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edenfallingThe Courting Dance: Marriage is a bit more complicated than quarreling and making it up again, especially for the crown prince of Archenland and an exiled Calormene Tarkheena. Aravis/Cor, 21,100 words, Feb. 2010-Aug. 2016.
I started writing "The Courting Dance" somewhat by accident. Back in 2010, I wrote a little 15-minute ficlet about Aravis prodding Cor into making a move in a Calormene-style courtship. A couple days later, in response torthstewart's encouragement, I wrote a sequel from Hwin's POV. Then I admitted that I'd been ambushed by yet another chaptered story. *headdesk*
The narrative arc is relatively jumpy, which is a side-effect of the way the POV switches every chapter. There is a LOT of world-building -- this story is equal parts romance and meta on Archenland and its fraught history with Calormen. And my writing pace is, as always, the next best thing to glacial. But I have an outline of sorts -- my current estimate calls for 15 chapters altogether -- and I will finish this sooner or later.
ETA, 15 August 2016: It definitely ended up 'later' rather than 'sooner' and only 13 chapters rather than 15, but thanks to the 2016 WIP Big Bang challenge, I got there in the end!
---------------------------------------------
The Courting Dance - Table of Contents
---------------------------------------------
Chapter 1: Mother of Exiles (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Aravis has made her home in Archenland, but she is still Calormene by birth and culture. She hopes Cor is too. [1,175 words, 2/15/2010]
Chapter 2: Which Give Value to Survival (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Aravis and Cor want to be together; Lune is less than enthusiastic. Fortunately, Aravis has a friend. [1,575 words, 2/17/2010]
Chapter 3: Speak Softly (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Lune loves his sons and wishes for their happiness. Unfortunately, a king cannot put himself before his country. [1,400 words, 3/6/2010]
Chapter 4: The Law That Makes Him King (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Sometimes Cor feels as though he's fallen through a mirror into a world where everything is backwards and all the people around him insist he's the one who's crazy. [2,000 words, 6/6/2010]
Chapter 5: Mending Wall (AO3 version; ff.net version) - They have the same blood, same face, same home. So why can't Corin make Cor understand what it means to inherit Archenland? [1,900 words, 2/14/2011]
Chapter 6: You Can Choose Your Friends (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Cor is Bree's boy and has been since Bree stole him from Calormen. Of course Bree will help him and Aravis run away again. [1,700 words, 8/17/2011]
Chapter 7: The Beating of Our Hearts (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Running from your problems is rarely a good long-term solution, but sometimes the change in environment can be helpful -- especially now that Aravis and Cor are on the same page. [1,600 words, 8/29/2011]
Chapter 8: Simple Problems (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Politics intrudes on romance, but Hwin knows that as long as her friends work together, they can overcome any obstacle. [1,475 words, 11/16/2012]
Chapter 9: Make Good Neighbors (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Narnia is both sister and friend to Archenland. Peridan intends to remind the Archens what that means. [1,775 words, 8/15/2016]
Chapter 10: Correspondence (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Wherein two ladies of the Narnian court exchange a series of letters discussing recent events and future expectations. [1,650 words, 8/15/2016]
Chapter 11: Close Counsel (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Upon receiving formal notice of the planned Great Council session, Cor and Aravis steal an evening to themselves... for planning and for other things. [1,700 words, 8/15/2016]
Chapter 12: Pomp and Circumstance (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Bree finds human politics and diplomacy deeply silly, but if Cor wants to return to Anvard and face the Great Council, he'll support his boy all the way. [1,675 words, 8/15/2016]
Chapter 13: With a Torch, Whose Flame (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Aravis and Cor have made their home in Archenland, but they are still Calormene by birth and culture. They are also Archen. And there is no contradiction in those truths. [1,475 words, 8/15/2016]
---------------
Oh look, it's another fit of internet housekeeping! *sigh* This post will update as I write the rest of the story.
