Disclaimer: I don't own the Grisha Trilogy and its characters – it belongs to Leigh Bardugo. I do not own the Shadow & Bone TV series, which was developed by Eric Heisserer for Netflix and based on Leigh Bardugo's books. Any recognisable dialogue is from the books or TV show – some lines may be included verbatim, others in an amended form.
I've decided that a new Ravkan calendar started on the day Alina and Aleksander were crowned so the year given is the number of years since their coronation.
Brief mention of attempted child sacrifice, but no sacrifice actually occurs.
Remember that only a select few know that the Shadow King's real name is Aleksander Morozova, which is why he can use it when he runs for president. And Alina is such a common name (because of Sankta Alina) that there isn't any danger in Alina using her real name either, although she would have to use a false maiden name because a woman called Alina Starkov would be too suspicious.
Credits:
The poem attributed to the Fjerdan soldier is the first verse of a poem The White Witch by James Weldon Johnson. The only change is the final word 'blight' has been changed to 'burning light'.
Alina's Wikipedia excerpt used Michelle Obama's as a basic template.
Bonus: Tales of Dark & Light
Sankta Alina, destroyer of the Shadow Fold, protector of Ravka, patron of orphans, pray for us.
We thank you for the hope and peace and prosperity you brought to Ravka.
May you watch over us forevermore so that we may always live in the light.
Prayer to Sankta Alina, c. 156
O brothers mine, take care! Take care!
The great white witch rides out to-night.
Trust not your prowess nor your strength,
Your only safety lies in flight;
For in her glance there is a snare,
And in her smile there is a burning light.
Verse of a poem found scribbled in a book belonging to a Fjerdan soldier, c. 162
Dearest mama,
My godmother has been here just a day and I already feel so much better. She has such a lightness about her and I have been so occupied showing her around Ketterdam that I haven't had time to feel homesick at all. Of course, she has been here before, but she insists it has changed a great deal and so we had a lot of fun exploring together.
Her husband has been rather quiet and foreboding, but at least he doesn't glare as he did when we last saw him. I admit that David and I should probably not have climbed all over him when we were covered in mud, but he really did not need to threaten to take away our dessert. Anyway, it has been eight years and he really should have gotten over it by now.
I'm enjoying all of my classes so far. University is certainly an adventure, even if this place is so unfamiliar and I miss you all dearly. I hope to be able to return for …
Excerpt from a letter from Sofia Kostyk to her mother, dated 29th September 171
Our new neighbours keep mostly to themselves. Their names are Anton and Anastasia Kirigan and they are newly married. He is a merchant of some means, and it really is rather a shame that he is already taken, for he would make one of my girls very comfortable, if only they'd had a chance at him.
I'm not sure what I think of Madam Kirigan – she seems to spend half of the day wandering off for walks in the woods, which really just isn't seemly. She's friendly enough, but has the oddest habit of speaking to the rowdy children from the orphanage rather than respectable young women her own age. I'd like my Ekaterina and Vasilisa to become acquainted with her, for maybe she and her husband will have visitors from the city who might be looking for wives, but I do worry that some of her strangeness might influence my girls …
Excerpt from a diary entry by Eva Nikitina, dated 24th January 197
He killed them. He killed them all
The black demon. The heretic. The shadow man.
They say he is gone but I swear he lives on, that he haunts this world like the devil.
I do not have much time. My wounds are too severe. He has killed me too, though I cling to life for a few more moments.
Beware of the shadow demon.
Ignore this warning at your own peril.
Scribbled note found next to a dead soldier from Shu Han, in the midst of the bodies of his fallen unit, in July 207
AS & AM - 219
Carved onto the wall of one of the alleged fairy caves in Istamere, the Wandering Isle, at some point during 219
We had a strange pair of visitors today, a couple travelling to Tsemna who are stopping in the village for two nights.
The woman was delightful – wonderful with the children, laughing and playing with all of them.
The man was … well, I do hate to speak ill of a donor, but he scared me. There was something dark in his gaze that suggested he was an exceptionally dangerous man.
Still, they were very generous. They made a splendid donation of money, and the woman brought with her three large crates of toys and art supplies for the children.
