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 Forty-Four: Christmas Mayhem
It was a fortnight until Christmas. The bustling preparations were carried out with great cheer and good-natured celebration. Even Markus had not been on the receiving end of as many glares this past week (save for the royal guard whenever he interacted with the Four or Lew's Daughter). However, it seemed that good fortune might not last as long as he had hoped. The towheaded Archenlandish prince came hurtling around the corner and nearly collided with Markus. He quickly stepped to the side and then resumed walking, darting a nervous glance at his guards. The boy called a cheerful "Good morning, sir!"
Markus did not even dare to nod his head in silent response. He could not break his parole. The thought of sitting in the dungeons again was nigh unbearable. He set a swift pace but to his dismay, the boy did not leave. Prince Corin ran up to him, tugging at his sleeve. "I said good morning, sir. Can you hear me? There's a woodworker in Anvard who doesn't hear anything at all but he says he doesn't need to in order to carve his wares. Do you like Christmas? If you don't, I'll box you until you do!"
How was he to rid himself of the child? He didn't know. So he kept walking. And Prince Corin kept following.
"Have you met my friends? Their names are Shane and Thane. They're twins. They aren't as good at boxing as me but Lord Peridan said we had to stop boxing each other because I blackened their eyes. But that's only because Shane forgot to duck. I didn't knock any teeth out though. They love Christmas. Their older brother is a knight! I'm going to be a knight too! I want to be a knight this Christmas that way I'll be the youngest knight ever. And I'll be the very best because I'm going to be the greatest boxer ever! I get to box King Edmund and King Peter when they come back from their training exercise today. I'll blacken their eyes on purpose. But only one each because they're kings and they have to see out one eye so they can sign boring stuff."
On and on the boy chattered as he doggedly followed him. Markus walked in determined silence and the increasingly vain hope that the boy would lose interest or someone would come along who was more interesting than him. The young prince followed him into the library. "I don't know why the General wouldn't let me go with King Peter and King Edmund for training. I asked yesterday and last night and this morning too. But the General just kept saying no and his eyebrows got angrier and angrier and angrier. Then the Princess Royal said I had to go back to my quarters because she and the General were going to bed. It wasn't that late and I asked General Oreius how come he wasn't watching the stars because that's what Centaurs do. My tutor told me so. He just went into the other room. I asked the Princess Royal if he was sick but she was all bent over and shaking and just waved at me. So I went to check on the General for her. Then I asked again and he got really mad. His eyebrows were the angriest I've ever saw. I don't know why. They have a wonderfully soft bed that's just right for bouncing. I have to remember to tell Thane and Shane. But the General was so mad that he picked me up and tucked me under his arm this time. He didn't put me down until he found King Edmund. But he was happier this morning. I tried to get one of the horses (I'm big enough to have a proper horse but the Kings and Queens say I have to ride my silly pony still) to carry me so I could go with everyone on the training exercise. But the horse I picked was really a Horse. It was dark so I didn't realize it was Philip. Philip says he's not King Edmund's Horse but King Edmund is his boy. And General Oreius saw us before I could find a better hiding place. He made King Edmund take me back inside the palace. I tried to follow them but there's a great big Tiger watching the gates and Centaurs too and they kept sending Wolves to chase me inside. These Wolves aren't King Edmund's, you know, and they're scar- They're bigger but I tried to box one. He wouldn't hold still and then Queen Susan said breakfast was ready so I had to eat."
Markus said nothing. If he even opened his mouth, he feared he would give in to mirth. It was with true relief that he heard Lew's Daughter call, "Corin! There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you."
The towheaded boy finally stopped chattering long enough to ask, "Why?"
"I was hoping you and Thane and Shane would help me take over Cair Paravel."
The prince's eyes lit up and a huge grin appeared as he abandoned Markus in favor of bouncing around Lew's Daughter. "A coup! A real coup, Princess Alambiel? A real coup?"
