Darkling POV

Watching Alina get healed was torture and when she finally passed out the healer had to stop "moi soverennyi I have one left on the front side and from what y'all have told me she has two more on her back side. She got thru much more than expected sire. However I was not able to reapply her elixir so she will be in pain when she wakes I should be summoned to give it to her. I will be back to check on her if you don't summon me in a few hours and if have no questions I'll see myself out sire." Looking at the healer "how long will she be out?" She shrugged "it's up to her sire when her mind is ready and no longer fears pain." I gasped "send ivan in and the new heartrender if she is still here." I walk to my desk so I can work and keep an eye on Alina. Ivan comes in with a chastised Calina I raise my eyebrow "I may have over heard sire and explained to miss Calina how her and my rolls work sire. We are to protect and help, counsel if ask but always, always do as told." By that point they had both reached my desk. "Moi soverennyi I am so sorry for my actions earlier." I scoffed "I am not the only one whom needs your apology and hers is way more important her status is the same as mine. She will one day be my bride and if you can't control yourself around her I will remove you." Ivan gasped at that I spun on him "what Ivan what have you to say?" "Moi soverennyi it's just the first you have said of marriage I'm sorry I just wish to say I'm happy for you that you are happy." I sat back down and calmed "now tell me what we were talking about before Alina awoke." Ivan started "well we have found Nina Zenika however she is protecting the witch hunter Matthias saying he has changed and is now on a ship of ketterdamn. The king is pissed they got to the fold and I cant get it out of Dima without torture what the prince wants with Alina. Two others of Alina's guard arrives in a few hours. The whole camp is worried about Alina especially since you didn't silence the tent during the healing. Everyone heard all over camp and gathered until she stopped and the healer came out shooing them. Remind me when miss Starkov is better to tease her about her lung capacity and how loud she is" he chuckles to himself. Calina started then "there will be ten guard in total moi soverennyi if I am correct. The rest of the guard arrives tomorrow after that we will be prepared to take on anything even if it is just to help the sun summoner as she sees fit. Also sire the tracker wishes for another audience with the sun summoner when she permits he asked me to add that last bit." I started rubbing my temples thinking over everything before I began. "Nina is protecting him? (Yes) ok bring them both back with the promise of protection IF he really has changed. The king I can deal with once we get back but I'm more worried about the prince and sadly we can't torture him to get the information. Those guards bring to me so I can meet them before she does. Alina can make an appearance around camp if she feels up to it if not we will spread the word go ahead if you want. There will be twelve of you guards for her however one we are working on getting back and the other will join after her other assignment is finished. Only she can tell him if she wants to see him again I personally would rather not till the hunt." Ivan nodded "I will send out a message right away on the Nina matter. I will keep trying Dima to get more information out of that little rat. Of course on the guards sire I believe one is a squallar and the other is inferni I do not know their names. Of course we will spread word until she can make an appearance won't we Calina." She shuddered "yes of course." I noticed that he avoided my comments about the tracker "you are both dismissed to do your task Calina when you have spread the word stand guard outside with my guard we will call if needed." She nodded and the both left the tent without another word leaving me alone with my thoughts and the unconscious body of the woman I love though my mother always taught me needing anyone else makes you weak. Could she be wrong I never felt stronger than I do when I'm with her?

