Final Smile

Final Smile is a Dark Elven-language romantic tragedy book written by Cario Sémis, widely considered little more that a propaganda piece against the Church of Titanius, it is banned in Etrand, Froturn and Artaburro, distributed only illegally via underground means.

The book starts in medias res, and much of the story is told through flashbacks.

Plot
The book starts in medias res - the beginning tells the story of a group of female sodomites in Etrand being arrested soon after King Cairbré I of Etrand gave the Inquisition the green light to arrest suspected heretics and heathens indiscriminately. Their tavern - which was considered a safe space, being in the middle of the Shanty Town where no law-abiding citizen ever goes.

Two of the would-be prisoners are Ledda Aesa and Genscisa Saretregima, two High Elven women who quickly escape from the captivity during a brawl that breaks out between one of the captivates and the inquisitors. They hide in the sewers first, then slip out of the city during the night. While escaping from Grandfolk, they begin introducing themselves to each other, telling bits of their stories, and their disgust with the current system that is punishing them for beign "sodomites". They agree that even if every other "sodomite" considers himself/herself a sinner, they will not feel any guilt about their orientation. They start pretending to be two sisters in order to avoid being suspected by the the Etrandish and Froturnish authorities during their travel to Dragoc. During this travel, we first hear Ledda's stoy.

Ledda was first born over a millenia ago in a very small village in Froturn. She was a bright and beloved child, until puberty hit her. She realized that she did not like boys at all, only girls - and she liked girls the way boys like girls. When she was a teenager, people assumed she was either chaste or attention-seeking. But when she turned adult... That is when troubles truly start. Men proposed to her, but she rejected every single one of them. Her parents wanted to arrange her to be married to a man, but she went on a "strike" to avoid it - she admits that she is a sodomite and has absolutely no interest in men. Her disgusted parents threatened to disown her if she doesn't change her mind about her sexuality, but she made up her mind - even if it means getting disowned, she will not yield. Ledda was declared an un-person by the village, banished, made fair-game for rape or kill, her name made a taboo. While on the run, she got attacked by wild animals in the nearby forest, mauled to death by a wolf. Everything went black for her as the wolf approached her - she did not feel anything. The next thing she was was a flicker of light, as her suddenly tiny body was held by a young woman. She has reincarnated... immediately after her death, it seems. This time, she was born into an urban upper-class family. Once again, she felt no attraction towards men, but it did not matter - her parents betrothed her to a man when she was very young. She could not protest against the arranged marriage, and had to live for a century with a man she did not love - she ended up commiting suicide.

Next, we would hear Genscisa's story: Her first death involved having her throat sliced, then burned to death on a stake, mauled to death by a bear, having starved to death after being exiled, then having commited suicide after being forced to drink sodobane,

Main Characters

 * Ledda Aesa (Contemporary High Elven: [ lɛdːɑ eːzɑ ] ) − a High Elven woman who keeps reincarnating as High Elven lesbian woman, gradually regaining memories of her previous lives, with the exception of memories relating to death: she cannot remember her own previous deaths or anything relating to death, except suicide - she remembers her past suicides well. Each time she reincarnates, she regains her memories only gradually once reaching adulthood. She is described as having long blond hair and brown eyes.
 * Genscisa Saretregima (Contemporary High Elven: [ d͡ʒɛnʃɪzɑ sɑɾʊtʰr̥ɛd͡ʒɪmɑ ] ) − another High Elven female who happens to prefer women over men. She can not die - she is forever young, and every time an event happens that would normally ensure the death of a mortal, everything goes dark for her, and she then wakes up in an arbitrary safe location. While her memory of her long life is rather flawed, she remembers every one of her deaths perfectly. She is described as having long black hair and blue eyes.