When Emeth was returned to his room later that evening (which had required a decent amount of effort, with Prince Corin standing on fairly tall stool and then boosting Emeth up so he could grab onto the window and climb in) he felt somewhat relieved. Not completely, because murder was still being plotted and Emeth very much knew his life was still in danger, but he had managed to warn the northerners. He had done all he could do, and he sent a quick prayer of thanksgiving up to Tash and the unnamed northern gods.

Without much else to do, he decided to lie down, and soon fell into an exhausted slumber.

The next day passed extremely slowly, what with Emeth not having anything to eat, and with reading being the only thing he could do to take his mind off of his panic. His mind was filled with possible scenarios, and even a volume of poetry he'd always enjoyed did nothing to ease his mind.

Finally, for better or worse, his door opened and Emeth found himself looking at the sour face of Ilsometh Tarkaan, who took hold of Emeth's shoulder in an iron grip.

"Now, don't forget what we discussed, Emeth Tarkaan," Ilsometh whispered harshly. "A single word from you, even a misplaced glance, and you'll find yourself wishing you'd never been born…"

His voice trailed off and then they walked down to the banquet hall in silence.

OoOoOoO

"Are we quite certain this will work?" Lucy whispered to Edmund as he escorted her into the hall. She smiled brightly at everyone, pretending that nothing was amiss. "And why didn't we just tell them not to serve the boar?"

"Two reasons," Edmund replied. "One, I don't want to give us away at all, and two, it means that they won't act in a way we won't expect. At least until after no one eats the poisoned boar."

"Yes, about that; we've made sure no one is ignorant of the poison, right Ed?"

"As far as I am aware, Lu. Now just keep smiling; the ambassador is looking at us."

Lucy smiled more brightly, though her eyes remained calculating. Edmund led her to a seat near the head of the table, and then Lucy found her other side occupied by Ashri Tarkaan.

"You look lovely this evening, o my queen," Ashri Tarkaan said quietly in his gruff voice. Edmund did not miss the blush of pleasure his sister colored with and he fought to maintain his composure even though he wanted to snort out a laugh. Though he personally thought that Lucy had odd taste in men, he had also learned long ago that if Lucy thought they were worth her time, generally speaking they were.

OoOoOoO

Meanwhile, Emeth found himself stuck between Ambassador Rishtan and Ilsometh Tarkaan, the latter looking like he would have liked nothing better than to gut Emeth with one of the table knives. Throughout the hall Emeth could see people laughing and talking, all the picture of merry-makers, but he also could sense an undercurrent of readiness, with Narnians and Archens alike looking about the room with steel in their eyes.

And all he could do was pray that things would work out.

The last to enter the room were Prince Cor and Princess Aravis, who were walking arm in arm. The prince blushed when everyone in the hall rose to their feet and cheered, while Aravis simply straightened a bit more, her walk taking on something of a haughty air. The prince led his wife to their seats at the head of the table, to the right of King Lune, and then the king himself stood.

"Honored guests, from Narnia to the north and Calormen to the south, I thank you for your presence on this, the anniversary of my eldest son's marriage to as fine a lady as I have ever known. Later, when food has been eaten and wine drunk, we will hear tales of years past, but for now, we feast!"

At that, servants began bringing out dishes upon dishes of food. Lastly, two servants entered the room, carrying the boar on a plank between them. Ilsometh's dagger point dug into Emeth's thigh, though not hard enough to draw blood, and Emeth had to suppress a yelp.

"Remember our agreement, young lord," Ilsometh whispered.

And then they all began to eat. Despite how hungry he was (having not eaten since early the previous day) Emeth couldn't bear the thought of eating anything much heavier than bread and some vegetables, although at Rishtan's dark look he made himself stomach some of the mutton stew. Emeth could see the suspicious way most of the Calormene party was watching the room, and at how the boar had remained untouched. The reality of where Emeth was currently trapped grew heavier and he glanced at the head table, and saw that Aravis was looking back at him. He inhaled a sharp breath, and that was when it all went up in flames.

OoOoOoO

Lucy swore loudly (and in such a fashion that everyone looked at her, shocked) and stood up, brandishing two of the daggers she always kept on her person in the instant following Ilsometh Tarkaan's seizure of Emeth. Edmund and Ashri followed her, and then the rest of the Calormenes also stood and readied themselves for a fight, until dinner was completely forgotten and everyone was ready to battle it out right there in the great hall.

