A Dance of Shadows and Light

Eight

Eight

The General had been avoiding her. He had locked himself up in The War Room. First, to talk with Genya about them raising the child. Second, well.... she didn't know what second was because she had not seen him all afternoon. She had spent the day in her chambers, painting the view outside of her window. Alina kept paint supplies there for those rare visits she'd had. Usually, during Solstice, or Summer, she'd been brought to appease the King and his family.

To make the royals believe that the Sun Summoner was worth the wait.

Kirigan had always been away. She had no idea if it was by design, or that his job simply kept him away from the palace a lot. Alina suspected it had been a little of both. While there had been no formal arrangement because she as a child, discussions of an arrangement between herself and the General had been happening since she was very small. Everyone knew what a union between two powerful grisha such as them could mean.

A family of powerful grisha children, with enough power to finally destroy The Fold. But Alina had been a child and while it wasn't unusual to secure alliances between great houses and their children young for the benefit of their future, the monarchy already had enough scandal. So, Alina was not formally engaged to the General until she turned eighteen.

But the King had always kept them in each other's presence. Alina was made to study Kirigan's history, the battles he'd fought in and won. She was given the miniature portrait of him, and he had one of her somewhere that had been commissioned when she was but seventeen. She remembered sitting for it, thinking how awfully strange it was to have a portrait being made for a man she didn't even really know.

They first met, officially, at her seventeenth birthday. Kirigan had come, sat in the back, and looked bored. And then, of course, he'd presented her with the lovely onyx necklace that still hung around her neck.

Alina had hoped for time to grieve her father, but if marrying Kirigan early meant that they could help keep Genya and her child alive, so be it. But would they really be able to keep away from each other for a whole year? And how would she fake a pregnancy? And what if they got caught?

There was a knock on the door just then. "Alina?" a male voice called.

Alina paused the painting that she was doing. The voice was certainly not Kirigans, but she still knew it. At least, it sounded familiar, but it was impossible that it should be him....she went to the door and opened it.

Prince Nikolai Lantsov stood in the doorway, smiling at her. "Nikki!" she smiled and threw her arms around him. He hugged her tightly too, picking her up off of the floor as he did, twirling her around.

His eyes twinkled as he took her in. "You're the only one that gets to call me that. Well, you and my mother."

Alina smiled. "Oh, I know it. What are you doing back? I thought you were at University in Ketterdam. Or on a ship or something."

He laughed. "Yes, yes, and yes. I came because I heard about the royal command, and about your father..."

Alina's eyes darkened. "Oh. Yes...."

"I thought I might convince my brute of a father to give you the mourning that you deserve. I heard he's trying to rush the marriage between you and General Sad Sack."

Alina rolled her eyes. "He's not sad."

"Isn't he?" Nikolai said. "What's with all of the black?"

Alina frowned. "I don't rightly know, but Nikki, you don't have to do any of that. It's fine. I've always known this is what I was meant for."

"Funny," he said, running his hands through his blond hair, "because I always thought that you were meant for me."

Alina blushed. "Nikolai...."

"What?" he said. "You can't honestly deny that you haven't thought about it. I know you remember how we almost kissed at the Winter Fete when we were fifteen and drunk on my fathers wine."

"What I remember is my father finding us and yelling at us for an hour about duty and obligation," said Alina, "we're not children, and I've a responsibility to my people to do this."

"What of your responsibility to me?" he said. "Because I am a Prince you know, and that does mean I could always---"

Alina reached out and took his hand. "I don't need saving, Nikolai. I know what my role is here. My whole life, it's like I've been one of those glass domes people keep butterflies in on display. I've been watching my people's struggle through a window. I'm finally here, at The Little Palace, where I'm supposed to be. I finally have a chance to contribute instead of sit, passively by, like the good, diligent daughter I was raised to be. I want to be here. I want to contribute. And if that means marrying Kirigan to do my duty, I will marry Kirigan to do my duty. You went off to the sea, and you made your bones. Let me make mine, why don't you?"

He heaved a sigh. "You certainly do know how to break a man's heart eloquently, don't you?"

She laughed. "I try."

"Well," he said, "it certainly doesn't hurt to ask. If you ever need a rescue----"

Alina smiled. "You'll be the first Prince Charming that I come looking for. Don't worry."

He nodded. "Then I will leave you to your painting, Alina. Again, I am sorry for the loss of your father."

She nodded. He hugged her, and Alina felt like part of her childhood was dying again. But it was time. She was a woman now. And she had a future to fight for. Nikolai bowed, and left the room, leaving her alone.

'