Castle Anvard [Friday, Fandom time]
Aravis had, finally, reached a decision. Talking with Ben (repeatedly, because sometimes Aravis needed to be beaten upside the head) had helped, but she hadn't come to her conclusion until tonight. It had taken the appearance of another letter on her doorstep to force her to spend Thursday night poring over each letter, starting from the first -- the first week of the year -- through the present.
When the last letter had been dropped across her lap, Aravis had put herself to bed. Not because she was tired -- in truth, she didn't sleep more than an hour, her mind racing with thought. However, sleep was essential, since as soon as cold winter light started filtering through her window, she rose and dressed, packing a bag.
Within the hour, she and Trenor -- with Ata trotting alongside them -- were in the Woods. And by nightfall, she was on the other side.
Aravis hoped to herself that this was not a mistake. It could so easily turn out to be one, she knew. However, she told herself as she put Trenor in the stable herself -- it was very late, of course -- and left Ata in the care of the night watchmen (who were quite glad to see her, if surprised), Aslan would not have allowed her back if it weren't His will. He hadn't let Altra through with Karal, after all.
Then again, it had been Aslan's will that her back be turned raw, so this was hardly reassurance that this trip would be painless.
She tried to turn off her mind, racing with thought, as quietly moved through the castle. The last thing she needed was to alert a well-meaning servant to her presence, or worse. When she reached the correct corridor, she found the doorway to a room she'd only entered a handful of times. She raised her hand to knock, pausing slightly before ever so softly tapping.
Nothing. Clearly, this would need to be done the difficult way.
With a sigh, Aravis gingerly opened the door, breathing in relief when it wasn't locked. (Which was foolish, and a lecture for another day.) She tiptoed through the room, praying that the cloak she had not shed wouldn't catch on anything, and that the boots she still wore would allow a light step.
She made it to his bedside, taking a moment to study how sweet he looked asleep. She supposed everyone probably looked calmer and more childlike in sleep, but Aravis was reminded of how he had looked those nights she'd taken the evening watch when they journeyed to Tashbaan, those years ago.
It didn't last long. She didn't have time to spare. "Cor," she hissed.
He mumbled.
She bit her lip before bending a bit and gently shaking his shoulder. "Cor. Wake up."
Cor's arm came up and clumsily whacked her across the chest, but he was awake. He sat up in bed with the movement, looking half-asleep but fighting for awareness. "Who's -- Aravis?"
"What in the name of -- why did you hit me?" she hissed at him, glaring. It hadn't hurt, but really.
"You startled me!" he whispered back, though he was starting to come more awake, it seemed. He blinked blearily at her, as though just now processing that she was actually there.
Aravis, meanwhile, was processing the fact that he was shirtless. She hadn't accounted for that sort of distraction available to her.
"Why are you here?" Cor asked after a moment, looking at her calmly. "Without warning? In the middle of the night? In my bedchamber?"
Aravis looked down to study her hands. Those were all fair questions, but she had some of her own. "Did you mean what you said? In your letters?"
When she looked back up, after a moment of silence, Cor was staring at her as though she had grown a second head. "That's why you came all this way?" he asked softly, but the beginnings of a smile were tugging at his lips. "Most people just write back, my lady."
Aravis was too nervous to return the smile. "Answer the question."
"Which part?" he asked, sighing a bit. "I wrote quite a few letters."
"Twenty-two," Aravis supplied quietly. "I read them all last night."
"They're really meant to be read when you receive them, Aravis." Cor was fully smiling at her now. Some of her tension eased.
"I was angry," she said, a bit weakly, twisting her hands. "And...." She'd come this far. She might as well be out with the whole thing. "And you make me very afraid, sometimes."
Cor actually let out a snort of laughter, which might have made her leave if he hadn't followed it with, "I frighten you? Do you understand what you do? The effect you have?"
"I'm well aware of my own temperment," she said, trying to keep her voice level, and her eyes on his. "But you make me afraid that I...might lose everything. I do not much like feeling vulnerable. Around you, it seems I never stop."
Cor was getting out of bed now. Aravis' stomach fell to her feet, sure she was about to be shown to her own rooms. This was, after all, quite inappropriate.
He didn't reject her, though. He gently clasped her face in his hands -- which she had time to appreciate as wonderfully rough -- and said, "How can you be the smartest person I've met, and also so stupid?" And then he kissed her, and Aravis forgot she had ever been angry with him, and that she was sore from her ride, or that she had to turn around and go back in mere days.
When they paused for breath, Aravis quickly said, "I'm not stupid."
"Aravis, you're terrifying. If you're afraid of me, then yes, I think we both might be fools."