Alina POV

Upon waking I was scared so I instantly started looking for Aleksander and found him sitting at his desk reading papers then signing a few. I tried to stretch and instantly regretted it crying out in pain closing eyes. I felt the bed dip and reopening my eyes to see him looking down at me with concern. "My sun you passed out before they could reapply your numbing elixir. Let me summon your healer now for it." I was starting to panic and grabbed his hand "no healing right?" He squeezed my hand saying "no love the elixir needs time to set in that's why they have just been giving it to you when needed. However with you passed out because of the healing no one going anywhere near you." I slowly let his hand go and he stood walking towards the flap long enough to stick his head out and say something. As he was coming back into the tent I said "I would get up but I feel like I was run over by a team of horses and its carriage." He looked at me with dread and something I couldn't place "you cannot get up yet at least wait for the healer." Just as he spoke the words she seemed to appear thru the flap of the tent bowing "excuse me moi soverennyi I was told that you sent for me and the sun summoner is awake and ready for her elixir." He nodded and she proceeded into the tent and to me bowing as she reaches me "my sun summoner it is good to see you awake again we were starting to worry." "What do you mean?" Standing and coming closer the healer a younger blonde with green eyes beautiful just like all other grisha tried handing me a vile. "Drink this and I can explain further my lady we need to stop your pain you undertook a lot." Huffing I looked at Aleksander hoping that he would read the message in my eyes it seems he did. "Healer by her own words she feels like she's been run over by a team of horses and its carriage she can't hardly lift her arms if she can at all. Help her drink it or give me it and I'll do it and I will find her a new healer." She quickly retracted the vile and came to sit by the bed to hold my head to help me sip the liquid which I almost sputtered out. "My apologies my lady normally we hide the flavor in your drink this time however we needed it to take effect faster so we had to give it to you this way. This way it will take effect in about five minutes maybe abit longer the other way was about twenty again my apologies my lady." Looking at the healer I asked "what drink can hide that taste it's nearly the worst thing I've ever drank?" Aleksander chuckled from by his desk "your kvas is the only thing that hides it my sun. Why do you think we make you drink a glass every six hours mandatory since we have been here?" The healer stands after gently laying me back on the bed "my lady we will do our next session of healing in about two hours and it won't be as bad we only have three ribs left in total to heal." I looked at Aleksander again hoping again he could read my mind however it seems that I was on my own this time and I was in pain and ready to lash out. "Get out I don't know who you think you are but I thought I was going to die from that healing and y'all just kept repeating you can do it you can do it. So you know what get out I don't want to hang on or deal with people or see you." She bowed and left without saying a word but that didn't stop Aleksander "are you ok my love, are you not normally out right hostile to people who aren't myself?" I frowned "I'm just in pain and tired of the healing and healers. I'm ready for my injuries to be healed so we can go home and I can sleep in my bed or in your arms either way but at HOME."

Darkling POV

Looking at Alina in bed waiting on the elixir to take effect to help with pain she was miserable and ready to go home forgetting already that her bed is no longer her bed. That we would be moving her to her actual suite that matches mine but in ivory with a few feminine touches. Walking slowly to her setting on the side gently to try to keep from hurting her "let me know when your elixir kicks in and you can start to move around again. You were out so long I was worried but they told me I couldn't wake you that you had to wake yourself." She looked shocked "Aleksander you have been worried about me? Whatever for I am here now there is no need to worry. "I guess it was my turn to took shocked "of course I've been worried Alina you passed out during healing then don't wake up for hours. I love you Alina I was and am worried about you because you're still hurt and I can't do anything thing about it or to help you other than barking out orders." She reached out and grabbing my hand lacing our fingers "Aleksander I love you and you heard the healer I am almost done do not fear my love and no one else barks out orders better than you. "I sighed "you're going to be very hard to leave on times when I have to go out on missions you temptress you." She laughs and I chuckle before she adds "it will just make your return all the sweeter." I can scarcely imagine that this moment is real I don't deserve to be this happy till I make Ravka and grisha safe but I can't do that without her. She squeezed my hand "I don't know where your mind went to but I need you back here with me, my pain is starting to lessen but that doesn't mean you're free to leave me alone yet." I leaned down and kissed her head "I'm sorry my sun I'm back. It seems like a lot of people would like to see you and make sure your alive seems your screaming during your healing convinced them that you are dead." She groaned "fine but after I dress and those who wish can come here if you don't mind cause I don't feel like going out to face them yet." She added the last part hiding her eyes as if ashamed to have to ask this of me ashamed to feel the need to be protected. "Of course my sun you can see them here I will be here for you but I have a surprise for you that came with the kings army. Sent special for you from the king though I had her plant the idea in his head, if you give me my hand I'll be right back." She started to panic and before I could do anything she let go looking away I grabbed her chin and turned her back "I am just going to the flap to get your surprise I'm not leaving you alone nor am I letting anything happen to you again." She visibly relaxed and said "I'm sorry I'm just st scared to be alone and I trust you Aleksander I feel safe here with you." Leaning down kissing her parting only when air was needed saying "good thing I am going no where my love." She finally lets go despite looking nervous I get up walking towards the flap of the tent. Looking out I had expected to have to summon her but I could see her brilliant red hair flapping in the wind. "How did you know that she was awake?" She stopped pacing noticing me "General the healer who came out told me she was awake sir and I was hoping that I would be called upon soon so I thought to make myself available." Nodding this wasn't the first time she thought ahead for me "well you were correct I was just coming to have you summoned you may come in now just keep it in mind that her elixir has not taken full affect yet." "Yes General." Turning walking back to Alina I got to see the way her face lit up when she seen her surprise.

