KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Legacy 10-11 (Keefe POV)

"Whoa, Edaline wasn't kidding about the whole 'Lady Sophie' thing," Keefe murmured, making Foster jump. Apparently the bodyguards hadn't warned her he was there.

He whistled as he walked towards her and made a slow circle around her. And frankly, he was grateful for the excuse to stare at her without raising suspicion.

She was always beautiful. Her clothes and hairstyle didn't matter.

But she usually hid behind neutral colors, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

And in a lot of ways, Keefe really liked that about her. She wasn't obsessed with her looks, she was too busy worrying about everything else. And the generic style of her clothes just made her natural beauty so much more apparent.

Not that he could tell her that.

But today, in that fancy dress and glittering crown, she looked...

Way too good for him.

Which of course, she was.

And he could feel his mood sinking as he asked if he was supposed to bow now that she was a member of the Nobility. She tried to joke around with him, probably to put both of them more at ease—and the way she ripped that crown off her head, leaving her hair a mess, was very endearing—but for once, he wasn't in a joking mood.

She stepped into her closet to change, and tried to explain all about what had happened. But it was mostly Ro who kept the conversation going.

He felt Sophie was slipping further and further away. Out of his grasp.

Not just her, but all of his friends.

He turned to look out her window, trying to regain his composure before she saw him. He fidgeted with the sleeves of his tunic—and then wanted to laugh—or cry, he really wasn't sure which—when she came out also wearing a gray tunic.

Probably just trying to remain in neutral colors again, but...maybe subconsciously matching him in his gray tunic?

Eh, probably not.

He perked up a little when she told him that Grady had tried to tell the Council that Keefe would be a better choice than Stina. Because Grady knew Foster trusted Keefe and worked well with him.

And there were few things Keefe cared more about than getting Grady on his side.

But of course...the Council didn't want him. Had dismissed him despite his close relationship to Foster.

Because of his mother.

Would he be forever tainted because of a family connection he'd had no control over?

Eventually, the conversation circled back to Foster being unmatchable, and he knew he had to share his theory.

She wasn't going to like it.

He told her as much, and she marched over to her bed, nestling in against her pillows as though they could somehow protect her from emotional harm.

He thought for a moment before deciding that she'd probably wind up needing him to keep her calm, so he joined her in her pile of pillows and suggested she turn off her enhancing restrictors, just in case.

Then, carefully, hesitantly, he talked about how the Black Swan had always intended her to be able to heal broken minds, and she'd have to be a Telepath and an Inflictor in order to do that.

And scooted his hand closer to hers as he theorized that the best way to make sure she manifested as an Inflictor—which was incredibly rare—would be to already have it in her genes.