Chapter Six

Caspian's misfortunes were nearly as bad as Lucy's – although if he'd have known of the guard and his intentions, the young king would have been all the more outraged. He was under the mistaken impression that, at the very least, the Tarkaan would keep his soon-to-be-bride safe from his own lecherous guards. At the moment, while his thoughts and concerns certainly lingered with Lucy, he was also concerned about his current situation. "You will unhand the king of Narnia," he growled, still pulling in an attempt to get free. However, he was aware of the uselessness of the action as well, and so though he would not go willingly, he would not waste all of his energy in the struggle when it might be better used elsewhere.

He was hauled down one elaborate hall and then another, trying to remember the directions they took in case a chance to escape the room proved possible. But that, he thought warily, depended highly on whether or not they let him go back to the room. Back to Lucy, who hadn't seemed quite like herself.

Caspian was pushed forward through two tall wooden doors and he fell to his hands and knees upon a plush, blood-red carpet. He attempted to rise but received a knee in the back for his efforts. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool. He was the king of Narnia. He would not be so untowardly treated. Nor would he allow Lucy, one of the Queens of the Golden Age, to be thusly treated.

"Allow me the dignity of standing," he demanded, glancing up to see the Tarkaan sitting rather smugly on a wide, thick cushion by a low table. "I am not your subject, and I will not bow or kneel to you."

"You kneel to me now," the man said offhandedly, lifting a golden goblet encrusted with precious stones to his lips. Caspian scowled.

"By force, and so it means nothing."

"It does my heart good," the Tarkaan continued, as though Caspian had not spoken, "to see the young and wayward king of Narnia on his hands and knees before me. As though to beg me for assistance."

"Ha!" Caspian moved to rise once more and was kicked this time. He was sent sprawling forwards but he, once again, attempted to rise. Again, he was kicked and one of the guards drew his sword but Radidesh snapped his fingers. The men withdrew and Caspian pushed himself up on his hands and then drew himself to his feet, wishing they had left him his sword. He would find them any day. He was smarting from the kicks, but would know show it. He was a king, not a cowering, whimpering man and he would neither fear the Tarkaan and his men nor would he give them the satisfaction of showing pain or fear or weakness. Countries had gone to war for less than this. And, in time, Narnia would declare war on Calormen – he'd already decided that much.

"I apologize for my men," the Tarkaan said, beckoning Caspian towards the table. "They are noble, valour-filled men who did not care for your insolence."

Caspian did not move. "Oh it was I who was insolent, was it? Me, the king of a country, and you the dog of one?"

The Tarkaan motioned for his men to step back – they'd advanced on Caspian but he didn't care. "Mind your words, young king. You're not yet old enough to understand the implications."

"I understand perfectly the implications of what you've done," Caspian said coldly. "If you wish to prevent war, you would send the Lady Lucy and myself back to Narnia this instant with a well stocked convoy. If you do so now, we will put this behind us." Not that he cared to do any such thing, but he knew his options for negotiation were limited at the moment. "Otherwise, there will be a heavy price to pay."

"Will you sit?" The Tarkaan motioned once more to the table, looking impatient.

"I will not," Caspian replied darkly. "I'm quite content to stand."

Radidesh waved his two guards forward and they clasped Caspian's arms, drawing him to the table where they pushed him down onto one of the cushions, directly across from the Tarkaan. Caspian's expression hardened.

"Patience, young king. You ought to learn to cooperate. You pay a visit to my home and yet you meet me with such hostility –"

"Enough with these games," Caspian interrupted, waving his hand over the table. "You delight in frivolities but I have no desire to play. What is your purpose, Tarkaan?"

The man's face reddened a little, and his eyes narrowed. Resting his palms on the edge of the table, he looked a little tense. And more than a little angry. "Allow me to speak plainly with you, king."

"Have I any other choice?"

"No, you do not." The man paused, glanced towards the tapestries on the wall, then the windows overlooking a dry and barren land. "I wish your Lady Lucy for my wife, and I shall have her as I require."

"You shall not."

"We needn't argue, Caspian."

"King Caspian."

"Mere formalities." The Tarkaan lifted his goblet of wine to his lips once more, drinking deeply. Caspian, on the other hand, did not touch anything at the setting put out for him. There was a plate and food on platters all around. A similar goblet sat before him, but he did not trust it. "Now then, young king, this is how things will go. When the preparations are completed, I will marry the Lady Lucy."

Caspian's hands folded into fists, which he held under the table.

"And upon marrying the Lady Lucy, I will send you home to Narnia."

This was unexpected indeed. "Why should you bother to hold me captive then?"

"I will not run the risk of you staging a rescue attempt. You will remain until we are wedded. Surely the noble king Caspian whom I've heard so much of would not steal a man's wife."

"From you? Most certainly. If a Narnian betrothal is not valid on your soil, then a Calormene marriage is not valid in Narnia."

The Tarkaan chuckled. "Perhaps. I had expected as much from you. Which is why I counter with this – any attempt to retrieve her will end in her death."

Surprised, Caspian stared silently at the Tarkaan for a moment, as though trying to process what had just been said. "You'd kill her? To what point?"

"I suspect it'll dissuade you from coming to fetch her."

"Then why would you marry her, if you'd only just kill her?"

The Tarkaan looked disdainfully upon Caspian, as though he'd just asked the most stupid question in the world. "I wish to take her to wife, that is no secret. She's a pretty thing, and will warm my bed well."

Caspian's eyes narrowed. "Watch yourself, Tarkaan or I'll –"

"But I am a proud man, king. I will keep my wife as mine, and you may not have her. I would rather her dead then stolen away by you."

"Then you do not care much for her at all." Obviously.

"Care for her?" The Tarkaan looked incredulous. "To what ends?"

