Loke," she whispered, nudging him awake.
They were in the library, he must have fallen asleep after reading troll political speeches.
"Mmhmm?" he murmured, lifting his head up from the book he'd been studying from.
Hey, needing help with them was a good excuse for spending time with her.
"I'm, um, not supposed to tell you this yet, but," she hesitated for a second, "Bronte told me that it was pretty much guaranteed that I'd be elected tomorrow."
He felt his heart drop into his stomach.
"Really? T-that's great," he stammered, plastering a fake smile on his face.
He needed to be happy for her, this was his best friend getting elected.
"You're okay with it?" she asked, a smile blooming across her face.
"Yeah, yeah, of course," he insisted, wishing he could have the courage to say his feelings.
He could give a speech to thousands of , but he couldn't speak his feelings. The irony in that.
Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I was so worried you wouldn't, wouldn't approve. I don't know what I'd do if you didn't think it was okay."
"Ora," Loke started, drumming his fingers on the desk, "Can I tell you something?"
She looked up at him, her azure eyes sparkling with happiness. A golden ringlet swept across her face, and she pushed the lock behind her ear.
"Of course." She smiled at him, eyes gleaming.
"I just want you to know," he swallowed nervously, "That I-"
"It's getting late," an elf called. He assumed she was the librarian. "I need to close the library."
Lucy smiled as she scooped up her books. "Tomorrow it'll be announced." She let out a blissful sigh. "I can start to get packed up. You have to help me move into my new estate!"
Loke plastered a fake grin on his face. "Y-yeah, that's a great idea."
He couldn't do it. He couldn't tell her his feelings. How could he? Lucy was his best friend, he couldn't bear to ruin her happiness. What was he supposed to say? 'Excuse me, I love you?' He'd been hopelessly in love with her since he they graduated. He'd stuck with her through everything, matchmaking applications, completing the elite levels. What hurt the most was that even the Matchmakers thought they'd be good together. She was number one on his list.
A shiver rolled through them as they stopped. Lucy held up her pathfinder, the same bliss stretched across her face. "I can't wait to make the world a better place," she murmured, closing her eyes briefly.
Loke inched closer, the moonlight splashing across his face as he whispered, "I can't wait to watch you."
She flashed him a small, bashful smile and called, "Pearlshine!" She vanished away, the light whisking her home.
He waited half a second before following, muttering under his breath, "Pearlshine."
He reappeared in front of a huge manor. Grassy hills rolled, the grass a vibrant green. Everything looked alive. Rain poured from the sky, thunder clapping along with it. A small, petite elf stood in front of him, her azure eyes looking confused and intrigued.
"Loke?" Lucy shouted, trying to be heard over the sound of the rain. "What are you doing here?"
Her blonde curls were plastered to her face, dripping with water.
He swept his red hair back with his hand as he replied, "I can't watch you accept the nomination."
"What?" she exclaimed, a bit of anger and hurt in her eyes. And betrayal. That hurt him the most. She stepped towards him. "I've worked towards this my entire life!"
He ran a hand through his red hair. "I know, and I wish I didn't care so much-"
"Why do you care?" Lucy bursted. "I thought you were my friend! This is my dream coming true!"
"Why do I care? I've been in love with you since we graduated!"
She grew quiet, breathing heavily. There was a small silence, filled with only the sound of the pounding rain as he continued, "I love you, Lucy."
She let out a small cry, dropping to the ground. Her hair wrapped around her shoulders as she looked up at him.
"How could you do this to me?"
He stared at her, hating himself for the hurt he had caused her.
"I was ready to accept. I was going to become the next Councillor."
He also hated himself for the hope. He looked down at his hands, unable to look at her anymore.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
Loke glanced up. There were no emotions in her eyes. She looked numb. She simply stared at him plainly, the question ringing in her face.
"Why?"
He knew what he had to do. He hadn't meant to cause her pain. He closed his eyes and felt for her thoughts. He was doing what he did best. Erasing memories. He washed away the recent thoughts and buried them deep inside her consciousness.
She crumpled to the ground. He picked her up gently and carried her towards her estate. He opened up her door, placing her gently on a cream colored couch.
"Sweet dreams," he whispered, planting a small kiss on her forehead.
He leaped away before he could fall deeper in love and hurt himself even more.
o0OO0o
This was the happiest he'd ever seen her. She was clothed in a light pink dress, diamonds and tourmalines weaved into the fabric. Her golden hair was pinned up intricately, with a few stubborn curls peaking out. Her face was beaming as she accepted the nomination.
"I want to do everything in my power to make the world a better place," she announced after her circlet had been placed on her head. "It is my honor to serve as your Councillor and I will dedicate myself to everyone's happiness. Not just the , but every species. Thank you for this honor."
She dipped her head and took a step back to stand next to the other Councillors. The clapped, ecstatic about the newest addition to the council. Loke stood in the back of the crowd, unable to bring himself to clap for what he'd lost. He hadn't meant to make this about himself, he hadn't meant to be hurt, but that was just how it went. In the end, all that mattered was her happiness, not his. He let out a sigh and pushed himself towards the front of the crowd to congratulate his best friend.