/ AN:
/ I really deserve a mastery in Avoiding Dialogues
also dont read too much from alina playing with food, ivan's pov was meant to be comic relief
It was right at the sunrise when the General and Alina finally emerged from the tent, after hours and hours of... Ivan wasn't even sure what exactly they were doing. According to all the unfortunate souls that tried to interrupt them, they've been seen simply talking, and yet... He had a bad feeling about this.
While others either retired to their own tents or spread to finish their rounds, Ivan spent those few dark hours lurking nearby the War Tent. Not close enough to disobey the orders of his soveren, but still nearby... Just in case of emergency.
Heartrender took a loving peek at the man dozing on his shoulder. Fedyor, now muttering something incoherent, was supposed to have the night off along with Ivan... But of course, his partner would not abandon him. With practiced resolve Ivan pushed away all the soft feelings and fond smiles and focused on the couple exiting the tent. Not a couple! Just two Grisha, walking hand in hand... And still talking!
He huffed and woke Fedya up.
"Look at them!" he whispered frantically, as if someone in the busy crowd could hear. Fedyor, yawning sweetly, followed Ivan's finger pointing at the back of Alina's kefta.
"Well, Alina seems to be alright, other than needing to change, really, the creases are all over her kefta... "
"I don't care about her clothes! I want to know how she was disciplined or-"
Fedyor turned back towards Ivan and shook him firmly, "Are you Heartrender or not, love? Check by yourself, she's fine!"
Knowing his cheeks were fiery red, Ivan straightened and reached out towards his stubborn Inferni sister with all he had. One full-body scan (that could put some Healers to shame) later – or maybe two – had Ivan finally breathe again.
Another catastrophe miraculously avoided. Thank the Saints. Alina's smart mouth will be her violent end one day if Ivan's not there to prevent it... But for now Alina was intact, safe and despite the more demanding lifestyle, she even seemed healthier than her best at the Little Palace.
"Where are they going, though?" Ivan wouldn't stay silent for long but Fedya seemed to expect it and already began to drag him towards the canteen. "I'm not hungry," he muttered like a petulant child. Fedyor had none of it, "Yes, you are. And don't tell me you don't want to see our General interact with Alina some more now that..."
"Now that what?"
"Haven't you noticed? Because it was the first thing I've heard from these two," Fedya smiled mischievously, in a way that worryingly resembled a certain Inferni brat. Please Saints, don't let her be a bad influence on him, he thought as if it hasn't happened already.
He had no idea what his partner was talking about, but now that they've entered the tents that made up the canteen, Alina was nowhere to be found... Until Ivan noticed the Darkling on his usual seat in the middle, and at his right side sat Alina.
Ivan almost choked on strong tea helpfully provided by Fedyor, who piled two plates with food in the time it took him to find the missing girl. Heartrenders found their own chairs on the Darkling's left, and both shamelessly pretended to be busy with their plates.
Honest to Saints, Ivan could not make out much from the hushed conversation their General seemed to be having with Alina. Something about topology... or topography... and air pressure. It was as if the last words Summoned Nazyalensky, and for the first time in what seemed like ages, Ivan smiled. Judging by her clenched fists and nasty glare, Squaller was not happy with the new occupant of her seat.
Fedyor's pointed look reminded Ivan that he wasn't here to eavesdrop – or not just because of it.
This time Heartrender focused precisely on the General... But he surely was wrong. In reaction to whatever face he made, Fedya smiled so widely that his dimples showed. Ivan ignored it heartlessly, and did another reading. And another.
"They've just walked together, that must be it!" he muttered into his partner's ear. The whole world seemed to brighten with Fedya's laugh. "Oh, I don't think so, love! Now, don't you worry, I'm sure you'll find another explanation... Never forget, not all the secrets of heart are ours to know."
With a small, satisfied sigh, and a smile of a cat drunk on cream, Fedyor leaned forward to not so discreetly look at Alina, who was now gesturing so vigorously she spilled the contents of her cup all over General's kefta. Yesterday, Ivan himself ironed this kefta twice, until it was perfect, and now the Darkling didn't even bat an eyelash to have it ruined with cherry kompot?! More so, he was happily nodding to every single word that left Alina's mouth, transfixed on her like a child watching their first lightshow. Well, maybe the comparison was a bit unfortunate. Perhaps… like a lovesick teen! No, that's even worse... He should leave the flowery bits to his poems. Now was not the time to-
The Darkling Summoned a thick curl of darkness to hover over their plates. As if she was waiting for it, Alina quickly pushed a few tiny tomatoes underneath it and sliced one. The duo put their heads together above that artistic display and studied it like the most exciting map. On Alina's grave order, the Darkling squished the shadow, his face most serious. She pushed bits of food with sticks from under it. Just... two Healers performing a delicate operation...
Ivan closed his eyes.
He was so done with this day and it was barely morning.
