Chapter Text
Oh, oh, fight for the honour
Fight for the splendour
Fight for the pleasure
Oh, oh, fight for the honour
Fight for the splendour
Fight for your life
- Iron Maiden, The Duelists, 1984
---
Narnia
Several round tents with pointed roofs were dotted around the edge of the field. A red tent with gold stripes stood a little taller than the others and flew a flag with a red lion. Lucy led Quill up to it and poked her head through the curtains. "May we come in?"
"Of course," Edmund said.
Lucy took Quill by the hand and pulled him inside. An armor stand and weapons rack stood to the left. The stand was empty and the weapons rack held only a shield. Two backless wooden chairs had been placed on either side of a round table. The table itself held a silver pitcher full of water and a matching goblet. Edmund sat in the chair to the right. He wore a gold tabard with a red trim over his suit of chainmail. The tabard that embroidered with a red lion. He sat with his legs wide and his sword balanced across his knees, his fingers curled loosely around it. In the other chair sat a boy of about twelve, turned sideways on the chair with his knees pulled up. He was reading a battered book with a picture of a knight on the cover.
"Corin!" Lucy smiled. His face lit up when he saw her. He tossed his book on the table and jumped up.
"Queen Lucy! How good to see you," Corin said.
She kissed his cheek. "This is Star-Lord Peter Quill, a guest of the royal family. Star-Lord, this is Prince Corin of Archenland. He is Edmund's squire."
"Nice to meet you," Quill said, offering his hand to Corin.
"And you as well," Corin said shaking his hand. "Is it true that you've come to marry Queen Susan?"
"What?" Quill asked. "I don't think so." He turned to look at Edmund, who lifted his eyebrows.
"That's Prince Rabadash," Lucy said. "Didn't you meet him last night?"
"Oh, yes," Corin said, with a wave of his hand. “But I heard that King Edmund didn’t like Prince Rabadash so he brought the Star-Lord here to marry Susan instead, and the High King is gone because he’s negotiating the marriage.”
Lucy laughed. “Where did you hear that?”
“From one of the Calormene squires,” Corin said.
"It's nonsense," Lucy said. "The stories people are coming up with about Peter, I declare."
“Pete’s absence is a mystery and people want answers,” Edmund said from his seat.
"He'll be back for the joust, won't he?" Corin asked.
"I hope so," Edmund said.
"Queen Lucy, will you please tell King Edmund that he must allow me to enter the boxing competition?" Corin asked.
Lucy looked at Edmund in surprise. "Why wouldn't he be allowed?"
"He is allowed," Edmund said. "He's allowed to enter the junior competition with the other squires."
"But that's no fun," Corin said. "I know them all and I've knocked them all down. I want to fight the adults."
Edmund sighed. "They'll be hesitant to hit a youth, so you will have an unfair advantage, and if you beat them, they'll be humiliated."
"Then they should fight better!" Corin exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, Corin, I will have to side with Edmund on this one," Lucy said. "You'll be able to fight in the adult competition when you're older."
"That's completely unfair," Corin said. He looked at Edmund. "You were younger than me when you fought in the Battle of Beruna!"
"Well, if Aslan shows up and asks you to box for Narnia, I will certainly not stand in your way," Edmund said. "Now go on, I release you from your duties until after the duel."
Corin sighed heavily. "Sir Edmund." He bobbed his head in a sort of bow and left the tent. Edmund let out a long-suffering sigh of his own and raised his eyes toward the sky.
"He's a good boy, truly he is," Lucy said to Quill.
"He has a good heart," Edmund acknowledged wearily. "I do wish he'd be less impulsive."
"They're difficult at that age," Quill said, with the voice of experience.
"Don't let him distract you," Lucy said.
"He didn't," Edmund said. "I'm as prepared as I can be. All that's left is the waiting." He ran a hand through his hair, then tried to smooth it down. "The waiting is the difficult part."
"I thought the difficult part was where the guy who hates you tries to skewer you on a giant knife," Quill said.
Edmund shook his head and gave Quill a wry smile. "The Calormene use scimitars. Disembowelment's more likely."
