Disclaimer: I don't even own the laptop I'm using, it's my Dad's.

Title: Mismatched

Summary: She had always taken him for granted, but now it was time for her to learn that he was more than that innocent and inferior boy she had first come to know. And as for him, he would always be the one who was going to fix and clean up after her "mess", literally.

Author's note: I've read a lot of theories on how Cor and Aravis got married to one another … some readers think that she had made him do it (since she was so manipulative and he was so naïve), and yet, some readers think that they were meant to be together since the beginning of HHB because opposites attract.

Well, here is my own take … with a little twist here and there.

Prologue

Narnian year: 1015

Aravis Tarkheena had always been the proud one. Compared to Cor (formerly known as Shasta), the Prince of Archenland, she was prouder, smarter, and more assertive. Cor was exactly the opposite. He was humble, and a slow learner, but possessed a very great perseverance, and was a bit tentative. You could tell that these qualities were developed due to their different upbringings.

One was born as a great lady, and was used to lavish things and unlimited respect, and treated it as her due. One was adopted by a fisherman, and lived by the sea shore nearly all his life (until some time later), receiving unfair beatings and being boxed almost daily … almost smelled like a fish himself.

Yet both children of different worlds met each other one fateful night, and they were forced to journey together … for Narnia and the North. But I'm not here to tell you of that adventure; I'm here to tell you about what happened afterwards … after Aravis was freed from that unwanted betrothal, and Cor had finally found his true family and took up his rightful place as the crown prince of Archenland.

You see, it was a bit hard for Aravis to start treating Cor as what he truly was, that is, a member of the royal family of Archenland. She was already used to treating him quite unfairly, and was used to addressing him in such impolite manners. But, like any well-born nobility, she was taught not to show her real feelings, how to paste an expressionless look on her face every time. She was careful not to show how sorry she was for her former treatment towards Cor, though sometimes every now and then she would find herself feel quite coy around him, for he had times when he would be positively noble.

As for Cor himself, it was even odder for him. For one he was no longer being called Shasta. He had to live with the fact that he actually had a twin brother by the name Corin, and his father happened to be King Lune of Archenland himself. If before, nobody would notice him as he walked past the market or anywhere (and always risked himself being boxed in the ears instead when he was noticed), now everyone would bow to him with such flourish that it always made Cor think that if those people didn't watch it, they might end up kissing the ground.

It took both Cor and Aravis quite a while to get adjusted to their new surroundings. Aravis finally got over her embarrassment and Cor had finally gotten use to be greeted as 'Your Highness' by nearly everyone he met. But despite this fact, that didn't mean they would stop treating each other quite beastly.

On a fine summer afternoon, one of the princes was seen running through the winding hallways, finding his way to the throne room where he knew his father and the court members were having yet another protocol meeting. The Narnian summer Festival was nearing, and they would be glad to play their part as the neighbouring country.

"Father! Father!" he said with a pant. All heads were turned into his direction that very instant, as the King Lune stood up, frowning politely at his son.

"Is something amiss, my dear prince?"

"Something is. You must come with me at once; my royal brother and our lady companion are just about to have a competition!"

King Lune didn't even bother to hide his amusement, and asked his son to go on. One could mistake the look on Corin's face as the alarm after seeing a nearing unknown army.

"Those two had agreed to a competition, to see who would reach the top of the tree the fastest! Oh, do come! They are going to break their necks and they won't listen to me!"

King Lune wasted no time lingering in the throne room, for he himself was feeling rather intrigued to see the sight that had made Corin cringe at the thought of it.

Meanwhile, at the courtyard, two children of different genders were standing facing one another … one was holding her chin up while the other was looking somewhat doubtful.

"Hesitating, Cor?"

"I am not sure about this, Aravis…"

"Oh, enough of this nonsense. You've given me your word!"

"I did, but I'm not sure if it's worthy of me to compete with a girl," said Cor.

"Oh no, you did not just say that, sir. I may be a girl, but surely, do not judge a book by its cover," said Aravis, who took Cor's words as a personal insult. "Don't say another word, because I won't take a 'no' as an answer."

This showed how manipulative Aravis could be towards Cor.

"She has got to learn to live with disappointment," muttered Cor to himself, and was lucky that Aravis did not hear him for she had turned around and walked off to the chosen tree. Said tree was indeed the tallest and the biggest one in the courtyard, and it gave Cor an impression that it would be quite easy to climb and reach the top, as it had so many branches to hold on to.

"Are you ready?" asked Aravis, her eyes were already fastened on the farthest branch at the top of the tree. She had removed her silk outer garment, and was now barefooted. Cor followed her lead, and took off his fine sandals.

"Ready."

"When I say 'climb', we'll start climbing," said Aravis decidedly.

