KOTLC After Stellarlune-A Sokeefe Story

Reunion (part 2)

Eventually, Oralie and Kenric came outside looking for their hosts. So Sophie and Keefe came back inside and settled down in the living room to discuss the plan moving forward.

Sophie couldn't help but notice how close Oralie and Kenric sat, or the fact that they were holding hands.

Oralie smiled softly at Sophie. "I can understand why you and Fitz decided to keep this quiet," she said. She still looked pale and shaken, but there was also an undercurrent of happiness that Sophie had never seen in her before.

"We're not going to be in trouble with the Council, are we?" Sophie asked. She'd had enough tribunals to last her an eternity.

"I seriously doubt it. I will tell the others what happened, and why you did what you did. Once things are settled and our world has had a chance to celebrate and settle back down, I will be stepping down from the Council." She squeezed Kenric's hand.

"Wow," Keefe breathed.

"You don't have to, Ora," Kenric whispered. It sounded like they had already had this conversation before Sophie and Keefe came back inside.

"I absolutely do," she told him. "I just got you back. I don't ever want to let go again. You don't know the regret I've lived with..." tears began to fall steadily down her beautiful cheeks again. "How many times I've wished I had listened to you and stepped down so we could be together."

Kenric reached out and wiped the tears off Oralie's face again. "You don't have to cry anymore," he crooned softly. "I'm here. I'm not dead. I'm back."

The moment was so intimate and tender that Sophie wondered if maybe she and Keefe should give them some more privacy. But Oralie looked over at Sophie and smiled before looking back at Kenric.

"I know," she said. "And I'm choosing, finally, to be with you." She glanced at Sophie. "All of us in this room know why I chose to stay on the Council. But Sophie doesn't need protecting anymore."

"So...when will you reveal yourself to everyone else?" Sophie asked Kenric.

"Soon, it'll have to be soon. Now that Ora knows...she'll need to tell the rest of the Council. From there, we will let them decide what to do. I'll be glad to see them again. And give some of them a swift kick for some of the dumber things they've done." His face darkened as he looked at Sophie. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here to help protect you from the horrors you've faced."

Sophie smiled grimly at him. "You were facing too many of your own."

Kenric shuddered. "I still feel like I'm coming out of a dream," he said. "And...I'm so tired."

"Do you need to go lie down?" Sophie asked him.

But Kenric shook his head. "Actually, I'd like to see Alden, if you wouldn't mind him coming here? And then after that—Oralie has offered to let me stay in her castle for the time being. Though I guess she won't be living there much longer either."

"I'll hail him right now," Keefe said, jumping up and pulling out his Imparter. He stepped into the kitchen as he said quietly "show me Alden Vacker."

Oralie looked at Kenric. "After you and Alden have a chance to catch up, I'm going to insist you come back with me and get some rest. I'll take the rest of the day off to look after you. I know I don't have to," she said, stopping him as he tried to cut her off, "but I want to. I'm not letting you out of my sight again for a very long time. So you'll come home with me and spend the rest of the day resting and letting me look after you. Then tomorrow, we'll alert the Council."

"You're cute when you take charge," he told her coyly.

"Boy, that sounds familiar," Keefe said, smirking at Sophie as he walked back in the room. "Alden will be here in a few minutes. He doesn't know what he's walking into. I just told him I had a surprise for him."

When Alden arrived, there was a whole new round of shock, of tears, and of questions. Kenric was so overwhelmed by the news of Alvar's betrayal he had to sit down.

"I hate that I wasn't here to help you through that," Kenric told him.

"That definitely wasn't your fault," Alden told him. "But I'm so glad to have you back, my friend."

Before he left, he came over and wrapped Sophie in a hug. "Very well done," he told her. "Both of you," he added, pulling Keefe into the hug. "Now." He looked back to Kenric. "I cannot wait for the public announcement of your return. I'm so happy you have come back to us."

After Alden left, Oralie and Kenric prepared to leave too.

Kenric took Sophie's hand and looked her in the eye. "You gave me my life back," he told her, voice and face full of emotion. "I could never thank you enough."

Sophie just smiled at him, tears in her eyes.

Tears that spilled over when Oralie, her own tears shining on her face once more, approached Sophie to give her a tentative hug. "Thank you so much, Sophie. Not only for finding and rescuing Kenric—I know you would have done that no matter what—but also for caring so much about how it would affect me. I don't deserve such consideration, but I'm so very thankful for it."

"Now you can have your happily ever after," Sophie told her softly.

After they left, Keefe dragged Sophie to the couch and pulled her into his arms. "What a day," he told her.

Sophie laughed softly as she rested her head against his shoulder. "Very emotional, but very, very good."

They sat in content silence for a few minutes, Keefe running his fingers lightly up and down Sophie's arm and occasionally turning his face to plant a soft kiss on her temple.

Eventually, Sophie confessed, "I wish Oralie didn't have to leave the Council, though."

"Me neither. What if they bring in someone even worse than Alina?" Keefe made a gagging noise.

"Ugh, exactly," Sophie agreed. "And personally, I don't think I agree with that rule about Councillors not being allowed to have families."

"They say they do that so the Council won't have anything affecting the decisions they make."

"I know, but don't you think that's flawed?" Sophie asked him. "It just keeps them that much further removed from the people they're trying to govern. That much more out of touch with what normal life is like."

"There you go again," Keefe said with a chuckle. "Bringing a whole new perspective to an aspect of our world that I've never thought twice about."

"It's why I was made, isn't it? It's the whole reason I exist at all."

"Well...yes and no," Keefe mused. "The Black Swan made you and sent you to the humans for that reason, at least in part. But also...I don't know. It also seems like you were tailor-made for me."

Sophie turned in Keefe's arms so she could kiss him. "And you for me?" She asked.

"You know it," Keefe said softly. Then he smirked at her. "Come upstairs with me and I'll prove it to you."

Sophie grinned, feeling suddenly playful. "Only if you can catch me," she whispered seductively before jumping up and making a mad dash for their front door.

Keefe watched her in admiration for a second—knowing full well she wanted to be caught, but also knowing she'd need a head start or he'd catch her too quickly—before saying, "oh it is so on," and bolting out the door after her.