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 Ten
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Oreius walked into his quarters after spending most of the night reading the stars but only allowed for the slightest hesitation when he noticed the door to his study was cracked open. Pushing the door open completely, he was slightly surprised to see a large stack of reports sitting in the middle of his desk and Katerina Alambiel sitting quietly in the chair in the corner. "Sepphora, you are here rather late or perhaps I should say you are here rather early."
She shrugged a little before she stood, "I had wanted to talk to you once you finished reading the reports...and I'm not having much success sleeping tonight. And, are you going to call me Sepphora all day?"
He smirked as he lit a candle and began reading her report, "Perhaps. Perhaps not. Are you certain you only wanted to talk after I finished reading?"
He glanced up in time to see her roll her eyes, "I told them to keep their mouths shut save for writing up their reports."
"Alaois was not given a choice in the matter."
She slanted him a slight teasing glance, "Pulling the "I'm the General, you must tell me" card is cheating, Oreius."
He shook his head, "No. Cheating is what you do when we play chess. What I require of soldiers and, especially officers, are thorough reports...it is part of being in the military if you recall."
Katerina Alambiel rolled her eyes but it was only half-hearted compared to her usual antics, "So you repeatedly inform me."
After that, she fell silent and merely closed her eyes as she shifted to curl up in the chair...waiting as he continued reading her reports. Oreius frowned slightly as he read the portion of her report concerning Redhaven, "Alambiel." He waited until she opened her eyes and met his gaze before continuing, "How bad was it?"
A shadow flickered through her eyes, which told him a great deal before she finally answered, "It was very, very bad, Oreius. What those men were doing to children..." Katerina Alambiel trailed off then suddenly leapt to her feet and began pacing in front of his desk as she continued in a furious low tone that was just above a whisper. "No. What those monsters were doing to helpless children was despicable. And the governing body ignored...no, allowed by turning a blind eye to the fact that children were being sold into the worst type of slavery possible. No one really wants to see children in an orphanage but that doesn't mean they are all bad...it is better than being on the streets and sometimes it is like being part of a very large extended family, but what was going on in Redhaven..." She shook her head, "I plan to speak with the Four later this morn, but-"
A short knock drew their attention and Oreius raised an eyebrow at Stonebrook's presence. The Centaur elder looked grave, "The council has been convened."
Oreius exchanged a look with Katerina Alambiel before turning back at Stonebrook, "An emergency?"
"No."
Katerina Alambiel shook her head, "The sun hasn't even risen, why would the council be summoned if there isn't an emergency?"
"Alambiel, your actions at Redhaven are being called into question." Stonebrook gave her a rather exasperated look, "Is it truly so difficult for you to conduct business in ways that do not cause someone to question your actions, little one?"
She merely shrugged, "It's not as though I do it on purpose, Stonebrook." Oreius exchanged a look with Stonebrook and he could already tell that the council meeting would be a long one. Katerina Alambiel might have given the few council members who refused to adjust to her less than orthodox manner of doing things the means to justify calling for her removal from any position of authority. This was going to be a long meeting...but it certainly wouldn't be a dull one.
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A/N: Please Read and Review! Short chapter this time, but the next chapter should more than make up for it. Leave a review and let me know what y'all think is going to happen between Kat and the council.