Before
"Beautiful weather we've been having lately," Pen said. Her uncle had insisted on her taking a walk with Corin while he and King Lune discussed the betrothal arrangements. The two kings had, thank Aslan, agreed on a longer betrothal in order to allow Pen and Corin to get to know one another. So far Pen was having difficulty drawing even grunts of agreement from Corin, never mind actual words. If he formed a full sentence she might fall over from shock.
"Mm," Corin murmured in response. He hated every moment of this. She was prattling on about every thing she saw. The flowers, the gardens, this ball, that tournament. 'Who cares?' he wanted to shout.
"I hear Cair Paravel's apple orchard is set to have a great harvest," she announced, mentally chastising herself. She didn't care about the apples. She just wanted to leave, go home, never see him or Cair Paravel again. "Do you like apples, Prince Corin?"
"Why 'Pen?'" Corin asked, stopping. She stopped as well, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Is 'Pen' short for something? Penelope, or..." Corin mentally tried to think of other names.
Pen let out a deep sigh. "It's short for Penwhite. My mother is distantly related to Queen Swanwhite and she thought it would be an interesting variation of her name."
"Ah," Corin said. He nodded in acknowledgement and returned to walking. Pen scowled at his back before smoothing her features and catching up with him.
"What's it like to be a twin?" Pen asked after several long moments of silence.
Corin frowned, thinking. What was it like to be a twin? For so many years of his life he was an only child, never knowing his brother. He had known he'd had a twin, he'd known he had been kidnapped when they were still infants, but outside of that he never felt as though he missed half of himself as so many adults had wondered about him. Even now with Cor having returned years earlier he didn't feel like he was reconnected. They were the best of friends, the best of brothers, but was that all there was to being a twin?
"I'm not... sure," he said hesitantly. "Cor's return was the best day of my life. Not because I had my brother back, but because I was no longer heir to the throne. He's older than me by 20 minutes. It's wonderful to have a brother, to not be alone, but then there are some days where I still feel as alone as I did before he returned."
"I'm sorry you felt alone," Pen said softly. She took his arm, gently placing her fingers in the crook of it. He glanced down at her hand, brows raised, but did not move away. It felt... nice.
After
"What do you mean you put her in the southern wing?" Aravis exclaimed, standing from the dinner table. "How long has she been there?"
"Since about midday," Corin replied nonchalantly.
"Brother," Cor said. He frowned at Corin, shaking his head in exasperation.
"She's fine," Corin said. He popped an olive into his mouth before stacking his hands behind his head.
"She threw a ring at you," muttered a Cat, who was licking one paw. Corin shot it a scowl.
"Nobody asked you," he grumbled.
Aravis let out a cry of frustration and stalked out of the dining room. She grabbed the first servant she saw and instructed him to fetch her lady's maid and have tea with bread and butter brought to the southern wing. As the servant hurried off she rushed through the castle to the southern wing. It had once been home to Corin and Pen the year before King Peridan died, leaving the Narnian throne to Corin. Although their marriage had been rocky, that year together in Anvard had been good.
When she reached Pen's old bedchamber, she hesitantly knocked. It had been so long since she had seen her sister-in-law. In that moment she found herself growing nervous. There was no answer, so Aravis knocked again, this time louder.
"Go away, Corin!" she heard Pen call angrily from the other side of the door.
"Pen, dear, it's me, Aravis," she called back. The door yanked open. A red faced, tear streaked, disheveled Pen stood in the doorway. Her bottom lip quivered. Aravis longed to throw her arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug, but she remained still. Pen wouldn't want that. At one time in her life, Aravis wouldn't have wanted it either.
"He always did send you to clean up his messes," Pen spat. Those words were like a bucket of cold water on Aravis's warm feelings for her sister-in-law.
"I'm not here to clean up a mess," Aravis said. She eyed Pen up and down before stepping inside the room. "Unless you're referring to yourself. You look like you haven't taken care of yourself in days."
Pen's eyes narrowed. "What do you want Aravis?"
With a sigh, Aravis forced herself to soften. It wasn't Pen's fault that she was here. It was Corin's.
"To welcome home my sister-in-law and offer her a queen's hospitality."
"I don't want your hospitality," Pen said. "I want to go home."
There was a small knock on the door. Aravis's lady's maid entered, followed by a younger maid carrying an armload of garments and a tea cart pushed by the servant she had spoken to earlier. Pen's stomach lurched in surprise hunger when the smell of fresh bread hit her nose. Accepting that her hunger outweighed her pride, she sighed and took a slice of the buttered bread from the tea cart, sinking her teeth into its soft texture.
