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betustamorla · 9 months ago

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The Sun & the Lion

Cor had been fighting since he was strong enough to hold a sword, all his life had taken a clear purpose since he met that young prince more than twenty-five years ago. His life, his death, it all belongs to the Kingdom of Lucis and serving the Caelum family… His life had been a constant of fighting in the war against Niflheim, so much that he had never had time to think beyond surviving and protecting, nor what his life could be beyond that. And perhaps that’s why a young princess had started to affect him so much. Because she wanted him to see more than a lifetime in battle, and she wanted to be with him through it.

So now it was his fault that she was again hurt by his rejection. He had let his guard down and had let her hope he might finally reciprocate her feelings grow. So they had fought the night prior, and this time he just couldn't put it out of his mind for the rest of the night.

They had been walking back from the King’s study after one last follow-up of the Verstael incident under Insomnia. It was coincidental they were taking the same way, as both of them were planning to go back to their respective offices to leave or read more reports and Cor just hoped it would pass without any exchange because nowadays he was starting to get troubled over what her words might cause on him or the other way around. But as it was, the Princess was as troublesome as usual, and as they were about to part ways the Princess had stopped him.

“Did you have dinner?” She asked.

Cor shook his head, he wasn’t even planning to eat anything one way or the other as he’d had a late lunch.

Still, she tentatively asked him to go get something to eat with her. The expectation in her eyes almost made him agree, but he caught himself and reprimanded his carelessness, remembering the girl had feelings for him—

“I’ll pass, Princess.” He said and turned to leave.

An exasperated sigh behind him told Cor this wasn’t over. Following footsteps and a hand on his arm stopped him again.

“You should take care, Marshal. Not long ago you were in a hospital bed, even if you don’t feel like eating, you still should. At least something light.”

Her soft tone made him look straight into her eyes, which were filled with concern and care. Cor didn’t say anything until, as always, she couldn’t stand his gaze and looked away, then released his arm. He wasn’t sure what she saw in his eyes as she could never hold his gaze for too long, even if she could for the likes of enemies or foreign governance.

“Don’t worry about me, Princess. Take care of your own health.” And maybe it came a bit too cold, too harsh. Because Aelia pursed her lips downwards and she seemed to become smaller, but as soon as it came it was gone. She smiled, an honest smile if a bit pained.

“I can’t help but worry about you. You know that I l—”

He stopped her before she could finish it, “And you know that I think it’s a waste of your time. You’re just hurting yourself.”

Maybe there was a better way to say this, but he had never been good with words or coating things up, life was too short to waste in useless cajolery. Something the Princess had become very good at. And yet, the look of hurt in her eyes was as sharp as when she had half of her arm charred and burned.

"Stop! Stop saying loving you is bad for me! For it is not," Aelia's eyes fired up, "How could it be wrong, or bad to love someone who loves our people, who put his life on the line to protect the innocent, who has fought all his life to fight for those who cannot fight? How could it be bad for me, to want to give happiness, to give my life to someone like that?"

Cor clenched his teeth, damn the stubborn girl! And more damned his heart that quickened at those words.

"I've been fighting for and serving your father since before you were born, surely you must see what's wrong there." Cor managed to say callously, but his mind and feelings were very messy.

"To hell with that! I don't care about it!" Aelia snapped back at him.

"But I do. And even if I didn't, it still wouldn't change anything. I'm a soldier, Princess, I am the kind of man who has taken away countless lives, the one who participates in the one thing you hate above all. And I'm most likely to end up dying at any moment in service of the King." He answered dryly, this much she ought to understand.

Cor saw her countenance grow more flustered and her eyes narrowed angrily, "At least just say you simply don't love me. You don't need to feel guilty for not returning my stupid feelings!" Aelia then paused and took a sharp breath. Her anger dissipated, then turned her eyes to the side, she couldn't bear to look at him any longer. "It was my mistake talking about this again… just forget it." She finished and turned away.

