#darkling : take your final bow

[kasagia]

Bring me a dream pt. 1

Pairing: Aleksander Morozova/general Kirigan x fem! sun summoner! reader Summary: Everyone has their soulmate—someone they are meant for. This was due to Sankta Maradaia, who decided to connect two souls destined for each other during their sleep to show them their other half, Sankta also sent them a tattoo of their loved one name, so that souls thirsting for each other can finally be united. Aleksander never had even one, short dream about his soulmate. Just a tattoo that has taunted him for ages. The Darkling believes this is his punishment for creating the fold, another privilege of being condemned. To never know his soulmate. But one day, a dream about a sun summoner comes to him. Someone equal to him. Someone meant for him. And he promises himself to find you at all costs. Not just because of your powers. Nonsense from me: This is an request from @morrigan-crowmwell I hope you like it! 💙🖤 P.S. I know it took me soooo looong again and I'm so sorry. I'm trying to fight my writer's block. 😅 I used a quote from Taylor Swift's Blank Space. Inspired by the song Mr. Sandman - SYML Wairning(s): mentions of blood, abuse, fighting, violence Word count: 6,7k Taglist: @aoi-targaryen @morrigan-crowmwell ~•♤♤♤•~ Aleksander Morozova's Masterlist ~•♤♤♤•~

I've been waiting a long time to meet you in my dreams…

"My soulmate is great! I've seen her fight with a REAL sword! Can you imagine that, guys?! My father still teaches me on that wooden. Ugh! I envy her so much."

"Mine swims faster than either of you! Of course, he's not as good as me, but I've seen him shoot a bow. What I'd give to join him on a hunt!"

"And you, sahdow-boy? You sit more quietly than usual, don't be shy! Show off what she or he is like."

Aleksander tensed up, feeling the other boys' eyes on him. The young shadow summoner felt a blush of shame appear on his face. He hated such conversations. He already couldn't fit in with a group of other kids, and he was constantly reminded that he was different. Weirdo. Proteus.

"I… I haven't dreamed of her yet. But I know her name!" he tried to reply in a tone of voice that mimicked their enthusiasm. He couldn't show them that he was weak. That the fact that he had never seen his soulmate before hurt him. That he was a changeling again.

"My father also started dreaming about my mother late. Maybe she just wasn't born yet?" his only friend put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. He thanked the saints for Ivan. He was a light in his darkness for now. And heartrender wasn't talking about his shadows at all...

"Did you hear, guys?! Shadow-boy will be dating a baby!"

Aleksander was furious. He felt anger rise up in him as the other children laughed at his soulmate. Without knowing when, he summoned his shadows and plunged the clearing into darkness, stopping the laughter of the other children.

"Hey, take it easy, shadow-weirdo! We're just kidding!"

"The freak, as usual, can't control himself."

Voices came out of the darkness, and the footsteps of children receding were all Aleksander could hear before he was alone with his shadows again.

Even Ivan's hand disappeared from his shoulder as shadows blanketed the area.

He was utterly alone. And he hated it.

You looked at yourself in the mirror, smiling.

18 birthday. Your big day.

You adjusted the necklace your grandmother had given you around your neck, proudly displaying the amulet with your birthstone. Your mother's earrings hang proudly from your ears. Nostalgia is starting to get to you. You so wish she were here.

"I've lived in this world for so long that, for ages, I've felt that time moves infuriatingly slowly. But ever since you came into the world, I've felt it slip through my fingers. You've grown up so fast... you look like your mother." the woman sighs as she stands behind you in the mirror and looks at you tenderly, fixing your braid.

"I wish a madraya was here." you say sad. Grandma puts a hand on your shoulder and turns you around to look her in the eye.

"She is here, my sun. In our hearts and memories. As long as you can picture her before your eyes, she will always be with you. Watching you from heaven." you both stand in silence, remembering your recently deceased mother.

"I have something for you." the woman speaks as she pulls a beautiful gold bracelet engraved with your family symbol from her sleeve.

"Oh, grandma, you didn't have to… it's beautiful."

"And practical. Materialnik made it specially for me. Thanks to this, no one will see THAT on your wrist."

"Why should I hide it?" you ask, confused, when she helps you fasten the bracelet on your wrist where was your soulmate's name on it.

"I want you to be careful."

"Careful of what?"

"Powerful men." she replies seriously, stroking your cheek tenderly. "There is nothing worse in the world than the greed of men. Than their excessive ambition. We are the sun summoners, honey. You are my blood, my pride, and my only solace in this world. The love of men is fatal. You don't need it, and trust me, you don't want it. Promise me for your dead mother and my daughter..." your grandmother grabbed your wrist, turning it so you both could see that the black ink, that showed up this morning, disappeared. Aleksander Morozova. "Do not seek him. Avoid him. Treat him like the plague. Do not repeat the fate of your poor mother. I couldn't stand losing you because of another man's lust for power."

