The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

"Another thing," said Aravis. "You must tell your people to treat those two horses very
respectfully. That's part of the secret. They're really Talking Horses from Narnia."
"Fancy!" said Lasaraleen. "How exciting! And oh, darling, have you seen the barbarian
queen from Narnia? She's staying in Tashbaan at present. They say Prince Rabadash is
madly in love with her. There have been the most wonderful parties and hunts and things
all this last fortnight. I can't see that she's so very pretty myself. But some of the Narnian
men are lovely. I was taken out on a river party the day before yesterday, and I was
wearing my-"
"How shall we prevent your people telling everyone that you've got a visitor - dressed
like a beggar's brat - in your house? It might so easily get round to my father."
"Now don't keep on fussing, there's a dear," said Lasaraleen. "We'll get you some proper
clothes in a moment. And here we are!"
The bearers had stopped and the litter was being lowered. When the curtains had been
drawn Aravis found that she was in a courtyard-garden very like the one that Shasta had
been taken into a few minutes earlier in another part of the city. Lasaraleen would have
gone indoors at once but Aravis reminded her in a frantic whisper to say something to the
slaves about not telling anyone of their mistress's strange visitor.
"Sorry, darling, it had gone right out of my head," said Lasareleen. "Here. All of you.
And you, doorkeeper. No one is to be let out of the house today. And anyone I catch
talking about this young lady will be first beaten to death and then burned alive and after
that be kept on bread and water for six weeks. There."
Although Lasaraleen had said she was dying to hear Aravis's story, she showed no sign of
really wanting to hear it at all. She was, in fact, much better at talking than at listening.
She insisted on Aravis having a long and luxurious bath (Calormene baths are famous)
and then dressing her up in the finest clothes before she would let her explain anything.
The fuss she made about choosing the dresses nearly drove Aravis mad. She remembered
now that Lasaraleen had always been like that, interested in clothes and parties and
gossip. Aravis had always been more interested in bows and arrows and horses and dogs
and swimming. You will guess that each thought the other silly. But when at last they
were both seated after a meal (it was chiefly of the whipped cream and jelly and fruit and
ice sort) in a beautiful pillared room (which Aravis would have liked better if
Lasaraleen's spoiled pet monkey hadn't been climbing about it all the time) Lasaraleen at
last asked her why she was running away from home.
When Aravis had finished telling her story, Lasaraleen said, "But, darling, why don't you
marry Ahoshta Tarkaan? Everyone's crazy about him. My husband says he is beginning
to be one of the greatest men in Calormen. He has just been made Grand Vizier now old
Axartha has died. Didn't you know?"
"I don't care. I can't stand the sight of him," said Aravis.