One week. Lena was stuck in Narnia for one week before King Edmund and Queen Lucy returned from Archenland. They arrived just before the evening meal with much pomp and circumstance. Lena had been warned before their return and decided to take Meri and Sara down to the beach for a picnic. Lady Bea, one of the Narnians assigned to monitor Lena and her daughters, was not pleased with the decision but went along anyway as she could not convince Lena to stay for the welcome feast. Lena knew at some point she would have to face King Edmund, but she was going to put it off for as long as she possibly could.

In that one week, death had reversed itself. Color had returned to Lena's cheeks. Her hair had it's old shine back and had thickened, almost overnight. Her eyes no longer looked like they were protruding from her skull. Her appetite returned, though she still ate less than everyone else. And strength was returning to her muscles.

She could chase after Sara on the beach. She could sing with Meri in the music room. And she could even run drills with Meri on the training grounds. In fact, she was running drills with Meri in the afternoon when the inevitable finally happened.

"King Edmund and Nalsa approach," Lady Bea announced.

"What? Babbo's...OW!" Meri exclaimed when Lena rapped her arm with the practice sword.

"Never let your attention stray," Lena warned. Then she looked around, hoping to find a way out without running into King Edmund, but...

"The only way out is the way in," Bea said.

"Merda," she muttered.

"Mamma!"

"That word is not to be repeated. Ever," Lena warned her. Meri rolled her eyes but before Lena could chastise her about it, King Edmund and his Wolf guard arrived.

Lena didn't know why, perhaps it was because Peter looked so different, but she almost expected King Edmund to look different as well. He didn't. He styled his hair the same way. He had the same facial structure, and the same physique. He wasn't wearing the same shirt and tie combo that Lena loved to peel off of him, but rather he wore the garments more befitting a King or Narnia. With a start, Lena realized she wouldn't mind peeling that off him as well.

There was one noticeable difference, however. His eyes. They were the same shape, size and color, but they lacked the love he held for her.

"Merda," Meri whispered. Then she gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth. "Mamma, I'm sorry. I..."

Lena gently placed a hand on Meri's arm. "Go get your sister from her nap and start her music lesson. I'll join you when I can."

Meri looked between Lena and King Edmund. "Maybe I ought to stay?"

"No. Go. *Devo farlo da solo."

"Are you sure?"

"Sì."

Meri hesitated before throwing her arms around Lena's neck and whispering. "*Ti amo, Mamma."

"E ti ammo, Topa. Now go, please."

Meri walked slowly towards King Edmund; the closer she got the slower she walked. Lena knew she was trying to study his face and looking for any sign of recognition. When she was close enough, she dropped into a sloppy curtsy. King Edmund bowed his head and stepped aside, allowing her to pass by him. When Meri looked back over her shoulder at him, Lena could see the tear run down her cheek.

Lena used the ruse of putting the practice swords away to keep King Edmund from seeing the hurt in her eyes. In the other world, Meri and Edmund had such a close bond despite Meri not being his biological daughter. Even with her back to him though, she could feel his eyes watching her every move.

"Judging by the cold silence, I am guessing Susan and Peter have spoken with you."

"They have."

Lena was rattled by hardness in his voice. Edmund had never spoken to her in that tone before. It was the tone reserved for those who had wronged him.

"And they have told you of our...relations."

"They have. It is impolite to presume to know me."

"I don't presume to know anything." Lena glanced over her shoulder at him. The tension was visible in his stance, and in that of the Wolf's as well. Lena knew the absurdness of their relationship was weighing on him. And she knew it wouldn't be resolved in a day.

"You are confronted with a puzzle you cannot work out." She turned back to the weapons before her. As she eyed a line of polearms, an idea came to her. "You think best when you are not thinking at all."

She picked up a practice arm. It was lightweight, well balanced; it felt natural in her hand. She picked up another, slightly heavier. It was a better weight for King Edmund.

