A Tale of a Voyage

Disclaimer: I don't own.

Chapter 5: The Rescue

Very early the next morning, Lord Bern sent for us and, after breakfast (because I had made it clear in no uncertain terms that I'm useless at thinking, planning, and plotting without food), he said, "My king and queen, if it please you, would you order every man you have into full armor. And above all, let everything be as trim and scoured as if it were the morning of the first battle in a great war between noble kings with all the world looking on."

So we did. We went in three boats, Lord Bern, his men, Caspian, our men, and I, and set out for Narrowhaven. When we reached the jetty, we found a rather large crowd. "This is what I sent word about last night. They are all friends of mine and honest people," Lord Bern informed us. Caspian disembarked and all the people shouted, "Narnia! Narnia! Long live the king!" Also at that same moment, bells rang throughout the whole town. The king's banner was unfurled and his trumpet was blown, and we marched, with Lord Bern, Caspian, and I at the head. All of us had swords in hand, Caspian having returned mine and my bow upon my arrival in Narnia, and we made our way through the town.

At first only Lord Bern's friends joined in with the parade and cheering, but soon the children were going with us, and then the schoolboys, and then the old women, and then the young women, and then the young men, so that by the time we were at the castle's gates, nearly the whole town was shouting and/or marching. The trumpeter blew a quick blast and cried, "Open for the king of Narnia, come to visit his trusty and well-beloved servant the governor of the Lone Islands!"

Here, it appeared that, unlike in the Golden Age, everything was done slothfully and lazily. The postern gate opened, and out came a man who looked more like a beggar than a gatekeeper. Governor Joash is rolling over in his grave right now, I thought, remembering the wonderful governor of the Islands during our time. So much loss. So many friends- just gone. The man startled me out of my morbid and melancholy musings. "Carn-seez-fishansy. No interviews without 'pointments 'cept 'tween nine 'n' ten p.m. second Saturday every month."

I blinked, translating that into English in my head as Lord Bern roared, "Uncover before Narnia, you dog," knocking his hat from his head.

"'Ere? Wot's it all about?" he asked in confusion as two of our men stepped through the tiny door and fiddled with bars and bolts until the gate opened. Then we strode into the courtyard. Here quite a few of the governor's 'guard' were lounging about and a few more tumbled out of doorways, obviously drunk. I knew this moment was the dangerous, critical moment. If they had known what we were about, they probably would have fought us, if they had had a leader. "Where is the captain?" Caspian asked.

"I am, more or less, if you know what I mean," a young man who looked like he had barely graduated from grammar school said. He was armor less. I mentally groaned. This is the captain? I never imagined him to be younger than Art! Okay, so maybe that's not quite accurate, but it's pretty close. We would have never, never, never, never, never, never allowed this boy to be the leader of any amount of troops! And he isn't wearing armor? This kid's a joke as a captain.

"It is our wish that that our royal visitation to our realm of the Lone Islands should, if possible, be an occasion of joy and not of terror to our loyal subjects. If it were not for that, we should have something to say about the state of your men's armor and weapons. As it is, you are pardoned. Command a cask of wine to be opened that your men may drink to our health. But at noon tomorrow we wish to see them here in this courtyard looking like men-at-arms and not like vagabonds. See to it on pain of our extreme displeasure," Caspian declared.

The boy-captain's mouth fell open, but Bern instantly shouted, "Three cheers for the king!" and of course the soldiers, who were just sober enough to have understood about the cask of wine and just drunk enough to not have understood anything else, joined in. "Well done," I whispered to Caspian amidst the chaos. He gave me a quick smile as a thank you. Caspian, Bern, Drinian, three others, and I then entered the castle. The rest of our men stayed outside.

At the end of the hall was the governor himself. I just shook my head. Oh boy. Here we go. He looked up for a split second before saying automatically (almost like an answering machine back home), "No interviews without appointments except between nine and ten p.m. on second Saturdays."

Caspian nodded to Bern before stepping aside. He and I watched as Drinian and Lord Bern grabbed Gumpas's table and flung it against the wall. I couldn't keep my giggle in. The look on the governor's face was priceless. Then, the two of them lifted him out of his chair and set him down, facing it. Caspian sat in the chair, holding his unsheathed sword on his knees, and I stood beside him, my hand on the back of the chair. "My lord, you have not given us quite the welcome we expected. We are the king of Narnia," Caspian said, his voice as steely as his sword.

"Nothing about it in the correspondence. Nothing in the minutes. We have not been notified of any such thing. All irregular. Happy to consider any applications-"

"And we are come to inquire into your Sufficiency's conduct of your office. There are two points especially on which I require an explanation. Firstly, I find no record that the tribute due from these Islands to the crown of Narnia has been received for about a hundred and fifty years."

"That would be a question to raise at the Council next month. If anyone moves that a commission of inquiry be set up to report on the financial history of the islands at the first meeting next year, why then…"

"I also find it very clearly written in our laws that if the tribute is not delivered the whole debt has to be paid by the governor of the Lone Islands out of his private purse."

"Oh, that's quite out of the question. It is an economic impossibility-er-Your Majesty must be joking."

"Not at all. It was written by King Edmund the Just, the finest lawmaker in Narnian history. Passed the 13th of August in the year 1008. The ruling governor of the Lone Islands at the time would have been Governor Joash. He, too, agreed and signed the law," I said, recalling that day like it was yesterday.

"And just who might you be and how would you know that?" Gumpas asked me incredulously.

"I am High Queen Hannah the Brave, and I know that because I was there when it was passed. Check the law books. My seal and signature rest upon that law."

