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 Four: Call Home

Edmund scowled and, crumpling the parchment, threw it into the growing pile on the rug. Remus nosed the pile then crawled over to him and rested his head on his knee with a low sigh. The Wolf's yellow gaze fixed on him, full of the concern and tenderheartedness that quite made up for how much of a menace he and his twin could be at times. "Did you have a bad hunt, King Edmund?"

"What?" Edmund blinked at the parchment before him then buried the fingers of his free hand in Remus' grey ruff. "Well, of a sorts." He scowled as he once again began to scratch out the letter he did not want to send. Kat's still, bandaged form flashed before his eyes and he shook his head, uttering a low oath.

"Edmund Alexander Pevensie!"

He cringed and Remus slipped away. Edmund caught a glimpse of two furry tails disappearing beneath his bed before he gave Susan his most innocent look. "Su? Is everything all right? I didn't expect you to come here considering it's…" He darted a glance at the water clock. "After midnight."

His sister's pink lips formed into a thin line. Her eyes narrowed and a dangerous sparkle entered them. "Mind your language. And, I am well aware of what time it is, for that is why I came to check on you." He wished he could have breathed a sigh of relief when Susan's gaze shifted to the pile of discarded parchments, but he knew better than to assume she was finished scolding him for forgetting his manners (although he wouldn't have if those blasted Wolves had alerted him to her presence like proper guards). "Still writing to Peter?"

Shuffling the sheaf of parchment that still resided on his desk, Edmund didn't meet her eyes. "Well, I'm trying to think of a better way to phrase things than "I blew it, Peter. Come be the magnificent big brother and fix everything for me." Not to mention the fact that this shouldn't be happening." He rubbed his hair. "I promised Peter that yes, of course, I would make sure everything was fine here so he and Thalia can have a long honeymoon because you know that lummox will be very difficult to pry away from the Cair for needed holidays. He always has been…unless it's for fishing. And now, Kat's in the healers' wing dying. I talked to Alithia. She doesn't even know why Kat's still alive. We don't have nearly the amount of the information we need to find whoever did this to her and even Lucy's return might not bring us enough information."

He ran his hands through his hair again. Then Susan touched his cheek, drawing his attention back to her. "It's not your fault, Edmund. We should thank Aslan that Kat escaped otherwise we probably would have never known what happened to her. Peter's not going to blame you, either."

"No, he'll likely feel all guilty and blame himself," he stated drily. "I hope Thalia will hit him over the head so he sees sense."

A slight smile graced his sister's lips. "Well, it will take three days for them to return from the Northern hunting lodge, I'm sure Thalia will use it to her advantage."

Edmund cleared his throat as he finished scratching out the message. "Well, actually, it shouldn't take more than a hard day's ride." He frowned at the bed. "Romulus!"

There was a thump and a muffled yelp followed by a definite bark of laughter before the grey Wolf crawled out from under the bed. He touched the top of his head with his paw and gave the bed a surly look before he straightened. Walking toward them with as much confidence as he could muster, Romulus wagged his tail slightly. "Yes, King Edmund?"

"Would you summon Skeat from the hall?"

"Yes, King Edmund." Romulus raced out of the room.

Edmund arched an eyebrow at Susan, who looked down to hide her smile. The Red-Tail Hawk swept into the room and landed on top of the wardrobe, bowing deeply. "King Edmund. Queen Susan."

Rising to his feet, Edmund gave the Hawk the sealed missive. "Take this to the High King at once. You'll find him and his Consort at the mountain cabin just above the foothills of Stormness Head." Skeat bowed low once more then he swept out of the window Susan had opened with a raptor's scream.

Edmund braced himself for Susan's inevitable scolding. "I promised Peter I wouldn't tell anyone where he really took Thalia." She didn't say anything, merely turning away to look at the water clock. Edmund sat in his chair with a heavy sigh, only to squawk in surprise when something attacked his hair. "Susan!"

"Oh, do hold still, Ed." Susan was wielding the hairbrush with a mission and Edmund sighed again. His sister continued to attack his hair. "Lion knows, if I didn't, you probably wouldn't even allow Martil to help you."

At the sound of his name, the Faun valet poked his head inside the bedroom. "Majesties?"

Edmund crossed his arms and glowered but Susan merely waved at the Faun. "Martil, would you see a bath is drawn for my brother? He needs it quite desperately."

His scowl deepened but his valet paid him no mind as he narrowed his eyes at Edmund's clothes. "At once, my Queen."

As his valet scurried away, Edmund scowled at Susan. "I can change without help, you know."

"Of course, you can," his sister agreed mildly. She finally set the hairbrush aside then looked him over. "You're too thin. Did you eat anything since you left the healers' wing? You didn't, did you? I knew it. Well, I am going to leave you in Martil's capable hands but I shall return with a proper meal and some of my chamomile tea." She swept out of the room before Edmund could say anything. He comforted himself with the thought that Susan might be feeling sorry enough for him to bring some of her apple pie.

