Chapter Text
Each of the Councillors sat on their thrones as the tedious meeting began. There was a sense of triumph in the room, as the Neverseen had been completely obliterated in their world weeks earlier. Sophie Foster had manifested one final ability- the ability to time travel- which gave the Black Swan the final boost that they needed to destroy the Neverseen forever. The Council had been attempting to work with the Black Swan to fix some of the major problems of the Lost Cities. Slowly but surely, they were chipping away at it. The Council had a long list of items on their agenda for the day, and very last was Miss Foster’s ability to time travel. Councillor Oralie was anxiously awaiting this discussion. She anticipated that the Council would order this talent to be erased, as one of Keefe Sencen’s abilities was to erase others’ abilities. The details of this ability Oralie did not understand, but everyone had emphasized that it truly did work exactly as Mr. Sencen willed it to and it would not mess with any of Sophie’s other abilities. And though Sophie had mastered her time travel ability (and was somehow able to control some of what the young woman called “the butterfly effect”) it seemed that Sophie was staunchly in favor of getting rid of the ability. She believed that it was far too much power for anyone to wield.
Before it was to be erased, Councillor Oralie wanted to use it one last time. The idea came to her in a dream- it was more of a nightmare. In the nightmare, Oralie time traveled back to the day of Fintan’s healing and had to watch Kenric be burned alive. Again. And again. And again. She woke up from the nightmare screaming in terror. But, when she was finally able to calm herself down, it gave her an idea. Sophie would be able to use her ability to travel back in time to save Kenric from dying.
Hours and hours passed until the final item on the agenda was brought up. Oralie had hardly said a word during the entire meeting. She had been too anxious about asking her colleagues this slightly awkward question. Oralie was smart enough to realize that others on the Council likely knew of her affection for the fallen Councillor. But, that did not negate the fact that Kenric was one of the greatest heroes that the Lost Cities had ever known. Why not at least try and get him back and avoid all of that pain?
“One final thing on the agenda… let’s see… Miss Foster’s ability to travel through time,” Councillor Emery announced.
“Most unusual,” Councillor Noland commented.
“And far too much power for one girl to wield,” Councillor Liora remarked.
“Sophie Foster is a bright, promising, young woman,” Councillor Bronte added. “But I agree, this ability is so dangerous. I am also afraid that it puts a target on her back. And I for one would like to alleviate some pressure from Miss Foster. She has earned every bit of that right.”
“It’s not like we would be forcing her- that would be another story. She wholeheartedly agrees that Mr. Sencen should take the ability away,” Councillor Terik pointed out.
The Councillors all seemed to be in agreement about taking away the ability, as Sophie wished. Oralie just had to get up the courage to ask her question…
“I have a proposal,” she said.
All eyes turned to Councillor Oralie. “Go on,” Emery stated.
Oralie explained her tentative plan to try and get Kenric back. She tried her best to make it not sound desparate. The rest of the Council looked at one another, clearly having a telepathic conversation about it, a conversation that didn’t include her.
“Councillor Kenric was aware that he was giving the ultimate sacrifice when he died at Eternalia,” Councillor Emery said.
“And that makes it okay?” Oralie shouted. “Kenric was the most noble member of the Council. The kindest. And I think if we have the chance to get him back, we should.”
“No other reason, Councillor Oralie?” Alina asked slyly.
Oralie scoffed. “That is a completely inappropriate accusation.”
“No, what is completely inappropriate is you sneaking around with Kenric for years and no one on the Council saying anything about it.”
“STOP THIS!” Bronte yelled. “This is completely unacceptable, Councillor Alina, to defame a dead Councillor in this manner.”
Councillor Alina did not respond but she put her head down and stopped talking.
The rest of the Council looked at one another, continuing their telepathic conversation about it. Oralie knew that Terik and Bronte would surely be on her side. Maybe Noland as well. Other than that, she was worried about where she stood these days with the Council. However, when they looked at her, they didn’t look at her with hatred or disgust. It was almost worse: pity.
Oralie begged the Council to let her use Sophie’s time-traveling abilities one last time before Keefe helped erase them for good. She got on her knees and pleaded. “Please, please, I-we need to get him back. He sacrificed everything for us.”
The Council continued their telepathic conversation.
Since Kenric passed years ago, there probably has not been an instance he was mentioned when she didn’t cry. Eventually, the Councillors stopped bringing him up, knowing how Oralie would respond. When someone talked about his death, it was even worse. When the Council had been deciding the details of the statue they built in his honor, Oralie became depressed for days. Bronte would check on her, but the others stayed far away. She knew the names that people were calling her in the Lost Cities. Her favorite of all was The Virgin Widow . Not only was it a commentary on her sex life, but also implied that her level of grief was inappropriate for someone who was “merely a coworker”. Bronte tore the publisher of that article a new one, and there was never an article using that name again.
The Councillors moved their conversation out loud. Some believed that time travel was too dangerous, as staying too long required a lot of concentration to avoid fading. That Sophie had already been through so much. However, others argued that Kenric’s sacrifice meant nothing. That Fintan emerged victorious through the flame anyway. That Sophie was older now and could handle it.
Oralie began to grow even more self-conscious and sank into her throne. They all knew why she wanted him back. Of course, they did. But she couldn’t say that she was going to leave the Council to run off with the man who she was going to time travel back for. With her twenty-year-old (biological) daughter, which they also knew nothing about.
“Councillor,” Bronte began. “We give you one more trip back in time to try and get Kenric back.”
“One trip only,” Councillor Clarette emphasized.
Oralie jumped up from her throne, tears in her eyes. “Thank you. I promise I will get him back and justice will be restored. We can thank him for his sacrifice and allow him to retire from the Council.”
The Council looked at one another, knowing that she was leaving something out.
“Tomorrow morning, Councillor. We will tell the girl and set it up for you,” Councillor Zarina informed her.
Oralie nodded and thanked them again before light leaping back to her house. She cried briefly, as she felt hopeful for the first time in years. It was hard for others to understand what it was like. She had talked to Edaline Ruewen about it briefly, and Della Vacker. But they got to go home at the end of the day to others they loved who went through the same experience. Oralie grieved Kenric alone. Truthfully, she didn’t know how she would react to seeing Kenric again. It had been several years since he passed away. She began to plan what to say, writing it down on a small piece of stationery. Nothing sounded right, so she just went to bed and hoped that it would come naturally.
Oralie hardly slept that night. She tossed and turned until she decided that sleep was useless. Instead, she took a long, hot shower. She didn’t even bother to turn the lights on, as the moonlight shone in through the skylight and reflected on the crystal floor of her bathroom. Kenric used to bring different colored crystals in her bathroom to give it different hues. Then she used to laugh, and he would say that she looked beautiful in every color. The day he died, she came back to her castle, still wearing singed clothing. She tore off the clothing in a fit of rage, and threw the crystals out the window, watching as they shattered on the ground. Now Oralie showered in the pale moonlight.
She fixed her hair, putting in heated curlers to ensure that it looked perfect. Then, she did a full face of makeup. It’s not like she was about to time travel back to see the love of her life before he died and not look her best.
For a moment, she smiled. Kenric. It had been truly the worst few years of her life. Sometimes she would give people a glimpse into what it was like. The crying. The terror. The loneliness. The concept of having to live out the rest of eternity without him. And then it clicked- she knew what she would say to him.