What If

Chapter 3

Aleksander had work that needed to be done. Papers to file. Meetings to attend. Nobles and Lords to greet. That was just the beginning. He was going to change the system. He needed the humans to know what it felt like, to be constantly crushed under the feet of another species. On the first day, Aleksander sent orders to arrest all of the nobles and lords of the country. They were all human after all. He would slowly hold elections in each city to find out which Grisha was fit to replace them.

The humans in the Little Palace retained their jobs. They were slaves anyway. But Aleksander couldn't have them occupying rooms of their own. So, he threw them into the bunkers, which was filled with rows of mattresses on the floor. That would suffice.

All humans who were in high positions in the palace were removed. They were either imprisoned, or were dead while attempting to escape.

Ravka was going to change. And it would be for the betterment of his kind. He would make sure that no Grisha suffered at the hands of those...human scum.

Aleksander stood in the centre of the throne room, which had already been redecorated to his liking. The gold and red had turned to black and grey. The elegant throne that had been before was now a frightening pitch black, that seemed to consume all the light in the world. With a flick of his fingers, the room was engulfed in swirls of darkness, and Aleksander smiled to himself, feeling the power course through his veins.

Victory. Glorious victory. It tasted so sweet, yet there was a hint of bitterness as well. He was yet to resolve matters with Alina. And this time, there was no telling if she would come around. He needed her to. Or else, this would all be for nothing.

No. He had done a great job for his kind, and that was what mattered. He shouldn't give in to matters of love. He had to think about the greater good...the great....Alina. He couldn't stop himself. His mind always wandered there. To her. He reached inside his mind, trying to tug on the bridge that used to be there between his own and Alina's. After the otkazatsya died, it had vanished. He loved visiting Alina in those days, seeing her healthy and happy, even though it was away from him and because of his absence.

He felt nothing. It felt like holding on to water in his palm, only to watch it go away. In a flash, he made the darkness go away, wanting to feel the sunlight on his skin. Alina's gift. Her power. He felt as though he was consumed by her, even though she wasn't here, or didn't possess those powers anymore.

His mind at ease once more, Aleksander turned away, and began to leave the room, thinking of a proposition he wanted to make to Alina.