soldier, poet, king || e. pevensie | slow updates

the soldier • 8

there will come a soldier, who carries a mighty sword. she will tear your city down, oh lei-oh lai-oh lord.

Coralia was running so fast through the woods she almost didn't notice the knight standing a few yards in front of her. She tried to turn and run past him, but she ended up slipping on some fallen leaves and crashing into him, taking them both down.

She scrambled up to run to the castle, but the knight grabbed her ankle and held her back. Coralia kicked him in the face and he let go. She ran again, but she was disoriented. She went in the direction she thought was correct, branches whipping against her face. She seemed to be getting deeper into the woods. It was getting dark. If she didn't find her way back now, she would be alone in the dark woods with the prize that hundreds of others were after. Not good.

She stopped for a moment to take in her surroundings. This was her first lesson from Sowdin. Know your surroundings and you'll always have the upper hand. She sheathed her sword and climbed the nearest tree. She scaled it easily and made it up as far as she dared, peeking above the trees. She had been going the opposite direction from the castle. Coralia sighed, then climbed down from the tree and headed back the other way.

Surprisingly, she didn't run into anyone else the whole way back. She almost collapsed when she broke through the tree line. Sprinting that far really tires you out. She had attached the crown to her belt. She'd had the good idea to not walk up to the rulers of Narnia wearing a crown. She hurried over as quickly as she could to Orieus, the general. Kneeling in a bow, she raised the crown to him.

He didn't say anything for a moment. She wondered if she'd get thrown out anyway, even after winning the second trial. Most people that made it this far would be getting into the army anyway, it was more of an attitude and loyalty thing at this point. She hadn't done too well in the attitude category.

Orieus gently took the crown out of her hands. "When everyone returns, we will address this. Go and rest."

Coralia had no idea if that meant address her dismissal or address her winning, but she was too tired to care. If she went home, she could go home without ever mentioning this again. She could see Dantus and her father and Sowdin. She would take over the pub one day and settle down to run it. She would get over the rejection.

But she didn't want to. She wanted this life. The life of fighting battles and following orders. Fighting for Narnia. If the way she looks is the only reason for dismissal, then it isn't her fault.

Coralia sat on a bench and tended to her cuts for the next hour, drowning in her thoughts. By then, almost everyone had returned from the woods. But that didn't include King Edmund.

He returned much after everyone else, carrying someone on his back. He called out for help. "I found him on the ground, unconscious and bleeding." He handed the male faun off to some of his guards for medical attention.

"When I find out who did this, be sure that you'll never set foot in Cair Paravel ever again." The young king's voice was calm, but so full of barely restrained rage. "You all knew the rules. We will pick who stays and who leaves tomorrow. Go to bed."

Everyone dragged themselves off to their rooms. Coralia and Dasia updated each other on what happened that night, and Dasia could hardly contain her pride. She was so excited for Coralia and kept assuring her that she'd be a general in no time. Coralia didn't know if she wanted to be a general. She liked the idea of fighting, not leading. Not that she'd even get the chance.

The next morning, after breakfast, everyone went down to meet King Edmund and Orieus.

"The injured faun from last night lives, and if anyone knows who did it, please come let me know as soon as possible. Now I want to announce our winner from last night."

Coralia was about to burst. She was ready to face the backlash from the other soldiers if it meant she got the recognition.

"Apachus the Centaur brought back my crown, safe and sound! He will be awarded with highest honors. Later."

Coralia's jaw dropped. Everyone was patting Apachus on his shoulders and back, congratulating him. He was grinning, knowing full well it wasn't him who won. Coralia looked over to Orieus, who was already looking at her. His face was without emotion. Why would he lie about it? Did he and King Edmund make this decision together or did Orieus not tell the King the truth?

"I will now read a list of names of those of you who will be leaving. You will go quietly and without a fight. We will call upon you to come back when we are in need of more soldiers, but we need to keep our army full of only the best." King Edmund took out a scroll and began reading names. He finished reading the list without mentioning Coralia's name. But then he glanced over at her. "And Coralia Findlay. That's all. Congratulations to everyone else. Those of you that are leaving may go get their belongings and leave now."

Coralia stood still. She had won the trial, secured her spot. Dasia muttered some words of sympathy, but Coralia couldn't even hear them. She was too busy staring at Orieus. He knew what he was doing. She muttered an 'excuse me' to Dasia and made her way through the crowd to Orieus.

"Excuse me, sir. I'd like a word," Coralia said bitterly.

"Anything."

"What the Hell was that? We both know I won that trial. Did you keep the information from His Majesty or did you both agree to just ignore the fact that I made it back with the crown and just dismiss me for looking differently than everyone else?"

"You may have won the trial, but the King doesn't need to know that. Not that he would believe it or let you stay anyway. You're leaving. Now. Do not bother coming back, Ettin."

Coralia was furious. She couldn't go straight to the King. That would seem like poor sportsmanship and complaining. She could never convince him that she won the trial.

She noticed Dasia going up to King Edmund. Coralia prayed she wouldn't do anything stupid. The King's face dropped, then twisted with rage. He stormed away from her. Coralia hurried over to Dasia to see what happened.

"I was friends with the faun who was hurt yesterday. His name was Vredack. I watched him get beat to near death last night."

"By who?" Coralia asked, taking Dasia's hand in her own."

"Apachus. The centaur."

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