"I promise you, babushka. I will not share my mother's fate." you promise with tears in your eyes. Your mother trusted the wrong person... you were not going to repeat her fate.

"And you will always wear a bracelet and necklace from me?"

"Yes. I promise." you solemnly promise, while looking into her eyes. You two were one of a kind. Summoners of the sun. Long-lived. Powerful. You have to stick together if you want to survive in this cruel for Grishas world. "Can I go now and enjoy the summer solstice festival?"

"Yes. Have fun, sunshine. And return home no more than two hours after dark!" she screams after you as you run to get some freedom... to forget who you are for a while.

"That boy keeps staring at you!" your friend shouts through the crowd of people having fun and nods her head at the boy by the fire.

You glanced at the side she indicated. She is right. A handsome brunette with dark eyes looks straight at you. He looks away when he sees you noticing him and pretends to be talking to the boy next to him. You roll your eyes at your friend's behaviour and continue drinking your beer.

"And what do you think I'm supposed to do about it?"

"Go and have fun!" she says, offended that you don't know. "I've known you since you came here. You haven't had a single boyfriend, you're shooing all the suitors away. You're 18. Go and flirt with him, or I'll take care of this handsome one."

You are laughing at her words. You look at the boy again, and you can't deny that you feel a strange pull… a bond that wants you to come to him. But you don't listen to it.

"So take him. I'm going home," you say as night falls completely. The flame of the torch and bonfire is the only source of light.

"Really? Will you waste an opportunity like this?" you just laugh with a shrug at her words and make your way to the path through the woods leading to your house, pushing your way through the crowd of people.

You leave the clearing where the festival is taking place and enter the forest. You sigh with relief to be alone, away from people's voices. You walk confidently into the darkness without being afraid of it as you watch the stars above you.

You are walking down a familiar path when suddenly you hear the crunch of leaves and branches behind you. You turn slowly with your hand close to the hidden dagger at your hip.

You see in front of you the same boy who was staring at you by the fire. You watch him warily, waiting for his move.

He takes one slow step towards you, his dark eyes never leaving yours. Without knowing why, you stare spellbound into his eyes again, unable to utter a word. It's only when he crosses halfway between you that common sense returns to you and you raise a dagger in his direction.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you." he says, stopping and staring at the blade glistening in the moonlight. "Of course, only if you don't hurt me either."

"Why are you following me?" you ask without lowering your weapon, still holding it as a warning between you two.

He frowns, looking from the dagger to you. "I have no bad intentions. I saw you going this way and this forest… is not the safest place."

"I know. Nowhere is safe." you reply coldly, eyeing him carefully. "Which doesn't answer my question. Why did you follow me in here?"

"I wanted to make sure you made it through safely." you snort, amused, not for a moment believing the stranger's concern for you. He stays where he is, not moving for a moment, undaunted by your reaction. If anything, curiosity only grows in his eyes. "You haven't experienced much kindness from others, have you?"

"I'm not going to answer a stranger's question like that. You do not know anything about me."

"I can see you're too distrustful, and if the lack of trembling in your dagger hand tells me something, it is that you've threatened someone more than once."

"That's right… shouldn't you run as far away from me as possible, then?" you ask, raising an eyebrow at him as you watch his impassive reaction…but you certainly didn't expect him to raise the corners of his… pretty mouth in response.

"I'd rather walk you out and make sure you're okay... or anyone who dares stand in your way." you bite your lip, holding back a smile so you don't react to his teasing.

"I doubt you'd be able to do anything."

"I'm tougher than you think." he says, answering your challenge with a mischievous smirk. The sparkles in his dark eyes shine in the moonlight… and you involuntarily agree with your friend. He was handsome… and dangerous.

"I don't need a man to play my prince on a white horse. I can be my own knight."

"Well, if you want my opinion…" you cut him off before he could finish.

"No, thank you. I have my own." he laughs at your words, shaking his head in amusement as he licks his lips.

He stares at you intensely, and you know that if you were anyone else, you would have pounced on him by the campfire. But you were a sun summoner. You couldn't trust someone like that. Even if you wanted to...

"Very well then... but, I'd feel better walking you through the woods at least. May I?" he asks, extending his hand towards you. "Or are you too afraid that you will enjoy my company?"