Two cups of tea later, once the Darkling and Alina left – separately, thank the Saints, albeit both murmuring something about Squallers – it clicked in his mind. That shadow hovering over their plates, the things Alina said at the meeting before the General sent them away, and of course, something that undoubtedly connected these two, the only reason that could have possibly made their hearts beat in such a perfect harmony...
The Shadow Fold.
A stern lecture - delivered in a voice that got more hysterical with each word – he gave to Alina next time he caught her alone was satisfying, but no matter how much he wanted, the matter did not depend on the blackmail he could come up with ("...all your books!") to threaten Alina away from the Unsea. Things have gone too far, reached too high this time.
He needed to convince the Darkling.
Hours and hours of crafting a logical, convincing and level-headed speech went nowhere when he met those gray eyes after the next meeting. "Moi soverenyi, Alina... The Fold... dangerous... moi soverenyi... too young... I can't... she won't listen... moi soverenyi!"
The Darkling only gazed at him calmly, waiting for Ivan to come back to his senses. He opened his mouth to try again, but the General stopped him, "Don't worry, my friend. You have my word, I am not sending Alina away where she cannot be safe."
Those words rang in Ivan's ears years later, when the Darkling announced that soon, there would be an expedition through the Fold that he would take part in. And where the Darkling goes, his Heartrenders follow... But this time so will his favorite Inferni.
So much for promises, part of him thought. The other was just glad they got to keep Alina away from the Fold for those few years. No one imagined the Darkling entering the Unsea ever since the accident almost twenty years ago, long before Ivan became part of his entourage. Their Darkling tried to cross the Shadow Fold with a small group of chosen individuals. There was only one survivor, like each time a Darkling entered the Fold*.
In all their arguments over the years, Alina always swore she was nothing compared to her hero (time has passed, her obsession did not) and would simply not be able to use merzost, which meant the Fold was out of her reach and all her talks with the Darkling were "purely theoretical". Judging by the smug face she made during the announcement from her place at the General's right side, taken from Zoya and never given back, all this theory finally bore the fruits she desired.
Maybe he shouldn't blame their soveren at all – when Alina wanted something, she always got it, no matter how long it would take her. 'Wonder if she thought about what entering the Shadow Fold might mean for a secret Sun Summoner.'
Never a fan of public displays of affection, Ivan was so distressed he reached with one arm and hugged Fedyor without a second thought. There was no need for words between them – a true disaster was coming, far more terrifying than he had ever expected when he first saw Alina with those damned books on Black Heretic.
Years of work have finally paid off – Alina was coming to the Fold! Of course, it will still take some more preparations, since the Darkling was almost as big of an overthinker as her, but not even a little more wait could spoil her mood today. She walked happily at her General's side, all the Grisha long used to the somewhat hilarious height difference between the Shadow Summoner and Inferni. She supposed no one ever laughed at Zoya when she accompanied him, but Zoya didn't come up with a genius plan that had the Darkling all starry-eyes, did she?
Alina barely noticed the Squallor these days anyway, but the beginnings of falling out of her hate to being (mostly) neutral were... exhausting.
"Starkov and Nazyalensky, what is this about again?"
"She refuses to wear embroidery on her kefta!" cried out Zoya, pointing out her finger at Alina.
Young Inferni ignored her completely, fists clenched, addressing the General himself, "This way, no one will know what to expect from me. With plain blue kefta I will look like an accidental youngling caught in a war, untrained and weak. They will never see me coming."
Glaring up at Zoya, she added, "And if I ever have to work in pairs, my partner will know who I am."
It later served Alina and her band of Inferni just fine – while Fjerdans were no Shu when it came to recognizing all the Orders , it was still extremely satisfying to use the fire against those who burnt her kin alive. And once Alina's relationship with the Darkling turned more friendly, she needed to clarify a few things even after years had passed since her worst fight with Zoya. Despite developing some leadership skills lately, Alina still didn't play nice with just everyone...
Alina bolted past the Oprichniki and walked right into his War Tent. Looking up from the scroll he was holding gently, the Darkling only raised his eyebrow at her in silent question. Alina stood near the round table, her hands on her hips, radiating furious warmth but still careful not to ruin the nearby maps.
"How dare you pair me up with Nazyalensky?! I don't care how much you want the demonstration to impress our precious King, I will not as much as light up a candle with her as my partner!"
She was breathing hard after her little jog on the way here, and his patient look didn't help with her fury. The bastard! The scoundrel! The villain! The-
He stood up, carefully placing the parchment on the bookshelf, and dragged his chair towards her.
"Well, I'm glad you decided to question my decision in private instead of in front of everyone. That was the first time for us," he smiled that particular slow smile of his but once he looked deeper into Alina's eyes, filled with betrayal, his face got serious. "Zoyka is powerful and focused. She makes a good match for your somewhat chaotic style, an equal to balance you." The Darkling sounded as if he didn't know what was wrong with such a 'match'. Mercifully she ignored that silly name he called her old nemesis.
"That's not what you said when you defended that little bully from her own victim," Alina accused him. She never forgot what the Darkling told her that fateful day, even if he learnt that line from his mother. Thinking of him as Baghra's son wasn't something she did often, but it gave her quite the interesting perspective.
