*ducks rotting tomatoes* Hey guys, I'm sorry okay, I would understand if you shoot me right now, because to be honest I would shoot myself too. But sadly school is back so I've been super duper busy (decisive year) I mean I'm writing this and totally ignoring my homework *sigh*

Thanks for the reviews for last chapter, wait they were nonexistent apart the one from my good friend firdaous, thank you sweetie. Please tell me what you think, oh and this chapter is kind of depressing so be warned.

Good reading, sorry for the mistakes.

Chapter XXVIII

Calormene was known to be a vast empire; its borders started from the tall mountains, west of Anvard, Archenland's capitol, to the great eastern sea and reached far south. It is said to be many times the size of the northern countries, with a great army, fierce in battle, causing it to extend more and more through many invasions. These latest gave the country additional forces, a great political importance, and incomparable riches. Its capitol, Tashbaan, was known to be one of the wonders of the world. It was built on a small island surrounded by a large river in the north. The city was a hot and crowded metropolis, while the Tisroc's palace rose on the on peak of the island's natural slope.

No words could be found to describe the palace's beauty, except that it had large grounds that opened on even more vast gardens overlooking the river itself. That was where a certain sorcerer found himself pacing back and forth, while the empire's supreme ruler watched him like a dog waiting for its master's orders.

"I could feel that the enchantment is not working at this moment, your brat of a daughter must have given them the key, how does it feel oh almighty Tisroc, to be betrayed by your own daughter, I should probably show her what it feels to disobey me." He barked orders to the nearest slave and soon, a small bloodied boy was being dragged to him, the poor child had a terrified and half crazed look on his eyes. His state spoke of the harsh treatment he received under the cruel man's filthy hands.

"Now look at you boy, right in my mercy, such a shame you have a failure for a sister. She couldn't even protect you, Calormen's heir, and her own brother right in my mercy. She chose them over you, abandoned you. I can't help but feel pity. Even your father doesn't feel an ounce of affection towards you."

"Because you made him to be a lifeless puppet doing nothing but being played by you." The boy hissed, after a surge of braveness. He regretted ever speaking after a strike came at his cheek leaving him sprawled on the floor.

"Who told you to speak up?"

"You are not my master. You're nothing but a coward, threatening those smaller than you."

"I see that your sister didn't even teach you manners." He raised his hand, but before his palm could touch his face, it was met by a resistance, and a pair of enchanting brown eyes glared at him.

"No, I taught him manners, only to those who deserve, and certainly not to some piece of filth." Princess Layla hissed with hatred laced words.

An hour ago

"Remind me why we are here again?" Caspian asked as an unknown substance dripped on his hand. They were crawling through the underground tunnels, starting from Tashbaan's surrounding walls to the palace itself. It was the only way to sneak in undetected.

"We are saving my brother, your highness." Layla answered through clenched teeth.

"That I get, but is it the only way in?"

"No, there are many, if you want to get your head cut off your shoulders for infiltrating the palace, then please go ahead."

"Now is not the time, shut up." Lucy interrupted.

The princess continued to lead the way. Their small party consisted of Caspian, Lucy, Adam and Layla, while a small narnian troop waited on the Dawn Treader by a hidden shore. The rest stayed home in case something happened. Edmund wanted to go, but Susan convinced him to stay back. He was too hot headed at the moment, and he would only want to kill the man responsible of Annabelle's suffering.

They soon found themselves hidden behind the garden's dense trees, trying to make their way to the dungeons, but the sight of the sorcerer with her father trailing behind made the princess stop in her tracks. Ignoring Caspian's and Adam's urging, she watched transfixed as they dragged her seven year old brother, all bloodied and injured, and it took all her strength to reign in her anger.

"Amir." She choked out.

"What? Where?" Adam asked as his view was blocked by the ladies before him.

"Who?" Caspian asked confused.

"Her brother." The telmarine king nodded the turned his attention to his lady.

"Lucy? Lucy? Are you okay? Lucy." He whispered making his way towards her.

The valiant queen's expression was one of pure shock, while her eyes held something that neither Adam nor Layla has ever seen in her sea green eyes: pure raw fear.

The young king took her face between his hands while looking more serious than ever.

"Lucy, what is it?"

"Angus."

"What?"

She pointed a shaking finger to where the sorcerer, Angus stood, giving them only a slight sight of his ashen complexion. The telmarine's expression would inspire the extent of fear that Lucy felt. His face was as if it was sculpted on stone, aside from the crazed rage coming from his eyes. The latest viewed the proclaimed Angus with a murderous sadistic look that sent chills all through the prince and princess, both wondering what could lead two of the most composed people they knew to such a large range of emotions.

Layla snapped out of her reverie when the sound of flesh connecting with flesh echoed through the gardens. That was when the young lady saw red. Without giving out a second thought, she rushed out to protect her brother, entirely blowing the cover they so hardly tried to keep.

"Layla, No!" Lucy tried to yell, but it only came out as a croak.

But it was too late; Angus seemed surprised for only a moment when his hand was stopped by the dark beauty whose own father didn't even blink at her sudden appearance. But soon annoyance took its place after she delivered her witty comment.