#ff15 #ffxv fanfic #ffxv #cor leonis #cor leonis x ofc #ffxv noctis #noctis lucis caelum #regis lucis caelum #older man younger woman #unrequited love #drama #short novel #final fantasy xv #final fantasy 15

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betustamorla · 10 months ago

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The Sun and the Lion

Aelia was sitting by the window watching the snow fall, a book forgotten in her lap. Nyx and Crow were playing cards in a corner near the door of the room. The clock struck the twelfth hour of the night, Cor finished polishing his swords after sharpening them and sheathed them again. There was a strong fire burning in the fireplace, which for Cor and he knew for the Glaives as well was unnecessary as they already were accustomed to the cold from the times fighting in such weather and even colder, but the Princess wasn’t, hence the fire.

“Do you really think they are going to try something?” Crow asked, throwing her cards on the table after winning for the fifth time in a row.

“If they are, they are taking their damn long time,” Nyx said stretching and yawning, losing was entertaining just for so long.

“Maybe I was overthinking it,” Aelia said from the window. “But their ‘change of heart’ was too obvious, showing they actually didn’t plan to cooperate from the beginning. They don’t want to be part of the new Empire, yet they don’t want our help either when their people already do.”

“They know you want them out of their position as bad as the new Empress,” Cor said. “They were hoping to win time in case Verstael manages to make a strong enough comeback.”

“Which he won’t,” Nyx added and started to shuffle the cards again. Then he froze and turned sharply towards the window as he reached for his kukri.

“Princess! Move!” Nyx shouted and it was a good thing Cor had been just besides Aelia, because he reacted as soon the Glaive had reached for his kukri and shoved the Princess down.

The window shattered and shards flew all over the room, the lights were cut out, and only the fireplace shed illumination into what was happening. Several bodies had entered the room through the windows, bodies that had no business being so far east. Magiteck soldiers.

Cor had expected something to happen, but the puppets of Verstael had been the last he expected, much less that Glauca was there as well. The armour of the general was reflecting the dancing flames, both from the fireplace and from the Glaives who hadn’t wasted their time. Fire was always a good cover to blind your enemies, Cor didn’t waste time and unsheathed his first katana. Just in time to block the advancing general, the hit made his teeth clench and his bones complain. Whatever powered up that thing was no joke, even if it wasn’t the first time fighting him, Cor still wished he had more than two Glaives at hand as reinforcement.

Glauca pushed down his great sword and Cor used his momentum to throw him to one side, he staggered but not enough. Glauca’s backhanded him and it smashed against his shoulder, it threw him against the wall leaving him momentarily stunned. But he moved it time to avoid being run through, the sword of Glauca stuck slightly into the wall and it was good that Nyx had finished with the Magiteck soldiers for the moment, because he sent a wave of ice magic to secure the great sword into the wall, at least for the time being.

Cor’s job wasn’t to take down Glauca, it was to make sure the Princess was safe, so he turned to search for her in the room. She was behind Crow, a rifle on hand and shooting whoever wasn’t already being taken care of by her bodyguards. But in that moment Glauca did what they weren’t expecting, he forgo his sword and just as Cor had found the Princess so did he. Then he jumped against the Glaive guarding her and barrelled her against the floor, knocking her unconscious as she hadn’t been fast enough to react and pull a shield to protect herself.

Aelia gasped at the massive General now standing in front of her, Cor cursed and jumped over the bed just as Nyx’s kukri flew against the wall behind the Princess and he warped. Glauca already had grasped the Princess by the neck but after a well-placed kick to his own neck by Nyx he was forced to release her. Cor lost no time and slashed with all his strength at the arm of the General, he felt metal screeching against each other then give way and he knew he had succeeded to at least scratch the skin under the armour.

Incensed, Glauca stepped back and a stand still fell between the four standing individuals in the room. The Princess was stooped besides Crow trying to shake her awake, Aelia was holding her neck out of pain or shock for being seized from there he didn’t know. Either way this didn’t paint well, they were down one man and someone had to take the Princess away to their safe-house were more Glaives and Crownsguards where awaiting to be called when they were needed, but most likely they were already on the move.

Time moved again and Glauca jumped back for his sword, Nyx warped there faster and shocked him with some lightning before trying to stab him were Cor had nicked the armour. Cor meanwhile moved to the Princess and pulled her to her feet as she crushed a Potion over Crow, who almost immediately came awake, and he just hoped it wouldn’t tax Aelia too much the use of it. Meanwhile Nyx succeeded in stabbing the General and a guttural scream of pain resounded in the closed walls, then Nyx was thrusted violently outside from one of the still-standing windows.

