c'etait la derniere fois

the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now

one.  the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now

She had to smile.

Smiling was part of her facade, of acting like everything was okay. That she was okay with everything. If she didn't smile, her walls would come crashing down. And that could not happen.

It had been six months since the School Master had been defeated. Six months since Sophie had destroyed her ring in a sapphire cave.

Six months since Agatha had lost her two true loves to each other.

But she couldn't see it that way. Not when she had made the choice herself, to not fight for him. To let them be together for Good's future.

And Good was saved now. The guests around her were bright and beaming, familiar faces intermixed with nobles and rich houses. Tedros had thrown an after coronation party in honor of his dearest friends and allies. Everyone who had helped them in their quest to defeat Rafal was present, including the fairytale heroes from The League. They were all rejoicing at the fact that their fairytales were safe and secure in time for a new couple to take over Good's greatest kingdom, a couple that was a match made in fairytale heaven.

She'd made the right choice. She knew she'd made the right choice.

So why did her heart still ache? Why was she still longing for...?

She made the mistake of glancing their way and her smile immediately dropped at the sight her eyes were fixed on. Tedros was talking to Chaddick with his arm around Sophie, pulling her close as he showed her off. Agatha reeled as he suddenly turned and planted a kiss on Sophie's cheek.

Feeling nauseous, she turned away and focused on the coronation gifts placed on the table. She had quickly bought a box of chocolates and a decorative piece with some coins Merlin had given her. She knew it wasn't the best gift compared to the swords and china and whatnot the other guests had offered (and Sophie didn't even eat chocolate) but it was acceptable.

Agatha's eyes drifted towards friends, all seeming to be enjoying themselves, sharing food and chattering amongst themselves. They seemed so happy, so content, as if this was the perfect ever after. Looking at them, Agatha only felt lonelier than ever. Somehow, after these draining years which had shaken up her life so much, she was still the same girl, out of place and meant to be alone.

She caught Beatrix's eye, as the blonde chatted with Reena and Millicent. There was no doubt on what they were talking about as their eyes kept darting over to her. Of course they would be suspicious. Everyone had expected it to be her and Tedros and this change had obviously not gone unnoticed.

She turned away only for her eyes to meet Hort's. He was scowling at her with a betrayed expression. Of course he blamed her for not putting a stop to it. For standing up for what she wanted and in turn hurting them both. She sighed, dropping her gaze. If it wasn't enough to hurt herself, she also couldn't satisfy the people around her. Even the Coven was staring at her with frowns on their faces, seeing right through her tirade.

She decided to ignore them for now, focusing on the other guests, which proved to be a mistake. It turned out, expecting nobles to be cordial to scary looking girls in black dresses was as successful as pretending to be okay with your ex and your best friend getting married. No matter who she talked to, they all thought she was a Never and only few, very few recognized her as a friend of the future queen's, given they had seen them walking together in the gardens earlier.

After "I can't imagine how brutal that school must have been... oh, but you wouldn't have had a problem fitting in, right?" she had decided that being rude, whether intentional or not, was a personality trait of any form of high power and had decided she'd had enough.

But then Agatha heard the screech of a microphone and she turned towards the front. There, behind the microphone, stood Tedros.

"I'd like to thank all our classmates and friends for coming tonight to celebrate the reclaiming of my homeland, Camelot," he started and took a deep breath. "These past few years have been hectic and uncertain but we all came together and grew because of it. I couldn't imagine I would be standing here, surrounded by people I care for and cherish as I reclaimed my crown. So I'd like to thank you all for being beside me on this journey, and accepting me as I am, despite my own shortcomings and mistakes."

He looked so regal and brave addressing the crowd, just as he was during the coronation, gallant and strong as he pulled his sword from the stone, just like his legendary father before him. Agatha remembered the sensitive boy with a big heart who she had come to know in the past couple of months, the one who had told her all his fears, the one who was scared he wouldn't be enough for her.

But it turned out to be the opposite.

At that moment, their eyes met. A single moment, perhaps happening by chance. She cursed the part of her that wanted him to betray any kind of emotion that showed he still felt something towards her.

Agatha held her breath as those peacock blue orbs met hers. His face was neutral, still tuned in to his audience. But his eyes were focused on her, deep and relentless. Once upon a time, she would've been able to read him like a book. But those times were gone.

"But most of all, I'd like to credit the reason I am standing here before you all to one person," he continued. "There's a person here who has stuck by my side the entire time. Someone who brought me back when I was led astray by my heart. Someone who sees me for me. Someone who knows me better than myself," he turned to Sophie, fixing his adoring eyes on her. "That someone is my beautiful bride to be, who will be the greatest queen to live."

Applause and cheers broke out from the nobles, who seemed to be in love with Sophie already. Less enthusiastic applause came from the students and The League, who still had not forgiven her for the torment she had put them through. Agatha clapped loudly, trying to maintain some sort of semblance of happiness.

She met Sophie's delighted gaze as her best friend smiled at her, as if this was her victory, her happiness too. And she forced herself to smile back like she had done all evening, keeping her friend as happy as she could.

This was what she had wanted. This was what she chose.

And she had to be happy with it, not just for her own sake.

~

this is sort of my take on what would happen if tedros had ended up with sophie in the last ever after.

will it be angsty? yes. will it make you cry? yes. is it worth the read? i'll let you decide.

and finally, will there be a happy ending? of course! who am I, soman chainani?