All right guys, here's the next chapter! For those of you that are eager for the story to move on, I swear, this is the last fluffy chapter I'll be posting for a little while in this fanfic. (ugh, I just love romance and this couple so much, and hey it's a fanfic, so I just wrote what I wanted XD)

Anyway, like I said, this is the last little moment with Alina and Aleksander before things get more serious again. There are more moments for them coming up, so don't worry; this won't be the last. However, there are some new threats for them at the Little Palace, as you will soon find out. I do have a plan for them that will completely stun Alina, who was used to being people's Saint, and be the ultimate test for Aleksander. That's al I'm saying; now enjoy the story! :)

Alina

There are no words to describe how happy I was that week. The Little Palace was bustling with activity. The Inferni and Tidemakers were constantly gathered around the lake, practicing for their festival. Everyone in Os Alta was talking about it now, which irritated Genya to no end because it made the Inferni even more cocky than usual. Genya and I visited the Grand Palace several times, exchanging news and gossip with Nikolai, and sneaking into back rooms to try on the luxurious gowns the Queen had owned. It was great fun, especially the one time we were caught and had to run back to the Little Palace with angry servants on our heels. Tamar and Tolya had taken one look at us and said that we were officially banned from going back to the Grand Palace.

There were also secret moments that brightened my days, the moments with Aleksander. We would walk by the lake and watch the fiery tricks the Inferni were concocting, joking behind their backs about how they'd probably burn Os Alta to the ground. We'd find paths that took us deep into the forest to hidden treasures; a clear pool glittering in the sunlight, a massive oak tree with a room hollowed out in its trunk, or a lonely stone hut that brought both of us sad memories. Then we'd move on, finding other ways to fill our time together.

He was wonderful, everything I needed. If I wanted to watch the sunset, he'd stand behind me and whisper lovely words in my ear. If I was in the middle of telling a story while we walked in the forest, he'd back me into a tree and cut me off with a kiss. And if I woke from a nightmare and showed up in tears outside his room, he folded me into his arms and promised to keep me safe. I couldn't picture my life without him now.

One day, we decided to take Eclipse and ride through Os Alta. It was risky, but the sky was clear and blue, and I longed to see the gleaming city on a day like this. So, despite Tamar's many warnings, we went.

"Favorite color," I said, watching two children go racing past us on the street.

"Black," Aleksander replied easily. He sat behind me, his arms on either side of me as he held the reins. Eclipse snorted, shaking out his glossy mane and walking at a sleepy, lazy pace.

"Favorite season."

"Winter."

"Favorite place."

"The lake at night."

"Favorite smell."

His laugh vibrated through me. "Who has a favorite smell?" he asked, his breath tickling my ear. The two children had dashed ahead of us by now and were chasing each other back and forth in front of a soaring white mansion. We were in the upper, wealthy levels of the city.

"I'm running out of ideas here!" I pointed out defensively. "And I happen to know many people who would have a favorite smell."

"Fine then. What's yours?"

I paused, thinking. "I like the smell of cinnamon and sugar," I told him. "And trees blooming in spring. Oh, and those cakes Genya steals from the kitchens for me." I grinned at that memory. The chef had been so annoyed with her, it was hilarious.

Aleksander shook his head in mock hopelessness. "You actually have multiple favorite smells," he teased. "Unbelievable."

"Shut up," I muttered. "I told you mine, now you have to tell me yours."

"I don't have one."

"Think of one." I snapped my fingers imperiously. "Favorite smell. Go."

He chuckled and switched his reins to one hand. With the other, he tenderly pushed my hair away and bent his head, his black hair brushing my ear. He nuzzled my neck and breathed in, making my eyelids flutter shut. "Sunlight," he whispered. "And warm forests." He placed a kiss to my neck. "Home."

I swallowed. "Oh. Is that all?"

"Mmm," he mumbled, in a way that could be a yes or a no. He kissed my neck again, his mouth lingering, teeth brushing my skin. I relaxed against him, feeling his heat soak into me. I inhaled his own incredible scent, a smell of sweet soap and wicked, icy nights, and knew that I could easily become drunk with him. Everything about him was absolutely intoxicating.

"You're going to make Eclipse walk right into a wall if you don't watch where you're going," I told him. Eclipse's ears twitched like he knew I was talking about him.

Aleksander sighed and drew back again. "Maybe we shouldn't have come out here today," he said. He skimmed his fingers down my arm and rested one hand on my leg, his palm sending heat through my thigh. "I want to be alone with you. Right now."

