Os Alta was a strange place. A city made up of two completely different worlds. The poor part, where houses were narrow, more shops were shuttered than open, and dirt covered the streets. And the rich part on the other side of the canal, where grand houses stood tall, perfectly manicured trees and extravagant fountains littered around the streets. Once they reached large golden gates, emblazoned with the King's sigil, the sights became even more imposing. Katia's mouth went slack, an expression that her sister shared, when she finally spotted the Grand Palace in the distance. It was the biggest building she had ever seen. The terraces of the castle were crowded with statues, and row after row of shining windows, ornamented with real gold. Katia cringed at the sight, finding herself almost blinded by the lavish castle.
"What do you think of it?" The Darkling questioned, as he brought his and Alina's horse toward hers.
"I think the King clearly has more money than sense" Katia murmured, hearing a slight scoff from Zoya close behind her.
"It truly is the ugliest building you've ever seen; don't you think?" The Darkling smirk.
"Saints. Is treason not a word either of you are familiar with?" Alina scolded, as Katia and the Darkling shared an amused look.
They then followed a path that curved behind the Palace, entering a thick strand of trees large enough that the branches made a dense, braided roof above them, plunging them into darkness. She could see how Alina tensed out of the corner of her eye, but the shadows brought a familiar sense of comfort to Katia. Soon, they emerged from the trees, finding their destination glimmering in the weak evening sunlight.
"Welcome to the Little Palace" The Darkling announced.
The courtyard was dotted with small trees and hedges, not one blade of grass out of place. It appeared almost eerily perfect. Katia's eyes remained on the Palace in front of her, which while smaller than the King's, was still a sight to behold. The terraces and golden domes were carved with intricate sculptures of birds and flowers, that had no doubt taken decades to complete. It looked like a place that royalty should live in, not Katia and her sister.
Allowing herself to be aided by a disgruntled Zoya, Katia dismounted from her horse, joined by the Darkling and Alina. She watched as Zoya was quick to excuse herself, glaring at Alina as she stormed away. Guards clad in charcoal-coloured uniforms, with guns at their side were littered around the Palace, straightening their backs whenever their General passed them.
"You'll both be safe here. The palace is the most secure building in the whole country. I made sure of it" The Darkling explained, as Katia's eyes narrowed.
While that could mean that no outsider could get in, what if a Grisha wanted to leave? Was there no escape? What if they had been led into a trap?
"Take Alina to the Vezda Suite and Katia to Velikiy Suite" The Darkling ordered his guards, who nodded swiftly.
"Where are you going?" Katia frowned.
"I have business to attend to" The Darkling replied, as Katia raised an eyebrow.
"You have all but kidnapped us from our lives, brought us to this strange place and now you plan to leave without a word of warning? Are we your guests, or cattle?" Katia huffed, crossing her arms.
"The business I wish to attend to is drawing a hot bath after all these days of riding. Are you suggesting you would like to join me?" The Darkling asked, with a smug smile, watching as Katia's cheeks reddened.
"...No. Why can't Alina and I share the same suite? We've already spent enough time apart" Katia retorted, changing the subject as quickly as she could.
"I must respectfully disagree" He stated, causing her eyes to narrow.
"Are we prisoners here?" Alina inquired.
"All of Ravka is. Until you and I have banished the Fold" The Darkling explained, before nodding to his guards to take them anywhere.
"No pressure then" Alina muttered.
The guards then ushered them into the palace and up the grand stairs, as the two sisters climbed and climbed until their lungs burnt from exertion. Katia stayed close to her sister as they were led down a long corridor, the walls covered in paintings and expensive-looking ornaments. Eventually, a door was opened, revealing what would be Alina's bedchambers, which looked like something out of a fairy tale. There was more gold in the room than Katia had ever seen in her life.
"I need a moment alone with my sister" Katia told the guards, who looked at each other, before nodding.
"Ten minutes" They exclaimed, before exiting through the large doors, leaving them alone at last.
