The Perfect Man
By cenagurl
A/n: Chronicles of Narnia does not belong to me. Wish it did though. :D Anyway, my fic occurs about five years after The Horse and his Boy, so that would make Cor and Aravis about eighteen years old. That said, enjoy:)
Extra Note: My deepest apologies for not updating for so long, but I must say I have a pretty good reason—I'm a college freshman taking up Nursing, so that means I have a lot of studying to do, thus little time for writing. I'm having summer vacation, however, so I'm updating:) But next week I'll be back in school for summer classes (don't think I'm a dumbass for needing summer classes, it is required in the course I'm taking.) so I'll try as hard as I could to finish this fic, and my other fics for that matter. Again, enjoy the 2nd chapter and don't forget to review:)
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Chapter 2: Foolish Games
Aravis never got to ask Cor about his abrupt change in behavior because she was waylaid by the surprising arrival of the Narnian Royalty.
Queen Lucy the Valiant, her closest friend among them, had come rushing inside the threshold of the Archenland Castle with a huge smile on her lovely face, her sapphire eyes alight with unsuppressed excitement and something the young Tarkeena couldn't put her finger on—the blonde queen looked as though she knew something she didn't.
"Your Highness," Aravis gave a graceful bow before Queen Lucy, caught the usual impish smile on her face, and rushed over to give her friend a hug. "You're as lovely as ever! Where are your brothers and sister? Are they here as well?"
Queen Lucy pulled back as she assessed Aravis from an arm's length. "You're looking beautiful as well, Aravis! You've grown your hair longer, I see. Well, Susan and Edmund are here, but Peter's in Narnia—he said he'd hate to miss the party, but someone's got to be left behind to make sure Narnia's running smoothly,"
Aravis looked at her with confused hyacinth eyes. "Party?" she said questioningly.
"Why, the young princes' birthday party, of course! They're turning eighteen this Wednesday, aren't they?"
Aravis stared at the queen in open-mouthed astonishment. It had totally slipped her mind, Cor and Corin's birthday… it seemed that she had been thinking too much about the vile gossips between her and Corin that she forgot.
"Ah, yes, it seemed to have slipped my mind," Aravis admitted, a light blush staining her smooth porcelain cheeks.
Queen Lucy linked her arm through Aravis' as they started towards the gardens, the place where they usually hung out whenever the young queen visited.
"It slipped your mind?" the queen echoed, amusedly, her eyes sparkling. "How could it, when it is your beloved Corin's birthday we are to celebrate?"
Aravis stopped walking at Queen Lucy's words. Turning to her friend, she took a deep breath and said, "Your Highness, I know what kind of rumors have reached you in Cair Paravel, but honest to Tisroc (May he live forever), they are not true,"
Queen Lucy looked at her curiously. "Then you and Prince Corin are not lovers?" she asked, and Aravis nodded.
"There's someone else I love," she said before she could stop herself. Clapping a hand to her mouth, she prayed Queen Lucy wouldn't prod further.
The Almighty didn't seem inclined to assist her though, because the queen quickly asked, "And pray tell, who might this lucky man be?"
Aravis stared at the ground, knowing full well that she could not lie to her dear friend. She couldn't tell the truth either. Giving a stressed sigh, she mumbled, "I can't tell,"
A slight frown marred Queen Lucy's perfect face, giving Aravis a guilty start. "Why not? Is it someone… forbidden?" she asked.
"Yes! I mean, no, not really… oh, I really am confused, Your Highness!" the young Tarkaan was wailing now as she covered her face with her hands. "I'm not supposed to be in love with him! It's all wrong, but it's hard to stop all these emotions I'm feeling and—"
She quit her rambling when she realized what she was saying. The queen was regarding her thoughtfully, making her nervous. Did she know...?
"Aravis dear, you can tell me anything, I'm here to help," Queen Lucy said gently. "But if you don't feel like talking about it, I'll respect your decision,"
Aravis gave her a shaky smile, her relief and gratitude visible in her hyacinth eyes. "Thank you, Your Highness,"
"Queen Lucy, is that you? I swear, you grown lovelier each time I lay eyes on your exquisite beauty,"
Corin's voice echoed throughout the garden. Aravis was quick to notice Cor standing behind him, and it was obvious that even from the fair distance that separated them that he was glaring at her.
"Prince Corin, such gallant words! I'm sorry but I must say I won't be swept off by them—is something bothering you, Prince Cor?" Queen Lucy called out with a dazzling smile as the two boys neared them.
Aravis decided to glare back at Cor—she didn't do anything so why get angry with her?
The future king of Archenland looked flustered at being noticed by the young queen, but nonetheless his voice did not waver when he answered, "Nothing at all, Your Highness,"
Queen Lucy's eyes were sparkling with mischief as she turned to Corin. "I have heard a gossip about you, Corin," she said cheerfully. "So you have found true love then?"
Nobody noticed how Cor's stance had suddenly stiffened.
