A year after Alina Starkov tears down the Shadow Fold, she is finally able to settle into her peaceful life. There is no more war with Ravka. The Darkling, once her enemy, is now a loyal, protective husband, and a father to their adoptive daughter...
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"ᒪET ᗰE SEE ᑎIKOᒪᗩI."
I stare at him through the piles of papers on my desk in our shared office. One curtain is opened (on my side) and the other is closed while Aleksander works in the shadows next to the flickering light of a candle.
Aleksander looks up from his work and his mood darkens at the mention of Nikolai's name. Before he can say no, I cut him off.
"I know you have been keeping him from visiting the palace this past month. I'm sure he is worried about me, and knowing him, he is probably plotting a way to get me out of the country right now. Let me at least ease his nerves."
"I've been keeping everyone out since the attempt at your life, not just him."
That may be true, but we both know he is just using it as an excuse to cut Nikolai out of my life entirely, considering they aren't the best of friends. Putting it plainly, they can hardly be in the same room without tearing each other apart.
"Besides," he drawls, "the prince wouldn't attempt such a thing after our last encounter."
"Don't be so sure," I hum with a lilt in my voice. I hand him the current report I've been reading that inspired me to start this conversation. He takes the crinkled parchment with narrowed eyes and it only takes reading halfway through before his face contorts into pure fury.
While he is reading, he mutters incoherent grievances to me or maybe just to himself, I'm not quite sure. "The unit he's leading is supposed to be heading in a straight line to Os Kervo for a military summit with Novyi Zem but scouts say they're backtracking on the Vy."
"Because he's coming back for me," I say quietly. His head snaps up to face me. "Nikolai is my friend. He's worried about me and frankly, I don't blame him. You've put me through hell this past month."
"Not on purpose," he says in a softer tone, his words becoming a near whisper as he is troubled with revivified guilt.
"I know that, and you know that, but Nikolai doesn't. Rumors spread like wildfire around here." I pause in contemplation. "Although without staff at the palace, no one is here to start rumors, unless your nichevo'ya can talk now too," I joke.
Aleksander taps a quill on the desk in thought. A distant memory seems to flicker in Aleksander's mind, making his jaw stiffen. "Yes, well I suppose there is a certain Shu Han delegate that I might have threatened recently. Meanwhile, he now has information that provides kindling for a whole forest fire of rumors. I've released a man with a vendetta." He mutters, "I should have killed him as I initially planned."
"Why didn't you?" I ask nervously, taking a seat on the armrest of his chair. My black and gold kefta rumples beneath me as I sit.
He slowly looks up at me with a thin-lipped smile. "I thought about what you would do. How you would handle it," Aleksander says. "You wouldn't have killed him. You would have let him go. And you would not be happy if I killed him either." Aleksander grabs my waist and guides me down into his lap. I adjust my legs and wrap my arms around his neck, settling into the curve of his body. "That is my main goal. To make you happy."
