As I stayed in my room while it was getting dark I looked at myself in the mirror. I questioned if I was humoring the idea or was I really falling for him? I shook my head at the thought I knew the truth, I was falling for him every time I saw him. I could tell that he had been in a relationship well that was a lie I knew he had. Baghra mentioned that he was in a relationship with his healer before the fold.

Am I setting myself up to get hurt in the end? Does your heart still belong to your first love and you hide that pain of several thousand years to look at me as new hope? I thought

I went to bed figuring that it was best not to dwindle on things I could not understand. All of this was new to me. I was laying there in bed for only a few minutes when the door opened and I grabbed the dagger preparing to fight when I stopped seeing Marie and Nadia. I put it away as I felt tears falling and wiped my eyes.

Marie and Nadia came over sitting by me as they were my new guards now. I had my best friends as my own guards that I smiled at them. I knew that I had so many secrets buried within me I didn't know if I could keep them in for much longer.

"Why are you crying?" Nadia asked, "Did the general call off the engagement?"

"No, Aleksander did not call off the engagement." I said"

"who?" Marie asked

"General Kirigan, he allows me to call him that when we're alone. I know so much that I wish I could tell you." I said

"Tell us what you can?" Marie said

"Baghra is our General's mother, she is the best teacher there will ever be. She's trained, my father and my mother. When she trained my father she made this arrangement for his daughter born with the sun to marry her son." I said, "There is a stag, Morozova's stag that when it's found I have to go after it or it could be bad for me."

"Then we'll help you with the Stag." Marie said

"We'll need a tracker. If it's found we have to get Nico to help." I said

"Nico?" Nadia asked

"Nicolas, I asked him to come find me if he finds the stag." I said

"Have you invited this dashing boy to come to the little palace?" Nadia asked

"No. I don't have that kind of authority." I said, "and with Aleksander heading to the north I can't risk it."

Marie and Nadia nod at my words as I reached for my father's locket holding it close. I knew that more Sun summoners were alive possibly. I'd never met my grandparents so if I could meet them someday it'd be a blessing.

We all ended up staying there passing out on my bed for the night. The next day was the usual except he wasn't here so I didn't have to feel like I needed to hide from anyone. Days passed and over time I realized that I did miss him. I'd heard summoners also talking about Soulmate initials starting to show up on their wrists as I checked my own.

nothing. I thought

I didn't want to overthink it knowing that my parents were soulmates so I just had to stay positive. I hadn't heard of these things before about the Initials and most people wanted to talk to me for the wrong reason. Some Summoners thought I was going to be promoted to the General's right hand side with my engagement. I would just smile and try to assure them that I was unsure.

Genya came and found me when people were overcrowding me and I knew that there was much to discuss. The Fete was close and I was already ready to just go to another Banya to get my mind off of everything. Genya poured us tea as we sat down and we drank some until I decided to speak.

"Genya, does everyone have a soulmate?" I asked

"Yes, we all do, even those who are not summoners." Genya said

"So everyone gets initials?" I asked

"If a non grisha is a summoner meant to be, they will. Why are you curious?" Genya asked, "Think you might know who yours is?"

"No, I don't. Even if I did I am bound by a promise to be General Kirigan's wife." I said

Genya smiled "What if General Kirigan is your soulmate?" Genya asked, "have you ever looked when he's around?"

"I didn't even know about it before overhearing the summoners talking about it." I said as I noticed on Genya there were the initials DK on her wrist. "But clearly you do."

"Ah this, yes. Well I haven't spoken much to him." Genya said, "But I know who he is."

I wanted to ask as I realized you didn't even have to be that close just on the grounds of where your soulmate was. I looked at my wrist, seeing it blank, wondering if Aleksander was my soulmate. I wondered if Baghra had one and they had died a long time ago. I eventually went to read over it and I looked over the text out of curiosity.

When a summoner's soulmate is on the same grounds as them the initials will appear but if the soulmate dies the initials will fade but the feeling of them being there will remain.

I wondered if Baghra did but I couldn't ask her as I never paid attention all this time about the whole soulmate. Still I hated the idea that this could throw a big problem in Baghra and dad's arrangement. I just closed the door before getting things done.

The day before the Fete came and I was looking out the window when I noticed the carriage coming. I was curious about what he might have found when he was gone and I knew that there wasn't much I could do. I was thinking about him as I felt Marie and Nadia wrap their arms around mine and lead me off.

"Where are we going?" I asked

"We are going to do something fun besides gazing longingly out the window." Marie said

I laughed a bit knowing they were always going to be the best friends I could ask for when it came to the whole truth. We walked for a while before we started to do something, I started to get hot so I took my Kefta off and that's when Marie grabbed my wrist.

"hey what's going on?" I asked

"Your wrist has initials on it." Marie said

"it..does?" I asked

I hesitated as I took my wrist back and slowly I started to look at it before I ran my thumb over the initials.

AM

Aleksander Morozova I thought

When footsteps were behind us the girls looked as they bowed to him and he seemed to be thinking or I think he was. My back was to him as I could feel him staring at my back as if he was debating what to say before he spoke.

"Girls, let me talk to my fiance alone." Aleksander said to Marie and Nadia

"Of course." They said leaving the room

I turned around as Aleksander walked over and he offered his hand to me. I knew what he wanted to see so I took his hand with the wrist that had the initials on it as he looked over them and lightly traced them.

"My initials on your wrist." Aleksander said then he pulled his sleeve back where I could see my initials on his wrist.

AS

"O-Oh." I said

Part of me wanted to say that it wasn't me that was on his wrist but I knew the truth. I knew that it only happened when we were on the same grounds and it wasn't there when he was gone. He took my hand and kissed the top of it.

"Amira, people are looking for the stag. After it's found, why don't we go ahead and get married." Aleksander said

"I think that's a bit of a rush and honestly you didn't ask properly just asked if I would wear it." I said

He seemed surprised by words and maybe it was because of how I came across but I had mixed feelings about the stag. I knew I needed to get it before he did but if there was a chance he got it before I did then I didn't know what to do.

"I want to protect you Amira, word has spread that there was a spy in the little palace and saw your light." Aleksander said, "Please, this is a way to keep you safe."

"Let me think about it." I said

Aleksander pulled me close and kissed me and I kissed him back, this kiss started to become our first make out as I realized how much I missed him before while he had been gone. Before it got too intense for both of us I pulled away to breathe.

"I need to get some rest tomorrow is the Winter Fete." I said

"Are you ready for the performance?" Aleksander asked

"I am." I said, "I can do anything as long as you're with me."

Aleksander put a hand on my cheek and rubbed his thumb on it as I looked at him knowing that I was just keeping him thinking I needed him.

"Good Night Amira." Aleksander said

"Good Night Aleksander." I said

Then I left him alone knowing that I really did need sleep before the Fete.