"This is your home," Aravis said after the servants left. Pen shook her head.
"It's not," she argued. "My home can never be where Corin is."
"Edmund!" Susan said, delighted to see her brother. "What brings you here? Come in, come in!"
Susan ushered him into her family's sitting room. Once the room had belonged to all four of the Pevensie children, but now that they were older with their own families, Susan had taken over the set of apartments for her own family. Thanks to the magic of Aslan's Country, Cair Paravel had grown in a way to fit all the Pevensies within its walls. Edmund pressed a kiss to his older sister's cheek before sitting in one of the plush armchairs.
"I've been to visit Corin," he said. Susan arched a brow.
"Corin as in Corin of Archenland? I haven't seen him since he was a child!"
Edmund nodded. "He's no longer a child now. The poor chap is in bad form."
"How so?" Susan asked.
"You remember Aravis, the Calormene girl his brother Cor showed up with?"
"Vaguely."
"Well," Edmund continued. "She married Cor. She's also become friends with my wife, who in turn has learned all about their dysfunctional family history, namely due to Corin. G was telling me about it the other night and I felt obliged to go visit him. He didn't let on much, was half drunk when I arrived. Not the boy I remembered."
"Did Aravis say why he was that way? Surely something happened in his past to transform him so. He was a good kid, a bit mischievous if I remember correctly," Susan said.
"G said she didn't let on much, just that he was married and it wasn't a happy marriage."
"What wasn't a happy marriage?" Robert asked, coming into the room. He carried a book under his arm and a mug in his hand. He leaned down and placed a kiss on his wife's head.
"Someone we used to know from our first time in Narnia," Susan explained. "After we left he apparently married. Ed went to visit him today and he wasn't the boy we remembered."
"Who was he?" Robert asked.
"Prince Corin-" Edmund started.
"Of Narnia?" Robert interrupted.
"No," Edmund said slowly. "Of Archenland. Was there a Prince Corin of Narnia?"
"If it's the same person I'm thinking of, yes. He was a prince of Archenland, but succeeded the Narnian throne and became King Corin."
"That couldn't have been that long after..." Susan trailed off, her brows furrowing at her husband.
He nodded. "After you four left. A man named Peridan became king shortly after and he was followed by Corin. From what I remember reading Peridan never married and had no direct heirs."
"Peridan became king after we left?" Susan asked in surprise. "He was so handsome." She noticed her husband's frown and patted his hand. "Not as handsome as you, dear."
"Spare me," Edmund said, rolling his eyes. He leaned back in his chair. "After all his "second sons have more fun" nonsense the little rascal became a king. Did your books say anything about who he married?"
"Unfortunately no," Robert said. "But it wouldn't be too hard to find out. We have access to every Narnian book every written."
Before
Aravis sat up, drawing the sheet with her. Cor lay on the bed, one hand resting beneath his head. He ran a finger up her arm, which sent shivers down her spine.
"Do you think anyone suspects?" she asked. He shrugged before tracing his finger back down her arm.
"The way we fight I imagine they either think we are together every night or that we can't stand the sight of each other."
Aravis laughed and laid back down beside Cor. Over the past several months their budding romance had turned into a full blow relationship. Except neither was ready to share with the world. It was too nice loving each other in secret.
"Shasta?" Aravis said softly, calling him by the name he had gone by when they first met all those years ago.
"Hm?" Cor responded sleepily.
"I love you," she said. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. Several silent moments passed until she thought Cor was asleep.
"Aravis?"
"Hm?"
"I think it's time we married."
Corin raised his glass in celebration. Cheers rang out through the dining hall as Cor kissed Aravis shortly after their announcement. He was delighted for his brother and friend. Several guests let out hoots and whistles as Aravis wrapped her arms around Cor, deepening the kiss. He grinned and tossed a roll at them.
"Save it for the wedding night!" he called out, inciting laughter and causing the couple to blush.
A ball followed the dinner, the largest gathering in the months since the kings and queens had disappeared. Though many of the invited Narnians still wore their colors of mourning, it was a lively party much to Corin's joy. Musicians played energetic dances which the guests swirled and whirled to. Lavish dessert tables lined the walls and a sparkling wine fountain bubbled happily. Corin couldn't remember a better party.
"It's about time," he said, leaning towards Aravis as they watched from the front of the room. Cor danced with an older aunt, who must have whispered something scandalous because it made Cor simultaneously laugh and redden.
