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: When memory is veiled, can the love forged between two hearts survive?

A/N: If you have not read the first seven stories in the A Light in the Darkness main story arc (Awakened, Shadowed, Revealed, Concealed, Rekindled, Refracted, and Reflected), 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 Three: Searching

Who are you? The question, the one question he had not expected, had not dreamed would be asked, haunted Oreius. It haunted him even more than the fact that there was such fear in her eyes and that she had been in such pain Tuulea and Alithia had sent him out while they tended to her. He did not look at the junior healers as they scurried around him; instead, his gaze remained fixed on the curtains hiding Alambiel from sight.

What had happened to her? Time seemed to slow to an agonizing rate as he waited for Tuulea or Alithia to emerge…as he waited for this to make sense. It was not the first time Alambiel had had no memory, but that had been before her return to Narnia, it had been Aslan's providence in protecting a child until the time was right for her to remember her true heritage and past. Who are you? His hands tightened into fists as he struggled to make sense of it all.

The curtain parted and both Tuulea and Alithia emerged. He caught a brief glimpse of Alambiel but she did not seem to be awake anymore. Though it pained him to admit it, perhaps that was best for now. He followed the healers to a secluded storeroom, barely waiting for the door to close out any listening ears before he asked, "Why doesn't she remember?"

Alithia spread her hands as a helpless look appeared. "It could be due to anything, Oreius. Perhaps it is the head trauma she suffered combined with the time she spent unconscious. Perhaps something was given to her to invoke such confusion or…"

"Or it could be a protective measure due to the torture. The mind has ways of protecting itself, refusing to recall what is too horrible to bear or even erasing everything painful until enough healing has occurred to force it out," Tuulea stated softly. The Black Elder Nymph shook her head as she continued, "But, we have no way of knowing and without the cordial… She is in too much pain to provide answers or to be questioned. For her sake, we have placed her under heavy sedation."

Oreius tensed. "What of the risk that she will not wake from it?"

"If she wakes on her own, she may cause herself further injuries; perhaps even puncture her lungs before the cordial has a hope of reaching her. It is not a good choice but it is the only conscionable one available."

"Will the cordial restore her memory?"

The healers exchanged looks then Tuulea nodded very slowly. "Perhaps, if this memory loss is in fact caused by the head trauma."

"Perhaps?" Oreius pressed for a firm answer, the hope for the return of his Alambiel now resting all the more on the cordial. He needed that hope and he needed it to be a true hope.

"There is no way to know for certain," Tuulea said. She shook her head again, causing her black hair to sway and slip over her shoulders. "The cordial hasn't been used to restore memory and the last time Alambiel could not remember her past, the cordial did not restore those memories."

"But the memories were blocked by Aslan's design, not by an injury." Oreius grasped the Nymph by the arm. "Please."

The Nymph sighed but her touch was the light comfort of a mother and grandmother as she laid her hand over his. "There is yet hope, Oreius. You are right; the situation is different and there is hope that the cordial will restore Alambiel fully in both body and mind."

Oreius nodded and stepped back then bowed. "Thank you."

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A roar of rage filled the cavern. "You idiot sons of jackals! Tash take you all! You let her escape!"

The two men who still lived prostrated themselves before him. The skinnier of the two lifted his narrow, pockmarked face as he whined, "Forgive us, O my Master! The witch was too swift, her dealings with demons gave her strength she should not have had, or else we would have captured her."

Unappeased, he kicked the man in the face, ignoring the pained cries as he paced the cavern. "Fools! She was half-dead! You'd best pray to Tash that the woman died before anyone could get any information out of her or else I will not be the one who kills you. It will be our most glorious and powerful benefactor."

He ran a finger over the ornate handle of the curved Calormene dagger hanging at his belt at the thought of the cloaked and hooded stranger who had discovered long-hidden information and used it to chain and control him, forcing him to recreate himself as a 'robber baron' in this miserable northern wasteland. 'Robber Baron,' a disgrace…

And all of this for Ishara Reborn.

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6 Twirleaf 1008

Moving silently on slippered feet, she entered the healers' wing. As night brought some relief from the lingering heat, the junior healers no longer worked the large fabric fans that were attached to equally large wooden frames that had been positioned strategically around the main room. In fact, given the time of night, only a few healers were present within the wing.

She moved past them and paused in front of the half-closed door to one of the private healing rooms. Her gaze fell on one of the fierce Leopards standing guard and she quirked an eyebrow in silent question. The Leopard dipped his dark head once. She took a fortifying breath then pushed the door open.

The sight before her made her heart ache with sympathy. The Centaur stood silent guard at the foot of his lady's sickbed, his gaze fixed on her face, but she didn't stir. Her breaths were barely detectable now. The Centaur General turned his head at her approach and for a moment, there was a look of tenuous hope and great concern in his dark gaze before he resumed his familiar impassive expression and bowed low. "My Queen, have you news of the Queen Lucy's return?"

Susan shook her head as she came closer, lowering her voice. "No, but Edmund was summoned from a late dinner to the beach. How is she?"

Oreius looked toward Kat's still form. "She has not woken again. The healers say this is better until we can give her the cordial and this room is more easily guarded."