You snort, placing your hand in the crook of his arm. You could have let him. Clearly, he has had no ill intentions so far. You glare at him defiantly as you see a spark of amusement in his eyes and a wild smile on his lips.

"What?" you ask dryly.

"Nothing. I just thought you couldn't look prettier… you seem to glow even more when you prove people wrong."

"I'm too smart to be seduced by you." you warn him, looking at him carefully as he tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear. You feel your cheeks blush slightly.

"Maybe that's why I'm so drawn to you?" he asks, whispering, staring into your eyes.

You're drowning in the moment. His smell, the depth of his dark eyes… and without knowing why, the feeling is… actually the opposite of what you felt when others tried to flirt with you.

"Careful... you've stared into my eyes for too long to say you don't care." he says, sparks of malice appearing in his eyes. You snort and are about to respond to his taunt when his expression suddenly cools and he pulls you into his chest.

You're about to yell at him and attack him when suddenly an arrow flies right over where you used to stand. You recognise its distinctive arrowhead. "Drüskelle." you whisper.

You don't waste time. You back away from him and grab your daggers. You can't show the world what power you wield, so you limit yourself to melee combat. You're also not sure if your companion is Grisha.

You kill the first of them, and next to you, you hear the sounds of your companion's fight. He's doing fine. You deal with most of the Drüskelle pretty quickly when suddenly one of them comes up behind you. Before you can engage, your companion pulls you back to his chest. You see nothing. He makes sure of it when you hear Drüskelle's desperate cry from behind you, who wanted to kill you as well as the others who managed to stay alive. Suddenly it's quiet again... but it's darker around you than before.

You gently pull away from him as he releases his strong grip on your hair. You look around, seeing Drüskelle's bodies as if they were… cut.

"I… how?" you ask, dumbfounded, not believing what you see. You turn your gaze back to him. "Are you a Grisha? Heartrender maybe?"

"It's... a little more complicated." he says, looking down at your hands and bloody daggers.

"I'm guessing you're not a Grisha, then?"

"It's a little more complicated." you say, repeating his words. He looks up and stares into your eyes again. Without knowing why, you both giggle. "I... thank you. I wouldn't handle them all alone."

"No problem." He says, still staring at you. Without knowing why, you lean towards him.

You swallow, smelling his scent again, involuntarily remembering the warmth and safety his arms gave you. You shouldn't feel that way about a stranger. And yet...

"I… I should probably go now."

"Me too." he whispers back, but you're both too hypnotised to move. Not thinking much about the bodies around you or the blood on your clothes.

For some strange reason, the eyes of the other and this closeness seem much more interesting to you both than the world around you.

He leans towards you too. A short distance separates you as you both stare at each other in silent anticipation and excitement. However, that moment is effectively cut short as you hear another movement around you.

You both draw your daggers and aim at where you heard the movement. There is a woman behind you. Her dark eyes are remarkably similar to those of your companion. You are surprised to see how his irises have already been etched into your memory.

"You find yourself a friend?" the woman asks him mockingly, staring at the two of you.

"I'm going, mother." he says, obviously waiting for her to leave. But she stands there, watching you curiously. He sighs in annoyance and turns to you. "See you soon." he whispers, placing his dagger in your hand.

You shiver at the skin of his hand on yours as unimaginable power rushes through you. But that's not what keeps you staring at him speechless… and you think you both know it as he gives you a wistful, longing look before turning away.

You can only stay there and stare at the receding silhouettes of the two of them. Then you are all alone again. You turn around and continue on your way home. With a small smile, you tighten your hand around the black dagger.

You were coming home to your grandmother. It was winter, and it was getting harder and harder to drive through the snow from town to your house. But someone had to do the shopping.

As you walked, you heard the sounds of a struggle. Interested, you veered off the path to the house and walked slowly through the snow, trying not to alert anyone to your presence.

You froze as you saw a group of teenagers fighting the same boy who gave you the dagger and helped kill Drüskelle.

The rational part of you told you to get out of there and not deal with this stranger. And you almost did, but then you saw one of the girls stab him in the back and shove him into the ice hole.

You threw the wicker basket with your groceries in the snow and ran towards them. You used your light and stunned them all into unconsciousness. Not enough to kill them, but enough to make their heads hurt for days and some of them lose their eyesight.

With your light, you melted the ice in the river and pulled the mysterious boy out of it by his shoulders.

You held him close as he coughed, spitting water into the snow. You only let him go when he's back to normal.

"Do you attract trouble, or do you just like getting into it?" you ask him with a laugh, trying to lighten the atmosphere. You take off his soaked coat and cover him with one of yours.

"Both, I'm guessing." he says, still shivering. You don't know if it's from the cold or from the attack.

