{BOOK 1/3 of The Triumvariate Trilogy}
Adaline was living a normal life moving from military camp to camp as she tried to help anyone in need. Everyone needed her medical advice for she was the best doctor in the country.
But when the Grisha of Rav...
The Grand Palace was indeed living upto its name. As everyone walked further into it, the long corridor seemed to go on and on. It was lined with mirrors and it looked like the entire place was made out of gold, which did not please Adaline. It only angered her even more. There was nothing beautiful about the place. Everywhere she looked, she could only imagine the amount of time and effort it must have taken. The King and Queen could have had slaves for all she knew and nobody would question them.
She wondered if the Darkling was supporting all that, because if he was, that gave her another reason to not trust him.
They finally entered the throne room, which was two stories high. The two thrones were placed on a raised area with five steps at the end of the room facing the door through which they entered. Military men with their medals facing proudly on their chest filled the room to witness whatever it was they had heard from the people from the local camp.
Silence fell in the room as the Darkling entered and the Grisha stood in different places, which was according to their Order again. Adaline thought if they had been ordered all the while to be who they were for so long.
The Darkling started walking towards the throne and she followed him without being told twice. Her eyes searched the crowd for the familiar salt-and-pepper hair of her father but not finding him, she reverted her eyes back to the fixed point on the ground below the dais. "Your Highness," spoke the Darkling. "Adaline Chernoff."
Adaline wasn't sure what to do. She had been taught to curtsy but she chose otherwise and bowed to the King and Queen that sat in their assigned seats. A set of murmurs and snickers spread in the room. Good, she thought. She was not going to be a princess for them.
"Welcome to Os Alta, Miss Chernoff," said the King.
She was not expecting such a warm welcome. "Thank you," she said in a steady voice. The King had no reason to address her the way he did. What was his strategy?
"We hope you got some rest," spoke the Queen.
"She is General Chernoff's daughter from the camp across the valley," introduced the Darkling.
"We heard," said the King. "We hope you find your stay comfortable here."
Adaline scoffed and the Darkling's gaze fell upon her. He had been expecting that but wanted to prove himself wrong somehow. The entire room's attention was on her now. "You want me to be comfortable here? How do you suppose that to happen when you live on other people's work?"
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"Excuse me?" The Queen asked.
"You are renovating here while farmers are starving in the nether world. The crops failed due to a war that you caused. Why do you need the renovation anyway? Isn't this palace enough for everyone?"
"We try to be there for the people whenever we can," said Princess Maria, who was sitting below the dais on the Queen's side. That was the only time that Adaline had noticed that the throne on the King's side was empty.
"How can you say that?" Adaline asked. "Where were you when Keramzin was affected by the famine? Where were you when the First Army lost everyone while trying to cross the Fold? Do not speak like you know what is going on out there. None of you do."
Everyone in the room was not expecting that behaviour from her, but where was the lie? The crown did not care for its people the way they said they did. Adaline was only pointing that out bluntly. "Adaline-" The Darkling was about to touch her elbow to stop her when she pulled back sharply.
"Don't!" Her voice echoed through the room. Everything that she ever wanted to tell the crown was out. She could not believe the relief that she was feeling as the weight on her chest reduced.
"You're right." She heard the King, and she immediately turned to face him. "We haven't been working to our fullest. I promise you that we will start on it from this very moment."
Before she could say anything else, the Darkling spoke. "Thank you, Your Highness."
"We hope you can ignore the renovation part," said the Queen, sending laughs around the room.
Adaline was very confused. How could the crown have everyone under their control? She turned to look at the Darkling and found his gaze sharp set. He was their puppet as well. She could not believe it.
Once they walked out of the room, the silence between the two summoners broke down. "You seemed to show them what the truth was." She couldn't believe that he was talking to her but turned to look at him as they continued walking.
"I'm sorry for interrupting you. You can give me whatever punishment you have in mind."
She had heard talks about his torture methods. She could prove that they were all rumours but she knew that she was going to pay. But something happened that she never would have predicted in all her life.
He laughed.
Her eyebrows furrowed together. The Darkling had laughed? At something that she had said?
"I'm not how everyone portrays me to be." The smile had vanished but its trace was still there. He did not seem intimidating and he was definitely not how she was expecting him to be. But maybe that was because she could be just as powerful as him.
"We'll see about that." She quoted him.
When he went about his work, Adaline was met with Irina. "That was amazing!"
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"Really?" Adaline was once again confused. Weren't Grisha supposed to be on the side of the royals?
"Yes!" Irina's voice squeaked. "I have never seen anyone stand up to them. You are an absolute badass."
"I wish."
"You are! Thank goodness I hadn't missed this."
She laughed. "I'm sure someone must have filled you up on it," she said. "Irina, I have a question. Where is the prince?"
"Prince Stefan?" She was surprised at that question but understood the newcomer's curiosity. "He doesn't live here for long. Ever since he came of age, he lives at his extended family's place. He could be anywhere in the world and we wouldn't even know."
"Why is that?"
"I've only heard rumours about this but...." she lowered her voice as if insulting the crown wasn't the cause for treason. "It seems that he doesn't like his family very much."
She scoffed. "I don't find that hard to believe."
"They say that they had a huge argument before the day that he left."
"Mmh too bad. I was hoping for family drama," joked Adaline.
"Oh there is enough of that." She winked. "Trust me."
