Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: A sorcerer challenged by Aslan. Love and friendship alike are tested by his presence. And the Gentle Queen faces her own challenge when the sorcerer's true colors are unveiled.

A/N: If you have not read the first eight stories in the A Light in the Darkness main story arc (Awakened, Shadowed, Revealed, Concealed, Rekindled, Refracted, Reflected, and Veiled), I highly recommend you do so for the full experience. However, I have included a quick summary of the previous stories so if you want to give this one a whirl on its own, you can.

Chapter Twenty-One: Muddy Waters

Edmund didn't bother to hide his scowl as he stared through the bars at Markus. "And just what do you mean by that? Do you know a Nymph called Merry or not?"

"It is a complicated answer."

Peter stepped closer to the bars. "Why?"

Edmund crossed his arms. "It wouldn't be so complicated if you just explained it to us. If you really want us to start trusting you, you shall have to be more forthright."

The man gave him a surprised look then glanced cautiously at Peter. His brother nodded once, a brief gesture full of kingly hauteur. Markus rubbed his jaw, eying the closed door as though he expected it to open at any moment, but then he dropped his hand and sighed. "Very well, I will try to explain." He approached the bars until he could have touched them both if he had chosen to stretch his arms out. There was a hint of sorrow in his eyes as he rubbed his jaw again. "Merry was my failure."

Edmund exchanged a look with his brother. Peter gave the tiniest of nods and he turned back to the former sorcerer. "What exactly does that mean, Markus? Now is not the time for riddles."

"I failed her. Before Jadis invaded Narnia, Nymphs, especially those who were not bound to Trees, travelled to Archenland and even into the wilds. Merry used to be a very adventurous Nymph and I liked her. She did not shy away from challenges, even the Calormene who were reluctant to accept her as ambassador." Markus paused, considering something before his dark gaze met each of the Kings', and he stated very quietly, "She died because of what I could not do, what I would not do."

"What mean you by this?" Peter asked gravely.

Edmund glanced at his brother, wondering if they had missed something, if he and Kat had indeed misjudged Markus' sincerity. But then Markus answered, "On Jadis' orders, I performed a spell that revealed Merry to the Tisroc when a diplomatic negotiation failed and she had been hiding in Tashbaan while awaiting rescue by an Archenlandish ship. At the time I dared not defy Her but when I was next required to look for her with a seeing spell, she was dying. In Narnia, but still dying and I eavesdropped long enough to learn it was a direct result of what she suffered while a prisoner of the Tisroc." He sighed then shook his head. "I broke with Jadis after that and refused to join Her when She invaded Narnia two decades after Merry's death. I was weary of being Her puppet and She did not wish to share power with me any more than she wished to share it with Her children so She allowed my departure."

Peter stared at him then turned to Edmund and tugged him away from the bars, lowering his voice as he hissed, "That makes no sense."

"I don't suppose it's an uncommon name, though, do you?" Edmund glanced back at the sorcerer, the former sorcerer, who was watching them with a hint of confusion in his own eyes now. "I think he's telling the truth."

His brother nodded slowly. "I believe him but should we explain or not?"

Drumming his fingertips against his thigh, Edmund weighed the options and the accompanying pros and cons of each possible action. Then he gave a quick shake of his head. "Su and Kat are investigating Merry's background. Let's see what they find out before doing anything."

Peter frowned slightly but then he nodded. "All right. But, we'll go about this carefully."

"Agreed."

As soon as they turned back to the bars, Markus raised both eyebrows. "What is it you wish to know?"

"I think you should tell us what happened from the time you decided to lead or join a Fell army and attack us to the time you surrendered to Kat."

"It is a long story."

Edmund shrugged. "We have time."

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Alambiel grinned when she saw who had accompanied Alithia to the healers' wing. She glanced at the Centauress. "So tell me, is Solon training to be a healer or a warrior?"

Alithia laughed as Solon crowed then hopped over to greet her, his hands plucking at her skirts even as he babbled. The colt was just old enough at almost seven months to start trying to put words together. So far nothing made sense (although Ardon swore his little colt had pronounced 'da' already . . . except when he tried to coax him into doing it in front of his wife and friends) but Alambiel still nodded and smiled while being prepared to keep the curious little fellow from pulling her skirts up again. He blew a raspberry at her then scampered to hide beneath his dam.

"I thought Ardon was supposed to watch him. That's why he left so soon after the swordmasters' meeting."