"Get up. We need to keep you warm." you speak and help him stand on two legs.

If he notices the bodies of his unconscious tormentors, he decides not to say anything or ask how you did it. You pick up the basket you dropped earlier and guide both of you to your house.

Surprisingly, he doesn't protest when you enter the house, and luckily for you, your grandmother hasn't come back yet.

"Stay here for a while. I'll go get some dry clothes for you." I speak as I disappear into the other room for a moment.

"How did you overpower them?" you hear his question. You swallow and try to think of an answer as you walk back to the main room.

"It's... complicated." you reply, handing him the clothes. "You can go there and change. I'll put some water on for tea."

He nods and takes the clothes from you. He wants to say something, but instead he sighs and goes to the next room.

You place the kettle over the hearth and wait for the water to boil for tea for the two of you.

"Do you often save people from trouble?" he asks jokingly as he joins you. You smile when you see that he's feeling a little better. He still has a red nose, though. And you're pretty sure if you took his hand, he'd be icy.

"Selected only. Feel honoured." you snort, amused. His laugh makes you shiver. A strange warmth begins to spread from your chest.

"I am." he replies, looking deep into your eyes. He leans closer to you, examining you intently, searching for any reaction from me that would indicate that you are uncomfortable with him.

He finds nothing.

So he leans in a little more. Your noses brush against each other as he waits, giving you the option to either kiss him or pull away from him.

You feel your heart beating fast... you know that if he was a heartrender he would have leaned forward and kissed you a long time ago. You also know you should back off, he was a stranger, a man, you shouldn't trust him.

But after the look he gives you and a glance at his enticing pink lips, you lean forward and press your lips uncertainly to his.

His cold lips warmed up.

You close your eyes as he wraps his arms around you and pulls you closer with one hand on your waist and the other in your hair. You sigh, feeling how wonderful it feels, how proper it is to kiss him even though you don't even know his name. What's undeniable, however, is how great you feel around him.

But you feel something else… like an unimaginable amount of power flows into you with his touch. How your light calls for release. And for a moment, you feel like you're going to lose control if you keep kissing him.

Fortunately, before you stupidly reveal your powers, you pull away from each other, startled by the sound of a whistling kettle.

You both laugh, resting your foreheads against each other. You eventually pull away from him, take the kettle off the hearth, and shift your gaze to it. He's warmer from your kiss than from the fire.

You shift your gaze towards him. And experimentally, you take his hands in yours. You feel the surge of power buzzing through your veins again. Your gaze returns from his warming hands in yours to his irises, and you get lost in his dark eyes again.

"You... are the amplifier." you whisper as you look at him. "That's why they wanted to kill you... they wanted your bones."

He swallows, moves his gaze from your eyes to your joined hands. He doesn't take them out of your warm embrace as he nods, trembling without looking at your face.

"What are you going to do about it?" he asks, realizing full well that you must be Grisha to sense his ability.

The very idea that you, the only person who has shown him any kindness (not knowing him at all) will suddenly want to hurt him after what happened between you two a moment ago makes him sick.

But Aleksander has been through it more than once. Last an hour ago. Despite everything, he still holds a strong grip on your hands, trembling unconsciously.

Your response is to pull him close to you in a tender embrace.

"You're safe." you say simply, and from the way he holds his breath before burying his head in your neck after a few seconds of complete shock, you know that you must be the first person in a very long time to show him such affection.

And you're realizing that you don't need to know his name to know that it's good to hold him in your arms.

And Aleksander feels warm for the first time in a long time. He feels like he's holding the sun. But the most striking thought for him is that he is no longer alone...

"Is that all, General?" Ivan's question pulled Aleksander out of his thoughts. He stopped stroking the tattoo with his soulmate's name hidden under his kefta and glanced at the heartrender.

"Yes, you can go." he sighs, shifting in his chair and rubbing his eyes with his hand.

Ivan looks like he wants to say something but changes his mind at the last moment and leaves the war room, closing the door softly behind him.

Aleksander sighed, staring at the map in front of him. The king was going to bring down Ravka. Only his Grishas were able to hold Ravka's borders. He shuddered, thinking of all the good soldiers the Fjerdans, Drüskelle and others had taken from him. He felt powerless. And if he knew anything in his centuries-old life, it was that he hated that feeling.

He ran a hand through his hair, glancing at his watch on the wall. It was long after midnight. He sighed as he got up from his chair and walked towards his bedroom. He won't help his army if he's barely conscious. He took off his kefta and pushed the books to one side of the bed. He lay down in the free space and fell asleep as soon as his head rested on the pillow.

