Talentless // Fitz Vacker

// twenty three //

After a special team came along to dispose of the two illegal starlight's and foxfire was evacuated for its first time in its three-thousand year history. 

That was only two hours ago. 

An entire tribunal had been arranged immediately and Sophie, Adora and Alden were next each other on a giant raised platform. Adora wasn't sure she wanted to look down. Instead, she looked at the councillors. 

Oralie's had velvet cushions and a heart-shaped back covered in pink tourmaline. Kenric's was sturdy and simple, made of polished wood encrusted with large pieces of amber. Bronte's was plain silver dotted with onyx. The rest were names she'd never heard: Clarette, Velia, Terik, Liora, Emery, Ramira, Darek, Noland, Zarina. Their names alone were intimidating. 

Sophie and Adora squeezed each others hands. 

Sophie sat up straighter as a dozen goblins marched into the room and stationed themselves in front of the thrones. Adora marveled at the strange weapons that were strung into their belts. 

"Bodyguards for the Councillors," Alden explained.

They couldn't help wondering what the Councillors needed protection from. Alden was always saying how safe their world was.

A loud trumpet tune blasted through the room, and everyone rose as the Councillors appeared in front of their thrones. Dripping in jewels, draped in gleaming silver capes, and crowned with circlets, they made human royalty look like amateurs. Sophie's lunch churned in her stomach.

"Please be seated," announced a Councillor with shoulder-length black hair and eyes that matched the sapphires in his crown. His throne said Emery across the top. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. We shall begin with you, Miss Foster and later alternate to you Miss Green." 

Adora and Sophie stood up and did a curtsy, Adora's much more graceful than Sophie's. Oralie was now next to Sophie, holding her hand and a hand on her shoulder as well. 

"Answer my questions honestly and there will be no problems," Emery warned. He seemed to look at Adora, who wasn't hooked up to the living, breathing, lie detector named Oralie. 

"Where did you learn of the existence and location of Elementine?" "I don't know." Sophie sounded like she was about to cry.  

Emery glanced at Oralie. She nodded.

"What made you look for it?"

"My Universe homework." Sophie replied. 

Sir Astin coughed behind her, like he was unhappy with her answer. "What was it about your homework that made you think of it?" Emery

asked.

"Honestly? It just sounded right." She admitted. 

"Miss Green." Emery looked at her. "Where did you learn of the existence and location of Marquiseire?"

Adora replied "A Children's picture book." 

He seemed confused. "A children's picture book?" 

"A children's picture book, your honors." Adora clarified. She wasn't sure what to refer to them as. 

"Where did you come across this picture book?" 

"It was in my human kindergarten classroom." 

"Did you seek out this book?"

"No sir, my  substitute teacher placed a random book on everyone's desks. Mine just to happened to be about stars." 

"Were you thinking about anything, malicious? When you read this book?" Kenric blurted which earned a glare from Emery. 

"No sir, I was not thinking about anything malicious when I was five in general." She answered, wringing her hands. 

"Why did you bottle it?" Emery got back on topic. 

"I knew it would fit my universe homework pattern."

"How did you know that?" Emery pressed. 

"Because my pattern was warm colors and I knew that that star gave off rosy light when bottled." 

"Did you know that the star was forbidden to bottle?" 

"No your honors, we don't bottle stars in the forbidden cities. I wasn't aware of it and since I learned about Marquiseire in the forbidden cities, I didn't know that it was a law." Adora informed. Genuinely too, how was she to know that some stars can't be bottled? 

Emery looked back at Sophie who was nervously still standing and Adora who kept wringing her hands. 

He asked a few more questions and then a few to Sir Astin. Then he seemed to focus and all the councilors became as silent as a mouse. 

"What's going on?" Sophie whispered to Alden.

"Emery mediates their discussion telepathically. He'll only speak once they've reached a consensus, so that the Council always presents a united front."

Adora supposed that made sense, but she felt sorry for Emery. He looked like he would need some strong aspirin after this.

"Enough!" Emery demanded. "We've reached a decision. It was not unanimous," He seemed to look at Bronte and Kenric who sat next to each other. "But in this situation, it doesn't have to be— Miss Foster, Miss Green— please rise." 

Sophie leaned on Adora for support, who stood rigid and proper. 

"What you girls did was very dangerous — and violates one of our most fundamental laws. That being said, we don't believe your actions were intentional. Because of that, you will not be held accountable. You both will return to Foxfire tomorrow and nothing will be said about this Tribunal." 

A wave of relief ripples through Adora and she squeezed Sophie's hand. 

"Nobody will know the details in this event, neither Miss Foster or Miss Green's involvement." Emery looked around the room. "The official story is that a suspicious substance was found, removed and destroyed. No further details. It that understood?" 

Everyone murmured in agreement.  

"Miss Green, we will look into the children book incident." Emery held Alden's gaze. "And Lord Alden, thank you for your involvement in this case."

Emery motioned for everyone to rise. "That concludes this tribunal." 

_

"Im so sorry." Sophie and Adora apologized for the millionth time to Grady, Edaline and Dex. 

They are outside the building. It was an eerie place but Adora knew she would be back at the end of the year so she might as well get used to it. 

Dex grinned. "Are you kidding? This has been the coolest day ever! I got to see Eternalia! Foxfire was evacuated! I missed the Great Gulon Incident a few years ago but I bet it had nothing on this!"

"What's the Great Gulon incident?" Adores eyes twinkled with curiosity. 

Alden cleared his throat. "Perhaps we can discuss this another time. There's still a few  things the girls and I have to do." 

Alden, Grady and Edaline sorted out their story's, trying to figure out what they were going to tell Dex's parents. 

Dex leaned towards Sophie and Adora. "Will Fitz get to know what really happened today?"

Adora and Sophie looked at each other before back at Dex. "I doubt it." Adora answered. 

Dex smiled and his dimples appeared. "Excellent. I finally know something Wonderboy doesn't!"

Adora beamed and Sophie laughed. 

"Come on, Dex. Time to go." Grady interrupted. He looked at Sophie and Adora. "See you at home, kiddo." 

They all fluttered away in the lights and the two girls and Alden were left alone. 

"Come on, lets take a walk."