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: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.
A/N: This is part of my A Light in the Darkness universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.
Chapter Seven
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18 Quickening 1005
Peridan gave Thane and Shane a stern look before he left the breakfast table. Starting the day before, the twins had been confined to their room with the maids minding them given strict orders not to let either boy out of sight and definitely not to allow both boys out of sight at the same time. Their punishment would continue for the next week. Peridan could only pray that the twins managed to absorb the lesson this time or, if as he suspected they did not, that they would at least cease to cause humiliation to the General.
After the highly embarrassing way the twins had interrupted the Queens' tea, Marsalla had become so upset that her illness came to the fore once again. Peridan had overruled her feeble protest the day before and had her stay in bed...this morning she hadn't even tried to leave the bed and a maid was staying with her should she need or want anything. Still, Peridan hoped she would be back on the mend soon since the stress caused by everything that had happened had been greatly alleviated with Queen Susan sending a message inviting Marsalla to be one of her ladies-in-waiting as soon as her health permitted it. Peridan thanked Aslan that the Gentle Queen was being so gracious to Marsalla, though he doubted that Marsalla would be easily persuaded to bring Maisee with her again...the larger Talking Beasts and their fascination with Maisee had frightened Marsalla terribly. Peridan escorted Raisa to the library where his daughter immediately started chattering at the older Centaur, Stonebrook, who looked slightly amused instead of discomfited at Raisa's steady flow of chatter...Peridan wondered if the Centaur had a daughter with similar tendencies. Leaving Raisa safely ensconced in the library, Peridan hurried to meet with a Captain Cletus. As he made his way through the Cair, Peridan absently hoped Tarrin wouldn't find himself in trouble.
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Edmund grunted as he struggled to balance the large bucket long enough to grab the other bag before he set the bucket down again. He wished Kat were there, she would have been delighted to help him set up this particular prank…and, truthfully, it was more suited to two people rather than a single prankster. The soft click of the door opening caused him to spin around, meeting the surprised gaze of Tarrin Peridanson. Edmund breathed a sigh of relief, and then smirked a little as a new idea came to him. He nodded to Tarrin, "Good morn, Tarrin."
Tarrin jumped a little, seeming even more surprised that Edmund remembered his name, then he hastily bowed, "Good morning, your majesty."
Edmund grimaced, Kat was right about how tiresome it was to hear his title from everyone but family all the time except from her and Philip...one of the reasons he tended to miss Kat's company...not that he ever told her that. "Please, Tarrin, call me Edmund, it's been awhile since I've been around a boy my age."
Tarrin nodded, "As you wish, King Edmund." Edmund thought about correcting Tarrin, but then he accepted that Tarrin had probably had court manners drilled into him a lot longer than Edmund himself. In any case, it seemed Tarrin's curiosity finally got the better of him. "King Edmund, what are you doing with that bucket?"
Edmund grinned, "I'm planning to play a prank on my brother. He's supposed to come through here after he finishes the promotion ceremony for two of our officers. I'm not there because I was supposed to be in a trade meeting with some of the weavers from Glasswater but they've all taken a cold and it's delayed until sometime next week." He smiled a little wider at Tarrin's palpable astonishment and added in a somewhat sardonic tone, "We do not always act all proper and stuffy, Tarrin." Pausing again, Edmund finally asked in all seriousness, "Would you care to help me set this prank up? It's meant for two people to pull off in truth and my usual partner in crime is unavailable."
Edmund didn't think Tarrin would accept for a moment, then a mischievous smile spread across the boy's face and Edmund could instantly see the family resemblance between Tarrin and his younger brothers. Tarrin nodded, "Tell me what to do, King Edmund."
Edmund opened the lid covering the top of the bucket and then carefully flipped open the top flap of the other bag, careful not to disturb the contents, and grinned as Tarrin's eyes widened appreciatively at the components of the prank. Closing the lid and flipping the flap closed again, Edmund quickly began to lay out what would be Tarrin's role in the prank with the other boy nodding and occasionally chuckling. Edmund couldn't wait to see the look on Peter's face when he received the end results of Edmund and Tarrin's work.