Something was different… otherwise, Aleksander could sense it the moment his dream began.

There was a strange feeling in his bones; his heart was beating much faster, excited, as if it couldn't wait for what was about to happen.

He was alone again in the deep black shadows. He took a step, and suddenly the shadows parted. He looked up and gasped as he saw a figure in a black-golden kefta in the distance.

He'd had that dream many times before… especially when he was a little boy. That he was irretrievably lost in the darkness.

He had never met anyone in the depths of his shadows before. He took another hesitant step towards the mysterious figure, not taking his eyes off it, afraid that it would disappear at any moment.

But it's not.

A figure in a gold-black kefta stood with its back to him.

Aleksander is afraid. He's afraid that it's just another trick of his mind, that as soon as he utters the name that has haunted him both asleep and awake for hundreds of years, you'll disappear, leaving him utterly alone in the darkness of his shadows again.

But Aleksander had been patient enough for a long time... maybe he could finally give in to what he most wanted, what he missed most, what he craved for like a foolish boy.

He came over to you. Hesitantly and slowly. As if he could spook you at any moment. He raised his hand, but instead of touching your arm, he met air as you took a step away from him and slowly turned to face him.

He held his breath in anticipation, waiting for you to pull down your gold-black hood to reveal your face to him. He watched in fascination as golden threads of light slowly began to flow from your hands.

He had been accustomed to the darkness for centuries. But he couldn't take his eyes off you as your threads of light slowly grew stronger. He watched in utter awe as your light changed from gold to pure white after dispelling the shadows around you two.

His eyes widened as your hood fell back to reveal your familiar, beautiful face. He sighed, letting out a long-held, shaky breath.

And when you took his hand, which he still held out to you, and ran your thumb over his palm? He completely lost himself in your irises, feeling your light grow stronger through its amplifying powers, enclosing the two of you in a silver and gold orb.

But before he gets a chance to reach out to you and caress your cheek tenderly, to feel again that warmth he always felt from you and which turned out to be your light, you suddenly disappear. And with you, your warm light.

His cold shadows enveloped him again…

He wakes up and finds himself in his bed, in his chambers. But for the first time in a long time, instead of being disappointed that he didn't dream of his soul mate this time, he's relieved. And happiness. Excitement. And something he's clung to so desperately all these centuries, much to his mother's taunt... he feels hope.

He doesn't know what has changed. Why suddenly did the saints decide to reveal your face to him after you had met so many centuries ago? For a moment, the bitter thought crosses his mind that he could have had you by his side much sooner. That together you could carry the weight of eternity... but he shakes his head.

He had a chance to implement all his plans now... and to meet his soulmate, whom he had missed for so many centuries. All he had to do was track you down.

And he's not going to lose.

"I'll find you... moya solnishko." he whispers to himself, fondly stroking the tattoo on his wrist. "And when I do, I'll make sure you'll never hide from me again." he promises, placing his lips on the tattoo on his wrist.

He would do anything to finally have someone to call his own…

"I was hoping to find you here." Aleksander turns around in surprise when he sees you standing behind him.

"How did you know?" he asks, putting the book back on the shelf. You see the title out of the corner of your eye.

The Lives of Saints

"I know many things." you say, leaning against the shelf. "But honestly? I didn't take you for someone who prays to saints. Or maybe your ego and ambition are so big that you want to become one of them?" you say teasingly, smirking at him. He rolls his eyes and takes your hand, leading you out of the library. You let him lead the two of you into the woods.

"You must have wanted something if you took your precious time to find me." he starts when you both walk a familiar path. This is where your strange "friendship" began, if you could call those stolen moments, kisses, and nights between you two like that… how poetic that it will end here as well.

"I am leaving." you speak briefly without looking at him.

You feel him tense up. It was probably not the answer he ever expected. Out of the corner of your eye, you see him swallow.

He clears his throat, trying to look composed. However, his dark eyes, as always, reveal his true feelings to you. You wonder if you're the only one who can read him like that. "Why?" he whispers.

"Apparently my warning was… not strong enough. One of the people who tried to kill you complained to my grandmother. I have to leave."

"I can talk to her…"

"No!" you cut him off quickly, letting go of his hand and standing in front of him. The last thing you need is his intercession with your grandmother. "I know you mean well, but it's the final decision."

"I see." he says coldly, looking away from you. "Is there anything else you wanted?"

"Yes." you say, pulling his dagger out of your sleeve, handing it to him. "I wanted to give it back to you."

"It's a gift. I'm not in the habit of taking back what I've given someone." he snorts, offended, at which you giggle, amused. He turns his gaze back to you, raising an eyebrow.

