Match-A Sophie and Fitz Story

Chapter Thirteen

Hi! I am so, so sorry for not posting. I've had a ton and a half of stuff going on, between midterms and cleaning up after the holidays and getting tons of homework for a new semester at school! And I'm sorry that this chapter isn't very long, the second half will be out sometime later this week! I wanted to have it all be one long piece of the story, but your comments sounded so desperate that I couldn't make you wait any longer. Thank you so much for your support and patience and please don't be too mad at me!!

Note: The second half of this chapter will also be posted under "Chapter Thirteen" for organization's sake. I will announce in my board when it's published!

Nine of the twelve Councillors sat in their thrones. Two sat in the less regal chairs that had been brought in by Sophie and Fitz. The two teenagers were standing rather awkwardly off to the side, ready to be used as witnesses. Oralie stood between the convicts as a living lie detector. Councillors Alina and Emery both looked supremely embarrassed, Alina with a messy, gnarled bun under her circlet and Emery with lipstick smeared on his face.

The Councillors glared.

Sophie held her breath.

Emery clenched his jaw.

Oralie cleared her throat.

"Fellow Councillors, our initial purpose for gathering was to make it legal for Mister Fitzroy Vacker and Miss Sophie Foster to be matched together." She ignored the raised eyebrows around her. "But then these two," she gestured to the guilty party, "were caught in a setup room engaging in activity that warrants impeachment." Alina and Emery did not hang their heads. They seemed less apologetic and more annoyed that they were caught. Oralie spoke again. "As a result, this private Tribunal will be to, firstly, find out how long and how far this has gone. Secondly, it will be to vote on the dethroning of both Councillors before sending out a scroll in the morning for new nominations." The grand hall was filled with an uncomfortable silence until Councillor Bronte spoke.

"May the witnesses relay their sightings?"

Sophie's lips turned to stone and she could not speak. This was an incredibly uncomfortable situation. Fitz squeezed her hand and answered Bronte's request. "Sophie and myself were walking to the setup room to get chairs for the initial Tribunal. When we arrived, we both saw Councillor Alina and Councillor Emery kissing fairly vigorously. When they saw us, they broke apart and suggested we all go into the main hall." Sophie nodded slightly to signal her agreement. Councillor Zarina gasped.

"In this building? Why, the nerve you two have!" Alina and Emery did not move, but their pursed lips  and slow breaths made it clear they both wanted to roll their eyes. Sophie, snapped out of her uncomfortable state, wanted to yell at them. Did they not understand how selfish they were being? Did they not realize the amount of chaos this would cause?

But then she stopped. Stopped bubbling with anger, stopped exhaling with a fiery force, stopped glaring at the two Councillors seated before their colleagues. And she began to think. Think think think. She kept on thinking until she had a question regarding what she was thinking about. And she asked it to Fitz.

Councillor Oralie implied to us in the cave that the Council had kept us apart, just like her and Kenric. Don't you think it was unfair that she couldn't be with him, even if he was a fellow Councillor, because it might affect her decisions?

Fitz blinked at her. The Councillors spoke among themselves, not noticing their telepathic chatter. I guess it was. Yeah.

So how is it any different with Alina and Emery?

His eyes widened slightly, signaling that he understood the point she was trying to make. It's not really different at all. It's just that they were together secretly, while Oralie and Kenric controlled themselves.

And that, transmitted Sophie, is what we should tell the Council.

So they did.

Sophie stood straight up from leaning against Fitz rather abruptly, attempting to look fierce and determined but actually appeared rather clumsy and slipping back into his arms. Her sudden confidence did not waver with her slip. She wobbled for a moment before clearing her throat loudly.

"Councillors, we cannot deny the fact that these two have broken a law. They deserve punishment. But we also cannot deny that the they have broke. law is unjust. The concept of keeping the Councillors apart from other elves and one another is an outdated strategy that is doing more harm than good. Take Councillor Oralie, for example. Councillor Bronte, you've been complaining about her and Councillor Kenric"...she paused in his memory. "For as long as I have lived in the Lost Cities. They clearly loved each other, but were forced apart by the very committee they worked for. Did this separation keep them from being distracted by each other? No. The law may have stopped relationships, but it could not stop their love. It was and is futile. Now, Councillors Alina and Emery are being put on trial for acting on the feelings that they have had to keep hidden. Sure, their defiance deserves punishment, but their actions themselves do not. This Tribunal should not be about correcting two elves, but about correcting  an old, dysfunctional policy." Sophie stood there for a moment, letting her words soak into the Hall. But she soon felt awkward with the silence she created, so she said a curt "thank you" and stepped back to stand by Fitz again.

She felt his fingers curl around hers.

"Do you have anything else to add, Miss Foster?" asked Bronte. "We are attempting to reach a consensus, but with every new thing you declare we find ourselves starting over again in our debate. And with out our mediator," he flicked his beady blue eyes to Emery and back, "We are finding it much more difficult."

Sophie didn't really want to help the Council after their reaction to her past statement, but she wanted this part of the Tribunal over. "I could be your moderator," said Sophie. "Seriously. I'm a Telepath, like you need, and I know about the situation."

Councillor Terik scrunched his face in thought for a moment. "Actually, I like a lot of aspects of that idea. The only problem is you."

"Me? What's wrong with me?"

"Absolutely nothing," Councillor Oralie chimed in. "But what Terik wants to say is that Fitz would actually be a superior moderator."

Sophie felt both relief for not having to sort out the Councillors' thoughts and confusion for why they would choose Fitz. He was, indeed, a strong Telepath and successful elf, but anyone could agree her abilities were far superior to anyone's.

Fitz raised his eyebrows. "Of course I'd help you," he said. "But why me and not Sophie?"

"Confidentiality," answered Councillor Terik. "Sophie's Telepathic skills are far to clean and discreet for the Council to trust her to not penetrate our minds and discover sensitive information. Fitz, your family was quite well-known and in good standing for millennia. We can all agree that your...reputation has changed quite a bit in the last few months, and this will give you a chance to stark working towards a new start for your family legacy."

Fitz sucked in a bit of air at the mention of his family. But he let it out when he spoke again. "Sure, I'll moderate for you all. But you have to come to a decision right now."

"And what decision is that?" Asked Councillor Zarina.

"Make it legal for Sophie and myself to be together without having to be held down by a bad match."

There were whispers for a moment.

"Done," said Zarina.  "You two are now a good match, and are free to be romantically involved once Sophie turns seventeen."

Fitz squeezed Sophie's hand before gently pulling away from it and walking up to the Councillors. "Okay, I'll let you all in."