Alithia flicked her tail, wry amusement in her grey eyes. "Yes, he was. However, it seems your husband found my husband and had something to discuss that could not wait." She smiled at her son as he squealed and hugged her right foreleg then continued, "Why are you here, Alambiel?"

"I need Merry's personal effects."

The smile faded as the Centauress nodded. She pointed to one of the side tables. "I just moved them over there."

"Thank you." It didn't take long for Alambiel to go through Merry's effects. The torn and bloody dress. A single dagger still in its ankle sheath. A soiled hair ribbon. A bracelet formed of silver beads and seashells. But no necklace. Alambiel frowned. Merry's necklace had not been in her quarters, she had conducted another search before coming here to be sure, which meant she had either been wearing it or it was stashed away wherever Merry kept the things that mattered. And if she had been wearing the necklace when she was killed, then it could have been lost during the scuffle or her killer had taken it as a trophy.

She crossed her arms and scowled at the table and its contents. Why for the love of all that was good could this not be an easy puzzle?

"Your highness?"

She looked up. Leeta was standing on the other side of the table. The Nymph smiled and held out a thick sheath of papers. "You forgot to sign these this morn."

"I did not forget." She scowled as Alithia snickered and Leeta's grin grew wider then raised her nose in the air with as much feigned haughtiness as she could muster and stated, "I avoided."

"You need to sign these today, my lady. General Oreius was already looking for them."

Alambiel made a face as she took the stack and accepted the proffered quill. "I do not have a problem with paperwork. I have a problem with that fact that the Kentauri requires multiple copies." She ignored the poorly muffled giggles of her companions and hurriedly signed all but one of the documents. Drawing the last document out of the pile, she stared at it before quietly asking, "Leeta, did you check all of these before bringing them here?"

"I only checked the first set to ensure this was the stack the General was asking you to complete. Why?" A hint of concern slipped into the Nymph's voice as she pressed, "Your highness? You do not look well. Are you all right?"

"Alambiel?" Alithia's tone had taken on the briskness of a healer and her hooves echoed against the marble floors as she came closer. "Alambiel, Leeta's right. You're very pale. What is wrong? Have you had any other symptoms?"

She shook her head, stepping back before the Centauress could touch her. She glanced up to see the two women watching her with clear concern and mustered a smile. "It is nothing. Leeta, please see that those papers are brought to the General's desk and then I need you to see what you can find out about the late Merry's friends and acquaintances. Focus on the ones in Cair Paravel first and then find out about those who knew her before she came here or who knew her uncle."

"Yes, your highness." The Nymph hesitated, though. "Are you certain there is nothing wrong?"

"Nothing at all." Alambiel looked down as she carefully folded the document up, preventing anyone from reading it by happenstance. She looked back up and forced another smile. "It is nothing. I am going to find the Kentauri. If I find him with Ardon, Alithia, I'll secure your husband's release."

She forced herself to keep from running as she left the healers' wing. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself by running through the halls of Cair Paravel with four Talking Beasts in her wake. Not to mention the Birds. At least, they were doing as Oreius had promised and blending in to the point that even she had had difficulty picking them out. The Beasts who had joined Ptah were still struggling. At the moment, though, with the document fairly burning her hand, she was far more focused on finding her husband than worrying about how well her increased guards were blending in.

When she finally found him in one of the meeting rooms off the army's hall of remembrance, the Kentauri was not alone. Cagri was there making annotations on a large map while Peridan was reading off names on some sort of report. Oreius was also bent over the map, looking at something the Centauress had just written. All three looked up at her entrance.

Alambiel ignored the other two in favor of giving the Kentauri her whole attention. "Might I have a word with you?"

His brow furrowed for a moment then cleared as he straightened. "Of course. What is it?"

She took two steps around the circular table before she paused and allowed her gaze to rest first on Peridan and then on Cagri before focusing again on her husband. "Alone, if you please."

"Of course." Oreius gestured to the others. "Give us the room for a half hour. We can continue when you return."

Only when the door shut behind them did Alambiel allow herself to take a deep breath. She took another deep breath as she set the document down on the table and then slid it across the smooth, wooden surface. It fluttered to a halt against the edge of the map. Oreius shot her a questioning look as he picked up the document. She swallowed hard then murmured, "You need to read that. It was slipped into the stack of reports you wanted from me. Read the last part aloud."