"I knew you'd say something like that. That's why…" you pull out a second, identical dagger to the one he gave you. The only difference is that the dagger's handle is decorated with a sun… an eclipsed sun. "I did it." you say, handing it to him.

He takes the dagger from you and examines the engraving. "Why it?" he asks curiously. "Why the eclipsed sun?" his gaze is burning, inquisitive. You know there's no turning back now. You take a step back, his dark irises following your every move.

You shrug. "Guess, shadow summoner."

He stares at you in shock. A thought… a ridiculous and beautiful thought crosses his mind. He knows there's no point in chasing after you. You'll run away from him anyway. But he can't help but scream after your receding silhouette. "What's your name?!"

You're smiling. But you don't turn around to look at him one last time, to steal one last look at his dark, piercing eyes, to get one more moment... Instead, you scream over your shoulder: "Call me sunshine!"

You disappear from his sight. Deep down, you know you'll meet again… But you weren't going to share your mother's fate… even for such mesmerising, dark eyes as his.

After hundreds of years, you've become accustomed to dreamless sleep.

It was your conscious choice. A promise to grandma, mother, and you. You didn't pray to the saints to bring you a dream about your soulmate. You didn't want him... even though his name on your wrist, hidden by your grandmother's bracelet, had tormented you for hundreds of years.

That's why, when your first dream started, you knew it was something bad. You knew your grandmother's necklace had somehow fallen off your neck. And so, you were dreaming. You dreamed about him... and he probably dreamed about you.

You galloped on a horse. It was early morning. The clearing where you galloped was shrouded in mist. The cool wind hit your skin, and your cloak billowed behind you as you tried to lose the black rider following you.

People usually run to their soulmates. They wanted to meet them at all costs. Not you. But the saints have never been merciful to you… maybe because you never prayed to any of them.

Or have they stopped letting you prolong the inevitable.

That's why the black rider soon caught up with you. He rode by your side for a moment, then shot forward. You knew he was trying to block your way, so you sped up and managed to catch up with him for a moment. You rode side by side for a while, but you didn't dare look and atface.

But your wishes no longer mattered.

He sped up ahead of you and stepped sideways, causing your horse to stop and stand on two legs. You held on tight to keep from falling. It wasn't until your horse had calmed down and stood on all four hooves that you loosened your grip on the reins.

"Moya solnishka..." his whisper made you shiver. You lifted your head and looked into those familiar, damned dark eyes that were the cause of all your troubles.

You sat still as he rode his horse closer to yours so he could touch your cheek with his hand. His thumb caressed your skin gently. "I've been waiting a long time for you."

You shivered, hypnotised, as you watched him lean closer to you. A familiar warmth spread through your body as you felt him amplify your powers. But his lips were too close for you to notice anything else than him; his touch and dark eyes, which were looking only at you...

You wake up suddenly. Your hand goes to your neck. Panicked, you discover that your grandmother's necklace is not there… you must have lost it in a fold.

"Fuck." you whisper, running your hand through your hair. The only defence against dreaming about your soul mate is gone. And now he knew who you really were... just as your fears were confirmed.

He was your soulmate. General Kirigan, Darkling, Black Heretic, the boy who was your first kiss hundreds of years ago…

The monster who created the fold…

And as it turned out… Aleksander Morozova.

You look around the room, realizing you're in a tent. And the red keftats of bustling healers confirm your worst fears.

During your journey through the fold, the ship was attacked by volcra. And you, obviously not wanting to die or let other people die, decided to use your power. You've done it hundreds of times before. Only much more discreetly… and you've never fainted from using so much of your power.

Your grandmother must be cursing you from the grave. She warned you a thousand times not to go near Ravka or the fold… and even after her death, you didn't listen to her. Now you have to sneak out of here somehow before word about the sun summoner spreads around the world. Hundreds of years of hiding will be wasted just because you weren't careful enough…

He was excited. He couldn't stand still.

His soulmate, his sun summoner, the solution to all his problems, his little sunshine was here.

He had been waiting for this moment for centuries. He had imagined it thousands of times. However, he never thought that his soulmate would be brought to him by his heartrender after they captured her after rescuing a ship full of people from the fold.

He dismisses everyone from the tent. Only he and she remain.

"It's been a long time, solnishko." he speaks softly. He is prepared for her silence and gives her a moment to process the situation. But he hoped to see a little more enthusiasm from her...

So he takes the time to look at her. On noting all the changes he might notice in her… her cool, indifferent look in those eyes that captivated him so much is one of the worst changes.

