Council of the Heir

Chapter Eighteen - star-filled sky

Lydia staggered back as the enderman released her, and her chin jerked up in alarm, her heart lurching in her chest as her gaze fastened on the endless expanse of the void.

"Whoa." Her voice faltered, and she hurriedly looked away before the sight could freak her out too much. She was stood on a platform that was connected to one of the towering end cities, surrounded by a high railing that would keep one from falling off- which was good, because she was very high off the ground. By the time she had processed her surroundings, the enderman who had brought her here was gone, leaving her alone on the balcony.

She turned in a slow circle, wondering what on earth had happened. She wasn't being locked up, which she assumed was what was happening to to Null right now, so... maybe they didn't think she was associated with him after all? But, then, why did they nab her?

"Hello, miss." The accented voice made her whip around in surprise to find an enderman standing in the entryway.

He was tall - obviously, but even taller than Earl who she had met before. He also wore clothes, which was weird for an enderman, and wore a silver crown. The sovereign.

"Oh," she said, stunned, as she tried to work out something to say. "Uh- why am I here?"

"I wanted to meet you." The sovereign stepped forward, gazing off into the void as he came to stand beside her. "You do not belong in this world, do you?" Lydia's next words died on her lips.

"No," she said instead. "I don't." The sovereign nodded, then beckoned her with him as he walked over to the railing.

Lydia felt like a dwarf as she followed him over- the railing came up nearly to her chin, while it didn't quite reach the sovereign's waist where he stood beside her. The entryway he had come through was at least three times her height, a necessity for the natives, she supposed, but it certainly made her feel odd.

"We have been observing the sorcerer for some time," the sovereign told her as he looked off into the distance. "And, in turn, have seen much of you as well. You know more about the past, present, and future than any young woman should." Lydia leaned against the railing with a sigh.

"Yeah. Did you hear my explanation to Valor and the guys?"

"I did not, but I know enough," the sovereign told her. "You are from an alternate plane of reality, one where the events of this world are known as fiction. You interfered with the progression of this story out of a curiosity to know more, and it had consequences that you did not foresee." Lydia winced.

"Yeah, that's about right." How he knew that without hearing her tell people, she wasn't sure... maybe someone had been spying when she told Grace? "Do you, ah..." she faltered. "...know how I got here?"

"No." The sovereign shook his head. "Nor do I know how to send you home." Lydia wilted a bit.

"Oh." Worth a shot, anyway.

"From your reaction to me, I take it you are aware of me and my people as well," the sovereign went on. Lydia nodded.

"You guys were in the sequel. Though..." she hesitated. "I'm... not at all sure if I can predict those events. There's..." She crossed her arms and rested her chin on them, leaning forward against the railing. "...I dunno. I was never really sure where that story was going." The sovereign gave a hum of affirmation.

"I think I may be able to explain that for you," he said. Lydia tilted her head up, making sure to focus her gaze on his crown instead of his eyes.

"Yeah?"

"There are... stories." The sovereign told her. "Stories that transcend dimensions, stories that wish to be told. It seems that one of said stories was able to reach you. But, then, once the story had finished with, you wished to continue it how you wished for it to be written, rather than how the events had really gone." Lydia frowned, processing this for a moment.