Aravis was about to open her mouth to react when to her surprise, Corin crossed the distance between them and slung his arm around her shoulders.
"I guess I did," he replied just as happily as the queen raised her question. Aravis could only stare in open-mouthed horror at Corin, who wore a triumphant smile on his face.
Queen Lucy was the only one who noticed this time the way Cor's eyes turned cold, reflecting his silent fury. She quickly glanced over at Corin, who gave her the subtlest of winks.
Aravis, however, had no inkling of the unvoiced conspiracy between the queen of Narnia and the prince of Archenland and still seemed to be in a state of shock.
"Why, Aravis, you didn't tell me!" the queen squealed in delight, rushing over to hug the shock-still girl. "So the rumors were true after all!"
"Y—Your Highness—I—I—" Aravis started to stutter, but Corin was already beginning to steer her away.
"Now if you'll excuse us, Queen Lucy and dearest brother—my sweet Aravis and I fancy a moment of privacy," Corin shot a naughty grin at his twin, but Cor shot him a glare hot enough to melt an iceberg.
As the two disappeared inside the castle, Queen Lucy watched in amusement as Cor's hands clenched and unclenched in an angry fist, his eyes still on the doorway the couple had disappeared into.
"So Prince Cor…" Queen Lucy started. "Why don't you accompany me in a stroll outside? I've been wanting to ask you some questions…"
Cor finally turned to her after releasing a deep sigh, his face grim. "It would be my pleasure, Your Highness."
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"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Aravis shrieked when they were very well out of earshot from Queen Lucy and Cor. Corin grinned sheepishly at her in answer, and she hit him on the arm, hard.
"I want an explanation, Corin."
Corin looked wary for the first time that day at the look on Aravis' face. She was seething with absolute fury now, her hands planted on her hips as she awaited his answer.
"I'm doing this for your own good, Aravis," he finally said after a few moments of silence.
"For my own good?" Aravis echoed sarcastically. "I cannot exactly see your point, Corin,"
"Trust me on this, I know exactly what I'm doing," Corin reached over and squeezed her hand.
She still didn't look one bit believing. "You aren't trying to make Queen Lucy jealous are you?" she asked suspiciously.
Corin coughed a little, looking a bit embarrassed. "Well, partly yes, but there's still a bigger reason for my scheme—" he stopped when Aravis held up a hand, her violet eyes sparkling with anger.
"You are not using me, Corin," she bit off.
He gave a loud sigh before responding to her statement. "Look, I'm just trying to help you, okay?" he said, earning a confused look from Aravis.
"You sure have a twisted understanding about the meaning of 'help', Your Highness."
"Aravis, I understand you're angry with what I've done but I swear, when this is all over, you'll be thanking me,"
Aravis was still glaring at him. "You mean I'm to pretend to be in love with you, and you with me. Then after that, I'll be thanking you. Pray tell, what for? For making me look like a fool?"
"No!" Corin said a little too loudly. "Damn it, Aravis, don't make it more difficult for me,"
"I'M THE ONE MAKING IT DIFFICULT?" Aravis was back to yelling.
"I just want to see if Cor will get jealous, okay?" Corin finally said, and Aravis' anger deflated in less than a second.
"Oh,"
"I've seen the way he stares at you, Aravis. It's like you're like the brightest star in the heavens, but still he isn't making any move. I want to see how he would react if he saw you with someone else,"
Aravis gave an unladylike snort at that. "Your sense of humor is quite annoying sometimes, Corin. Cor isn't one bit interested in me, haven't you seen the way he looks at me every time we're in the same room? It's hardly a look a man in love would give,"
Corin's mouth twisted into a smile. "Yes it is, if he's becoming insanely jealous of his twin being the lover of the woman he loves,"
All the Tarkeena woman could do was gawk at him in bewilderment. Finally shaking her head, she said, "Cor doesn't feel anything special for me, I'm sure of it,"
The young prince cocked a brow at her. "Want to wager on it?" he challenged. "We'll get on with this charade and see how he reacts. If I'm right, you'll have to help me with Lucy; if you're right, however, you may do anything you wish with me,"
Aravis was already nodding her agreement. "Alright then, prepare yourself because I'm planning to have you thrown over the cliff if I'm correct,"
"It's a deal," Corin held out his hand and Aravis shook it, determination in her face.
"Deal."
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Cor honestly wanted to punch his twin brother in the face. Hard. He still couldn't get the image of Corin's arm snaking over Aravis' shoulders affectionately from his mind, so he had trouble concentrating on what Queen Lucy was saying.
"… Aravis?" the queen was asking, and he was jolted from his silent reverie.
"Pardon?" he gave her a sheepish grin, and he could have sworn he saw a hint of slyness in the queen's eyes.
"I was asking if your father already knows about Corin's intimate relationship with Aravis," Queen Lucy repeated, smiling inwardly when she saw a muscle twitch in Cor's cheek.
"I have no idea, nor do I wish to know," he answered before he could stop himself. His cheeks were flustered as the Narnian queen surveyed him amusedly.
