Chapter Text
It was the next evening and Sophie sat in the corner, yet again. It was her favorite spot. Gisela was glued to Vespera’s side all night, something the ancient was clearly annoyed about. Eventually, Vespera broke off from Gisela (how she did it was a mystery to Sophie) and wandered over to Sophie’s corner.
She stood against the wall a few feet from where Sophie was. Vespera was profiling her. Sophie promptly ignored the ancient. She didn’t need more trouble.
“You really believe in what that wanna-be preaches?” Vespera asked.
Sophie stayed silent.
“I’ll take that as a yes…She is wrong, you know. Elves can’t be forced to be guiltless; at least, it’s not possible without studying humans. Gisela seems obsessed with me and my research.”
Ah, that’s why Gisela wanted her, Sophie thought.
“She told me she succeeded in making a weapon of an elven girl. I don’t believe it.”
“Then what do you believe?” Sophie asked, boredom and curiosity creeping into her tone.
“I believe that we must find what drives humans to do such terrible things without shattering their sanity in order to do the same.” Vespera glanced at Sophie. “And you?”
Sophie didn’t answer.
“I suppose I can’t drag it out of you,” Vespera said after a minute of silence. “But I will tell you this: I have a feeling that she has some disastrous plans in store, particularly concerning her son. Leave while you can.”
“But what good is a weapon if it's not being used?” Sophie countered.
Vespera gave her a look, thinking.
“Sometimes a weapon is best used when it's fighting for itself and not for the crazy delusions of a woman who doesn't fully know what she's doing.”
Vespera stalked off leaving Sophie to ponder her words. Maybe, for the first time, Sophie could be her own weapon.
~ ~ ~
Sophie left shortly after Vespera did, grabbing a small dinner bowl to bring to her room. The halls were silent, no whispers of the lies she eats on the daily. That was good. She didn't want any more reminders of it.
Sophie sat down on her bed and set her food next to her. It was a rotted rendition of vegetable stew. Still edible, though.
Sophie ate and thought, wondering how she could get some freedom. Maybe being a Black swan informant can do just that. Giving away all of the Neverseen’s plans would destroy everything they've worked for, but she could find small things to throw in, small rebellions in their own right.
She pulled out her files again and got to work. Sophie was pretty sure there was a good chance someone would catch her working on these if she kept working on them so openly, but she didn't mind. She had excuses ready.
A few months went by with the same routine. Telepathy and inflictor sessions every week with skill lessons bi-weekly. Occasional chitter-chatter from Keefe. Working on files every night. And weekly chores, which usually suck.
There was also mention of Gisela’s precious notebook, amongst other things, being stolen. Sophie had a pretty good feeling that someone, probably Keefe, burned it, but Sophie didn’t say anything.
Sophie was impressed that Vespera hadn’t gone insane or flat out murdered Gisela. Sophie would have. The latter, at least. Sophie had updated the Black Swan with monthly information, a sprinkle more of truth with each visit, always in a different place. And the Black Swan has given her tiny tidbits that she could use, if needed. Just another card in her already full hand. She knew they had at least a dozen other operatives, like Squall and Solstice; they also ran experiments on an elf, once, like Gisela did on her son from time to time; they had several different locations, not always occupied.
Why she didn’t tell Gisela, she wasn’t sure. She was sure that Gisela would question her loyalty, and that was something Sophie didn’t want. But even if Gisela cast her away from the only thing she ever remembered being part of, she had plenty of cards against the Neverseen as well.
~ ~ ~
Sophie was on another Mysterium run. Since the Foxfire school year was over, there were more people around today. That just made her shopping all the easier. She also kept her ears perked for anything she could use, like rumors.
When Sophie was done, she decided to head on over to Eternalia, because she’d finished early and had the time. She could also see if she could sneak into a few of the Councillors’ glittering castles. Who knows, she might find something worth keeping.
All the castles, of course, were identical and ginormous. Nothing less for a Councillor. They all were pristinely white, with the tower caps different colors for each castle. Sophie decided to go with the pearl one. Seemed most likely to have some interesting possessions. It wasn’t hard to slip inside once she got near enough to scale the walls and enter through a second story window.
As she wandered through, Sophie found that the inside was just as meticulously decorated as she’d thought, albeit with not as much. The rooms were large and sparsely decorated, the main spaces twice the size and with half the furniture. Giant crystal chandeliers hung overhead and all the crystal tables and vases had an iridescent sheen to them. The second floor was mostly extra rooms she was pretty sure a councillor didn’t need, one of which was the very steamy and hot room that Sophie left immediately. It burned her eyes. The first floor, however, had large living spaces, which were clearly unused for the most part. In what Sophie assumed was the dining room, there was a portrait of whom she figured was the Councillor who lived here.
