Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: In the aftermath of rescuing Queen Lucy from an evil sorcerer, Katerina Alambiel struggles to find her place while some of the Narnians closest to the Pevensies still question her motives. And, finding herself in the middle of an assassination plot against the High King himself doesn't exactly help her to fit in.

Warning: There will be mentions of torture, murder, and some scary moments. So, this is a mid to high T.

Chapter Three: News and Travel

Peter studied the two missives laying flat on his desk with a slight frown before he looked up, "Are you certain you want to do this, Su? I mean you don't have to go if you don't want to and I can just give your compliments to the Windwolf family when I pass through on the way to inspect the old hunting lodge near our northern border. It isn't going to be a leisure trip you know."

Peter's secret hope of persuading his sister to stay in the safety of Cair Paravel faded a bit when Susan arched an eyebrow at him. "There is no reason for me not to visit the Windwolf family for a day as they requested. They want to make up for what some of their family were forced to do under Jadis' rule and they would like me to be present for the naming of their pups. Vardan has repented and this is an excellent way to emphasize the fact that we have forgiven him."

Peter brightened as he hit upon a new tactic, "What about Lucy? Lion knows you haven't let her out of your sight since Twirleaf, how comfortable will you be going on this trip if you're constantly worrying over Lucy?"

Susan crossed her arms, "Really, Peter? Edmund is going to stay here with Lucy and I have his word that he will keep her out of trouble while we're gone. Besides, you are the one who said just last week that I needed to let her have some breathing room. So, as I was saying, we'll travel together as far as the Shuddering Woods where I will stay with the Windwolf family for the day or so it will take you to inspect the hunting lodge, and then we'll meet at the fork in the Great River and travel back to Cair Paravel. It will only take four or five days at the most. Why are you making such a fuss about it?"

Peter leaned back in his chair and sighed, "I'm just concerned that something will happen to you if I were to leave you alone for an hour much less a day or two, I mean look at what happened with Lucy. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you or Lucy or Edmund because I wasn't there to protect you."

Susan's eyes softened in understanding and she walked around his desk to put her hand on his shoulder. "Peter, you are our protector but this time I think we'll be all right. We haven't heard a single whisper of anything unusual happening along the borders since Twirleaf and you know the Windwolf family would die before they let anything happen to me while I'm their guest. Lucy and Edmund will both be protected by half the army and Captain Cletus won't let Edmund get into trouble while we're gone and Edmund won't let Lucy get into trouble. And, if it makes you feel better, I'll take Heru and Sefu with me along with Caia. Between the three of them and the entire Windwolf family, you can rest assured that I'll be perfectly safe while you're off inspecting your potential hideaway from palace life."

Peter chuckled at the image of Heru and Sefu being paired with Caia, a fiery little Centauress archer, who often accompanied Susan when she traveled and had won several races against more than a few members of Captain Sherket's battalion of big Cats. He had heard that Heru was trying to arrange a rematch after he lost the last race to Caia, but so far Sherket had stalled any progress to that effect. Although, he strongly suspected that Lieutenant Sefu might be persuaded to allow a rematch to take place if only so he could have the opportunity to laugh at Heru when the Cougar lost to Caia for the eleventh time in a row. Peter looked up at Susan and nodded, "All right, Susan you can come but keep in mind that this still isn't a leisure trip and we leave early tomorrow morning."

Susan smiled in delight and kissed him on the cheek before she swept out of his study. Peter shook his head again before he called for one of the Cat pages. He needed to warn General Oreius that his sister had decided to accompany them as far as the Shuddering Woods, especially since he never knew for sure who else Susan would bring with her on these trips.

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Katerina Alambiel was mildly surprised to find the eldest Queen of Narnia when she opened her door that evening after supper. "Queen Susan, please come in. I thought you might be Lucy."

Susan smiled, "Then I'm surprised you opened the door at all, especially since I know how much of your time Lucy tries to take up."

"I don't really mind, and it's rather difficult to hold anything against Lucy. She's too much of a sweetheart, even when she imitates a rabbit on a sugar high." Katerina matched Susan's smile before she gave the elder queen a knowing look as they each claimed a seat in the parlor. "However, I have the sneaking suspicion that you are not here to talk about your sister. So, why are you really here?"

