Visiting Cora

[Palladium]

OOC: This takes place a few days after the Valentine's Day dance/after Palladium kissed Cora while accidentally calling her Flora/after Flora escapes Darkar's control

"Excuse me," Palladium said politely as he rested his clasped hands on the hotel's front desk. As the receptionist glanced up from her computer, Palladium asked nervously, "I am here to see Ms. Cora Tselios; could you tell me what room she is in? She's expecting me."

"One moment, please," the receptionist replied as she ran a computer search on the hotel's database of current guests. "Ah, yes, here she is. However, we at Magix Regency Hotel have a policy that we do not give out our guests' room numbers without their express consent. But let me call her room and ask if you may go up." Picking up the phone, the receptionist paused as she asked, "Who should I say is visiting?"

"Lenwë. Lenwë Palladium."

"Very well."

As the receptionist dialed the phone, Palladium idly shifted his gaze around the large room, inexplicably feeling as though he should not be there. With a sigh, he turned back to the desk just in time to see the receptionist nod as she replied, "Ms. Tselios will see you; she is in Room 349. If you like a bellboy can show you the way."

Smiling faintly, Palladium nodded as he replied, "Yes, that would be nice; thank you."

[Cora]

Hearing a light tapping at her door, Cora stood up from the chair she had been occupying by the window, smoothed her skirt, and then went to let her visitor in. Stepping aside so that Palladium could enter, Cora remained silent for a moment before she began hesitantly, "We . . . we need to talk."

[Palladium]

Nodding, Palladium replied with a tight smile, "I agree." Seeing that Cora was making no move to speak, Palladium clasped his hands behind his back and rocked lightly back and forth on the balls of his feet. And still Cora made no move . . . showed no sign that she wished to initiate the conversation. Feeling more than slightly tense, Palladium finally asked, "Is there something in particular that you wish to begin with?"

[Cora]

This question earned a wry smile from Cora, who at the present moment had decided to resume her seat by the window. Resting her arms on the small table that matched her chair, Cora gave a small, almost nervous, laugh as she said, "I suppose I should just come right out and say it, shouldn't I?" Seeing Palladium nod, Cora sighed as she looked down at her hands. "Well, I shall." Pausing for a moment more to gather her composure, Cora said firmly, "I've decided that it is time for me to return to Athryell."

[Palladium]

At this Palladium sucked in his breath sharply. This was not what he had been expecting Cora to say - at least, not at that moment. No, he had expected her to bring up Flora; he had expected her to ask if he had finally gotten over whatever attraction he may have felt for his student. He had expected a million other things - everything except what had come out of her mouth. It hadn't even crossed his mind that Cora would say that she was going back to Athryell - not after their plan.

Lowering himself into the chair that was positioned opposite of Cora, Palladium tentatively reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. Furrowing his brows, he asked quietly, "Why? I mean, when I invited you to attend that silly Alfea Valentine's Day dance as my guest, I thought we had also agreed that you were tired of Athryell - that you were going to stay in Magix and find an apartment and job of your own. What happened to that plan, Cora?" Pausing, he continued, his voice sounding slightly hurt, "I thought it was a good plan."

[Cora]

Ignoring his comments for the moment, Cora asked softly, "Lenwë, we're good friends, right? Even . . . even after what happened the other day with that unfortunate kiss, we're still us, right?" Not waiting for an answer, Cora plunged forward earnestly, "And we've always been open and honest and frank with each other. Just because things are a bit awkward between us right now, I don't want that to change. So I'm not going to let it change. Right now, I'm going to be honest with you about my decision to go back home." Seeing Palladium start to speak, Cora shook her head, silencing him. "Please, let me speak. I need to say these things."

Averting her eyes, Cora bit her lip. "I don't know exactly how to begin other than to say that I love you immensely. I think you've always known that, though. However, in recent years, our friendship has become one of the most important things in my life. I don't think I would enjoy life nearly as much as I do if you weren't in it. In fact, aside from my father, you are the one man that I love with all my heart. That being said, it was no wonder that I . . . that I . . . that I fell in love with you in a way that was more than just friendship. You know me better than anyone and because of that, I could see myself spending the rest of my life with you - you being my husband. But there's only one little problem, you see. You can't see yourself with me as your wife. And as much as I hate to admit it, there is someone you love more than you love me."

Feeling tears water up in her eyes, Cora pulled her hands away from Palladium and instead placed them in her lap. Knowing that she had captured his attention, Cora sighed and then continued, determined to keep her voice steady, "The thing is, for a while I thought that I could make you feel otherwise. I thought that somehow if I came here to Magix you'd forget Flora and whatever it is you may feel for her and that you'd remember what it used to be like when I was the only object of your affection. But I was wrong and now I see that. And even though you tried to return my feelings with that kiss, you couldn't. You just . . . couldn't."

Standing up, Cora turned her back to Palladium and focused her gaze on the scenery outside her window. After several long moments, she said quietly, "I want to get married, you know. I may not to the typical Athryellian female - I may like books and I may like my independence . . . but that doesn't mean that I don't want to get married, that I don't want to have a family of my own. Because I do. I always have, somewhere in me. The thing is, I'm twenty-three - almost twenty-four. If I'm not married within the next year and a half, there's almost no hope for me to ever be a wife or a mother. You know how it is in Athryell - every unwed female is a spinster by the age of twenty-five. Lenwë, I don't want to be that person."

