Disclaimer: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia. C. S. Lewis does.

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"Sister." Jadis said coolly, her voice cold as ice as she stared at the woman standing across her. "It has been far too long."

"Not long enough, Jadis." The woman drew back her hood and her thickly spun locks gushed out over her shoulders. Her face was enchanting: it grasped the beholder in it's lovely claws, a beauty that was both great and terrible. "Tell me, how does dying feel."

"Not as painful as one might believe." She replied, a mocking smile touching her lips. "Fear not, sister, you are not bold enough to go into the clasp of death and come back."

"You were never dead, Jadis." The Green Lady, as she was known in Narnia, said and swishing her poison green skirts she sat down at the throne of thorns that crowned the room. While Jadis was queen of ice, she was the lady of poison. "Your form was never fully dispersed. That is how Vladimar brought you back."

The shock that Jadis must have felt did not show on her face. "Vladimar played no significant role in my revival."

"Oh but he did." Lilura smiled, her teeth as pointed as the barb of a cactus. "And I'm sure he regretted it. Where did you bury his remains?"

"You remember the place where we buried mother?" At Lilura's nod, she smirked and continued. "Vladimar always wanted to be buried there."

"Truly sister, you are evil. Mother would have been proud."

Jadis threw back her head and laughed. It was eerie sound because it had no innocence, no joy only malice and hatred and all the evils of the world. "He got what he deserved, the meddling fool. Thinking he can match me in my power! And you, dear sister, will get the same, if you do not comply with my wishes."

Lilura's smile vanished and a snarl replaced it, born of the years of enmity between them. "You threaten me, Jadis. Let us not forget that you are in my house."

Jadis stepped forward as her ethereal aura extended out, icy in its intensity. It touched the bare skin of Lilura's arms, making her want to shiver but she barely flinched. In return, she herself pushed her powers forth and the thorny vines that grew along her throne went on to Jadis' feet, pricking her smooth, pale feet with their sharpness. Like Lilura, Jadis did not react. Lilura felt the iciness around her increase a thousand-fold and suddenly her arms began jerking uncontrollably from the cold and she slumped to the floor.

The battle between them was over.

"Now," Jadis said, her face expressionless but the triumph clear in her voice as it rang around the room. "I am your queen, sister. Let us discuss your terms of service."

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Caspian led Peter through an underground tunnel into the castle of Telmar. It was completely dark, the only relief to the shadows was the flame flickering in Caspian's battle-scarred hands. It reflected off his chain mail, making it seem as if Caspian himself was on fire.

"What is going on? Who are you fighting against?" Peter asked in a low voice careful of the fact that in a tunnel like this their voice would echo greatly.

"Werewolves." Caspian said in a grim voice. "They are growing stronger. This is the fifth battle we have fought against them in this past month. Peter," he paused and turned around. "Peter something is wrong. Very, very wrong. I can feel it in the very air of Narnia."

"What do you mean?" Peter looked at him. "Of course there must be trouble for you called us back!"

"I never called you back." Caspian said in a tired voice. "You were called by Aslan.'

"But Aslan said that Sue and I would never come back." Peter stopped and his gaze turned to Caspian's. "Of course there must be danger. Why would Aslan go against his will and call us back?"

"He didn't call you back. At least not all of you." Caspian's voice was odd and he rushed a hand through his thick, dark locks. "Queen Susan… She did not come back."

"What? Why ever not?" His voice quiet, Peter glanced around them. "Where are Ed and Lu?"

"They are safe. My spies reported that they had been found in various corner of the battlefield. They are safe." Caspian repeated. "But one of my people has yet seen Queen Susan. I believe she has not been sent here."

He started walking again, his blade held up. "How did you come to be here, Peter?"

"I….I was fighting in a war back in our world. When all of a sudden I found myself here."

Caspian looked at him thoughtfully. "There must have been some grave trouble indeed for Aslan to call you back."

Peter heard a slightly criticizing note in Caspian's voice and decided to question it. "Caspian, You seem… angered by something."

