The Realms of Thrice (Lesbian Fiction)

**Alternate Ending** - Chapter XXII - Look to the Horizon

***Alternate Ending***

Chapter XXII - Look To the Horizon

Eyes opened to a strange sight. She could recall nothing. No memories of how she got to the place she stood; no memories of the seconds between then and now, nothing. Not even a solid awareness of her body. She felt alive, in spite of her body’s inertness. The lifeless limbs attached to her body seemed weighted down, unable to respond to even basic movement. But her eyes remained seeing, her ears remained hearing, and her skin felt every sensation that washed across her flesh.

Eyes wondering, she took in the scene around her. It was unfamiliar, unlike anything she had ever seen before. The room was majestic and bright with white marble stretching from the floors to the ceiling, the latter of which opened to reveal clear skies and a fresh breeze. Gold accented everything: from the supporting columns to the ornate cornices. Even the wall sconces and candelabras were cast from gold.     

She had to be in the White. But why? Only the White could be home to such a luxurious—Godly place. Why was she here and not the Gray?

“Welcome young Demigod,” a voice spoke to her. He was male and donned the same robes as those of the White. He held what appeared to be a large tome in his arms.

“Wha—where am I?”

“You stand in front of the Council of Thrice,” he began. Her brows furrowed in confusion. No one else had been there. It had been vacant. But as her gaze looked to the room, she found it was now occupied by several individuals—three of whom she knew: Kael, Anders, Santor, and five others she didn’t. Her mind didn’t have much time to process before the man continued to speak, “And for all those to bear witness to this unprecedented and unwonted account, may you also recognize you stand before the Nineteen Gods of Thrice. A feat no normal mortal often bears witness to.” And as the breath caught in her throat, she looked to the heavens and saw the nineteen divine perched on their golden thrones on the grand balcony that wrapped around the room underneath the large open ceiling. Of course she had heard of the divines taking to their physical forms, she was a demigod after all—a product of their physical manifestation. But to witness it first hand, and with her own eyes, was extraordinary—a spiritual experience. Nevertheless, it also caused dread to roil within her belly.

“Am I dead?” she asked in a whisper, fearing the answer.

The man, who appeared older, smiled knowingly at her and answered as vaguely as possible, “You stand among the living and the divine.”

“Why am I here? Where’s Nora? Is she alive?” Her questions remained unanswered. He continued.

“You were summoned here this day to vow in favor of a woman—another demigod—responsible for hateful acts against her own kind—”

“Another?” she asked. Confusion twisted between each syllable. Another demigod?

The man didn’t seem the least bit perturbed about being interrupted, instead he continued. His eyes never leaving hers. “—however, recent events have given us pause, and because of such, we are reviewing her prior sentencing in hopes of something more … forgiving.”

“I—I don’t understand. W—who?” If she didn’t know any better, she would have swore they were describing Nora. She was after all, according to them, alive. And she was expected to take council with the members to decide her fate. Still, Nora was no demigod. Emri’s mind toyed with explanations.

“You are here to speak on the account of The Fallen Queen of Black—Nora Blackheart, no?”

“But … she’s not—?” Emri choked out, unbelieving in his words. Surely he’d misspoken.