galenor by the back of his neck, "I want you to reach in there and eat." Through clenched teeth he said, "If you don't I will stuff it down your throat after I slice it open. It's up to you."

Galenor's hands shook as he slowly reached into the bag. His body went ridged. The cool, gel like substance with a pulse enveloped his fingers easily on contact. Gasping as if his chest was constricted Galenor looked at Peter. With the High Kings pupils blown wide, Galenor could see how he savored his fear. As the seconds dragged by the look intensified. To Peter revenge was… delicious.

"What are you waiting for, a knife and fork? Eat," Peter said with a twisted smile.

Galenor hesitated, whimpering before he took a bloody bite of the raw flesh he withdrew from the sack.

"Wait!" Peter commanded. "I want you to look my King and Queens and apologize."

Galenor looked at the children who had been nothing but trouble, and knew he never regretted anything more than kidnapping the three. Galenor felt the boy, the king, looked as if he had judged, tried and sentenced him. He carried the same expression when his pets were killed. The eldest queen looked upon him gently. She looked as if she actually felt sorry for him, but knew there was scarier side to her. The youngest, the littlest queen, her eyes were just as cold as the High King.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Speak up," threatened Peter.

Galenor voice wavered, "Please forgive me, I am sorry."

"I said apologize, not ask for forgiveness. You will receive none. Now eat, it's from the Hzan, a rare, rare treat just for you.

Galenor pathetically whimpered again the closer he brought his hands to his mouth. He stared at the bloody mess.

"EAT!" shouted Peter, startling everyone in and out of the room.

Edmund turned the girls back on the horrific scene. Susan held Lucy lest her curiosity caused her to peek.

The trembling man took a timid bite, then another. His eyes lit up as he took bigger and hungrier bites, greedily tearing into it as if it was heavenly, like nothing he's ever tasted. He grunted as he noisily chewed, inhaling through his nostrils as his senses were sweetly assaulted. His eyes rolled back in pleasure as he licked and sucked every drop off his fingers. Forgetting he had an audience, Galenor groaned in ecstasy as he devoured the most dangerous part of the Hzan.

On the verge of begging for more Galenor clenched his stomach as he doubled over. Fire seemed to instantly sear through his mind as he grabbed his head. Visible dark green veins traveled across his face from the effects of his gruesome, yet delicious meal.

Peter grabbed Galenor's chin forcing him to stare into his piercing eyes as he decreed, "Insanity is your fate, trapped forever within your vile mind. Until the day you die you will see me chasing after you, hunting you. You'll see me around every corner, hidden in every shadow. Even in your dreams. You will see every child you have ever captured, and hear their anguished cry. You will see the painful despair of their parents and you will live that despair."

Justice for those who were senselessly slain needed to be served. Therefore, Edmund stood by silently.

Oreius dragged Galenor kicking and screaming like a mad man out of the presence of the royal family as his life sentence had begun.

The tension in the room was crushing. The girls looked Yori one last time before they turned to face Peter.

Peter's eyes quickly assessed the children again, noticed how clean they looked, the handiwork of Susan no doubt, before his icy blue eyes met Yori's.

"Peter," Edmund breathed.

"Come girls," smiled Peter. The smile did not reach his eyes. They ran to their brother despite him not being whole, but Edmund knew something was amiss. "Edmund."

Edmund watched as the girls clung to Peter, Susan's eyes squeezed tight, Lucy watching Yori and Edmund. "Edmund," said Peter, his voice neutral.

"Peter, he…"

"Shhhh, come brother, come to me." Edmund was powerless. Like the effects of the moon have on the ocean, Edmund was pulled toward Peter, and was embraced into the fold. Peter eyes were on Yori as he received his brother with a kiss.

"Peter," Edmund tried again as he closed his eyes. He soaked up the love that was denied him for so long, and he didn't want to move. He wanted to ignore Yori, the stench of blood, and the presence of gore in their surroundings. He wanted Peter and his sisters just as they were, together, one unit. Edmund wasn't clear about Yori. The help was there, yes, but he did not see him as a friend like the girls did. He was suspicious. At the moment he wasn't strong enough to voice his concerns, so overwhelm was he to be in the arms of home, trust, Peter. He inhaled deeply, burrowing past the layers of blood and sweat, and delving into scent that has always comforted him in times of trial.

"Peter, this is Yori," said Lucy as she looked to Edmund for support. "He helped us."

"Helped you how, you're still in this awful prison. You helped my family? From what, that monster, Galenor?" asked Peter dispassionately as he continued to hold his family close.

"Edmund, please," begged Susan, yet refusing to let Peter go. Like Edmund she couldn't, couldn't bare it.

Edmund gathered enough strength to turned fully to look at Yori. He saw fear written in his eyes as he silently begged the king to speak for him. "Peter," said Edmund, his voice stronger. "Yori did help us. He gave us clean water every day, water unspoiled by our captors. He gave us fresh fruit and nuts to eat for our meals. He also thoroughly washed the blood of the three dead men out of this room for us."

Peter raised his brow at that last remark. "One each?"

"Of course," Edmund smirked.

"hmm," Peter returned his gaze on Yori, but it was not friendly.

Susan and Lucy held hands through Edmunds account, elated he was making an effort.