"Prince Rabadash does not hate anyone," Lucy said firmly. She rested a hand on Edmund's arm. "Good luck. You'll be marvelous!" She kissed his cheek.
Quill held out a hand and Edmund clasped it. "You get in trouble, you just holler and I'll jump in," Quill said.
"You're new to duels, aren't you?" Edmund asked with a smile.
"Nah, there's a fighting ring on Knowhere. Gone there a few times," Quill said. "Lost a few units there, too," he added.
"Hm. I suspect our duels differ slightly," Edmund said. "But if you wish to make a wager, talk to Miss Fristle. She's the hedgehog with the brown nose and blue hairbow."
"All right," Quill said. "Kick ass out there, man. And seriously, I got your back."
Edmund smiled. "Thank you. I will try to make you all proud."
--
"Come, I'll introduce you," Lucy said, linking her arm with Quill's. She lead him over to a canopy-covered open area where two Winged Horses lay on the grass, chatting with each other. "Quill, this is Cinya and Wylla." Both were lovely chestnut mares with coppery wings. Cinya's wings and feet were tipped with white and Wylla had a white star on her forehead. "Cinya, Wylla, this is Star-Lord Peter Quill. He has traveled far to visit us."
"I am honored to meet you ladies," Quill said, with a bow.
"And us you," Cinya said. She and Wylla bobbed their heads in greeting. "Have you been to many strange lands?"
"Oh, yeah," Quill said. "But none so beautiful as Narnia."
Lucy laughed. "He's a terrible flirt." The two Winged Horses exchanged an amused glance.
"But where is the High King?" Wylla asked. "Wasn't he intended to duel with King Edmund again?"
"The High King Peter is managing business of great import. We have invited Prince Rabadash to duel instead," Lucy said. "It will be exciting to see a Calormene fight, won't it? Those beautiful swords."
"Better to see them here than on the battlefield," Wylla said wisely.
Lucy led Quill to a pavilion where chairs had been set up in ascending rows under a canopy. She introduced Quill to a Rabbit named Firrskip, a Raven named Sallowpad, a Wolf named Norgrim, and Miss Fristle, the hedgehog. Quill gave Miss Fristle a couple of silver coins to bet on Edmund to win.
"And of course, you know Auntie Beaver," Lucy said, coming around to the main pavilion, where a number of household members had take their seats. "I am so glad you made it," she said to the Beaver. "We ask so much of you that I worry you haven't any time for fun."
"Don't worry about me, my dear," Auntie Beaver said. "I have many hands and paws helping me for this festival! I've never missed one of our Edmund's duels and I don't intend to start now." She turned to Quill. "Are you doing all right, young man?" she asked.
"Me?" Quill asked. "Yeah, totally."
"I'm sorry we couldn't find a better room for you, but it was very late notice, you know."
"Auntie," Lucy chided. "It's not his fault. He didn't know he was coming until he arrived! It was quite inconvenient for him, too."
"Didn't even have time to pack a bag and say goodbye," Quill said.
"Well," Auntie said, mollified. "If it couldn't be helped." She put a paw on his arm. "We've plenty of clothing in the castle, my dear, and you're close enough in size to our boys that we shan't have to start from scratch. Bring me what needs washing," she gave his shirt a significant look, "and I'll find you something fresh, hm? We should find you something for the ball as well."
Quill pulled out his shirt from his chest and bent his head down to sniff it. "I don't know if I'll be here for the ball."
"You can't leave before the ball!" Auntie said, shocked. "Queen Susan has been working on it for weeks! No, you mustn't miss it," she said, and that seemed to be decided.
Susan sat at the front and center of the pavilion, giggling with her lady's maid and a red-haired dwarven woman. Neela was dozing, stretched out in front of her. At full length, Neela was over seven feet long. When Quill and Lucy approached, the Jaguar opened her eyes sleepily, yawned, showing five-inch long fangs, and closed her eyes again.
Lucy took a seat next to Susan and Quill sat next to Lucy on the other side, walking around Neela very carefully. "Excuse me," Quill said to her.
"You are excused," Neela said, without opening her eyes. "This time."
Quill mouthed, Okay, to no one in particular and sat down.
