The rain trickled on the palace window, the faint patter of the drops tapping like a small child knocking on their parent's door. Storm clouds covered the sky, turning a bleak grey and the soft ruble of thunder could be heard faintly behind the palace walls. It wouldn't be long until it would be snowing in Ravka. Seasons were changing and so was time.
Alina stared out the window, her head turned over her shoulder as her dull sad eyes longed to look out the window and see the sights. She rarely went outside anymore, in fact, she wasn't sure how long it had been since she stepped foot on Ravken grounds. She was kept indoors mainly, except for when she was needed.
Alina had spent countless hours watching out that window. It was the closet thing to entertain her, watching the rain or the clouds, contemplating what was going on by listening to the voices. Even though the window was just across from her, she was never able to reach it. She was never able to leave her position. The idea rang in her mind and Alina glanced down at her chains. Yes, her chains, the ones she had grown accustomed to since they returned. Everyday, she spent chained to his throne, kneeled by his side and looked out that same window.
She had hoped by now that The Darkling would trust her. It has been months since the expansion of The Fold, The Darkling taking over as the king of Ravka, banishing the old and ruling the country. Alina remembered it like it was yesterday, she would always remember it. With Kirigan becoming the controller of her powers, she was helpless, she had no power. She was still able to summon light but with Kirigan beside her, she was never able to use it. It was always on his command, on his time that she summon her powers and use them for whatever deed he needed doing. With his amplifier, she was unable to resist and was powerless.
On the skiff, her powers had been shown and amplified to expand The Fold and take over Novokrisbirsk. The Darkling had declared his motive of taking over Ravka, freeing Grisha of the tyrant king and ending wars with their enemies, stopping anymore Grisha from dying. He was saving his people and no one was going to stop him, not even Alina.
But that didn't mean to say she hadn't tried. Oh had she tried. The second she saw a chance to over rule him, she summoned her light and tried to use it against him, tried to break The Fold and end the evil he was forcing upon… but he was right there, ready to claim the power and stop it. With just a single touch of his hand, he was able to break her light and shove it back down to where it belonged. Since their bond, anytime she used her power with his amplifier, she would become weaker. In the end, she didn't have the strength to fight him.
Ravka is now ours, we will no longer be controlled, we control the country and anyone who opposes us will die at the hand on the Volcra
Those were his words, terrifying and dangerous. He was the most powerful man in all of Ravka and so were his Grisha. They were finally going to free from the enemies that crossed them and they would pay for what they had done.
After his display to the foreign diplomats, Ivan crushing them with a single swipe of his fingers, Kirigan had ordered Zoya to return the skiff back to Ravka.
It is time we rid the last of the monarchy and start a new reign, one where Grisha are bowed to
As the skiff had started back, Alina knew there was nothing she could do. But she didn't care… not anymore. She only cared about one thing… Mal. The image of him being crushed by the Heartrender made her sick, watching his pleading eyes as he stared at Alina, his hand desperately reaching for hers. If only she could have reached him. They were just inches from each other. She felt the same torture herself, not being able to reach him.
Alina had begged, pleaded with Kirigan to release Mal, to let him go. But The Darkling had other ideas.
He may be useful to us, besides, I cannot have traitors free in my country, he will be a prisoner for life and until we need him, he will spend the rest of his days in darkness
That was the last time she saw him. The last image was of his grey eyes, bulging as he gasped for air and pushed every fibre in his body to grasp Alina's outstretched hand. But they never made it. Kirigan had kept his word. Mal had been taken prisoner in the cells down the bottom of the palace. Word was that he would be used to track for the king and do his bidding. Alina had pleaded so hard with Kirigan to let her see Mal but she was no longer in a position to make demands or plead for anything but mercy.
She was nothing but a slave now. As much as she wanted to fight back against Kirigan, to not give into him, not be forced to be a slave for the rest of her life, there was no point, it only made matters worse.
Think about whose life is in your hands Alina, I can easily have my Heartrender crush your friend, you would be responsible for his death
She couldn't let Mal die but she didn't want to see him as a prisoner for the rest of his life either. She had to be careful, anything could turn Kirigan to hurt Mal and Alina did not want any harm to come to him. After days of fighting and rebelling, she had finally given in, given in to his ways and allowed herself to be his.
It's just you and me Alina, we are all we need, there is no one like us, your tracker could never match up to what you and I have… we are one
It didn't feel like they were one. It felt like she was his, and he was his. She belonged to him and he belonged to no one. All this talk about being equals, the lies and bullshit he had fed her before all this happened, saying they would tear down The Fold together, save Ravka together. There was no together… it was all him.