"But," cautioned Edmund, the girls gasped. "there is something deceitful about him, and I don't quite know what it is. He used us, and I him for the girl's sake."

"But he helped us, was kind to us," pleaded Lucy.

Peter kissed his baby sister who saw the good in most and tried to step in front of them shield them. It took quite an effort because they wouldn't let him go. Edmund wasn't the only one who couldn't leave the strong arms of home. Peter stood in front of his family assessing Yori, deliberately predatory. "My brother finds deceit in you. My brother is a Just king, and is a great judge of character, very insightful."

Yori transformed from the timid, frightening thief, to the unwavering, cocky savage full of treachery right before their eyes. He smiled wickedly at them all, confident in his nefarious scheme against the crowns of Narnia. "You all think you're so smart. Well I outwitted you," he laughed. "even my pathetic uncle Galenor. Everyone thought I was the weaker one, the pathetic one, the one to be treated like the muck on the bottom of their shoes. You," he pointed to Edmund. "you won't be so high and mighty once I sell you to the highest bidder."

Peter returned his wicked grin, but it was more unsettling. "By the way, I ran into your uncle Layen." Peter leaned in conspiratorially close and said, "And the men you are expecting him to return with are not coming."

Yori's grin fell as he turned as pale as a wintry moon.

Lucy felt she couldn't breathe properly while Susan felt dizzy. They couldn't believe the wicked deceit.

"It's amazing how quick your uncle confessed when I held him over the pit of king rats. Mind you, they are not your average rats; they are indigenous to these parts. You know, you people didn't do your homework before you traveled this far from where ever you came. This whole land that borders my country to the southwest is treacherous. No one in their right mind comes here voluntarily. It gives the Marshwiggles plenty of fodder for songs mind you, especially the king rats." Peter looked deranged as he swayed side to side with Rhindon in his hand to the latest song composed by the Marshwiggles. "They don't just bite, their red eyes are a terrible fright, they chew through your flesh, creating a terrible mess, something, something then the chorus part is higher," he cleared his throat to reach the proper pitch. "Cheer up their favorite parts are the eyes, their favorite part are the eyes, yes, yes, the eyes. You repeat that part four times."

Yori thought he was scared before, but now he understood he was in the hands of a mad and dangerous king.

"You know the songs are true. The sound alone of having the eyes plucked out is quite gruesome. Unfortunately for Layen, he saw every one of his men suffer in that pit before he confessed. My fingers were slippery by that time and he fell to his doom.

Sniffles were heard from behind Peter, and he glanced towards the girls. "Yori pretended to be your friend as he waited for my arrival. He figured why just sell three royals when he could get richer for all four. So while I was to do him the favor of killing his uncle Galenor and his men, his other uncle Layen and his bandits would lay in wait to ambush us all."

Lucy's lips silently formed Yori's name, hurt by the betrayal.

"I had planned on beheading you quickly because I wanted to get my family home where they belong, and I'm tired. Then your uncle told me of your…indecent plans, shall I say, for my sister Susan.

Yori's very bones began to against his fear as he tried to remember how to breathe.

"You are going to die, but…well, let's just say I'm going to need a change of clothes when I'm through with you!"

Yori's could see the roaring rage in the depths of the eyes of not only a king, but a brother, a father who would defy everything and all to get back what belonged to him. Yori gave a full-bodied shudder.

"Edmund, take the girls outside."

"I want to see!" growled Lucy looking at Yori, but one look from Peter sent her on her way.

The sound was faint from outside, but clear as crystal. Yori suffered a long and slow death for his crime against children, his conspiracy, and for his sins against Narnia.

Susan's brows were creased, confused and hurt over the deception; Lucy turned to look at Edmund with bright tears trailing down her face. She ran to him and buried her face in his chest as he held her. "You were right," she said muffled. "You were right not to trust him, Edmund. I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too, Lu," said Edmund, vibrating with anger. "I'd hoped to be wrong." He pulled his Susan in too and held them close.

Soldiers quietly wiped their eyes with no shame to see the three missing monarchs. After bowing and expressing their joy, they went about setting up tents to tend to the neglected needs of the children. Water was set to boil, hunters went out, and clean dry traveling clothes and shoes lay in waiting. Oreius had dispatched a letter to Tumnus and Sir Fox with joyous news. It only said,'Victory'

NnNnNnNn

After stepping out into the sun and fresh air, cleaned of all dead matter, Peter found his arms full of clean, fed siblings. He hugged them tight, couldn't get enough of them. Yes, the sun seemed brighter, the air smelled crisper, and Edmunds fist to his face was surprisingly unexpected. Standing over him Edmund was infuriated. Stars danced in his vision as he looked up at his brother from the ground.

"What did you do that for?" Peter winced rubbing his jaw.

Susan looked angry and sick all at once. "How could you, Peter!"

"How dare you, Peter!" shouted Lucy.

Chest heaving, Edmund stood over his loving brother and said between clenched teeth, "If you ever step foot on Hzan's land again, I'll break your over protective neck!

TBC

Please forgive me for waiting so long to post this chapter that has been on my computer since chapter one. Real life is CRAZY, but hey, got my degree with honors, so yay for that. Hopefully I should update the next chapter real soon. If you are still interested in this story please leave a review so I can know if it should be continued. I'm thinking a few more chapters, too much hurt left unchecked.

Rolletti