"...Well, it's certainly better than the tents we're used to" Katia joked, hoping to lighten the mood.
She cringed when Alina suddenly burst into tears, covering her mouth with her hands to try to muffle her sobs. Katia instantly wrapped her arms around her sister, pulling her close, and brushing her hand through Alina's matted hair. She hated seeing her like this.
"Everything will be alright. As long as we stick together—" Katia began, when Alina cut her off.
"I wish Mal was here" Alina cried, pulling away, rubbing at her sore eyes.
Katia tried to mask the hurt that flashed across her face at Alina's words, knowing her sister hadn't meant it in a cruel way. She was right to think that way, Katia thought. Mal always knew what to say to her. Mal was the one she really wanted at her side.
"You should get some sleep. Come on" Katia insisted, leading Alina toward the canopied bed on the other side of the room.
"I'm too terrified to sleep" Alina sighed, flopping down onto the silk sheets, nonetheless.
She watched as Katia began to search for something, opening the multiple drawers in the room until she found a golden letter opener. She then placed the makeshift weapon into Alina's palm and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Place this under your pillow. You know which end to use, right?" Katia teased, making Alina huff.
"Do you...do you think I can do it? Destroy the Fold?" Alina questioned.
"If anyone can...it'll be you, Alina" Katia stated.
Katia writhed in her bed, in the throes of a nightmare, one all too familiar to her. Fists and feet were hitting her at every angle, the sharpness of a blade cutting down her back as she let out a screech. And then dark eyes clouded her vision...and the darkness grew and grew until...
She bolted upright, her heart thudding painfully in her chest as she found herself on the expensive bed she had collapsed on the night before. Katia ran a hand down her face, having hoped the previous days had all been a horrible nightmare. She wanted nothing more than to go back to her old life.
A sharp knock at her bedroom door had her reaching for her army knife that lay under her pillow, readying herself for an attack. She frowned when the knocking continued and called out to whoever was at her door.
"Open the door!" A feminine voice ordered.
"Exactly what an axe murderer would say..." Katia trailed off, crawling out of her bed.
"I don't have time for this. Open the door. Now" The voice continued, as Katia stumbled forward, still half asleep.
"Alright, alright. Where's the fire?" Katia huffed, ripping the door open to reveal a pretty woman with deep auburn hair.
As the woman pushed past her, Katia realised that pretty was an understatement. Her skin was completely flawless, her beautiful hair pinned up, without a lock of auburn hair out of place. Her eyes were wide and a stunning blue colour...and staring right at Katia.
"All Saints. You're in even worse condition than your sister" The tall woman gaped, as Katia pushed down the urge to knock her out.
"I'll choose to take that as a compliment" Katia mumbled.
"Don't. Draw a bath. A hot one. Then get her out of those clothes" The woman ordered the servants that were dressed in a cream-coloured uniform, ridiculous looking bonnets atop their heads.
The servants were upon Katia immediately, their sharp nails tugging at the buttons of her blouse, causing panic to course through Katia's veins. She grabbed the nearest girl by the neck, startling the others so much one even fell back against the bed. The servant grabbed her wrist, and tried to wrench her grip off, but Katia was far stronger.
"You'd be wise not to touch me without permission in the future" Katia muttered, before throwing the servant away.
"In an hour, you'll be presented to King Pyotr, and General Kirigan has asked that I make you look presentable" The redhead announced, taking a step forward.
"Hence the bathing. Well, I can assure you I am more than capable of washing myself" Katia scoffed.
"Your appearance says otherwise" The woman retorted, reaching for the top button of her blouse, despite the scene she had just witnessed.
There was no fear in her deep blue eyes. The woman in front of her had already lived through much, Katia realised. Perhaps she would understand her reluctance if she just explained...
"I have scars" Katia informed her, watching as the redhead's hands stilled.
"Where?" She asked, with curiosity.
"Everywhere" Katia mumbled, shrugging off the woman's touch.
