The grisha had set up camp at the boarder or Shu Han. The inferni and heartrenders were rounding up the enslaved Grisha from the labs and any being held by Shu Han as prisoners or personal slaves. The Grisha were brought back to the camp to be healed by healers and given a kefta for protection. The generals orders were clear in that if any Shu Han tried to kill any Grisha while being rescued, they would be executed.
Alina was sat in Kirigan's tent, perched on a cushioned chair. she was currently been kept under guard by one of the Oprichniki brought along so she had no way of escaping. The camp was small but busy enough for someone to notice her making a run for it. Alina thought about what the other Grisha thought about her.
Did they know she was a slave to Kirigan? Had he fed them lies that she was here willingly? Surely, they would notice her demeanour towards him. Perhaps they didn't care about her. at the little palace she was kept hidden away and only saw a handful of people. Or were they too scared to express their opinion for fear of the general… the king punishing them. Alina wondered if they knew about David. How would they feel knowing their leader killed their own people?
Genya came to Alina's next thought. She was dragged away so soon after her scar removal that she didn't get a chance to talk to Genya. Alina had mixed feelings. Yes, she was on Kirigan's side and yes, she betrayed her friendship with Alina to give information to Kirigan… but when she told her about Kirigan killing David, she saw the pain in her eyes. She saw that look on her face telling Alina she didn't want to do it. She didn't want to remove the scar. But she had no choice.
Alina hadn't thought about Mal for at least twenty four hours now. With travelling across The Fold and watching the emperor being forced to sign to the new laws, he had been the last thing on her mind. With the scar no longer there, she'd have to remember him herself.
Alina turned as she heard the flaps of the tent open and Kirigan walked inside. His cloak had been discarded on a hook in the corner of the tent and he only wore his kefta now. He gave a short nod to the Oprichniki who marched out the tent, leaving the two alone. It was an awkward silence and Alina swallowed the hard lump in her throat, almost certain it broke the silence before speaking.
"How are they?" she said quietly, referring to the rescued Grisha. Kirigan seemed a little shocked but kept his façade clean. He didn't expect her to ask about them, he expected her to shout and scream at him.
"They are a little shaken, the healers are with them. I think I underestimated how many Grisha were here" he said and strolled closer to Alina. There were many Grisha being rescued and some were unrecognisable without their keftas. Alina licked her lips, rejuvenating them as they had dried out and looked down at her hands.
"Well you have your way laws… there shouldn't be any more of this" she said quietly and Kirigan stopped in front of her.
"No… there shouldn't" he whispered and Alina looked up at him.
"Can I see them… the laws" she said and he turned to a table at the back of the tent, documents sprawled out all over the place. He picked up a few sheets of brown paper and handed them to Alina.
The laws were written in black ink and covered three pages. They stated that grisha were no longer to be subjected and discriminated. It would be illegal for any crimes against Grisha taken place. It stated that if any Grisha were found being enslaved, experimented, discriminated, harmed or murdered, that person would be imprisoned or executed. Grisha were allowed to roam freely amongst other boarders but others were not allowed to enter Ravka without authorisation.
It stated the king, Kirigan, was to be bowed down by all others. All nations will answer to him and higher authority took commands from him. If they disobeyed, The Fold will consume their nation and they will turn to the dreaded Volcra inside. All war with Ravka has ended and anyone trying to start one or bring an uprising will be stopped.
The laws were simple. Grisha would rule and no one could stop them.
Alina handed the papers back silently. She was blown by them but wasn't surprised. She expected them to be something of that nature. Kirigan had spent so long protecting his Grisha, his new laws would ensure that they no longer needed to be protected and could live freely, without hiding or being in fear of being murdered.
"How long are we camping for?" she said. She found herself making conversation with him to avoid the awkward silence. There was no use in defying him or making things more awkward. She had nowhere to escape him at camp and she didn't want to make this trip more unbearable.
"Only for today, we leave tomorrow. The Grisha are already being taken back to the little palace and the skiff will remain here, we'll head back on horse" he said, putting the documents away safely in the leather wallet.
"Why?" she furrowed her brows and he turned to face her.
"The journey is longer on The Fold and we no longer need to fear going across borders. The emperor has signed the laws, we are free to roam where we want" he said with pleasure in his voice.
