News of my parents’ death and my coronation spread quickly. Just two days after my crowning, the Duke of Galma and the King and Queen of Archenland arrived at Cair Paravel’s gates to give condolences and congratulations, and with desires to go over treaties. Duke Dertim, King Fersim, and Queen Mertinée set an example for all the other countries/islands. Soon I had Dukes from the Seven Isles, the Lone Islands, and the royalty from Terebinthia coming to do the same. That all happened within a month of my coronation. The only country that did not come in that time was Calormen.
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Fairdawn 19, 849
“Your Majesty!”
“What is it, Selmon?” I called the Eagle from atop Shema. I pulled my horse to a stop, signaling the army to halt. I held out my leather-sleeved arm for him to land on.
“An important message from Deanna, My Queen.”
Deanna was a Talking Husky that I met on my first day in Narnia. I had placed her as Regent before I left to remedy the problem Jadis’s brutes caused at Caldron Pool. I trusted her judgment, and I was only going to be gone a few days.
“What is the message, Selmon?”
After a pause, he answered, “A Calormene party has arrived at Cair Paravel.”
My jaw dropped. “What? Did they send any word that they were coming?”
“No, your Majesty. They showed up unexpectedly.”
“How did Deanna treat them?”
“She treated them with respect, which is more than one of the Calormenes gave her.”
“Oh?”
“One of them, Xemphar Tarkaan, rudely asked where you were, and why you weren’t in the castle.”
Sighing, I asked, “Did Deanna explain?”
“She attempted to, but the Tarkaan wouldn’t have it. So she and Famina showed Tarkaan’s Xemphar and Amesh to their rooms.”
I had asked Famina to stay behind in case Deanna needed any help, though it took Shream assuring her that he’d take care of me to convince her to stay. As it turned out, it was a good thing she did. Deanna could look scary for a Husky, but if the Calormenes wouldn’t budge, it would take Famina to get them going.
Amesh. The name sounds familiar to me. “Amesh . . . Amesh . . . Oh! I met him about three years ago in Tashbaan . . . with Dad.”
I turned the information over in my head, and then told Selmon to inform Deanna and Famina that I’d be back by the morning. “That should please the Tarkaan. Fly with Aslan’s protection.”
“Until tomorrow, My Queen,” the Eagle replied. Selmon took off and flew in the direction of Cair.
“What is the word, Queen Swanwhite?” General Kaymen asked me.
“The Calormenes arrived at Cair Paravel and demanded to know where I was,” I answered.
The Centaur glowered. “How typical of them.”
I smirked. “I told Selmon that I’d be back by tomorrow morning.”
“Tomorrow morning. You plan to annoy the Calormenes, your Majesty,” the General stated, not asking.
“Yes, General. We shall camp here at Beruna for the night. Please tell everyone.”
“Yes, Queen Swanwhite.”
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Fairdawn 20, 849
Everyone in camp was awake by six o’clock in the morning. I decided that a short breakfast was in order before we broke camp and headed back to Cair.
“We should arrive at Cair by nine-thirty if we leave soon,” Kaymen informed me after we ate.
“Alright, General. Let’s break camp.”
Within fifteen minutes, camp was broken, and we were off in the direction of Cair. While we rode, I thought about how I was going to handle the Calormenes. They were not patient people, and felt that everything had to be on their terms. Xemphar was proof of that. I then recalled that Selmon only told of Xemphar’s complaints, nothing about Amesh. It got me wondering about why Amesh was here.
Once we arrived at Cair’s gates, I put my plan into action. After I dismounted, I sent word to Deanna that I was back, and that she was relieved of her Regent’s duties. I then asked Famina, who was waiting for us to return, what the Calormens were up to at the present time.
“They are eating breakfast, your Majesty,” the she-Wolf replied after she greeted her mate.
“Is Xemphar Tarkaan still upset that I am not present so he can get the formalities over and done with so he can go home?” I asked with sarcasm dripping from my words. Soldiers close enough to hear me chuckled to themselves.
Famina smirked. “You could say that, My Queen.”
“Well then, he shall wait even longer. I need a bath, a bit of time to myself, lunch, and I need to catch up on what’s been happening these past few days. I shall talk to them after court. Please tell them, Famina, that I shall meet with them in the throne room at three o’clock in the afternoon.”
Both Wolves opened their mouths to form doggie-smiles. “I shall tell them, My Queen.”
I set off to my room, eager for one of the baths Gracia prepares. When I entered my room, Gracia glided out of the washroom and stopped cold when she caught sight of me. My hair was a rat’s nest, I was dirty from head to foot, a bit bloodied, and I had cuts and bruises all over the place. I guess that’s what I get for camping and fighting for a week and a half.
Once she got over her shock, Gracia said, “Your bath is ready, My Lady.”
