The Guardians of Narnia: Daughter of the Peace

Chapter 2 - A Night To Remember

The halls were crowded by the time they got back to the castle. Servants were running about quickly trying to finish the preparations for the feast that evening. She envied the Prince. Crowds parted for him but they would immediately swarm again causing her to shove through the mass of workers. Luckily, Caspian looked back at the right time and laughed at her as he grabbed her outstretched hand, pulling her through. Once she was by his side, once more, she tried to drop his hand but he held on tighter. She looked up at him, finding he was also looking at her with a slight smile on his face. Fixing her eyes on the path ahead of them, she fought with the blush that was creeping its way up her neck. Finally, they entered his bedchambers, where he dropped her hand. She barely had her foot in the door before a female servant clamped her hand around her upper arm and dragged her to the bathroom.

Five older women were waiting for her in the bathroom and her eyes widened as she realized what was about to occur. Cries of protest escaped her lips as they began their torture. The door to the room had barely closed behind her and the woman attacked her, undoing the strings of her dress and pulling it off her body. Movement ceased in the room with the sounding of five very loud gasps. They were all staring at her exposed body. Scars and black marks littered her mocha colored skin barely leaving a spot unblemished. Her anger began to build up in her chest and she fought back her tears. 'This is why you hide yourself. Your body is ugly, sister.'  The voice echoed in her mind and she took a couple of deep breaths so she would not give away her cover. 'You are pushing my limits, Kas.'  She replied clenching her fists at her sides. 'It is my job sweet Dris.' The voice then receded from her mind and she opened her eyes.

"What?" She snapped at the staring women. A couple of them looked like they wanted to say something to her but they held their tongues and helped her into the bath. She accepted a cloth from one of them and quickly but thoroughly scrubbed her body clean. When she was finished, she was forced to sit there as the oldest in appearance within the room began to wash her hair. Surprisingly the woman was gentle with her scalp. Her eyes drifted shut and she felt herself relax in the cooling water.

"Leave us." Her ears twitched as the other servants evacuated the steamy bathroom. As soon as they were gone, she allowed her tears to fall. The woman did not say anything to her, just kept massaging her scalp in a calming manner. Her hand flew to her mouth covering it to keep her loud sobs from breaching her lips and echo off the stone walls. After a while, her tears stopped coming and turned to sniffling. "I need you to dunk your head, dear." She did as she was told allowing her to scrub her face free of the tears that had stained her cheeks. A small tug signaled her to bring her head back up and she came up gasping. That had taken longer than she had expected. The woman retrieved a towel from the stand and held it up for her as she stood up. Grateful she seized the towel and wrapped it around her wet skin. Holding it above her knees to keep it from touching the surface of the water, she accepted the woman's hand and climbed out. "Are you alright, dear?" Drisana was a little surprised by the gentleness in the woman's voice. Looking up, the woman's eyes seemed to see right through her.

"Can you see me?" She asked, her voice coming out hoarse and dry. Her eyes widened shocked with herself for allowing those words to fall from her lips. She cleared her throat and looked elsewhere as she waited for a reply.

"I have for many years. Though I may be Telmarine, Narnian magic is like glass to me." Her eyes widened in amazement. In all her years, she had never some across a Telmarine with the sight. "Do not worry you secret is safe with me; has been since I first saw you."

"Thank you." She smiled gratefully at the woman and turned around at the spinning gesture she was given. Hands appeared on her shoulders and steered her over to a stool that was sitting behind the screen. Once she was sitting down a towel flopped over her head. As soon as she opened her mouth to question why the towel was there, her head was shook vigorously. 'I hate towel drying.'  She scoffed to herself as she relaxed her neck so she did not get any kinks from the constant movement. The towel was removed promptly after finishing, replaced with a comb.