by Chloe Cullen
Thoren looked her up and down. “I’d say a lot longer than it should. Now get to it.”
As Thoren walked away, Cori threw up her hand in a rude gesture while his back was turned.
Cori sighed and tossed her gear down next to the bench seats that spanned one side of the hall. She looked around, hands on her hips. The hall was not small by any means. It was large enough to train over three-hundred Legion initiates at one time, and back before she had left, she used to run three laps every morning as a warmup for the stuff that she considered much more… fun. Like sparring, and knife throwing. Running, to Cori, was exceptionally boring.
With another dramatic sigh, Cori started a slow jog around the outskirts of the hall. At this time of the morning, there were Legionnaires scattered throughout – some on the training mats and throwing each other to the ground with low grunts and a few laughs, some in a cordoned off area specifically for weapons training, and some were running the perimeter just like Cori now was. She couldn’t help but scan the hall for signs of Trey, hoping to avoid his scorn for a while longer, and scolded herself for the thought. He wasn’t anywhere to be seen anyway.
Cori found her legs falling into a steady rhythm, and she concentrated on her breath as she ran.
After a few minutes, she passed by Thoren again, who sent her a mocking half grin as she jogged by, while he stood in front of a small group of initiates. Cori felt like sending him another rude gesture. Instead she split her lips into an equally mocking cheesy grin before continuing past him.
Almost every lap she ran, someone she had known would call out to her, say hello, tell her she was so welcome to be back, to be home. Cori felt comforted by their response, encouraged that some people did want her to be here, even if Ione and Trey didn’t.
By the end of the third lap, she could feel the sweat starting to trickle down her temple and back, but she didn’t slow, her legs and arms moving in a steady rhythm, her heart a consistent beat inside her chest.
As Cori started her twelfth lap, someone took up running next to her, and she looked sidelong to find someone else she hadn’t seen in a long time, Gryffin, who was now plodding along with her. She was so surprised she almost tripped over her feet, but luckily, she managed to remain composed and continue running in a straight line.
Yet another old friend saying hello, and one that she had used to know very well.
Gryffin, who had trained three years ahead of Thoren, had always had a soft spot for Cori during their years together. When he had become a trainer to Cori’s age group, she had found herself infatuated with him. He had always been handsome, with his jet-black hair and stark blue eyes. Then when he became one of her trainers and began showing off his skills… he had seemed more like a God to Cori than ever. Instead of her feet, it was Cori’s heart tripping over in her chest as she remembered those old feelings, which came rushing back in a tidal wave when she looked into those blue eyes.
Cori did everything she could to maintain her composure and grinned at him. “Hey, Gryffin.”
“Hey, back,” Gryffin said in between breaths, “it’s good to see you back in here.”
“Back in the Legion, or back in the training hall?”
Cori took her eyes off her path in time to catch his smile, and the way those eyes brightened at her.
“Both… you look good, Cori.”
She might have blushed had she not already been red in the face from her running. “As good as I can look while a certain someone enforces this hideous training session.”
Gryffin groaned sympathetically. “How long have you been at it?”
Cori rolled her eyes. “Thoren is trying to be my trainer - he told me to run twenty laps. I just hit number twelve.”
Gryffin laughed, and then he turned his head to scrutinize her, in the way she was running smoothly next to him. “You barely seem like you’ve been running at all.”
“Don’t touch my back, then, and you can keep thinking that,” Cori said with amusement, knowing that the back of her training shirt would be soaked through with sweat at this point. Cori could hear his laboured breathing, his steps faltering on the smooth floor beneath them. “Are you okay?”
Gryffin paused in his steps and Cori, who couldn’t stop otherwise she wouldn’t start again, began running in slow circles around him. Gryffin leaned over his legs, taking a few big breaths before grinning up at her.
“I’m fine – just had a patrolling shift for most of the night and I managed to pull a muscle in my leg chasing after this idiot. Turns out – running on it kind of hurts.”
Cori scoffed. “The person you chased wasn’t the only idiot then. Why are you in here running? Go rest.”
Gryffin winked at her. “Saw you running on my way past, just wanted to say hi.”
Cori shook her head, but laughed, and then completed one more circle around him before continuing to run on her usual path, heading away from him.
“The things you do to get a woman’s attention!” Cori called over her shoulder and felt herself smile at his low laugh.
“I’ll be seeing you!” he called after her, and she raised her hand in acknowledgment. He sure would be.
Cori finally finished her twentieth lap, and then walked one more as a cool down before stopping in front of Thoren, who stood, looking every bit like the stoic warrior that he was, with his hands crossed over his toned chest and watching the initiates practice-sparring with each other.
He glanced at her briefly before looking away again. “You did well, much quicker than I expected.”
She shrugged next to him; her eyes trained on the younger ones in front of them. “Thanks.”
“I see you managed to also get some social time in with your run,” Thoren said, his tone neutral.
She frowned, and then looked at him, though his expression hadn’t changed. “I guess so. Gryffin spotted me and came to say hello. We haven’t seen each other in over two years, is that a problem?”