They wouldn't tell me their names and insisted on their donation being anonymous. I do worry if the funds are ill-gotten, but the woman really was so charming and kind, I'm sure she can't have been involved in anything bad.
Besides, we need the money desperately. The roof is leaking, the dining room needs a new coat of paint and half of the building seems to be falling apart.
I like to think they are the answer to my nightly prayers to Sankta Alina, beseeching her as a patron of orphans to help us.
Excerpt from a diary entry by the matron of the Keramzin Orphanage, dated 12th June 231
… but the tide turned for Ravkan soldiers about half-way through the battle.
Official reports say a sudden and oppressively thick fog disoriented the opposing side. There are, however, dozens of eye-witness accounts that insist the Fjerdans were attacked by living shadows. A few men even stated that they saw the Shadow King himself on the battlefield. Such claims are generally taken with a grain of salt, since many soldiers suffered from various psychological issues as a result of the trauma of war.
Excerpt from Chapter 14: The Battle of Ulensk in The Six-Year Ice War by Konstantin Lobov
While it masquerades as a history of the Sun Queen, this 500-page book would be better used as kindling for your fire considering that the author clearly has only a passing acquaintance with truth and decent scholarship.
While interpretations of the Sun Queen can vary, Ivashin has entirely ignored almost every primary source from the Sun Queen's childhood and reign, spinning a ludicrous and insulting tale of an illiterate country bumpkin who was simply a tool of her husband, and failing entirely to grasp the complexity and magnificence of one of history's most powerful and capable rulers, a woman who was anything but an ignorant puppet.
Excerpt from a February 249 book review of Boris Ivashin's critically-panned book Alina Starkov
Police are puzzled by the deaths of seven men at a property in Novokribirsk.
Investigations suggest the men were part of a radical off-shoot of the Cult of the Starless Saint, an organisation dedicated to having the Shadow King recognised formally as a saint.
The bodies were found after a hysterical phone call to police by a seven-year-old girl who had been kidnapped by the men, apparently to be used in some sort of sacrifice. The child was interviewed, but would only say that the men had been attacked and killed by shadows. She has been safely returned to her family, who are being supported by specially trained officers.
Preliminary autopsy reports show the cause of death for all of the men to be strangulation, although the coroner could not find confirm exactly what had been used to strangle the men.
Leaders from within the Cult of the Starless Saint have condemned the actions of the radical group and issued a statement confirming that human sacrifices are not, and never have been, tolerated within their organisation.
Excerpt from an article in the 7th May 253 edition of The Ravkan Chronicle
Police are appealing for information following a theft from the Little Palace Museum in Os Alta.
While other valuables were thankfully left untouched, the ceremonial gold and black kefta worn by Alina Starkov during her second Winter Fete was taken at some point during 1am and 3am two nights ago …
Excerpt from an article in the 23rd August 269 edition of The Ravkan Chronicle
… the most enigmatic entry on this year's list, Kirigan is one of the world's most wealthy and least photographed men.
Rumours abound as to the reason for his isolation, but an official story has never been given save that he prefers to avoid the limelight …
… Kirigan is well-known as an intelligent, ruthless businessman with an eye for a good investment.
In addition, he and his wife own what is believed to be the largest private collection of artwork and artefacts from the reign of the Shadow King and Sun Queen. A small fraction of the items have at various times been loaned to museums, but the true size of the full collection is unknown to the public.
Excerpt from the entry Leonid Kirigan III in an article in the April 277 edition of Forbes about the world's ten most influential businessmen
One of the most famous modern miracles attributed to Sankta Alina is the rescue in 256 of four children who became lost in the forest in Tsibeya during one of the coldest winters on record.
Experts agreed that the children, who were missing for days, should have frozen to death long before they reached home, if indeed they could have found their way back to their village through the dense, dark forest.
On their miraculous reappearance, the children all spoke of a young woman with white hair whose light kept them warm and who guided them safely home. The woman never spoke a word but all the children were firmly convinced that they had been saved by Sankta Alina.