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Tarrin could hardly believe he was helping the Just King of Narnia play a prank on the High King of Narnia. He hoped King Edmund was right about how his brother would appreciate the cleverness of the prank; otherwise, his parents would be completely horrified by how he had done such a thing to one of their new sovereigns. But, he was also kind of excited to find out that the King really was a boy like him and they might even become friends.
Together the two boys arranged the large bucket and bag into the precise positions needed on either end of the railing of the small balcony that ran along the upper walls of the hall, which led out to the wider balcony that wrapped around the outside of the building before connecting with one of the lower parapets. Tightening the ropes that would cause bucket and bag to swing down and unleash the prank on the unsuspecting High King, Tarrin exchanged a grin with King Edmund before the slightly older boy held up his hand. Tarrin tensed, ready to pull back the flap of the bag and shove it off the railing at Edmund's signal. He could hear the hinges of the door creak slightly as it was swung open. A beam of sunlight caused polished armor to glint even as King Edmund shoved the uncovered bucket off the rail. Tarrin immediately pulled back the flap and shoved the bag off just as he heard King Edmund gasp, "No, wait, Tarrin!"
Tarrin tried to lunge for the bag, but his fingers barely brushed against the canvas as the bag swung down and away from his desperate reach. With his head and upper torso hanging over the balcony railing, Tarrin watched in horror as first the bucket deposited its load of three gallons of honey and then the large bag emptied its load of bright peacock feathers on someone who was most definitely not the High King. The High King cautiously edged his way around the unintended victim...Tarrin wasn't sure if it was to avoid stepping in the mess or to avoid becoming a target of the other warrior...he also didn't think the High King could have said one way or another at that moment. Then, his heart dropped to his stomach when he saw his father and an armored Faun follow the High King. He leaned up and away from the railing, hoping against hope that no one had noticed him.
The High King turned, looking resplendent and magnificent in his armor and every inch a warrior king, and Tarrin felt a frisson of fear at what the prank might have just cost his parents after the High King called out, "Edmund, you'd best get down here...and bring your friend with you."
Tarrin shared a despairing look with King Edmund before he followed the older boy with heavy steps. A sudden sense of shame and embarrassment settled on him when he saw the disbelieving look in his father's eyes. But that embarrassment was completely replaced by horror when he looked over as they reached the main floor and realized who exactly they had pranked...or rather humiliated. The huge Centaur stood silent, his helmet held under one arm while his other hand rested on the pommel of his huge claymore. His armor probably should have been as resplendent as that of the High King and the Faun, but it wasn't. Instead, it, and the Centaur's entire front half, was completely covered in golden honey that lazily dripped down to land on the floor where the peacock feathers weren't sticking to the Centaur, his armor, his weapons, and his hair had a number of feathers sticking out at odd angles. What made it worse was Tarrin recognized the unfortunate Centaur as the General, and then the General looked from him to King Edmund then back to him and there was no hiding his fury. "Peridan, I understand this is your son as well."
Tarrin nearly cringed at the dangerously calm tone that belied the fury burning behind the honey and peacock feathers dripping down the General's face as his father responded quietly, "Yes, this is my eldest, Tarrin. I apol-"
The General held up a single sticky and feathery hand, "This is not the time for your apology." The General looked stern even through the mask of honey and peacock feathers as he continued, "Sir How, you will report to the training yard tonight after you have finished your evening meal. We will discuss the details of your punishment then. Sir Wolfsbane, you will not allow your brother out of sight until you are dismissed after escorting him to the training yard." Both Kings bowed their heads in acknowledgement of their General's words, much to Tarrin's surprise. Then the General addressed his father, "Lord Peridan, your son is yours to discipline." Tarrin watched his father bow respectfully to the furious General, and then everyone froze again as the General spoke in a soft warning tone, "None of you are to so much as breath a word about this to anyone, but especially not to Sepphora." This time even the Faun bowed in acknowledgement along with Tarrin, his father, and the Kings. Tarrin had no doubt that whoever Sepphora was, she would not be hearing about the morning's events from anyone in that room.
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27 Quickening 1005
Oreius crossed his arms as he oversaw How and Wolfsbane as they sparred with each other, both using sword and shield, though he knew Edmund would rather be using two swords. His tail swished against his flanks as he recalled the annoyance caused by the young colt's ill-conceived prank nine days beforehand. As a result, Oreius had changed his training regimen so How had visited the points of the compass three times a day every day for the last week and he was restricted to only sparring with sword and shield for another week yet. Oreius thought that racing to the top of the main palace's north, east, south, and west towers would help remind the colt why he wasn't to arbitrarily plant pranks where anyone other than his brother, including any dignitaries, could be caught instead of Peter.