Thoren took a moment to answer her, but when he did, she sensed that it was a problem, in the way his silver eyes seem to sharpen. “Of course not.”
Silence lapsed between them, and Cori, still frowning slightly, searched the room and spied a few more familiar faces who she wanted to catch up with.
“Alright, see you later,” Cori said, and began walking towards her bag on the other side of the hall.
“Where are you going? We’ve barely started.”
Cori stopped, and then spun back towards him slowly. “Well, I was planning to head for the targets, maybe get my aim back in.”
Thoren shook his head. “You can do that later – for now I want you to do some weights. You need to get some more muscle in your arms and legs.”
Cori made a face at him, before looking down at her legs, and then her arms. “I haven’t lost that much muscle.”
He just raised his brows at her, unconvinced.
Cori’s jaw jutted out, before she sighed and stalked off towards the weights, swearing to all the Gods that when she did manage to get to the targets later, she would be picturing Thoren’s head in the centre.
***
Thoren was more awful with her training session the next day, but she tried to bear it with minimal grumbling. By the time her muscles were aching, Thoren dragged Cori outside on what he told her was a day patrol, and much to his amusement it seemed, she was still throwing him frustrated glares and rubbing at the muscles in her arms by the time they were walking out through the Compound gates.
Truth be told, she didn’t seem to have lost much of her strength and endurance, but there was always more to gain. They could all become better, faster, stronger.
As they walked along High street, Cori began to notice the people teeming in crowds on the streets, and the little children running excitedly about. The merchants who had their wooden stalls along the streets edge were all in full sales mode due to the extra potential customers about.
Cori glanced at him. “Something is different about today.�
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Thoren nodded, and then smiled slightly. “I have a small surprise for you.”
“Oh?”
When he didn’t respond, she pressed on.
“Isn’t there a parade today?” Cori asked, having heard that detail floating around the Compound the past few days.
Thoren nodded. “Yup.”
“Well… what’s the surprise then?” Cori asked.
Thoren chuckled quietly. “Show a little patience, would you?”
When she sighed, he peered across at her and frowned at the expression on her face. “What’s wrong?”
Cori’s eyes flitted to his for a moment before they moved away just as quickly. “I just don’t much like surprises, that’s all.”
Thoren nudged her elbow with his. “You’ll like this one.”
They continued to make their way up High street with small spells of conversation, and as they neared the end of the road, they came closer to the gates of the Royal Palace. Cori watched in amusement as the richly dressed aristocrats milled about the square in front of the Palace, acting as though they too, were royalty.
They walked across the square towards the Palace gates. Shiny, golden bars, taller than the buildings of the Quarter, greeted them and they halted before the gates.
Cori paused with Thoren in front of the gates and looked over to him, excitement finally kindling within.
“We’re going in?”
Thoren sent her a half grin. “Only for a moment.”
That’s when the excited, high-pitched screeching started, and Cori couldn’t help but bounce on her toes like a little girl again, causing Thoren to laugh a deep, true laugh.
“Corisande!” Came the squeal from a smaller girl on the other side of the gates. “Oh, Cori!”
The gates had only just opened fully when a blur of bright pink flew through them, colliding with Cori, who caught the girl in the frilly dress with open arms, laughing with pure joy.
As soon as she heard her name, she had recognised the voice immediately, she would know it anywhere.
The Princess of Holmfirth now knelt with Cori on the stones in front of her Palace, as they laughed and held onto each other. The girl had a penchant for overly frilly and bright dresses, Cori’s hands touching some of the softest, and probably the pinkest, material available.
Cori pulled back from the girl, touched to see her eyes filled with tears. “You can’t be Princess Millisa – she was half your height!”
Millisa grinned widely at her, and Cori was stunned to see how much she had grown the past two years. The other girl had always been a sweet looking young child, with perfect brown wavy hair and large brown eyes. But the rounded cheeks Cori remembered had smoothed away, and she looked so… grown up, though Cori knew she would still only be fourteen years old.
“My mother says that I’ve grown three whole inches this past year – isn’t that great? I’m going to be as tall as you soon.” Millisa’s eyes sparkled with delight.
Cori laughed, a rekindling of the wealth of affection she’d had for the Princess. “Well, that won’t be too hard for you. I’m not very tall.”
She heard Thoren snort from behind her, and shot him a withering glare, though it was fuelled by amusement. It was true that she was shorter than most, considering herself average height compared to some of the taller warriors, but it sure hadn’t slowed Cori down at all.
Cori stood, bringing the Princess up with her by grabbing on to her hands, and wasn’t at all surprised to see that the top of her head came to Cori’s nose. Indeed, Millisa would outgrow her within the year.
Millisa squeezed Cori’s hand, and that sparkle in her eyes dimmed a little as she looked at Cori sadly. “I still can’t believe what happened, and then you left and I…” Millisa paused to take a small breath. “I missed you so much.”
Cori had been stationed at the Palace years before, and a lot of that role was to be with Millisa, her own personal sentinel. Often, Cori would take Millisa into the markets, or they would walk around the gardens, and even more often, they would sit around her rooms in the Palace, talking, laughing, and eating much too many sweets. The Princess had always had a sweet tooth.