He clears his throat. You are still silent. You still ignore him. And Aleksander can't stand it.

"I had an interesting dream recently…" he begins, but you don't pick up on it. You don't really take your eyes off the floor… he's starting to get annoyed.

"You won't look at me?" he asks, waiting for your reaction. However, he finds nothing. Just a blank stare at the symbol he has chosen over the course of several hundred years. Eclipsed sun.

"You won't even comment on that? What a pity. I've always liked your sharp tongue." he says, taking a step towards you. You watched him carefully. He's a little triumphant to see that he's managed to catch your eye. Saints… he missed those damn eyes. "The cat stole your tongue? Or did they finally cut your tongue out for your insolence?"

"I thought you liked my sharp tongue." you snort sarcastically, avoiding his gaze as you realize he won't come any closer.

"She can talk!" he says, clapping his hands. "I was afraid something had happened to you, sunshine." you flinch at his words.

"Don't call me like that." you growl angrily, turning your stern gaze on him.

"You told me to call you that yourself. Don't you remember?"

"And now I take away your right to do so, Black Heretic. Or maybe you prefer a Starless Saint? I think I remember that you wanted to become one; what a pity people didn't even try to remember your name." you taunt him, and for a moment you see that he is offended, even hurt by your words, but his eyes quickly become blank, unmoved by your words.

As if he had heard them hundreds of times before and gotten used to them…

"I don't remember you being so… hostile to me before. What has changed?" he asks instead, watching you carefully and looking for answers in your eyes. But after all these years, you too know how to hide your emotions behind a stony mask of cold indifference.

"Maybe you didn't know me at all?" the question hangs between you for a while. You see for a moment that he hesitates with his answer, but his indecision is quickly replaced by a mocking, derisive smirk.

"When I heard about the mysterious Grisha, who can summon light and was stupid enough to throw herself into battle against hundreds of volcra, I immediately thought of you. And guess what…"

"At least one of the two of us should be concerned about Grishas' welfare. Why am I not surprised it's me and only me?" you see him clench his fists in rage when you insinuate that he's selfish, that he doesn't care about his people.

"Or maybe you don't know me at all?"

"I know men like you."

"There are no men like me. There are no others like us. And there will never be. I thought you had enough time to accept and understand it." he says bitterly, staring at you, disappointed. "Anyway, I have to go through the formalities. Your sleeve, please."

You stand still, too stubborn and angry to cooperate with him. He snorts, expecting your reaction, and takes two steps over the distance between you. You lift your head slightly, giving him a defiant look. He just gives you that irritating, confident smirk and grabs your hand gently, rolling up your sleeve himself. His dark eyes never leave yours. Even when his ring pierces the skin of your forearm.

You're so intent on each other that there might as well not have been that beam of light between you that shot the moment he made a small cut on your arm. It's just you and him. And from the unreadable smirk on his face, you might as well expect anything.

If you used to do it easily, now you can't read his eyes anymore. A skill he had to acquire over time. Hiding true emotions.

You both have changed. Each in its own way. He was no longer the nameless boy you met. And you weren't the mystery girl he used to know. He became the darkness he so often summoned... and you became the light you were meant to carry. If you once had anything in common, now you are completely strangers. Time heals wounds... or deepens them, but it always and undeniably changes people.

But neither of you could deny the connection between you. Even after all this time and even after what happened. It was a bound that was pulling you both towards each other…

"You and I are going to change the world, Y/N." you shivered hearing your real name for the first time come out of his mouth as lightly as if he had always called you that. Like he's always known you by that name deep in his heart.

Even if you didn't agree with him, you have to admit that he was right...

It's gonna be forver or it's gonna go down in flames...

#aleksander morozova x reader #aleksander morozova x y/n #aleksander morozova #general kirigan #general kirigan x reader #the darkling #general kirigan x you #darkling shadow and bone #darkling #the darkling x reader #darkling x reader #the darkling x you #shadow and bone #love #oneshot #kasagia #aleksander kirigan #kirigan x reader #baghra morozova #darkling x y/n #darkling x you #soulmates #soulmarks #soulmate au #young love #love and hate #falling in love #lovers #aleksander morovoza #grisha

[caelesjjk]

sanguine | jjk | pt. 2

⟶title: sanguine pt. 2

⟶au: vampire au, arranged marriage au, royalty au

⟶ rating: 18+

⟶ genre: romance, kinda slow burn?, smut, angst

⟶wc: 12k

⟶warnings: some swearing, mentions of blood, blood drinking, biting, drowning, lots of sexual tension, a damn good kiss, Jungkook is the perfect man which makes for some very sweet moment, jealousy

⟶ summary: Marry the vampire king. Save the kingdom.