“Thank you, Gracia. Sorry I’m such a mess.”
“I should’ve expected it. Now get into that tub before you stink up the castle!” she said with a bit of a smile on her face.
I smiled widely in return and did as she said. After the bath, I got into a blue satin dress Gracia had set out for me, and went into my room for her to do my hair. She pulled my hair back into a simple braid, since its wetness made it impossible to do anything else. Gracia next put my jewelry on me, and handed me a gold cloak to wear to keep me from getting cold. Lastly, I put my crown on before I headed for the dining room to eat lunch.
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After court, I asked Shreaam and Famina to escort the Calormens to the throne room. I was hoping that our encounter would be rather brief, but I should’ve known better. When they entered, Amesh and Xemphar Tarkaans were in between the Wolves, and General Kaymen stood by the door. By the good General’s advice, I kept my sword – Phraymore – next to my throne. After they came up to the dais, Shream and Famina took their places on either side of me, and Amesh Tarkaan bowed, but Xemphar stood stock-still.
“Xemphar Tarkaan, why do you not show respect for the Queen of Narnia?” I asked.
“Why am I obliged to show a queen any respect when she was missing from the castle upon my arrival?” he countered.
“Well, I’m sorry, Tarkaan. I suppose that I could have written to Jadis, asking her to postpone her attack on Narnia for another few weeks because I was waiting for the Calormens to arrive,” I replied.
Xemphar glared at me while Amesh stifled a laugh by coughing into his hand.
“Now Tarkaans, please state why you are here,” I said after letting Xemphar wallow in embarrassment for a bit.
Amesh stepped forward. “We are here, O Queen, to express the Tisroc’s (may he live forever) greatest condolences and congratulations. We are most sorry for being terribly late in giving them.”
“Yes . . .” I started. “Why would the Tisroc not come here to express such sentiments for himself? All the other leaders have.”
Xemphar mumbled under his breath.
“What did you say, Xemphar Tarkaan?” I asked, already getting tired of his antics.
He stepped forward and replied, “I said, O Queen, that the Tisroc (may he live forever) did not think you could handle his coming . . . and I do not believe so, either.”
My temper rose, and I heard both Famina and Shream growl softly at the insult. “Your opinion was not requested, Tarkaan,” I said coldly, but it did nothing to phase Xemphar. In fact, it looked like he enjoyed angering me. Amesh, however, seemed nervous about what his fellow Calormene was doing.
Amesh spoke up. “Shall we review the treaty last made between Narnia and Calormen, O Queen?”
I was about to agree when Xemphar cut in. “Why should we, fellow Calormene? We were both there at the negotiations for that treaty, and you know that the Narnian King cheated us.”
That insult hit me hard – my blood started boiling. Shream, Famina, and General Kaymen knew how angry I was, for the Wolves got into a defensive stance with their hackles up, and the General moved closer to the Tarkaans.
I, however, didn’t move from my spot. Instead, I straightened my throne, narrowed my eyes on the Tarkaan, and replied in a chilling voice, “There is a very old saying that the first monarchs of Narnia – King Frank and Queen Helen – might’ve used every so often. ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’”
The Tarkaans gave me a puzzled look, so I continued. “It basically means that when one is in a foreign country, try to behave like the people there and blend in. When this is done, one might receive a better understanding of the people’s culture, behavior, and thinking. Reading about a country or listening to firsthand experiences does not always give a person the full idea of a culture, but visiting gives one a better picture. When I visited Calormen, I attempted to understand your culture for the brief time I was there, and I learned a lot. You, Xemphar Tarkaan, have not shown the least bit of interest in understanding us. Why?”
The Tarkaan continued to glower at me. After a few moments, he answered, “I have no desire to comprehend a country that permits wild beasts to roam free.”
“Then why are you here, Tarkaan?”
“By the will of the Tisroc (may he live forever), I came.”
“Well, the next time you can tell the Tisroc that the Queen of Narnia does not wish to have your presence in her castle ever again,” I said in a firm, aggravated voice. I then turned slightly in my throne to face Amesh. “Amesh Tarkaan, if it does not inconvenience you, you and I shall review the treaty made three years ago on the morrow, again after court is held.”
Bowing, he said, “It does not inconvenience me, O Queen.”
“Then Tarkaans, you are dismissed.” I rose from my throne, nodded to the General, and said, “General Kaymen, please show them out.”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
After the Calormens were out of the throne room, I headed to the stables for my evening ride, flanked by Shream and Famina.
“You handled yourself very well, Queen Swanwhite,” Shream commented.
“You would’ve made King Gabriel and Queen Atarah very proud, your Majesty,” Famina said.
“Thank you, Shream and Famina,” I said as I entered the stables and headed for Shema. “Now it is time to ride and forget for a while that I am Queen.”