Archenland, October-ish [Thursday afternoon, Fandom time]
While the king's health hadn't improved, it also hadn't worsened. Aravis tended to view this as a good sign (or, at least, not a bad one), and had been spending her time since her return from Fandom trying to keep Cor as busy as possible.
It was impossible not to notice the fact that nearly every courtier was vying for the crown prince's attention, though. Aravis would ask to dine with him, and Cor would cancel to spend the evening with his father's advisors. She'd invite him to hunt, and Cor would have to excuse himself to speak with military leaders. It was clear that even if King Lune made a recovery within a day, Cor was being courted as king already.
It wasn't as though Aravis felt particularly neglected, though. When they weren't busy with Cor, there were courtiers popping up at her elbow near-constantly. Often questions as to her well-being, which were normal, seemed to lead to her geneology -- her mother's health (dead), her father's health (she hadn't inquired), any history of illness with her grandparents. If it weren't these sorts of impolite, intrusive questions (which Aravis dismissed, perhaps rudely), they were inquiries to how she liked Archenland. Which, really, Aravis thought obvious enough -- she'd chosen to spend her life here, after all.
Aravis was growing frustrated with having to settle for snatches of conversation with Cor. They'd learned some discretion -- a squeezed hand under the table at a feast, a stolen kiss before bedtime. With seemingly every member of court attempting to interfere, Aravis had come to appreciate the quiet moments they were afforded.
Which was why, one cold autumn afternoon, Aravis was surprised to see him waiting for her with two horses saddled.
"I thought we might take a ride," Cor offered, looking rather nervous, Aravis thought.
She smiled, though. "Let me get my cloak."
They rode in silence for a few moments. Even if Aravis missed the greenery of spring and summer, the brilliant fire of the leaves around them gave her a sense of peace. "I'm surprised you were allowed to escape for the day," she remarked, smiling a bit.
"Who says anyone allowed this?" Cor asked, grinning over at her. "Perhaps we've escaped, my lady."
"Then," Aravis considered, "I certainly hope you've a bribe in place to ensure no one looks for us."
Cor's smile softened. "No one will look for us," he said simply, and Aravis wondered how he could be so sure. They'd both been chased down at every opportunity, after all. "Want to walk?"
They'd reached a small clearing, and Cor dismounted first, tethering his horse before coing over to help her out of her saddle as well. She left her hand in his as they walked through the woods, though, after a moment, Cor took his hand from hers.
Aravis turned to him, puzzled. "What's wrong?" He looked -- odd. While she was accustomed to a Cor that was less cocky than his brother, he usually wasn't...nervous. Fidgeting.
"Nothing," he said, immediately. "I -- Aravis?"
"Yes?" She stepped closer, trying to get him to look at her. When he did, the further requests to talk to her died on her lips. Very suddenly, Cor had stopped looking so unsure. He smiled down at her, reaching to tuck a curl under her hood. "I love you," he told her, softly.
"And I you," she murmured, immediately. While this wasn't new, her heart still did a little tumble every time they said it.
Cor's smile flickered a little shyly as he took her hand in his. "Aravis," he asked quietly, clearing his throat after a moment. "I have -- You are the most headstrong, infuriating, reckless woman I've ever met."
She frowned, opening her mouth to protest, but he kept going. "You're tempermental, judgemental, too canny for your own wellbeing, unforgiving, short -- "
"Did you bring me out here to insult me?" she asked, yanking her hand out of his. Cor laughed, reaching out to catch her around the waist, drawing her close.
"But," he said, his voice lowering, "you are also fascinating, and brave, and loyal, and beautiful, and my best friend," he added, touching his forehead to hers. "And I am in love with every aspect of you. Not just your better qualities, few though they may be."
Aravis laughed softly, color rushing to her cheeks. "I...Cor, why are you going on like this?" she asked softly.
His smile broadened, just a bit, though there was still a shadow of nervousness behind it. "Do you think you could stand my company for the rest of our lives?" he asked, possibly teasing. Aravis knew him too well for that, though, and the bottom fell out of her stomach at the realization of where this was going.
She suspected, anyway.
"Yes," she said after a moment's pause, staring up at him. "Yes, of course I can. Of course I want to. I love you, Cor. Even if you are a bit of an idiot most of the time."
He grinned, though the nervousness returned to his features. "Aravis," he said softly, formally, "will you honor me by becoming my wife?"
It all made sense. The advisors, acting as vultures. His nervousness. Their sudden chance at seclusion.
She hesitated. "Cor," she said, proud that she was hanging to her composure and not grinning like an idiot and immediately accepting, as she wanted. "Are you asking me because you love me, or because your advisors have told you to find your queen?"
He smiled a little ruefully, seeming to weigh his words. "My future is bearing harder on me every day, Aravis," Cor said after a moment, looking at her. "My father's friends are pressuring me to marry, yes. No doubt they've been bothering you, as well. But I have considered this for months. There is no one else who I'd choose to rule with. To live with. To marry. Just you."
She smiled softly, digesting his words. "I have been a pawn before," she offered quietly, "as you know. I've no desire to be taken as a wife to a man who merely needs a woman to birth his children and be pretty at parties."
"That isn't what I want," Cor told her, taking a step back and leaning down to meet her eyes. "I want you as my wife, first. My queen, second. I would be happy to spend my life a single ruler if that was your wish, and to pass the throne to Corin's children if you don't want them. I just want you."
She swallowed a lump in her throat, opening her mouth to answer. It took her several tries before she managed, "Yes."
When they walked back, leading their horses behind them, they were greeted by nearly the whole court to congratulate them. Aravis assumed that the questioning would stop with the actual betrothal, but clearly she was delusional, since she was immediately pulled aside to be interrogated about the wedding.