"My, my princess, I didn't expect you to come back home so soon, and with valuable gifts nonetheless." He added after glancing behind her, where Adam, Caspian and Lucy stood frozen in their place, unable to move due to an invisible force. Layla cursed her carelessness, but didn't stop from bending to embrace her brother and his shaking figure. If looks could kill then Angus would already have been rolling in his grave from the glares coming from Caspian, Adam and Layla but he didn't give them any heed, his focus was only on the valiant queen, who looked more like a frightened deer. Her body began trembling as he made his way towards her, passing by the young king who was a few steps ahead.

"My dear Lucy, how I longed to finally see both of you and your sister after we last met. I hope dear Susan is well. I heard her beauty and grace didn't falter a bit after the many years that passed, but here you are even more ravishing than you once were. My, I would have difficulty to resist the temptation of such charming creatures you and your sister both are."

"It's not like there is any chance of you ever possessing such jewels, they are far too precious for someone as filthy and worthless as you." Caspian hissed, but the sorcerer continued to ignore him as he finally stood such a few inches from the young queen, who was gasping rather than breathing. She felt her panic raise even more as his soulless black orbs continued to scan her from head to toe, a giant contradiction to his blond almost white hair that was pulled back and tied at the base of his neck. The man was fairly handsome, but in a sadistic twisted way. His pale hands caressed her face with such a tender way that made her want to throw up. Caspian, in the meantime continued struggling, wanting to shield his frightened Lucy, and by sheer will managed to break free.

Lucy began screamig when his hand connected with hers, as a flow of images assaulted her already frail mind. And just as soon as it began it stopped, when a gurgling sound came from the sadist standing before her. Lucy processed a sword sticking out from the sorcerer's chest, right where the heart was, Caspian drawing his sword back and stepping out from behind him, where blood was already pooling, Adam watching with shock at the stone expression on the telmarine's face as he killed the man before knocking the Tisroc out, without even batting an eye, Layla shielding her brother from the horrendous view, before her world went black.

It was several hours later when the valiant queen finally regained consciousness. Her whole body refused to move, while her eyelids felt as heavy as stone. Focusing more on her other senses, she felt a hand surrounding hers and whispering. She wanted to open her eyes, see her surroundings, process where she lay, and if the rocking motion was real or not, but all these thoughts got lost in her foggy mind as darkness claimed her again and the young queen fell into a relentless sleep filled with nightmares.

She lost all sense of time as she sometimes got pulled out of her oblivion by a sound of screams; it always took her several moments searching for their source only realizing later that the atrocious sound was coming from her own mouth. Then the warm presence would always embrace and soothe her, sending her right back to sleep, she remembered tiny bits as she went to the washroom or when she ate but it all seemed as a dream while the nightmares and the darkness consisted her reality.

The Dawn Treader finally made port at Cair Paravel's shore two weeks after its departure. The elder rulers were relieved to finally see the familiar faces as Caspian, Adam and Layla made their way past the crowd. A small figure shadowed the princess who they assumed was her brother, but they also noticed the tense vibes coming out of each of them and the melancholy that appeared to weigh on their shoulders.

"Where is Lucy?" Susan demanded, feeling the panic rise within her.

"She is in my Cabin." Caspian responded, with a dead tone.

He appeared lifeless, fatigued and worried, as he continued.

"She isn't well."

"What do you mean she isn't well?" the high king yelled ignoring their audience, while rushing out to the ship down until he came upon the said room where his sister lay pale but alive nonetheless. The rest followed him, and Susan could feel relief building inside of her.

"What happened?" Edmund asked, beside him Annabelle stood, not taking her eyes off Lucy, who now looked so vulnerable, a characteristic not matching the young woman she came to know and adore.

"Angus." Caspian responded, his voice not masking his loathing.

Susan gasped at the name, Peter cursed loudly, Edmund took on a cold pretence while Annabelle was plainly confused.

"He is behind all of this, the war, Layla's father, Lucy's state, everything." Adam added.

Suddenly Lucy began trashing and screaming.

"NO! NOOO!"

Peter tried to wake her; Susan tried to hug her, Edmund to hold her down but only Caspian's embrace and soft words calmed her down and she soon began sobbing on his tunic clutching the warm presence close to her, trying to chase off the darkness, her subconscious remembered her savior, the one that always freed her from the painful memories. Her siblings watched bewildered as Caspian held her like a small child, rocking her back and forth before she finally fell back asleep.

"Her mind is shut, she doesn't process anything, whatever he did to her mind was too much, now she sleeps, eats, bathes then goes back to sleep with the same lifeless expression only to wake up again screaming. I don't know what to do anymore, it's like the past reviving itself." Caspian whispered while still holding her.

"What happened to that bastard, I killed him." Edmund hissed.

"Apparently he survived, but I killed took his life, with a sword right through his heart, and I would gladly do it again just to make him suffer as much as Lucy did."

"This is my entire fault." Susan said brokenly.

"Stop it, you had your own share of suffering Su, and how could you have known?"

"What happened?" Anne asked, tired of riddles.

"Sorry Annabelle, but these dark times are to always stay buried." Peter said firmly, and then in a softer tone he added "and trust me you don't want to know."

"What about Lucy's state? Did it happen before?" Adam asked echoing Layla's thoughts.

"Yes. No one has been able to help her, not even Caspian."

"How did she make it through?"

"Aslan." The siblings answered, while the telmarine king tucked Lucy under the covers, enjoying the softening of her face after hearing the great lion's name.

This is certainly not the end, many events are going to happen.

Review, review, review.