Disclaimer:I don't own any of this! Lord of the Rings and everything it contains was originally the idea of J.R.R. Tolkien. Credits for Narnia and everything associated with it go to C.S. Lewis. The idea for this originally came from the video 'The king, the girl and the lion – Trailer' by Nonokun24 on YouTube. Overall, this is fairly original, I think; though I do refer to 'A Song of Ice and Fire' by George R. R. Martin.

Author's note: Good to be back. I'd like to thank everyone who read the story so far.

I know I'm being awfully slow, and sadly, I can't promise too much progress… But bad news in this respect turns into good news: I've been working on a huge review for 'Slave Girl', which is now deleted. While I may lack some enthusiasm now – seriously, I'm pretty sad about it – it does mean that I can focus more on writing my own story.

So, the Admiral is keener to help the Westerners than destroy them. He hates Sauron as much as they do. But what is he up to? East and West are worlds apart. But can rulers amongst them make a bridge?

I pray you'll enjoy this!

Please leave a review, while you're here! Seriously, I'd love to know what to keep, what to capitalize on, what not to keep. Especially the author's notes aren't going to change more than in detailed content unless anyone tells me they should.

The Lone Islands

The albatross is flying, making him daydream

The time before he became one of the world's unseen.

Princess in the tower, children in the fields;

Life gave him it all an island of the universe.

Oh, now his love's a memory, a ghost in the fog.

He sets the sails one last time saying farewell to the world.

Anchor to the water, seabed far below,

Grass still in his feet and a smile beneath his brow.

This is for long forgotten light at the end of the world,

Horizon crying the tears we left behind so long ago.

So long ago…

So long ago…

Nightwish: 'The Islander'

One in division

"Armies have conquered

And fallen in the end;

Kingdoms have risen,

Then buried by sand.

The Earth is our mother,

She gives and she takes.

She puts us to sleep and

In her light we'll awake.

We'll all be forgotten;

There's no endless fame.

But everything we do

Is never in vain.

We're part of a story,

Part of a tale.

We're all on a journey;

No one's to stay.

Wherever it's going;

What is the way?"

Within Temptation: 'Never-ending Story'

"Your Grace, your invitation was a great, unexpected pleasure."

The Admiral looked at the slaver coldly and raised one eyebrow. "Well, that is remarkable. You see, I didn't invite you."

At that, he pointed towards Peter and Lucy. "I did invite them."

The merchant was bewildered. Every evening the Admiral dined with a very select company: Targutai, his brother-in-law and Captain of his flagship, the most prominent Corsair captain and his own nobles. In the East, it was regular practice to invite the trader concerned for dinner when a noble wanted to buy slaves, and negotiate the deal on that occasion, in the presence of the slaves said deal was about.

So the Admiral had expected his confusion, but he enjoyed putting the swine in his place once again far too much.

Coldly the Shogun went on: "All I wanted was a good conversation with our young guests. Your presence is no longer required."

The slaver wanted to protest, but a few guards already came forward and he sought refuge in retreat.

Then Jarw-Tao gestured for Peter and Lucy to come sit beside him. The children hesitantly did as he asked. But soon the Easterling turned out to be a civilized man with refined manners. They spoke of many things; the Shogun showed great interest in the West, even the daily life; he himself talked about his children a great deal and answered any and all questions with a smile.

Then, sometime during their meal, he asked Lucy: "Your Majesty, by now it is clear to me Westerners generally think more about the future, but give themselves more general goals than is customary with us. But you are still very young. Nonetheless, may I ask if you have given your future marriage some thought before now?"

Lucy slowly answered: "I never really thought much about it. I mean, of course I know I really should get married someday. But beyond that… Oh, I'm sure there are plenty of nice Princes," she concluded, smiling.

The Admiral returned her smile with a vengeance.

Peter asked: "And what about your daughter? According to the Eastern aging system, I believe you may already be looking forward to a son-in-law."

The Easterling suddenly seemed sad; he smiled faintly, but sounded very melancholy as he replied: "You have studied well, Your Majesty. It is true, in another year, a little more, my daughter will be formally nubile. However, many nobles do not elect to marry off their children so soon, and I join them in that decision."

Peter nodded to state his agreement to that stance.

Jarw-Tao continued: "As a matter of fact, I have not yet given my daughter's marriage any thought. I do not sincerely assume I will live to see that day. My son loves her very much; it is beyond doubt that he will find a young nobleman he trusts suitable for her."

Peter and Lucy exchanged quick glances.

The girl asked: "Admiral, whatever made you think you won't live that long? You're young. Young enough to live on for decades."

"My age is hardly the problem, Your Majesty," the Shogun smiled faintly. "Indeed, I am yet to turn 40. To be precise I am 37 years old. Many Shoguns live for more than 60 years. And truly, in 20 years my daughter must be married. But the problem lies rather with my political enemies. They are numerous. It is my belief I have been sent here in hopes I would not return."