"A real coup. But remember we have to be stealthy and quiet until we have rallied our allies."
"Aye, aye!" the boy crowed then he raced out of the room.
The Leopard who was almost always with Lew's Daughter looked up at her. "The General will not be happy."
"I know. He's going to kill me for enlisting Corin and the little Scátháin in this coup." She glanced over at Markus. "You're a non-combatant and possible casualty. Brace yourself."
"Possible casualty?"
Lew's Daughter only laughed.
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Alambiel ran the brush through her hair, trying not to smile as Oreius grumbled under his breath about coups, pests, and walking disasters. "It wasn't that bad."
"Those three colts broke an entire squad's supply of bows and then they threw half-frozen pie fillings at the soldiers. Do you realize how many of my soldiers needed the healers?"
Mustn't laugh. Must not laugh. "Well, it was a bit more . . . hazardous than my coups usually are but it's good practice for avoiding enemy fire."
The Kentauri glared at her. "I could unleash those three on Narnia's enemies and they would do so much damage by accident that Narnia would only have to fear them afterwards."
Alambiel giggled. "Well, I promise I won't use the secret weapons for my next coup."
"Secret," he scoffed.
She snickered and resumed brushing her hair. "You have to give me credit for being creative and I found a way to channel those colts' energy into something almost not destructive and they weren't under your hooves."
"Only because there were walls. And then I locked them in the dungeon."
Alambiel laughed. "You did send someone to let them out, right?"
Oreius didn't answer. She turned to look at him. "Oreius. You let them out, yes?"
"I did not." Her husband crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes.
"Oreius." Alambiel dropped her brush and then crossed to the bed, crawling on top and placing both hands on the Kentauri's chest. "Oreius, you had someone let them out. Because if you didn't I will go get them and bring them in here so you can apologize to them. You don't lock foals in the dungeon. And leave them there."
"Peridan let them out. Two of those troublemakers belong to him, after all."
The tiny worry that Oreius had lost his tolerance completely faded and Alambiel relaxed. She tapped his cheek. "Am I still in trouble?"
"Immensely."
"Can I get myself out of trouble?"
"No." Oreius suddenly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him as he rolled, and then grinned down at her. "You, my lady, shall have to cry mercy."
Alambiel laughed. She wasn't in trouble.
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18 Yule 1009
Edmund shook his head, growling as he paced. "Blondes get into more trouble."
"And just how do you come to that conclusion, Ed?"
He glared at his brother. "Let's review. This week you, Peter, fell into a cave of sleeping Ogres, Kat managed to attract an assassin, and Corin knocked over a barrel of water in the training yard, which froze, resulting in five broken legs, six sprained wings, and-"
"A highly irate Centaur General underneath a fir tree!" Kat looked far too amused as she perched crossed-legged on top of the large table.
"Kat, singing about it is not the appropriate response."
"But it was funny."
Edmund pinched the bridge of his nose. She was not the one who had to listen to Oreius' four-hour-long instructions (and he used that term very loosely) on why Edmund, not Peter, Edmund was to keep Corin far away from the training yard and any more possible disasters. "I repeat. Blondes get in more trouble."
"But we also have more fun, so it all balances out." Kat exchanged an amused look with Peter. "And I thought you called us here to discuss something with the Western Woods."
"Yes." Edmund pointed at the map. "I have seventeen letters from a little settlement near the eastern edge of my Woods. They all claim that there is Fell activity nearby."
"What kind of Fell?" Peter asked, his gaze intent and focused now that the time for brotherly teasing had passed.
"They believe Succubae have invaded."
Kat looked up. "Been awhile since we had a complaint of Succubae in Narnia."
"I know. And I intended to go but-"
"The girls won't let us," Peter continued sympathetically. "Of all the times for Susan to decide we absolutely must be home for Christmas and no risks of our being gone."