Their parents, in thanks, raised funds to improve the small shrine to Sankta Alina that was already present in the village …
Excerpt from Chapter 15: Miracles in the Modern Age in Sankta Alina by Anastasia Zaitseva
Production has shut down completely on the controversial upcoming biopic Sun & Shadow after a further incident on set.
Dogged with controversy ever since the director's announcement that the character of Alina Starkov would be portrayed as fully Ravkan, rather than half-Shu, filming has experienced so many delays and problems that many have suggested the project might be cursed.
The final straw came when the main set was destroyed by a fire three nights ago. Police have not yet been able to identify the source of the blaze, but they dismissed reports of a glowing figure as the products of overactive minds.
Yesterday afternoon, the studio announced that the biopic would be indefinitely shelved …
Excerpt from an article in the 3rdApril 280 edition of The Ravkan Chronicle
Every church bearing Sankta Alina's name swears to uphold her patronage of orphans and many fear divine retribution if they fail in this sacred duty.
After all, who can forget the church in Ulensk, whose priest neglected his oaths and turned away three destitute orphan siblings from his door.
Dozens of witnesses reported seeing a white-haired figure at the scene when a fire broke out in the priest's rooms, burning him in his bed, although thankfully not spreading to the rest of the church.
As for the orphans, there are no records of what became of them. Some say they froze in the street and were brought up to Heaven by Sankta Alina herself. Others believe they found a kind home with a wealthy family and lived out their days in happiness and comfort.
Excerpt from Chapter 29: Sankta Alina in Churches of the Saints by Vladimir Azarov
Kirigan Industries today celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding.
The party, held at its headquarters in Os Alta, was a star-studded event attended by business tycoons, politicians and celebrities alike. Even the company's reclusive CEO, billionaire Leonid Kirigan III, made a brief appearance with his wife Yelena, although no photographs were taken of the mysterious and notoriously camera-shy couple.
Excerpt from a January 282 edition of the Ravkan Financial Times
Most historians would date the temporary collapse of democracy in Ravka to the moment President Nikolay Gorbachev died. The car crash that killed one of Ravka's most progressive presidents was ruled an accident, and no definite evidence of foul play has ever been uncovered. Nevertheless, many Ravkans considered the incident to be a political assassination ordered by some of Vladimir Andreev's supporters, though it must be noted that few people believed Andreev to have been involved himself – despite their differing views, he and Gorbachev were known to have been good friends.
Although Andreev's totalitarian regime did not begin for another two and a half years, the presidency of Danil Fyodorov, who was elected following Gorbachev's death, was considered a desperate and futile scramble to maintain democracy in the country. While there were none of the atrocities or massacres that followed in the next few decades, Fyodorov's presidency was still marred by a number of shocking incidents, including the brutal murder of pro-democracy campaigner Rufa Navalnaya and the burning of businesses and houses in a number of towns on the Ravka-Shu Han border.
Excerpt from Preface in The Collapse of Democracy in Ravka by Yulia Zakharova
"I swear it's true … I … I was walking home … it's only five minutes and it wasn't even 9 o'clock yet. The guy came out of nowhere with a knife, but then there was this bright light and he was on the floor screaming that his hands were burning. And there was this girl, glowing … no, I'm not crazy … she was Sankta Alina, summoning light, white hair … she didn't say anything, only smiled at me and told me she'd take care of him … of course I didn't ask her, I sprinted all the way back home and spent twenty minutes hyperventilating in the bathroom … I recognised him on the news earlier today, the guy who turned up at the police station and confessed … yeah, ranting about angels and demons …"
Excerpt from a telephone conversation between two friends on 5th October 288
The Sun Queen and the Shadow King are one of history's most famous partnerships. They are also Ravka's sole example of joint rulers who shared power equally.
The Little Palace Museum contains a plethora of draft documents annotated by both monarchs, and many of their orders were jointly signed.
They sometimes conducted visits, toured military camps or even went into battle together, but there are plenty of examples of solo trips throughout the century and a half that they reigned. It was noted, however, that they were both always remarkably well-informed about each other's movements, even when they were on opposite sides of Ravka, or perhaps even in different countries.