"I have a proposition for you," she said, smiling at the irony of her words. She tossed him the heavier polearm and he caught it easily. "We duel. Every successful hit you land, you get a question to which I will answer honestly. The game is over when you run out of questions, or when I get five hits."

"Peter and Susan already told me everything. Why would I need to ask you for more information?"

"Well, for starters, I didn't tell them everything. Secondly, for the first time, in a long time, you doubt them. Otherwise, you wouldn't be out here confronting me and you wouldn't have so coldly acknowledged your daughter. So what do you say, Little King? Do we have a duel?"

"Are you sure about this?" Edmund asked, handling the polearm with ease.

"I'm sure the best swordsman in Narnia isn't worried about a little duel."

Lena swung her polearm through the air bringing it down on the unprepared King Edmund. He blocked it at the last second and they circled each other. Lena struck out again, and again was blocked. Edmund took a half-hearted strike. Lena dodged it and followed through with a quick successful strike.

"That's one," she said. King Edmund remained silent.

They circled each other twice before the duel resumed. The Wolf and Hound kept a silent watch on the outside. Edmund gave a few more half-hearted swings. Lena could tell he wasn't really trying to hit her, so she pulled out one of the first moves he taught her and tapped the back of his left thigh.

"Two. It isn't any fun if you don't try, Little King."

King Edmund bristled at the use of the nickname and the Wolf's ears twitched. They said nothing however, and the duel resumed with little change. Lena received her third hit and sighed.

"You are wasting my time, Edmund. Time I could have been spending with our daughters. If you did not wish to duel, you should have simply said so."

"You are right. This duel is a waste of time. I doubt there is anything you can tell me that will convince me you are who you say you are."

His words stung. Lena thought she hid it well.

"Since I did accept, however, we might as well finish it. If nothing else, it will satisfy my compulsion to see things through to the end."

Lena nodded her consent and the duel resumed, this time in earnest. King Edmund's strikes came harder, faster. He fought more like the Edmund Lena knew. It wasn't long before one of his strikes slipped past her defenses and he gained his first hit.

"All right," Lena said, rolling out her shoulder where the hit had landed. "As agreed, you can ask me any question and I will answer honestly."

"Why should we believe you? What evidence do you offer other than your word?"

"That's two questions; choose one." Lena grinned.

"What evidence do you have that would suggest that anything you say is true?"

"Evidence? You mean other than the simple fact that I'm standing here, in Narnia of all places—a place I never thought, nor ever wanted to see again—or the fact that Sara even exists? I have none. Any evidence I might offer would have no relevance to you as it has not occurred in your life yet."

"Answers like that aren't going to convince me of your identity," King Edmund said, his temper rising.

"I didn't promise conviction, Little King. I promised honesty."

He bristled again at the nickname and his guard seemed to have had enough. "That is thrice now," she said in a low growl.

"Nalsa," King Edmund warned.

"If you will not, my King, then I must."

Edmund sighed before turning his attention back to Lena. "That is the third time you have called me little king, and my guard takes offense."

"Because it is offensive," the Wolf said. "You will address his Majesty by his appropriate title."

"And which title would that be? Majesty? His Royal Highness of Sass? Or the Sovereign Pain-in-the-Ass?"

Nasla growled but King Edmund waved her down again. "You're being rather impertinent, don't you think?"

"Why? Because I have an opinion and I've chosen to express it? You should be pleased considering you're the one who taught me how to find my voice. There was a time when I was only allowed to speak when spoken to, and when I spoke it had to be in Telmarine. To speak anything else would be to incur the wrath of the Lord Protector." Lena pulled up the sleeve of her dress revealing a series of thin white lines along her arm.

"Impertinent I will take," she continued. "But I refuse to be silent again. And Nalsa, is it? On the matter of addressing him, I will hold to the promise made to me on our wedding day by his brother, Peter, who swore upon The High King's honor, that I would never have to bow and grovel before a King of Narnia again." She turned back to Edmund. "So, no, I will not call you His Majesty, but... I will not call you Little King again either; you have not yet earned that right with me."