Even though there would be four or five other Legionnaires shadowing their every movement, specifically whenever they left the Palace, it had been a large part of Cori’s role to just… be with the Princess, and Cori had loved every minute of it… Millisa had always been a bright, vibrant young girl with a kind and passionate heart.
Cori returned the gentle squeeze of her hand. “I missed you too Millie.” Cori leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I promise someday, I’ll explain to you why I needed to leave for a little while.”
Millisa nodded solemnly, and there was an understanding in her soft brown eyes that seemed much more mature than her age should merit.
“Is that really you, Corisande?” Came another voice, husky and feminine.
Cori started at the sight of the Queen in front of her, and immediately threw herself down into a low bow, and saw out of the corner of her eye that Thoren had done the same.
“My Queen,” Cori said respectfully, raising her eyes to the regal woman, though remained deep in her bow, “it is an honour to see you again.”
The Queen’s brown eyes sparkled with humour, so much like her daughters. “Please, Corisande, rise and give me a hug.”
Cori straightened, surprised to see the Queen open her arms wide, a welcoming smile on her face. She hadn’t been very close to the Queen before, and so she moved towards her with a touch of hesitation. But the Queen embraced her warmly and patted Cori on the back. When they pulled apart, she looked between Cori and her daughter.
“There has barely been a day that my daughter has not spoken of you, she is very fond of you, I hope you know.”
Cori smiled back at the Queen. “I’m very fond of her, too.”
Then Millisa took Cori’s hand again and gave it a small tug, before releasing her and running for a large, ornate carriage waiting for them. “Come on, or we’re going to be late for the parade!”
Cori watched as the Queen and Princess ascended into the carriage, and then beckoned for Cori to join them.
Thoren stood next to Cori, his lips twitching into a small smile. “Surprise.”
Cori shoved at him softly. “Oh shush.” She started moving towards the carriage, but stopped to turn back and face him. “Thank you – I like this surprise.”
Thoren just crossed his arms and watched her climb into the carriage with a faint smile on his lips.
As Cori sat next to the Princess, she now understood the excitable atmosphere gracing High Street, why the vendors were out in full spirit and the people that had begun to swarm the streets with energy. As the carriage started forwards, Cori turned behind her and watched Thoren momentarily who was speaking with another guard. Two other carriages followed close behind, and Thoren climbed into one of them, along with several other Legionnaires.
A royal parade occurred only a few times every year, and the people loved to get out and see the Royal Family, and more specifically… they loved the Princess. Millisa was a favourite among the people, and that hadn’t changed even a little over the past two years. If anything, they had come to love her more. Cori saw this as the carriage was led by four pure white horses down High Street and watched as the people cheered and raised their hands to wave at the Queen and her daughter.
With amusement, Cori sat by the Princess as she bounced from side to side of the carriage waving this way and that way, a wide grin plastered on her face.
“Father will be sad he missed this,” Millisa said to the Queen, who sat quiet and regal, waving politely at the crowds, “there’s so many who came out today!”
“Where is the King?” Cori asked.
The Queen smiled. “He has a great many things to be dealing with. I’m afraid his brother has turned sickly.”
Cori’s polite smile faded. “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Uncle
Jemmy will be fine though, won’t he?” Millisa asked, briefly ignoring the people calling out her name as they continued down the street.
“We can hope for the best and nothing more,” the Queen said, and Millisa gave a somber nod before turning back to the crowds and waving a little less enthusiastically than before.
Cori met the Queen’s gaze for a moment, and she could see there was a tiredness behind her brown eyes that she didn’t remember being there before. It was clear that the health of her brother-in-law was weighing on her family greatly, and Cori felt a sadness for her. She hadn’t had much to do with the King, even when she had worked at the Palace. But she had a deep respect for him. He had not been born into royalty. Rather, he had been a travelling performer when he met the Queen, and they fell in love. He quickly came to be one of the most beloved leaders in Holmfirth history with his knowledge of the lands coupled with his fair ruling. The King and Queen had experienced much suffering as a pair, losing a child many years ago. So, the beautiful young Princess sitting next to Cori was a miracle in the wake of such sorrow.
As the carriage started to near the end of the road close to the Legion gates, Cori turned her head to find Thoren’s eyes on hers from the carriage behind them. Cori sent him a grateful smile, and while he didn’t return it, his face softened and he gave her a small nod of his head before scanning the crowds, watching for any threats.
She watched him for a moment longer, wondering at the feeling of longing inside her for the friend she used to have. Trying her best to ignore it, Cori turned back and enjoyed the rest of the carriage ride with the Princess, who she was grateful to have seen even if it was only for a short while.
The carriage slowed next to the Compound gates and waiting at the entrance was the full Legion Five. They stood side by side, arms behind their backs and wearing their blue trimmed uniforms with pride.
The leader of the Five, Ione, had her nose up in the air, not even bothering to look remotely happy amidst the festivities or smile back at the Princess who was waving maniacally at the famous warriors.