"Everybody out" The redhead ordered, clapping her hands twice.
The servants were quick to leave the room, without protest. Katia noted the redhead's shoulders became less rigid once they were gone, clearly not appreciating their presence.
"Thank you. My apologises, I am not very accommodating in the morning. Can I ask your name?" Katia exclaimed.
"Genya. And I'm happy to get rid of the miserable shrews. I don't pick my staff. The Queen assigns them. Mostly so she can spy on me" Genya theorised, as Katia's brows knitted together.
"You work for the Queen?" She asked.
"I am the Queen's personal tailor. I'm almost as rare as you, though I'd hardly say saving the Queen from sagging tits makes me as important as you. Important to the Queen, of course, and she does not like to see cracks in her porcelain" Genya smirked, as she ran a hand over the bruise on Katia's cheek, who felt her skin heal under the woman's pale hands.
"You can change what a person looks like?" Katia frowned.
"I can fix, but I can also modify. Don't worry, you'll still recognise yourself in the mirror" Genya exclaimed, but Katia jumped back a step.
"If the Darkling doesn't like my appearance, then he can tell me so himself" Katia snapped.
"Look, I'll bathe, dress up in all these pretty clothes...but I won't have you changing my face" Katia clarified, as Genya opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it.
"There will be no changing your mind?" Genya questioned, receiving a sharp shake of Katia's head.
"...Fine. You have a bathrobe in the wardrobe. Don't take too long" Genya mumbled, before turning on her heel and walking out of the room with more grace than Katia could even hope to muster.
Katia was quick to strip off her dirty clothes from the previous days, lowering herself into the piping hot bath water the servants had prepared. She ran her hand through the water, finding it was filled with frothy bubbles that smelt overpowering of lavender. The King would smell her before he saw her, she thought to herself. Genya had stated she appeared to be in worse condition than her sister, which was probably true, but it also meant she had likely already 'fixed' her sister's appearance. Alina had always been prettier, younger, kinder...the list went on. Was there even any point in Katia seeing the King? All anyone would be interested in was the new Saint sent to banish the Fold. With a long sigh, Katia disappeared under the frothy water for a few moments, wanting to quiet her thoughts. It was wrong to be jealous of Alina, she knew that, but it didn't make the feelings go away. She stayed submerged until her heart started to pound, and her lungs burnt, begging for air. Rising from the water, she ran a hand down her face, blinking away the water that blurred her vision, noticing something odd in the corner of her eye.
"What are you doing?" A deep voice questioned, as Katia almost jumped out of the bathwater.
A string of curses fell from her lips, as she wrapped her arms over her chest, which was thankfully mostly covered by the bathwater. Her modesty had long since left her after so many years in the First Army, but finding herself in such a vulnerable state under the Darkling's intense gaze still caused her cheeks to redden.
"I could ask the same of you! I thought these were to be my private bedchambers?" Katia muttered, with a scandalised expression.
"Genya told me of your reluctance to let her work on you. I thought I might be more persuasive" The Darkling exclaimed.
"You'd be surprised by how stubborn I can be" Katia retorted, her eyes flickering down to a bathrobe in his hands.
His lips twitched into something akin to a smile, before striding forward, causing her to shrink further into the bathwater. She noticed how his eyes had fallen onto her exposed shoulder, where one of the long white scars on her back ended. He was quick to look away from her then, thinking better than to question who had harmed her. Instead, he placed the bathrobe down on the side of the tub and turned his back on her. Katia rolled her eyes when she realised, he had no plans to leave the room. The Darkling's hand twitched as he heard the bathwater splash, followed by the ruffling of fabric as Katia wrapped herself in the velvet bathrobe. She didn't dare to think how much the robe alone cost.
"I see no reason that I must meet the King. Sunlight does not pour from my fingertips" Katia pointed out, tying the bathrobe up tightly.
"Your sister is yet to display her powers by herself. Do you not think she has more chance of success with you by her side?" The Darkling suggested, causing her brow to furrow.