Emeth was looking quite panicked, particularly after Ilsometh pressed his long, wickedly curved dagger against his throat.

"Now see here, Ambassador," King Lune said with forced levity. "Was there a need for such violence during what ought to have been a happy time between our two countries? If Ilsometh Tarkaan will release the young Emeth Tarkaan, there will be no need for blood to be shed this night. You will be treated fairly, as was done to Rabadash Tisroc when he stood before us all those years ago."

"For the dishonor done to Calormen, my countrymen and I curse you, Barbarian King!" Rishtan said, eyes wild. "This was to be victory for Calormen, and by the will of Tash it still shall be! To arms, lords of Calormen! To arms!"

"For Aslan!" Edmund and Cor yelled simultaneously, and then the battle began.

Thanks to Emeth's warning, all had come as prepared as they could, though much of the fighting was reduced to what could be done with a knife or short sword. While Lucy was fending off a Calormene armed with only her daggers, she spared a moment to wish she could have had her bow with her, though it was not best for close quarters. Still, daggers had always been something of her specialty, and she managed to incapacitate her foe relatively quickly.

It was a pathetically short fight, all around. The Calormenes were badly outnumbered, and although the Archen and Narnian fighters did their best only to incapacitate, here and there were a few bodies in Calormene garb. And then Lucy saw Ilsometh Tarkaan bodily dragging Emeth towards the door.

OoOoOoO

"No, no!" Ilsometh shouted next to Emeth's ear. The battle (if it could be called such) had more or less ended and everyone's attention was on him. "This was to be a victory for Tash and for Calormen! I will have my blood!" He raised his dagger, prepared to drive it into Emeth's chest. Emeth had a moment where his life flashed before his eyes, and at the end his only real wish was that he could have actually spoken to Aravis as his sister.

But then a knife did not enter his chest. Instead, he heard a gurgle from behind him and then the tight hold Ilsometh had on him lessened, and Emeth was free. He turned quickly and saw that Queen Lucy had stabbed the tarkaan in the heart and was holding him against her body. He shuddered, eyes wide, and then he slumped a final time. Queen Lucy gently let him fall to the ground, mindful of everyone's eyes on her.

"Are you alright, Emeth?" she asked. Unable to speak, Emeth just nodded. "My apologies for the violence done in your hall tonight, King Lune. It is never my wish to shed anyone's blood."

"Of course not, Queen Lucy," King Lune said graciously. Well, as graciously as one can manage when one is holding back one's youngest son in order to stop him from fighting anyone in sight. "Friends, I thank you for your valiant defense of all our royal persons and Anvard herself. For now, those surviving Calormenes will be removed to their rooms, under guard. With some exceptions, of course," King Lune said, tilting his head graciously towards Ashri, Emeth, and two others who had fought with the northerners (for whatever their reasons were).

What followed was the unpleasant task of escorting the defeated and humiliated Calormenes to their rooms, and the removal of bodies from the great hall. King Lune ordered the scattered remains of the feast thrown away, and dessert was brought out once the blood had been cleaned away. Queen Lucy left for a moment in order to clean her hands and compose herself, and when she returned everyone studiously ignored the redness around her eyes. King Edmund wordlessly passed her a chocolate dessert, and Lucy engaged Ashri in conversation while Corin had pulled Emeth to sit next to him, so that Emeth found himself rather prominently placed in the great hall.

"Now, despite the unpleasantness of this evening, there is one greater task to be done. We have among us a hero, who bravely went against the treachery of his countrymen and came to the defense of many a noble person and northerner," King Lune said. "Emeth Tarkaan, stand before me if you will."

Emeth blinked and didn't move until Corin yelled at him to get on with it already, which lightened the mood in the room a bit.

"Emeth Tarkaan, you have proven yourself truly gracious in spirit, and demonstrate that bravery which we much value. Is there anyone here who would speak to this?"

"If it pleases your Majesty," a soft voice cut in. "I would."

Everyone turned and saw that Aravis had risen and was walking over to them.

"Though it has been many years since last I stood there, I can see the face and the nature of Kidrash Tarkaan in his son, Emeth Tarkaan. And in him I also see my own blood, for this man is my brother. And I believe his behavior has been most admirable."