narnia au;

[illuminescent]

how did you get here? through a wardrobe, or through death, or maybe a portal gone terribly astray. a ring. the roar of a lion. in the bottom of a cup. because you were looking for something, or missing something. no matter how you got there, this is where you belong.

Comments

[curlytop]

Everyone in the prince's party is worried the barbarian queen and her barbarian siblings will ensorcel [he holds up a hand and wiggles his fingers] the lot of them into talking bears.

[He rolls up the legs of his canvas breeches and steps out far enough for the waves to splash up to his knees.]

[illuminescent]

They should be so lucky to be talking bears.

[She laughs, though, at the thought of them being afraid of being turned into something like talking bears.]

You are not worried we will turn you into a speaking animal?

[curlytop]

Of course not. I'm a barbarian myself.

[A brief flash of his teeth, white in the moonlight, before his face settles back into passivity.]

And I know a bit about ensorcel...ment?

Magic.

[illuminescent]

[He's smiling. She loves it.]

I should say you're a Narnian, and we have every right to keep you.

[She turns a circle in the water.]

What do you know of magic?

[curlytop]

[George digs his toes into the sand as he watches her.]

In my home, at my school, one of my teachers was a warlock.

[What he wouldn't give to see Ms. Loss right now and have her portal him home.]

[illuminescent]

A warlock?

[Her eyebrows go up, and she starts to step out of the ocean.]

Can you use magic yourself?

[curlytop]

Oh no, not myself.

[He holds up his hands, taking a step back, in case she's had bad experiences with warlocks.]

She taught us history.

[illuminescent]

[She shakes her head.]

How fortunate for you.

George-

[She hears someone say her name, and she looks up and sees a party of Narnians coming down the beach; Edmund, Susan, and Radabash are all there as well. She comes out of the water, and looks puzzled, as Edmund comes close. Are you mad? he asks, and Lucy starts a fight, tight and close to Edmund, about how she was fine, of course she was. Susan is pulling in, and Lucy is being scolded now, as though she's a child, and she is not.

We do not know him, Susan says, and Lucy argues that she is fine, and she can feel herself losing George's attention, she can sense his fear, and she hates it as they go back.

Suddenly she is terribly afraid for him.

The party ends with everyone coming back up to the castle, with the last dances early in the morning, with Edmund practically sitting on top of Lucy to make sure she behaves, and Lucy distracted and unhappy about the entire affair.

It is after, after her maid helps her out of the dress and after everyone is asleep, Lucy goes to try and find where George might be, a minotaur with her. He's there outside of Radabash's apartments.]

George-

[She looks up at the minotaur.]

You can stay here while we speak?

[The minotaur nods, agreeable enough.] His ears are swiveling in case someone comes by.]

[curlytop]

[George could kick himself for getting so caught up in the moment, in how easy it was just to talk to Lucy, to smile and joke. By the time he sees the party coming, the damage is done. He races for his boots, pulling them on and yanking the legs of his breeches down.

Rabadash is livid, George can see, but the prince doesn't dare beat any of his retinue here in the palace. He's courting Queen Susan the Gentle, so there can be no obvious violence here. Threats are made, of course, and George worries for whomever it is Rabadash decides to take it out on once they're back in Calormen, but he has no worse than a few bruises, tucked away under his leather breastplate where they will not be noticed.

The threat is castration, the same as it was the first time George had smiled at a girl in Tashbaan. George is far more valuable in tact, no one takes a eunuch warrior seriously, but if he destroys his value by filling the young queen's pot with his slave's seed then Rabadash will have no choice.

George has never figured out what he's supposed to do when royalty asks him to accompany them alone. He's not allowed to say no, but he's punished for saying yes.

When Lucy finds him, his face his schooled back into its fierce expression, and he holds his arms crossed over his chest.]

My master would prefer it if I did not speak to you, your majesty.

[illuminescent]

Your master is ten kinds of fool.

[Lucy is scowling now. She couldn’t say exactly why this matters so much to her, except that it does. This serious young man deserves more than his lot. And Lucy is young, but she has the power to change it.

The minotaur snorts in agreement.]

He thinks to endear himself to my sister by feigning protection of my virtue. He mistakes me for someone who is overly concerned with reputation.

But no matter.

Do you wish to be free?

[curlytop]

[George snorts right along with the minotaur.

He looks Lucy over seriously, taking in her size, her determination, remembering her laughing in the ocean. The question isn't really whether he wants to be free. Every slave in Calormen wishes to be free. The question is whether he thinks Lucy can give him that freedom.

He nods.]

I do, but I would swear myself into your service if you asked it of me.

[illuminescent]

I would ask that of you if you give it freely. I would value your loyalty beyond measure.

[She nods too.]

I think I know a way. To free you from your master without you running away. An escaped slave is always welcome in Narnia, but I should have you freed without fear of pursuit.

Will you trust me?

[She looks so earnest.]

[curlytop]

[She reminds him so much of the girls at the Academy: fierce and brave and determined. Someone he'd follow to battle.]

I will. I do. I trust you.

[illuminescent]

Yes. Good.

[She nods up at the minotaur.]

This is Longtusk, and he is my personal guard. Any time we are alone, he will be with us, so no one can accuse you of impropriety.

[She doesn't care about reputation, but after everything, Edmund reminded her that she has power and George has none.]

[curlytop]

[George relaxes slightly, though the creatures of Narnia remind him a little too much of faeries. If the Calormenes are afraid of them, George is inclined to like them.]

Thank you. That will make things much easier.

[He's seen much worse punishments, but George's back aches all the same.]

[illuminescent]

[She takes a step closer, and Longtusk's ears swivel, but no notion that someone is coming.]

Did he hurt you?

[She looks concerned, deeply.]

[curlytop]

Not badly.

[He'd rather take the punishment himself than see it inflicted on someone else.]

Your sister is a good influence on him. At least here in her palace.

[illuminescent]

And yet I will still not be glad for them if she chooses to marry him.

[She leans against the wall next to him.]

Does the prince like to gamble?

[curlytop]

[George doesn't say what he thinks in this moment because that, like smiling, has been trained out of him.]

He does. Are you trying to win me off him in a game of cards?

[illuminescent]

Cards is hardly my game.

At a horse race.

[The Calormen are famous for their horses, swift and almost impossible to beat at any kind of race.]

[curlytop]

[George straightens, frowning.]

Your majesty...the prince has never been beaten in a horse race.

[He looks her over more closely now, scanning her as he would a potential enemy. Physical strength, mental acuity, resourcefulness.

In many ways, he's become a better Shadowhunter under Rabadash.]

What do you intend to bet with?

[illuminescent]

Not yet. But he will be.

[Lucy is smaller than he is, and light, tiny and fearless.]

I have not decided. What do I possibly possess that he may want?

[curlytop]

[He's like a proper jockey, which gives her an edge, but Calormen horses are the finest George has ever seen.]

Your sister. Your kingdom.

He doesn't need gold or jewels or any of that, and now it's a matter of pride for him.

[He considers this a moment, his gaze darting to Longtusk and back to Lucy, his voice flat.]

He'd take your guard.

[illuminescent]

I do not possess my sister, and my kingdom is far away from anything I could give.

[She thinks, and looks at Longtusk a moment.]

He has a minotaur of his own. And I will not trade people.

[She considers for a long moment.]

Half my cordial.

[curlytop]

[George had not expected that Lucy would put up her guard, but he was being practical. Rabadash would love to have a minotaur for a personal guard. Even better than a barbarian.]

Your cordial?

[He's thinking of the juice his gran makes from blackberries, and he can't imagine Rabadash wanting that, so Lucy must mean something else.]