"I—I mean, I have no idea, although I don't think Father knows about it," he rushed out, but deep inside he knew the damage was already done.
"I see," Queen Lucy responded cheerfully. "But what about you, Prince Cor? Don't you have a ladylove?"
Cor's cheeks couldn't possibly go any hotter; shifting slightly his weight from one foot to another, he said uncertainly, "N—No… there isn't any,"
The queen gave a wistful sigh as she gazed up at the pale blue sky. "You know, my dear prince, it wouldn't hurt to unwind your emotions once in a while," she advised, and Cor gave her a confused look.
"What do you mean, Your Highness?" he asked slowly.
Queen Lucy's blue eyes held his gray ones as she spoke. "You should tell the people your real feelings so you wouldn't be feeling such a heavy burden,"
Cor froze, and for a moment he thought the queen knew all about his feelings for Aravis.
Before he could reply, his eyes caught sight of Aravis, walking alone towards her apartments. She flashed a friendly smile at Queen Lucy as she passed by, and shot an uncertain look in his direction, a slight flush staining her cheeks.
"Your Highness, would you like to join me in my apartments for a cup of tea? Or are you still busy with your stroll?" Aravis asked breathlessly, not looking at Cor at all.
"Prince Cor and I would love to join you, my dear," she said with a fond smile. Cor jerked back, knowing full well that he wasn't welcome to join them.
"Oh, alright!" Aravis gave a falsely bright smile as she lead them to her quarters.
When they reached the threshold, the table was ready, an appetizing smell filling their nostrils.
"Have a seat," Aravis said, gesturing to the gold-gilded chairs, and the two sat.
She was slicing a piece of cake for Queen Lucy when King Edmund burst in, looking undeniably handsome in his blue royal clothing.
"I knew I'd find you here, Lu! Well, I need you to come with me, King Lune wants to talk to you…"
Queen Lucy quickly rose, giving her companions an apologetic look. "I'm terribly sorry, but I'll have to leave the two of you for tea," she said. "I'll try to return as soon as possible, okay?"
Cor and Aravis could only nod in unison as the queen exited the room with her brother.
Suddenly there was an undeniable air of tension in the room as the two eyed each other warily. Finally, giving a sigh, Aravis reached over and poured an ample amount of tea on Cor's cup, her fingers shaking a little.
"Aravis, I—" he was about to say but the teapot suddenly seemed to be slipping from her hands, and instinctively he tried to catch it, and to his relief, he did.
"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry!" Aravis was quick to apologize, and that surprised Cor. Why, he had only once heard her apologize to him, and that was nearly six years ago!
Their fingertips briefly touched as they balanced the teapot without spilling its contents, and Cor felt a shiver run through him.
His gaze flew up to her confused violet eyes, and for a moment, they just stared at each other.
"Cor?" she called out questioningly as she set the teapot down. "Are you angry with me?"
Cor blinked at her, then answered, "No, of course not,"
Aravis rolled her eyes. "Right, and Bree adores the people in Calormen," she said sardonically.
"No, really, I'm not," Cor said, taking a quick sip from his cup. "Whatever gave you the idea?"
"You're always glaring at me, for one thing," she answered, mimicking his move. "And… we don't talk to each other that much anymore,"
"I am not glaring at you," he said earnestly. "And we don't talk much anymore… maybe because you're busy… I mean we're both busy," he corrected.
Aravis only "harrumphed" in reply as she forked a piece of cake from her plate.
Cor watched, fascinated, as Aravis popped a large chunk of the delicacy into her mouth, leaving a trail of icing on the corner of those delectable-looking lips.
"You're a big liar, Cor, and you know it," she said between chews, her violet eyes fixed so intently on him he wanted to squirm.
He couldn't concentrate on what she was saying though, as he was too preoccupied with the icing still at the corner of her mouth. Only half-aware of what he was doing, he leaned over and brushed it away with the pad of his thumb.
Only that his thumb didn't meet with the icing, but her tongue, which had peeked out at that exact moment to lick away the sweet. Both of them froze when her tongue touched his skin, and Cor hastily pulled his hand back, his heart hammering loudly against his ribcage and his whole body going hot.
"Sorry," Aravis apologized yet again, distracting Cor to utter madness when she unconsciously licked her lips with her small pink tongue.
He decided to change the topic before he could feel another stab of heat at the lower region of his body.
"How long have you been in love with Corin?" he asked, kicking himself mentally in the head for bringing up such a delicate topic.
Aravis looked taken aback for a moment by his question, then gave a rather forced smile as she responded, "Quite a while,"
"Oh," was all he could comment, for he felt as though he was kicked in the stomach by a warhorse.
So she had loved him for a long time already… somehow that information stabbed at his chest like one of the swords he used for battle, and for a moment he couldn't seem to breathe.
"I'm happy for you."
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A/n: there! Quite long, isn't it:) that's to compensate for my shortcomings. Please review!