Now Alina, staring out the window of the palace and kneeling beside the king, blinked back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes as visioned her friend being dragged away from her forever, her new life as the king's summoner.
"We managed to capture the Fjerdan's that snuck into Ravka, there in the cells" Ivan recounted from the report he held in his hand.
"What was their business?" Kirigan asked, his voice cold and hard. His fingers gripped the ends of the thone, knuckles turning white and veins popping out the back of his hand. Alina glanced to the side, her eyes catching the stags antler protruding underneath the skin. She shuddered, her eyes narrowing on her bare neck at her own antlers that were forced upon her.
"Seems like an attack, there was no one else with them, they didn't say whether they were with an army or if they had gone on their own" Ivan replied.
"Were any Grisha hurt?" Kirigan's voice was filled with concern, his dark eyes narrowing as he tilted his head up.
"One, inferni, luckily a healer was nearby and managed to save him, he's recovering in the infirmary".
"Anything else?" Kirigan asked.
"No Sir" Ivan shook his head, placing the report under his elbow.
"Have the Fjerdan's ready, I'll be down in a few minutes" Kirigan ordered and with a single nod, Ivan left, the room falling silent and cold.
Alina stared down at her knees, the long hours of kneeling had turned her skin bright red and numb, her feet tingling underneath as she had lost all feeling down there. She knew what was to happen. Those Fjerdens didn't stand a chance against Kirigan and his shadows. A cold draft blew from the inside of the throne room, goosebumps appearing over Alina's pale skin. Even though she wore her kefta, she was still cold. The dark black sleeves fitted her so well, tight at the wrist and corners at her shoulders, the collar of the black material brushing against her jaw. She hated wearing it. Had it been any other colour, she wouldn't mind… but black was his colour which only proved the point about being his. The difference being that The Darkling's kefta was black all over whereas Alina's had white accents, symbolising her light. The back took the majority of the kefta, symbolising that he was in control.
Kirigan rose from his throne, pushing himself up with the palms of his hands. His boots clicked on the hard floor, his slow steps circling Alina, his eyes focused hard on her. Alina stared down, his intimidation heavy on her and when he stopped behind her, she managed to look forwards.
A shaky breath escaped her dry lips as cold hands touched her shoulders, his long fingers grazing over her skin and snaking around her neck, touching the collar underneath her skin. Alina swallowed hard, a lump forming in the back of her throat and she instantly felt sickness inside her. The collar pulsed underneath her, tightening and digging into her collar bone, a wince escaping Alina as she felt her power inside growing, the touch of his hands amplifying it. Her hands squeezed tight, the chains rattling as she shuddered and the next thing she felt was his warm breath beside her ear.
"Time to show them what happens when you hurt my Grisha" his voice was soft but menacing. Alina closed her eyes slowly as Kirigan ran his nose along the side of her face, his lips just pecking her slightly, his hands still placed on her neck and like she had been trained to do, she nodded her head.
The chains were unlocked and Kirigan retreated back in front of her, holding his hand out for hers. Alina glanced up, her brown eyes staring into his dark ones, her shaky hand lifting up from its place on her knee and he engulfed hers, pulling her from the floor. Her knees instantly buckled from being kneeled for so long but she kept her stance, not wanting to look clumsy in front of him.
She followed behind like a lost puppy, trailing his every step and hanging by close. Anyone would think to run, but not Alina. It wasn't that simple. Where would she run to? The palace was kept heavily guarded now and it wouldn't be long before a Heartrender could stop her in seconds. But fleeing from Kirigan's side would alert his attention and he would be took quick to let her escape.
So she did what she had to do and followed. She wasn't looking forward to what would happen next. Following him down to the cells, they stepped down the stairs, reaching a wooden door and Kirigan shoved it open with an open palm, the dark cells only being lit but a few candles. Alina had only seen the cells once, when she was punished for disobeying Kirigan, attempting to defile his orders. A flashback appeared in her mind of the gruelling days she had spent in the dirty cell, surrounded in darkness.
As promised, the Fjerdan's were readied for the punishment. One was strapped to a chair outside the cells while the other stayed locked behind the metal bars. Alina stayed hidden behind Kirigan, her eyes wandering over the cells and as they reached further inside, her eyes fell upon a sight she hadn't thought she would have seen.
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