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Lucy fiddled with her cordial, the life-giving red liquid sloshing around in its diamond vial. If only Lord Merrick hadn't insisted on secluding the members of the negotiation, maybe she would have been at Hadassah House too. And, likely taken right along with Kat. She chewed on her bottom lip as she rubbed her thumb over the lion head-shaped stopper. Why would anyone take Kat and how did they manage it without waking anyone?

Ptah paced the cabin. The Leopard's lower jaw hung slightly open, showing off his fangs, and his ears were flattened as his tail lashed irritably. Lucy sighed. Poor Ptah was still blaming himself for being darted by unknown assailants and losing Kat.

"It's not your fault."

The Leopard growled as his golden eyes fixed on her. "With respect, My Queen, it was indeed my fault. I am the Princess Royal's guard. The General trusted me to keep her safe. And I did not."

Rising from her stool, Lucy placed her hand on Ptah's head in the space between his ears. "We'll be home soon. Captain Thornbrik assured me that we'll make Cair Paravel in two days should the wind continue to hold."

No sooner had the words left her mouth than she realized something odd about the ship's movement. She looked at the Leopard then rushed to the porthole, rising on tiptoe to peer out. "We've stopped!" She could hear shouts and stamping feet overhead as the ship suddenly rocked.

Lucy stumbled backwards, catching herself on the edge of her secured desk. The ship rocked again and Ptah dug his claws into the floorboards. There was a clatter of hooves then the cabin door opened. A soaking wet Satyr bowed his head. "A storm is bearing down on the ship, Your Majesty. Captain Thornbrik has ordered you to remain secure in the cabin until things blow over."

She nodded. "Thank you, Lieutenant Dalibor." As the Satyr shut the door, she raced back to the portal, watching as the smooth silver sea and clear blue skies shifted to a choppy white-capped grey and swiftly darkening clouds lit only with the occasional arc of lightning. Lucy rested her hand against the smooth wood of the wall and murmured, "The Dove will hold; she'll get us home, Aslan willing." Ptah said nothing, merely pressing against the back of her legs. But, she knew as well as he that this storm might be enough to delay them too long. Please, Aslan, please let us reach home before it's too late for Kat.

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7 Twirleaf 1008

In the cool reaches of the woods coating the upper foothills of Stormness Head, the High King drowsed with his head pillowed in his bride's lap. Thalia smiled as she ran her slim fingers through his golden hair. They had hidden in the mountains for three weeks, becoming accustomed to their new married life free from the distractions of royal duties and petitions and the like. She started slightly when Peter captured her left hand and pressed a fervent kiss against her fingers. "I thought perhaps you had fallen asleep, my lord."

Her husband opened one blue eye and gently chided, "Peter, just Peter."

Thalia blushed even as she smiled. "Then I must beg your forgiveness for forgetting, Peter."

Peter grinned and a mischievous little twinkle appeared in his eyes as he gave her a wide-eyed look. "No, my dear Flower, I think your atonement will take more than pretty words."

She could feel the blush deepening as it warmed her cheeks but still she smiled. "Oh?"

He gave a confident nod. "Yes, Flower." Peter stretched then his left arm snaked around her waist, pulling her forward as he rolled. Thalia laughed as her husband's strong arms came around her, clasping her close as they rolled toward the cabin. Her silk skirts were tangled about their legs when they came to a stop with Peter staring down at her. "Now, what were we talking about, my sweet Thalia?" he asked with a cocky grin. "Oh yes, I remember."

Thalia wrapped a hand around Peter's neck, pulling him closer as their lips met in a kiss. She breathed his name as he pressed kisses down the side of her neck and tugged at the neck of her dress to expose her shoulder. A hideous scent caught her attention just as her husband's lips grazed her collarbone. Thalia opened her eyes. "Peter?" He didn't stop his attentions. She shifted her hands in order to push against his chest. "Peter!"

Peter lifted his head, looking more than a little bewildered. "Thalia?"

"Something is burning."

His eyes went wide and he leapt to his feet, nearly tripping as his boots tangled in her skirts. "The food!" He leaned back down to pull her to her feet then he dropped her hand and raced into the cabin. Thalia followed, running in just in time to witness Peter yelp as he nearly dropped a smoking stewpot in the floor, but he was able to transfer it to the sink without mishap. He grabbed a large ladle and scooped water into the pot, causing more smoke and steam to billow up. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled widely. "Don't worry, I'll just add some more water and it will be fine."

Thalia managed to smile in return. "This is the surprise you mentioned earlier?"

"Yes, a meal for my bride."

As soon as he focused on adding more water to the stew, Thalia rubbed the side of her neck before moving to open the windows to help dispel the smoke filling the kitchen. "Peter, you've been so generous to cook for us these last weeks; perhaps I should make the next meal. 'Twould only be fair, I think. After all, we shan't have many opportunities to cook for each other once we return to the Cair."

What hope she had that he would accept her suggestion this time died when Peter shook his head, still smiling. "Oh no. I want to pamper my wife and that means I do all the cooking. All right, the stew's ready, I think."