"Using the love I have for my sister to get me to do what you want? Do you think me so easy?" Katia huffed, as she walked past him, feeling his eyes watching her every movement.
"The King will not be pleased if you do not present yourself to him. He already questions our kind enough. He may think I have been hiding you for some time" The Darkling explained.
"You don't strike me as a man afraid of defying his King" Katia stated, in a teasing tone.
She twisted around, trying to mask how startled she was to find him standing right beside her, his footsteps concerningly quiet. Katia attempted to hold his gaze, but the intensity behind his eyes soon had her looking to the floor.
"I am afraid of no one" The Darkling replied, sharply.
"Everyone is afraid. Some are just better at hiding it" Katia argued.
"Is that why you are refusing to meet with the King? Do you believe I would let him hurt you?" The Darkling frowned, his tone curious.
"Quite the opposite..." Katia trailed off, looking down at her hands.
"Your...abilities still frighten you?" The Darkling assumed.
"I may be able to call upon the shadows, but what if I can't stop them? I've hurt people in the past. I don't want Alina to see me that way" Katia admitted, watching as the Darkling's face softened.
"I will be by your side. The darkness is something I am well versed with. I will pull you back" The Darkling went on, as Katia's lips twitched.
"All I have to do is put my faith in a stranger then?" She mumbled.
"You and I are Shadow Summoners. Whether you wish it or not, there is a bond between us. We will never be strangers" The Darkling retorted, almost appearing offended at the idea of not knowing Katia deeply.
"Alright. I'll do it. But you should know in the presence of men I don't particularly enjoy, my face can become rather...expressive" Katia huffed, earning a soft laugh from the man in front of her.
"Now, that I can imagine" He stated, with a smile.
"I still don't understand why Genya needs to fix my face. I'm a tad offended" Katia accused, crossing her arms over her chest.
"The King expects perfection from his subjects. He will expect a Shadow Summoner to be more than just a pretty face" The Darkling exclaimed, finally dropping his gaze from her, running his fingers over the back of her armchair.
Katia decided not to call him out on the fact that he unwittingly called her pretty, as he seemed a little taken aback by the comment himself. Watching the Darkling become so flustered was enough, she thought to herself, thoroughly amused.
"I expect Genya has perfected your appearance over the years?" Katia suggested.
"Are you suggesting I look rather good for my age?" The Darkling smirked, still refusing to meet her gaze.
"I'm not sure, I think I might have found a grey hair...just there" Katia teased, reaching out to run her fingers over a lock of his black hair.
If she thought she had seen the man flustered before, now he appeared borderline panicked. The smile dropped from her lips as she watched him flinch back after a few moments, his dark eyes wide. It seemed the General was used to people touching him so openly. Katia's hand dropped back to her side, cursing herself for causing such tension to fill the air around them.
"...I don't want her to change my eyes" Katia stated, knowing she would likely want to rid Katia of anything Shu-like resemblance.
"She won't" He spoke softly.
A few seconds later, Katia was nodding her head, not needing to tell him with words that she was willing to have Genya back in her chambers. The Darkling was right. There was already a bond between them. One that she would have to be wary of.
"No army uniform includes a veil" Alina muttered, pawing at the golden headpiece that obscured her face.
As soon as Genya was finished up with applying the final touches to Katia's appearance, they were rushing to Alina's room to collect her, as the redhead was nervous about being late for the King. Katia found it strange. She showed no fear from a Shadow Summoner who could quite easily kill her, but the King, who Katia had heard whispers sometimes required help to rise from his chair due to his large stomach, clearly terrified her.
"You look fine" Genya chastised, ushering for them both to walk quicker.
"Say one wanted to leave the Little Palace—" Alina started, but Genya was quick to cut her off.
"But everything you need is here" Genya pointed out, clearly confused.
"I've got some things I've forgotten back at the camp. I could just go back" Alina suggested, causing Katia to roll her eyes.