There was silence and then Caspian whirled around. "Aslan has not come to us t all! He has not been seen since my coronation. Where is he? Narnia is in such trouble and he himself has not arrived yet!"

Peter stared at him and then said in a low, swift voice. "Caspian, Aslan doesn't come to us for every little trouble. He expects us to sort our own problems. And he has sent us to you. Where are we going anyways?'

"To the basement of the castle. It's the only place that is not at risk of being destroyed."

They walked in silence for the rest of the way. Peter's thoughts were still in a jumble. He did not want to tell Caspian but he knew, deep down, that something was indeed terribly wrong in Narnia. For a heart-stopping moment, he wondered whether Jadis had come back.

No. he thought to himself firmly. Jadis is dead. Aslan killed her.

The tunnel sloped upwards towards the end and soon a concrete door came into view. Caspian tugged at the knick and twisted it in a series of complicated gestures before it opened and light spilled into Peter's eyes, who blinked rapidly.

"Peter!" There was an exclamation and Peter felt something solid collide with him. "Peter, we're back!"

"Lu, let him be." Edmund came forwards and Peter saw that his face was heavily bruised. Behind him, Peter saw Trufflehunter, the badger and a centaur standing at attendance. Both inclined their heads and bowed. Peter nodded towards them.

"What happened to you, Ed?" He asked as Caspian indicated for them to sit at a stone bench in the corner.

"Ask what didn't happen to me." Edmund said grumbling. "There had better be a good reason why Aslan made me roll down a thousand meters just to get me back to Narnia."

Peter rolled his eyes. "You know Aslan would not call us back, unless there was a serious emergency."

"Yeah…" Edmund frowned and looked around. "Where's Sue? Why isn't she huddled around my bruised face scolding me for being so irresponsible?"

Peter and Caspian exchanged a glance and Caspian spoke up. "I do not think that Queen Susan has been sent back for there was no trace of her."

"But that's impossible!" Lucy piped up, sounding outraged. "Why wouldn't she be sent back along with us? She's our sister and a queen of Narnia!"

"Aslan would have his reason for not sending her back." Caspian said and curled his long legs up.

"Then Aslan must also have a reason for sending us back." Edmund said and turned to Caspian. "What's going on? What had happened in Narnia?"

Caspian let out a gush of breath. "I do not know what has happened that has prompted Aslan to call you back." He admitted. "But a number of startling events have occurred over the past month or so that are pointing to an extreme calamity."

He stood up and began walking around the basement. "For a year after you left, Narnia was at peace. There was no evil, no murder, no robbery, no battles, nothing. Then, about three months ago, a group of hags in the Northern Mountains started casting enchantments over people who went there. They made an army of enchanted people and attacked villages in the area. I sent some of my finest soldiers to kill them but before they could attack them, the hags dispersed and fled into the mountains. We searched long and wide but there was no trace of them anywhere. We, Trufflehunter, Trumpkin, and-"

"D.L.F.?" Lucy asked excitedly. "Is he here? Is he alright?"

"D-L-F?" Caspian repeated looking confused.

"Dear little friend." Edmund grinned and glanced at Peter. "It's what we called Trumpkin."

"What a…uh… curious name." Caspian said falteringly. "Well, as I was saying. My council and I agreed that this was a trivial matter. Then, perhaps two weeks after the attack by the hags, a coven of werewolves tore down an entire village not far from here. On the same night a gang of Minotaurs attacked our fortress. By now all of us were worried. These… these events are too sudden and alarming. Just one month previously all the creatures of evil were weak and barely bold enough to launch an open offensive against us. Why now? What has happened to give them this courage?"

"Jadis." Edmund said suddenly and with certain conviction. "It's Jadis for sure. She's returned to power somehow."

Even though Edmund's voice was cool, almost detached, everyone could see how strained he was broaching this subject.

"No one else can rally these creatures except her for they bow to her alone." He continued and looked around at the others.

"But Aslan killed her." Lucy said skeptically. "How can she return to power?"

