Noble Hope| General Kirigan

𝟘𝟘𝟠

{Chapter eight}

AS ADALINE LEFT THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE LITTLE PALACE, SHE WAS MET WITH AN OPRICHNIK HOLDING TWO HORSES, A MAID, AND ALEKSANDER STANDING IN THE COURTYARD. She wrung her hands nervously, fiddling with the sleeves of the new black and grey kefta she received that morning. When her sight met the general, she found he was already frozen staring at her. 

She found no reason not to wear the kefta. She was a Shadow Summoner herself.

But holy fucking Saints, she looked incredible in his color. 

It contrasted with her skin color much better than the blue of the Ethrealaki stem did, and seemed to make her dark hair that laid naturally down her shoulders and eyes even more apparent than before. Every step she took closer to him made his heart skip a beat. What in heaven's name was she doing to him? Aleksander couldn't honestly tell if he was worried or if he liked her effect on him. 

Adaline herself couldn't have been more nervous. She was usually one to radiate confidence but being the only known person to wear the color of the previously only known Darkling made her breath uneven. And to make matters worse, there he was. All 6'1 of him in his black kefta, broad shoulders, and neatly swept-back hair. 

With a quick look from his horse to the girl in front of him, he spoke quietly. "Morning." 

Just his voice made her knees weak. "Morning." 

Aleksander gestured to the brown horse that stood beside his, watching her mesmerized as she went to pet its nose. He took a deep breath, attempting to ground himself as he grasped the outside of his kefta and allowed the maid to take it off for him. 

Adaline caught sight of this, looking him up and down as she grazed the soft hair of the horse. "You're not wearing your kefta."

His breath hitched just at her speaking to him. (Damn they're whipped already.) "I see you liked the color I chose for you."

Adaline bit her lip with a shake of her head, trying to suppress her smile. "I do." 

The way her nose scrunched when she attempted to say something confidently made Aleksander smile. He watched as she hooked her foot through the loophole and swung her opposite leg to the other side of the saddle just like she did the day they met. The general rounded to his own horse as he said, "I'm glad." 

Once he boarded and grabbed the reins with one hand, Adaline watched him run his other through his hair. She had a sneaking suspicion that he knew she loved it when he did that. Aleksander shot her one last smile before taking off in a trot down the stone pathway of the palace with Adaline in tow. 

They rode in silence for at least half a mile before they reached their destination. It was a stone fountain where Aleksander stopped them, gracefully climbing off his horse and going to offer his hand for Adaline to use as she dismounted her own animal. 

Though this time, neither bothered to pull their hands away from the other. 

As they made the short walk from their horses to the fountain, Aleksander began to dig around through one of his pockets, pulling out two gold Ravkan coins. He released Adaline's hand and stepped onto the base of the fountain, handing her one of the coins with a shining smile.