Tolerate My Love - Cor and Aravis

Here, There and Everywhere

Tolerate My Love

By: Kylie Andal and Lana Fučkar

Chapter 1

Cor twirls the fringe on his shirt as he daydreams, blocking out the voices of his advisors. All that these boring meetings consisted of were establishing peace, maintaining the economy, alliances and threats, and plenty more boring topics. Cor had no interest in the constant politics that stemmed from the court meetings. He wanted to be that boy who just discovered freedom for the first time again. He wanted to run wild and have no worries. Instead, here he was, like a fly in a spider's web, trapped, forever tied to the duties of his new title. Being a prince was never as demanding as it is now. Now that the Narnian royals have disappeared and the world is in a state of panic. Now that there are new colonizers in Narnia. New humans.

"We need to establish alliances." Sapien speaks, his words drowned out by the loud echo of his four pacing hooves on the castle floor. Here we go again.

"These people are demonstrating means of hostility. We need to build a sense of understanding. They need to know who we are. Who Cor is." Cor glances up at the mention of his name. He notices Ferox shaking his head at Sapien. Ferox, a newcomer to the court, is a hybrid of the satyr and faun species, known for proving unwavering loyalty after the Tashbaan and Archenland conflict. Acknowledging Ferox's dedication, King Lune, Cor's long-lost father and king of Archenland, gave Ferox the title of lord so he could serve in the court with Cor and all of Cor's advisors.

"Which is why we show this through an army." Ferox raises his voice. Sapien groans. "We build an army, they back off. If we intimidate them, they have no chance of becoming a threat." Ferox remains seated, looking up at Sapien. The others in the court look around, awaiting a reply.

"If we build an army, they will only see this as a threat and not a means of safety. They will, over time, rebel. While that may be the temporary fix, it will only develop into bigger problems for our future and the future generations after us. We must think of our future as well as our present. Be wise, Ferox." Sapien speaks in a calm tone, trying to plead his case and get the other advisors on board.

"We need to act now and think later. We can always fix it after we settle this situation. We have a small amount of time to act. These people are impulsive." Cor rolls his eyes and leans back in his chair. They have been discussing this matter for weeks. It is always the same point going back and forth across the table. Cor looks through the window past Ferox's head, not being able to spend another moment listening to this dispute.

"How can you know that? We have yet to meet a single colonizer." Sapien approaches the table and grabs a hold of a chalice of wine. He tips the cup back and sips before Ferox can respond.

"Invaders. Not colonizers. Invaders." Sapien breathes deeply, obviously repulsed by Ferox's claim. Reuel, a human Overseer of the court, finally speaks.

"What we consider them does not matter. That is not for us to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." The others nod in agreement. Cor does not notice. His eyes are watching the outside world through the window in front of him. He watches the wind push the golden leaves into the nearby creek. Cor smiles as he remembers the creek very vividly.

~~~~~~~~memory~~~~~~~~

Within Cor's first few weeks at the castle, he made it his mission to explore the entire castle and the land between the castle and the kingdom's walls. While some days found him wandering in solitude, more often than not, Aravis accompanied him. Cor expected her to run the opposite direction as soon as they entered Archenland's borders, anticipating her desire for freedom. He never would have thought that she would find him wandering the castle on a random day and join him on his adventure. Little did Cor know, this was only one of the many adventures he would go on with Aravis.