The One

TWENTYEIGHT

The young man had all been positioned, standing.
the five had been seated across from them.

It was a long outside area, a amphitheater but smaller and a oblong instead of round.
It felt like the place they had had their wrestling match, but it wasn't.
Where that had been open, walls and a roof made of plants made this feel like a secure area.

To their surprise the remaining council was guided in together with their families.
Teddy gasped at one person in particular.

A tall, beautiful middle aged women, with dark red hair and turquoise eyes that pierced.
Her son looked nothing like her, but she could not be anyone be else's relation.
Until she smiled.
She had high set cheekbones, smiling at Josan who had stumbled a bit trying to sit down, they formed into the same round cheeks and smile as Agnus had.

" Agnus! " Teddy hissed, " Your mother is the most beautiful women I've ever seen! "

Agnus laughed, " Really? Well it looks like you should seek yourself a plains women. "

" Hello, " Spoke a familiar elderly voice.
Counselor Libby had stepped in their midst.
" I am happy you are all here. Happy to see new faces and familiar ones."
She gestured around the room.
"But let me address that we also miss many. Many that will no longer be able to join us."

Morten noted that at least half the counselors were missing.

The guard had suffered great losses,
their group, if you could call them that, had lost men.
But they had all gone into the fight, the councilors had just found themselves ambushed in their offices and quarters, at work.

"I however want to thank you, young man" she turned to them,
"You made great sacrifices. You are all standing because one of you is unable to sit without stitches that keep him together giving out. "

She turned to the five," Our treasured young women, owe you much. "

The girls nodded.

Kur called out on this, sounding official, " you forget we owe one of them more than just our lives, our freedom. " 

The girls all looked around at Aya.
Who blushed violently and seemed to do attempts at vanishing.

" Most right you are.
Thank the Lords someone thought to give her a dagger as a courting gift! "

The man laughed softly,
Agnus shrugged innocently.

" Courting, is something I want to discuss with you all. " She continued.
" You see, this plan? Changed things.
We added another double,
which in turn made us appoint all of them a region and likely changed how the One functions forever. " She turned to the families saying this.

" But it seems that the actual plan, the cause of these good changes?
Has endangered all our children. Our brothers, sisters, grandchildren and cousins. We thought we could play a fun political game. "
She sighed.
" To learn a lesson we have known for centuries. Politics? Aren't fun. "

She fell silent for a while.
Seemingly mourning.

" We risked everything we fought for, for this. A bit of fun that, even without these terrifying events, affected the lives of these young men and women in the deepest and most private areas. Something we had no right of doing. "
She nodded towards the girls, apologizing.
" And we like to say that we are sorry. Not just to them, but towards their families.
We have been unreasonable, unrealistic and downright stupid. "
She sighed, making eye contact with their families.

" Therefore,
it had been decided that we will not continue to pursue this venture.
You and your young men are free to go. "
She said in a final way, addressing the families fully now.