[NFI, NFB, OOC yay! I love running through more of that tiny canon blurb at the end!]
It was impossible not to notice the fact that nearly every courtier was vying for the crown prince's attention, though. Aravis would ask to dine with him, and Cor would cancel to spend the evening with his father's advisors. She'd invite him to hunt, and Cor would have to excuse himself to speak with military leaders. It was clear that even if King Lune made a recovery within a day, Cor was being courted as king already.
It wasn't as though Aravis felt particularly neglected, though. When they weren't busy with Cor, there were courtiers popping up at her elbow near-constantly. Often questions as to her well-being, which were normal, seemed to lead to her geneology -- her mother's health (dead), her father's health (she hadn't inquired), any history of illness with her grandparents. If it weren't these sorts of impolite, intrusive questions (which Aravis dismissed, perhaps rudely), they were inquiries to how she liked Archenland. Which, really, Aravis thought obvious enough -- she'd chosen to spend her life here, after all.
Aravis was growing frustrated with having to settle for snatches of conversation with Cor. They'd learned some discretion -- a squeezed hand under the table at a feast, a stolen kiss before bedtime. With seemingly every member of court attempting to interfere, Aravis had come to appreciate the quiet moments they were afforded.
Which was why, one cold autumn afternoon, Aravis was surprised to see him waiting for her with two horses saddled.
"I thought we might take a ride," Cor offered, looking rather nervous, Aravis thought.
She smiled, though. "Let me get my cloak."
They rode in silence for a few moments. Even if Aravis missed the greenery of spring and summer, the brilliant fire of the leaves around them gave her a sense of peace. "I'm surprised you were allowed to escape for the day," she remarked, smiling a bit.
"Who says anyone allowed this?" Cor asked, grinning over at her. "Perhaps we've escaped, my lady."
"Then," Aravis considered, "I certainly hope you've a bribe in place to ensure no one looks for us."
Cor's smile softened. "No one will look for us," he said simply, and Aravis wondered how he could be so sure. They'd both been chased down at every opportunity, after all. "Want to walk?"
They'd reached a small clearing, and Cor dismounted first, tethering his horse before coing over to help her out of her saddle as well. She left her hand in his as they walked through the woods, though, after a moment, Cor took his hand from hers.
Aravis turned to him, puzzled. "What's wrong?" He looked -- odd. While she was accustomed to a Cor that was less cocky than his brother, he usually wasn't...nervous. Fidgeting.
"Nothing," he said, immediately. "I -- Aravis?"
"Yes?" She stepped closer, trying to get him to look at her. When he did, the further requests to talk to her died on her lips. Very suddenly, Cor had stopped looking so unsure. He smiled down at her, reaching to tuck a curl under her hood. "I love you," he told her, softly.
"And I you," she murmured, immediately. While this wasn't new, her heart still did a little tumble every time they said it.
Cor's smile flickered a little shyly as he took her hand in his. "Aravis," he asked quietly, clearing his throat after a moment. "I have -- You are the most headstrong, infuriating, reckless woman I've ever met."
She frowned, opening her mouth to protest, but he kept going. "You're tempermental, judgemental, too canny for your own wellbeing, unforgiving, short -- "
"Did you bring me out here to insult me?" she asked, yanking her hand out of his. Cor laughed, reaching out to catch her around the waist, drawing her close.
"But," he said, his voice lowering, "you are also fascinating, and brave, and loyal, and beautiful, and my best friend," he added, touching his forehead to hers. "And I am in love with every aspect of you. Not just your better qualities, few though they may be."
Aravis laughed softly, color rushing to her cheeks. "I...Cor, why are you going on like this?" she asked softly.
His smile broadened, just a bit, though there was still a shadow of nervousness behind it. "Do you think you could stand my company for the rest of our lives?" he asked, possibly teasing. Aravis knew him too well for that, though, and the bottom fell out of her stomach at the realization of where this was going.
She suspected, anyway.
"Yes," she said after a moment's pause, staring up at him. "Yes, of course I can. Of course I want to. I love you, Cor. Even if you are a bit of an idiot most of the time."
He grinned, though the nervousness returned to his features. "Aravis," he said softly, formally, "will you honor me by becoming my wife?"
It all made sense. The advisors, acting as vultures. His nervousness. Their sudden chance at seclusion.
She hesitated. "Cor," she said, proud that she was hanging to her composure and not grinning like an idiot and immediately accepting, as she wanted. "Are you asking me because you love me, or because your advisors have told you to find your queen?"
He smiled a little ruefully, seeming to weigh his words. "My future is bearing harder on me every day, Aravis," Cor said after a moment, looking at her. "My father's friends are pressuring me to marry, yes. No doubt they've been bothering you, as well. But I have considered this for months. There is no one else who I'd choose to rule with. To live with. To marry. Just you."
She smiled softly, digesting his words. "I have been a pawn before," she offered quietly, "as you know. I've no desire to be taken as a wife to a man who merely needs a woman to birth his children and be pretty at parties."
"That isn't what I want," Cor told her, taking a step back and leaning down to meet her eyes. "I want you as my wife, first. My queen, second. I would be happy to spend my life a single ruler if that was your wish, and to pass the throne to Corin's children if you don't want them. I just want you."
She swallowed a lump in her throat, opening her mouth to answer. It took her several tries before she managed, "Yes."
When they walked back, leading their horses behind them, they were greeted by nearly the whole court to congratulate them. Aravis assumed that the questioning would stop with the actual betrothal, but clearly she was delusional, since she was immediately pulled aside to be interrogated about the wedding.
[NFI, NFB, OOC yay! I love running through more of that tiny canon blurb at the end!]