I smiled and reached back to bury my hand in his silken hair. I slid it between my fingers, running my index finger over the soft curve of his ear. A tiny sound of appreciation came from his throat, almost a whimper. I suddenly longed to be alone with him too.

We rode into a wide street, where stalls and tables were set up on either side. Food, crafts, tools, and other things were being displayed and sold here. People scurried back and forth, examining what was for sale and exclaiming over the brilliant weather we'd been having. It truly was a marvelous day and the crowd wasn't big enough to choke the whole street. I even caught sight of another rider on horseback, winding his way through the people and laughing at something a friend had said. I tipped my head back to give Aleksander a hopeful look.

"I can't buy anything," he warned me.

"I know. I just want to look." I blinked pleadingly.

A smile tugged at his lips. "Okay."

I beamed at him and lightly kissed his mouth. The surprised delight in his face was so sweet and so out of character with what I'd thought of him. We rode into the crowd. I had a good vantage point on top of Eclipse, gazing down at the tables spread with goods. There were tiny statues of soldiers and horses, carved wooden figurines, and exquisitely detailed toy pirate ships. I looked around at everything with childlike wonder. A few people glanced up at me in awe, and then disapproval when they saw that I was with Aleksander. I ignored their glares and continued to look at a tray of pastries someone had put out. They looked delicious and glazed with honey and sugar. I could've looked at all of these things all day.

I stopped Eclipse when we came to a stand selling beautiful woven dreamcatchers. They were wonderfully made, all delicate strings and glittering marbles. The blonde-haired man running the stand smiled warmly at me, and looked to be only a bit older. He glanced sharply at Aleksander behind me. "You like them?" he asked kindly.

I nodded. "Very beautiful," I said, wishing I could hold one in my hands.

He dipped his head. "Thank you, Sankta," he replied. "Though perhaps not as beautiful as you."

It was a compliment and nothing more. I mumbled a thank-you, never very good at responding to this kind of thing. Aleksander stiffened and slid his hand up my leg to wrap his arm possessively around my waist. The blonde man's eyes flashed, but quickly grew friendly again as I said goodbye. His gaze followed me for only a second as we rode away. A growl from behind startled me. I glanced at Aleksander and saw his slate-gray eyes cutting into the man like knife points. I touched his arm.

"He was only being nice," I warned him.

"I don't like the way he looked at you," he muttered, sounding caught off-guard by his own reaction.

"You're jealous," I realized.

Now he really looked caught off-guard. "What?"

"Another man told me I'm beautiful, and that makes you jealous," I explained, growing amused with the whole situation. I raised my eyebrows. "You've never been jealous before?"

"No," he admitted. He shifted his weight. "I don't think I like it."

"No one likes it, trust me."

-o-o-o-

Sunsets were glorious to watch from Aleksander's balcony. The sun was a smoldering orb in the flaming sky, painting the clouds with red and orange streaks. It was late, and above the fading fire of the sun, the first few stars were appearing in a growing haze of blue. Night was approaching fast. But I didn't want to leave just yet.

I was standing with one shoulder against the doorway leading out to the balcony. It was too warm for my Summoner's kefta, so I'd taken it off, leaving me in the white blouse and pants I wore under it all the time. The Inferni were still out by the lake, and every now and then I glimpsed a gout of flame billowing up into the air. I liked to watch them, but I also couldn't wait until they left at the end of the week. The Little Palace would be much more peaceful without them.

I started a little when Aleksander crept up behind me and placed his hands on my hips. Then I relaxed into him and he kissed my cheek; the action was so endearing that I was once again startled by it. "Now it's my turn to ask," he said softly. "What're you thinking about?"

I sighed. "You."

"What about me?" I could hear the smile in his words.

I laughed nervously. "Oh, I don't know," I replied. "Everything. Your eyes, and your laugh, and your voice." I didn't know what else to say so I stopped, tracing circles over his arm with one finger.

Silence.

The stars appearing, winking down at us.

The crackle of Grisha fire.

And then.

"I love you."

I stilled. "What?"

He kissed the place beneath my ear, his lips soft and tempting. "I've never said it, have I?" he asked quietly. "I've told you how I felt, but...never those words." His lips touched me again, on the side of my neck. "I love you more than my own life, Alina. I love you so completely, with all of my heart." He nosed my hair away, kissed my neck again. "You make me forget my own name," he murmured, with a touch of amusement. "I don't understand it. All you do is touch me and I forget everything. It's not meant to happen to me. But it does."