He wasn't going to argue that point. Why should he spend time convincing the Tarkaan of Lucy's many good qualities? Caspian could name a good many of them. "And what should I tell my people when I arrive after mysteriously vanishing, without the Lady Lucy who went missing along with me?"

"What you say to them is hardly my concern. Tell them you valiantly went after her, but she was lost to a wild beast. Tell them you took her out into the forest and ravished her, and then sent her away in shame. Tell them whatever you would like, little king, save for that I have her as my wife."

"Why should I lie for you?" Caspian's fists were tightly clenched.

"If anyone attempts to come for her, she shall die," The Tarkaan reminded him lightly. "Now as you seem to have no interest in dining with me, I shall have you returned to your room."

"And will the Lady still be there?" Caspian asked, feeling the guards at his sides again, their hands on his arm pulling him roughly up and to his feet. "Or have you removed her elsewhere?"

"She'll be there, but most likely will need comfort."

"Comfort?" Caspian's voice rose. "What have you had done to her?"

"The guard set to watch her is not the most noble of men," Radidesh replied. "I overheard his admiration of her. It bothers me none, I dislike innocent bedmates. I'd prefer one with a little... experience. And as you, honourable king, cannot be assumed to educate her, I had to allow someone else the privilege."

In his rage, Caspian tried to free himself but the guards seemed to have been expecting his anger and one gave him a swift blow to the back of his head. Drawing in a sharp breath, Caspian fought to hold onto consciousness. The room was spinning and he could see bright flashes of light dancing around in front of him. "You will pay for this!" He shouted as he was dragged from the room. "Narnia will destroy you!"

"I find that very unlikely," the Tarkaan replied, watching as Caspian was removed. "Very unlikely."

OxOxO

She'd found herself in dangerous spots before while in Narnia. But she'd never felt quite as alone and vulnerable as she did in that moment. Particularly because she hadn't felt like herself since waking up in this room – lightheaded and dizzy, exhausted and shaky. She was afraid, but not petrified – not so afraid that it could explain away the several times she'd flat out fainted. She knew that it was unlike herself and it worried her.

More and more, Lucy was sure that someone had given her something to cause havoc in her body.

Aslan, help me, she pleaded silently, darting under the guard's arms and around to the other side of the room. At the very least, she could feel the strength returning to her limbs, her mind sharpening. Whether it had been calling on Aslan or the effects of whatever they must have given her wearing off, she wasn't sure. But she was appreciative, either way, and watched as he turned to her altogether puzzled.

"What have we here?" He growled, looking down at her. "Someone's mighty quick on her feet."

She felt naked without her dagger and her cordial, both of which were somewhere safely back in Narnia. She had no weapon here, so she would have to be creative. Taking inventory of the contents of the room, at immediate glance she could find nothing that would be particularly helpful to her.

"Stop dancing around," the guard demanded as she once again sidestepped him and ducked under his outstretched arms. The fact that he looked so bewildered at her quick movements only led credence to the suspicion that she'd been drugged. And, apparently, that it had worn off a good deal earlier than anyone had thought. Thank you, Aslan, she thought, attentive to the current situation. And so they spent several moments ducking and darting, he trying to catch her and Lucy just barely getting away each time.

This wouldn't do. She was still tired and sore and there was only so long she could dart this way and that. His confusion would wear off and he would catch her. He was a tall man, fit by the looks of it, and a guard of the Tarkaan's. Which meant, as far as Lucy was concerned, he was probably not above force. "Leave," she demanded, the fleeting hope she'd felt already dissipating. "You have no business with me here."

"I have plenty of business with you, the Tarkaan sent me."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"I'll show you why." He took advantage of her surprise to grab her hand and pull her closer. She tried to jerk it back but he had a tight grip. He backed her against a wall quicker than she could process what was happening and she felt her back make contact. As it did so, he pressed his face against hers and she brought her free had against his head as hard as she could. It wasn't hard enough to cause any damage, but it was hard enough to startle him so that he glanced up in rage. Just as he'd taken advantage of her momentary distraction, so did she take advantage of his.

Her heel ground into his toes, then she brought her knee up and he doubled over in pain.

She heard the door crack open and Caspian stumbled in, obviously shoved. Whoever had pushed him in seemed to be under the mistaken impression that the guard meant to deal with Lucy had already done his job and left. Caspian took one look at Lucy , as though convincing himself that she was alright, and then turned on the guard who was slowly straightening. He glanced at Caspian, surprised, and then at the door where there was no backup for him. Caspian didn't give the man a moment to compose himself before he was hitting him, his fist bearing down on his face. The man howled in anger and pain, his nose bloody and sitting at an off angle as he managed to knock Caspian away with a blow of his own. Caspian stumbled back, his hand to the side of his head.

From all the blows to the head, it was a wonder he didn't have a debilitating headache yet. It would come, he was sure.

"Caspian," Lucy said hoarsely, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he replied, his eyes never leaving the man on the ground. "Get. Out." He said darkly. "And tell your master we will not be toyed with."

The guard's expression was dark when he backed out of the room. It was obvious to both Caspian and Lucy that he would be back and it would not be pleasant. They glanced at each other and then Caspian sighed and pulled Lucy into his arms. "Are you alright?" He asked, "Did anything... happen."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said softly, resting her cheek against his chest. "And you?"

"Fine." Physically, yes. But his mind was full. "Just fine." He couldn't let them tear him away from her again. Who knew what would happen next time? Knowing the Tarkaan and his men, there would probably be a next time in the very near future.


Author's Note: So you've convinced me to continue on. I get so many notifications that people are putting this story on alert, and reviewing, and sending me messages well, I thought I may as well. My writing style has changed some since I stopped writing this story two years ago, however. So I hope you don't mind this chapter. Review if you'd still like me to continue on, please! =)