Sorry for the wait. In my defense this chapter is quite a bit longer than the others. Also I had to deal with family members with broken limbs and finals, so it was kind of hard to find time to write. FYI the information I have in this chapter on Calormen I got from the Narnia wiki.

It was a dreary day when King Lune rode to Cair Paravel. It was decided in the absence of the Kings and Queens that he should take up governance of Narnia. Cor had learned that the kings and queens of Archenland were descended from King Frank the first king of Narnia.

A simple throne had been placed in front of the four thrones. In it sat a sad King Lune holding his first day of court. He would be splitting his time between Cair Paravel and Anvard. There was not a smiling face in the hall. The people, talking beasts, dwarves, satyrs, fauns, and dryads stood in silence.

Then finally a surly looking dwarf with black hair stepped forward. "Well since no one else is going to speak up I will." He turned to King Lune. "I want to know but what right do you claim the throne of Narnia. No bodies of the Kings and Queens have been found. All we have is and old faun's testimony that they disappeared at the place where they supposedly came to Narnia from another world. I say you are a usurper."

Unease spread through the crowd. Many of the men from Archenland began muttering furiously. Corin began to step forward toward the black haired dwarf. He stopped when his father sent him a stern glance. King Lune stood up. "Peace." He said to the crowd, who quickly hushed. Then he turned back to the dwarf in front of him "And peace to you son of earth. Tell me what is your name?"

"Grumblekin" The dwarf said, looking defiant up at King Lune.

"Well then Grumblekin I shall tell you this. There are many lands in which you would be sentenced to die for speaking to a king like that." Grumblekin's face turned red and tension built in the air. Aravis worried for a moment that King Lune might order the execution of the dwarf. After all it was an all too common occurrence in Calormen "But this is not other counties and I am not one of those kings. I know that your words are inspired not by treasonous thoughts but out of love and loyalty. Such emotions will never be punished while I and my descendants sit on this throne."

"As for your worry I shall assure you that taking up this burden is the last thing that I wanted. When I first saw the Kings and Queens after they had defeated the white witch I had hoped that their reign might last forever. They were as dear to me as my own family." There were tears in his eyes as he continued. "I would have never brought any harm to them."

The next thing King Lune did shocked the whole hall. He knelt in front of Grunblekin so he was looking the dwarf straight in the eye. He took out his sword and set it inbetween the two of them "If my words have not convinced you then I shall give you this solemn oath. Should High King Peter, King Edmund, Queen Susan, and Queen Lucy should return together, or alone I will give up the throne and be the first declare their rule renewed. This I also swear, That I shall be the first in every charge in the defence of Narnia and the last in every desperate retreat, so long as it is my duty to defend her."

Grumblekin looked shocked hearing those words. The dwarf, embarrassed, muttered inaudibly and shuffled back into the crowd. King Lune rose and sheathed his sword. He resumed his place on the throne looking perhaps, even though Aravis thought it was impossible, more tired than he had before the confrontation with Grumblekin.

However the confrontation had done one good thing. After hearing King Lune's oath the other Narnians were more comfortable with him acting as king in the Kings and Queens absence. King Lune held court. Things went smoothly until the herald announced the emissary from Calormen Prince Lasar son of the Tisroc (may he live forever).

At the sound of the name of the emissary Aravis gasped and Cor looked worriedly at her. "Does he know you?" he whispered to her as Lasar began walking up to the throne.

"We met once at a party held at the palace. It was short but you are required to remember people in the court even if you only talked enough to give your name and title." Aravis whispered back. Cor nodded his head understandingly. Part of his training had been memorizing every dignitary he met along with their titles which often tended to go on and on.

"Maybe we should get you out of the hall, if you don't want to be found out." Corrin, who had been listening in on their conversation, said. "I don't think father would mind knowing… Ah he just nodded. Father is a brick come on."

King Lune had indeed seen his two sons and their friend talking in hushed tones with their friend and had indicated they could go. They three quickly ducked out of their places near the throne and headed off to a side door leading away from the hall. Corrin left the door open a crack so they could watch and listen to what was said.

Prince Lasar approached King Lune's throne. He did not boy nor even dip his head as he stood before King Lune. Aravis was certain that if Cor or Corrin had shown such disrespect to the Tisroc that they most certainly would have found themselves boiled alive before the day was out. King Lune was different though, for which Aravis was eternally grateful.

"Prince Lasar we have had no dealings with Calormen since your brother led that deplorable attack in a time of peace. Tell me have you come to offer apologies for your brother Rabadash. I understand he may not leave Tashbaan to apologize for himself."

Upon hearing his brother's name a strange conglomeration of emotions. Condesension and smugness combined with a mix of fear. Clearly he had no love for his brother. "No King Lune I have not come to apologize for my brother. His stupidity has already been dealt with enough with the curse you placed upon him. No I have come to ask on behalf of my father the Tisroc (may he live forever) by what right have you claimed the Kingship of Narnia. You are descended from a branch of the Dynasty that once ruled Narnia, not the true line of kings. Even if you were descended from that line Jadis took Narnia from you and then High King Peter and his siblings took it from her. Therefore my father the Tisroc (may he live forever) says that you have no right to the throne of Narnia, and demands that you turn dominion of it over to him until such time as an appropriate replacement for the missing kings and queens can be found."

Silence for the second time that day filled the hall at Prince Lasar's words. Aravis was shocked at his words. There was no way he could expect King Lune to agree to that. That meant that the Tisroc had already determined to fight a war with Narnia and Archenland even after his disastrous attempt to take Archenland a year ago. Perhaps the embarrassment of having his firstborn returned to him as a donkey for all the Taarkans had forced him to try and display his power.