"Aleksander," I said, because there was nothing else to say. He loves me.

He pressed his mouth to my neck and there was desire in his every movement. One hand came up and edged my blouse down my shoulder, making butterflies crowd into my stomach again. He kissed the exposed skin, his lips moving slowly, and I began to come undone. "Again," he whispered, his teeth gentle on my flesh. "Say my name again."

I had been right; it was too easy to become drunk on him. My mind was shutting down, foggy with pleasure. "Aleksander," I breathed.

He took hold of my wrist and raised my hand to his lips. I closed my eyes as he lovingly kissed each finger. Pausing at my littlest finger, he took the very tip of it between his teeth, biting down gently. I whimpered with sudden need and spun around in his arms. My hands were fisted in his shirt and I was kissing him before I could stop myself. His hands had slipped under my shirt, pressing into the small of my back. The heat of his touch made my blood sing. Our kissing was desperate, needy, both of us aching with pleasure. I didn't even realize I'd been backing him up until the edge of his bed hit his knees and I fell on top of him.

"Oh—!" I gasped, startled, and drew back slightly. "I—I didn't mean to..." I stopped because I wasn't sure how to finish that sentence.

His body was powerful and steely under mine, and we melted completely into each other from head to foot. Even through his clothes, I could feel the warmth of his skin, his legs twining with mine, the tantalizing ripple of muscle under his shirt. He held me to him and the way he looked, his black hair tousled and his dark lashes lowered, sent a pang of pure wanting through me.

"I, um. That was an accident," I stammered. "This doesn't mean I want to, uh..." Again, not sure how to finish that one.

A mischievous smirk lifted one side of his mouth. "Want to do what, Alina?" he asked, in a voice like black glass.

I stared at that devilish smirk, unable to believe how incredibly sexy it made him. "Nothing," I answered, trying to sound nonchalant. "Nothing at all."

"Are you sure about that?" He slid his hands up my back, still under my shirt, and stroked flames onto my skin. If I'd been standing, my knees would've given out right then.

"O—of course," I managed.

He chuckled, a sinister, delicious sound, and flipped us over faster than I could blink. My back sank into the mattress as he held himself over me, elbows braced on either side of my head. His hair flopped jaggedly over the dark brushstrokes of his eyebrows. One of them arched suggestively. "Do I make you stutter, Alina?" he asked in a murmur.

I couldn't answer because that was when he lowered his mouth onto mine. He kissed me slowly, languidly, angling his head to get closer and making me dizzy. I knotted my fingers in his shirt, burning up from the inside. The deadly, sweet taste made me forget all reason. It seemed to last so much longer than it did. He kissed me senseless, caused all thoughts to fly right out of my mind, until all I knew was the lean feel of his body on mine and the heartrending softness of his mouth. It was too tempting; I sank my teeth into his bottom lip and teased it with my tongue. He groaned when he felt it and pulled back with a gasp.

"You should go," he rasped, looking down at me with passion darkening his eyes.

"Why?" I asked. I was breathless from such a kiss. I'd never been kissed that way before, a way that was possessive and consuming, shaking me to the core.

His gaze raked all over me, as intense as a touch. "I can't control myself when I'm like this with you," he confessed. "And I don't want to do something that we'll both regret."

"I wouldn't regret it," I replied. But I wasn't sure. I'd told him I wasn't ready, but it was hard to think clearly with him on top of me.

He trailed a finger down my cheek. "I want you to be absolutely sure, when it happens," he murmured. "I want you to wait until you know you're ready."

He slid his arms under me and lifted me up off the mattress. I stood in his arms and tried to calm my racing heart. He leaned down and kissed my mouth briefly. When he drew back, he looked at me, devotion filling his gaze. "You're so beautiful," he whispered. "You don't even realize it. And I don't think you even understand the power you have over me. If you asked me to get down on my knees and beg for your love, I'd do it. If you asked me to die for you, I'd take my own life." He shut his eyes, trembling. "I can't believe I can say that, after all I've done. I've never loved someone like I love you. I don't deserve you and it means the world to me that you love me back."

Tears stung my eyes. How was it possible for someone to feel so much for another person? I wanted to tell him something like he'd told me, but simple words would feel empty compared to what he'd said. I hugged him hard and felt his arms fold around me in the growing dark.

I had never loved him more than I did in that moment.