In Spite of the Arrow Book #9

Chapter 4 Thornea's Story

The next day, Susan went to the prison to visit Thornea. Trumpkin led her to her cell.
"Have you found out why she tried to kill my sister?" She asked the dwarf.
"Yes," he nodded, "But you'll see the reason soon enough."
He showed her to a cell, where a girl dressed in boy's clothes sat. Her hair was cut short.
"Thornea, you have a visitor," he told her.
The girl turned to face her; Susan gasped; the girl looked exactly like Verity herself.
"What do you want, woman?" She asked showing no respect.
"I just wanted to ask you a few questions," she replied.
"Everyone wants to," she mumbled.
"I'm Queen Susan, Verity's sister," she told her.
The girl had a confused look on her face, "There are so many kings and queens here, I can't keep them straight. High King Peter, I haven't met him yet, King Albert..."
"King Edmund," she corrected.
"He's the one who's your brother," she asked, "Is High King Peter your husband."
"He's my brother as well, the oldest," Susan explained.
"Then there's that Queen V, are there any more. And are you married to Prince Caspian if the other kings are your brothers? That's why you're a Queen," she replied.
"No, we're not married," she shook her head, "Yet..."
"So you're engaged?"
"No, we're not even courting."
"But you want to marry him?"
Susan blushed crimson at the young girl's remark."Well, we're friends."
"So were my Mom and Dad, but they never married," she answered.
"You mean..."
"I never knew my real mother," she sighed, "Died giving birth to me. My father took care of me, but I never knew a mother's love. I always lived in fear for my life, because my father died, killed by my uncle. I was sure he was to kill me, so I killed him."
"You're only 14," Susan said.
"I'm the only one left in my father's family, we kill to survive," she answered.
Susan shivered, "I'm sorry, but do you have another relative."
"Lord Glozelle, he's trying to get me out of prison again," she nodded, "But I hate him."
"Why?"
"He hurt my mother when he heard what happened between her and my father. I'm a mistake in his eyes. He told her to never come back, he disowned his own sister." She tried to hold back tears, "It's my parents' fault, I didn't choose to be a mistake."
Susan was moved by the girl's story. She just wished she could help her.
"Release her; tell the jailer to release her, Trumpkin; Thornea shall have dinner at our table tonight."

Verity didn't get any better or any worse, Peter sat by her anxiously. Giving her water when she asked for some and cooling her feverish forehead with a wet cloth, or just holding her hand.

Susan came into the room after she visited Thornea."Is she better yet?"

"No," he shook his head.

Susan sighed as she sat down beside him, "You wouldn't mind if I released Thornea?"

"Why would you release her?" He asked, "Caspian and Edmund caught her red-handed."

"Until the trial, Peter," she said to him, a pleading look in her eyes, "The poor girl, she never knew her mother."

"So is that an excuse to attempt to murder our sister," Edmund scoffed as he also came into the room.

"Her actions may be wrong, Edmund, but she's a child, too young to be hanged. I invited her for dinner; the girl, Peter, she's a splitting image of our Verity," Susan replied.

"And as sly as a serpent and disrespectful," Edmund added, "Not to mention she uses foul language, Peter, do you really want Ruth and Lucy exposed to such behaviour, and if Verity gets better she might also be influenced to it, worse than the other two."

"That's your opinion, Edmund, and remember when you betrayed us. You are the one who should know more than anyone how she feels," Susan retorted.

"Well, Her crime was worse than mine, and I'm in charge of the trial, as always." Edmund crossed his arms.

"The trial will not be until Verity gets better," Peter answered, "Susan has a point and it should give you some time to think."

Edmund rolled his eyes, before leaving, "I won't show mercy to the brat, I won't!"

Susan looked at her older brother, "If only he knew her story, he'd change his mind. I can't bear seeing that child locked up."

Peter wrapped an arm around her, as she cried on his shoulder. He looked over at Verity, who was asleep finally. He didn't have time to think about Thornea, there was his sister, who was fighting for her life. He had spent hours on the floor praying that his sister would get better, he trusted Aslan she would. With all his heart he knew she would