Placing her hand on Oreius' arm, Susan didn't voice an apology (surely the Centaur had already heard enough from well-meaning healers) nor did she mention her own concern about what Kat's condition meant for Lucy (Edmund had already set his spies to searching for information about everything that had happened since the Morning Dove left port at Cair Paravel). "We're going to sort this out, Oreius."

The Centaur bowed gravely once more. "Thank you, my Queen."

A commotion came from outside the door. She could hear Edmund snapping at his Wolves again. She cast a concerned glance at Kat but she never stirred as Edmund's voice rose. "No, you two stay out here before you get yourselves in more trouble!" She couldn't hear what the Wolves said but it obviously didn't please her brother. "I don't care if you were just curious about why she smelled like fish, the Lady Syrena was not very amused to have you two slobbering all over her face." There was a pause then Edmund's low groan filtered through the door. "Of course, she tasted like salt and fish, she's a Mermaid who lives in the ocean. Stay here. And no frogs."

Edmund stalked into the room and it took everything in her to resist exclaiming over the sandy and salt-encrusted state of his fine doublet, including a number of large paw prints across his chest and shoulders, not to mention his boots and leggings. And his dark hair was sticking up every which way. Oh, he needed a comb desperately. Edmund rubbed a hand over his face. "All right, I have some news." He glanced at where Kat lay then lowered his voice further and beckoned them closer as he backed away from the bed.

Susan clasped her hands together. "What is it, Edmund?"

"They had a particularly good trip, the winds allowed the Morning Dove (as it is built for speed even more so than our Splendor Hyaline) to make port at Redhaven within four days, docking late on the twenty-fourth. Kat and Lucy made their official appearance at Governor Harbrace's palace at breakfast on the twenty-fifth and then Kat went to Hadassah House while Lucy sequestered with the diplomats to handle the dispute. Ptah was with Kat."

Oreius stepped closer, still looming over them both even if not by quite as much as he did eight years ago, and there was steel in his voice as he bit out, "What happened?"

"No one seems to know," Edmund replied, his face grim. "Kat vanished that night. Ptah was found darted just inside the courtyard of Hadassah House by Tegene at around half past fourth hour, but Kat was missing when Lanka went to alert her to Ptah's condition. Five days later, our patrol found her in Ettinsmoor just on the other side of the River Shribble and then they pushed to get her here within three days, something they wouldn't have managed if they hadn't met up with another patrol who had just set out from the Cair. The Mermaids couldn't get word to Lucy until three days ago because the Terebinthian party insisted the negotiations be a closed door affair and all messages be held until the negotiations were concluded."

Susan pressed a hand against her heart, more than a little relieved that Lucy was, indeed, safe. "But, when will she return?"

Edmund frowned. "As soon as the winds allow."

She looked again at Kat, at all the bandages, then the horrified whisper slipped out, "But how could they do all of this damage to her in less than five days? What did they want?"

"If you will remember, my Queen, the Seven Isles are but a day or two's sailing from the eastern shore of Ettinsmoor, if the conditions are just right, and we do not know how far Alambiel ran to reach the river."

"He's right, Su. Besides I talked to Alithia, she said the initial wounds occurred eight or nine days before Kat was brought here and then it became more systematic until the last wounds occurred either the same day or the day before our patrol found her. The only explanation is whoever abducted Kat was torturing her for information."

"Edmund!" Susan hissed with a cautious look at Oreius.

But the Centaur merely shook his head as he folded his brawny arms over his chest. "It is all right, Majesty. King Edmund is correct and I have come to the same conclusion. They wanted information otherwise she would have been killed or worse instead of this focus on systematic torture." There was a thread of tension in his voice and the stern lines of his face seemed sharper while he spoke. "And, the Lion knows that Alambiel possesses a great deal of information that would be deadly to us all if it were ever given over to an enemy."

"She wasn't talking."

Edmund sounded so sure and then Oreius gave a firm nod. "They would have ceased torturing her if she had given them the information they wanted," he stated simply, his tone brooking no argument.

Susan looked again at the bed then sighed. "We shall have to send word to Peter. When did Lucy set sail?"

"The Morning Dove set sail two days ago since they had to find Ptah. Once he finally recovered from the darts, he immediately began scouring the island." Edmund shrugged. "We'll have to wait for them to come home before we can learn more." He scowled suddenly as he looked past her. "And now I have to interrupt Peter's honeymoon…he's going to appreciate that so much."

She patted him on the cheek (it was the one clean spot on his face). "You can do that after you clean up and eat something." Edmund made a face but she merely turned to face Oreius. "Do you need anything, Oreius? I could bring you some tea or coffee, if that's what you prefer. Or I could sit with Kat for a while so you can get some rest."

A faint smile appeared on the Centaur's lips for the briefest of moments before he shook his head and bowed gravely. "Thank you, my Queen, but no. I will stay with her." Susan nodded and started to follow Edmund out of the room, but her steps faltered when she heard something she was certain she hadn't been meant to hear. "I do not want her to be afraid anymore."

As Susan dug out a handkerchief and dabbed at the sudden wetness in her eyes, she could only pray. Aslan, please help them both. Please let Lucy come home with her cordial before it's too late.

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A/N: Please Read and Review! Dun Dun DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN! So, any guesses as to who Bad Guy #1 is? Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one. Oh and an early happy birthday to trustingHim17. :)

P.S. If you want to refresh your memory about "Ishara Reborn," that information can be found in my story A Light in the Darkness: Rekindled.