Keefe Short Story

Part 1

AN: I can't type the whole story in one sitting, but I'll do it in little parts. :) Enjoy!

"Lord Alden," Lord Cassius said, dipping his head in what could barely count as a bow before he stepped aside to let Alden enter the Shore of Solace - aka his used-to-be-secret-even-though-no-one-actually-wanted-to-go-there-with-him beach house. "I thought the Council ordered all of you Vackers to be at Tribunal Hall today for the big verdict. It's all I've heard about for days. People do so love a good scandal - and this is one of the best our world has seen in ages."

"The sentencing isn't until this afternoon," Alden explained, ignoring the rest of Cassius's jab as he made his way toward a room with mother-of-pearl walls. His teal eyes looked far from impressed as they skimmed over the fancy furniture and enormous ocean-view windows - but his gaze softened when he focused on the blond boy sprawled across one of the couches. "I was hoping I'd find you here."

Keefe pulled himself to his feet, making sure to brush all the crumbs from the butterblast he'd snacked on for breakfast onto the otherwise pristine floor. "Is everything okay?"

Alden nodded. "But I'd love a quick word with you, if you don't mind. Perhaps somewhere a little more private?"

"Or I can lock Lord Nosypants in a closet," Ro offered, striding out of a shadowy corner and flashing a pointy-toothed grin.

How the pink-haired, heavily armed ogre princess could make people forget she was in the room was one of life's greatest mysteries.

"Let's save that fun for later," Keefe decided, leading Alden to the one place at his father's house where he felt like he could breathe: a wide outdoor patio facing a glittering black sand beach. Cushioned swings swayed in the salty wind, and Alden sank into one, watching the turquoise waves crash against the shore long enough for Keefe's brain to put together a pretty extensive list of scary things that might be happening.

Clearly Foster's ever-worrying ways were rubbing off on him.

"Sooo...," he said, dragging out the word as he plopped onto the swing next to Alden. "What's going on?"

"Nothing bad," Alden reassured him. "I'm just hoping you'll be willing to attend the Tribunal today."

AN: Hope you enjoyed it! I'll get part 2 up soon :) If I missed anything or spelled something wrong, tell me right away!