Edmund rubbed the back of his neck. "There isn't any solid evidence of Succubae or any other Fell in that area based on the last patrol report and it's only two days old. But if you and I can't go, we should send-"
"Oreius and I can go." Kat hopped off the table. "And this way Oreius will have time to cool his temper before he decides stomping on Corin will be worth the annoyances of explaining why Narnia's General flattened the Crown Prince of Archenland."
She did have a point. "When can you leave?"
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Thalia giggled as she watched Peter attempting to get himself out of the tangle of Christmas wreaths. Her husband made a face then sighed in defeat. "Umm Flower?"
She rose from where she had been kneeling and grasped one of the wreaths. She peeked around but Peter's Tigers and Sekhmet weren't inside the hall. Taking advantage of their seclusion, Thalia tugged at the wreaths, making her husband wobble into her arms. "Tha-"
She silenced him with a kiss. When they finally came up for air, Peter was grinning. "I should get tangled up in Christmas wreaths more often."
Thalia blushed, lowering her lashes. "It was not the wreaths. It is the mistletoe crown you wear."
"Huh?" Peter looked up and then freed one of his arms (with her help) to feel his crown. He let out a laugh as he pulled a mistletoe sprig out of the pile confined by his crown. Then he held it over Thalia's head and kissed her in such a way that she would not have been surprised if her Tree burst into spring buds.
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20 Yule 1009
"What do you think, Su?"
Susan paused to admire her sister's handiwork with rearranging the Christmas wreaths and gold and silver ribbons that had been pulled down due to Corin and the Peridansons' antics earlier. She smiled. "It is very pretty, Lucy. And look the extra mistletoe is already working."
Lucy spun around, her honey-brown hair and green dress flaring, and then she clapped her hands at the sight of Mr. Tumnus and Harmonia, both blushing and not quite looking each other in the eye, standing beneath the mistletoe and then they kissed. Susan smiled while Lucy squealed, making Mr. Tumnus and Harmonia blush even more. Although, Susan was pleased to note that Harmonia didn't let Mr. Tumnus break the kiss right away.
Lucy clapped her hands again and then she giggled. "Oh look there's Tarrin. He looks a little overwhelmed with Maisee and those packages. I'll go help him." She skipped off and Susan turned back to the other finishing touches. She wondered when Lucy and Tarrin would realize what was going on.
"You look very pleased, Your Majesty."
She jumped, a slim hand going to her throat before she breathed a sigh of relief and offered a slight laugh, hoping she wasn't blushing. "Markus, I didn't realize you were in the hall."
He bowed, his dark hair falling in front of his eyes and she just barely caught herself before she reached out to fix it. How embarrassing and completely inappropriate. He was not one of her brothers or one of the children under her care. Markus was looking at her, his brown eyes inquiring, and Susan flushed, realizing he must have asked a question. She smiled prettily. "How are you enjoying the Christmas season?"
"It is my first. Properly celebrated, that is." Markus paused, looking a little worried as children's laughter drifted toward them.
Susan placed a hand on his forearm. "Shall we walk for this discussion?"
The grateful look he gave as he offered his arm as gallantly as Peter was wont to do made Susan's smile more genuine. They walked in silence for a bit and Susan could feel the tension in the muscles beneath her fingers. He was probably worrying about his parole again. "I thought you raised a valid point during the last tea you had with me and my siblings."
Markus glanced down at her and the faintest smile curved his lips. "I thought you did not agree with me."
She cleared her throat nervously. "Works have their place too. It is how we express our love, that is, how we express our care for people, for country."
"But the passages I have read on such matters indicates that works cannot replace Aslan's mercy and the value of learning at His paws."
Susan frowned, still not liking the challenge to her view, to her way of things. "And if He were here, I would gladly sit at His paws and learn just like Lucy."
Markus smiled, a true smile, and he chuckled. "But you would not sit until you saw to the comfort of everyone else and you would not sit long before springing up again to fill another need."
"That is important, Markus. How can I ignore the needs around me?"
