I think that the good and the great are only separated by the willingness to sacrifice. ~ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia, be it book or movie. I only own Arielle and any deviation from the established plot.

When Winter holds its breath

and Spring begins anew

a Sacrificial death

upon the Table entombed

Last Time:

Arielle smiled up at the great warrior. "Yes. The Pevensies have talent, but they lack proper training. Would you three be willing to teach them?"

Nighthoof looked at Susan, studying the girl from head to toe. Peter and Lucy found themselves undergoing similar scrutiny. Then, one by one, the three teachers nodded their consent. Minutes later, Susan and Lucy had both chosen their secondary weapons - a spatha for Susan, and a Hoplite short sword for Lucy - and the three were ushered away by their various teachers. Arielle rolled the bundle up and walked back to the supply tents, placing the weapons back before heading towards the food tent to see if she could grab a roll - she'd missed lunch and her stomach was loudly voicing its discontent.

Arielle sighed, rubbing tired eyes as she stared at the numbers before her. The reports of her spies had come back earlier that day, and the picture they painted was not a pleasing one.

They'd need to double their army to match the numbers Jadis had, and even if that were to happen, Arielle simply didn't have the resources to arm and armor all of them. They were outmanned and outgunned.

'Enough, Arielle,' She told herself. Now was not the time to begin doubting Aslan. 'Numbers do not win battles,' she recalled Gariv telling her as they poured over the logistics together. She'd been seventeen at the time, and there had been possibilities of an attack from the Calormenes, Narnia's long - time enemy. The Calormene Army and Navy had far outnumbered their own.

She wished Gariv was there, the man knew his way around strategy as if it were a second nature to him, and while he had passed on some of his skill Arielle, her skill would never match up to his.

Nor would many of her other skills. While she could beat him in a staff spar, he easily overpowered and outmaneuvered her using any type of sword or missile. And while he had towered over her at six and a half feet tall, Gariv had exuded a sense of calm and authority that lent comfort to Arielle in times of conflict and stress.

Gariv had been her rock, her foundation. The first person she turned to when she needed one she could count on to always be there for her.

And she hadn't been there for him.

Arielle sighed. 'What would you do Gariv, if you were here?' A yawn escaped her, and she realized that her candle had almost burned out. A small smile twitched her lips. 'You'd tell me to stop worrying and get some sleep.' Without further thought, Arielle set aside the spy reports and gently blew out the remains of the candle. She fell asleep the moment her head hit her pillow.

Clang. Thud. Wham. "Oof!" Arielle groaned as the world spun and her back hit the stones of the small courtyard she and Gariv were sparring in. Thankfully, she hadn't dropped either of her two swords - one of today's lessons. "Ow.."

Gariv cocked an eyebrow, leaning on the metal quarterstaff he'd been wielding with deadly precision. "Not bad, Milady. The block was good, but you were focused on the end of my staff. The twist of my torso would have alerted you to that kick."

Arielle scrunched her nose at her teacher. "That's a load of bull and you know it, Master Gariv."

Her reply - though decidedly childish - was enough to get the elder teen to crack a smile. "Perhaps not." He held out a hand. "Shall we try it again, Milady?"

Grumbles were what he received in terms of a response, but Arielle took his hand as he helped her to her feet. Then, without so much as a warning, she pulled, throwing the taller warrior off balance and swept his feet out from under him. It was Arielle's turn to grin down at her disgruntled opponent. "You assumed I was finished." Gariv blinked before laughing out loud. Indeed, he had forgotten the first lesson he'd taught her!

"Well said." a voice said as deep chuckles joined their laughter, making the two look over to the courtyard entrance. Arielle's face lit up with excitement. "Aslan!" She cried, dropping her weapons in favor of running to give the Great Cat an enthusiastic hug. A moment later though, she pulled away, her hands going to her hips. "You're late! You told me you'd be here at the full moon, and that was a week ago!"

The lion didn't even blink. "I apologize for that, my dear." An amused gleam entered his golden eyes. "If you wish, I could ask Father Time to take us back to the night of the full moon."