The governor stuttered, and I hid a smile. Caspian then retook control. "Secondly, I want to know why you have permitted this abominable and unnatural traffic in slaves to grow up here, contrary to the ancient custom and usage of our dominions."

"Necessary, unavoidable, an essential part of the economic development of the islands, I assure you. Our present burst of prosperity depends on it."

"What need have you of slaves?"

"For export, your Majesty. Sell 'em to Calormen mostly; and we have other markets. We are a great center of the trade."

"In other words, you don't need them. Tell me what purpose they serve except to put money into the pockets of such as Pug?"

"Your Majesties' tender years hardly make it possible that you should understand the economic problem involved. I have statistics, I have graphs, I have-"

"Tender as my years may be, I believe I understand the slave trade within quite as well as your Sufficiency. And I do not see that it brings into the islands meat or bread or beer or wine or timber or cabbages or book of instruments of music or horses or armor or anything else worth having. But whether it does or not, it must be stopped."

"But that would be putting the clock back! Have you no idea of progress, of development?"

"I have seen them both in an egg. We call it, 'going bad' in Narnia. This trade must stop."

"I can take no responsibility for any such measure."

"Very well, then. We relieve you of your office. My Lord Bern, come here." And Lord Bern took the oath to govern the Lone Islands according to Narnia customs, laws, and all that sort of thing. Caspian said, "I think we have had enough of governors," and made Bern a duke, the duke of the Lone Islands. "As for you, my Lord, I forgive you your debt for the tribute. But before noon tomorrow you and yours must be out of the castle, which is now the Duke's residence."

Then, to everyone's shock, especially mine, Gumpas turned to me. "Your Majesty, please! You must know that he cannot do this! You are the Empress of the Lone Islands-"

"Yes, and I have not acted in that capacity for a very long time! And Caspian is a sovereign king of Narnia in his own right! He may do as he pleases. But," and here I leaned close to Gumpas's face, "for the record, I approve, agree, and heartily second all of his actions today."

One of the former governor's secretaries cleared his throat and said, "Look here, this is all very well, but suppose all you gentlemen stop playacting and we do a little business. The question before us really is-"

"The question is whether you and the rest of the rabble will leave without a flogging or with one. You may chose which you prefer." Lord Bern announced.

After we finally settled that, Caspian ordered horses and we rode into town and made for the slave market. I had absolutely no desire to visit any such place, save for the fact that my cousins, Lucy, and Edmund were there, as I had had my dealings with similar places and trust me, they had not ended pleasant (For the slavers, I mean. I had been rather pleased with the outcomes.). We could hear Pug announcing the next slave to be sold as we drew near. Caspian saw me lower my head as my eyes filled with tears. "Hannah-" he began.

"Please, Caspian, just-just-just pretend I'm not here." I lifted my head to the clouds and whispered, "How long, oh Lord? How long will you allow evil to triumph?"

Caspian didn't speak to me, and neither did anyone else. I was alone with Aslan. Then, we were there. I hid my grief as best I could as Bern cried out, "On your knees, every man of you, to the king and queen of Narnia." Most immediately obeyed. The rest were pulled down by their neighbors. I heard a few cheers.

"Your life is forfeit, Pug, for laying hands on our royal person yesterday. But your ignorance is pardoned. The slave trade was forbidden in all our dominions quarter of an hour ago. I declare every slave in this market free."

Caspian had to quickly raise his hand to check the wild, joyous screaming of the slaves. "Where are my friends?"

"Those dear gels and the nice young gentlemen? Why they were snapped up at once-"

"We're here, we're here, Caspian!"

"At your service, sire!"

"Finally!"

"Thank Aslan you came!"

I quickly ticked off the people I was listening for. "All but Eustace accounted for," I whispered to Caspian as Edmund, Lucy, Reep, Faith, Rose, Art, James, Will, and Jade were let through the crowd. I was swamped with cousins. "Are you all alright?" I asked.

"Aslan protected us, Han. We're fine," Faith replied.

"I was afraid you wouldn't come," Rose said, her voice quivering.

I hugged her tightly. "I'll always come for you, Rose. Always."

Two Calormene merchants also approached us, bowing and saying, "Oh, your most royal Majesty, may you live forever! For did not one of the poets say, 'The fountains of prosperity which irrigate the gardens of prudence and virtue flow from gracious rulers'? And, as you are only prudent and virtuous and prosperous and gracious, surely you must know that, as the poets said, 'Only an evil ruler would steal from his subjects, even as only the vipers would eat their offspring'?"

Caspian looked confused. I heard Faith whisper, "They want their money back."

I tried not to laugh at that. Caspian nodded and turned back to the men. "That is only fair, sirs. Every man who has bought a slave today must have his money back. Pug, bring out your takings to the last minim."

"Does your good Majesty mean to beggar me?"

"You have lived on broken hearts all your life, and if you are beggared it is better to be a beggar than a slave. But where is my other friend?"

"Oh, him? Oh, take him and welcome. Glad to have him off my hands. I've never seen such a drug in all my born days. Priced him at five crescents in the end and even so nobody'd have him. Threw him in free with other lots and still no one would have him. Wouldn't touch him. Wouldn't look at him. Tacks, bring out Sulky."

Then Eustace was brought out, and he rejoined us, the scowl still settled firmly on his forehead. "I see. As usual. Been enjoying yourself somewhere while the rest of us were prisoners. I suppose you haven't even found out about the British Consul. Of course not."

"Eustace," I said, my patience stretching thinner and thinner, "listen to me. First of all, Caspian was captured by Pug just as much as you were. Secondly, you did just make it a lot harder on yourself by being so cross. Thirdly, you should show proper respect for the king. Fourthly, there is no British Consul here!

He just stared at me. "But, why isn't there a Consul?"