Whisked Away

58. The Queen of the Underworld

Zyanister's POV
I shared an anxious look with Shifra, Rilian, and Zyan, but we turned towards the door, hands on our sword hilts. Two earthmen entered, but instead of attacking us as we anticipated, they stood as if standing guard by the door. Behind them, the last person any of us wanted to see: the Witch, the Lady of the Green Kirtle, the Queen of Underland. She assessed the situation, her eyes resting over the silver chair and beginning to rest over Rilian.

Stepping in front of him, I blocked him from her view. Her lip curled as she saw my movement. Then her eyes rested on Shifra. "Leave us," she commanded softly, "and let none disturb us till I call, on pain of death." The earthmen were then gone and we were left with the witch.
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Shifra's POV
The lady before us was certainly the one from the bridge, but her expression held carefully covered cunning. She glared at me before ordering the earthmen away. "How now, my lord prince," she started, casting her gaze at the partially concealed Rilian, "Has your nightly fit not yet come upon you, or is it over so soon? Why stand you here unbound? Who are these aliens? And is it they who has destroyed the chair which was your only safety?"

I could see Rilian shiver at her voice, but with great effort, he replied, more virtuously than any I'd expect after ten years enchantment, "Madam, there will be no more need of that chair. And you, who have told me a hundred times how deeply you pitied me for the sorcerers by which I was bound, will doubtless hear with joy that they are now ended for ever. There was, it seems, some small error in your Ladyship's way of treating them. These, my true friends, have delivered me. I am now in my right mind, and there are two things I will say to you. First-as for your Ladyship's design of putting me at the head of an army of earthmen so that I may break out into the Overworld and there, by main force, make myself king over some nation that never did me wrong-murdering their natural lords and holding their throne as a bloody tyrant-now that I know myself, I do utterly abhor and renounce it as plain villainy. I am the King's son of Narnia, Rilian, the only child of Caspian, Tenth of that name, whom some call Caspian the Seafarer. Therefore, Madam, it is my purpose as it is my duty, to depart suddenly and return to my father and my home."

I watched the witch carefully as she made no reply, simply moving over to the fireplace. When she reached an ark, she suddenly snapped her fingers. I looked around and everything was frozen apart from the witch and myself. "It is nice you see you again," the witch trilled. "I'd honestly forgotten just who you are to me."

"You mean your enemy?" I asked coldly, "Couldn't have said that in front of the others I suppose, could you?"

"Oh I could have, if that was all it was," the witch replied. Walking up to me, she placed her hand to cup my cheek. I tensed at the touch, but did not move. "Coriakin would be so dreadful disappointed in me, but our father always was a foolish man." She pulled away, allowing me to breathe and fully process what she had said.

"Our father?" I asked, tone cold and unbelieving.

"Oh yes, we're twins you see. Mother died giving birth to us, but father could sense the power in me, so he sent me back to his old land. You he sent to that weird world, but it's no matter. That is not what I came here to speak to you about. I want you to join me," she enticed.

"Doing what?" I asked, resentment lacing my tone, "Killing Rilian?"

"Oh no," she disagreed, "I wish not to kill him. I need him. He is the rightful heir to Narnia. I can use him to make a kingdom of my own."

"Oh so this one isn't enough for you?!" I shouted.

"No, no of course not. I want to rolling hills," she explained, "I want to rule beside you."

"I wasn't cut out to rule," I countered.

"Oh but you were," she countered, her tone cunning and sweet as honey, "Who is the reason Narnia never fell under High King Peter's rule? Who ensured King Caspian re-established Narnia in a way that it would last? You deserve to rule, a kingdom of your own. I could give you Archenland, if you wish."