"Bully?" The Darkling repeated, perfectly surprised.
"Yes, bully! Zoya Nazyalensky, the nightmare of all children!" Alina's cheeks reddened and she crossed her arms over her chest, pushing one hip towards him in a challenge.
"Zoya bullied you? When you were kids? I find it hard to believe-" his palms quickly rose in defense from her heated glare, "-because! Because I thought it was more of an innocent... rivalry?" He shrugged at her disbelieving gasp. Alina then told him exactly how she saw her early dealings with the Squaller prodigy.
"I don't actually have eyes everywhere, you know, Starkov?" he sighed and rubbed his forehead in a tired manner. None of his usual tells indicated a lie. Hmmm.
Perhaps he was genuine.
Alina relaxed.
In turn, she listened to the General talking about Zoya that he knew, and the more she heard the more she realized he sounded just like Ivan when speaking about Alina. Perhaps certain nasty rumors were just that – rumors? There were some about Alina and the General as well, but she knew they weren't true, so...
Somewhere in the middle of their conversation they switched – Alina sitting on his chair, and the Darkling on his new favorite spot on the armrest.
"... but I guess there is a reason she's not my favorite Summoner," he leaned down towards her and she smirked. "Oh, really? And who that favorite Summoner of yours would be, I wonder?" Like a magnet, she inevitably tilted her head up, closing the space between them, biting her lip lightly while her eyes lingered on his intense gaze, eyelids lowering the closer they-
"Moi soverenyi, the reports!" Ivan appeared out of the sudden, his voice both higher and much louder than usual. At the same time he was giving Alina the evil eye, like when he caught her with those scrolls about merzost, or books on the Black Heretic, or both.
The Darkling and Alina separated as smoothly as if it all was a dance they practiced together earlier.
She refused to join him on the way to Os Alta though – things were getting too interesting at the border and for once she had some plans how to use snow to Ravkan advantage.
Alina's bold ideas were the breath of fresh air Aleksander didn't even know he needed through all these years. She made him feel like a young idealistic boy all over again (in more ways than one) and he dreaded the moment his mother would sniff out their plans. Thankfully, Alina hasn't returned to the Little Palace ever since she left it, so there was no way Baghra would get anything out of her.
For all her brightness, power and resourcefulness, Alina Starkov was an endearingly honest woman, and he couldn't imagine her lying or hiding anything from anyone.
He sighed deeply.
Aleksander would never admit it, but he worried about her entering the Fold.
Oh, if only she listened to him and David... They both agreed that having an amplifier would make it much easier to execute her plans, even if it would only affect Alina's Summoning and not the group effort. But both David and Aleksander had their priorities a bit different than hers.
Luckily, he had something in mind... Something that there was no doubt a devoted fan of his "ancestor" wouldn't pass by without taking an interest in.
Aleksander looked into the mirror again and tried to smooth up the defiant curl of hair. He was going to need Ivan's assistance with it after all...
He really hoped that the protective Heartrender didn't realize the reasons why the Darkling was so attentive with his looks these days. He twirled and inspected the dramatic flow of his cape. Quite dashing, especially combined with Vasya's dark coat. Now that he was almost ready to meet Alina for a ride, there was only one matter to take care of...
Mirror reflected a figure clad in blue lurking behind him.
The Darkling turned.
"Zoyka, right on time..." he smiled at the girl. Despite the change that Alina slowly but surely brought on the north front, he still wasn't a fan of someone he trained and practically took in consorting with the ene- the otkazat'sya. But Zoya was still his best student, and she was drawn to power, not weakness. He needed to trust that she chose wisely.
"I need you to bring me that tracker of yours."
/ AN:
/* What's true in Ivan's pov might be just a rumor that Darkles spreads out every few decades when kings change and... so should Darklings. Not that I doubt that he would sacrifice ppl while trying to master it... But Darkles does value Grisha lives. Anyway-
/ Initially the conversation about Zoya took place much later in the timeline, but since i had them resolving all their drama off-screen, i thought i can add some much needed healing, so i just cut off one spoilery line and the scene fitted here perfectly. I know it's not even half-as well written as it deserves, but you have to know by now how terribly my dialogues go.
/ My grand plan of "going over all the front drama as vaguely as i can" seems to be working.
/ I read a bit of the epilogue or "misclassification" that i wrote a long time ago and let me tell u the mental image of Darkles sitting on the armrest of a chair he gave to Alina makes a beautiful foreshadowing. My past self brought me much joy with it.
/ Also i imagine that – even if Summoners are all Summoners etc. – Squallers are much closer to Shadow Summoners than Inferni, hence Zoya can be taught and mentored by Darkles in the ways of Grisha while Alina's Iferni powers would need a bit different take... That's why he thinks of Z. as his best student ;) while Alina is something better/more/different. I'm not saying there is something wrong with the master/apprentice dynamics [of many awesome Darklina fics] – cause i love them! I'm just not sure i could write it decently.
Don't hesitate to tell me what you think!