Sun and Shadow

Chapter Nine

"How is he?! Is he okay?!" I asked, running into the tent.

"He's alright" Ivan assured me.

Aleksander was laying unconscious on the cot in the far corner, Ivan stood at the end of it. I rushed to Alek's side and took his hand in mine, examining his chest. They had pulled his kefta off and opened his shirt so they could access his wound. There was nothing but a smearing of blood left on his perfect skin. Not even a scar. He was okay.

"Saints..." I breathed, looking back at his face. "Did you kill the tracker?" I asked.

"I wanted to" Ivan told me, retrieving and bringing over a bowl of water and a rag.

"Did you?" I repeated, picking up the rag and dampening it before cleaning the blood from Alek's chest.

"No"

I nodded, rinsing the cloth and pulling his arms through the shirt. "Help me get this off of him" I requested.

Ivan sat up Kirigan while I removed the blood soaked garment, quickly discarding it. "What are you going to do?" He asked me as I cleaned Aleksander's back.

"I'm going to get information, find out exactly what the hell was going on inside his mind, and then I'm going to kill him with my own hands" I replied blankly, placing a clean blanket on the bed.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to do that?" Ivan questioned me, laying Alek back down.

I returned the rag to the bowl and stood, bringing it over to the door and tipping the pink water out onto the ground outside "If I can't, then you can" I promised.

*****

It had been an hour since Ivan left to ensure my orders were being carried out. Most of the Grisha that travelled here with us had began their return to the Little Palace with the guards and prisoners. Ivan resigned to stay with Aleksander and I until he was ready to travel, which I was grateful for. We may not have started out as friends but I was glad he was here with me right now. I'd also changed out of the damp gown, stained with blood and dirt, and was now sat by the bedside in some simple First Army fatigues. I had worn these for so many years and yet right now they felt more foreign to me than a kefta ever had.

I gently stroked Alek's hair as I watched him sleep soundly. This must have been how he felt when I fainted after the Stag. Knowing I was okay and alive, but still worriedly waiting for me to wake up.

It was awful.

"Nnng... Alina?"

Relief flooded me as Alek's eyes pealed open. "Hey" I whispered, caressing his cheek "you had me scared there for a minute"

He smiled, looking up at me "I'm starting to get used to seeing your face every time I wake up" he mumbled, causing my own smile to widen. Only he would flirt just after a life threatening injury. "How much of the fun did I miss?" He asked.

I chuckled and shook my head "The Fold is gone, I didn't think I could do it" I admitted "not without you, but I did. We took Zlatan into custody with a few others and they're on their way back to the Little Palace to await sentencing. The nobles were in an uproar, bickering about our next move till the telegram came saying King Pyotr is dead. I then took the reins and the nobles all unanimously agreed to a coup" I told him.

Alek nodded, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand that still held his "So everything went exactly as planned" he summarised.

I shook my head leaning closer "I almost lost you, Aleksander" I whispered "That was definitely not part of the plan"