"No!" The girl protested, paling underneath her tanned face. King Gale II had held a feast and ball that night in honor of his new Champion - in other words, her. It had been an utter nightmare, what with every male with an ounce of skill sizing her up and every other eligible male asking her for a dance. Dinner had been a test of her diplomatic skills and her emotional control - she had wanted to murder several of the dignitaries by the time the main course arrived.

One would think a representative of a country would not ask stupid questions.

Behind her, Gariv chuckled. "Come now, Milady, t'was not absolutely terrible."

Arielle glared. "Of course it wasn't." She said, sarcasm dripping from her words. "You got to eat in peace and dance with pretty ladies all night with out a care in the world! I on the other hand, had to fend off the wolves until I could think of an appropriate excuse to leave. So pardon me if I don't share your enthusiasm for such events."

"How are things here at the castle?" Aslan asked before their usual bantering could get out of hand. Arielle frowned and pursed her lips.

"On the surface, everything appears to be fine, which is most likely why no one is concerned." She reported. "But with King Gale's failing health, that illusion is bound to disappear soon. Some of the dignitaries have already begun to suspect something's amiss."

Gariv nodded. "The soldiers also wonder if everything is alright. Many were... displeased... with the King's choice of Champion."

"A displeasure that I've no doubt reinforced with my acting the incompetent damsel." Arielle winced. "Just remember that this was your idea, Master Gariv." She added, shooting him a terse look.

"Would it be preferable to you that Lord Delbern know of your true skill?" Gariv countered. The girl made a face. Lord Delbern, a knight from Calormene and probably the most detestable man Arielle had the displeasure of meeting, most certainly knew the king would not be living for much longer. He also knew that with no heir, the throne of Narnia would be free for claim by any Son of Adam or Daughter of Eve, and humans were not exactly a prominent race in the world of Narnia.

That was where Arielle came in. Should Lord Delbern make a claim for the Narnian throne, her task would be to challenge that claim while making it clear that she was not looking to take the throne herself.

Arielle had no issue with that. Being Queen was not something she wanted to do. And besides, how could she rule Narnia? She was just a girl from Boston! But King Gale II had treated her with kindess, and Arielle would do everything she could to protect the man she'd come to view as a grandfather to her.

Aslan nodded, and turned towards the castle. A breeze wandered through the courtyard, and a leaf brushed up against her cheek.

'Milady...' Arielle blinked, raising a hand to touch the spot where the leaf had tickled her. She turned to reply to Gariv, but Gariv was no longer there.

'Milady... Milady... Lady Arielle!" Arielle's eyes flew open, her hand reaching for the dagger hidden under her pillow. As she was about to draw it, she recognized the form of one of the dryad scouts, illuminated by the predawn light, and relaxed her guard. "General Oreius and his party have been sighted. No one is seriously injured, and Oreius is carrying a Son of Adam upon his back."

Arielle smiled before blinking at the dryad's last words. Oreius was carrying Edmund on his back? It was an honor for a Centaur to allow someone to ride upon their backs, and from the way Oreius had accused the young King earlier, it was surprising the General would extend such a courtesy to him.

Still, they'd arrive in camp soon. No doubt Edmund would be utterly exhausted, but Arielle wanted to talk to him before he had to face his siblings and the rest of the camp.

She dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of breeches and boots, and tucking in her white tunic before grabbing her staff and exiting the tent. In the east, the sky began to lighten, indicating the sun would rise in less than an hour, waking the camp with it. The sound of hooves drew her attention to the camp entrance, just as Oreius and his party rode through. And just as the dryad had said, there was Edmund, trying not to fall off of Oreius's back.

"How went it?" Arielle asked the centaur as he turned to help Edmund dismount. The poor boy practically fell off though, his knees buckling as he hit the ground. Arielle reached forward, catching him before he could discover what the grass tasted like.

"About as well as could be hoped, Milady." Oreius replied as he dismissed the rest of the squad for some needed rest. "Their camp had very little protection or guard, and we struck at twilight, before most of the troops could wake. We found the boy in the center of camp, bound and gagged. We incapacitated the single guard - though he seemed to be more of a tormentor than someone supposed to be watching him."