"Aslan never killed her completely." All eyes trained on Peter, he explained. "If she was completely killedshe would not have been able to come back in spiritual form. Remember when in Aslan's How, she appeared in almost flesh form? She's not dead. Not completely anyway."

"Not completely dead?" Edmund repeated. "What is that supposed to mean. You can either be alive or be dead not somewhere in between."

"We, in Telmar," Caspian interrupted as Peter opened his mouth to retort. "We believe that there is place between life and death that is separated from us by a mere veil. Perhaps Jadis was kept there. And now, one of her followers has returned her to flesh form."

"We don't even know for certain if Jadis has come back to power!" Lucy exclaimed. "It could be others who are leading them. Vladimar for example."

The color in Peter's face drained slightly and he turned away, his eyes blazing. There was a moment of silence and then Peter said, "You know, Lu could be right."

"Okay." Edmund said holding up his fingers. "So there is perhaps a maniacal warlord and an equally crazy sorceress on the loose both of whom bear a humongous grudge against us and are probably thirsting for our blood. Any ideas where to hide?'

"We aren't going to hide." Trufflehunter objected and his squeaky voice startled all the company. "Please forgive me for my impudence, Majesties but it would not be courageous, I believe to hide around."

"I was being sarcastic, Trufflehunter." Edmund complained and Lucy giggled slightly. "Okay so we've got to kill both of them. Let's start now. This campaign shouldn't take more than a day because great philosopher's say: Crazy magicians stay together. So they will be easy to target."

"Crazy magicians.." Caspian frowned. "I have never heard of this saying."

"I was being sarcastic again!" Edmund said, exasperated. "Does no one have the ability to understand and appreciate my genius in the field of sarcasm?"

"No one at all." Peter said grinning. "And be serious, Ed. It's a very important matter. If this is true then, Narnia is in great danger."

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"You want to attack Telmar?" Lilura's voice was incredulous. "You are not serious sister."

"I assure you that I am perfectly serious." Jadis' expression was blank and her voice as cold as ever. "Do not joke, sister. This is very serious discussion and has no room for lousy humor."

"Lousy humor?" Lilura repeated looking appalled. "Really?"

Jadis turned an icy glare on her face. "I am your queen and you will answer me respectfully."

"Very well, my queen." Lilura bowed mockingly and rose up. " Tell me, sister, why do you want me as an ally? I assure you that I will not go against my natural love for you to harm your conquest."

"Natural love?" Jadis laughed and Lilura visibly flinched at it's sheer intensity. "You do not love me. When has love ever existed in our family? No, you fear me and I intimidate you. I am more powerful. And as to your question, I think if I want to defeat Aslan and his mongrels, I need to have suitable support."

"Oh and ," Lilura arched her glistening eyebrows. "Am I that support?"

"Indeed. You are not my equal, sister," Jadis' voice had no emotion. "You are my inferior. But I admire your resilience. And let it not be forgotten that you too wish to capture Narnia."

"You are correct there." Lilura inclined her head. "But what will Ii get from this? I certainly don't want to end up like my dear younger brother, with a dagger protruding from my back an my ashes scattered over the land."

"You won't." Jadis swished her white skirt and glided to the heavy window sill on the Green lady's palace. "We will rule Narnia together."

Lilura contemplated silently and finally she rose up and said in a musical voice. "Very well but you must swear an oath with me. An oath of unbreakable promise and secrecy that I will rule alongside you."

"Likewise you will serve me loyally." Jadis hissed out. At Lilura's nod, she inclined for her to put her hand forward.

Graceful fingers, slender and pale interlinked as Jadis began chanting incantations under her breath. The wind around the two figures molded itself and whistled. It was as if the words of the spell were causing a disturbance in the very nature. When it was over both of them looked at each other.

Lilura smiled and said: "Come sister. Let us attack Telmar and reclaim what is ours by right."

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Okay so a few details. Lilura is basically Jadis' and Vladimar's sister. She is the Green Lady from the Silver Chair and she and Jadis are now under alliance. On that note, let me thank all my reviewers for their comments. Thank you very much!

L. Potter