A slight movement at the arched entryway into the training yard caught his attention. Turning his head just enough to get a better look, Oreius was somewhat surprised to see Peridan's son, Tarrin, watching his students fight with a wistful expression. Oreius knew that Peridan had confined all three of his sons to the family's quarters for the last week. Peridan had thus far proved himself to be willing to work with any soldier Oreius set him with, from Sefu to Cletus to Ardon to Rupert, all the reports were approving of Peridan as both a soldier and a person. Though it was clear to Oreius that Peridan and his wife were still adjusting to the very different land and people of Narnia, with a bit more difficulty than their children were, he was also becoming more satisfied that Peridan and his family would be able to make the necessary adjustment.
He watched both Wolfsbane and How as the match ended and occasionally studied Tarrin's wistful expression as the colt had no idea he had been spotted while he contemplated a new idea. The match ended with Peter defeating his younger brother...the advantage going to Peter as Edmund had yet to regain some of his familiarity with the sword and shield after fighting almost exclusively with two swords for the past three months. Oreius intended to remedy that little problem as well. He did not immediately tell the colts what they needed to adjust in the next round. Instead, he ignored their confused gazes as he crossed the training yard to stand in front of Tarrin, whose eyes grew huge as he towered over him. "Have you a blade, Tarrin Peridanson?"
The colt started at the question before he nodded and touched the sword hanging at his waist, "Yes sir. My father's, sir, from when he was my age."
Oreius nodded, "Good. Come." He walked back to where Peter and Edmund were waiting with Captain Cletus. He gestured for Tarrin to come closer, which the colt did all the while darting questioning looks at both Peter and Edmund who each gave a tiny shrug in reply. "Now. Tarrin Peridanson will be joining your lessons from this point forward." The colts looked confused and Edmund opened his mouth, but Oreius cut him off, already anticipating the question, "When Dame Sepphora returns, she will be made aware of the new circumstances. For now focus on your lesson today. How, your shieldwork is sloppy. Has allowing you to focus on working with dual blades been such a detriment to your core skills?"
Edmund shook his head, "No, General, I can rectify the matter."
Oreius nodded, "And, so you shall...as you spar against Peridanson. Wolfsbane, you shall spar with Captain Cletus." Oreius had a feeling the decision to include Peridan's eldest son in the Kings' training would not be one he regretted. The colts would be stronger for working with another Human, a colt near their own age, and he thought it might allow the three to become close friends as well.
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11 Mayblossom 1006
It was closing in on midnight by the time Oreius returned to his quarters. He tapped the sheaf of reports in the palm of his hand before he opened the door to his study only to stop in his tracks. Someone was sitting in the chair tucked in the corner of the room. He grinned, "So you didn't drown after all."
She swung her legs off the chair arm and stood up with a laugh, "Well, it wasn't for the lack of trying on Murphy's part, believe me, Kentauri."
He stepped forward and set his hands on her shoulders, holding her in place as he looked her over, inspecting for any signs of injury, before he spoke, "You look well."
She tilted her head slightly, "For someone who's been tossed around in a stupid boat for the last three months, I suppose. It's a good thing it's dark outside. Otherwise, I might scare people."
He chuckled as he stepped to the side and gave her a little push toward the door, "Go, get some rest, you need it, and tomorrow I expect full reports."
She rolled her eyes at him, "Of course, you do, Oreius."
She was nearly out the door when Oreius spoke again, "Katerina Alambiel, it is good to have you home."
Katerina Alambiel gave him a tired smile as she picked up her travel packs, "It's good to be home, Oreius."
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A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, so Kat does make her appearance in this chapter. Her appearance also marks the time skip of almost five week from the events of the last chapter and the events at the beginning of the chapter. Next chapter, Kat and at least three of the Peridan clan will meet in addition to finding out what she's been doing at sea exactly. Let me know what y'all thought about this one and what you think will happen when Kat meets Peridan and co.
A/N2: Be sure to check out my new poll for my forthcoming holiday story, tentatively titled Christmas in the Cair.