Cor was sure he would survive just fine the fall from the third story fall, but it wouldn’t be so soon he would re-join the fight as he had taken a glimpse from outside and there were more Magiteck troops outside, besides some heavy looking vehicles. But the Hero had purchased enough time for his fellow Glaive to stand again.

“Ah! Hell, this is going to shit very quickly!” Crow muttered while summoning a quite impressive burst of lightning, much powerful than Nyx’s last one. They didn’t waste time after Glauca was staggered and Crow pulled the Princess out and down the corridor of the Castle, Cor took the rear knowing it would be seconds before he had to turn around and make time for the Princess and her escort.

Just so, the wall between him and the Princess broke apart and Glauca jumped from between the flying debris. Cor made a fast slash targeting the wounded arm of the General, which he was forced to defend and thus making sure he didn’t reach for the Princess again. Because now he was sure he wasn’t trying to kill the Princess but take her alive, if not he would have already harmed her much more than taking her by the neck. That gave them a slight advantage.

Cor remembered that battle against Glauca being one of the most hard-hitting of his life, even with a wounded arm, he still had managed to best him by brute strength the armour provided and shoved him through the ground of the castle to the floor behind. He didn’t remember how many ribs he had broken, but it were enough for him to pass out immediately and wake who knows how long after and making his way out of the castle trying to catch up with the Princess and Crow to make sure they had managed to avoid Glauca. After ten minutes or so to fight through Magiteck soldiers he made it outside where he watched thin unnatural tornados of fire some distance away. He knew immediately that they hadn’t escaped Glauca and Crow was giving her all to protect the Princess.

Cor ran as fast as his broken ribs allowed him, making his way through the ruins of the east of Riflhum wasn’t easy, but the marvels of elemental magic guided him well enough for him to find the place where the battle had happened. Since everything had turned dark and quiet not long before he found the place, he had feared the worst until he heard Aelia scream. It was half fear, half anger, and he rushed to see her struggling and kicking to get away from the armoured general. They were fifteen meters away, and the humming sound of a shuttle was getting near, Cor looked up and sure enough it was closing it very quickly. He wouldn’t make it, it didn’t matter how fast he ran.

Glauca pulled the Princess onto his shoulder, he was making ready to jump to the opening hatch of the shuttle.

“Princess!” He screamed. She heard him and looked at him.

“Cor!” She reached towards him, as if that could make a difference. Then a light shone in her hand. She was summoning a weapon. For what? She wouldn’t be able to stab and make Glauca release her. But no. She was throwing the dagger at him, she was trying to warp and he clasped the flying weapon easily by its guard. He knew it was a low chance she would manage it, she hadn’t been able to train at it for her incapacity of magic use and it required focus and practice.

But before he started to think how they would pursue the shuttle before it went too far west, she disappeared from Glauca’s shoulder as he jumped towards the ship. And Cor didn’t have time to brace himself properly for the impact of her body against him. Some wind was knocked out of him from catching her in his arms and his broken ribs definitely didn’t appreciate it, but she had made it.

“I did it!” She said relieved then fainted immediately after.

Cor’s relief at having her far from the ship was soon replaced by severity of the situation when Glauca jumped down again from the shuttle.

If he hadn’t been able to defeat him when his ribs weren’t shattered, what chances did he have now with an unconscious Princess to look after?

He put her down gently and took what would probably be his last stance, it seems they finally could take away his Immortal nickname Cor thought in some amusement. Now he only needed to buy enough time for reinforcements to arrive, as he was sure he wasn’t the only one that had seen the light show put up by Crow.

Glauca charged at him and just then another light from a warping Glaive appeared and Nyx was there again. Cor blew out a mix of laughter and a sigh.

“The Hero of the Kingsglaives indeed.” He muttered.

They didn’t have to fight long before he decided to retreat as he had been informed Lucis reinforcements were close by. He had been relieved, not for the first time he was ready to make his last run and again not for the first time had he been saved by his comrades. If he was the Immortal it had more to do with the help from his alleys than anything else, well, and a good deal of luck.

