The Crown I Didn't Want (A Sokeefe Selection)

The Message

Look, I wrote a chappie!

Hey, has anyone noticed that Dex was not included in the last chapters?

If you say no, then let us all cry because our Dexipoo had been forgotten.

If you say yes, then please comment that you did so I can maybe dedicate a chappie to you!

Enjoy, keeper fans!

Why is my life so complicated?
Why can't it just be how it used to be, with me and Dex dying Iggy's fur bright green? Why can't I still be the Sophie who fantasized about Prince Fitz when I saw him on TV? Why can't I still be the awkward girl with little to no friends? Why must I have all this drama?

At first, it was drama—but not life-threatening drama. The Selection was definitely drama, but no one was going to die.

And then when I ran away, it was adrenaline-boosting drama. Exhilarating, exciting. Like for once in my life, I wasn't like every other Sophie who only ate and read.

But now...

This is like soap opera level drama. If we get caught, Keefe dies. Not the mention the fact that the Black Swan is basically threatening the life of the royal family, claiming that I will lead them to taking down the Vacker dynasty. The moonlark, they said. She's the moonlark, the suldreen.

Moonlark.

It all connects there.

The Black Swan has been relocating me all my life. But why?

Because I'm their moonlark.

I let out a bitter laugh. "Gods, it's all about being the moonlark, huh?" I said.

"Guess what, Foster?" Keefe joked. "You get to be special."

Despite myself, I laughed a little at that. Thank goodness I have Keefe to keep me from sinking into bitter depression. Without him, I would probably be lying in bed, eating Cheetos to drown my sorrows in unhealthy flavoring.

"I wonder why you're the suldreen," Linh mused. "Sure, you're destined to destroy that arrogant excuse for a Prince, but why you? I mean, you're awesome, but why you, compared to someone else?"

"I have no idea," I replied. "I mean, I'm not like Wonder Woman or anything."
Just then, the apartment's phone rings. I pick up, but then regret my decision.

Grady's on the line, and he has a mission to destroy my eardrums."SOPHIE ELIZABETH FOSTER!" he roared. "HOW THE HECK DID YOUR NAME END UP A NATIONAL TV?"

I winced.

"IF I HAD KNOWN THAT RUNNING AWAY WOULD GET YOU IN THIS KIND OF TROUBLE, THEN I'D NEVER HAD ALLOWED IT. WHAT THE HECK IS A MOONLARK? AND WHY ARE YOU INVOLVED?" Grady continued.

"I have no clue," I confessed. I have been saying that a lot recently.

"Sophie, I want you to stay hidden," he added in finally a voice that didn't hurt my ears, "and don't trust the Black Swan." He gulped audibly from the other side of the line. "I don't need to lose another daughter because of them."

I cringed. I remember how they told me their first daughter, Jolie, got burned to ashes when her boyfriend, who was a guard, realized she was a member of the Black Swan. The Black Swan failed to protect her when the Vackers incinerated her. The thought made me shiver. I hated— hate— violence.

Deciding that this topic was too much for me, I changed the topic. "How's Dex?" I asked.

Dex's parents had stressed over him running away, so according the monarchy Dex is on leave to take care of his grieving uncle and aunt while also searching for the runaways from that post. Apparently, he's making sure his runaway cousin doesn't come back.

Yeah, I'm Dex's cousin.

By adoption, anyways.

Edaline is Dex's mom, Juline's, sister. So technically, I'm cousins to Dex.

At least I think. This kingdom is so messed up, I wouldn't be surprised if we had an official title, like marital cousins or something.

"Dex is fine," Grady answered. "He was a little bummed out at first, since he wasn't allowed to join all of you crazy kids, but he's okay now. The government is eating up all the junk he's saying about you and your friends. 'Sophie likes the forest, so she might hide there. Linh and Tam were secretly 2's before, so they might have 2 jobs.' All sorts of trash that makes no sense at all."

"That's good," I said, relieved. I was worried my best friend would be mad at me. "All right, talk later, Grady. Bye, I love you."

"Bye, I love you too. Stay away from the Black Swan."

I hung up and walked back to the table. No one had touched their food yet.

All of them looked pale and scared. Then I realized why.

There was a scrap of paper in the middle of the table, covered in soot.

"Where did that come from?" I asked warily. Their faces and the note were freaking me out. Keefe's eyes looked like they were going to pop out their sockets.

"A-a bird," Linh stammered, pale from shock. "A b-b-black swan. It flew through the w-window and put t-the p-paper on the t-table. Then it l-left."

I pick up the paper.

The soot is like ink, forming out a message.

We are coming for you, moonlark.

You are our hope.