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𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑶𝑵𝑺𝑬𝑻 𝑶𝑭 𝑾𝑨𝑹
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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐅𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐍𝐕𝐀𝐑𝐃❜𝐒 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐔𝐏 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐋𝐋─𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒 against the darkening sky that swirled with rain clouds. The red stones of the castle walls however swam in the same rich hue of ruby gemstones as the descending darkness made their colour far more contrasting. The drawbridge of the moatless castle was still down, but the fields surrounding the castle were empty as the rain lingered heavily in the air and the farmers had returned to their homes in the castle town to avoid being rained on.

The clickety-clack of the horses' hooves echoed in a hollow manner through the air as Seren, Alexander and Saffira made their way over the wooden drawbridge. The latter two were disguised as knights of the castle and the metal helmets covered all of their face except for a narrow opening for their eyes, and the green tunic with Anvard's red crest fell over their chainmail that rang like small bells with every movement.

Alexander fought the urge to look back over his shoulder at the hidden Narnian army just beyond the treeline in the far distance, since he could almost sense Edmund's and Susan's gaze upon his back as they stepped through the gate at the end of the drawbridge. Instead, Alexander crossed eyes with Saffira but he could see the same concern displayed in her vibrant blue eyes; both hoped they wouldn't be recognised as Narnians or the whole plan would fall apart.

Seren stopped his horse when they reached the guard-tower of the gate and he smiled at the two guards while he patted the horse's neck as well. The guards leaned in a slumped manner against the shafts of their spears and the pointed metal heads glinted dully in the twilight, but the guards straightened their posture when they recognised Seren.

'Master Seren,' one of them said with a growing grin, 'two visits in such a short span of time. To what does Anvard owe this pleasure this time?'

Seren readjusted the reins between his fingers as he lowered his voice a bit. 'I could even hear the rumours of a conflict between Archenland and Narnia in the Great Desert. I'm here to stand by my family.'

The guard huffed. 'If you ask me, those Kings and Queens of Narnia are just making things up to start a war. We would never abduct anyone. You're wise to have returned home, Master Seren.'

Seren inclined his head at the guard and pressed his heels in the horse's belly to make it start walking again, and he let out an inaudible sigh of relief when the guards let Alexander and Saffira pass as well after the supposedly knights gave them a friendly nod.

The citadel at the head of the castle town grew in size as the trio made their way towards it and the windows of all the houses that rose up around them were closed for the nearing rain whereas the fire already started to crackle in the hearths of the shut-off residences.

The cobbled path between the houses led all the way up to the castle and the first droplets of rain splattered onto the grey, black and red tiles of the diamond-shaped courtyard when Seren, Alexander and Saffira dismounted their horses, and three stableboys sprinted towards them.

Seren tossed a copper coin towards each one of them before straightening the black jerkin that fitted over his green shirt and then with a nod of his head to his two companions, they descended the few steps towards the citadel and set course to the throne room.

The highly polished cherry wood of the hallway's flooring seemed almost red as they walked over it and the reddish-brown columns supported the stone structure of the high ceiling. The arched doors that lead towards the throne room stood open but after a quick glance inside it appeared that only King Lune and Silas were present, and Seren greeted the two persons standing guard while Alexander and Saffira slipped inside.

Before the guards could protest, Seren closed the heavy doors behind him with the excuse they had to discuss family matters in private. His heart throbbed in his throat as he turned away from the doors and a droplet of sweat trickled down over the side of his face as he closed the distance between himself and the throne on which the King of Archenland sat.

The diminishing daylight still fell through the huge arched windows that stood in the wall at his right but the throne room swam with shadows since the gigantic chandelier that hung from the ceiling at iron chains wasn't lit yet.

King Lune rose up from his seat, a wide smile decorating his face and he opened his arms in a welcoming gesture as his dark green cloak whirled around his boots and the sound of clattering rain against glass added to the trio's hollow footsteps.

'Seren, what a pleasant surprise.' But the tiny crow-wrinkles of the smile next to Lune's eyes disappeared when Alexander and Saffira removed their helmets and the water nymph's blue hair fell in graceful waves over her back.

Silas stepped closer towards the King's right side, whispering something in his ear but it carried far through the room which had, unfortunately for Silas, a great acoustics.

'Narnians. Be very careful, your Majesty.'

Lune bristled with a held-in fury as he stepped off the platform and Seren almost shrunk under the accusing gaze of the King but he kept walking with Alexander and Saffira on his heels as he drew strength from their presence.