Arielle nodded, and dismissed the centaur, before turning to study the last of the Pevensies. He stood a bit shorter than Peter, with dark hair like Susan, but had the same brown eyes as his youngest sibling. Edmund too, studied her, but unlike Peter's wariness of threats coming from a need to protect his family, Edmund's search also held an air of self preservation to it. She also noticed that Edmund put more effort into determining whether or not he could trust her.

So when she gave him a sincere smile and said, "Welcome to Aslan's Camp, Edmund," she could tell that Edmund realized she didn't intend him any ill will. He relaxed, and gave a half smile in return. "Walk with me." Arielle stated, her tone implying a request. At Edmund's hesitation, she added, "Only to the top of the hill." She indicated the hill where she had spoken with Peter the previous day.

Edmund followed her this time, stumbling a bit as she led him up the gradual side of the hill. When she sat at the edge of the stone overhang, he hesitated again, but sat by her once he saw the distance between Arielle and her staff. "I would ask if you are alright, but that would be a foolish question. You show no physical wounds, though I'm afraid those are not the wounds that hurt the most."

"What would you know?" Edmund snapped.

"You feel guilt for betraying your family, and fear for how they may receive you." Arielle answered softly. "This fear gives birth to the anger and self hate you have, and you wonder how you could have even fallen for Jadis's tricks in the first place. I will tell you this now, Edmund: I will not judge you. Not when so many others have been tricked by Jadis as well."

Again, brown eyes met her hazel as Edmund searched them for any trace of a lie. Then, his shoulders slumped, and the strong defenses he'd built crumbled away to reveal the young boy underneath. "The Witch tempted me, with power and sweets, and when the beaver mentioned the army -"

"You were jealous of Peter." Arielle finished, as Edmund took a breath and nodded reluctantly. "There's no need to be ashamed of that Edmund. It's normal to be jealous - we are only human after all. We make mistakes."

At her last words, Edmund frowned. "Milady -"

"Arielle."

"Huh?"

"Call me Arielle, please. I get enough of the Milady, and Your Majesty stuff from the troops. Besides, unless you start calling your siblings by those titles as well, then it won't exactly be fair, as I'm no older than your brother." Edmund snorted. Like he would ever call Peter 'Your Majesty.'

"Arielle, why does the White Witch hate you?" Arielle frowned in confusion. What had brought up that question? Seeing the look, Edmund added, "She mentioned it back at her castle - that she wouldn't make the same mistake twice in letting you live after what you did."

Arielle sighed. "Now that is a long story."

"So make it short."

The young Queen arched an eyebrow at the boy. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're cheeky?"

This didn't faze Edmund one bit, and he merely smiled. "All the time. Don't change the subject."

"Perceptive too." Arielle muttered. Her fingers drummed out a rhythm on her thigh as her mind travelled 600 years to the past.

Edmund watched as Arielle thought, her hazel eyes unfocused, but contemplative. For someone so hated and feared by the White Witch, Lady Arielle looked quite normal. Though dressed as a man would, Arielle appeared to be no different than his sisters whereas the Witch, despite her human appearance, had something otherworldly about her.

It was the eyes. When Edmund had stared at the Witch in terror, the pools of black had no emotion to them but rage and contempt. Jadis did not care for anyone but herself, only covering that fact to attract followers to her army.

Arielle differed. Despite being a traitor, her hazel eyes held no distrust or contempt. Just the opposite - relief, kindness, and approval when she had noticed him trying to determine her trustworthiness.

Then she'd smiled, a true sincere smile that seemed to bring down the walls surrounding her and for a moment, Edmund saw a new rush of emotions in the lady's eyes. In that moment, she had aged, the dominant green in the eyes of a girl nearing womanhood becoming the aged amber of a woman burdened with the worries and grief of a past Queen.

He could see those eyes now as Arielle struggled to explain what had caused centuries of hatred. "Jadis possessed a mirror." She finally said. "One that could be used to view anyone or anything in Narnia, so long as she knew what she wished to see and there was a reflective surface in the vicinity. On a large enough surface, Jadis could appear and communicate with anyone nearby."

"Unbeknownst to any in the castle, Jadis spied upon the royal family for 400 years, undoubtedly looking for a weakness she could exploit." Here, Arielle smiled wryly. "Unfortunately for her, humans can be notoriously stubborn." Edmund smiled as well, thinking of his siblings and himself.