She considered this, blushing happily in his arms. "...each other's fools?" It sounded imbecilic to her, but in an appealing, light way. There was no one here to judge her but Cor, anyway.
"I like that," he said softly. "And I meant all of it. Especially about not wanting anyone else. I know that is what angered you so, before. Though I'm not sure who you expect me to replace you with. One of Corin's harlots?"
"Hardly." Aravis made a face at him, and Cor laughed. "I should hope your taste is better than that."
"Marginally." She swatted his arm, and he laughed again. "You rode all this way and woke me up in the middle of the night to ensure that I meant my promise of fidelity?"
"It was important to me," she said quietly, running a fingertip over the sandy-colored stubble at his jaw.
"There is no one else, Aravis," Cor said, meeting her eyes. "In all seriousness. Only you."
"Even if I tell you I have to go back to school in a few days' time?" she asked hesitantly.
"I've waited without you for this long," Cor pointed out affectionately, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. Aravis was acutely aware, again, that he was shirtless, and she wasn't sure where to put her hands. She settled for resting them against his chest, and felt a bit stupid. It wasn't as though this was her first time alone with a man lacking a shirt, for goodness' sake.
Cor probably didn't need to know that.
She felt a bit light-headed and even giddy. That feeling increased when he looped his arms around her waist, a touch awkwardly. It occurred to Aravis that she may have more experience than he did, and that he might be as nervous and tingly as she, if not moreso. "I'm sorry I woke you," she said, blushing a little bit, and knowing the correct thing to do right now was to pull away and go to her own rooms.
"I'm glad you did," Cor said sincerely, keeping her close against him.
"I, um. I should...go have someone light a fire in my room," Aravis said softly, looking up at him.
"...probably." Cor looked as though he wanted to say something, and Aravis bit her lip before venturing, "It'd be heaps of trouble if I was found here in the morning, wouldn't it?"
"It would," he agreed, and if she wasn't mistaken, it was with a decided note of regret. Aravis' feelings were similar. Her body, even through her thick layers, was responding to his -- an excellent reason to make an exit, she thought, so as to at least preserve the illusion of her virtue for now -- and quite aside from her baser thoughts, she had simply missed him. The idea of another night separated, this time by a matter of feet, struck her as wildly unfair. She blamed Fandom's influence.
She extracted herself from him, restricting her goodnight to another kiss and a promise to see him in the morning (and wouldn't his father and brother be surprised to see her?)
When she made her way to her own room, she felt lighter than air.
[NFB, NFI, OOC welcome as usual. Aravis'll be back Monday night. :D]
When the last letter had been dropped across her lap, Aravis had put herself to bed. Not because she was tired -- in truth, she didn't sleep more than an hour, her mind racing with thought. However, sleep was essential, since as soon as cold winter light started filtering through her window, she rose and dressed, packing a bag.
Within the hour, she and Trenor -- with Ata trotting alongside them -- were in the Woods. And by nightfall, she was on the other side.
Aravis hoped to herself that this was not a mistake. It could so easily turn out to be one, she knew. However, she told herself as she put Trenor in the stable herself -- it was very late, of course -- and left Ata in the care of the night watchmen (who were quite glad to see her, if surprised), Aslan would not have allowed her back if it weren't His will. He hadn't let Altra through with Karal, after all.
Then again, it had been Aslan's will that her back be turned raw, so this was hardly reassurance that this trip would be painless.
She tried to turn off her mind, racing with thought, as quietly moved through the castle. The last thing she needed was to alert a well-meaning servant to her presence, or worse. When she reached the correct corridor, she found the doorway to a room she'd only entered a handful of times. She raised her hand to knock, pausing slightly before ever so softly tapping.
Nothing. Clearly, this would need to be done the difficult way.
With a sigh, Aravis gingerly opened the door, breathing in relief when it wasn't locked. (Which was foolish, and a lecture for another day.) She tiptoed through the room, praying that the cloak she had not shed wouldn't catch on anything, and that the boots she still wore would allow a light step.
She made it to his bedside, taking a moment to study how sweet he looked asleep. She supposed everyone probably looked calmer and more childlike in sleep, but Aravis was reminded of how he had looked those nights she'd taken the evening watch when they journeyed to Tashbaan, those years ago.
It didn't last long. She didn't have time to spare. "Cor," she hissed.
He mumbled.
She bit her lip before bending a bit and gently shaking his shoulder. "Cor. Wake up."
Cor's arm came up and clumsily whacked her across the chest, but he was awake. He sat up in bed with the movement, looking half-asleep but fighting for awareness. "Who's -- Aravis?"
"What in the name of -- why did you hit me?" she hissed at him, glaring. It hadn't hurt, but really.
