Darkling POV
I kept waiting the whole way closer to the city for Alina to change her mind and tell me she didn't want the throne and had not meant to offer to help me get it. Last night during camp I found prince Vasily cornering Alina yelling at her and she has yet to tell me what he said to her.
"Alina please tell me what the prince did to you or said to you last night while we were camped." "It was nothing please don't worry about it." Ivan coughed from his seat across the coach while looking at her. "What is it Ivan?" "I'm sorry sir, I'm sorry but that is a lie miss Starkov your heart beat gives you away."
I heard Alina growl "I don't wanna talk about it then. There that isn't a lie." I sighed "Alina please did he try to hurt you? Did he say something that hurt you?" She sighed and finally looked at me and I seen the tears in her eyes. "No he hasn't hurt me physically it was all in what he said." "And what was that my sun?"
Closing her eyes before taking a deep shuddering breath "he said that the king was going to make sure I would have to marry him. Even if they had to get you out of the way. (Pausing drawing another shuddering breath) then once you were out the way he was going to force himself on me even if I refused him."
I couldn't have been more shocked I knew Alina's face had been white last night and the prince ran fast enough when I showed up but this?! Looking at Ivan I could see he felt about the same rage and shock as me. The king and prince would die for this they wouldn't get away with scaring and threatening my queen.
Ivan spoke as I pulled her onto my lap to comfort her. "Alina that will never happen the General and I will protect you. You do not have to worry every grisha under his command will lay down their lives to protect you." "And Ivan what happens when we get to the palaces and you are made to go to the little palace and we have to go the the grand palace?"
His face hardened failing to answer so I spoke up. "My sun you will have me with you and the first person to try to touch you will be split in half I promise you this. Ivan will get sent to the little palace. He will get them ready to fight because the king has declared war by trying to get troops into my palace and messing with you.
The prince really crossed a line last night after we told him we were together and he has seen it for himself. Plus he has been asking around the grisha that came with me about us. Ivan and the rest of the grisha will be waiting on my signal for the attack."
Alina POV
I couldn't have been more surprised he had more plans in placed than I realized. However I also realized more and more that the kingdom and I would be safer with a king who cares. "What is the signal for attack and will it happen today?"
Ivan started chuckling "when all the guards start running back to the grand palace and the bells start ringing. We will have scouts set along the entire path from each of the palaces to give us first warning. We will be there shortly after anything happens and I will be the first thru the door to help protect you. As for when the fighting happens that will be up to you and the general."
Looking up into his face he looks down. "I will only attack today if either the king or the prince try's hurts you or try's to keep you locked in the grand palace where you do not wish to be. Other than that I will continue to deal with all issue's as have been with a light hand. Until he pushes us to far and you my queen will help decide when that time has come."
"Well my dark angel I do not wish to stay in the grand palace but I really do believe in what you have said so far. The king and queen does not care for this land or the people in it. I don't want to attack today unless they make us because I want to see Baghra first to try to understand my dreams/visions but if they make us I will help you take the throne." He smiled leaning down to kiss me.
"Ivan make sure everyone is ready just in case we attack and someone is ready to ring our bells to alert those who don't know the full plan only know of what our bells mean." "Yes sir is the list of people in the know still in the war office in the hidden spot?" "Yes."
Shock ran through me yet again listening to them talk. "Wait so not all grisha know of the plan?" Shacking their heads Ivan spoke "no miss Starkov but all grisha hate the crown they will fight them with hardly any questions at all. Plus all grisha are loyal to the general and will do as he says laying their lives down for him and yourself."
Giving a sarcastic laugh "I think Zoya would rather kill me then lay down her life for me." Aleksander spoke then tilting my chin up to look at him. "She would have to get thru me my sun. She knows you and I are together and would not dare to lay a finger on you. We are about an hour away from the palaces now so we need to be ready for no matter what comes at us." Ivan and I only nodded sobering up even more.
Darkling POV
Pulling up to the grand palace watching the prince get out of his carriage then the footmen coming to open our door. "Ready my sun?" She shook her head "no but lets go anyways." I watched her climb out the carriage then nodded to Ivan before getting out myself to walk with Alina to the throne room.