Then her smile vanished. "In my fourteenth year, three years after I had entered Narnia, King Gale II and I crossed paths on one of his rides through the Lantern Wastes. He brought me back to his castle and named me Lady of the Lantern Wastes."

Edmund gave Arielle a doubtful look. "Just like that?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, there was a but more to it than that, but for it to be a short story the details will have to wait. So, at court I met another human, Sir Gariv, who was a very distant relative to the King and one of his best warriors. He had two years on me, and about thirty centimeters. We became friends and sparring partners. He taught me to wield a blade and staff, and refined my skills with a bow and knife."

"This is where Jadis comes in." Arielle's face darkened. "King Gale II died a few months after my eighteenth birthday with no heir. Having been Champion during his reign, it fell to me to keep the foreigners from seizing the throne until a new King or Queen could be chosen."

"Hold on." Edmund interrupted. "How could someone from a different country take the throne?"

Arielle shrugged. She had never understood either. "Any Son of Adam or Daughter of Eve may claim the Narnian throne in the instance of no heir. This includes humans from other countries such as Archenland or Calmorene - the latter of which has not been on friendly terms with Narnia for centuries. After King Gale's death, everyone thought that Gariv would become the new King, including me. He was smart, strong, knew his way around politics and strategy and had a strong moral sense."

"Aslan surprised everyone when he declared that I would be the next Queen. Shocked the entire court. Everyone knew I didn't want the position, but two weeks later, a golden circlet graced my head. From then on, I was Queen Arielle the Faithful, with a lot of work to do. I had so much work to do, that it often took me away from meals, spars, and other things that I used to spend time with my best friend."

Though her face and tone were carefully neutral, a flash of guilt in Arielle's eyes did not go unnoticed by the dark haired boy. "Gariv began to change, so gradually, that anyone who spent a good amount of time around him - like his soldiers - wouldn't notice a thing. He became more withdrawn, not as cheerful, and more concerned with his appearance. His temper shortened while his tongue sharpened. It took me two years to realize something was seriously wrong. I discovered Jadis had been using her mirror to enchant Gariv."

"How did you break it then?" Edmund frowned. The Witch's magic was powerful. Did Arielle know magic of her own to counter it?

"Cognitive recalibration." Arielle said. Edmund shot her a confused look. "I hit him really hard in the head." She clarified, pointing to the metal ring at the end of her staff. Edmund winced. That would certainly do the job. "When Gariv regained consciousness, his former personality returned, along with a burden of guilt for his unwilling actions."

"That's how you knew." Edmund realized, recalling her earlier analysis of his guilt. Arielle nodded.

"Though only I knew of the enchantment placed on him, Gariv couldn't bear to be around me anymore. He requested to be put on as many patrols as possible and I obliged, hoping it would help." Arielle pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off tears. "He died on one a month later. After the funeral, Jadis appeared to me in my mirror, blaming me for his death. If I hadn't interfered, Gariv may not have died. She claimed she loved him - as much as someone like Jadis can love anything. In response, I broke her magic mirror by putting my fist through it."

Silence fell for a minute while Edmund digested all of this. It explained a lot - Jadis's hatred for Arielle, her anger when Edmund spurned her, and the shattered mirror near her throne. "She hasn't forgiven you." He told Arielle.

The brunette snorted, green returning to her gaze. "I can say the same. Jadis can throw whatever she wants at me. I'll pick it up and throw it back, but I'll die before I let her kill another one of my charges."

The conviction in her voice sent a chill down Edmund's spine, and for a moment, he almost felt bad for the Witch.

Author's Note:

Wow this chapter is long. I would have made it a bit shorter to match the lengths of the other chapters, but I didn't really want to cut the conversation in half. Don't expect the next chapters to be this long either, most will continue to be about 2,000 to 2,500 words long.

I also apologize for the relative lateness of the chapter. Edmund was not cooperating with me, and I still do not think I got his personality down right, so I'll apologize for that as well.

Reviews are always welcome, as are any questions, predictions, or suggestions you may have.

Farewell for now,

~Lassie