#behold! callum's solution to the trolley problem

[jelzorz]

sbcw2.3: but Rayla was in trouble

It happens in front of everyone. There is Soren, keeping Ezran away from the danger, and Rayla at Claudia's feet, and Callum forced to make an impossible choice, only it's not impossible, not for him, and the decision is all too easy to make.

He hands over the cube. Rayla walks free.

Aaravos does too.

Rayla yells at him afterwards because of course she does, because she is notoriously suicidal and would rather die than let anyone else be hurt in her place. That's what the choice was, wasn't it? Her or everyone. And it should have been everyone, she'd said; she should have just died, she'd said, but Callum can't fathom it—won't fathom it, and she understands, in the end, because she would have done the same and they both know it.

Callum expects that to be the end of it, but the animosity he receives from Soren is less expected. Soren is silent, but furious. He's made a concerted effort to be sunnier these last two years, but there is ice in the way that he glares, and salt in the things he doesn't say.

They had back to Katolis without speaking, without looking at each other, because Callum can feel his disapproval from the other side of Queen Zubeia's back, and he is not in the mood to be judged. Still there is judgement, still there is there is mountain of things Soren says without saying, and Callum ignores it until he can't, and the accusation spills from his mouth.

"You think I should have let her die."

Soren tilts his head at him slowly, his jaw clenched tightly shut. The council chambers fall silent. Callum scowls from across the table.

"Well?"

Soren rolls his neck like he's rallying for a fight. "I think it should have been a harder decision to make," he says shortly.

"It was the only decision to make."

"Was it?"

"Yeah," snaps Callum. "Rayla was in trouble. Your sister would have killed her if I didn't do it. What the hell would you have done?"

"Minimum, I would have thought about it a little."

Callum actually laughs. "You're talking to me about thinking about something a little?"

"Yeah, actually," snarls Soren, "because we all love to pretend I'm an idiot but I'm Captain of your brother's Crown Guard for a reason. I'm on this council for a reason. Your duty is to him, to advise him, and you couldn't put your head on straight for one fucking second just because you're so fucking blinded—"

"Were you not listening?" barks Callum. "You were there! Rayla was in trouble! Claudia would have killed her!"

"And now," seethes Soren, "she's killed all of us! You've killed all of us! Open your eyes, Callum, Rayla's not in any less trouble now because you chose her over everyone else. We're still fucked. Because of you."

"What the fuck would you have done?"

Soren snorts bitterly and pushes away from the table, chair legs scraping loudly against the floor. "Not this," he mutters.

Callum sets his jaw. "I see," he says darkly.

"That's the problem," says Soren. "You don't."