I enjoyed my ride and, I think, Shema did too. I rode on the forest paths near Cair and along a creek, and stopped occasionally to talk to a few Narnians. The ride lasted about an hour before I returned to the stables. I took the saddle and bridle off Shema and gave her a good rub-down, which took me a good fifteen minutes. After I gave her some oats and water and locked her in her stall, I turned towards the door to find Amesh Tarkaan standing there watching me.
I nodded respectfully to him – which he returned with a respectful nod of his own – and I asked, “Is there anything you require, Amesh Tarkaan?”
He smiled at me. “My heart desires that I come to know the Queen of Narnia, for the previous time I spoke with her, she was the Princess of Narnia.”
I smiled back, and walked up to him. I gestured towards the castle. “Walk with me, then.”
As we started to walk along the path that would take us up to Cair Paravel, I noticed Shream and Famina were following us from a distance. I couldn’t help smiling. “They don’t take their job of protecting me lightly.” Then I said, “Well, Amesh, what do you wish to know about the Queen of Narnia?”
“My heart wishes to know why the Queen has not yet married. A beautiful flower, such as you, does not need to wait around floating in the breeze for many years, waiting to be picked.”
I blushed a little at his compliment. “You would be surprised, Tarkaan. I have been courted many times. However, the suitors who courted me were not worthy of me. All they saw was my rank and beauty. They saw nothing about my personality and my intelligence, and they desired to control me.”
“I understand greatly, your Majesty.”
We walked in silence for a moment before I spoke up with a question that was on my mind. “Tell me, Amesh, why did you wait so long to come visit Narnia?”
“I had no need to go, Queen Swanwhite. I was still governing a Calormen city until recently, when the Tisroc (may he live forever) desired that I be part of his ambassador party to send to Narnia,” he explained.
“Why did he pick you?” I asked curiously.
“He had heard that when you and your father visited Calormen, the three of us made conversation that carried on for a while.”
We walked in silence down a path in one of Cair’s gardens that I had directed us to while we were talking.
Amesh broke the silence when we were halfway across the garden. “I am greatly sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.”
“What happened to King Gabriel and Queen Atarah? I was not told why or how they died – making you Queen.”
We came to one of the benches in the garden, and before I answered his question, I said, “Let us sit down first.”
We sat, and I took a breath before explaining the details. “Mother and Father had gone to the most western edge of Narnia to fight Jadis – do you know of her?”
“Yes. The old tutor told me of her evilness.”
“Well, she sent some of her creatures to try to destroy Narnia’s Tree of Protection so she could enter Narnia and do whatever she wanted to her.
“Mother and Father rode out with the army to stop the advances towards the Tree. The battle was a hard fought one. Father was killed on the last day of the battle, and Mother was badly wounded – she barely made it back to Cair Paravel for me to see her one last time and say ‘I love you’ before she died.”
I had been looking at my hands throughout the explanation, and tears had welled in my eyes. Unexpectedly, Amesh put his deeply tanned hand on my lighter ones. I quickly moved my head so I could look at his face. His eyes were full of sympathy, sadness, and something else that I couldn’t recognize.
“They are in Aslan’s Country now, waiting in great anticipation for you to join them,” Amesh said gently.
I was about to reply when a Hummingbird came flying over, chirping up a storm. I quickly got to my feet and listened intently to his message.
“He wants to know, Mayate?”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
“Alright, dear Bird. Tell the General I shall be there soon.” The male bird took off and headed in the direction of the training grounds. I turned back to the Tarkaan and said, “I’m sorry, Amesh, but I must go.”
“That is perfectly acceptable, O Queen.”
I turned in the direction of my Wolf guards. “Shream! Famina! Armory!”
The Wolves came out from their hiding spot and flanked me. As soon as we were out of earshot of Amesh, my guards decided to speak their minds.
“He’s hunting for you, your Majesty,” Shream commented. I stopped walking and stared at the Wolf with wide eyes. He just smirked. “It was obvious in the way he was acting and talking.”
“Shream!” I scolded.
“You have to admit, your Majesty, he seems like he cares – which is more than the other suitors showed,” Famina shared.
“Famina!”
“What, your Majesty? He’s hunting for you, as Shream said, but he’s trying to hide it from you until he feels it’s appropriate,” she continued.
