Alina & Nikolai

2: The Fox

Hi! If any of you reading this left a review on my first story, I want to say thanks! Reviews really make my day and I'm happy you like this series so far, even if it is just beginning. I had a lot of fun writing this little story, so I hope you like it. :)

Feedback is welcome, but please don't get too negative. I tried to describe Nikolai the way I thought he'd act, but only you guys can tell if I got it right. Anyway, enjoy the story :D

Alina

"Oh my gosh, what is that?" I exclaimed, stepping into my luxurious bedroom at the Grand Palace, only to realize that I wasn't the only one in here. I stood back and stared, while Genya, who had come over to visit, peered curiously over my shoulder.

"What is it?" she asked, her one brilliant amber eye flicking warily about the room.

I pointed at the bed. "That."

She took one look and gave a sharp gasp of surprised delight. "Alina, why didn't you tell me you had a pet?" she asked, hurrying excitedly across the room. She knelt beside the bed and folded her arms on the covers, gazing at the little bundle of fur curled up in the center of the silk sheets.

"Because I didn't," I replied matter-of-factly. I inched closer, uncertain as to how this had come about. I'd been living at the Grand Palace for about a year and a half now. As far as I knew, I'd never had any pets and neither had Nikolai.

But there, fast asleep with its tail swept over its nose, was a beautiful red fox. It was young, judging by its size. Its soft-looking fur was a lovely shade of auburn and all four paws were black as coal. Its ears were tipped in black as well, its dark nose twitching as it slept. Genya leaned her arms against the bed and the movement of the mattress made the little creature stir. Its eyes opened, blinked once, and it sleepily lifted its head. It looked first to Genya and then to me.

"Awww!" Genya cried in childlike wonder. "He is so adorable!" She reached out one hand to it, palm up and inviting. Completely tame, the fox stretched out its neck and sniffed her hand curiously. When it licked her fingers, a broad grin spread across her face. "I love him," she declared. "Are you sure he isn't yours? He's so well-behaved."

"I'm very sure," I answered. "I have no idea how he got here."

"Maybe he's a present from Nikolai," she suggested. She clambered to her feet and sat on the edge of the bed. The fox remained calm as she began to stroke its fur, her fingers making a path down its back.

"Why would Nikolai randomly give me a present?" I sat down across from her, watching as the fox's eyes closed to contented slits while she petted it.

Genya shrugged. "He's given you gifts before."

"Yeah, but that was while he was trying to convince me to marry him."

"Well, maybe he's trying to convince you of something else now."

I blinked. That sounded exactly like something Nikolai would do. But what in the world could he want? I had already become his Queen and agreed to rule Ravka with him. I had endured countless events in uncomfortable gowns, including one horrible attempt to meet with his parents again. And I worked hard at every war conference and meeting to make sure that I made the best decisions for my country. There didn't seem to be much else I could do. So...why give me such a simple gift?

"I don't know, Genya," I said aloud. "If Nikolai really wanted something from me, he'd buy me a boatload of dresses and jewelry, the way he used to. He wouldn't get me something so...so small. And random," I added, as the fox flicked its ears at the sound of my voice. "I mean, out of all the expensive, exotic animals in the world, he chose to give me a fox?"

"Sh!" Genya hushed, lovingly scratching behind the fox's ears. "You're gonna make him feel bad. And anyway, what's wrong with a fox? I like foxes. Especially red foxes." She tossed her hair over her shoulder, which was the same flaming color of the fox's sleek pelt.

"Nothing's wrong with them," I replied. "I just don't know why Nikolai chose it, that's all." I held out my hand to the fox and it immediately licked my palm, a friendly glint in its eyes. I ran my hand over its head and smiled at the way its mouth seemed to shape a wolfish smirk, its too-clever gaze fixed on me. Absently, I continued, "foxes remind me of Nikolai, actually."

Silence.

Then Genya slapped her hand down on the bed so hard, the fox jerked in alarm and scrambled over to my side. "That's it!" she announced. She beamed at me in triumph. "That is why he gave you a fox!"

"That doesn't make any sense," I protested.

"Yes it does!" she argued gleefully. She shifted on the bed, crossing her legs and smoothing out her striking crimson kefta. Her face was alight with excitement. "Nikolai gave you a fox because he knew that it would remind you of him and it's always incredibly sweet when your husband gives you gifts."

"That still doesn't make any sense. I told you, he only gets me things when he wants something. What could he possibly hope to get from me by giving me this?"