Afterwards they had gone to the safe-house, Crow hadn’t been seriously injured so no lives had been lost, unless of course, the Magiteck were counted. And just at midday of the next day the Princess had woken up. Cor hadn’t know the details of her magic limitations back then, only that it taxed her greatly to use it.

“Up already?” Cor asked dubiously as she was looking sickly pale. Monica was helping her to a chair.

“Some elders of Disera asked to meet me.” She said rubbing her temples.

So headaches and exhaustion was part of the weakness after using just a small amount of magic, Cor noted to himself.

“I trust they aren’t related to the Governors of the Castle of Hart.”

“No, they’re not. They are representatives from Halima, Feral and Caloris. They were meant to be at the talks yesterday and that the supposed unanimous voice of actions were only the Governors from Riflhum was a lie. They were made to believe the talks were today, so they wouldn’t get in the way.” Aelia sighed exasperated. “What a damned mess.” She muttered after a pause.

“You could just make them wait or leave them for the Empress to deal with them.” Cor pointed out.

“Yes, I could. But then the only chance of regaining the independence of Disera would be lost forever. As much as an improvement Aranea Highwind is from Aldercap, she would be stupid to let Disera go if she can help it. They are the highest grain production region that the Empire acquired in the past.” Aelia said and took thankfully a cup of tea from Monica.

“Won’t you try to eat something now?” Monica asked a little worried.

“No, I don’t want to take the chance to throw it up later.” The Princess grimaced.

“Still, it’s won’t hurt them to stay part of the New Empire.” Cor continued their talk as if it hadn’t paused.

“I know you know better the mettle of their new Empress and that she would treat Disera fairly. But the talks and agreements were almost settled and you saw how the people where hopeful about it.”

Yes, Cor remembered she had asked to sneak around the city for a little while before the talk. He had let her, as she had disguised easily as a citizen of Riflhum and he had heard the sincerity in people’s words and hopes.

“We can’t let the innocent suffer from the mistakes of a few.” She said looking out the window into the clear midday light.

It had been then that he had stopped to think of her as a child, he knew she was just one more of the ones that left the carelessness and childish mind-set of the world behind. Even if she still had many things to learn, she wasn’t searching for her own pleasures and entertainment, she was searching to help people. In some ways, even he had more freedom when he had been her age, he had travelled around with his friends, his brothers and joking from time to time when they weren’t fighting. Cor knew she had passed from trying to fill her mother’s place for Noctis to dive completely into the disgusting and annoying world of politics to help her father. The most fun she seemed to have had been at the times in their trips when she sneaked out in disguise and just walked around, eating and buying trinkets for her father and brother. But nowadays she couldn’t even do that, the scar on her face too easy to recognize and hard to hide…

Cor clenched the Bahamut medallion. If only she had hurdled towards him rather than to a damned exploding ship like she did when Glauca was about to take her away… He sighed, it didn’t help him get his bad mood under control if he thought of that. So he didn’t and put again the charm into the inner-pocket of his jacket.

“Why did you throw the dagger at me?” Cor asked now that they were safely on the ship back to Lucis.

They were at the deck watching the setting sun, Nyx and Crow were again playing cards with other Glaives on their back, their bickering mixing with the sound of the waves against the hull.

Aelia lifted her head from the book she had been reading. “Oh.” She frowned. “I’m not sure.”

Cor stared blankly at her and she laughed.

“I think it’s because I wasn’t thinking clearly and suddenly remembered what Nyx told me about warping effectively. You have to make your mind jump before your body, so your body can follow were your mind goes, so the easiest way to do that is to want to reach the place you throw your weapon at as soon as possible. So knowing you would be at the end of the trip helped me focus way better that a random place of dirt.”

“I’m honored to be preferred over random dirt.” He couldn’t help but smile faintly at her explanation. She trusted him to protect her in any situation, didn’t she? It was a little naïve of her, he was just human after all.

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#ffxv fanfic #ff15 #final fantasy xv #final fantasy 15 #cor leonis #ofc #cor leonis x ofc #kingsglaive #nyx ulric #crow altius

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