I sighed. “Can we please drop the subject? Instead, let us go to the training grounds and see what General Kaymen wants,” I said.
“Yes, Queen Swanwhite,” answered Shream.
“Yes, your Majesty.”
“Thank you.”
We arrived at the training grounds a few minutes later. I looked around the courtyard and saw the General at the other end. Quickly, I walked to him, and the Wolves stayed at the archway.
Before I could get halfway across the courtyard, Kaymen said, “Get your sword.”
I did as he said, grabbed Phraymore, and strapped the sword belt around my middle. I then asked, “Is there a reason why you wanted to practice swordplay now, General?”
He smirked. “A sword master needs no reason to test his student. Defend yourself!”
The Centaur came at me with an overhead strike that I blocked and twisted away. I then slashed at his middle, but he blocked me before I could get close. The next move I saw coming was a slash to my feet – which was an awfully mean move because I was still in my dress from court – so I did the only thing that was worthwhile, a backflip. I landed nicely on my feet, and I brought my sword up to block a strike to my neck.
“You are doing well mixing your training,” General Kaymen commented, bringing his sword to slash me from the side.
I blocked, pushed his sword away, and brought mine in to slice his middle. “I wasn’t sure I’d be able to,” I admitted.
We continued to duel for ten minutes straight. While we fought, I swore that I felt the presence of someone else at the archway, but I didn’t dare look for it could’ve been the end of the duel for me. The duel ended in a draw, and Kaymen allowed me to get some water. I sheathed Phraymore and turned to head for the water skin that was off to the side when I noticed that Amesh was standing in the archway by Shream and Famina. I tried to ignore the self-conscious feeling that rose, and got my drink of water.
I came back to the General after I got my drink, expecting another duel, for the General drilled his students until they dropped – I knew this from experience. Surprisingly though, instead of going right into another duel with me, he called Amesh over.
When Amesh reached us, the General asked, “What did you think of the Lady’s fighting, Tarkaan?”
“I thought it was very graceful, yet powerful. I never imagined such fighting,” he answered.
“You have a scimitar,” Kaymen said, nodding towards the curved sword. “Do you fight?”
“I greatly know how to fight. Why do you ask, O General?”
“I think the Lady here needs some practice fighting a human with a different type of weapon than she’s used to. Would you duel with the Lady?”
Are you kidding me?! I thought. This is just like what Dad did to get Amesh to dance with me in Tashbaan! I sighed quietly, for I had an idea of what the answer would be, and I was correct.
“It would be my honor,” Amesh answered. He nodded to me as he drew his scimitar. “My Lady.”
I nodded back, drew Phraymore, and raised my sword in the Narnian salute before getting into my fighter’s stance. We circled each other, and I waited for Amesh to make the first move, for I was taught not to attack, but to defend. He finally made a slash for my middle that I blocked with an upward move and made to strike his neck. Ducking, the Tarkaan went for my knees, so I back-flipped again. The surprised look on his face gave me a chance to make an upward movement to strike at his head. Amesh quickly blocked, got out from underneath the sword and made a move to hit me from behind. I quickly spun around and blocked his scimitar.
After our duel went on for fifteen minutes or so, I decided to take Amesh down. However, I needed the right situation, and it came after a few minutes. Amesh went for my lower legs, I did a back-flip, but I landed in a squat. I fell to the ground and swept my leg as hard as I could to get the Calormen’s feet out from underneath him. Amesh fell, and I quickly got up and pointed my sword at his neck. Amesh raised his hands in surrender, and I took Phraymore away from his throat.
“My Lady duels well. I never believed you would use such a maneuver,” the Tarkaan commented.
“Thank you. I learn from experienced teachers. You are a great fighter yourself,” I said.
“Indeed you are,” the General said. “Good way to end the duel, Lady. I was beginning to wonder if I should stop the two of you.”
I smiled. “Am I dismissed, General?”
He nodded. “You have fought well these past few days. You may take a rest from training tomorrow, but you begin again the day after.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Dismissed.”
I sheathed Phraymore and put her in the armory where she belonged, with my armor and shield. When I came back into the courtyard, Shream and Famina were there to escort Amesh and I to the castle for dinner.
I slept very well that night, and I was glad that the General gave me the morning to sleep in, for I needed it. And when morning came, my thoughts were strangely on the topic of Amesh Tarkaan.