Corin dropped down in the seat next to him. "She's a softie," he told Quill.
"That's what I've heard," Quill said. Neela opened her eyes halfway again and looked sideways at him. He gave a little wave. She closed them again.
"Where are you from?" Corin asked.
"Same place they are," Quill said, nodding his head towards Lucy and Susan.
"What's a Star-Lord when you're home?" Corin asked. "Is it like a Prince?"
"Something like," Quill said, because when people think you're royalty, there's no need to correct them. "Hey, if you're the Prince of Archenland, why are you in Narnia?"
"So's I can squire to King Edmund," Corin said. "I have to learn to be a knight and a king." He made a face.
"What's wrong with that?" Quill asked.
"Being a knight's brilliant, but kings never get to have any fun," Corin said. "Oh, look, we're beginning!"
A Stag trotted out onto the field and turned to face the pavilion where Lucy and Susan sat. He was followed by a Squirrel in a red tabard, carrying a gold horn.
"Good folk of Narnia!" said the Stag, his voice carrying loud and clear. "And Welcome Guests! I present to you a martial challenge between friends in the form of sword-to-sword combat to cease when blood is drawn."
The Squirrel blew two notes on the horn. Rabadash strode out on the field. He wore a long saffron jacket over a deep orange tunic. His jacket ended just below his knees and flared out a little as he moved. One hand rested on the hilt of the curved sword hanging from his belt.
The Squirrel blew another two notes. Edmund came out from the opposite side, with his sword belt buckled over his red tabard and chainmail. The two men stood on either side of the Stag.
The Stag turned its head (and antlers) towards Edmund (who shuffled out of the range of the antlers) and spoke to the audience. "I present to you King Edmund the Just, under the High King Peter, Duke of Lantern Waste, Count of the Western March and Knight of the Noble Order of the Table." The audience cheered.
"Wow, that's a mouthful," Quill said in a low voice. "What's that table thing? Like the Round Table?"
"Different table," Lucy said. "The Stone Table."
"It's his Order," Corin said. "I'm going to be a member of the Noble Order of the Lion in a couple of years. The High King promised."
The Stag turned to his left. "And I present to you our honored guest, Prince Rabadash, Scion of Tash the Inexorable, Knight of the Imperial Order of the Scorpion, Sultan of Rashbaan and Protector of the People!" More cheers, especially from a group of Calormene men under the next canopy. A couple of them looked over at Lucy and Susan and their friends and smiled, and the women smiled and waved back.
"See, this will be fun," Susan said to Lucy.
"I never doubted you," Lucy replied.
"Introductions at parties must be a blast," Quill said. "By the time everyone's said hi, it's time to go home."
"You should hear formal court proceedings," Lucy said, and she and Corin both groaned.
The Stag trotted out of way and went to sit next to the Winged Horses. Edmund and Rabadash turned to each other and shook hands. Then Rabadash turned back to the pavilion. He strode over to Susan, his coat flaring out, and started to go down on one knee in front of her. He realized abruptly that Neela was in the way. Neela looked at him and yawned, showing her long fangs. Rabadash drew back. "Your Majesty-" he began, trying to watch Neela and Susan at the same time.
"Neela!" Susan whispered, and the sleek black Jaguar gave Rabadash a wary look, stood up, stretched, and sat down a couple of feet to the left, her tail resting on Quill's feet, out of Rabadash's way. Quill held his feet very still.
Rabadash cleared his throat. "Your Majesty!" He bowed to her and went down on one knee. "My Queen with raven hair and sapphire eyes. My Northern flower, my Lady that has enchanted my heart with her kindness, her beauty and her purity of spirit. Would you grant me a token to wear on the field today, that your blessing might grant me luck?"
Lucy stifled a giggle behind her hand. Auntie Beaver let out a long, admiring sigh. "Aww"s and cheers came from the crowd. Behind Rabadash, Edmund gave the Prince a wary look.
Susan rose, and the wind made the flowing sleeves and skirt of her azure dress stream out behind her. (They hit Lucy, but only a little and she didn't mind.) "Of course, my Prince." She untied a ribbon from her hair, letting one long lock fall next to her cheek. She tied the ribbon around the Rabadash's upper arm and when she finished, he gave her hand a lingering kiss.
