KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Grief (Edaline POV)

A/N: I honestly can't remember who requested this one. But I just wanted to prepare everyone: this will be tough. Grief is a BEAST. It is multifaceted and crushing and exhausting and HEAVY. And I'm convinced (though thankfully I haven't endured it personally, so far) that NOTHING could be more painful than the death of one's child. So this will be dark at times, and heartbreaking. But it'll be genuine and authentic. But if it's too much for you, please, don't read it.

Also, this was intended as a one-shot but it was getting very long. I wanted to at least try to do such a heavy subject justice, so I'm prolonging everyone's pain by making it two chapters. However, I'll go ahead and post part two tomorrow to get it over with, and then I swear I'll make it up to you with something less heavy for the next update!

"I think that's everything," Edaline said as she chatted with a few of the gnomes that lived and worked at Havenfield. "The party is in a few days so I'm sure we won't have any trouble having everything set up in time."

"Not with our help," one of the gnomes agreed with a smile.

As they walked out of the reception hall and began descending the stairs, Edaline's thoughts drifted back toward Jolie.

Jolie had come to see her earlier that morning, and Edaline had never seen her feeling so down. Grady was out working on one of his assignments for the Council, but she planned to tell him as soon as he got back.

Edaline wasn't certain, but she thought it was possible that Jolie might be about to sever her ties with a few of her friends.

Some of them had not been terribly accepting of Jolie's relationship with Brant ever since the harsh reality of their impending bad match became common knowledge.

And that stigma already seemed to be weighing heavy on Jolie's heart.

As much as Edaline hated for Jolie to lose any friends, she hoped that it wasn't Brant Jolie was thinking about cutting out.

It was a decision she knew Jolie would regret. Jolie had loved Brant for most of her young life.

But Edaline assumed that Jolie wasn't planning to break off her engagement. When she'd left Havenfield, she'd told Edaline that she was going to go see Brant, and Edaline got the impression that she was going there to be comforted rather than to make a big change.

It had only been an hour or two, so she figured that by now, Brant would have sufficiently cheered Jolie up. Hopefully with more success than she'd had.

Though, the way Jolie had whispered, "I love you, Mom," before leaving was equal parts troubling and heartwarming.

Just then, Havenfield's front door opened, and Edaline made it down the stairs in time to see Grady walk in and immediately remove his cape.

"Hey, beautiful," he told her with a grin, tossing the cape aside and kissing her.

After a moment, Edaline laughed and shoved him back toward his fallen cape. "I know you think the capes look stupid, but the entryway floor still isn't where it belongs."

"Fine," Grady said with a mock eye roll. "But if you're going to make me bend over and pick it up when you could just conjure it back to our room for me, then I demand another kiss first."

But before she could oblige, Grady's Imparter rang.

"It's Brant," Grady said after pulling the Imparter out of his pocket.

That's when their world fell apart.

Brant was hysterical from the moment Grady answered. They couldn't understand most of what he was saying, but they caught "fire" and "Jolie" and were racing for the Leapmaster, panic gripping their hearts even as Grady ended the call with Brant and hailed Elwin, knowing they'd need a physician on hand.