My Name Is Adela Kirigan (A Shadow and Bone Season 1 Fanfiction)

Chapter 15: The Horseback Ride

Alina and Adela walked out together to the outdoor palace grounds, where General Kirigan stood with his black steed, a white pony and a dappled grey mare. 

'Morning,' he greeted. 'I see you're acquainted with my sister.' 

'I agree I'm very charming, brother,' Adela replied with a sultry smile, going over to her horse and speaking very softly to it, stroking its neck. 

'Morning,' Alina replied. She came over to the white pony and absentmindedly stroked its neck. General Kirigan shed his kefta, letting a maid take it, revealing his black leather coat underneath, and Adela followed suit, revealing a similar coat, only it was of a dark blue colour. She turned to Adela and General Kirigan. 

'You're not wearing your keftas,' she remarked. 

'Do you not like the colour I chose for you?' the General asked. 

'You're the only one who wears it... except for your sister.' 

'Tell me, are you so anxious to be like everyone else?' he asked, a curious look coming over his face. 

'It would be nice to know what that feels like someday, General,' she replied respectfully. She adjusted the saddle, then placed her foot into the stirrup and swung into the saddle gently. Adela took the reins of her horse and followed suit, letting the back of her coat swing over the hindquarters of her horse, then the General came to his horse, stopping in front of Alina and speaking. 

'Well, that day is not today.' He, too, swung into the saddle, looking at Alina. 'Please. Call me Aleksander.' Then, the three turned their horses and cantered off, out of the grounds of the Little Palace, Aleksander following the lead, Alina and Adela picking up the rear. 

Much later... 

The three stood in front of a well, Adela leaning against it, and Alina and Aleksander standing in front of it. He kissed a coin and flipped it, making Alina chuckle warmly. Alina looked into the well, for her reflection. 

'What do you see?' Aleksander asked. 

'Someone's version of me.' 

'Or perhaps the real you has finally emerged.' Alina looked at Aleksander, and then saw Adela making a 'love heart' symbol with her hands, mouthing, 

'Alina and Aleksander sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.' She shook her head as Adela chuckled, making Alina chuckle. Aleksander turned to his sister. 

'Are you serious?' Aleksander asked incredulously. 

'I'm just stating the obvious. We'll chat later.' Aleksander scoffed, jumping down and going over to the other side of the well to clean out sticks from the pool. 

'How are you adjusting to life in the Little Palace?' Aleksander asked. 

'Training is good,' Alina replied, walking away from him. 'Well, I think it's going well. It's hard to tell with Baghra sometimes, isn't it?' 

'Always.' He turned to pick out some more sticks. 'Is your room satisfactory?' 

'Well, I've never had warming stones put in my bed before. I'm glad to have Genya.' He turned to face her, a thoughtful look growing on his face. 'I'm just not sure I understand where this road leads.' 

'I understand how you feel, Miss Starkov,' he replied. 'When I was a boy, I used to run away and hide here. Once I realised that I was a descendant of the most hated Grisha in all of Ravka, I'd come here, throw a coin. Make a wish in the fountain. Same wish. Over, and over again. And over time, Adela would join me. We're a lot alike, she and I. We'd both wish the same thing.'

'That we could be anyone else,' Adela spoke. 'My brother and I were both hated and feared, because of - well, what we were, what we could do. The King and Queen try with me, to make me part of their high life, with the dresses and the parties, and they gave Aleksander a leadership position among the Second Army, but Ravka is not an easily trusting country, or an easily trusting people. We've been shunned our whole lives, told we were monsters, worth more dead than alive... like too many of our Grisha brothers and sisters. But somehow, we were different. We were worse than them. Like they were somewhat of mutated monsters, but we were, to them, mutated devils. I've never been trained in the ways of the Second Army, hardly able to use my powers. As Aleksander has to keep up an appearance of being the fearsome, elusive general of the Second Army, so I have to keep up an appearance of a princess. One who isn't Grisha.' Alina stood and walked forward, eyeing the carvings at the base of the well. 

'This is his story, isn't it?' she asked. 

'You know it just from these old pictures?' Aleksander replied in surprise. 

'Of course. Every child learns the history, not just Grisha.' She walked down the length of the well, telling the story as she went. 'Hundreds of years ago, Anastas, the King, hired a Grisha as his military adviser. A -' she paused in hesitation, '- Shadow Summoner.' 

'You can say it. The Black Heretic,' Aleksander replied. She kept walking, continuing the story. 

'The Heretic grew hungry for more power, and the King, fearing a coup, put a bounty on his head, and any Grisha that stood by him. The Heretic knew he was outnumbered, so he attempted to create an army of his own using the same forbidden science Morozova once used to create his amplifiers. But he failed. He created the Fold instead. He was killed by it. Along with countless others.' She turned to him. 'Was I properly schooled?' He didn't answer her question, only replied, 

'I have devoted my life to undoing the great sin of my forebearer, but I am never seen as the solution. Only as a reminder of the problem. And they always need someone to blame.' 

'That's why you look at me like that, isn't it?' Alina asked. 'I'm your solution. Only... if I fail, they'll turn on me. And I'll be the brand-new Heretic.' She turned back to the well as Aleksander came up beside her. 

'If you believe anything, believe I will not let that happen.' 

'I appreciate the sentiment, but...' 

'I - we, shall be right by your side,' Aleksander said tenderly. She blushed lightly and looked away. 'You and I are going to change the world, Alina. I should get you back.' He stepped down from the well. 'Baghra does hate tardiness.' He held out his hand to his sister. 'Come along, Adela.' She stepped down and walked to her horse, with Aleksander and Alina following suit, but not before Alina took out a coin, and flipped it into the well with a silent plop.