"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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Aleksander's eyes flickered open, his heart pounding in his chest like a ticking clock.
The remnants of his nightmare lingered in the deep recesses of his mind like the tendrils of shadows he controlled. He pressed a hand to his chest, trying to control his nerves despite the sweat beading on his forehead.
He could still see it, no matter how many times he tried to forget. The sight was a horrendous thing indeed despite it not being real. He was at that point of waking up, the point of denial wherein one did not know if what they saw was real or not. Not unless they received reassurance.
He turned to the other side of the bed, his eyes landing on Irina's sleeping form. The sight slowed his heart rate just a little bit, the relief overwhelming him like a wave of reality hitting him in order to wake him from his fears.
Aleksander allowed himself to gaze at her sleeping form for a few more seconds, savoring the sight of her like a man in a wasteland indulging in his last few drops of water.
Irina Lantsov Morozova. His wife. The other half of his soul. His heart, his life. His salvation. His final hope for happiness.
His nightmare ran through his head over and over again, even as he looked upon her alive and well. He could still remember the way that her pale porcelain skin was covered in burgundy liquid, the way her wide azure eyes stared lifelessly at nothing, the way her red gown was stained a deeper red, and finally, the way that her hand felt freezing cold in his, like feeling the frost creep up his fingertips.
He laid back down on his pillow, turning on his side to face her. He cradled her cheek in his hand, her face illuminated by the light of dawn enough that he could distinguish her features. Her face was such a wonder to him. It emitted such joy in him even at a glance. A hundred, nay a thousand years from now, he would recall such a visage as the greatest on this earth.
It wasn't even about her beauty. It was everything about her. The way she would risk it all for those she loved, the way she would laugh at the simplest thing, her warmth, her passion, her ambition. The way that her hand fit perfectly in his and how she always slept facing him.
Aleksander did not believe in soulmates. He never had. What use would an immortal have for a soulmate who would leave him? But looking at her, he knew that only she could be the person meant for him. No one else would come close to her.
Not helping himself, he leaned over to her and pressed a soft kiss onto each of her eyelids. Carefully, as one would delicately do to something so fragile.
As expected, Irina's eyes opened slowly, a smile immediately finding its way on her face despite the war they were expected to win. The war to end all battles.
"Promise me something." Aleksander whispered, smiling as her eyes adjusted to waking up.
"Hmm?" Irina sighed, reaching out to tousle his messy raven hair. He always looked perfect and the fact that she could see him when he was at his most vulnerable was the most precious thing.