"But you cannot fulfill them all and you will not be as effective as you would if you took more time to sit at the Great Lion's paws and listened, grew, found sustenance in His words."
She frowned, wondering if he was right. Some days her tasks as hostess and ensuring her subjects and family were looked after and happy threatened to overwhelm her. How long had it been since she had a day or even a single morn where she was only Susan Pevensie and not Queen Susan? How long had it been since she put away all the distractions of her duties and simply listened for the Great Lion's whisper?
She did not realize how deeply she had slid into her thoughts until Markus stopped abruptly. Looking up, she met his kind gaze. "I am afraid we must part now. I intend to go to my quarters and, well, I do not believe it would be a good thing for me to walk that far with you.
"Forgive me, I should have paid better attention."
"No, Your Majesty, forgive me. I did not intend to trouble you."
Susan smiled. "Well, I have been told that sometimes it is a good thing to be troubled at least a little. You give me much to consider."
He nodded then glanced up. His eyes widened slightly. Susan followed his gaze and immediately blushed. Hanging over their heads was a line of mistletoe sprigs. She could probably thank the Raccoons again. Atuki and Suki, in particular, had taught all their younger siblings to be very enthusiastic about hanging mistletoe throughout Cair Paravel. She lowered her gaze and met Markus' brown eyes. Her cheeks flamed all the more. "It is not necessary for the tradition to be followed through. I mean, the exceptions do exist. Although they are usually confined to one half of an engaged or married couple. But I am certain there are . . . precedents . . ."
She trailed off as Markus looked back up at the mistletoe. Then he gazed down at her. "I do not wish to offend by breaking tradition, Your Majesty."
He leaned down and placed his mouth over hers in the gentlest and briefest of kisses. Then he straightened. Markus looked into her eyes for the span of two heartbeats and then he bowed politely and retreated down the corridor.
Susan remained where she stood, trying to decide if she dared consider the light fluttering in her stomach. No, of course not. It was utter nonsense. Mistletoe kisses were nothing. She turned to go up to her quarters and prepare for the night's banquet for the army's Yule celebration and froze as she met Peter and Thalia's stunned gazes. Her brother stood arm in arm with his wife but then his blue eyes hardened into disapproval.
"Peter. I- We were- That is-" Words escaped her attempts to control them and she gestured helplessly to the mistletoe. "It's just tradition."
Peter still frowned as he disengaged his arm from Thalia's. "Thalia, would you see if you can find Edmund and ask him to meet Susan and me in my study?"
Her sister-in-law glanced at her uncertainly and then nodded. With a whisper of velvet skirts, Thalia hurried back the way they had come.
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Edmund slipped into his big brother's study. His brother and sister, however, were oblivious to his presence. Susan had her hands on her hips as she glared at Peter. His brother was in the middle of lecturing. ". . . and what do you think our people are going to think when they learn that you were kissing a sorcerer, Susan? This whole thing with Markus has been challenging enough without you seeming to confirm Peridan's fear that you've been enchanted by this chap. And I certainly won't permit him to court you if that's his game!"
"Peter William Pevensie! How dare you think that I am so gullible? Do you really think that I cannot see as well as you? Maybe I am not as good at judging people as Edmund but I am only trying to give Markus the opportunity to-"
"Win your heart? I won't have it, Su!" Peter shook his head. "I promised Mum I'd look after the three of you and that includes making sure any chap you might like is actually worthy of you. And that you don't do something silly just because you're in love with the idea of love."
Susan flinched. Edmund could see the moment Peter realized his mistake, realized that he had hurt their sister. Peter opened his mouth but Susan just glared at him, tears in her eyes and starting to spill free. "How dare you? How dare you think that promise means you can pick my husband for me?"