'What is the meaning of this?' Lune asked with a booming voice that caused a shiver to roll down Seren's spine. 'Why did you sneak these Narnians inside?'

A wicked smile cracked through Silas' facade for a split second and a silver hue fell over his eyes before he jumped off the platform to join his King's side. 'It's a coup, your Majesty,' he called out in a sudden realisation. 'They mean to overthrow you, but do not worry, I will stop them.'

Silas reached for the hilt of his sword but he froze in his movements when Seren, Alexander and Saffira all simultaneously dropped to their knees as soon as they reached the King. Silas sputtered something in confusion while a frown appeared on Lune's face and he dragged Silas away from the kneeling trio.

'Your Majesty,' Seren began, shortly looking up to his half-brother, 'we represent the Kings and Queens of Narnia and we offer you their sincerest apologies. Narnia is being played, we do not know by which party but we do know it's not Archenland's doing. We ask for forgiveness.'

'No, no, this is not what was supposed to happen,' Silas mumbled silently, his wide eyes shooting between the King and the kneeling trio.

The gears inside Alexander's mind started to spin as they all caught Silas words and he slowly rose up out of his kneeling position while the King gave Silas a curious look.

'My brainwashed sister kept insisting that Seren should overthrow Lune, but we couldn't figure out why,' Alexander said slowly to Silas as he still had trouble seeing the whole picture.

'We pretended to go along with her suggestion. But you knew of those plans,' Seren said as he climbed back to his feet as well.

'That's suspicious, Silas,' Saffira added while she followed the young men's lead by standing up.

'Silas, what are they talking about?' King Lune asked and Silas let out an inhuman growl, something that sounded like a dragon's roar and shattering glass combined. The painfully loud sound tormented their ears and they took a few fearful steps away from him as the doors swung open and the two guards appeared, alarmed by the unnatural sound.

'I hate this skin, it makes me unable to think,' growled Silas, and all froze like real-life statues as Silas' skin started to bubble, sizzle and boil, and they could only watch on until a creature unlike any they had ever seen before appeared in front of them. The silver scales of its skin rolled like intricate armour with every movement that it made and the creature let out another distorted growl as it rolled with its shoulders and head.

'No matter. I can still kill you myself and make it seem as if the Narnians did it,' the creature said as it jumped towards Lune, and Seren threw himself against his brother to get him out of the way.

Seren cried out in pain when the sharp nails of the creature buried themselves in his side and he gasped for air as the creature forcefully retreated his claw-like hands again, tearing right through flesh and muscle.

Blood streamed out of the deep gashes and it quickly drenched Seren's shirt as it flowed between his trembling fingers that he pressed against his injury. All the colour drained out of his face as he could barely register the panicked screams of the others and he staggered on his feet a few paces until he collapsed onto the floor.

Saffira sprinted towards Seren and dropped on her knees next to him, pressing her hands on the wound as well. 'It's going to be alright,' she said to him while Alexander drew his swords out of the sheaths on his back and charged at the creature. 'Just stay with us.'

Seren nodded faintly, his hands shaking heavily under those of the naiad, but the unknown creature cackled. 'Don't lie to him. I will make sure you will all die.'

Alexander let out a scream as he raised his swords but the unbreakable steel only clattered with a loud metallic ring against the silver scales of the creature, and a painful twinge shot up through Alexander's own arms by the impact that didn't budge.

'What,' he breathed out, his brown eyes wide in shock at the fact that the creature's scaled skin seemed to be as hard as diamonds and he took a few surprised steps backwards.

The creature smirked at Alexander but it didn't pay attention to King Lune who ran to his throne to retrieve his broadsword as the guards near the door opening slowly shook off their horror.

'My only weakness is when I'm mirroring someone,' the creature said before it charged at Alexander at such an unnatural speed that the Guardian of Narnia only had time to bring up his swords in an instinct when he saw the dangerous glint of the claw-like nails. The air got knocked out of Alexander as the flat of his blades bumped against his own chest by the collision of the metal and claws.

With an awful screeching sound, the creature let its nails slide down over the blades and Alexander couldn't believe his eyes when faint lines appeared into the steel under its touch.

'I'm invincible,' the creature hissed but it got caught off guard when Lune stomped towards it, carrying his broadsword between his hands.