Susan looked down at her hands then looked back up with an almost sheepish expression. "Well, I came for two reasons. First, I wanted to apologize for what happened with Sallowpad yesterday. He refused to tell anyone what he was planning to ask you, Katerina, and if I had known he had chosen that particular subject, I never would have allowed him to do so in that setting. I hope you weren't too embarrassed."

Katerina grinned, "I was too confused to be embarrassed, Susan. Actually, I think it was Peter who suffered the embarrassment not I."

Susan laughed and nodded, "I think you may be right, first Sallowpad shocked him by asking that question and then everyone but you and Lucy knew exactly what he was really asking. Of course, your response hurt his pride a little, I think. Even though I don't think he ever thought of you like that, or any girls that I know of. Actually, why were you so confused? I would have thought that you had lots of experience with courtship or at least men pursuing you."

Katerina felt herself blush for the first time in years as she fumbled for an answer. "Yes, well, I've never actually been on a date or had any man express an interest in me, at least not one I was ever interested in back. Moreover, since it never even occurred to me to think of Peter as anything but a friend or perhaps a brother, I just didn't make that leap in logic. Not to mention the fact that he's a little young for me since I'm nineteen to his fourteen. Besides, I don't see myself getting involved with anyone, much less married, any time soon." Katerina paused then continued in a dry tone, "Maybe when I'm thirty-four or thirty-six, and then Sallowpad can get his feathers in a bunch trying to figure out who I targeted in my husband-hunting quest."

Susan laughed again, "All right, I thought that might be the cause for your emphatic response. Anyway, the other reason I'm here is I wondered if you would like to accompany Peter and I on a trip. Peter's going to inspect an old hunting lodge, which he plans to turn into a private retreat from the Cair, and I'm going to the Shuddering Woods to visit the Windwolf family and represent the royals when Vardan and Clara Windwolf present their pups for the first time."

Katerina titled her head slightly, "It sounds interesting enough, but why do you want me to come?"

"Because you deserve the chance to see more of Narnia than Cair Paravel, and you can take a small break from Lucy's unending energy. I think you would enjoy seeing Narnia in the springtime, well, early springtime. As well as the fact that your coming will help keep Peter from worrying about what's happening in Cair Paravel. And, no I don't mean he's worried you'll try to start a coup. But, he and General Oreius are both worried that if we were to leave just Edmund and Lucy here with you, someone might decide you were trying to act on secret ambitions and cause problems."

"Do they know you're inviting me to come pester you lot instead?"

"No, and I don't intend to tell them until we leave in the morning if you decide to come with us."

Katerina almost laughed at the mischievous glint in Susan's eyes, the elder Queen might not be as spontaneous as her sister but she certainly had a sense of humor. She grinned at Susan as she pretended to weigh her options with her hands. "Hmm, let's see stay here and start a coup or go on a trip through Narnia and pester Oreius and Peter? Well, my yearly quota for starting coups has already been filled, so I'm going to have to go with pestering the general and High King for as long as I can get away with it. We leave in the morning, yes?"

Susan laughed, "Yes and make sure you pack a warm cloak because it will be cold along the northern border, which is where the hunting lodge is located. And, remember not a word to either my brother or the good general if you see them this evening. I think they deserve a surprise, don't you agree?"

Katerina grinned, "I agree, I just hope they think it's a good surprise." Susan laughed and left almost immediately to start preparing for the trip, not realizing that Katerina had been more than a little serious. She frowned and went to pack before Sherket came to check on her. The Leopard captain had not been pleased to learn that after nearly four months of absence Katerina's nightmares had returned with a vengeance this past week, and to the point that three nights ago she had scared poor Ptah into running for Sherket after she woke up screaming. Now the Leopard captain had returned to her habit of staying up with her until it was quite late and Katerina could no longer keep herself awake, then curling up against her back during the night. Katerina prayed that her nightmares would go away again, or at least for this trip, it would be far too difficult for her to hide just how badly the nightmares shook her up with the absence of true privacy while traveling.

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14 Lenisgale 1001

Peter sat on his horse, Blaze, and watched in slight shock as Susan rode up next to him on her own horse, Crystal, with none of her ladies-in-waiting in tow. Her horn dangled from the saddle horn and her bow and quiver were safely tucked behind the saddle as a precaution. She raised an eyebrow at him, "What? You said this wasn't a leisure trip so I packed light."

Peter glanced over at Oreius who was no help at all, as he copied Susan by raising an eyebrow at him. Peter turned back to his sister and shrugged. "I guess I'm just a little surprised that you didn't invite some of your ladies to come as well."