She smiled widely and raised a finger for emphasis. "The one thing he does not have," she answered mysteriously.

"Common sense?"

"Your heart, you idiot!"

My eyebrows shot up. Out of all of her possible answers, this was probably the least expected. I had married Nikolai, yes, but not because I was in love with him. We were friends that had both fought in a war together and agreed that this was the best choice for Ravka: a King and Queen that cared for their country and would protect it at any cost. He'd mentioned once that perhaps we'd fall in love eventually, but I didn't feel like anything had changed. Unless, I thought, my heart skipping for some reason, he's changed.

"I don't know," I repeated uncertainly, running my fingers between the fox's ears again. It had lain down at my side, pressed against my leg, and rested its head on its forepaws.

"Oh, come on, I think I'm on to something here," Genya insisted. "You said you only married him for Ravka and he agreed with that. And for a while, that was enough for both of you. But I bet that, somewhere along the way, he looked at you and realized that he may actually be falling in love with you. So, being Nikolai, he's starting to give you gifts. The simple, sweet kind that make you smile and think of him." An exhilarated laugh escaped her. "He's trying to make you fall for him."

I gaped at her. This whole thing was ridiculous. Nikolai couldn't be falling in love with me...could he? I blushed and shoved the thought from my mind. "That's impossible," I said.

"You mean improbable," she corrected, with a playful hint to her words.

"He's my friend," I told her firmly. "And besides, it's not like I feel anything for him."

A knowing smile tugged at her mouth and she studied me disbelievingly. "Are you sure? He is very handsome..."

I rolled my eyes. "And arrogant."

"...and funny..."

"And makes jokes about my hair in the morning."

"...and he bought you a fox."

"That probably has rabies."

"Oh, come on!" she cried, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation. "Any other girl would be melting into a puddle on the floor right now, but you just sit there and insist that you have no feelings for Nikolai whatsoever. And I know that you do."

I lifted one eyebrow at her, unconvinced. "Well, I know that I don't," I replied. "He knows it too and both of us are happy with this marriage just the way it is. So there." I crossed my arms with an air of finality. The fox let out a tiny whine of protest, as though arguing with me.

Genya crossed her arms too and stuck her tongue out at me. "You're no fun, you know that?"

"As Queen, it's not in my job description to be 'fun.'"

-o-o-o-

Genya named the fox. Normally, I would've been fine with that. But I didn't want to draw any attention to the fact that it actually was an adorable gift from Nikolai because then he would know that I thought that, and I couldn't deal with that in my life right now.

She named him Niko.

I couldn't stand the servants always running around the Grand Palace any longer, so I changed into a very un-Queenlike peasant-style blouse and pants and made my way outside with Niko trotting beside me. Eventually, I found myself walking down to the lake by the Little Palace. The summer breeze felt good on my skin and Niko scrambled ahead, black paws moving lightly through the grass. His paws padded softly on the wood of the pier as he loped across it. I followed him and then sat down on the edge, pulling my boots off to dangle my feet in the water. A memory rose, from an evening during the war when I'd sat on this very pier and looked out over the lake with Nikolai by my side.

So much had changed since then. Back then, I'd been growing as a saint in people's minds and he'd been a cocky prince fighting for a place on the throne. I'd never imagined that I would somehow end up losing my powers on the Shadow Fold and become Queen, become his. I blinked, startled. Since when did I feel that I belonged to Nikolai? It was a strange thought, and too unfamiliar for me to acknowledge. It felt dangerously close to believing that I had feelings for him.

"You do realize that someone could easily drown you right now, don't you, Alina?" a voice asked from behind me.

I sighed as Nikolai made his way down the pier to sit beside me, shoes already off and a very curious fox gazing up at him. "That's a happy thought," I remarked drily. "Now someone could easily drown both of us. Did you ever think of that?"

"At least we'd be together, tsaritsa," he replied airily. His hazel eyes danced as the sunlight sought out the green flecks in them. I'd never noticed them until now. He glanced down as Niko clambered onto my lap and flopped down with his head on my leg. "I see you found your gift."

"So he was from you," I concluded. I suddenly felt different, like there were butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't remember ever feeling that way around him before. "Genya named him Niko. She wants to adopt him already."

"Niko, huh?" One side of his mouth turned up in a half-smile. "You like him?"

"Yeah," I answered, trying to sound nonchalant. I scratched the fox behind the ears and he closed his eyes in appreciation. "But why did you get me a fox? Run out of expensive ball gowns and emeralds?"