She had never envied the Hamadryads who were so deeply connected to their trees that they needed only to consume the rich loam…until these last three weeks. Still, she dared not hurt Peter's feelings when he was trying so hard to take care of her. Setting the small table, Thalia mused that she had never guessed King Edmund had been anything save teasing when he warned her about Peter's cooking skills. Peter suddenly wrapped his arms around her middle and kissed her cheek. "I am most blessed among all men."

Thalia couldn't help smiling as she whispered, "Oh, Peter."

He lifted her hand and pressed another fervent kiss to the back of her fingers then helped her to her chair. Peter winked at her as he poured the white wine in their glasses. Then he fetched the stewpot and ladled a generous amount into her bowl. "See? I rescued it just in time."

She didn't look at the bowl. Instead, she kept her eyes and her smile fixed on her husband as he filled his own bowl then raised his glass. Thalia mimicked his movement and met his smile with her own before they raised their eyes as Peter spoke, "Aslan, for this bountiful meal and most wondrous company, we give thanks."

"We give thanks." Lowering her glass, Thalia finally examined her meal. There were round chunks of white meat that looked half-burnt, black flakes that bore a definite resemblance to scales decorated the surface of the brownish liquid, limp carrots, some oddly shaped cubes that rather looked like half-skinned potatoes, and she thought there might be a fin but it sank before she could decide what it was for certain. "Peter, what did you make this stew with?"

He grinned. "Oh, I used the fish I caught this morn then I tossed in some carrots, potatoes, and cucumbers. Oh, and I added gravy to the water to add texture to the broth." He gave her a slightly sheepish smile. "I should apologize that I didn't cut everything as neatly as I probably should have, but I was in a bit of a rush to finish preparing everything before you finished cleaning up."

Thalia scooped a spoonful of the…stew and tried to swallow it quickly. She set her spoon down almost too hastily and took a sip of her wine. Peter was watching her with concern. "Are you all right, Flower? How does the stew taste?"

He was scooping more of it into his bowl. The Queens were right; Peter could eat just about anything. Thalia took a bigger sip of her wine then cleared her throat. "I honestly cannot find the words to do justice to the taste of your stew, my love."

Peter smiled as he relaxed. "Good, good. Best eat up before it gets cold, though."

Thalia drank some more wine then smiled. "Yes, of course." She scooped another spoonful of the stew and started to bring it to her mouth. A raptor's cry tore through the air as a Hawk swooped through the open window and Thalia set the spoon back in the bowl.

Leaping to his feet, her husband's face took on a stern, kingly cast as he crossed the kitchen to their unexpected visitor. "Skeat! Why are you here? What has happened?"

The Red-Tail Hawk bowed his feathered head. "Much, High King. Much."

As Peter took the message and began to read, Thalia rose to her feet. The Tiger twins entered the cabin, eyes bright and fur standing on end. Babur paused to sniff at the table and curled his lips in an expression of clear disgust before his sister nudged him. Thalia gently rest a hand on her husband's broad shoulder. "Peter. What is it?"

There was anguish and no small amount of guilt clouding his blue eyes when he finally looked at her. "We have to go home. Edmund wrote and we have to go home."

He handed her the missive then strode to the table. As he took care of the meal, Thalia read the message.

Dear Peter,

I apologize for disturbing you on your honeymoon. However, a situation has risen here. Kat was found on the Ettinsmoor border half-dead. Lucy is safe but we don't have much to go on until Kat recovers. Lucy is bringing the cordial for her. Something's going on here. We need to regroup at the Cair.

Hurry.

Edmund

Lowering the missive, Thalia turned to see the Tigers slipping out of the cabin. Peter didn't meet her eyes as he instructed Skeat to return to the Cair ahead of them. Once the Hawk left, her husband strode without a word into their bedroom. Thalia followed. "Peter. You cannot blame yourself."

He still didn't meet her eyes as he pulled out their packs and his sword. "Something happened on the Seven Isles. I never should have allowed them to return, not after that mess with Circe. Cair Paravel could have served as a neutral meeting place. I should have insisted that they come to Cair Paravel."

Thalia crossed to him, ducking under his arm so she could place her hand over his heart. Meeting his eyes, she touched his cheek with her other hand. "But, that would have been asking too much of the Gentle. Nor was there any reason to suspect more trouble awaited them. Your shoulders are broad and strong, my husband, but even you cannot long bear burdens that were never meant to be yours." She caressed his cheek then flattened her hand against his chest, pressing harder. "You cannot protect everyone from everything but I know you and your brother and the General will make whoever has dared trespass against Narnia's own rue the day they ever conspired to do so."

A hoarse laugh broke free as Peter wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Ed's right. You do know what to say to make me see sense. All right, maybe it's not my fault. But, whoever did this…it will be the last thing they do. We're going to find them."

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A/N: Please Read and Review! Ahem, I hope you enjoyed this slightly lighter chapter (don't let Peter cook for you...ever). Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.