She had mocha colored hair that flowed in waves past her shoulders, getting lighter as it went. Her skin was a cool golden tan and her eyes a dull teal. The name engraved on the frame was Liora. She seemed almost regal, sitting on her throne the way she does in the painting. Sophie knew she was anything but. She turned and continued through the rest of the castle.
When she was done on the first floor, she climbed up past the second and to the third. Now she knew where the bedroom was. It was, as everything was, huge. She could put all her weapons out on the deep obsidian bed against the left wall and have plenty of room to spare. The ceiling had a finish that almost looked like stars, and probably glowed like them as well when the lights went out. Two pearly diamond chandeliers hung from the ceiling, equidistant from the walls. A large shelf with a small assortment of things on it sat against the back wall, in between the windows. Those, along with the bed, were the only things in the room. The walk-in closet along the right wall yielded only five dresses and two pairs of shoes. There was a door at the back of it, leading to a sprawling bathroom with a bathtub nearly as big as the bed.
She didn’t know if Liora simply didn’t like cramped-feeling rooms, or if she was a conjourner. Sophie was willing to bet on the latter, meaning there was likely another room full of stuff for Liora to conjure if needed. But if Sophie wanted to snoop around another castle, she’d have to go now.
So she did.
She went to the amber one next, purely because it seemed the most promising. She entered this castle the same way she did Liora’s: through a second floor window. This one was much more decorated and even cluttered compared to Liora’s castle, although the rooms were just as big. Near everything was either wood or an amber toned crystal, which almost made the castle feel lived in. The second floor had more unnecessary rooms, but the first floor had some results. One room held more books than Sophie’d ever seen in her life. Another almost looked like a mercat had thrown up all over it. Almost everything was some shade of pink and very fluffy. Clearly a room not meant to be seen.
Eventually, she went up to the third floor, which once again held a massive bedroom. Amber furniture littered the room, while the walls were covered in what looked like portraits of who she assumed was the councillor’s lover, based on the way she was portrayed. There was one of the two of them together. The lover had delicate beach blonde curls framing a heart shaped ivory face with light sapphire blue eyes. Sophie crinkled her nose. She looked almost like a doll. The councillor had messy red hair and pale ocean blue eyes. Unfortunately, they seemed like a pretty good pair.
Sophie turned away from the paintings and scanned the room. Her eyes caught on a long, thin box and notebook sitting on the desk. She walked over and looked at the notebook. It was clearly Gisela’s. How this councillor got it, she wasn’t sure. Gisela probably needed it and Sophie didn’t want to help her anymore with this, but she pocketed it anyway. Who knows, it could be useful.
Sophie turned her attention to the box and picked it up. It wasn’t elaborately decorated, but clearly important. Upon opening it, she found a long, sleek silver hairpin, with a silvery white opal shaped stone on one end, surrounded by a delicate twist of thin silver metal. It seemed familiar, though she couldn’t remember where she saw it before.
She held it up to the light to get a better look at it and watched as a thin beam of light shone through. It was blue. Despite her better instincts, curiosity won over and she stepped into the light. The short travel felt heavier than a normal leaping crystal, but it was over in a few seconds. She landed in the middle of a giant field.
Sophie could hear a distant trickle of water, yet the giant rushing river nearby made almost no sound. Some of the rocks glowed and trees surrounded the entire field. She wasn’t sure exactly what this was, but she would find out. She hid the pin right next to the notebook, deep in her bag. Pulling out the leaping crystal, she held it up to the light.
~~~
She handed the crystal and goods over to Gisela when she got back. Gisela had wondered if she had anything else from her errand. The only card Sophie had shown was a few rumors spreading quickly amongst the elves that she’d heard. Gisela had let her go after and Sophie headed back to her room.
She was planning even before she pulled out her files again. There was a lot she could do with what she had. Plant more rebellion, help the Neverseen, give more to the Black Swan, leave and never come back.
Yet, she had better ideas. Ones that would need help from a few she didn’t like, but could certainly use. Ones that would take time. Ones that could mean the ruin to all she was and knows if she didn’t execute this right.
But she had Spades of blackened anomalies, Clubs never seen, Diamonds of glittering lies, and Hearts just waiting to break. In front of her, an open table. Nothing to give, but all to bet on. Now, her turn was here—and she’d be playing for a shutout.