Author's Note: Happy new year everyone! This was a fun chapter to write but also hard at some points so thank you to my wonderful beta, Queen Su
Maria ran into the castle not too far behind the evil looking woman. Guards and servants from all over the castle had seen her come in and had now gathered in the courtyard to see her. Maria pushed her way through a group until she found Jacobi standing towards the front. The woman looked around at the groups.
"I wish to speak to your king," she said in a cold voice.
One of the guards stepped forward, a dwarf quickly pulled out a sword and glared at the soldier. "He is away on business," the guard spat out before blending into the crowd.
"Then who can I speak to?" the chilling woman asked.
Lord Sopespian stepped out of the group, "That would be me. Who are you?"
The woman gave a frightening smile, "I am Jadis, Queen of Narnia and ally to Telmar. I wish to speak to the prisoner in the dungeons."
Lord Sopespian chuckled to himself, "Guards, escort this woman to the dungeons."
Jadis noticed that they wanted to keep her as prisoner. She quickly spun around and stabbed the tip of her wand into one of the soldiers. The crowd gasped and stared at her in horror. "I wish to speak to the prisoner."
"So you are in fact the legendary Queen Jadis," Lord Sopespian pause, "Or should I say White Witch?"
"I am a Queen and I demand you treat me as one, take me to the prisoner immediately!" Jadis roared, staring at everyone with her black eyes.
Lord Sopespian flinched at her voice; he bowed slightly and led her along, "Of course, my Queen."
Maria stood close to Jacobi as Jadis and Lord Sopespian passed. Then the crowd started to follow, Maria struggled to get close to the front. Jacobi ran at her side as he also was curious as to what would happen.
Jacobi reached the front and was now at Lord Sopespian's side and Maria was right beside him. They passed through the halls and rounded a corner into the dungeon.
Maria caught side of Edmund in his cell sleeping uncomfortably, his side rested against the wall.
"Jacobi, open the door," Lord Sopespian demanded. Edmund stirred as the door creaked open and then closed.
Maria found herself being pressed against the bars of the cell as the crowd tried to watch the scene unfold.
A cruel smile fell onto Jadis's face as she looked at Edmund's helpless form. Maria wished she could shout for him to wake up but she knew that would risk her safety. One of the guards bent down and unchained Edmund's ankles, leaving his hands tied. Edmund remained asleep.
The guard lifted his leg and slammed it into Edmund's stomach. Edmund's eyes shot open and he hunched over coughing. He didn't turn around but held his head and closed his eyes. The cell was freezing and he shivered as a cold hand reached down and grabbed his face.
No.
Jadis turned Edmund's head and then bent down to face him in the eyes. Edmund kept his eyes closed muttering to himself, "You're not real. Aslan killed you. You're not real. Aslan killed you."
"But I am real Edmund dear, much stronger than before," Jadis teased.
Edmund opened his eyes to face reality as he stared up. His emotions raged as he panicked. This wasn't happening! The woman who haunted him for so many nights was back and alive! She couldn't be, Aslan killed her and saved him. It was not real!
But yet it felt so real. The cold air, the cruel voice, the heartache, the pain, the betrayal, the lies, all of Edmund's memories became things of the present. Everything bad he had done came flooding into his mind. Edmund pulled away from Jadis and he stood up trying to scramble away. Guards surrounded the prisoner but Edmund didn't give up, he had to escape this nightmare.
Although he was still sore Edmund fought to break the line of guards. He slammed his body against one of them with tears stinging at his eyes; he had never felt so weak. "Please, don't listen to her!" He pleaded, pressing against the soldiers and desperately searching for an escape route. A guard grabbed the chain on his hands and held him, the guard spun Edmund around to face Jadis.
Edmund kicked and pushed against the guards holding him as Jadis laughed at how pathetic he looked. Jadis took a step forward and Edmund kicked her away, but she grabbed his ankle and yanked his foot out from under him and Edmund slammed against the ground. He felt some of the wounds on his back split open and the Telmarines gasped as Edmund was dragged back to the center of the cell.
The guards lifted Edmund to his feet and one word escaped his lips, "How?"
Jadis smiled and cupped his face, "Your brother let me free. He betrayed Narnia… just like you."
"No you are lying!" Edmund protested. "Peter wouldn't do that!"
"Oh but he did, he did it for you," Jadis turned to the audience and laughed. "Isn't that sweet?"
"I don't believe you!" Edmund shouted. "Peter would never do something that treacherous!"
"How else would I be alive?" Jadis teased as Edmund's face fell in defeat. "I needed Adam's blood, and your brother gave it to me."
Edmund regained his confidence, "Peter will kill you with his bare hands. If he doesn't, then I swear…"
Jadis's fist connected with Edmund's jaw and he gasped in surprised. "Where is Peter? Has he rescued his little brother yet, has he even tried?"
