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aravis undid the door and opened it； drawing back a little way to let the strangers in。
two soldiers with halberds came first and took their stand at each side of the entry。 then followed a herald； and the trumpeter。
〃his royal highness prince cor of archenland desires an audience of the lady aravis；”
said the herald。 then he and the trumpeter drew aside and bowed and the soldiers saluted and the prince himself came in。 all his attendants withdrew and closed the gate behind them。
the prince bowed； and a very clumsy bow for a prince it was。 aravis curtsied in the calormene style （which is not at all like ours） and did it very well because； of course； she had been taught how。 then she looked up and saw what sort of person this prince was。
she saw a mere boy。 he was bare…headed and his fair hair was encircled with a very thin band of gold； hardly thicker than a wire。 his upper tunic was of white cambric； as fine as a handkerchief； so that the bright red tunic beneath it showed through。 his left hand； which rested on his enamelled sword hilt； was bandaged。
aravis looked twice at his face before she gasped and said； 〃why！ its shasta！”
shasta all at once turned very red and began speaking very quickly。 〃look here； aravis；”
he said； 〃i do hope you wont think im got up like this （and the trumpeter and all） to try to impress you or make out that im different or any rot of that sort。 because id far rather have e in my old clothes； but theyre burnt now； and my father said …”
〃your father？〃 said aravis。
〃apparently king lune is my father；〃 said shasta。 〃i might really have guessed it。 corin being so like me。 we were twins； you see。 oh； and my name isnt shasta； its cor。”
〃cor is a nicer name than shasta；〃 said aravis。
〃brothers names run like that in archenland；〃 said shasta （or prince cor as we must now call him）。 〃like dar and darrin； cole and colin and so on。”
〃shasta … i mean cor；〃 said aravis。 〃no； shut up。 theres something ive got to say at once。 im sorry ive been such a pig。 but i did change before i knew you were a prince； honestly i did： when you went back； and faced the lion。”
〃it wasnt really going to kill you at all； that lion；〃 said cor。
〃i know；〃 said aravis； nodding。 both were still and solemn for a moment as each saw that the other knew about aslan。
suddenly aravis remembered cors bandaged hand。 〃i say！〃 she cried； 〃i forgot！ youve been in a battle。 is that a wound？”
〃a mere scratch；〃 said cor； using for the first time a rather lordly tone。 but a moment later he burst out laughing and said； 〃if you want to know the truth； it isnt a proper wound at all。 i only took the skin off my knuckles just as any clumsy fool might do without going near a battle。”
〃still you were in the battle；〃 said aravis。 〃it must have been wonderful。”
〃it wasnt at all like what i thought；〃 said cor。
〃but sha … cor； i mean … you havent told me anything yet about king lune and how he found out who you were。”
〃well； lets sit down；〃 said cor。 〃for its rather a long story。 and by the way； fathers an absolute brick。 id be just as pleased … or very nearly … at finding hes my father even if he wasnt a king。 even though education and all sorts of horrible things are going to happen to me。 but you want the story。 well； corin and i were twins。 and about a week after we were both born； apparently； they took us to a wise old centaur in narnia to be blessed or something。 now this centaur was a prophet as a good many centaurs are。 perhaps you havent seen any centaurs yet？ there were some in the battle yesterday。 most remarkable people； but i cant say i feel quite at home with them yet。 i say； aravis； there are going to be a lot of things to get used to in these northern countries。”
〃yes； there are；〃 said aravis。 〃but get on with the story。”
〃well； as soon as he saw corin and me； it seems this centaur looked at me and said； a day will e when that boy will save archenland from the deadliest danger in which ever she lay。 so of course my father and mother were very pleased。 but there was someone present who wasnt。 this was a chap called the lord bar who had been fathers lord chancellor。 and apparently hed done something wrong … bezzling or some word like that … i didnt understand that part very well … and father had had to dismiss him。 but nothing else was done to him and he was allowed to go on living in archenland。 but he must have been as bad as he could be； for it came out afterwards he had been in the pay of the tisroc and had sent a lot of secret information to tashbaan。 so as soon as he heard i was going to save archenland from a great danger he decided i must be put out of the
way。 well； he succeeded in kidnapping me （i dont exactly know how） and rode away down the winding arrow to the coast。 hed had everything prepared and there was a ship manned with his own followers lying ready for him and he put out to sea with me on board。 but father got wind of it； though not quite in time； and was after him as quickly as he could。 the lord bar was already at sea when father reached the coast； but not out of sight。 and father was embarked in one of his own warships within twenty minutes。
〃it must have been a wonderful chase。 they were six days following bars galleon and brought her to battle on the seventh。 it was a great sea…fight （i heard a lot about it yesterday evening） from ten oclock in the morning till sunset。 our people took the ship in the end。 but i wasnt there。 the lord bar himself had been killed in the battle。 but one of his men said that； early that morning； as soon as he saw he was certain to be overhauled； bar had given me to one of his knights and sent us both away in the ships boat。 and that boat was never seen again。 but of course that was the same boat that aslan （he seems to be at the back of all the stories） pushed ashore at the right place for arsheesh to pick me up。 i wish i knew that knights name； for he must have kept me alive and starved himself to do it。”
〃i suppose aslan would say that was part of someone elses story；〃 said aravis。
〃i was forgetting that；〃 said cor。
〃and i wonder how the prophecy will work out；〃 said aravis； 〃and what the great danger is that youre to save archenland from。”
〃well；〃 said cor rather awkwardly； 〃they seem to think ive done it already。”
aravis clapped her hands。 〃why； of course！〃 she said。 〃how stupid i am。 and how wonderful！ archenland can never be in much greater danger than it was when rabadash had crossed the arrow with his two hundred horse and you hadnt yet got through with your message。 dont you feel proud？”
〃i think i feel a bit scared；〃 said cor。
〃and youll be living at anvard now；〃 said aravis rather wistfully。
〃oh！〃 said cor； 〃id nearly forgotten what i came about。 father wants you to e and live with us。 he says theres been no lady in the court （they call it the court； i dont know why） since mother died。 do； aravis。 youll like father … and corin。 theyre not like me； theyve been properly brought up。 you neednt be afraid that …”
〃oh stop it；〃 said aravis； 〃or well have a real fight。 of course ill e。”
〃now lets go a