She'd known it would be this way.
When Brant hadn't manifested an ability, she'd known they wouldn't be matched.
The Talentless were never matched with anyone who had manifested an ability.
But she couldn't give up hope. She'd picked up all five of her lists and searched them for Brant's name.
He hadn't been on them.
It changed nothing. She loved him too much, had loved him for far too long, for it to matter.
She'd already told her family and friends as much. The system was clearly outdated.
She hated the idea of society scorning them for being a bad match. Brant was already facing that judgment for not having a special ability, and it was changing him.
He was still Brant, but he was struggling with the way people viewed him. With pity, but also like he was somehow diseased. Lesser.
He was trying to come to terms with it, and she'd told him she didn't care whether or not he had an ability. And she'd also told him that it didn't matter that they'd be a bad match.
She'd always choose him, no matter what.
He'd smiled at her and kissed her sweetly, whispering his love for her, when she'd told him that.
She'd loved him since they were kids.
She would listen to her parents and complete her Elite levels, but then she would marry Brant.
Her aunt and uncle were a bad match, and yet...they really weren't.
Juline and Kesler were obviously in love, and she knew that love would last.
But society didn't care about that. In this case, it wasn't compatibility--it was all about genetics. Producing children with special abilities.
They'd been married for many years, but had yet to have children. Jolie had never asked them about it, but she was going to today.
When Juline ushered her into the living room at Rimeshire, she offered her a mug of cinnacreme and they sat together on the couch.
"So," Juline began, "is this about Brant?"
Jolie nodded, fingering her engagement ring. "I just wanted to know what to expect. Nothing will stop me from marrying Brant, but...he's already having a hard time. If we were prepared for how being a bad match would add to that, maybe it would make it easier."
"Well...as far as Brant is concerned, he should probably talk to Kesler," Juline admitted. "Kesler is the one who has to deal with being so-called 'Talentless'--never mind the fact that he's literally our world's best alchemist. It may not be considered a special ability since it's something people can learn, but that doesn't fully explain how Kesler is so much better at it than anyone else--and he's a natural. It's always come so easily to him." Juline shook her head ruefully. "But anyway...has Brant considered talking to him about it?"
Jolie shook her head. "I've mentioned it before, but...he doesn't seem to want to. I mean, he likes Kesler, but it's like he just doesn't want to talk about being Talentless. I guess it's too painful or something." Honestly, Brant had seemed...off, lately. But she couldn't really blame him for that. All she could do was stand by him. And one thing that hadn't changed about him was how much he loved her. She knew that with an absolute certainty.
Juline nodded. "He'll come to terms with it eventually. It took Kesler a while. All his siblings manifested, and he didn't. People were already judging his parents for having so many kids--"
"Which is stupid. Brant and I want several. Why should society care how many children we have?"
"You know the theory on that," Juline reminded her. "That our power is diluted with each child, making it less likely that the next child will manifest an ability, and if they do, that it won't be very potent."
"It's still stupid, even if that's true."
Juline chuckled. "You know that, and I know that, but most everyone else..."
"I know." Jolie paused. "So...what should I expect?"
"You'll be judged," Juline said frankly. "But I've seen the two of you together. You love each other. You'll make it. Just...don't expect to be able to enter the nobility, even though you have an ability and would technically qualify, since you're doing your Elite levels. They didn't want me, since I chose to be a bad match."
Jolie reached for her hand. "Their mistake."
Juline smiled at her. "It really doesn't matter. I don't want to be nobility if it means being complicit to a society that looks down on my husband. I have Kesler, and he loves me, and his approval is really all that matters."
Jolie grinned. "I understand that feeling."
"I thought you would."
Jolie sipped her cinnacreme, thinking.
She had another question to ask, but this was a bit more delicate.
Because it was deeply personal.
"Can I ask you something else? I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it, but..."
"You can ask me anything, Jolie," Juline said sincerely.
"Why haven't you and Kesler had any kids yet? Do you plan to?"
Juline slowly lowered her mug from her lips. Jolie could tell she was trying to figure out how to word her answer.
"The thing is," she said quietly. "We dread what it would do to our kids. We want children, and we definitely plan to have some eventually. It's just a lot to prepare ourselves for. We would love them, would do everything in our power to be good parents, but...our world would not look kindly on them. Bringing a child into this world means knowingly bringing a child into a life of scorn and scrutiny. It will mean them struggling to find friends willing to hang out with the child of a bad match. And if they don't manifest an ability? Can you imagine the judgment the whole family will face? People will say it's no less than what they expect for the child of a bad match. We would be blamed."
Jolie just sat there, watching Juline quietly.
The world needed to change.
Not just for Brant's sake. Or for hers, or their future children.
For Juline. For Kesler.
For her future cousins.
For you, Jolie thought quietly, thinking of the next generation. I need to do whatever I can to make the world a more accepting place for Juline and Kesler's children. For my own.
She smiled at Juline and told her that maybe they could have children together. Raise their children, face society's scorn together. Give their kids built-in friends, others who would understand the judgment they were facing.
With tears in her eyes, Juline told her that sounded wonderful.
But Jolie's mind was working overtime.
Master Prentice had approached her about really making a change in the world.
She'd refused at first, not wanting to get caught up in anything but her studies and her fiancé.
But...she thought she understood better now.
Saying yes to Master Prentice and his organization was the best thing she could do for Brant. For all of them. Especially if Prentice was telling the truth and the Black Swan wasn't behind the strange messages she'd been getting.
Thinking, again, of Juline and Kesler's desire to have children but the fact that they were letting fear hold them back, Jolie's mind was made up.
Juline and Kesler deserved the happiness of having children.
And those children deserved to grow up with fulfilling lives free of judgment.
Maybe Jolie could help give them that.
It was time to go talk to Master Prentice again.