"You startled me!" he whispered back, though he was starting to come more awake, it seemed. He blinked blearily at her, as though just now processing that she was actually there.
Aravis, meanwhile, was processing the fact that he was shirtless. She hadn't accounted for that sort of distraction available to her.
"Why are you here?" Cor asked after a moment, looking at her calmly. "Without warning? In the middle of the night? In my bedchamber?"
Aravis looked down to study her hands. Those were all fair questions, but she had some of her own. "Did you mean what you said? In your letters?"
When she looked back up, after a moment of silence, Cor was staring at her as though she had grown a second head. "That's why you came all this way?" he asked softly, but the beginnings of a smile were tugging at his lips. "Most people just write back, my lady."
Aravis was too nervous to return the smile. "Answer the question."
"Which part?" he asked, sighing a bit. "I wrote quite a few letters."
"Twenty-two," Aravis supplied quietly. "I read them all last night."
"They're really meant to be read when you receive them, Aravis." Cor was fully smiling at her now. Some of her tension eased.
"I was angry," she said, a bit weakly, twisting her hands. "And...." She'd come this far. She might as well be out with the whole thing. "And you make me very afraid, sometimes."
Cor actually let out a snort of laughter, which might have made her leave if he hadn't followed it with, "I frighten you? Do you understand what you do? The effect you have?"
"I'm well aware of my own temperment," she said, trying to keep her voice level, and her eyes on his. "But you make me afraid that I...might lose everything. I do not much like feeling vulnerable. Around you, it seems I never stop."
Cor was getting out of bed now. Aravis' stomach fell to her feet, sure she was about to be shown to her own rooms. This was, after all, quite inappropriate.
He didn't reject her, though. He gently clasped her face in his hands -- which she had time to appreciate as wonderfully rough -- and said, "How can you be the smartest person I've met, and also so stupid?" And then he kissed her, and Aravis forgot she had ever been angry with him, and that she was sore from her ride, or that she had to turn around and go back in mere days.
When they paused for breath, Aravis quickly said, "I'm not stupid."
"Aravis, you're terrifying. If you're afraid of me, then yes, I think we both might be fools."
She considered this, blushing happily in his arms. "...each other's fools?" It sounded imbecilic to her, but in an appealing, light way. There was no one here to judge her but Cor, anyway.
"I like that," he said softly. "And I meant all of it. Especially about not wanting anyone else. I know that is what angered you so, before. Though I'm not sure who you expect me to replace you with. One of Corin's harlots?"
"Hardly." Aravis made a face at him, and Cor laughed. "I should hope your taste is better than that."
"Marginally." She swatted his arm, and he laughed again. "You rode all this way and woke me up in the middle of the night to ensure that I meant my promise of fidelity?"
"It was important to me," she said quietly, running a fingertip over the sandy-colored stubble at his jaw.
"There is no one else, Aravis," Cor said, meeting her eyes. "In all seriousness. Only you."
"Even if I tell you I have to go back to school in a few days' time?" she asked hesitantly.
"I've waited without you for this long," Cor pointed out affectionately, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. Aravis was acutely aware, again, that he was shirtless, and she wasn't sure where to put her hands. She settled for resting them against his chest, and felt a bit stupid. It wasn't as though this was her first time alone with a man lacking a shirt, for goodness' sake.
Cor probably didn't need to know that.
She felt a bit light-headed and even giddy. That feeling increased when he looped his arms around her waist, a touch awkwardly. It occurred to Aravis that she may have more experience than he did, and that he might be as nervous and tingly as she, if not moreso. "I'm sorry I woke you," she said, blushing a little bit, and knowing the correct thing to do right now was to pull away and go to her own rooms.
"I'm glad you did," Cor said sincerely, keeping her close against him.
"I, um. I should...go have someone light a fire in my room," Aravis said softly, looking up at him.
"...probably." Cor looked as though he wanted to say something, and Aravis bit her lip before venturing, "It'd be heaps of trouble if I was found here in the morning, wouldn't it?"
"It would," he agreed, and if she wasn't mistaken, it was with a decided note of regret. Aravis' feelings were similar. Her body, even through her thick layers, was responding to his -- an excellent reason to make an exit, she thought, so as to at least preserve the illusion of her virtue for now -- and quite aside from her baser thoughts, she had simply missed him. The idea of another night separated, this time by a matter of feet, struck her as wildly unfair. She blamed Fandom's influence.
She extracted herself from him, restricting her goodnight to another kiss and a promise to see him in the morning (and wouldn't his father and brother be surprised to see her?)
When she made her way to her own room, she felt lighter than air.
[NFB, NFI, OOC welcome as usual. Aravis'll be back Monday night. :D]