"I have plenty of ball gowns and emeralds, but for some reason, I can't see you wearing any of them," he said, sending a pointed look at my less-then-impressive outfit. He shrugged. "You mentioned you felt lonely at the Grand Palace, when Genya isn't visiting or I'm away at some meeting. I found him and I thought you'd like him."

"You thought I'd like a pet for company? Your mother had a pet too," I reminded him. "A puppy. And it hated me."

"That's why I didn't get you a puppy."

"Nice job, Sobachka."

He laughed and the sound found its way into some hollow place inside me. I suppressed a smile and inwardly scolded myself. Don't call him that. It's too...cute. I was suddenly very aware of his shoulder against mine and the hardness of muscle I could feel just from that contact. I tried to think about Niko, and Genya, and the lake out in front of me, along with other things that weren't Nikolai. Niko gave a small yip and laid his chin on his paws, staring up at me.

"At least he likes you," Nikolai commented, nodding to the fox in my lap. "My mother took her dog with her to the Colonies. I think I'd drown myself right now if that thing was still running around the Grand Palace."

I grimaced at the idea of having that miserable dog growling at me everywhere I went. "I think I'd drown the dog," I replied.

"Of course you would, kotyonok."

I started and stared at him. "Wait, what?"

"What?" His half-smile widened, and I was reminded of Niko's smirk.

"What did you call me?"

"You called me Sobachka."

"That's different, everyone calls you that. No one calls me—" I broke off, blushing stupidly.

His eyes were alight with teasing playfulness and his usual, mischievous fox-smile stayed in place. "Kotyonok," he finished for me, and I turned an even brighter shade of red. "It suits you, I think. You might want to tell Genya about your blushing, by the way."

"I am not blushing," I spluttered, which was a blatant lie, and he knew it. I glared at the water under my feet because if I glared at him, he'd see how red my face was. "I'm just...just hot, that's all. It's summer."

"I see. But you never look like that all summer, so apparently, you only get hot around me."

"Nikolai, I am going to throw you into this lake."

"Feel free to try, kotyonok."

I did glare at him now and inwardly told my heart to stop jumping every time he said it. "If you call me that one more time—" I didn't get to finish because he chose that moment to kiss me. It was nothing more than a brief press of his lips on mine, light and teasing, but enough to cut off my next words. When he pulled back I gaped at him. Niko yipped again, as though he was laughing at my ridiculous expression of shock.

"Now you're really blushing," Nikolai remarked, but he wisely grabbed his shoes and stood with the quick grace of a cat. His smirk was way too smug for my liking.

"Oh, no you don't." I fumbled to pick up my own shoes and scrambled after him. He was striding back down the pier, boots already on, infuriating arrogance in every step he took. I must've looked stupid, hopping after him clumsily while I tried to tug my shoes back on. "Get back here, Nikolai," I called after him irritably, yanking at my boot that was refusing to go back onto my foot.

"I don't think so," he replied cheerfully over his shoulder. "You kicked me in the shins the last time I kissed you like that."

"If you don't come back here, I'm going to kick you again," I flashed back. I stumbled and swore under my breath. Niko circled me curiously, probably wondering why I was jumping around on one foot.

"If I come back there, you'll definitely kick me again," he said. He did pause, however, and looked at me over his shoulder. "Unless you want me to come back so you can kiss your Sobachka again." I shot him a smoldering look and he arched an eyebrow suggestively. I swear, I was going to murder him in his sleep tonight.

"Speaking of which," I began, finally getting my damn boot on and jogging after him, "why the hell did you do that, anyway?"

"The same reason I do anything: to get on your nerves."

"I'm serious, Nikolai."

"So am I."

I blew a strand of hair out of my face in frustration. He was utterly infuriating. But strangely, despite my annoyance, I was enjoying this situation way more than I should have. "You're going to wake up in Tsibeya tomorrow if you don't explain this to me," I warned him. "I'm not kidding. And I am not going to answer you if you call me that stupid nickname again."

"That's a shame," he remarked. "It's going to get very boring trying to talk to you, Kotyonok." He grinned at me and I wanted to slap him because 1. He wasn't going to stop calling me that now, and 2. His stupid grin was dazzling enough to make me forget my irritation for a good thirty seconds. I hurried after him, yelling that I was dead serious about ignoring him entirely and him replying that I was doing a great job of it so far.

Behind us, the fox trotted after me, happily unaware of its owner's problem, and stopping to glance up at passing butterflies with its too-clever gaze.

Translation, for those who are curious :)

Kotyonok: kitten