Thanks to Le Faucon Bleu for reviewing and don't worry, we're back to Cor and Aravis again. Hopefully they make up. Well, I already know what happens, but you'll have to read it to find out ;)

A Team Effort

Cor's feet couldn't carry him fast enough. As he hurried through the corridors of the castle, his argument with Aravis replayed in his head. Everything was happening so quickly, he was losing track and it was only going to get worse. Everything his father had taken care of in the past, Cor would have to take care of now.

He was going to be King.

His feet faltered and he put out a hand, smashing his palm into the wall. Stone scraped through his skin, drawing pinpricks of blood and he winced. But he had to step up to the throne, or there was no one else. Not now Corin was gone.

Cor could do this, but he couldn't do it alone. Not yet. For the time being, he needed to surround himself with people who could help run Archenland until he was experienced enough to take more of the duties himself. He needed Aravis on his side and he needed his brother.

And if Corin wasn't here, at least he could make it up with Aravis. He'd grovel if he had to.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened up and pushed off from the wall, then continued through the castle, up the staircase to her door and knocked.

"Aravis?" he said quietly, leaning his head against the wood.

There was no reply. He glanced across the corridor at Corin's room, Aravis' last words echoing in his head, but surely he hadn't been so appalling he'd managed to lose them both.

He knocked again.

"Aravis?"

"Cor," came the sharp voice inside. "What do you want?"

"Listen, Aravis," he said. "I want to apologise for what I said earlier. I'm really sorry. There's no excuse."

Soft footsteps padded towards the door, like they didn't want to be heard. Cor waited a few seconds, but the door didn't open. Aravis wasn't ready to let him off the hook yet. He sighed.

"People do strange things when they are grieving," said Cor. "It's doing strange things to me, but I shouldn't have said what I said. Of course I don't blame you for Corin running away. I was being stupid. But I have to send a search party out. Not because I want to bring Corin home – he's a grown adult, he can do what he wants, but because I visited my father's grave this morning and I saw a vision of someone in the mountains. I think they were in danger."

The door clicked open and Aravis peered out, dark eyes guarded. Just seeing her made him feel lighter, but then he remembered what he was saying and his mood sank.

"A vision?" she said. "From Aslan."

"I don't know," said Cor. "But I saw someone in the mountains and Corin has gone missing. I'm worried it could be him."

The door opened wider.

"I didn't realise," said Aravis.

"I know," said Cor.

Aravis stepped closer and the skin on his arm nearest her began to burn.

"Have you sent out a search party?"

Cor nodded.

"I would go myself," he said. "But something else has come up."

"What?" said Aravis.

"That's partially why I came to talk to you," he said. "I want you to join my advisory council."

Aravis raised her eyebrows, but she didn't seem surprised.

"Well someone has to stop you making terrible decisions," she said, then smiled. "It would be an honour."

Cor let out a deep breath and slumped against the doorframe, half wishing it was her body.

"Thank you, Aravis."

She pursed her lips and studied his face, his drooping shoulders, his restless fingers that laced in and out of each other. In and out.

"Shasta," she said. "Are you alright?"

He ran his hand through his hair.

"Not really," he said. "I feel like I'm sinking."

Aravis leant against the wall next to him, her shoulder brushing his.

"At the risk of sounding sentimental," she said. "And I do try to avoid that whenever I can, you can use me as your driftwood."

Cor met her eyes – deep brown. The guardedness had evaporated. Aravis pretended to be tough. She wasn't. And Cor pretended to be competent. He wasn't. Six years of training and he still had no idea what he was doing, though at least now he could recite the last twenty Kings of Archenland by heart, which seemed like a less useful skill than weaving fishnets. He tried not to think about the adjustments that would soon have to be made to that list.

"Thank you, Aravis," he said. "Though I think you're going soft. You used to make me beg much harder for your forgiveness."

Aravis smiled and turned to face him. Hours could pass and he would never get bored of studying the spokes of brown and gold around her pupils. Sometimes he liked to think she was like the earth and he the sky.

"Now is not the time for games," she said quietly.

"No," said Cor, sliding his hand into hers and entwining their fingers.

She startled, but it wasn't like they'd never held hands before. Aravis had had a nightmare two years back when they'd been in the middle of the forest with his father's hunting party and Cor had been on watch.

He'd gone over to her and shaken her shoulder. Her eyes had flashed open, frantic, searching, darting around his face. Then she'd thrown her arms around him and nearly pulled him down on top of her, which he sort of didn't mind, though he was glad Corin hadn't been awake to see it.

She'd come to her senses fast enough though, and then she'd pushed him away, cheeks hot, muttering about lions and claws and thanking him profusely and by the lion, what was he doing in her bed? And then his cheeks were hot as he'd tried to explain she'd pulled him into it.

She hadn't believed him at first and when he'd finally convinced her, she had started laughing. He had rolled his eyes and got up to return to his post, but she'd caught his hand.

"Stay," she'd said quietly.

So he'd let her hold his hand for the rest of the night. And then she'd mocked him mercilessly the next day, which hardly seemed fair.

Well, maybe this time she wouldn't. He dared look up at her – her cheeks were pink and her palm moist. Corin's words echoed in his head, but Corin wasn't here. Corin had abandoned him. Aravis had not.

"A metaphor would have sufficed," said Aravis, voice flustered. Cor frowned and she held up their hands, still locked together. Her fingers were clasped around his, because no matter how strong she pretended to be, she needed comfort as well. "If you want me to hold your hand through all this becoming King stuff, you could have just said."

He studied her fingers and then before he could stop himself, he ran his thumb over her digits, once, twice. A sharp intake of breath and then she was disentangling herself, her palm sweaty.

"The council," she said, tugging at her hair with her free hand as though she were trying to think up an excuse. "When are we…?"

She was adorable when she was flustered, though she would hate being described that way. He should probably let go of her hand, but he didn't.

"Stay," he said quietly and her body stilled, lips pursed. "You owe me at least another minute. I held your hand all night."

She settled against the wall again.

"You're such a sap, Shasta," she said.

He shrugged.

"At least I'm not trying to pull you into my bed."

She blushed furiously and he smirked at her. For a brief moment, he could almost ignore the gnawing emptiness in his chest, but then his mirth faded.

"I'm not convinced that ever happened," said Aravis. "I don't remember it."

"You wouldn't," said Cor. "It's not convenient."

They locked eyes. For a heartbeat, then Cor pushed himself off from the wall and let go of her hand.

"We really do need to get down to the council," he said. "I left them in the middle of discussions."

Aravis nodded.

"Like I said – a sap."

But they're so cute ;) Who's with me?

Also, I'm aiming to update about once a month, but if you want to check when I'm scheduling the next one, you can check my profile or PM me :)