Dear Alina

I'm not sure why I still haven't heard from you. Maybe your just having too much fun. I can't imagine you sitting in a top notch suite while servants tend to your every need. But I'm sure it's better than Karemzin. Who would have thought you, a simple cartographer would wound up in the little palace? I'll be honest, I'm still trying to get the grip of what's happened. It all happened so fast and I never got a chance to even say goodbye. I don't know if you've read my other letters but if you had you would have replied by now. Unless something has happened to you. I hope the answer to that is no and that you haven't replied because you are too busy. But don't worry, I'll be seeing you shortly. I've been sent on a mission for general Kirigan to find Morozova's stag. I know right… the famous mythical Morozova's stag that everyone thinks is a legend and fairy tale. If I'm honest, I only took this mission so I could see you. I have no idea the reasoning behind this mission but if it means I can see you again then I promise to find it. if you've read this then you know I'll be at the little palace soon and if you haven't… well you are in for a surprise. See you soon.

Mal

Kirigan read the letter, sat back in his black chair behind his desk, ankles crossed over one another and letter in hand. Possessiveness built up inside as he read the letter, the words irritating him. He despised Mal. Ever since he demanded to see Alina that night at the winter fete, Kirigan took a distinct hate to him. And now that he and Baghra had run off together to find the stag, he hated him even more.

Kirigan reached down into the bottom draw of his desk, pulling out the metal box. He reached into the top draw as well and pulled out a small silver key which fitted the lock on the front. Unlocking the box, the metal clanged on the desk as he opened it. He took the letter and folded it, placing it in the box, along with all the letters from Alina and all the letters from Mal.

Kirigan had read every single one of them. Not one of Alina's had been sent to Mal and every single one of Mal's had arrived at his office before Alina could ask for it. When Genya had informed him of the letter Alina first wrote when she was at the little palace, he ordered her not to send it and bring it to him. From then on, Genya brought all the letters to Kirigan and he kept them in the small box in his office.

When Alina had asked if there was a letter for her, Kirigan had spotted the one from Mal straight away but brushed it off as if it was nothing. He wasn't going to let the tracker hold her back. He was no good for her. He knew exactly where he was but he wasn't going to tell Alina. It was time she forgot about him.

Anger grew inside him when Alina said that Mal was angry because she was now Grisha. The tracker had no right to be angry. This is exactly why Kirigan did not want them to have any contact. The tracker would never understand Alina or her power. He would be scared of her, fear her and her power. All these years, he never truly appreciated her for who she is and from the looks of things, he wouldn't now either. If Alina had read the letters from Mal, she would stop herself from using her power, hide them away like she did all those years. He was the reason that Kirigan had been waiting for so long. If the Grisha examiners had known she was Grisha, she would have been brought to the little palace.

Alina was his sun summoner and he was not going to let a mere Otkazat'sya hold her back from what he wanted. The sooner Alina would let him go, the better. Then, she could focus on her training and Kirigan would be able to move on with his plan.

He was already annoyed because Mal and Baghra had managed to evade capture from his team of Grisha and he was even more irritated now that one of his Grisha was dead. The sooner Kirigan would have control of The Fold, the less his people would die. The tracker will certainly pay for everything he has done, including murdering one of his people.

He was hoping that Alina would now realise that maybe her friend wasn't who she thought he was and that she would let go of him. He was doing her no good, constantly on her mind. She was losing focus and would continue to if she didn't move on.

Kirigan locked the box back up again and placed it in the bottom draw, slamming it with his boot before rising from his desk. Now that he had sorted that, he had another matter to deal with… Manuel.

Down in the dark cellar, lit by lamps on either side, Manuel was sat in the middle, tied to a chair by rope around his bony wrists. Ivan stood behind him, hands knotted together in front and two Oprichniki to the side. Manuel struggled in his binds, glancing nervously between the men standing around him but when he stared forward and saw the general storming towards him, his eyes grew with fear and he gulped.

"I mean no trouble, please I have a family" Manuel was shaking in the chair, his feet pounding up and down on the floor, his heart beating rapidly which Ivan could feel.

"He's lying" Ivan said and Kirigan glared down at Manuel who shook his head.

"No, I-I'm not… my family is in need of help" his heart pounded against his chest and Kirigan glanced over to see Ivan shaking his head. There was no way this man was going to get away with lying to the general's face, not with his Heartrender right there.

"So you thought you'd trespass into my palace" Kirigan shot back and Manuel gulped.

"I meant no harm at all; I heard the sun summoner was here and I thought that she would be able to help me and my family but your guards… well they were being rough with me" Manuel glanced to the guards who stood with stern faces.

"Except you don't have a family, do you?' Kirigan raise a brow and Manuel was about to protest but he looked over at Ivan who was smirking.

"Why were you in my palace?" Kirigan demanded, his fists clenching by his sides. He wanted to know exactly why this ratty, scrawny man was near his sun summoner.

"I told you, I needed help of Sankta Alina" he said softly and Kirigan shot daggers at him. How dare he even say her name.

"You were trying to harm her, bring her back with you so you could do unspeakable things?" Kirigan seethed and Manuel shook his head with wide eyes.

"No, no absolutely not" he whispered and Kirigan looked to Ivan for the truth.

"He does need help but he had no intention of harming her… except he does want to do unspeakable things" he said and Kirigan huffed, his teeth gritted and fists clenched tighter so that his knuckles turned white. The idea that someone wanted to touch his Alina was sick to him.

"Wh-what no I…"

"There's no point in you lying to me, I know everything. You sneak into my palace, trespass on my grounds, you try to touch my sun summoner and think you can get away with it" Kirigan circled Manuel, his footsteps deadly as he came back in front and glared down at the shaking man who was stuttering to speak.

"I don't care if you need help but I'm going to make this very clear. if you come anywhere near my sun summoner again then I will have you thrown in prison, am I clear?" Kirigan said quietly, his voice more deadly and Manuel nervously nodded his head, the words unable to leave him. Kirigan took a final look to his guards.

"Get him out of my palace" he ordered before turning on his heel and storming out the cell.

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