[Palladium]

Feeling himself grow confused, Palladium stared quizzically at Cora's back. Incredulously, he asked, "You? A spinster? Preposterous! Utterly preposterous! Besides, times are changing, Cora. You know as well as I do that in many ways Athryell is catching up to the other realms in terms of modernity. I am sure that if you wait to marry until you are twenty-six, you will still not have difficulty finding a husband." With brotherly love, Palladium remarked earnestly, "Any man would be lucky to have you as his wife, Cora."

[Cora]

Any man except you, Cora thought bitterly. Instead of saying this to Palladium, however, Cora answered what had been meant as a compliment with a thin smile. After a moment Cora cleared her throat and said coolly, "Yes, well, perhaps I won't have to wait so long if things go as I plan. You see, after what happened between us at the dance, I began thinking about my father and how he wants a grandson . . . desperately. Of course, in order to produce such a child, I will need a husband. In addition, as you know, my father is growing old and his health isn't close to what it used to be. I am afraid that he has enjoyed too much of the finer things in life - wine and food, especially. I honestly doubt that he will live many more years. So, as a devoted daughter, I would like to grant my father his wish that I settle down and start a family before it is too late. So, I wrote him yesterday and I asked him to find a match for me. My father has good judgment and he knows me well. He will find me a good husband; I have faith in him. That, Lenwë, is why I am going home. I have spent the better portion of my life devoted to you, but I can't do that anymore. You will always be my best friend, but you will never be anything more than that. I have come to accept it and I have decided that I can't wait for you any longer. I'm done."

[Palladium]

"Done?" Palladium echoed softly. Choosing his words carefully, Palladium stared down at his hands as he asked, "And what exactly do you mean by 'done'?" Without waiting for Cora's response, he finished quietly, "I can only hope that you don't mean that you intend to walk out of my life indefinitely."

[Cora]

Cora sighed as she looked over at her friend. Lenwë looked hurt, confused, and upset - and the last thing she wanted to do was to say something that would increase the separation she was already starting to feel between them. Thinking for a moment as to how to best respond, Cora absently ran her fingers over the surface of the table. Finally, she said with a gentle smile, "I always thought that our time would come, Lenwë - but it never did. But I think it did come for you and someone else. And that's okay. Actually, it's better than okay - it's wonderful that you've obviously fallen in love with Flora. Because I want you to be happy. And if Flora makes you happy . . . then you should be with her. Throw the rules to the wind, if she really means something to you."

Pausing for a moment, Cora then continued wistfully, "And I want to be happy too - but I can't do that if I just sit around and hope for something that's never going to come. So I'm finally moving on and that thrills me. But in order for me to move on, I think I need to be away from . . . you. Not forever - I could never do that; you're too dear to me. But I need to go find someone else I can connect with and I can't do that if I'm clinging to you. I guess what I'm saying, Lenwë, is that this needs to be goodbye for now. And who knows? Maybe this really will be for the best; maybe I'll find someone and maybe . . . maybe you'll talk to Flora about what's on your mind."

[Palladium]

Palladium stared at Cora for a long while before he finally rose to his feet and wordlessly embraced her in a hug. Feeling her return the gesture, Palladium felt his throat clog with an indescribable emotion. Cora said that this was only goodbye for now - but for some reason, even if she spoke the truth, he couldn't help but feel that somehow they were coming to the end of their story. Or at least, he felt that from that point on, their relationship was never going to be the same. What was the phrase? One chapter of his life was closing? True, Cora may be present in his life later, but he could sense that her role would be diminished. She would find someone, he knew. She would find someone she would grow to love and she would marry that man. She would start a family and before he knew what happened, he would realize that their relationship was just a fond memory. It was inevitable, really. As much he hated to say it, he knew that this had to be the way things went if Cora was ever to be truly happy. And she wouldn't be until she found the one for her - and that person couldn't be him.

Stepping back, Palladium looked down at Cora's upturned face, a face he had known for as long as he could remember. Though he ached inwardly to say something more, Palladium instead gave her a last smile as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. Against it he whispered a simple, quiet, "Goodbye," before he turned and walked out of her room.

[Cora]

Watching Palladium walk out the door, Cora sunk back down onto her chair. He was gone. Indefinitely. Or at least until she was married. She couldn't lie; it hurt to give him up, to know once and for all that she hadn't been the one for him. And yet, it was also as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She had her freedom now to do whatever she liked. She could learn to move on; she had her peace of mind.

With a small smile, Cora pushed herself to her feet. Perhaps it wasn't time to go back to Athryell just yet. Perhaps it was time to see the worlds - to see what else life could offer her. Her father had recently finished his tour of the realms' best libraries and had declared that Olympia was home to the best of the best. Moving over to her closet, Cora pulled out her suitcase and began to pack the few belongings she had brought with her, her mind all the while processing the idea that had entered her mind - the idea to go to Olympia, a realm far from any she had ever visited. After a few moments, Cora began to laugh quietly, her shoulders shaking with the sheer delight that came with a renewed perspective on life. Raising her fist comically, she called out, not caring if the people in the neighboring rooms thought she was absolutely nuts, "To Olympia!"