'Not even a dragon is invincible,' the King said, swinging down his sword on the creature's back. It didn't slice through its skin that was so much like a dragon's, but the creature lost its balance by the brute force and it took a few shaky steps to regain it again.

'Do you know how you kill a dragon?' King Lune asked no one in particular but the creature's glowing silver eyes widened slightly. 'You pierce it right through its vulnerable skin under its jaw,' the King continued in a dark tone and then he readjusted his grip around his sword. He brought the sharp point up with all his might towards the creature's jaw before it could turn its head away and it let out an awful screech.

The scales under the creature's jaw shattered like breaking glass and a silvery blue blood dripped down over the King's sword, all the way to his knuckles as he forced it even further up. A spasm travelled through the creature's body as the sword buried itself deeper and deeper into its head but then its eyes glazed over as the spark of life vanished out of them like a blown-out candle.

With his jaw clenched in effort, Lune withdrew his sword and the dead creature fell with a heavy thud on the floor.

'Good riddance,' the King said with a nasty look still focussed upon the creature but then he fell into long strides as he hastened his way over to Seren whose breathing was shallow but steady.

Saffira had bandaged his side the best she could with ripped strips of his shirt to try and stop the bleeding but the blood still seeped slowly through it.

'Madoc,' King Lune bellowed at the top of his lungs and the windows seemed to shake in their frames for a moment. 'Go get the court physician,' the King ordered one of his guards after he had taken a few deep breaths, and the guard bowed before running off.

Seren let out a strained groan as he tried to sit up straighter but Saffira pushed him firmly back to the floor. 'It still doesn't make much sense,' Seren managed to say between pained breaths. 'Why Rose wanted the coup to happen, I mean.'

'I don't think we were meant to succeed,' Alexander said as he thought out loud, his gaze fixated upon the dead creature and he kneeled next to Seren. 'Silas, or whatever that was, was meant to idle the coup; to kill all us and blame their King's death on the Narnians.'

'But why? What would it have gained with it?' Saffira's question died on her lips though, when in the far distance Queen Susan's horn blared thrice through the air, and the pieces of the puzzle started to fall together.

'Our army,' Alexander breathed out in understanding, 'we're being ambushed. All of this was to make sure that Archenland wouldn't come to our aid.'

Seren caught Lune's eyes, silently pleading him and the King nodded. 'I will require more answers and explanations if we live to see another day, but Archenland will honour the allegiance. We will answer Queen Susan's call. Sound the bells,' he said with a booming voice.

The second guard in the room quickly set course towards the clock tower and it didn't take long before the deep gong of the gigantic bell rang between the walls of the castle, echoing over the courtyard and town outside as well to summon every guard and knight and to prepare for battle.

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒 doomed up behind the Narnians while the heavy rainfall turned the soil under the three armies into a mud bath. Edmund and Susan crossed eyes in confusion, had Peter sent for help from the Calormene Empire? However, a boulder seemed to fall in their stomach when the cavalry of the Calormene and Telmarine army charged forward with fierce yells and raised weapons. It became quite clear to Edmund and Susan that the Calormene Empire wasn't here to help. They even dared to bet that they never even wanted an allegiance with Narnia; they wanted to overrule them.

'This is an even worse of a ruse than we anticipated,' Susan shouted towards her brother and the strands of hair that had escaped her braid stuck against the side of her face. 'They knew we would be here and now we're greatly outnumbered and in a surrounding that's to our disadvantage.'

'I know, I can think as well,' Edmund commented before he steered his stallion Philip towards the front of their army, and Susan felt obliged to follow his lead. The two horses sped over the muddy soil and the rain had long drenched all clothing and banners, all fabric unable to wave in the wind due to the wet weight.

'The next time we know something's a trap, let's not waltz into it with open eyes. We cannot win this, Ed!'

Edmund shot his sister an annoyed look. 'I will tell Peter that if we get out of here alive. Call for help, perhaps King Lune will come to our aid.' He pulled his horse to a stop and ordered the centaurs, fauns and satyrs to remain calm while the cavalry of the Empire thundered towards them.

Susan reached for her horn and blew it three times with all her might, the sound echoing far over the grounds but she didn't have much hope that King Lune would answer. After all, they had falsely accused him and threatened with a war.

'Defensive formation. Stand your ground,' Edmund yelled, towering above his troops as he stood in the stirrups of his saddle and overlooked the front line. 'Let's show them that Narnians cannot be easily defeated. If anyone has to die on these foreign grounds today, let it be those soldiers of Calormen and Telmar!'

