"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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Irina had woken to the sound of rain.
Water droplets splattered along the fabric of the tent, like teardrops falling from an eye. The sky continued to cry as if the heavens themselves found the world too depressing to watch.
With a sigh, the young princess opened her eyes to reveal the dim light just before daybreak. It was as if the sun was beginning to emerge yet the clouds overpowered its brightness, therefore, leaving the world in anticipation of the warmth that would never come.
Irina pulled the blankets up to her chin, only for them to leave her feet exposed to the cold winds brought about by the mild storm. With a groan, she decided that perhaps it was time for her to wake up. She sat up to see Vasilka, still sleeping beside her, curled up into a ball and Aleksander on her other side.
The rain had not woken him as it had her, giving her the rare moment to gaze upon him. Oftentimes, he woke up before her to do work of his own. There was even a moment when she had thought that he did not sleep with the number of times she had woken up to find him gone.
His eyes were shut tightly as if he was forever hesitant to leave the world of dreams. Even when sleeping, he was still perfect. Not a strand of hair was out of place nor did he snore. It was almost as if an artist sculpted him from clay and asked the saints to breathe the breath of life into him.
She knew that she should probably leave him to his rest for he did not get in until it was very late. Despite being at the very precipice of sleep, she had noticed that he had left the tent very late into the night. It had taken him quite a while before he found his way back to her, laying down beside her and pulling her into his arms.
Irina had to wonder. What was it that had needed his immediate attention in the middle of the night? With a shiver that alerted her of the low temperature, she decided to push it to the depths of her mind. There was a possibility that he had only gone to relieve himself. She did not need to know his every move.
She trusted him. Above all else. Even now, it was his plan that kept her going. With the way they were going right now, it wouldn't take long before they were ready to commit to the revolution. Aleksander worked on training every single Grisha in the camp. They may not trust her but they trusted him. He had gained their respect.
It was impossible not to respect such a man. Before she had realized that she loved him, he had already gained her respect. He was the sort of person that everyone rotated around. Whenever he entered a room, he commanded such attention that it was almost surreal how willingly people would comply to fulfill his every request.
Irina smiled, wondering to herself what she had done to receive his love. Pressing a soft kiss on his raven hair, she stood up from the bed and dressed for the day ahead. Thinking that he would probably not wake for a long time, she took ahold of his cloak, the black cloak she had the seamstress make for him. It was made of such fine material that would protect one from rain. It was the reason why it had been so expensive.
