"Crowns topple easily. Thrones crumble like dust. Hearts cease to beat. Thorns draw blood."
In a country torn into two, there should have been no room for mistakes. Especially not at the very core of the royal family. That was what she was. Yes, a...
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Being dangerously close to the Fold did not make anyone feel secure.
If it weren't the large panel of darkness that separated them from safety and imminent death, then it would have to be the sound of havoc and chaos that came from the Unsea. It was as if they were hearing a thousand screaming men get absorbed by a tornado. It was the constant sounds of agony that kept them all up every night.
Kribirsk was the closest they had been to the Shadow Fold. It didn't help that they came there for nothing. Baghra had insisted on them traveling there in order to rescue some Grisha only for the sanctuary to turn up empty. The worst part was, the old woman didn't seem surprised. It was as if she wanted them to go near the Fold for no reason.
The whole camp had been irritated to say the least. Currently, everyone was camped outside the village, not willing to risk everyone's safety for the sake of staying in a warm inn. They've all stayed in worse conditions. For that, Aleksander commended them.
Especially Irina.
Being a princess of Ravka had only exposed her to the finer things in life. Only the warmest rooms and softest of beds, the most delicious of foods and most beautiful of clothes. However, in the past few weeks, she had accustomed herself to sleeping on the ground with a thin mattress and a few pillows. With nary a word of complaint.
Aleksander would not admit it but his eyes never strayed from her even when they were focused on various tasks. With the young princess being the only Grisha trained in healing and heartrending, all those with problems with their health came to her. Those who would cut themselves when building tents and weapons, those who have problems sleeping, and those who would be feeling under the weather would go to her.
Of course, she helped them all to the best of her ability however once they had received what they needed, they all left without another word and were quite content to pretend that she was invisible. In front of him, she acted as if she was alright and unbothered but he had seen the hurt in her eyes when even the people like her outcasted her for her name and her position.
Only the young Durast appeared to be friendly with Irina. Maria was her name if he was not mistaken. She had been the only one to keep his darling company whenever she would work.
Still, that didn't make up for dozens who chose to treat her like an outsider despite all of them coming from similar situations. If they weren't Grisha, Aleksander would have hurt them all a long time ago for the sheer disrespect they showed to the woman he loved.
People had always feared those they do not know and Grisha will always fear those with more power than them. That was something Aleksander had known all his life. Truth be told, all his life, he feared nothing. Persecution, soldiers, other Grisha. None of them inspired fear within him.
