The King Without The Angel

Taking Blame (4)

Adelaides POV

I lay on the floor. I had no idea how long it had been since Trumpkin was taken, but he hadn't returned. Two guards entered the dungeon, holding an old man. They put him in Trumpkin's cell. He looked over at me. I forced myself to sit up and look at him also. The pain was excruciating but I willed myself to stay sat upright. After the soldiers had left, the man spoke up.

"I am the professor. I hear you are High Queen Adelaide." The professor spoke. I nodded, not trusting my voice. The professor looked at me in awe as his eyes ran over my wings.

"What do you know of Trumpkin, the dwarf?" I asked, my voice croaking and hoarse from my many screams.

"I suspect he was taken to be drowned, but the Kings and Queens of old saved him. Lord Miraz had one of Queen Susan's arrows and was asking about her horn. I knew the stories were true. I am guessing High King Peter is searching for you?" The professor explained. I nodded at his last statement. I knew he would be looking for me. If Trumpkin was with them, he passed on my message. That meant Peter was coming to rescue me, knowing him he was coming with an army.

We didn't speak for some time. By then it was nightfall. Every time I let my eyes close I saw Peter's worried face looking at me, then the image would change to the eyes of the white witch as she plunged her sword into me, after the face would merge into the face of Miraz as he pressed iron to my skin, or lightly, slowly cut my flesh with iron daggers. Every time resulted in me jolting awake. Once I had awoken for the fifth time I decided to stay awake. I had been awake for only a few minutes when two soldiers entered again. They dragged me up and out of the cell, awaking the sleeping professor who looked at me in distress. I was dragged into the same room as before and thrust onto the table again.

Miraz entered once I was tied up.

"One of my men was killed with an arrow that had red flights and a golden coloured head. Do you know anything about that?" Miraz asked. I refused to answer him, looking straight up at the ceiling.

"Are the Kings and Queens of old here? Are the legends true!?" Miraz shouted. Still I refused to answer. I was picking out every flaw in the roof above me. All the cracks seemed to be arranged in the right place to create pictures, only the pictures were too distorted to understand what they depicted. I stared at the cracks, thinking how Narnia had crumbled when we left, as Miraz fired questions at me.

"What about Peter? Is the king really as Magnificent as you are Pure?" Miraz asked sarcastically. This question had caused my head to whip to where he was standing.

"Peter is more a king than you could hope to be. He is a better leader and more Magnificent than you could ever dream of being. You are a vindictive ruler who won't be remembered for anything!" I shouted at him. No person, creature or god insulted or spoke about my husband in that manner or tone. Miraz came closer to my ear and whispered something very quietly.

"I will be remembered for being the King that not only that vanquished the Narnians once and for all, but for being the King that killed both the High Queen and the great High King of Narnia." He hissed. I struggled around in the grip the ropes had, ignoring the burning sensation that was created by the rubbing of the ropes onto my skin.

The sound of a dagger being picked up filled the room. The footsteps of a boot onto stone crept closer. But the piercing scream that tore through the castle belonged to me. Miraz mercilessly dragged the dagger down my hip, cutting the skirt in the process. The torture went on for ages. Before he finished with me, he got out his own sword. The tyrannical ruler then ran the blade from the left side of my forehead, down to my left cheek and ended at the left side of the jaw. My scream was loud but what came after was worse. He pushed his blood-covered blade onto my open wound. The burning sensation ran through my body. I could feel the pain in my legs as he pressed my cheek harder. One thing I was sure of was that it would now be scarred.

Peter POV

"Are you sure you know where we are going?" Lucy asked me.

"That's the problem with girls, can't keep a map in your heads." I answered. We were walking around rock structures. Yes, I had never seen the rocks before, but No, I wasn't lost. We needed to reach Prince Caspian fast, that way he could help us save Addy, my Addy.

"That's because our heads have something in them." Lucy said back. I smiled at her.

"I wish he would just listen to the D.L.F." Susan said to Lucy as I lead the way. How can they have time to come up with childish names when Adelaide is being hurt?

"D.L.F?" Edmund questioned them.

"Dear Little Friend." Lucy explained. Her and Susan smiling at the name. I came to a rock opening with two possible paths.

"I'm not lost." I said softly. I knew Adelaide would know what to do. She would fly up and see where to go. This was the most we had ever been separated.

"No, you're just going the wrong way." Trumpkin, who had told us his name when we set off, stated. I turned around and looked at the dwarf with annoyance and anger. Did he not understand who I was?

"You last saw Caspian in the Shuddering Woods and the fastest way there is to cross at the River Rush." I explained.

"But unless I'm mistaken, there's no crossing in these parts." Trumpkin commented with added frustration.

"That explains it then, you're mistaken." I snapped and continued on the path I was headed.

"Don't take it personally, he just misses Adelaide more than he cares to admit." Susan apologised to the dwarf. At the mention of her name I had cringed slightly. If I hadn't been that way with her at the train station then she would be here because I would have held her hand to stop her from vanishing. It's my fault she is in that place.