The Narnians roared in agreement, lowering their pikes as they prepared their muscles for the impact and in a chaos of blood, mud, and metal, the armies collided with each other. The clanging of weaponry shot through the rainy air, as well as the eerie screams of dying creatures and humans, and the corpses started to pile up in a messy heap on the muddy soil.

Edmund tried keeping his army in formation the best he could, but the rain crashing down on them made the ground slippery and the water seeped between their hands and weapons, making it ten times more difficult to keep a hold on it. Edmund too felt his sword slipping almost out of his hand more than once, but he still charged forwards when even through the haze of the rainfall, he spotted the King of Telmar; Gaspar; Estrella's father.

With an angry grunt, Edmund planted his leather boot against the oblong shield of the Telmarine when Philip raced past the black horse. The Telmarine King got launched out of his saddle and a metallic clatter shot through the air as King Gaspar's harness collided with the ground, smudging the gold colour with the brown of mud.

Edmund dismounted his horse in one fluent movement and spun the hilt of his sword a few times in his hand, the point of the sword describing a large circle as he took his position opposite from the King of Telmar who scrambled back to his feet.

'Foolish boy,' King Gaspar spat as he threw away his golden helmet that was dented from the fall. 'Admit your army is defeated and we might allow you and your siblings to live out your life in your very own dungeons.'

Edmund squared his shoulders, trying not to look at the fallen Narnians all around him and the seemingly endless resources of the Calormene Empire at the foot of the mountain row. 'A life as a prisoner is no life,' he said before swinging his sword towards King Gaspar who parried it with his own sword.

The King of Telmar retreated his sword before stepping out with his left foot and directing a blow to Edmund's right side, and while Edmund brought up his sword to block it, it had been a feint as well as a dagger suddenly glittered in Gaspar's other hand.

The sharp end bore itself in Edmund's shoulder and he let out a cry in pain as he could feel the steel even scraping past his clavicle. His arm lost its strength to keep his sword lifted and it fell with a muted thud on the ground.

'Edmund!' Susan screamed, still seated atop of her horse and sending arrows to every enemy that had the unfortunate luck of appearing in her eyesight and within her reach. She reached for one of the last arrows in her quiver, nocking it on the bowstring and in a blurred flash, it embedded itself right in between the narrow opening of Gaspar's chest and shoulder plate, and the Telmarine King stumbled backwards as the sword fell out of his hands.

King Gaspar sank on his knees in the mud, gasping heavily for air as the arrow had pierced through one of his lungs and the blood bubbled up in his mouth. 'Dishonourable,' he managed to say when Susan appeared in front of him and slid out of the saddle. 'This was a royal fight between me and Edmund.' He paused for a moment as his breathing made a whizzing sound; the air leaving him as soon as he took a new gasp of oxygen. 'You had no right to interfere.'

Susan flicked her dark and drenched braid over her shoulder before crouching down in front of the dying King and Edmund took a few paces until he stood behind her. 'You lost your right for honourable fights as soon as you ambushed us,' she said, her voice strangely dark in comparison to her skin that was as ivory as angelic statues. She rose back to her feet and followed Edmund's gaze when he tapped on her armoured shoulder.

Behind them, the gates of the Castle Anvard had opened and rows of soldiers streamed out of it.

'Reinforcements,' Susan breathed out in relief, but she cast a curious look at King Gaspar when he let out a chuckle with an awful choking sound, spitting out blood too.

'They're not here to help you,' he said between heavy breaths. 'You just killed their King in a failed coup. They're here to help us.'

Edmund cursed under his breath, fearing what kind of trouble Alexander, Seren and Saffira had run into, but as the army of Archenlanders got closer and closer, he saw they were led by a man dressed in bronze; only the King wore such armour.

'Is that so? Then who's that?' Edmund said with a chuckle, although a flash of pain shot through his shoulder as he did so. Behind them however, King Gaspar had breathed out for the last time and he fell ungracefully backwards in the mud.

The soldiers of Archenland cleaved through those of the Calormene Empire like a scythe, coming to the aid of the Narnians and hope spread over the lands like the rainfall coming from above. The tides turned in favour of the Narnians and the few remaining of the opposition retreated from the battlefield like dogs with their tails between their legs.

Little did the Narnians know though, that even though this battle was won, there was a last one waiting for them at Cair Paravel. . .

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