Sophie shook her head, hiding behind her hair. Ugh. Fitz is your boyfriend, and he loves you, and you love him.

Keefe poked her and smirked. "Foster, I'm feeling some prettyyyy strong confusion. And some... anxiety?" He ran a hand through his tousled hair.

"About what?" Sophie groaned.

"I hate Empaths."

Keefe winked and flashed a smirk, "Not this one, clearly."

Sophie's cheeks warmed, and she tackled him in a strangle-hug. "Woah, Foster," Keefe said, hugging her back. "Don't get all sappy on me!" Sophie just squeezed him tighter, then let go. "I... I'm just worried," she admitted.

"About what, Team Valiant?"

"It just feels super unreal that we're... here, you know?"

His gaze softened, and he smiled sadly. "Yeah, the Mysterious Lady F saved us all again."

Sophie grabbed his hand.

He smiled softly at her, "Hey, you good?"

She smiled back, "Yeah."

She started toying with a silvery-green bracelet on his arm, hands sliding up his wrist.

Ro made a gagging sound. "Uh, hello?? I'm still here, lovebirds!"

Keefe sighed, "That is the one thing we are not,"

Ro smirked. "Yeah, and you aren't in love with our adorable little Blondie here?"

Keefe's cheeks tinged pink. "No!"

Three skipped beats. Just like Lord Cassius said.

"You are," Sophie breathed, cheeks flushing crimson. "You are?" Sophie asked, wanting it to be... true, not true?

He gently removed his wrist from her grip and met her eyes. "Um... Surprise?"

He said, hands fisted. Ro rolled her eyes and said to Sophie, "He likes you, Fitz likes you, hence their fun little competitions."

Sophie couldn't believe it.

She couldn't process it.

Keefe Sencen.

She tugged on her lashes. "Please, can you go?" She croaked, "I'll hail you later." Keefe looked down at her with those eyes of crushing blue, and smiled sadly.

"'Course, Foster."

He held up his crystal and him and Ro glittered away to the Shores of Solace.

She looked down at her petal carpet, and saw a silver notebook glinting up at her. She slowly reached down for it, and stopped. It was Keefe's. Keefe's.

But a little peek wouldn't hurt...

She shook her head. It wasn't hers.

She grabbed it and stuffed it into her desk drawer.

Dinner was soon, she had to get ready! And face Keefe and Fitz... Dread pooled in her stomach, and her palms sweated.

She looked down at the gloves she wore, at the Cognate rings Fitz had gifted her. At the ability she'd spent so long hiding.

Sophie gritted her teeth, and ripped off the gloves.

The Cognate rings glinted, and she smiled, a bittersweet thing.

When everything was simpler. When Fitz was the right choice.

Sophie stepped in front of the spectral mirror, where Vertina dwelled. "You look... better than normal," Vertina sniffed disdainfully.

Sophie fought the urge to roll her eyes and point out that Vertina literally didn't exist. She was wearing black. A black gown, the color of mourning in the human world. The color of the Neverseen, of the Black Swan. The dress was less poufy than the others in Sophie's closet, it was elegantly beaded with silver beads, creating an ombré effect. To finish the look, she added her Black Swan pendant. She wore black gloves, with silver beading matching the dress.

She felt like one of the human heroines in the stories, except instead of going of to war, she was going to a dinner party. She smirked at her reflection, realizing who she was thinking of. The dress was beautiful, just not... her. She decided to go as herself, not as a girl masquerading as a queen.

Grady and Edaline were talking when she came down the stairs, and smiled when they saw what she was wearing. A black, floaty skirt, black boots, and a flowy ruby-red top with the Black Swan's monocle pendant resting on her chest.

She smiled, and said "Are we ready to go?" They nodded, and so they leaped to Everglen. Well, outside of the gates of Everglen. Alden and Della waited there, dressed so formally that Sophie was embarrassed by her choice in clothes until Della smiled and complimented her.

"Sophie, I love it!"

Sophie smiled and followed them inside of the gates. After a couple of strides, they were in front of the doors of Everglen, and Biana flung open the doors. "Sophie!!" She squealed. "Hi Biana," Sophie said weakly, and smirked. "I love what you're wearing."

Biana had long ago overcome her embarrassment of the pale white scars adorning her arms.

They glinted in the light, entwining Biana in a soft halo.

She was wearing a sleeveless teal gown, with a flower crown in her hair. Biana smirked back, "I do look fabulous, don't I?"

Biana then grabbed her arm and practically dragged her into Everglen. "Also, Fitz is throwing the biggest tantrum right now, like, it's almost like you broke up with him!"

Sophie averted her eyes and mumbled, "Um," Biana's eyes widened. "You did?!" Sophie rolled her eyes and said with a smirk, "Did I?" As she tried to use Keefe's trick of answering questions with questions.

Keefe. Keefe. Keefe who Biana still liked?! She shook her head, "No, I didn't."

Then, at the worst possible moment ever, Keefe walked by and said, "Hey Biana, Sophie."

Sophie?— She was never Sophie to Keefe, always Foster, or another one of his stupid nicknames. Biana elbowed her in the side and with wide eyes breathed, "Sophie?!" Sophie hid the rising lump in her throat by smirking, "That's my name."

"Sophie, what is going on?"

"I..."

"Look, everyone knows about the torrid love triangle you're caught up in. Did you just figure it out?"

Sophie nodded miserably and muttered, "Well I wouldn't exactly call it torrid..."

Maybe just... Super awkward? Keefe was, is, one of her best friends. And Fitz... She didn't know about him. The crush she had on him was puppy love, and she didn't know why she was with him. Yes, she did. She loved Fitz! And Keefe was... Just a friend.

Biana snorted, "Who are we kidding, it's definitely pretty angsty." Sophie looked at her, confused, "Don't you like Keefe?"

Biana looked at her and snickered, "Uh, I used to." That means... That means- Keefe could be, he could... This is super awkward, ugh.

Biana raised an eyebrow, "Why, do you like him?" Sophie's cheeks warmed, and she was sure she looked like a tomato. "Uh... Maybe?"

She mumbled, looking around. "YOU DO?!" Biana squealed, "That's so cute!!" Sophie poked her, "Um, you do realize I'm dating your brother, right?" Biana rolled her eyes, "And? You can fix that."

Sophie flushed, "By breaking up with him?"

Biana looked at her, "Um, obviously. You can't date both of them! And really, Keefe. Sencen."

Sophie looked down. "Maybe we can talk later?"

Biana nodded and winked, "You can count on it."

They walked into the dining room, which was huge, and Alden and Della had placed Sophie in between Keefe and Fitz.

Biana choked on her laugh, and flickered out of sight for a bit. Sophie tilted her chin up, and walked toward her seat, stopped and sat.

Keefe was on her left, and Fitz on her right. Fitz looked down at her, and smiled. He kissed the top of her head, and clasped her hand under the table.

He gasped, "Wow." Everyone turned to look at him, and he flushed pink.

"Um," He swallowed. "Sophie, she doesn't have her Enhancing switched off."

( remember to vote ++ comment ! <3 )