She looked away from him, struggling to control her fear as Oreius read, "The game is just begun but don't worry your part is nearly done. When a game has too many queens, sacrifices must be made. Whether on the beach or in the favored glade. The blade shall fall and your part will be done. His grief so sweet. The last drops of sand run out. Warning or treat? The game will be done and time's run out."

Silence fell mercifully for several long moments before Oreius rumbled, "What is this?"

She opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out. Instead, the cold black eyes she feared most loomed in front of her. When she tried to scream, his hands wrapped around her throat as he whispered, "Don't worry, princess, your part is nearly done." She could feel the cold bite of the shackles around her wrists and the hot fire radiating from her back and hands. She could feel his fetid breath against her neck as he crouched beside her and whispered mockingly, "Poor little princess, trying to defy. What she doesn't know is when she'll die."

"Alambiel!"

She gasped then opened her eyes to see Oreius staring down at her as he chafed her hands between his. When he seemed certain that she was fully with him again, the Kentauri helped her to her feet just long enough to get her to a chair. Alambiel bent forward to place her head against her knees and took several shuddering breaths. Somehow, the panic attacks that were interrupted early always felt worse than the ones that were allowed to play themselves out. It was as if her body's urge to panic took longer to settle down because it was not granted a full release.

"Alambiel? Can you tell me what happened?"

"I didn't scream this time."

"No." Oreius touched her shoulder cautiously, waiting until she sat back up before he handed her a goblet. When she made a face after tasting the wine and tried to hand it back, he gently but firmly guided the goblet back to her mouth. "You need this. You're still trembling. Why did you have this reaction?"

"The Monster was fond of bad rhymes." She took a sip of the wine, willing it to ease her shaking. "The rest of the letter said that Merry was an example." She looked up at him, searching his face for any clues. "What does that mean? You told me Merry was killed by a Hag. What else was done to her?"

His impassive I'm-the-General mask remained firmly in place. "I told you what you needed to know. You are investigating Merry's actions while living and I am investigating her death."

"I thought we were working on it together." Alambiel looked down, staring into the murky depths of the wine, and then because she needed to hear his reassurance, she whispered faintly, "The Monster can't be here."

Her words and even her voice sounded pathetic and weak to her own ears. But she still glanced up at him. The Kentauri's impassive mask continued to keep her out but his voice softened slightly. "He cannot hurt you. I will escort you back to our quarters and then send Leeta to you."

"I don't want Leeta." Alambiel set the goblet aside and then rubbed her forehead. "Let me stay here and work with you. Please, Oreius."

He made a slight gesture, almost as though he were going to touch her and then changed his mind, but the impassiveness remained in place. "It has not been thirty minutes yet. You may stay here until Cagri and Peridan return. Then I need you to return to your own duties."

Alambiel nodded. It wasn't what she wanted but it appeared that was all Oreius was willing to grant her this time. "What are you using the map for?"

"My investigation." He eyed her for a moment and then a hint of concern gleamed in his dark eyes as he reached out to touch the back of his fingers against her cheek. "Are you certain you are well?"

"I don't know. Ask me when my head stops throbbing."

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It was pushing Alambiel too close to another crisis. Oreius was certain of that now. The vile note and everything else that was bringing the memories to the surface once more were thrusting her precariously close to the brink. Tuulea had warned him shortly after he proposed that it would not take much to push Alambiel back into the fragile state she had been in for those long, torturous months. His fierce lady had not yet had enough time to rebuild the defenses over her raw emotions and memories. Had he not seen her collapse once during their honeymoon because he had unintentionally invoked a panic attack?

He could not let her know about the marks made on Merry's back. Oreius watched as Alambiel, still very pale, left the hall with Ptah beside her and the other guards following at a respectful distance. Everything in him yearned to stay beside her, to comfort her and reassure her, allowing her to draw strength from his presence, but the best way to protect her was to keep his distance when they were outside their bedchamber. And to find the one who was taking such delight in playing on her memories and scars and stop him by whatever means necessary. He tried to reassure himself that his wife was stronger than she appeared, that she could weather this storm too even though he could not offer as much help as he wanted. But still he worried.

Oreius' worry over Alambiel's health and state of mind grew when a Humming Bird arrived four hours later with a message from the Gentle concerning his wife. He should have stayed with her.

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A/N: Please Read and Review! There's just so many layers! Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.