AU: Journey to Redemption (Coriolanus Snow)

New Friends

It was 9 a.m. when Aurora stepped out of the principal's car in front of what appeared to be a small school. He insisted on bringing her personally to explain where she would be spending her next few weeks working. Principal Highbottom, with a smile that looked more like a grimace, introduced her to her community service. "You will have a special task, different from Sejanus," he said, adjusting his sunglasses with an air of seriousness that failed to hide the absurdity of the situation. "You will spend your time at our local orphanage, caring for children who, despite their noble lineage, find themselves in a... complicated situation."

Aurora, still processing the turn of events, couldn't help but let out an incredulous laugh. "Noble children in an orphanage? That sounds like a bad joke."

"Ah, but it's the pure truth," replied the principal, a glint of humor passing through his eyes. "They are children of high-ranking people from the Capital, noble blood that, for obvious reasons, cannot be taken to the districts. Adoption is the only option for them."

Aurora had never heard of this in her entire life. It was as if the government itself wanted to hide it. Which was not new, since the Capital was an example of modernity, innovation, and all that blah blah blah. Thinking about it, Aurora remembered when Coriolanus was called to sing the Capital's anthem in front of everyone, she grimaced at the memory.

"And the parents? How can they simply discard their own children?" Aurora asked, her voice laden with a mix of curiosity and disgust. "Ah, the intricacies of high society are tortuous and cold," explained the principal, his voice taking on a grave tone.

"In addition to being a refuge for the war orphans, when a child is born outside the sacred bonds of matrimony or becomes an obstacle to a parent's ambitions, the solution is... pragmatic. They are sent here, where they can be adopted by families without heirs, ensuring that noble blood remains within the acceptable limits of the Capital."

Aurora could hardly believe what her ears were capturing, the principal's words sounding like a distorted symphony of hidden realities. "Children of noble blood relegated to oblivion in an orphanage? This is an absurdity that borders on the grotesque," she said, her incredulity tinged with a hint of bitter sarcasm.

Principal Highbottom, with a smile that did not hide the complexity of the situation, nodded. "It's an inconvenient truth, Aurora. They are the forgotten children of the elite, little shadows that wander the corridors of power, never seen, rarely remembered."

Aurora felt a twinge of anger at the thought of the hypocrisy of those who considered themselves the cream of society. The principal leaned against the car and, despite his short stature, emanated an aura of great power. As she watched him, she rested her eyes on the small vial in his hands. It was a white liquid that the man quickly downed in one gulp. She had seen morphine before, a little before her father died. Unfortunately, the pain he felt at the time was not physical.

"I know what you think. It only works for physical pain, right? By the time I realized that, it was too late," he seemed to be talking to himself, his gaze heavy, Aurora wished she could know more about the man in front of her. "My father needed that for a while," she replied. "Your father was a good man, Aurora. An excellent military man." The principal spoke with sincerity. "I met him during his service, Patriarch Snow as well. They were quite different figures."

Flashback on

"There was a time," Tigris began, her voice low and hesitant, "when Coryo was just a child, that his father punished him severely. It was for something trivial, something no child should be punished for." Aurora felt a tightness in her heart at the thought of the scene. "Why would he do something like that?" she asked, the indignation clear in her voice. Tigris sighed, sadness in her eyes. "Because sometimes, those who should protect us are the ones who hurt us the most. Coryo was led to believe it was his fault, that somehow he deserved it, that it was for his own good." It was a revelation that shattered any idealized image Aurora might have had of Coriolanus's father. "So, the version of the father that Coriolanus remembers..." "Is an edited version, polished by the stories of his grandmother," Tigris interrupted. "But I saw beyond the facade. I saw the truth, and it's a truth that Coryo has never fully faced."