King Lune stood up from his throne. The three friends peeking through the crack in the door was shocked to see the anger on his face. His face was usually so kind. "Prince Lasar son of the Tisroc you ask by what right I claimed governance of Narnia. Now I shall in turn ask by what Right does the Tisroc claim to rule over Narnia. He has no connection to any Narnia Dynasty. He is descended from a criminal sired by a demon who fled justice from Archenland centuries ago. More importantly I have already sworn to protect Narnia until such time that High King Peter and his siblings return. I shall not hand Narnia over to your father or anyone else. Now leave at once. I welcomed you into this hall in peace so you shall be allowed to return to your ship but make no mistake that I understand the Tisroc's message as a declaration of war. So should you not be out of my lands by tomorrow at sundown I will hold you captive as a prisoner of war."

With a smirk Prince Lasar turned around and strode out of the Hall. Corrin was in a rage at Prince Lasar's words. "That blackguard. I ought to rush out there and box some respect into him. But just think Cor there is going to be a real war. You will get a proper chance at fighting this time." Cor's face was expressionless. He turned to Aravis but she was no longer standing with them.

When King Lune had spoken about the Tisroc being descended from a demon and criminals who had fled Archenland Aravis's heart had frozen. She had always been proud of listing her family line back to Tisrocs and to Tash. She had never supposed such a line would not be viewed as honorable in other lands. She knew that King Lune did not mean those words for her but it still hurt. She fled up to the room she had when she was in Cair Paravel and locked the door.

She fell face first into her bed and put her face in her pillow. She lay there for an hours trying to mull over what she had heard in the hall that day. There was a knock on the door and she heard Cor say "Aravis are you in there?"

Aravis did not want to talk to him so she remained quiet. After a while she heard footsteps heading away from the door. Aravis raised her head form her pillow finding it wet. Had she been crying?

"Child why are you crying?" said a comforting voice that Aravis recognized.

"Aslan? Is that you?" She said sitting up. Sure enough the great Lion stood on her balcony looking at her with kind eyes.

"Of course it is me child. I can be no one but myself." Said Aslan "Come over here child and tell me what is troubling you."

Aravis got up and went over to the lion. "It is just what King Lune said about the Tisroc? I have always been proud of my lineage but now… Just tell me is it true what he said?"

Aslan looked at Aravis with solemn eyes. "Child I tell no one any story but their own."

This was not what Aravis wanted to hear. Although at that moment even she was not sure what she wanted to hear. "But if it is my ancestors does it not make it a part of my story?"

"It does indeed if only a little. So I shall tell you. Many years ago in Archenland there was a man who claimed to be sired by a god. This god he claimed to be his father was Tash. He began gathering many followers and together they did many wicked things. In the end the king of that time drove them out. They fled across the dessert to the place where Tashbaan now stands. From there they began conquering their neighbors one by one making the Calormen you knew. The man who claimed to be sired by Tash became the first Tisroc."

"So then it is true." Aravis cried. "In truth I had never truly believed the Tisrocs were descended from Tash. But I suppose you still did not make it clear as to whether the first Tisroc was the son of Tash."

"Because dear one that is not pertinent to your story." Aslan said. "Your ancestry is indeed part of your story but it is only the beginning. Just as a journey is not defined by where you begin but by where you are going and what you do along the way so is it with you. Who you are descended from does not define you dear one. So I will ask that you be troubled by this no longer."

"Alright" Aravis said wiping her eyes "But wait Aslan even if it is what I do that defines me for years I honored Tash and worshiped him…"

Aslan smiled at her. "I know child that is why I shall tell you this secret. I am everything Tash isn't and Tash is everything I am not. I do not accept dishonorable acts done in my name. Such deeds are truly done onto Tash. Just so Tash cannot accept honorable deeds done in his name. All such acts are truly done to me. Now I must go. You will have another visitor shortly."

And with that Aslan turned around and leapt from the balcony off into the sky and across the sea. Aravis stood there on her balcony for a little while, staring at the place where she lost sight of the great lion. However after a few minutes she became distracted when a hand grabbed the railing of the balcony.

It was followed by a second hand and then a head. "Hullo Aravis", Said Prince Cor, "I don't suppose you could give me a hand?" Aravis went over to help her friend. After he got up onto the balcony he sat on the ground with his back to the railing.

"So you were in here." Cor said looking at Aravis. "I dare say it was rather rude of you not to answer when I knocked."

"Oh" said Aravis in mock outrage "And climbing up the side of the wall to sneak in the room of a girl who made it clear she did not want to be disturbed it not"

Cor blushed slightly in the moon light for the sun had gone down as he climbed the wall, making it that much more difficult. He pulled at the collar of his shirt while he said "Well… Alright you got me there. But I still needed to talk to you. I would have come right away but as a Prince I had to sit at father's war meeting. It took forever. War is a lot more complicated than a bunch of people hitting each other with swords… But that is not what I came here to talk about."

"Well if we are going to talk then we should at least do it inside like civilized people." Aravis said.

Cor agreed and the stepped inside her room and sat down in chairs. "Look Aravis about what father said. He didn't know you were there listening. Not that it is right to say things behind people's back. But he wasn't saying it about you either. He was just so angry (it was odd to see him angry) at Prince Lasar and that mean old Tisroc… Well what I mean to say is that you're a brick Aravis and everyone here knows it. If anyone says any different … I'll knock them down if Corrin doesn't blacken their eyes first."

Aravis looked at her friend for a moment and then sprang up and hugged him. "Thank you Shas… I mean thank you Cor.