I started writing "The Courting Dance" somewhat by accident. Back in 2010, I wrote a little 15-minute ficlet about Aravis prodding Cor into making a move in a Calormene-style courtship. A couple days later, in response to
rthstewart's encouragement, I wrote a sequel from Hwin's POV. Then I admitted that I'd been ambushed by yet another chaptered story. *headdesk*The narrative arc is relatively jumpy, which is a side-effect of the way the POV switches every chapter. There is a LOT of world-building -- this story is equal parts romance and meta on Archenland and its fraught history with Calormen. And my writing pace is, as always, the next best thing to glacial. But I have an outline of sorts -- my current estimate calls for 15 chapters altogether -- and I will finish this sooner or later.
ETA, 15 August 2016: It definitely ended up 'later' rather than 'sooner' and only 13 chapters rather than 15, but thanks to the 2016 WIP Big Bang challenge, I got there in the end!
---------------------------------------------
The Courting Dance - Table of Contents
---------------------------------------------
Chapter 1: Mother of Exiles (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Aravis has made her home in Archenland, but she is still Calormene by birth and culture. She hopes Cor is too. [1,175 words, 2/15/2010]
Chapter 2: Which Give Value to Survival (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Aravis and Cor want to be together; Lune is less than enthusiastic. Fortunately, Aravis has a friend. [1,575 words, 2/17/2010]
Chapter 3: Speak Softly (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Lune loves his sons and wishes for their happiness. Unfortunately, a king cannot put himself before his country. [1,400 words, 3/6/2010]
Chapter 4: The Law That Makes Him King (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Sometimes Cor feels as though he's fallen through a mirror into a world where everything is backwards and all the people around him insist he's the one who's crazy. [2,000 words, 6/6/2010]
Chapter 5: Mending Wall (AO3 version; ff.net version) - They have the same blood, same face, same home. So why can't Corin make Cor understand what it means to inherit Archenland? [1,900 words, 2/14/2011]
Chapter 6: You Can Choose Your Friends (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Cor is Bree's boy and has been since Bree stole him from Calormen. Of course Bree will help him and Aravis run away again. [1,700 words, 8/17/2011]
Chapter 7: The Beating of Our Hearts (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Running from your problems is rarely a good long-term solution, but sometimes the change in environment can be helpful -- especially now that Aravis and Cor are on the same page. [1,600 words, 8/29/2011]
Chapter 8: Simple Problems (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Politics intrudes on romance, but Hwin knows that as long as her friends work together, they can overcome any obstacle. [1,475 words, 11/16/2012]
Chapter 9: Make Good Neighbors (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Narnia is both sister and friend to Archenland. Peridan intends to remind the Archens what that means. [1,775 words, 8/15/2016]
Chapter 10: Correspondence (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Wherein two ladies of the Narnian court exchange a series of letters discussing recent events and future expectations. [1,650 words, 8/15/2016]
Chapter 11: Close Counsel (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Upon receiving formal notice of the planned Great Council session, Cor and Aravis steal an evening to themselves... for planning and for other things. [1,700 words, 8/15/2016]
Chapter 12: Pomp and Circumstance (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Bree finds human politics and diplomacy deeply silly, but if Cor wants to return to Anvard and face the Great Council, he'll support his boy all the way. [1,675 words, 8/15/2016]
Chapter 13: With a Torch, Whose Flame (AO3 version; ff.net version) - Aravis and Cor have made their home in Archenland, but they are still Calormene by birth and culture. They are also Archen. And there is no contradiction in those truths. [1,475 words, 8/15/2016]
---------------
Oh look, it's another fit of internet housekeeping! *sigh* This post will update as I write the rest of the story.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-05 02:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-05 03:18 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-05 03:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-05 03:10 pm (UTC)Alas, it was not meant to be. But looking over your chapter titles, it feels like I might have missed a chapter at some point, but it could just be that I read as you post them and I just don't remember it all. Perhaps a re-read is in order. :-)
(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-05 04:08 pm (UTC)