Sort of a continuation of Outset, but can be read without reading Ouset first.
Alina finds Nikolai hiding in a corner, and is about to ask what is he doing when he pulls her closer (and it's sort of nice, but it does feel like betraying the memory of the dead).
"Sssh, they're going to listen,", he whispers, too close for comfort, and Alina shines a light on his eyes, without stopping to think what she is doing. "That hurts. I can't be a blind, scarred yet handsome king. It's either one or another."
"You wouldn't need to be the blind king as well if you just told me what was going on,", Alina points out, and Nikolai brought her closer (nicer. Still betrayal. She was sure Mal would be foaming at this point.)
"Someone - I'm almost sure I know who - brought in a matchmaker.", the horror in Nikolai's voice is funny, as if a matchmaker is the worse person that could be inside a palace.
"The horror, making sure the king has an heir! What a terrible idea,", Alina snorts. Nikolai shushes her again, squinting his eyes to see out of the corner they're hiding on.
"If you just married me, I wouldn't have to do this,", he hissed. Alina took pity on him and looked outside, seeing that yes, there were two men looking for him. "Please. Please save me from meeting girls all day."
Alina laughs - Nikolai, afraid of meeting girls? Now that was new - and he glares at her, bringing her closer, somehow (he's oddly warm, she finds).
"I'm afraid I'd pay to see it, moi tsarevich,", she told him, laughing as silently as she could. Laughs weren't a common thing for them, not anymore.
(Mal, Aleksander. Too many important deaths to leave space for laughter.)
"Don't be cruel, Alina,", he whispered, eyes still not wholly focused. Maybe she'd been too harsh, but it was still fun, to her. "Please. At least help me swindle them."
"As in…?", Alina could already see she'd come to regret whatever was going to come out of his mouth by the way he was smiling.
"Pretend we're courting.", the sharp coldness of the autumn air hit her nose like a punch, if the way Alina sharply inhaled was anything to go by.
"That sounds suspiciously like a marriage proposal,", Alina rebuffed, stepping back. Nikolai laughed. "Is it?"
"Listen, Alina, I just need you to go walk around with me, maybe dine…", he shrugged, and, well - that sounded like the stuff they already did together. She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "It's just going to get a more formal title, and also, it's only going to last until they're gone."
Alina nodded. That sounded… Oddly reasonable.
"Fine. Should we…?", she made a vague gesture to the outside, and Nikolai, blinking quickly, nodded. Alina offered him an arm, however, after he stumbled a step. "Sorry about that."
"Oh, no, don't worry. Had you said no, it'd at least give me an excuse to not go to any meetings,", Nikolai hummed, seemingly too satisfied with this turn of events. Alina took a deep breath, and stepped into the hall with him.
Two men - one clearly a diplomat or some other sort of noble, as if Alina would know - looked at them, frowning, and Nikolai offered one of his dazzling smiles.
"Hello there, gentlemen.", he greeted, and the two of them bowed. They kept their walk, and started giggling like children as soon as they were out of earshot. Perhaps this could work, Alina reasoned, looking to Nikolai.