Unedited.

Emery blinked. Once. Twice. "What?" He asked. Sophie pushed the book farther across the table. "No." She said.

"But you have to." Alina said. "I have to get married, and-" she cut off at the glare Bronte gave her. "You see Sophie." Emery said pushing the book back towards her. "Alina didn't follow the rules and in fact pursued a personal relationship with Gordon Hills. As you know councilors are not allowed to have romantic interests, which is also why she must step down." Staring at the book, Sophie pushed it back. "Exactly." She mumbled quietly, as she felt her face turn red. She heard Bronte scoff, Emery pressed the book back across the table, "Love makes you weak." He said. Sophie didn't let him let go of the book she pushed the book back, against his hand. "Love makes you strong." She said.

Both of them pushed against the book, neither giving in, but neither making a final decision. Bronte cleared his throat. "Is this about Mr. Vacker?" He asked. Sophie could feel her neck turning red. Her bold display of obvious jealousy and protectiveness over Fitz must have made her feelings clear to everyone in her family. "I worked far to hard, for the cognate bond between Mr. Vacker and myself. I'm not going to give up and break it all, just for some temporary job." Sophie said. "But doing the temporary job could get you your dream job." Aline said pressing on Emery's side of the book, moving it only a centimeter.

"Which is equal to emissary. Who can marry and have a family. What I want in life is a dream job, and a family." Sophie said. Oralie's pale hand pushed the book back in the center of the table, her hand restring beside Sophie's. "Already dreaming that far ahead with Mr. Vacker?" Emery asked. "I never said anything about Mr. Vacker, besides saying I won't break my cognate bond." Sophie said, nearly falling for their trap of saying Fitz's name specifically. "Is that your only reason for saying no?" Asked a tawny haired elf as he joined Emery's side of pushing the book.

"It is the main one. I'm still a child...barely a teenager. Do you expect me to make good decisions for hundreds, when my emotions could rule me? Not only that what kind of work would I be doing for the council? I'm not even finished school how do you expect me to make the best decisions for others?" Sophie asked pushing against the book a little harder. Emery's face relaxed. "I see. You have concerns." He said, Sophie pushed the book back across the table. "My answer is still the same. I won't break the bond. I won't give up my family." Sophie said. "Let's make a compromise than." Emery said pulling the book to him.

"You won't break the bond." He said. "Your work as council woman is temporary, so it would only be a few public speaking, showing up every now and again, and you would attend, important meeting that would need all twelve of us, authorize some weddings and giving permission to go to the sanctuary, things that people need approval from the council, that we can't be bothered with as of now." Emery said. "You can keep your bond, but you will have to move to Eternalia for a short time, while you work here." Emery said. "And the representative position?" Sophie asked. "It'll be open and ready for you, whenever you'd like to pick it up." Emery said.

"And what about relationships?" Sophie asked. "Are you planning on pursuing a relationship Miss Foster?" Emery asked with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk. Putting her shoulders back Sophie raised her burning head. "Yes, I am." She said. The smirk faded, before he let out a breath. He spoke slowly. "You can pursue your relationship, so long as it does not hinder your work. It shouldn't since you'll be doing the easy jobs, and another rule, which in sure will be easy for you to follow." He said. "Which Alina didn't find so east to follow." Alina's face went red as she pressed a hand to her flat stomach. Sophie's eyes followed the movement, it didn't take long for her to realize what that rule was. "Not a problem." She said her own face turning red.

"Good, we'll initiate you right now." Emery said. "No!" Sophie blurted. Emery frowned, "Just why not?" He asked. "I have to give Iggy a bath, and he's worse than a car with water." Sophie said. A muscle twitched in Emery's face, making his eyebrow twitch with it. "Tomorrow than." He said. "Yeah...tomorrow." Sophie agreed. Really she just wanted to talk it over with Grady or Alden. "Perhaps you would like to see your circlet?" Emery asked as a gnome came in the room carrying a box.

