A posse of castle staff swarmed the Swans as soon as they landed on the castle lawn. Swanwhite was greeted by her maids and more of the royal army and helped down from Cygnus.
"What happened, my lady? Are you all right?" Genevieve asked with a worried expression.
"I am well now." Swanwhite said with a smile. Soldiers talked to Ethan, William, and Merrick and clapped them on the back while Cygnus and the other Swans turned to go back to their quarters. Genevieve peppered Swanwhite with questions and looked her over while she walked her through the crowd and back up into the castle. She was very grateful for a warm bath and a flowing blue chiffon dress to replace her grimy and damp dress she had worn to Calormen. Genevieve brushed her hair and twisted it into a simple braid down her shoulder, and placed a string of diamonds around her forehead as a crown.
"It must have been so terrifying." Genevieve shuddered as she finished tying off Swanwhite's hair.
"Yes it was." Swanwhite agreed.
"How marvelous that you and those three men were able to overcome the Calormen guards!" The Dryad marveled.
"Indeed." Swanwhite knew the young girl was fascinated and excited about the whole thing, but she looked forward to when the whole thing was forgotten.
"What's going to happen now?" Genevieve asked innocently. A question Swanwhite had asked herself since the moment she leapt onto Cygnus's back. She sighed and rubbed her face.
"I didn't mean to upset you, your highness." Genevieve gasped. "Please forgive me, I-"
"No, Genevieve, I've been asking myself the same question and the honest truth is that I don't know."
"We believe you'll make the right decision, your majesty." Genevieve said sweetly.
"I honestly don't know why you do." Swanwhite said desperately. "I'm not even a queen yet and haven't made any decisions of this volume."
"But we know your heart, and we've watched you grow up." Genevieve came around in front of Swanwhite with her hands folded in front of her. "It's true you may not have dealt with anything like this before, but your kindness and wisdom are evident. Your character is enough for us to believe in you." The Dryad curtsied and left Swanwhite alone in her room. The maid's words were uplifting, but in her heart Swanwhite didn't truly believe them. Shoving the depressing thoughts into oblivion, she set her mind to strategy.
"General Cygnus, Sirs Ethan, William, Merrick, Oliver, and Hyrow; Captain Rufus. I thank you for your support and presence." Swanwhite stood in her private library with her most trusted men that had trained her and prepared her for such a time as this. The library was only accessed by a private staircase behind a disguised door next to Swanwhite's chambers. It was fairly large with a marble floor, shelves on every wall, ladders and staircases to access books, a ceiling painted with a perfectly detailed map of Narnia, and a large desk in the center of the room full of maps and cartography devices.
"Your highness, even though you have not officially been crowned, I pledge my services to you as my queen." Sir Ethan bowed at the waist. Swanwhite managed a grateful smile, even though she felt a weight inside.
"I thank you, Sir Ethan," She nodded her head to him, "but I assure you I am most grateful for your counsel in this matter."
"General, how many days do you think we have before we expect the Tisroc's men upon us?" Sir William asked Cygnus. The great Swan turned his head to the side and pondered for several moments.
"Normally it would take several weeks to reach Narnia from Calormen, but if they come by ship, it could be much quicker. A man with the resources of the Tisroc could be upon us in not much more than a week." He finally answered. Swanwhite swallowed nervously.
"Then there seem to be two options; guess right and meet him halfway, or await his arrival." She said slowly.
"Indeed." Cygnus nodded.
"I say we ride or sail out and catch them by surprise." Merrick pounded his fist on the table in decisiveness.
"If we ride out before they do, we have to travel through the desert and into country they know better." Cygnus said. "If we sail and are wrong, we leave the citadel unguarded."
"But if we wait here then they could catch us by surprise." William put in.
"We have the advantage here." Cygnus argued.
"And we won't be surprised." Swanwhite said shyly. She looked around at the men. "I admit that some blood will be shed no matter which ground we fight on, but I would be grieved all the more if I lose men crossing that desert." She said. Cygnus looked down at her.
"Your heart and words make a valiant point, my lady." He said proudly.
"Nevertheless," Swanwhite continued, "if any of you feel that we stand at a great disadvantage from Chateau Kent, please speak now and I will hear you." she looked around at them all. They stood silent for several moments, one or two of them rubbing their necks and shifting their weight as they pondered her question. Castle Kent was a sturdy fortress, but it wasn't nearly as massive as the Tisroc's palace. The question remained of whether it could hold up to a forceful attack.
"I follow your decision, my lady." Sir Ethan stood up straighter.
"As do I." Cygnus nodded to her and smiled. The other men finally agreed as well and a mixture of pride and fear filled Swanwhite's mind. What if she was wrong?
"Captain, resume your training and double the scouts on the border." Cygnus said to Rufus.
"Right away, General." The Minotaur grunted. The room cleared except for Cygnus and Swanwhite.
"Cygnus, please teach me everything I need to know before Vagdar gets here." She pleaded. Cygnus smiled down at her.
"Yes, your majesty."
YOU ARE READING
The Early Chronicles: The Story of Swanwhite
Fiksi PenggemarThe Chronicles of Narnia is a series beloved by many for its adventure, truths, and characters. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is perhaps the most popular of the series, with the Magician's Nephew as its prequel. But what happened in the hu...