With those words he put down his chopsticks; Eastern nobles cut their meat with their dagger, and certainly never ate with their fingers. Peter and Lucy, though, had been given knife and fork, as they were used to.

Now that the Shogun had finished, suddenly two men came forward, each taking a so far unoccupied seat. 'Ar-quan,' Peter thought admiringly. These men had earned the right to carry two katana. To be able to handle those well, one had to be a master with the sword; who couldn't, but carried the two katana anyway, had thrown away his own life.

The two nobles didn't say a word, simply taking their seats and starting to eat.

Lucy too lay down her utensils, and the Daimyo who had declared her his protégée – having stood behind her the entire time – immediately seated himself at the table as well and started using his chopsticks.

Lucy blushed slightly and softly said: "Sorry. You didn't have to wait for me."

The Daimyo briefly looked at her as if she had said something incomprehensible, and then simply continued eating.

The Shogun put a hand on her shoulder and explained: "You do not know the Blood Warrior code of honor."

"Blood Warrior?" Lucy asked uncomfortably; the term sounded quite unpleasant.

Peter beat the Admiral to it: "A status preserved for Eastern nobles. Blood Warriors are some kind of sworn bodyguards, who through their oath deem their own blood less than that of the one they protect – hence their name."

The Easterling nodded. "Ar-quan are naturally Blood Warriors to their Shogun. Upon receiving their second sword, or their two swords, tradition requires them to take the Oath of Protection," he added. "The code requires a Blood Warrior, among other things, to not eat while the one he protects eats. Now your hands and mouth are unoccupied. Now you can call for help to alert your Blood Warrior and fight back to buy him time. That is the thinking. When you sleep, your Blood Warrior must lie at the floor – Eastern nobles are trained to sense danger."

The ar-quan looked at Lucy for a little while and nodded shortly; then he went back to finishing his meal.

Lucy enthused: "Later, when I'm a mother, I want my son to have Blood Warriors to protect him from traitors."

For a split second Jarw-Tao's eyes widened; then he slowly spoke: "Strangely, it feels as if that is destined. You should know that when Rhûn was free, the Kings often had dozens, sometimes more than a hundred Blood Warriors. And among those were men trained from birth for their function."

Meanwhile, the three nobles had finished their frugal meals; the Shogun gestured and the guards opened the doors. That went on for a while, until they came to the Admiral one by one, reporting no one was listening.

Jarw-Tao nodded seriously. Now he suddenly looked very businesslike.

He addressed Peter: "Very well, Your Majesty, let us start in earnest. How many men have you taken with you?"

Peter was stunned for a moment, then briefly hesitated, but still replied: "300 Imperial Marines, plus my own 50 Centaur Guards."

Lucy added: "My Royal Guard is with them, numbering one hundred."

The Easterling nodded. "That should suffice to make it hot for 500 Orcs. Perfect. Your Majesty, I am no longer in a position to lend you considerable support. Unless you and your sister are sold to reliable Daimyo quickly, your men must fight for your freedom."

Peter cautiously asked: "And what will you do?"

"Me? I will try to save as many of my men as I can," answered the Admiral. "For that reason I shall command them, when fighting ensues, to withdraw. For myself… We shall see."

Then he turned to the Daimyo protecting Lucy: "You have my permission to stay in Her Highness' service as her Blood Warrior, if she is freed or an attempt is made to that purpose. If the attempt fails, then die with honor."

The Daimyo bowed and replied: "I shall, my Shogun."

Peter said fiercely: "There will be an attempt. And it won't fail."

The Shogun sighed. "I pray you are right."

Then he stood. "My lords, perhaps tomorrow fate shall be our friend. Let us show valor and honor before the Dragon, and earn our freedom in doing so."

Author's note: The Admiral's priority is to protect his people. He made his choice. But by leaving the Nazgûl unaware, he gives the West ample opportunities.

If Eastern thinking is a bit confusing so far: I have a chapter planned mostly to explain it, and I'll lift the veil occasionally as the story demands.

Coming up next on 'The King, the Girl and the Lion – With a Vengeance': Skill. Virtue. Honor. That is the summary of Eastern nobility. However, in dark times, virtue and honor themselves are no longer safe. In a very difficult situation, the Easterlings struggle to do the right thing. But sometimes, it is easier than it seems.

Of course, I'll recommend some old favorites: you'd probably do yourself a favor by giving Supreme Arcanite Magician's story, 'Yu-Gi-Oh: European Duel Academy', a read. And please check the YouTube videos by Nonokun24 and EdwardElricGirl200 related to this story (both should be easily found under 'the king the girl and the lion trailer').