"Hmm, could the thing you've forgotten be your handsome tracker friend?" Katia guessed, earning a nudge from Alina.
"No! I just...I have some...things..." Alina stuttered over her words, her cheeks reddening.
"A friend?" Genya inquired, with a teasing smile.
"Mal. You should see them together. It's vomit-inducing" Katia huffed, causing the redhead to giggle.
"Are you two finished?" Alina complained, as Genya led them through yet another corridor of the never-ending Palace.
The three walked in silence for less than a minute before Alina began puffing, trying to blow the veil away from her face. Genya's face pinched in irritation, scolding Alina to stop.
"No one can see you until King Pyotr does" Genya told them.
"It's just as well. This outfit is ridiculous" Alina scoffed, looking at the army outfits she and Katia wore in a nearby mirror.
Their usual army jackets had been cinched in at the waist, with blue fur added to Alina's, and black fur to Katia's. Both girls wore rather long frilly green skirts, and small black-heeled boots underneath that neither of them were used to wearing. Katia was already missing her usual very flat boots; despite the fact they were coming apart at the toes.
"Sadly, this is how the King sees the First Army. He cares little for mud, blood or sacrifice" Genya muttered, bitterly.
"Shouldn't we be in keftas?" Alina questioned.
"Oh, no. The King expects to see a humble girl plucked from the ranks of his army. He'll want to take the credit for you. You'll get a kefta once he's witnessed your power" Genya explained.
"Right, my power..." Alina trailed off, in a nervous tone.
"It will be fine, Alina. Remember, General Kirigan is an amplifier. If you need to, reach out for him" Katia told her, not seeing how Genya's eyes narrowed at her comment.
"By all accounts, it'll be King Pyotr, the Queen, Crown Prince Vasily, and the King's spiritual adviser, the Apparat. He's this greasy rat who is a fanatic more than anything else" Genya whispered in Katia's ear, as they neared the stairs.
"Ah, hence the name Apparat" She grinned, as Genya tried to muffle the laughter that threatened to leave her lips.
"Was that a library? Is it available to all of us?" Alina asked, gesturing to the room they passed as they continued to walk down the long staircase.
"Everything here is available to all of us. The General built this home for us so we can thrive" Genya replied, as Katia felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
She turned to her side to find the Darkling waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, somehow sensing him before she had even seen him. He gave her a polite smile, as if he could see her staring at him despite the veil covering her face.
"Has a Grisha ever escaped?" Alina inquired, not having noticed the General's presence.
"Planning on making a break for it?" The Darkling retorted, in an amused tone.
"Oh, I didn't mean to..." Alina cringed, pulling up her veil, the blush back on her cheeks.
"Alina's almost as good as putting her foot in her mouth as I am" Katia sniggered, taking her sister's arm in hers before Alina could make a run for it.
"Despite Genya's magic, I didn't—" Alina began, before the Darkling cut her off.
"It's not magic. It's science. Or rather, Small Science. We do not conjure from nothing. We manipulate that which already exists around us" The Darkling explained, as he led them out into the courtyard.
"You make it sound so easy" Alina sighed.
"A bird makes flight look easy. But it was born to do so" The Darkling told her, as Katia removed her veil too and turned to the taller man.
"And it usually falls on its arse first" Katia pointed out.
Whatever the Darkling's reply was going to be, it died on his lips as soon as his gaze fell on her. Genya had done as Katia had asked, not changing any of her features, instead simply adding some blush to her cheeks and reddening her lips somewhat. Katia was especially pleased with what the Tailor had done with her hair, which instead of its usual dull black colour, was now full of different shades from the darkest black to the lightest brown.
"...Then I will be there to catch you...both" The Darkling said, adding the last word after a few moments.
"You're asking me to do something I didn't even know I could do three days ago" Alina insisted, oblivious to the way the Darkling had been staring at her sister.
