вlood & peтalѕ [ ĸoтlc - тιana ]

ch. xlviii

OOOOOH

SO CLOSE TO 50 CHAPTERS

Yay

"Miss Foster." Councillor Emery waves her forward. "It's now your turn to speak."

"Thanks." Sophie stepped forward, taking a deep breath. "Good morning to everyone here. I'd like to tell you all a little bit about Tam Song, the elf this planting is for."

Linh tensed up, bracing herself for a stiff and formal speech that would normally just put her to sleep, but to her utmost surprise, Sophie turned around.

"But...that honor should be given to his sister. She's the only one who I think is actually worthy of giving this speech. Linh...c'mon."

What?!

In spite of herself, Linh's feet obediently carried her forward till she was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Sophie, who smiled encouragingly and made to step back.

What the heck was she supposed to say? Sure, Linh could ramble on and on for hours on end about Tam in general, but at the sight of the expectant crowd, the words all shriveled up and died in her throat. "I....uh....I..Tam was my twin brother. And he was awesome. And I, uh..."

"What Linh means to say is that her brother, Tam, was pretty much her only solace for the longest time," Biana cut in smoothly, staring the audience down as if she was born to be where she was right now. "Especially after their parents pretty much abandoned them."

The last sentence was like throwing a rock into a flock of pigeons. Linh could hear the murmurs of the audience without even straining her ears.

"Quan and Mai Song abandoned their children?"

"I didn't even know they had twins. Mai always said that the boy was a year older..."

"Tch. They were banished. Of course they would have been abandoned."

"I heard that the boy was a Shade."

"Oh, yes. And a Wayward too."

"Isn't that the Vacker girl? What's she doing, associating with a twin?"

"Oh my, she's wearing black. At a planting."

"Why is she giving the speech?"

"What is Alden Vacker thinking, letting his daughter dress like that?"

"Is that clothing meant to represent the Black Bird, or whatever that group is called? You know, the ones who created Sophie Foster..."

"Mad, these children. And the Vackers...tch. We have traditions for a reason. Do they mean nothing to her, just because her father is an Emissary?"

People and their thoughts. Why couldn't they just keep all the negativity to themselves? Linh wanted nothing more than to screech at them all to shut up and let Biana continue her amazing speech, but instead she ended up wringing her fingers tightly and staring at her shoes yet again.

"Will you all keep quiet?!" Biana yelled over the whispers and floating gossip. "Yes, Tam was a Shade, a twin and a Wayward. Yes, I'm wearing black at his planting in his honor. No, I don't care whether I'm breaking traditions or not. Yes, his parents- though honestly I'm not sure if they deserve to be called parents anymore- abandoned them. And it wasn't just because they were banished. Now if you all don't shut up and listen, you will regret it."

They all went silent at that. She smiled sweetly down at them. "Thank you for your cooperation."

Writers block...ew.
*tries to ward it off with garlic*

Idk whether I'll be updating regularly for the next week or so...eXaMs. (Double ew)

Fierce Biana maketh a reappearance!!