There was a moment of intense silence, during which Lena was sure King Edmund would walk away. Or maybe have his Wolf attack her. She wasn't sure which was more likely, but she wasn't going to back down or apologize for her words either.

"Shall we continue then?" he asked to her great surprise.

Lena nodded and the duel resumed. It was a proper one as well, and Edmund quickly got in his second hit.

"You're flustered and losing concentration. You are easily distracted," he said.

"That's a statement, not a question." She was a little perturbed at having the lesson she'd just given to Meri turned back on her.

"What do you do in the other place, you and....this other version of me?" He said the last part with reluctance.

"Whatever we like. We're, what's the word....we used to work but now we don't."

"Retired?"

"Sì. That's it! Retired."

"What did you do before you retired?"

"Ah. That is another question."

King Edmund moved so quickly and lightly Lena didn't have time to react. "And that is a hit. Same question, what did you do before you retired?"

Lena grinned. King Edmund was becoming intrigued by the new information. "We worked in intelligence in service of the Crown. We were sent to various places to gather information on select individuals that we then relayed back to command. Powerful men loosen their tongues when a pretty dame is on their arm. They loosen it more when...the pretty dame speaks only a foregin tongue." Lena finished her sentence in Italian. Understanding dawned on King Edmund's face.

"You feigned ignorance of their language so that they spoke freely in front of you."

"*Sì. Molto buono."

"For a ruse like that to work, I imagine you must speak...a couple of languages."

"A couple? Try six," Lena corrected. "Seven, if you count Telmarine, which isn't in that world. More?"

"More," he agreed, taking up his stance once more.

The duel steadily increased in speed and complexity. There were a few hits, including one more for Lena, and several near misses. Lena could visibly see the tension leave King Edmund's shoulders and a smile appear on his face as the duel progressed. She even heard him laugh. One or two times she saw a look akin to impression at one of her moves. In the end, however, Lena was no where near the fighter King Edmund was, and the longer the duel continued the more it turned in King Edmund's favor.

Lena's grip slipped. King Edmund's polearm slapping against her hand caused a mighty sting and elicited a few very un-ladylike words. King Edmuned cursed too.

"Here, let me take a look," he said, as he hurried over. He took her hand in his before she could think better of it. His fingers slid over her skin with precision and ease as he examined the extent of the wound. "Good news is, nothing is broken, but it will leave a nasty welt for several days. Lady Willa might have a salve that can help reduce..."

"No!" Lena pulled her hand back forcefully. Edmund lifted his eyes to her, making Lena's breath catch in her throat. Standing so close to him, with his laughter so fresh on her mind, he looked much more like the Edmund she knew. For a split second she even thought she saw a glimpse of him, but he was gone too quickly.

"A healer..." Lena stumbled over her words. "A healer is not necessary. But...thank you, all the same."

King Edmund nodded his head. "You fight well."

"I should hope so. After all, I was trained by the best swordsman in Narnia," she replied. King Edmund smiled, and again Lena's breath caught in her throat. She stood there a moment, staring into his eyes, hoping to catch another glimpse of her Edmund, but he didn't show.

Lena broke the connection as she took a step back. "I do believe that counts as a hit."

King Edmund cleared his throat and stepped back as well. "You are right. I am owed a question. And I think it should be the final one, but I reserve the right to ask more later."

"All things considered, that seems fair."

"Right then, let's see...ah, I've got it. It's not exactly a question though, but it requires honesty all the same."

"Go ahead then."

"Name a detail about me that's so intimate only a wife would know."

"An intimate detail?" Several details came to mind instantly, some of which made the blood rush to her cheeks. For a second she allowed herself to recall the feel of his lips pressed against her neck, or the curve of his body as he lay atop her; it had been far too long since she last felt it. "I've seen your birthmark, up close and personal."

"My sleeve has been torn so many times, everyone has seen my birthmark.