"Do you believe I brought you here to make a fool of you? To make a fool of all of us? Just keep your focus on me, and you'll be fine. Once he sees what you can do and we have his blessing, you will both remain here to train" The Darkling stated, his tone a little strained.
"His blessing? I thought you ruled the Grisha" Alina frowned.
"I may lead the Second Army, but the King is still the King" The Darkling muttered, his eyes flickering to Katia's, who knew he had missed something important out of his comment.
For now.
She could almost hear the words in her mind, the Darkling's voice deep and vibrating pleasantly in her skull. Perhaps it was another part of the bond they were supposed to share?
Katia was glad the Darkling was no Heartrender, as if he was, he'd likely have noticed the fact her heart was about to jump out of her chest as they walked into the Throne Room. While her sister gaped at the extravagant Palace, from the marbled floors and chandeliers to the military men and ladies wearing expensive gowns, Katia paid them barely any attention. All she could think about was what would happen if she let the shadows out. If she lost control. Suddenly, they came to a stop, now standing only metres away from who assumed was the King and Queen of Ravka. They didn't look to be people to be afraid of. The King was a plump, bearded man, of perhaps fifty, his chubby fingers clicking for a greasy man to step forward. Katia bit her lip to stop the laugh on her lips, realising the Apparat did in fact look like a rat. The King was then flicking his fingers toward a servant, who gestured for Alina and Katia to remove their veils, revealing their faces to the Court.
"I thought they'd be taller" The King scoffed, dismissively.
"Sorry to disappoint" Katia snapped, earning a look from the Darkling in her peripheral vision.
"Your Highness" She added, a little too slowly.
"I thought they were Shu. Well, I guess they're Shu enough. Especially, that one" The Queen huffed, gesturing toward Katia, who stiffened.
Maybe killing them with the Shadows wouldn't be such a bad thing, she thought to herself.
"Tell her...Oh, I don't know good morning" The Queen mumbled to a servant by her side.
"We don't actually speak Shu, Your Highness" Alina blurted out, causing a proud smile to spread over Katia's lips, glad that Alina was standing up for herself.
"Then what are you?" The Queen asked, as Alina turned to her sister, fear obvious on her face.
"Her name is Alina Starkov. The Sun Summoner" Katia announced, as Alina gave her a grateful smile.
"And you, girl?" The King inquired, causing Katia's jaw to clench.
"Katia Starkov. A Shadow Summoner, such as myself. They will change the future. Starting now" The Darkling replied.
A hush fell over the room, as Katia realised she had no idea what to do. The King wanted a display, but what did that mean exactly? Did he only want to see Alina's powers? Was she only there as moral support for her sister—
Katia was startled when she felt the Darkling lean down toward her, and whisper in her ear, his deep voice causing something to come to the forefront of her being.
"Bring the Shadows" He murmured.
And then, as if her arm had a mind of its own, she was holding up her hand, which was vibrating with power. Slowly tendrils of shadows erupted from the ground, causing gasps to echo through the Throne Room, the Queen herself shrinking in fear. The shadows crept up the walls, extinguishing the light in the room bit by bit until it looked as if it was night. Her brow furrowed as she watched the shadows continue to seep upwards, now reaching the ceiling, causing the chandeliers to shake. Her eyes fluttered shut when she felt the Darkling's hand wrap around her wrist, causing the enticing calm she always felt when he touched her. The shadows finally stilled, as she felt his thumb rub over her inner wrist.
A moment later, she heard him whisper something to Alina, and then his hand was gone. Katia raised her arms up to shield herself from the light that suddenly erupted from Alina's form. It was stronger than anything Katia had ever seen, truly as if the sun itself was in the room. She frowned when the sunlight suddenly dimmed, lowering her arms to see she had created a wall of shadow around her, glad that not even a speck of light was able to get through. Seconds later, the Darkling was releasing his grip on Alina and the light soon faded from the Throne Room, but his attention was on Katia alone. Her shadows had stopped Alina's powers, something that not even he was capable of.
He wondered what else Katia would be able to do with the right motivation.