"Thank you, my dear," he said, and returned to the arena where Edmund waited. Neela strode back to her spot in front of Susan and stretched out again.
--
King Edmund carried a chevron-shaped heater shield painted with the red lion of Narnia. The pommel of his long sword was also engraved with the royal Lion. Prince Rabadash carried a round buckler painted in the Calormene colors and a curved blade with no insignia on the pommel, but a beautiful pattern painted on the blade. They took their places facing each other, about ten feet apart. They lifted their swords to their faces in salute and both brought them down in a diagonal slash.
The Squirrel blew a single long note. Both of them lifted their shields and slowly approached each other, swords out. When their swords were close enough to touch tips, Rabadash made a test jab toward Edmund's chest. Edmund smacked it aside. Edmund thrust his blade toward Rabadash's face and Rabadash blocked it with his blade.
"They're not even close enough to hit each other," Quill whispered.
"They're taking the measure of each other," Corin whispered back. "No fear, it will get good soon." Indeed, a few seconds later, Edmund's thrust was near enough for Rabadash to block it with his shield.
As they moved in, the blows came faster. They circled each other, trying to hit each other on their right sides, the ones without the shield. Rabadash swung his blade down at Edmund's shoulder, but Edmund pivoted at the last moment and brought up his shield in time. Rabadash's blade cut into the wood and left a long gouge.
"Are they supposed to be hitting that hard?" Quill asked.
"They know how to pull their blows," Lucy said, but she watched the battle with a frown, chewing on a thumbnail.
Edmund appeared to have the upper hand now. He came at Rabadash with fast, hard blows, so that Rabadash only had time to block, not strike. Then abruptly, Rabadash went down. A cry swept over the crowd and many people in the audience stood up to see. Rabadash had fallen. He'd stepped on a rock which rolled under his weight and sent him sprawling.
"He's got him!" Quill exclaimed.
"No, he hasn't," Corin said.
"What? The dude's wide open," Quill said. "He'll never get his shield up in time."
"Watch," Corin said, and to Quill's astonishment, Edmund took a step back.
"What," Quill said.
Edmund waited patiently as Rabadash pulled himself to his feet.
"What?" Quill asked.
Rabadash shook himself off and brought up his shield and sword again. Edmund gave him a salute (which Rabadash did not return) and they resumed the fight.
"What was that?!" Quill asked.
"He's a knight," Colin said, as though that explained it all.
"What the hell does that mean?" Quill asked, because it did not.
Corin waved a hand for him to be quiet. "Later!"
Rabadash finally had a chance to strike, and strike he did, bringing his blade down hard toward Edmund's face. Lucy winced, but Edmund lifted his shield up in time. Slivers of wood flew when sword met shield.
"Come on, Ed!" Quill called out. "Kick his ass!" A donkey a row over gave him a dirty look.
Edmund brought his sword around and down toward Rabadash's leg. Rabadash had no chance of bringing his shield around, so he jumped. Edmund's sword sliced off a piece of his boot but did not cut through to flesh.
Both men were breathing heavily now, and sweat dripped down their faces. Their blows came slower now, as each tried to find a weakness in the other. And then Rabadash lifted his sword high to slash at Edmund from above - too high. Edmund ducked the sword and dove in to slash Rabadash on the ankle. But it had been a feint, and Rabadash slammed his elbow into the side of Edmund's head. Edmund stumbled, stunned, and it was a simple thing for Rabadash to hook his ankle and drop Edmund to the ground. He pressed the blade of his sword against Edmund's throat. Edmund, defeated, let his sword fall from his hand. Rabadash smiled, and drew the tip of his sword very slowly along his neck, from just under his ear to his Adam's apple. Tiny beads of blood appeared along the red line. Rabadash paused just for a moment with the point of his sword to Edmund's throat, and then took his blade away and sheathed his weapon. The Squirrel blew his trumpet three times.
Edmund pulled himself to his feet and sheathed his sword. His expression was grim, but he shook hands with Rabadash and congratulated him on an excellent fight. The stag called out Prince Rabadash's name and titles again and Susan put a gold medal on him, tying the red ribbon at the back of her neck. When she had done that, Rabadash put his arm around her waist and kissed her, in a chaste fashion.
