Royal Bastards Nikolai Lantsov x fem reader

Ravka's Princess

Y/n

Sometimes Kaz's plans work out well and everything is easy, other times we're hiding in a hotel room being hunted by every stadwatch grunt and barrel thug in the city.

But apparently we are to meet with two members of the Triumvirate at the hotel pool today, Genya and Zoya, I can only hope they don't recognise me. We fought for the same side in the same war, but I left soon after. I was there for my country, and I did my service in secret. I could be called a spy, I could be called invisible. I was just a girl.

When I was in Os Alta most of my time was spent training with the other Grisha children or in the Grand Palace with the Queen, and Genya was one of her servants, she was around my age, a very talented tailor, and very nice, but I wasn't allowed to be friends with her. Stupid rules. Zoya on the other hand seemed to hate me. I didn't chose to live at the Grand Palace away from all my Grisha friends, David, Fedyor, Marie, but that's just how it was. If Zoya wanted my life I would gladly have given it to her. But I wouldn't have given up my friendship with the prince, not Vasily, he was horrible, but Nikolai was my best friend, I miss him every day. He probably doesn't even think about me now that he's king.

I didn't tell the Crows about where I grew up, although Nina worked out who I was fairly quickly, she hasn't told anyone. Sometimes I want to go back to Os Alta, back to Nikolai but it's been so long, and so much has changed. I don't think I could walk the halls of the Grand Palace without the Queen, or sit in the Little Palace without Fedyor and Marie.

And I have new friends now, although they have dragged me into a lot of chaos along the way. Jesper and I met a few years ago at the docks. Just by chance, I almost killed him. Later that day we were at the Crow Club and he was introducing me to Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands himself. And now we've been working together for 3 years.

After a bit of our regular chaos we all make our way down to the pool, Zoya and Genya are right there. The fear that rushes through me was totally unexpected. They probably haven't seen me, but I stand behind the others with me head down. I didn't even notice the third person standing in the corner.

"We told the Grisha to come alone." Kaz says in his rough voice.

"I'm afraid that wasn't possible," says a voice that's too familiar, I try to force myself to keep my head down, but I need to know if it's him. "Though Zoya is, of course, a force to be reckoned with, Genya's extraordinary gifts are ill-suited to physical confrontation. I, on the other hand am well suited to all forms of confrontation, though I'm particularly fond of the physical." Nikolai finishes. Our eyes meet in a flash and I can tell he knows who I am.

"Sturmhond." Kaz states, eyes narrowed.

He looks away from me. "He knows me!" Nikolai says delighted. He nudges Genya with his elbow. "I told you I'm famous."

"Thank you. He's going to be twice as insufferable now." Zoya sighs, and I let out a laugh I should have kept in.

"Y/n?" Genya asks as she pushes through the others to see me clearly.

"You know each other?" Jesper asks as Zoya follows Genya.

"You're alive." Genya laughs, pulling me into a hug.

"What are you doing here? You don't belong here." Zoya says, joining the hug, slightly reluctantly.

"Can we do this later?" I whisper into their hair. They step back and the original conversation continues.

"Ehem," Genya starts, "Sturmhond has been authorised to negotiate on behalf of the Ravkan throne."

"A pirate?" Asks Jesper.