Cor frowned at her. "No fair. Surely you'll say 'climb' when you are ready and have a great start—"

"CLIMB!"

Cor felt like a dolt now as Aravis started to climb the tree while his feet were still fixed to the ground.

"I'm going to get you for this," he muttered in annoyance, and started to climb the tree himself. Have you ever heard that first impressions have always been wrong? Well, Cor knew that now. The tree might have many branches to hold on to, but it was a beastly process to reach the first branch.

His first impression about Aravis not being able to climb a tree as skilfully as the boys of her age had been wrong as well. She was a very fast climber. What really annoyed Cor was she had reached her second branch while Cor was still hanging on to his first, and one of Aravis's feet was straying onto his head now.

"Watch it!" he yelled at her, and heard her gleeful laughter ring in his ears.

As for Aravis, she was enjoying every second of it. She was beating Cor, and no victory would taste as good as this when she finally reached that very top of that tree, while he was still struggling below. Then all of the sudden a loud voice rang throughout the courtyard.

"COR! ARAVIS!"

"My father!" said Cor in alarm.

"You're not going to stop now, are you, Cor?" Aravis asked with a jeering smile as she worked her way to the fourth branch now.

Cor was torn between his obedience for his father or his pride, he was not sure which one was more important. "But – but—"

It was not until later that he knew his father had been worried for Aravis's safety more than his own, for he was a tough boy after all, and his father trusted him to take care of himself.

'My dear Aravis—" here Cor had stopped climbing to listen to his father, but Aravis just wouldn't stop. "I will not bear these antics. Get down here on the ground this very instant, dear lady."

But still, Aravis was aiming for that tree top. Cor hung on to his third branch, thinking that it was time for a desperate measure. He didn't want to see Aravis disregard his father's order, and he didn't want to lose to her either. Cor reached out for her leg, which was dangling from one branch and pulled it with such force that he heard her screaming in surprise.

Then, it all happened so fast that he felt the gravity was now showing its greater prowess to the both of them. Cor lost his footing, pulling Aravis down with him. But, just when he thought they both were about to fall helplessly onto that hard ground, their fall was halted … by Aravis's strong hold.

"Cor, you fool!" he heard her hiss at him angrily as he tightened one grip around her ankle and another was reaching out with his other hand for a branch, "You're hurting me! Let go!"

He looked down distractedly, and was surprised to see the ground was even nearer than he thought. But of course, Aravis didn't know that. His father might be thinking that they were on their way down despite the little accident just now.

He let go and landed on his two feet, unscathed. But when he looked up, Aravis was still holding on to her branch, perhaps not knowing the ground was even nearer than she thought.

Then the most unthinkable idea came crossing his mind, and a grin grew on his face. He reached up and tugged at both of her legs, despite a dozen pair of eyes that were fixed on them.

"Cor, I will not have you tugging at a lady's bare legs like that—" was the last thing he heard from his father before Aravis fell on him in a heap. His little prank backfired. Now he was laying sprawled-eagle on the ground with a great amount of Aravis's long hair swept across his face and going up his nose before she rolled over to one side, realizing that she had crushed him.

"What did you do that for?" Aravis hissed at him as she shook him roughly by his shoulders, looking more annoyed than worried for crushing Cor earlier. "That was not funny!"

Certainly, she had taken this as another personal insult as well. With one last angry stare, she walked away, leaving him right there. Corin came to Cor's "rescue" to regain his standing position, and much to Cor's embarrassment, his father chuckled quietly at this (but not in that unkind way), remarking on how he had been literally "crushed" by a girl.

Corin asked him if he wanted to avenge Aravis for crushing him, but Cor told his brother that he deserved it.

She had always been like that; Aravis was of the sort that think very highly of herself. She always made him feel like he was the foolish one. Cor was not even sure if Aravis liked him for who he really was. Sometimes he thought Aravis had nothing but hostility for him because they would argue almost about anything nearly every day. He blamed himself most of the time, knowing that it must be his beastly and uncivilised ways that had made her treat him that way. What other reason could there be?

On his way back to the castle, he plucked a wild flower of the red sort, hoping to make up to her before dinnertime.

As for Aravis herself, she was not quite sure why she befriended Cor. Perhaps it was because she was thankful that she owed him her life. Still, he might be a prince now, but he had mingled with a different sort in his early years. At least Corin behaved like a prince, most of the time, instead of a fisherman's brat. Nobility came second nature to Corin, but not to Cor. Because of that, Cor would always be the Shasta she knew. His name and status might have changed, but sometimes superiority got the better of her. Most of the time she felt superior to Cor and felt that he would never be royal enough suit her. She thought Corin suited her better, in a more noble way.

But oh, dear me, it was not until years later that she realized how wrong she was.

Author's note: Constructive reviews, please. Thank you.