celestialhost
New member
My most recent Narnia fanfic.
Jadis was empress of the Lone Islands, as well as queen of Narnia, so I wanted to explore her relationship with that part of the world. I think this shows a different side to the evil queen than what we saw in Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, one perhaps closer to how she was when ruling Charn. I also had her riding a dragon, something she has never got to do in the books!
Empress of the Lone Islands
Jadis' dragon landed on a field just outside Narrowhaven. She could have travelled on the ship crewed by her dwarves, but she felt riding a dragon made for a more impressive arrival.
Jadis climbed down from the saddle and landed her bare feet on the soft grass of Doorne. Her dwarf servant followed uncomfortably after her. His fellow dwarves, who had arrived by ship rushed to the side of their queen. Dwarves had no love for the ocean and they were not natural seamen, but their skillful and hardworking nature made them better qualified for sailing than the other inhabitants of Narnia.
Jadis had not visited the Lone Islands for over ten years. She felt the warm breeze against her deathly white skin. It felt strange to be in a land where it was summer. She had spent so long in Narnia, locked in its eternal winter.
In Narnia, Jadis made a point of always wearing white, reflecting the winter of which she was mistress. Here on the Lone Islands she wore a sleeveless gown of brilliant purple, a sign of her imperial majesty.
Jadis was greeted by Glockel, the governor of the Lone Islands. He was a short bookish-looking man. He knelt and bowed before his empress. She stooped slightly, allowing him to kiss her hand and then rise. Even with the governor standing, Jadis towered far above him. According to reports, he was a particularly efficient governor. If she found this to be true, Jadis would be pleased indeed.
The empress looked at the soldiers who formed a guard of honour. The Lone Islands did not have a proper army and so only the governor's personal guard were able to muster for the occasion. There were more of them than Jadis had expected. She supposed that a few sailors had been drafted in to boost their numbers. Whatever the case, their uniforms were pristine and their weapons gleamed.
The governor led his empress to a carriage which took her through the bustling streets of Narrowhaven. Everywhere were hung purple banners marked with the empress' coat of arms. The citizens cheered as Jadis' carriage passed them by. Many through down flowers before her carriage. In years to come, these people would talk of how incredibly tall the empress was, how white her skin and how beautiful she looked. The coming of the empress was something special; a day of rejoicing, a day of celebration, a day that took them from the mundane world of work and trade. Jadis smiled and waved at their attention.
Jadis' frozen heart felt a glimmer of warmth at this adulation. It made a change for her to be appreciated. She knew that the beasts and forest creatures of Narnia hated her and had only complaints about her rule. The men and women of the Lone Islands might be accursed sons and daughters of Adam, but at least they knew how to honour their absent and distant queen.
Arriving at the palace, a long red carpet was laid down for the empress to walk on. She stepped onto the soft red wool on her large naked feet. Jadis had no need of shoes. She did not feel the cold and even barefoot she stood above any human. While the merchants of Doorne loved to dress in elaborate and fashionable clothes, Jadis favoured simple, but elegant dresses that enhanced her form and left plenty of her flesh for her subjects to marvel at.
Later the queen sat down in the governor's seat and was given detailed reports about the various trading activities of the island. Glockel gave her detailed accounts of exactly how much revenue had been raised and gave assurances that the required tribute would be loaded onto the dwarf ship the very next day.
Jadis was delighted to learn that Doorne had become a major transhipment centre in the slave trade, earning substantial profits. She was also pleased to learn that Felimarth had become the greatest exporter of wool in all the world.
"We see also that there has been much production of honey and mead," said the empress. "This industriousness and productivity is of great encouragement to our imperial person."
Delegates from Calormen came before the empress. They spoke, with great poetry and honeyed words, about their delight at seeing the beautiful queen. They expressed their desire for greater commerce with the Lone Islands and enquired as to when the empress might visit their great and magnificent Tisroc.
Jadis had never been to Calormen, but she knew it was a powerful and strong country, even if only a shadow of what Charn had once been. She would dearly have loved to have added it to her dominion, but she knew it was protected by the power of the demonic Tash.
It felt so delightful to Jadis to be away from Narnia, that savage land of stupid talking animals. The werewolves were useful for their fighting prowess and the dwarves were useful for their labour, but they could never make Narnia a mighty and glorious kingdom as Charn had been. The Lone Islands were so different to Narnia. This was a place of civilization, a place of industry, commerce and organisation. This was a place where the people feared their queen and respected her laws, a place where stupid animals didn't answer back and where there were cages and muzzles, whips and chains, prisons and soldiers to make sure that chaos was kept in check (Jadis hoped she would be able to watch a few public executions before she left). The Lone Islands were a place Narnia could never be and it was a pleasure for Jadis to rule them.
Concluding her visit, Jadis made a speech to her assembled subjects:
"People of the Lone Islands, we are most pleased by your hard work and diligence in your business. Know that you have enriched our royal coffers most greatly. We grant to you the right to live out your lives under our protection and to go on in your most fruitful commerce. Yet know this; no son of Adam or daughter of Eve must ever set foot in Narnia. Be warned that the day you land in Narnia is the day that you shall die."
The Lone Islands were indeed Jadis' most treasured possession.