It said so in the laws that grisha could enter any nation they liked without authorisation from their people. It was all in the power they now had. Alina nodded silently and stared off in the distance. A thought occurred to her back when she and Kirigan were stood in front of the emperor.
"Why didn't you let me bow down to the emperor?" she said and Kirigan was surprised by her question.
"What do you mean?" he asked softly and took a step closer to Alina, sitting down in the chair opposite her.
"When we met the emperor, you bowed down to him and then I went to do the same but you stopped me… why?" she said. Surely, she should have shown respect to the emperor.
"Because you are not worthy of bowing down to him" his voice was soft and quiet.
"But you did and you're the king" Kirigan smiled, relishing her calling him the king,
"I was merely being respectful to him, I wanted things to go smoothly with him, even though they didn't turn out that way" Alina wanted to roll her eyes at him. He loved every moment of watching his shadow solider rip that guard apart. He'd probably have done it even if things went smoothly.
"But you are the sun summoner and my soulmate, you are of higher power than him. If anyone is bowing down it's him. That is the last time I bow down to the emperor and he knows it now and that goes for you" he said rather pleased.
He didn't want her to bow because she is better than the emperor. He didn't want her to bow because she was with him… the king of Ravka. She was his equal and he will not have her being looked at as less than him. For the first time, Alina believed that he did care. He always said she's his equal but his actions never fitted with his words. Forcing her on the skiff and keeping her chained there. Removing her scar by force. She never felt like his equal. She still felt like the slave she was only months ago. But that gesture there showed her the different side of him… that he did think of her as his equal and that she deserved the same respect he did.
"Because I'm your equal" she whispered and Kirigan slowly nodded.
He stood up, closing the space between him and Alina and pulled her from the chair. His dark eyes were staring into hers and his voice spoke quietly.
"No one will ever look at you, speak to you, treat as anything but my equal".
Alina kept her gaze on him, her mouth parted open and eyes wide. She felt Kirigan's hands slip over her palm, his thumb rubbing it softly and Alina placed her own thumb on the back of his, tracing the stag's antler. Her mark tingled and she felt herself falling deeper into his embrace. His body was warm and inviting, his scent intoxicating and she couldn't help her hand tracing up his arm to his shoulder.
Alina's head craned higher and she brushed her nose on his, their lips only millimetres apart. Kirigan wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her forward and their lips crashed together. They kissed softly but it soon turned deeper, Kirigan taking over her lips with his, sucking hard and his tongue touched the tip of hers.
Alina's hand ran up to his hair, his soft locks gliding through her fingers. His beard scratched Alina's cheeks but it only made her tingle and buzz down between her legs. Her mark pulsed with pleasure and she cupped the side of his neck with the other hand.
Kirigan cupped her face, his ring stinging her cheek with coldness and his fingers tickled the side of her ear. His hand also curled into Alina's dark locks, pulling her head back a little and he towered over her as he kissed her. Like Alina, his mark on his arm tingled and buzzed as well, giving in to the desire for his soulmate. He pulled her closer, not wanting a single inch of space between them. Her body crashed into his, the sweet scent dripping off her and he breathed in deeply, becoming seduced by it.
Alina pushed herself further to reach the end of the pull, diving in deeper and kissing him more. She wanted more of him. Alina tugged at his kefta, signalling for him to take it off and Kirigan abandoned his hold on her to do so, ripping it off and letting it fall to the floor. His hands quickly latched on to her face, running down to her neck and slipping inside to remove her kefta. Black material covered their feet from their discarded keftas and Alina was pushed backwards as Kirigan kissed her hungrily, leading her to the cot on the side of the tent.
The backs of her knees hit the metal bar and she fell on top, bouncing on the bed. Kirigan wrapped one hand in her hair, the other around her back and pulled her close again. he pulled back for a second and whispered close to her lips, his voice sexy and alluring.
"I want you Alina" Alina looked from his lips to his eyes, the silence coming back and she felt the world around her stop. She didn't say anything but her answer was clear when she kissed him again. Her thoughts were clouded by him and she pushed herself deeper, the pull inside her running with her and while all she could think of was him, Mal had been forgotten.
Hey so I hope you like it, let me know in the reviews what you think.