Sophie didn't speak, as Emery took the box from the gnome thanking him in a thick accent, that the gnome struggled to understand, before nodding with a smile and trotting out. Emery handed over the box. "Feel free to show it to your family." He said. Sophie took the box. She nodded, before wishing them all a goodbye she left with Sandor. When she got back to Havenfield everyone had left and Grady and Edaline where sitting together in the sitting room. Hiding the box behind her back she cleared her throat. They looked up at smiled, "Um...so I have something...to tell you." She said nervously. Bringing the box from behind her back she set it on the coffee table. "They give me a new offer." Sophie said.

Edaline and Grady opened the box, and there rested a circlet that not only fit Sophie, it fit her character. It was much more simpler than the Oralie's, and the other circlets. A single red ruby was set in the middle of a grape vining silver band. It was simple, elegant and beautiful. They stared at the circlet and Sophie ventured to ask. "Are you guys mad at me?" She asked. "We are with you, in what ever decision you make." Edaline said. Holding a hand out to Sophie. Taking it she sat between them, staring sat the circlet. "What about Fitz and cognating?" Edaline asked, brushing Sophie's hair from her face. "It'll all be the same. I have representative position open and waiting for me. I'll be excused from Foxfire for a while, and I'll have to stay in Eternalia for a while...but it'll be the same. I can still cognate, and visit whenever I want. They made an exception for me." Sophie said, staring at the circlet.

"And you are fine with that?" Grady asked. Sophie nodded. "Sandor will still be my body guard, and I'm only doing small tasks, sifting the jobs. I'll be authorizing simple stuff, like going to the sanctuary, or weddings, simple stuff." Sophie promised, not sure who she was trying to convince. Herself or her guardians. "Well...as long as you are sure." Edaline said wrapping her arms around Sophie, Grady joined in the hug, and Sophie sank into the warmth. "I love you guys." She said. "We love you too." They echoed. Sophie looked at the circlet, hardly believing it. She was going to be a councilwoman.

~

Stacks. Stacks and stacks of scrolls, papers were placed on Sophie's desk. Sophie wanted to look around her spacious office, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the stacks.

The door behind them opened. "Oh. You're here already." Oralie said sounding surprised. Sophie looked over at her co councilwoman. She held a potted fern in her hands, behind her, her own body guard goblin followed. "Yeah, I decided to get an early start." Sophie said nervously. Oralie smiled as she walked across the office and set the fern on the windowsill. "I brought it for you...a little reminder of home." Oralie explained, brushing her hand against the feathery fern. "Thank you." Sophie said, not sure if she should tell Oralie she had brought Iggy with her, and he was currently chewing on the hem of the curtain. Oralie smiled, "I'm here to help you today. Get you started." She said, as she strode to the desk. "Oh...um okay." Sophie quickly pulled the stack of papers off the most comfortable looking chair.

"In afraid we got back up, with this treaty business." Oralie said apologetically. Sophie looked for a place to set the stack, and settled for placing it on the floor. Oralie looked at the wall with a thick map on it. Pulling the string at the end the map rolled up, showing a bulletin board. Covered in small notes, organization reminders and a list, covered in names. "These are the names that are regulars at the sanctuary, Exile, and such." Oralie said. "So they get the clear right away?" Sophie asked. Oralie nodded. "Yes. However anyone that isn't on the list you have to visit them to get details, and their reasons for wanting to go, and you decide whether or not to allow them to go." Oralie said. Sophie looked at the paper on the top of the nearest stack.

"What about weddings?" She asked, looking at the request for the council to clear a marriage between a 'Hilton Vual' and 'Roxy Main.' Oralie sighed as she picked up the request. "You have them visit, just see if they are sure about it, you sign the paper with them, and send it to Quintin in Atlantis so he can file it away." Oralie said. "Alright..." Sophie said looking around at the stacks of paper. It wouldn't be so hard, if there wasn't so much to do.