Edmund once again dropped his head in defeat, but he wouldn't give up completely; he knew Peter would think of something.
The guards dropped Edmund to the ground at Jadis's signal and chained him again. "I am going to travel through the woods in search of the loyal Narnians who will fight alongside the Telmarines and my great personage. Obviously, the pathetic soldiers didn't kill all of them. Together we will create the largest army Narnia has even seen."
Jadis turned to Lord Sopespian, "I wish for some of the guards to come with me, at least twenty if not more. After I find more Narnians we will go straight to battle."
Lord Sopespian hesitated but then bowed, "Of course," he looked at the crowd. "All soldiers go to the courtyard immediately!"
Maria was shoved to the side as soldiers scrambled out of the dungeons and the crowd was parted as the pushed to the door.
Lord Sopespian held open the door as Jadis left, "You may take any solider you choose."
Slowly the dungeons emptied and Maria stayed towards the back. Once the crowd cleared she turned towards Edmund's cell.
"Edmund," Maria said quietly. "Edmund please say something." Edmund looked up at her and scooted towards the bars of the cell. He rubbed the tears out of his eyes and took a deep breath. "Edmund what did she do to you?" Maria urgently inquired. "Who is she?"
"Someone I never thought I would see again," Edmund said quietly turning around, too weak to look her in the eye.
Maria once again thought it was best not to mention that woman to him. But the way that Edmund reacted when he saw her, the image of how scared he was flashed through her mind. Edmund's reaction made her sick, the way that woman must have treated him… Maria just couldn't fathom the thought.
"Edmund, I don't know how, but I am going to get you out of the prison," Maria promised. "You need to be with your family again."
Edmund didn't turn around but still spoke, "What she did to Narnia the first time was horrible. Peter isn't prepared for what she will bring, he needs more time." Maria didn't understand what he meant but she listened with interest. "He needs more time; I can give it to him. I can delay the White Witch, bloke the path she is planning to take."
"You are planning on going after her?" Maria said surprised at the risk. "I'm sorry Edmund but that just isn't a good idea! You can't face her in your condition."
Edmund turned around with a spark of hope in his eyes, "I didn't say I would have to face her. I will just delay her; we both heard that she is planning on searching the woods for more Narnians. The woods she will search was my land. I was crowned by Aslan and I know the paths she will take. If anyone knows how to slow her down it would be me. Maria, I need to get out of this place. Your father had to have another key somewhere! He was the general after all."
"Yes but I don't know where to look," Maria protested.
"You promised you would get me out and you will find a way. There is always a way, finding the key to escape is of the upmost importance," Edmund explained. "Was there anything important to your father? During the Golden Age Peter kept the key to the dungeons in the pocket of the tunic he wore when he was crowned. He never wore it again, but the key remained hidden the whole time we ruled over Narnia."
Maria gave a small smile, "I can think of a few things that are very important."
"Does that mean you will do it?" Edmund perked up.
"I will try but I must argue against you going after her," Maria answered reluctantly.
"Peter can't face her," Edmund pointed out.
"But you can?" Maria almost shouted. She took a breath, "Whatever that woman, that witch, did to you was horrible. Just watching how you acted when you saw her was enough to scare me. Not to mention that you are in a horrible condition."
"Maria, I can handle it as long as Aslan is with me. I hoped I would never see her again, and I saw her today. I don't think I can handle seeing her again, so I won't. Like I said before, I am just going to delay her," Edmund said scooting back.
Maria sighed and nodded agreeing to the task, "I will come back tonight and tell you what I find."
Maria stood up without a word and headed back out of the dungeons. The courtyard had cleared except for the soldiers waiting to be chosen by Jadis. Maria noticed that the children were no longer playing in the snow and enjoying the weather, instead it was silent as Jadis chose her troops.
One by one she called them forward, Jadis would point to a soldier and Lord Sopespian would call their names. Maria watched as Jadis pointed to a person, though she couldn't tell who exactly she was pointing to. Lord Sopespian's booming voice was heard, "Jacobi!"
Maria watched in horror as her friend took his place among the troops that would travel through the forest with Jadis.
A few soldiers brought two horses strapped to a chariot for Jadis to ride in on her journey. Maria saw as the soldiers were prepared to leave, they spread out saying goodbye to family or they walked to the armory to gather weapons. Servants brought forth food and blankets for the travelers.
Women walked around hugging and asking for the safe return of their husbands and brothers. Maria moved into the crowd and pushed her way towards Jacobi. She barely missed him as he went towards the armory.
"Maria what are you doing here?" he asked surprised.
Maria stared up at her friend. Now he was leaving too, like her father and there was a chance he wouldn't come back. "I saw the woman enter the village and I ended up watching the whole situation. She scares me Jacobi; I don't want you to go with her."
"I would still be here if it was up to me," he sighed, "But I don't have a choice. You will be good while I'm gone?"