Still, it was not all smooth sailing, although the two were regularly seen to argue in public. Any disagreements were discussed behind closed doors and usually resolved within a few hours …
Excerpt from an article Power Couple: The Sun Queen & Shadow King in the December 291 edition of History Today
Lot 5
Wooden icon, 15.2cm x 10.2cm
Icon depicts Sankta Alina and is dated at about two years prior to her coronation, when she was around fifteen years old.
This lot is a rare specimen that shows Sankta Alina more true to life than many other icons that survive from this period, which often falsely portrayed the future Sun Queen as a pale blonde rather than a dark-haired, half-Shu young woman.
Entry from the July 294 Masterstvo Auction House catalogue
A copy of the vows spoken by the Sun Queen and Shadow King during their wedding ceremony can be found in the Little Palace Museum in Os Alta. The original handwritten vows were kept in the Sun Queen's possession and have not been seen since she and her husband disappeared in 150.
What is particularly interesting about these vows is that neither party ever uses the other's name.
While it is common knowledge that the Sun Queen was born Alina Starkov, one of history's biggest mysteries has been the Shadow King's true name. It never appears in any official documentation, nor has it been found in other records from the period.
Some historians have suggested that the line of Shadow Summoners never even had names, that they were simply Darklings and nothing else. Most, however, believe that the Shadow King's name was simply a well-kept secret, perhaps one known only by his wife.
In which case, the question is … will we ever know what the Sun Queen called her husband?
Excerpt from Chapter 8: The Sun Queen & Shadow King in The Power of a Name by Daria Aristarkhova
HopelessRomantic475
Photos from the rally in Balakirev just came out and all I can say is I want a man who looks at me the way AleksanderMorozova looks at AlinaMorozova – they make me swoon #relationshipgoals #morozovaforpresident
TheRavkanChronicle
An inspiring talk from AlinaMorozova at the Balakirev rally yesterday.
Read more: /news/298/14/08/morozova-balakirev-rally
YouGov
After yesterday's rally in Balakirev, it looks like AleksanderMorozova has experienced another boost for his campaign. Today's polls show that 87% of Ravka think he would make a good president.
Tweets from the 14th August 299
A forty-three-year-old man was arrested last night after being caught attempting to break into the Grand Palace. The man, who has been identified locally as Grigori Vitsin, was found to be in possession of six different knives and a bottle of holy water. When apprehended he apparently insisted that the newly sworn-in President Aleksander Morozova was in fact the devil and that he had to be destroyed.
A judge has ordered that Mr Vitsin undergo a psychological examination prior to any trial.
Meanwhile, President Morozova, who is currently enjoying an unprecedented approval rating of 91%, issued a statement thanking Grand Palace guards for their vigilance in keeping all occupants of the palace safe.
Excerpt from an article in the 28th March 300 edition of The Ravkan Chronicle
Alina Morozova (born 4th July 275) is a Ravkan artist and author who served as the First Lady of Ravka from 300 to 308. She was the first Ravkan-Shu woman to serve in this position. She is the wife of former Ravkan President Aleksander Morozova.
Raised in a small town on the Ravka-Shu Han border, Morozova is a graduate of Os Alta University. She met Aleksander Morozova in 293 at the Os Alta Gallery. She received a Degree in Art History and subsequently volunteered at orphanages and schools across Os Alta, while also showing a number of collections at the Little Sun Gallery. Alina married Aleksander in 295.
Morozova campaigned for her husband's presidential bid throughout 298 and 299, delivering a keynote address at the 299 Os Alta Convention. She subsequently delivered acclaimed speeches at the 303 and 307 conventions.
As first lady, Morozova served as a role model for women and worked as an advocate for poverty awareness, improvements to Ravka's social care system, education, physical activity, healthy eating, and increasing funding for arts departments in schools. She supported Ravkan designers and was considered a fashion icon.
After her husband's presidency, her influence remained high; in 309, Morozova topped Gallup's poll of the most admired woman in Ravka for the fourth year running.
From the Wikipedia page for Alina Morozova – 31st March 310
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it.
This brings this story in the series to an end. I'll probably be taking a bit of a break before I start adding to this series, but please subscribe to my Author page if you want to be notified when any new stories from this series are released.