Lena shook her head and smiled coyly. "I'm not talking about that tiny spot on your elbow. I'm talking about the larger one that's shaped like the island of Sicily located on the inner curve of your right thigh, right by your..."

"Ehem," King Edmund cleared his throat, his cheeks slightly red. "Yes, I get the picture. However, any former lover could have betrayed my trust and told you that."

Lena couldn't conceal the hurt that crossed her face. She took another step away from him. "Yes," she said coldly, her accent thick. "I am aware that I wasn't your first, and you clearly were not mine. But by those standards, then anything I say could have come from some former lover."

"I am glad we understand one another then," King Edmund said, the cold unfamiliarity seeping back into his voice. "I am truly sorry about the hand; you really should consider having Willa look at it. In the meantime, Lady Ileana, do not presume to be so familiar with me again." With that, he turned on his heel and began walking away.

Lena was left reeling. She thought she was making at least a little progress with him. Had it all been an act? Had he let his guard down just to get under hers? She needed some way to convince him that everything she said was true. She was his wife from the other world. He was the father of her children. They were a family together.

"I know the truth about the White Witch and the hillside!" Lena shouted in desperation. She didn't want to play the witch card, but perhaps she had no other choice.

"What was that?" he asked, pausing and looking over his shoulder. Lady Bea and Nalsa stirred; their ears twitched.

"I—I know the truth about Jadis, the White Witch."

"Everyone in Narnia knows about her. What do you know about her?"

"I know what happened with her and with you. I know what you did. I know why you did it, why you really did it. I know what it cost you to repent. And I...I know what the Lion said to you on that hillside when you came back."

"No." Edmund shook his head. "That's impossible, because I've never told anyone what He said, not even Peter."

"You...You'll tell me though."

"You're lying."

Lena laughed, even as her eyes clouded with tears. "I am sure it is easier to believe that than to believe that a great king of Narnia would fall for a lowly Telmarine cortesana."

"This has nothing to do with your past, and..."

"...and everything to do with yours," Lena finished his sentence. "I know that. And I know how deeply you feel about your past actions. Do you really think me so cruel as to use them against you now?"

"I don't know you, Lady Ileana. I don't know what you're capable of."

Though she tried, Lena could not stop the tears from falling down her face.

"If you truly know what He said to me, then prove it. Whisper the words to me now."

"I—I can't. I won't," Lena said.

"Nalsa, Lady Bea, step back both of you and do not listen in."

"My King, it isn't right to..."

"Do it now, Nalsa. That is an order."

The look sent Lena's way by the Wolf would have been enough to turn any prey to mush. This was not the typical behavior of the Just King. When Edmund was satisfied with the distance, he turned back to Lena and nodded.

"I..."

"Now, or you and your daughters can vacate the Cair by nightfall."

Lena didn't doubt for an instant that King Edmund wouldn't hold true to his word. She had seen first hand what Edmund was capable of when it came to protecting the ones he loved. She knew if he truly believed her and her daughters to be a threat, then he would stop at nothing to protect his siblings and his kingdom from them now.

"*Perdonami, amore mio," Lena muttered. Then she leaned in and whispered the words the Lion had once told Edmund.

King Edmund reeled back in shock. The Wolf and Hound rushed in with snarling growls, only to be stopped short by Edmund's quick wave.

"I...I am sorry. I wish I could say it was otherwise. I wish I could tell you it was all a lie, that my daughters and I are spies for the Telmarine council sent to unhinge the Narnian government. But I cannot. To do so would be to deny what we have in that world, and I would never betray you in such a manner, not after everything we've been through.

"But I...I know it is unfair of me to ask you to accept this, so I will not. I will ask nothing of you King Edmund for you...you are not my Edmund. You look like him. You sound like him. Merda, you fight like him, but you... you are not him. And I... I see that I am nothing to you, just a stranger in your eyes."

Devo farlo da solo: I must do this alone

Sí. Molto buono.: Yes. Very good.

Perdonami, amore mio: Forgive me, my love.