Neither of us said a word on the long walk to the throne room. Though she did grab my hand and intertwine our fingers. The guard at the doors made us wait while they introduced us knowing the king knew who it was as his son had just walked through the doors.
Stopping just short of the king we stand hand in hand as he glares at us. She did a small bow while I nodded my head. "I hear you refused to come to come with my son on the first night when I sent for you miss Starkov. I am not pleased to hear this. Do you care to explain why?"
"Moi tsar" I started. "Silence Darkling I was speaking to the girl not to you, you will when it is your turn to speak for your actions out there and not before do you hear me. Now girl speak and speak now!"
Clearing her throat "Moi tsar yes I had refused to come with your son on the first night for I do not trust him and after everything that has happened I am only staying with someone that I trust sir." He nods "I could see that miss Starkov but I still sent him that should have been enough."
"Father you should also be aware that both miss Starkov and the Darkling say they love each other. When cornered away from him she stays strong in claiming her love for him." Hearing her confirm this made me want to smile but I had to maintain my mask.
"Darkling how can you love her when you hardly know her? You two have barely spent time with each other because either you are off palace grounds on missions at different campsites or tracking down different leads. As well as when on palace grounds she is either training, being kidnapped or attacked, and according to our informants within the walls this is so called love is just a rumor."
"Moi tsar of course your spies would not be able to tell you the truth from the little palace because you do not have people loyal to in the little palace. Those that are loyal to you are not in the little palace so they cannot report to you what they don't see until we hit the camps. It is true though that I love Alina Moi tsar."
"What do you mean I don't have anyone loyal in the little palace they are all my subjects I am the KING they have to be loyal to me. As for your love it cannot be permitted to continue as we need the sun summoner to marry prince Vasily for the good of the country. The two of them will be the hope and future of our country and Darkling you will step aside."
Alina POV
Shock and fear ran though out me causing me to grasp Aleksander's hand tighter. "Moi tsar I will not marry someone that I do not love let alone someone that I do not know. I know and love the general and I am sorry moi tsar but you cannot force me to marry anyone as the holy vows say that I have to enter willingly and I will never."
Laughing the king stood up "miss Starkov i'm the king I can do as I wish and will do as I wish. I have arranged marriages before and you will marry my son. Do as you are told little girl." After he said that Aleksander stepped between us blocking the kings view of me and I knew what happened next could either get us out of here or start a war.
"Moi tsar the sun summoner has a name, she is a person and you would do well to remember that it's Alina sir. On top of those tings she is a member of the second army, the most powerful grisha other than myself, and she ALONE the countries hope and future WITHOUT the prince on her arm.
So as you or any other king have never been aloud to arrange a marriage for a member of the second army or any grisha ever in recorded history. She WILL marry whomever she likes and if you try and force her to do otherwise there will be war.
Somehow I doubt you would like to fight the two most powerful grisha in your country. So she will continue to live in the little palace and marry whom she wishes to marry whenever that day comes. However if you do wish to continue down this path the people will rally behind her."
Peeking around Aleksander while holding onto him to see the prince holding onto his red faced father. I had to hold in my snicker while clamping down on my fear as well because we weren't out of here yet. The king started yelling seeing as he couldn't get past his son. "You would dare threaten me? Darkling really I will have you killed for this."
"You could try sir and I welcome it but I have sworn to protect Alina. I not only love her but I am her general and it is my job to do so. However I think we both know if you were to try an attack or have your guards attack right now I would win all I would have to do is black out the room and spirit her out of here. I can move and see in shadow you can not."
I stepped back out from around Aleksander to address the king once again. "Moi tsar please end this here and now. You have heard what we have said now please let us go. I will not marry the prince or live here so let us go. It has been a long enough day we are exhausted let us retire to the little palace."
He looked at me for a moment finally really looking at me "fine go retire but we will continue this conversation at a later date. Enjoy what freedom you have now because mark my wards you will do as I say and marry my son and live here little girl." Shacking my head "Sir I will not fight with you anymore since you are letting us go thank you and goodnight moi tsar."