Alina POV

"Genya?! What are you doing here? How did you get here? I'm so happy to see you." I looked between Genya and Aleksander waiting on one of them to tell me more about it and my day knowing one would. Genya stepped forward "when the king heard what happened I may have played with the fact that healers don't do bruising or shallow cuts and he didn't want to parade a bruised sun summoner around. I rode with the kings army following General Kirigan and his men however y'all were already here with you screaming like a creature from the fold itself everyone thought you were dying." I grimaced looking between the two "I did not tell me you must be joking tell me that you're joking." Neither of them said anything to deny it Aleksander just nodded his head slightly bit before saying "I forgot to blanket the tent with my shadows to keep the screaming inside I am sorry but you managed to make it through seven out of ten ribs being healed." I cringed at the thought but before I could wallow Genya stepped into action "your elixir should have taken enough effect for you to get up and maybe get ready." I nodded stunned slowly moving to get up without a word and Aleksander excused himself stepping outside the tent. "Genya make sure it is loose around my chest please and we are not going to button my kefta either." She nodded "ok Alina we can go with a pants suit for today and as long as you stay in the tent your kefta can stay unbutton but if you go out you must button up." I growled at her "fine if I must bossy ass, what could happen to me me in the middle of the armies camp?" She shook her head and said "you never know so lets not test it today okay please for me. I can't loose you, your one of my only true friends so if I have to I will keep you safe." I huffed and hugged her lightly "alright already lets get me dress you mushy thing you" she laughs about it letting me go turning to a trunk. "What color are you going to be wearing today your blue kefta or your black kefta? I must know so I can plan your outfit all the way down these things are important." I huffed yet again "Genya you know that I am going to be in my black kefta. By the way have you heard the news that I will be moving rooms when we get back to the little palace." She stood and spun in place from over the trunk the look on her face was perfectly comical. "No what where are they putting you?! Stop laughing at me Alina and start talking."It took a second for me to stop laughing at her reaction "have you ever noticed the ivory doors just inside the General's onyx doors?" Her eyes about popped out of her head "yes but no one goes in there and its said no one has ever seen inside there either. They are always kept locked it is also said that it either used to belong to his only true love of his past and since she was murdered he sealed the room vowing to never open it unless he found her again. Second story was that he built it in hopes that he would find his true love for the first time and she would be his equal and his balance. Third was that it was always meant for the sun summoner but you weren't put there to begin with."I nodded while silently thinking which one was true but saying "it is most likely just the third one Genya you are reading way to much into old stories." She didn't seem like she believed it "well I guess that we will finally find out what it looks like."I sighed and told her what he told me "it's a match of the General's but in ivory is what the General told me Genya so it really is most likely option number three. Plus he told me he had wanted me to master my powers more before moving me in there." "Alina you are a fool if you do not see how that man cares for you I don't care what he built it for he is moving you there cause he loves you and wants you closer to him so he can protect you. Hell I wouldn't be surprised if he went to the king to ask for your hand since you are both so important and powerf-. She cut off sneaking a look at me as if to gauge my reaction all I could do was stare back at her. He wouldn't would he? We haven't known each other that long but I loved him and that was all that matters. Wasn't it? Would I say yes? Where had Genya heard this information?