"Sophie," Oralie said softly as she picked up a pen. "Promise me something please." She said. "Don't take this job on for life. Have a family, find someone you love...don't make my mistake." Oralie said, meeting Sophie's eyes, Sophie realized just how much Oralie had loved Kenric. "I promise." Sophie said, before smiling. "Besides, I have my dream job waiting." She said. A flicker of a smile appeared on Oralie's face. "Why don't we get to work." She said staring on the stack nearest to her. Sophie cleared off another seat and started working.

Oralie had left once she realized Sophie had gotten the hang of the work. Sophie worked until her eyes were burned and the words blurred before her eyes, and she was ready to throw up with meeting so many lovey dovey couples. Her wrist hurt from holding a pen so long, and her neck had a crick in it, from bending over her desk. A gnome named Kysil brought lunch, and looked surprised when she asked him to stay and have lunch with her and Sandor. Kysil was a gnome who did odd jobs that the other gnomes couldn't keep up with.

He was open and honest, and a complete scatter brain when another gnome named Dole came to fetch him. Dole had thick hair and wore a dress that didn't have a single wrinkle on it. After lunch Sophie went back to work. Stretching she found herself looking at a wedding form with two familiar names on it. Rex Dizznee and Blossom Winter. The form wasn't completely filled out and had doodles of sunflowers and butterflies over it.

Trying hard not to smile, Sophie hailed Blossom first. Blossom answered "Hi Sophie." She said nervously. The news had gone around yesterday that Sophie had been made councilwoman. "Hello Blossom." Sophie greeted. "So you're councilwoman now huh?" Blossom asked looking at Sophie's circlet. "Yes. I also found a form that was rather cute." Sophie said lifting the wedding form. Blossom's eyes went wide. "I'll be there right now." She promised ending the call. Rex came over without even asking why Sophie wanted to see him.

When Rex strode in and saw Blossom he froze. Sophie did her best to hide her smile. "It was a dare!" Rex shouted. "I know that now." Sophie said, thankful for Blossom's calm and collected words as she told Sophie, Bex had dared them to send in a marriage form. "However," Sophie said giving the wedding form to Iggy, who started chewing on it, tearing it to shreds. "Had I not caught it, you two would have been stuck getting married." Sophie said. "We won't do it again." Blossom said. Rex eagerly nodded. After lightly scolding them, Sophie sent them away, and returned to her work.

Dinner came and went, and the stacks soon turned to small piles, and the piles turned to leafs, and leafs turned to the last paper. Relieved, Sophie let out a deep sigh, and sat back in the comfortable chair. Stretching her hand and rolling her wrist. "Finally." She breathed. She looked at Sandor who smiled. "It wasn't what you expected." It wasn't a question. "No, not really." Sophie said standing, she picked up her cape and collected her things to go home.

The house, Sophie was staying at, was something like apartments. The building was massive, with large and spacious suits, that were each completed with kitchens, bathrooms and different bedrooms.
Elves who weren't married or getting temporary work in Eternalia stayed there. Sandor was staying in one bedroom that was closest to the front door and Sophie got the master bedroom. After feeding Iggy, Sophie looked around the apartment. It was quiet.

No sounds of Havenfield settling down for the night, no Grady and Edaline there to wish her goodnight. It was empty. The apartment was already furnished but it just didn't have that home touch. Sandor came back from his search of the rooms. "I'm going to go to bed." Sophie said, but her words sounded like they just floated into nothing. "Very well." Sandor replied his own words sounding hollow. "Goodnight." Sophie said smiling up at him. "Sleep well." He replied.

In her room, Sophie filled up the tub, filling the bathroom with steam and fog, she took her circlet off, not realizing just how heavy it had felt. The bath was soothing, and Edaline had been sure to send her cinnamon smelling soaps. After changing into pajamas Sophie crawled into the cold bed. Iggy's chainsaw snoring made her smile and her heart warm. Pulling the imp closer Sophie closed her eyes and fell asleep, thinking of the weddings she would have to attend, and bless the couple.

Just as she drifted off a sleepy thought came to mind.

What would Jolie and Brant's wedding have looked like?

(I promise Ambra and Sophie are going to have a small stand off soon.)