Jacobi had been like an older brother to Maria, she met him when she was eight and then he became a soldier and was an apprentice to the general, her father. "Your father asked me to keep an eye on you," Jacobi explained. "So stay out of trouble won't you?"
Maria had to lie straight to his face. "Of course I will."
"Good," Jacobi said rubbing his fingers through her curly hair like an older brother would.
Maria turned and headed upstairs towards her father's room in the castle. She made her way through the corridors and appeared by the north tower; Maria walked by as always then stopped. Wasn't the north tower where Edmund was captured?
Maria walked back to the door and pushed it open, there was another set of stairs that she climbed and then pushed open another door reaching the top of the tower.
Carefully Maria looked around; she went to the edge and saw a sudden drop which explained why Edmund couldn't have escaped that way. Deciding that there was nothing of interest Maria chose to leave and as she walked towards the exit something caught her eye. Maria walked over and saw a short, thin, metal stick with what looked like glass on one end.
Maria kicked the object to make sure it wasn't deadly; with a clang the metal stick rolled over and hit the wall. Maria cautiously picked up the metal stick and held it at arm's length, "How strange."
She realized that there was a little button on the side. Maria closed her eyes, scared about what might happen if she pressed the button. She put a slight amount of pressure on her thumb and gasped waiting for something bad to happen. Once Maria opened her eyes she saw a light on the wall, she pushed the button and the light was gone. Maria waited a second then pushed the button again this time the light this time was on the ground.
Maria kept the light on and moved the light in every direction seeing if it only would shine in certain places. She watched as she moved the metal stick she realized the light followed. Maria spun around a few times and saw the light spin until it gave her a small headache. The light landed on her foot and Maria quickly moved her leg out of the way and inspected her foot to make sure she wasn't injured.
Maria spun the metal light stick until it shone directly in her eyes. Quickly she turned the metal stick away. "Edmund will have to hear about this weapon. The light goes right into the enemies' eyes and causes them to look away!" Maria said proudly to no one. Although the metal stick did scare her she decided to keep it.
Tucking the metal stick under her arm she continued to walk towards the courtyard to go back to the village. After thinking for a moment she realized that her father didn't keep important things in the castle where anyone could access them.
Maria left the castle quickly and noticed the snow had stopped falling, she also saw Jadis leaving with the troops as they reached the forest edge. So the snow travels with her? Didn't Professor Hywet say that the winter lasted for a hundred years because the White Witch was so powerful? This snow only lasted a few hours and was gone with the Witch, maybe she wasn't as powerful as she claimed to be.
Maria reached her old house and saw Hywet waiting at the table. "There you are!" he exclaimed coming towards her. "I have been worried sick!"
"Sorry, I wanted to see what was happening," Maria apologized.
Hywet straitened up, "You were always curious like your mother."
Maria smiled at his compliment. "Can we have dinner soon?"
"I am having Helanna bring some over," he laughed. "I don't think we should take a risk at eating my food again."
Maria laughed and walked towards her room. She placed the metal stick under her pillow then went across the hall towards her father's room.
The first thing Maria thought of was her baby blanket. When Maria was younger she was given a small blanket that belonged to her father as a child, but once she grew out of it she gave the blanket to her father for safe keeping. Maria went over the side table and opened the drawer, she reached in and grabbed the blanket. Maria unwrapped the cloth square and hoped that a key would fall into her hand, but there was nothing.
Edmund mentioned that his brother had kept the keys with the clothes he wore the night of the coronation. Her father didn't have anything like that, but he did have the tunic he wore the night of his wedding. Maria threw open the wardrobe and reached into the pocket of the tunic, once again she was met with nothing but broken off buttons and dust.
She next looked at her mother's dress which was hung next to her father's tunic. But there were no pockets to hide a key in.
Maria check anywhere she could think off: under the pillow, in books, beneath the tables, and behind the door. Soon Maria was ready to stop looking, but there were a few more places.
Jumping onto the bed Maria lifted her arms and pushed on the canopy that hung above to see if maybe a key might fall out, but it never happened. Maria turned around and saw a box sitting on top of the wardrobe.
Maria jumped down and grabbed a chair, stepping up Maria grabbed the box and set it on the table. Gently Maria opened the box and saw it was filled with jewelry that belonged to her mother. Maria assumed her father never had the heart to sell the old jewelry. Piece by piece Maria emptied the box, as Maria pulled out a necklace she realized that was the last piece… but there was a little hole at the bottom.
Maria rubbed her hands along the side of the box and saw that there was a line that went around the interior of the box. Sticking her finger into the hole Maria pulled open a secret compartment, inside she found a key.
Please review! I do have a quick note: As we have reached a major turning point in the story I wanted to tell everyone who has read The General's Daughter how lucky I am to have reviewers and readers like you all!