Susan smiled at him and cheerfully answered, "You confused me with Lucy, Peter, I only invited one person to come along and she's going with you to the lodge."

Peter blinked as he tried to figure out who Susan would have invited to come with him to the hunting lodge and not with her to the Shuddering Woods. A glance at Oreius proved the Centaur had no idea either, and Peter didn't have to imagine that Oreius wasn't happy about being kept in the dark. He opened his mouth to ask Susan outright, and then he immediately shut it as Katerina Alambiel rode up on the blue roan mare, Sasha. She grinned at him and Oreius before turning to Susan, "Well, they certainly look surprised. When do we leave?"

Peter answered instead of Susan, "We're leaving now." With Katerina's addition, their party now numbered thirteen. Besides himself, the girls, and Oreius, there was also Ardon, Alithia, Sherket, Sefu, Heru, Caia, two Tiger cousins, and a Cheetah by the name of Esmae. Peter glanced at the sun peeking over the horizon and hoped nothing too terrible or inconvenient happened on this trip.

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Three hours passed before any real conversation took place between the members of the party. Peter was pulled from his private musings when Susan asked Katerina one of the questions nearly everyone in Cair Paravel was dying to know. "Katerina, why do you never speak of your family?"

Peter turned slightly to better hear Katerina's reply. "Probably because I find it difficult to speak of that which I do not know."

Susan had to have known that everyone was listening now, and, just as Peter hoped, she pressed for more information. "What do you mean?"

Katerina's voice was quiet and calm as she answered, "I grew up in an orphanage before being bounced around more than a few foster homes. Nobody knew where I came from or where what, if any, family could be found. It probably didn't help that I was found wandering around in the woods with no clues for searchers to follow or that it was nearly seven months before I spoke a word to anyone."

Peter looked over his shoulder to see Katerina was watching the space between Sasha's ears, but she readily answered when Caia joined the conversation. "Were you very young when they found you?"

"No, the people who ran the orphanage guessed I was somewhere between eight and ten years of age, they eventually settled on saying I was nine at the time I was found. They did try to find my family, but without a name and no hints other than the area where I had been discovered, there wasn't much to go on. And, when I finally started talking again, I couldn't help them."

Peter couldn't help himself, this was the most he had heard Katerina ever say about her past, he had to keep her talking. "Why?"

"Because when they asked me for my name, I responded with Alambiel, and when they asked why I had been in the woods, I couldn't tell them anything. I didn't remember why I was there, in fact, I didn't remember anything other than my name was Alambiel. I still don't remember anything of my past before the day the hunters found me and took me to the authorities who then took me to the orphanage. They tried again to find my family, this time hoping that the unusual name would spark a memory and garner more of a response, but still nobody came forward. After that they decided that I had either been orphaned or simply abandoned. Before you ask, the same person who managed to get me to talk is who dubbed me 'Katerina'. I don't know his real name, he was always called 'the Professor' by everyone at the orphanage, but his niece helped run the place and he decided that Katerina was an appropriate addition to Alambiel after hearing the complaint that my more unusual name would keep me from being adopted."

Peter met Susan's gaze and nodded for her to ask the next question. "Did it?"

Katerina's tone turned wry as she shook her head. "No, I suspect the lack of a past and my age, not my name, was the main reason I wasn't adopted. Most people don't want to bring trouble home, and those who look to adopt far prefer the younger children, the ones who haven't formed bad habits or difficult behavior. There were a couple of additional reasons as to why I was one of the unwanted after a few years, which is about the time I started a very fast rotation through the foster homes. Apparently, I have issues with authority. Can't imagine why they would think that, can you?"

Peter knew she was just trying to lighten the suddenly heavy mood, and he and the rest of group obliged her. Talk quickly turned to how this year's Lenisgale was already proving much warmer than last year. Katerina Alambiel remained quiet throughout the rest of the day, and the Narnians let her be. Peter suspected that everyone guessed the morning's conversation had dredged up some less than pleasant memories for Katerina, and he wished it could have been avoided for her sake. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that while her story explained much of her behavior in some regards, it was still only the tip of the iceberg concerning her past.

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A/N: Look, Katerina has a past...sort of. Please read and review! Let me know if y'all liked this chapter and don't worry we're getting ready to jump into the more angsty and adventureous chapters. Click the little review button below and tell me what y'all think is going to happen next.