Jadis was empress of the Lone Islands, as well as queen of Narnia, so I wanted to explore her relationship with that part of the world. I think this shows a different side to the evil queen than what we saw in Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, one perhaps closer to how she was when ruling Charn. I also had her riding a dragon, something she has never got to do in the books!
Empress of the Lone Islands
Jadis' dragon landed on a field just outside Narrowhaven. She could have travelled on the ship crewed by her dwarves, but she felt riding a dragon made for a more impressive arrival.
Jadis climbed down from the saddle and landed her bare feet on the soft grass of Doorne. Her dwarf servant followed uncomfortably after her. His fellow dwarves, who had arrived by ship rushed to the side of their queen. Dwarves had no love for the ocean and they were not natural seamen, but their skillful and hardworking nature made them better qualified for sailing than the other inhabitants of Narnia.
Jadis had not visited the Lone Islands for over ten years. She felt the warm breeze against her deathly white skin. It felt strange to be in a land where it was summer. She had spent so long in Narnia, locked in its eternal winter.
In Narnia, Jadis made a point of always wearing white, reflecting the winter of which she was mistress. Here on the Lone Islands she wore a sleeveless gown of brilliant purple, a sign of her imperial majesty.
Jadis was greeted by Glockel, the governor of the Lone Islands. He was a short bookish-looking man. He knelt and bowed before his empress. She stooped slightly, allowing him to kiss her hand and then rise. Even with the governor standing, Jadis towered far above him. According to reports, he was a particularly efficient governor. If she found this to be true, Jadis would be pleased indeed.
The empress looked at the soldiers who formed a guard of honour. The Lone Islands did not have a proper army and so only the governor's personal guard were able to muster for the occasion. There were more of them than Jadis had expected. She supposed that a few sailors had been drafted in to boost their numbers. Whatever the case, their uniforms were pristine and their weapons gleamed.
The governor led his empress to a carriage which took her through the bustling streets of Narrowhaven. Everywhere were hung purple banners marked with the empress' coat of arms. The citizens cheered as Jadis' carriage passed them by. Many through down flowers before her carriage. In years to come, these people would talk of how incredibly tall the empress was, how white her skin and how beautiful she looked. The coming of the empress was something special; a day of rejoicing, a day of celebration, a day that took them from the mundane world of work and trade. Jadis smiled and waved at their attention.
Jadis' frozen heart felt a glimmer of warmth at this adulation. It made a change for her to be appreciated. She knew that the beasts and forest creatures of Narnia hated her and had only complaints about her rule. The men and women of the Lone Islands might be accursed sons and daughters of Adam, but at least they knew how to honour their absent and distant queen.
Arriving at the palace, a long red carpet was laid down for the empress to walk on. She stepped onto the soft red wool on her large naked feet. Jadis had no need of shoes. She did not feel the cold and even barefoot she stood above any human. While the merchants of Doorne loved to dress in elaborate and fashionable clothes, Jadis favoured simple, but elegant dresses that enhanced her form and left plenty of her flesh for her subjects to marvel at.
Later the queen sat down in the governor's seat and was given detailed reports about the various trading activities of the island. Glockel gave her detailed accounts of exactly how much revenue had been raised and gave assurances that the required tribute would be loaded onto the dwarf ship the very next day.
Jadis was delighted to learn that Doorne had become a major transhipment centre in the slave trade, earning substantial profits. She was also pleased to learn that Felimarth had become the greatest exporter of wool in all the world.
"We see also that there has been much production of honey and mead," said the empress. "This industriousness and productivity is of great encouragement to our imperial person."
Delegates from Calormen came before the empress. They spoke, with great poetry and honeyed words, about their delight at seeing the beautiful queen. They expressed their desire for greater commerce with the Lone Islands and enquired as to when the empress might visit their great and magnificent Tisroc.
Jadis had never been to Calormen, but she knew it was a powerful and strong country, even if only a shadow of what Charn had once been. She would dearly have loved to have added it to her dominion, but she knew it was protected by the power of the demonic Tash.
It felt so delightful to Jadis to be away from Narnia, that savage land of stupid talking animals. The werewolves were useful for their fighting prowess and the dwarves were useful for their labour, but they could never make Narnia a mighty and glorious kingdom as Charn had been. The Lone Islands were so different to Narnia. This was a place of civilization, a place of industry, commerce and organisation. This was a place where the people feared their queen and respected her laws, a place where stupid animals didn't answer back and where there were cages and muzzles, whips and chains, prisons and soldiers to make sure that chaos was kept in check (Jadis hoped she would be able to watch a few public executions before she left). The Lone Islands were a place Narnia could never be and it was a pleasure for Jadis to rule them.
Concluding her visit, Jadis made a speech to her assembled subjects:
"People of the Lone Islands, we are most pleased by your hard work and diligence in your business. Know that you have enriched our royal coffers most greatly. We grant to you the right to live out your lives under our protection and to go on in your most fruitful commerce. Yet know this; no son of Adam or daughter of Eve must ever set foot in Narnia. Be warned that the day you land in Narnia is the day that you shall die."
The Lone Islands were indeed Jadis' most treasured possession.