"Are we doing the right thing?" Aravis asked, a touch of nervousness in her voice. "I mean, for Archenland. Do you think I'll be an okay queen?"
"Darling," Corin said, wrapping his arms around her. "I wouldn't choose anyone else, for both my brother and for Archenland. You'll be more than okay. You'll be fabulous."
Aravis grinned and rolled her eyes. "How many glasses of the wine have you had?"
"Three?" Corin guessed, smiling. "Or four. Maybe six if you don't count the two I had at dinner. Or is it seven? Aslan's teeth I lost count."
Aravis threw her head back and laughed.
"How are you still standing?"
"Am I standing?" Corin said playfully. "Relax, I haven't had that many. And if it makes you feel better, I'm about to go gorge myself on that dessert table right over there."
He pressed a small kiss to to the top of Aravis's head. She smelled of honey and wine. He smiled at her. His brother was a lucky man. His smile faded as he crossed the ballroom. When Cor had been found and taken his place as the crown price, Corin had felt he was given a reprieve. No longer did he have hanging around his neck the weight of being the future king. Only now, the weight was back.
He spotted his future bride standing near the dessert tables, smiling as she talked with several other courtiers. Pen. What as stupid name. What a stupid position to find himself in. Why did he father even want him as king of Narnia? The longer he stared at her the longer he wanted out of this arrangement.
It wasn't that he didn't like her. She wasn't so bad. He just wanted to tear his hair out when he imagined being joined to one woman, to not having the life he wanted and the adventures he craved. His entire life had been one endless stream of lessons and obligations and manners. For that brief period when he was free of all of it... he knew those would be the best years of his life.
Eventually Pen's eyes caught his. He felt like a child caught in the middle of something naughty. Her eyes widened briefly, a look of worry crossing her face. He glanced towards the dessert table, quickly calculating how fast he could make it there to serve as a distraction. The last thing he wanted tonight was another awkward conversation with her. Pen said something to her friends, likely excusing herself, and made her way over to him. He wished he had another cup of wine to gulp down.
"You look like a rabbit caught in a trap, your highness," she said. Her voice was serene and bright and he found himself wondering what she smelled like. Not like honey and, judging from the clear liquid in her cup, not like wine. He imagined she smelled like cake. The thought made him inwardly groan.
"I'll admit I feel like one right now," he said without thinking. She frowned. "It's just, I mean," Corin stammered. "The party. It's confining."
She looked skeptical but didn't comment on his lie. She motioned with her head across the ballroom.
"I actually was debating a walk in the gardens to get some fresh air," she said, giving him a bright smile. "You're welcome to escort me."
After
"Will you tell me what happened?" Aravis asked after Pen had changed into the clean clothes the maid had brought.
"Because we're such good friends?" Pen shot back.
Aravis rolled her eyes. They had once been friends, soon after Corin had married Pen. During the year Corin and Pen had lived in Anvard they had become almost as close as sisters. But somewhere along the line, in the midst of growing up, their friendship had faded just before it deteriorated.
"I only want to help you," Aravis said quietly.
"What do you want to know?" Pen said after several long moments.
"Where have you been?"
Pen sighed. "I've been with my mother and uncle. Our family estate is here so we've been there since... well, Uncle Peridan was there long before Mother and I arrived. It's been pleasant, being able to go as I please. The gardens there are even more beautiful than I remember. Aslan's Country, I suppose."
"I remember your gardens were always beautiful when you were at Cair Paravel," Aravis said. Pen frowned at the wistful tone in her sister-in-law's voice. Aravis was a constant visitor during their first years in Narnia after Corin took the throne. Even when things were tense between her and Corin, Aravis was there, offering her support to both of them. But then the "incident" happened and Aravis visited less and less. She had sided with her husband and, by default, Corin.
"Why did he bring me here?" Pen asked, forcing her voice to remain even. Aravis shook her head.
"I honestly don't know," she replied sadly. "I think he still loves you."
"He stopped loving me the day I betrayed him."
AN: Hello! It's been quite some time since I visited my Narnia series. If you read the previous three, I'm so glad you made it to the fourth one, ESPECIALLY since it's been almost a decade since I finished Receiving Grace (story 3 of the series). As I was writing this chapter I realized this story may be different than my previous ones, namely because like the series, I'm a decade older than I was when I first started writing. Hope you are enjoying reading Bestowing Grace as much as I'm enjoying writing it!