"Su, that's not what I meant, I just-"
"No!" Susan sniffed. "No, you've made your lack of trust in my judgment skills quite clear, Your Majesty." She suddenly glared at Edmund. "And what you need to understand, brothers, is that I do not need your permission to wed! I am a woman grown and I am a queen in my own right. I only need your blessing but of course, I could never feel the love for a man that you, Peter, feel for Thalia."
She stormed out, leaving Edmund and Peter a bit dazed. Edmund looked at his brother. "What did you do?"
Peter slumped in his chair, all the brotherly protective wrath drained from him. "I didn't mean to hurt her, Ed. I just. She was kissing Markus under the mistletoe in the middle of the corridor! And she liked it! You could see that she liked it! And they have been spending so much time together, talking!"
Edmund frowned. "But it was mistletoe, right?"
His brother shuddered. "I just . . ." He looked up at him, a plea for understanding and support in his eyes. "I don't know, Ed. I just don't want Susan to get hurt and she didn't deny her feelings either." An expression that could only be called horror crossed his face. "What if she does?"
The little knot of worry grew in Edmund's mind. "Susan's the levelheaded one."
"Except when it comes to romance. You know how she's always sighed over those silly romantic stories, even back in that Other Place." Peter ran his hands through his hair. "Right. Right. We have to make sure she's okay. That she's thinking straight."
Edmund nodded. "Right."
"Go talk to her."
"Me?" Edmund pointed to himself.
Peter nodded. "You."
"Why me?"
"Because Susan is mad at me. You have a better chance of making her talk and listen."
"No. Have Thalia talk to her."
"Thalia's not going to understand why this is bad. She believes Markus is changed completely too and so does Lu and I'm not even sure if Kat would be a voice of reason if she were here."
"It depends on how you define reason, I should think."
Peter waved his hand dismissively. "The point, brother mine, is you're the only one who can talk to Susan and judge the situation accurately. You're the judge after all and supposedly very discerning."
"Discerning enough to know it's a bad idea."
"I'll watch Corin for the next two days. Without your help. And you can have my share of the chocolate cake tonight."
"Fine."
Even once Edmund reached his sister's quarters, he hesitated to knock. He didn't like dealing with all this girly stuff. He sighed then knocked once. Susan didn't answer. Edmund sighed again and then took his life in his hands by opening the door and peeking inside. "Su?"
No one was in the sitting room, just a lot of wrapped presents and Susan's giant sewing basket overflowing with yarn and fabrics. Edmund sighed, wondering if this was some sort of punishment for not telling Peter yesterday that Corin had placed one of his fruit filling bags in his chair at lunch. Peter had walked into a meeting with several of the army's officers and two ambassadors with blueberry filling staining his yellow tunic.
He slowly walked to the bedchamber doors and pushed them open with extreme caution, ready to duck should anything be lobbed his way. "Su?"
"Go away," came the weepy reply.
Edmund sighed and walked over to where Susan was curled up in the window seat. "Peter's just being overprotective, you know. He's just being . . . well, Peter."
His sister lowered her limp handkerchief and turned tear-savaged eyes toward him. Her bottom lip trembled. "I am not in love with Markus. It was just a silly Christmas tradition. And I can be wise."
"Peter didn't mean to say you weren't, Su." Edmund placed a cautious hand on her shoulder. "It's just, well, we don't want to see you get hurt by some bloke who's not worthy enough to even kiss your silly embroidered velvet slippers."
Susan smiled slightly then blew her nose. "Yes, I know. But truly I do guard my heart. I just . . . I wanted to be a normal girl, Edmund. Someone who can kiss the stranger under the mistletoe and not have to worry about political ties or diplomatic conniptions. Can't I have that at least once, Ed?"
He didn't know what to say. Their lives weren't really their own. They hadn't been since their coronation, maybe before that too. And he still worried that maybe she was growing closer to Markus than was wise. But he knew now was not the time to bring it up. So, he patted her on the shoulder again. "I'll tell Peter conniptions are only allowed if you kiss a chap when it isn't under the mistletoe."
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A/N: Please Read and Review!