"I know why you wear that scarf!" a kid said once they had run up to Alina with their friends. Alina looked at them.

"Why?"

''Cause you're bald!"

"I'M NOT BALD!" Alina exclaimed as the kids ran off, laughing. She crossed her arms. "Hmph."

"Ha! They're already calling you 'headwrap head'." Alina turned to see Inej walking towards her. The former sun summoner smiled faintly, and Inej took her hand.

"Do you think that they'll know?"

"Know? About what?"

Alina's eyes were wide, and her tone was desperate.

"It's okay Wylan," Inej soothed. "I meant as in the Dregs."

"Ohhhh." Alina stopped looking terrified.

"Yeah."

"Thought you were talking about something else! Ha."

Inej's eyebrows furrowed. "What did you think I was referencing?"

Alina waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, just the fact that I...fought...the Darkling." Her shoulders sagged, and she stared at the ground.

Inej squeezed Alina's hand, and the latter looked up from the ground to meet her gaze. Today, the Wraith was dressed in a light purple blouse and black trousers. Alina smiled and squeezed back, deciding to lighten up the mood.

"I see you've been making the best of the Little Palace's outfit choices."

Inej flushed. "I like it."

Alina beamed. "Soon, you'll be Inej Ghafa, fashionista! You excited for the ball today?" She asked as the two began to walk down the corridor.

"Yeah! I've never been to a ball before, so I'm a bit nervous."

"That's understandable," Alina said as she turned left. "I'm sure you'll be amazing."

"Have you been to balls before, Wylan?"

Alina realised she was standing in the throne room. It was empty - the silence engulfed her. She remembered the Darkling sitting on his throne, watching her intensely - then pushed the thought away, trying to stop her sweating. She wiped her hand with the back of her forehead and glanced casually around the place, heart beating fast. Alina put a hand on her hip to stop the shaking.

"Ah, no. I've never been to a ball."

"Oh great, maybe we can dance together! - or, I could dance with Jesper. He's an excellent dancer, I think we're going to have dance lessons from now on until the ball, and-hey. Wylan, are you okay?"

Alina didn't speak. Her mouth had gone dry. Her palms were sweating. Her breathing was too fast.

"I-" she choked out.

"Come on," Inej said, placing a hand on Alina's back. "Let's get you into a bath."

Once Alina had bathed, washed herself and gotten changed into fresh clothes, she called Inej in. The Wraith stood behind her, watching as Alina warred with herself, clutching the table and facing away from her friend.

You and I are going to change the world. He'd said that, spun a tale to make her believe it.

But the Darkling has been wrong. It had been only Alina who had changed the world, not him. And I've changed it for the better.

Alina wondered what would happen if she told Inej about her past. It wouldn't be THAT bad, right? Then: get a grip, Alina.

"I...need to tell you something."

"Okay," Inej said. She sounded nervous. Who wouldn't be, seeing their friend panic? God, could Inej even be a friend? Knowing that she was hiding the truth from Inej felt like too much for Alina. What if she finds out?

"I knew the Darkling."

"What?"

Alina forced herself to steady her breathing. "I...knew...the Darkling. He...he manipulated me...made me think I was going to help him change the world."

Inej was silent for a moment. Then, Alina felt a hand on her shoulder. The 18-year-old was about to speak again when she was turned round and pulled into a hug.

Alina froze. Then, slowly, she hugged back, wrapping her arms around her small friend.

"I'm sorry, Wylan."

Alina could imagine Inej saying 'I'm sorry, Alina,' if she tried hard enough.

Alina smiled sadly into Inej's shoulder.

"It'll be alright."

"I know."

The two stood there in the late afternoon sunlight, arms wrapped around each other. If Alina closed her eyes and tried hard enough, she could imagine they were statues trapped in an eternal embrace, forever comforting, forever at peace.

Leoni grabbed onto Alina's hand. Alina sighed, sitting next to her as she wiped her face with a wet tissue.

"What happened?" Leoni asked.

"Um. Things," Alina mumbled.

"Alina. Look at me."

The former sun summoner looked up, and Leoni pushed the hair from her face. Alina watched her friend smile sympathetically at her, and suddenly Alina wished she could be just as kind.

"I told Inej about the Darkling."

Leoni didn't react with shock, only cupping Alina's face with her hand. "You needed to tell someone. Besides, Inej already knows you fought in the war. The whole gang knows."

"Yeah, but they don't know I'm...y'know, Alina." The white-haired person sighed again, taking her hand from Leoni's, making the Zemeni girl next to her frown.

"I just want to help people, but I feel like this mission...it isn't right. I don't know."

Alina knew deep down that this mission was hard. She'd known it even before she'd offered herself up as a volunteer for the undercover mission to see whether Ravka could strike a deal with Kerch. Before this moment, she thought she could get through the assignment. But now…

The former sun summoner looked out the window. The trees and grass in the Little Palace gardens swayed gently in the light cool breeze, and suddenly Alina missed Mal and the orphanage desperately. She closed her eyes and calmed her rapidly beating heart, thinking of the meadow and the fire that she and Mal would sit by on the cold winter days. And then, she fell asleep.

Alina opened her eyes and looked to the side. She'd dreamed of picking up Misha and spinning him around whilst Oncat was with Mal, and Mal walked over and kissed her. So she'd expected to see the orphanage room that she and Mal grew up in when she woke up, with the wind chimes opposite her, near the door. But instead, she saw nothing but the light blue wall with painted flowers on it.

Wind chimes. Then, remembering whose laughter the sound reminded her of: Leoni. Alina had drifted off and left her alone.

"Oh Saints. I need to apologise to her," Alina said to herself. The person got to her feet, but suddenly she swayed, and Alina had to clutch the bedside table to keep herself upright. As she did, the girl knocked over a cup placed there, and she watched, frozen, as the water spilled onto the floor.

I'll clean it up.

Alina stumbled to the bathroom. She opened the window and took a deep breath. The fresh air filled her lungs. Why do I feel so unwell?

Alina then shut the window again, grabbed the toilet paper and cleaned the water off the table - she couldn't do anything about the water on the floor, since it had already sunk into the carpet by the time she'd come back, so she left it. Alina filled up the cup again, then trudged back to her bed, sat down, and drank.

After Alina had drunk the water, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked down at the bedside table. She saw a note, and recognised Leoni's beautiful writing immediately. It was now smudged by the spillage, but she picked it up anyway, and Alina began to read.

I got you some water and left it here. I left dinner on your desk. I hope you feel better soon xx

-Leoni

The former sun summoner looked at the plate of food on her desk. "So you did," Alina said to herself, smiling faintly.

Alina sighed, falling onto the bed and clutching the note to her chest. She stared up at the ceiling. Downstairs, ballroom music could be heard. Inej and Jesper were completing their ballroom training, no doubt.

"Thanks Leoni," Alina muttered as she closed her eyes. "You're a Saint."