The audience was getting up, some standing by their seats and chatting, others rushing off to duties or to other shows. Quill realized Corin had dashed off.
"Come, let's go see Edmund," Lucy said, touching his elbow.
In the tent, Corin helped Edmund out of his armor. He hung it on the armor stand and Edmund ran his hands through his hair, looking grim.
"Let me see it," Lucy said, gesturing for Edmund to come over. He touched his neck and looked at the smudge of blood on his fingers.
"It's nothing," Edmund said.
"Then I want to see nothing," Lucy said. She strode over to him, touched two fingers to his chin to turn his head to the side and stood on her toes to get a good look. "It isn't much, but I want to clean it." She pointed to a chair and Edmund obediently sat down.
Armor safely stowed, Corin took a seat on the other wooden chair, but he sat on the armrest and put his feet on the seat. Lucy poured a bit of water into a goblet, dipped her handkerchief in it, then dabbed at Edmund's neck.
"What happened out there?" Quill asked.
"I fell for a child's trick," Edmund said bitterly.
"There is no shame in losing honorably," Lucy said. She took a small jar of ointment from her pouch and applied a tiny amount to the cut along his neck.
"No, I mean before that," Quill said. "When he fell and you let him get back up. You had him, man!"
"He tripped," Edmund said.
Quill shrugged. "So?"
"If I were to take him down, it would be with a blow of my own making, not a chance stone," Edmund said.
"A win's a win, man," Quill said.
"No, it was an honorable combat between gentlemen. A win without honor is no win at all," Edmund said.
"Not according to Miss Fristle," Quill said.
Edmund squinted at him. "Are you angry with me because you lost your wager?"
"No, 'course not!" Quill said. "It's just that, you know, if you were planning to throw the match, I thought you'd say something. Throw a guy a bone."
"I didn't 'throw the match'!" Edmund said, standing up. Lucy stepped out of his way. "I fought as a knight, and as a man of honor, something which you clearly know nothing about!"
The words rang throughout the tent, though Edmund had not raised his voice. Corin and Lucy drew back. But Quill gave Edmund a quizzical look. "Are you trying to insult me? I'm a Ravager and an outlaw. We laugh at honor." He paused. "Actually, we've got a code, so... we chuckle at honor. High five it here and there. But I'm not a knight, and I've never pretended to be!"
Edmund lifted his hands. "Then don't speak of things you know nothing about."
Corin coughed, and Edmund shot a glare his way. "You taught me that even terrain can be a weapon, did you not?" Corin asked.
"Yes," Edmund said. "But we were fighting sword and shield only."
"What about feet?" Quill asked. "Were feet allowed?"
Edmund folded his arms across his chest. "Peter would have waited for him to rise," he grumbled.
"Yes, he would have," Lucy agreed. She screwed the lid back on the jar of ointment and folded her handkerchief neatly and put it in her pocket. She patted Edmund's arm. "It was a friendly duel and you fought honorably. Leave it at that." She gave Corin and Quill severe looks.
Edmund looked slightly mollified. He buckled on his sword belt. "I have business to attend to," he told them, and strode out.
Lucy sighed. "He doesn't like losing," she said.
"Who does?" Corin asked. He frowned thoughtfully. "I don't think I like him."
"Ed?!" Quill asked.
"No!" Corin said, appalled. "The Prince. I don't think he's suitable for Queen Susan."
"Yeah, I agree," Quill said.
Corin shot him a warning look. "That doesn't mean I approve of you, either," he said.
Quill held up his hands. "I'm not interested! Sure, she's gorgeous, and I'm not saying I'd say no, if she approached me-" Corin gave him a very dark look. "Not going there," Quill said quickly. "Not interested. Too much drama."
"That goes for Queen Lucy as well," Corin said sternly.
"I think I can decide who I'm suitable for," Lucy said lightly. "And so can Susan."
Quill lifted his hands. "I'm not here for queens or thrones, man. I'm just a tourist."
"So were we," Lucy said.
---