Your father is the king of a rare human kingdom that has been plagued by famine and sickness. And in a last ditch effort to save the kingdom, he has arranged for you to marry the vampire king to the north. Your hand in marriage in exchange for his help in saving your kingdom.

Everything you swore could never happen between the two of you begins to unfold as you spend more time in the vampire kingdom with its king and his subjects. Can you learn to love this place and it’s beloved ruler?

⟶ authors note: hello darklings, welcome to part 2 of the sanguine series. I cannot wait for you to read this and tell me your thoughts. So much happens in this chapter and the ride is just getting started. I also promise that the smut is coming. Not in this part, sorrrrrry. But so soon 👀

Special thanks once again to jords @jeonjcngkook , hali @haliiimede and Kay @tea4sykes for reading over this and convincing me it’s not crap and fixing all of my epic grammar mistakes. You guys are my hero’s honestly.

banner: @missgeniality

One last thing, this is a link to the playlist I made for when I’m writing Sanguine. It really sets the mood when reading too, enjoy!

Sleep evades you most of the day. You’re too exhilarated by the thoughts of what Jungkook plans to show you tonight. You’re unsettled, but even more curious.

You change your clothes several times, having no idea how to dress. Finally, you decide on a deep green velvet dress that just barely brushes the floor, its long sleeves and turtleneck have you hoping it will keep you warm in the new autumn breezes. The nights have become chilly recently.

You find a half cape made of fur to wrap around your shoulders before a knock echoes throughout your bed chambers. It makes you jump slightly from the sudden sound but you quickly recover, heading to the doors expecting it to be Jungkook on the other side.

“Ready to take our leave, my lady?” Yoongi bows to you as the door opens. 

“You’re coming too?” Confusion evident on your face. 

“I am.” Yoongi moves aside so that you can exit the room and walk ahead of him down the hallway. “Protecting the king and queen is in my job description.”

“Why will we need protecting?” You try to walk next to him, but he stays a step behind.

“I hope that you don’t, my lady.” Yoongi clasps his hands behind his back, some of his dark hair falling into his eyes as he watches you.

“Where are we going?” You ask.

“I think I should let the king give you that information.” 

“I’m the queen though, aren’t I? You have to tell me if I ask.” You lift a brow at him in defiance. Yoongi laughs quietly.

“Are you always this insistent, your highness?” He offers his hand to you as you approach the staircase. 

“Perhaps. How insistent must I be to get information out of you?” You place your hand into his, still not quite used to the cold feeling of vampire skin against your own.

“Let the king have his time.” Yoongi half smiles, helping you from the last step. You glare at him in disappointment, making him laugh quietly once more.

You pull your fur around you a bit closer and look towards the huge front doors of the castle where Jungkook and Seokjin are waiting. 

Jungkook looks…beautiful. Casual. Comfortable. His hair unstyled and hanging over his forehead. Brown dress slacks fitted against his muscular legs and tucked into knee height leather brown boots. His white button up shirt has more buttons undone than it does done up. It is absolutely maddening.

“Good evening, your highness.” Seokjin says, his cheery voice breaking you from ogling your husband for too long. You pray he didn’t notice.

“Good evening.” You clear your throat and bow as you approach the two of them.

“You look…” Jungkook starts to say.

“Is it too much? I had no idea how to dress for whatever it is we’re doing.” Your hands rub nervously at your thighs.

“Perfect.” Jungkook finishes, taking a step towards you. “You look perfect.” You feel heat rush to your cheeks at his words.

“Thank you.” You bite at your bottom lip, feeling lost for words when he’s so close. “You look nice too.”

“Was that a compliment, my queen?” Jungkook teases, holding out his arm for you to take. You roll your eyes.

“Do not get used to it.” You take the arm he’s offered, watching Seokjin open the doors so that the two of you can walk out first.

Outside on the stone path awaits a carriage, different from the one you remember riding in on the night of your wedding. This one seems smaller but still just as intricate in its gold embellishments and filigree wheel designs. 

Jungkook helps you inside, letting you slide to the other side of the bench seat before he joins you. Yoongi and Seokjin climb into the seat at the front, the former taking the reigns and bringing the horses to a gallop.

“May I know where we’re going now?” You don’t look at Jungkook, your eyes are too busy taking in the way the orange and red leaves glide down from the trees in the moonlight. They make an autumn colored blanket over the dirt road and waft out beneath the wheels of the carriage as it passes over them. Jungkook loves the wonderment on your face.

“To see the kingdom at night. I think the city of Asteria will be something you rather enjoy.” Jungkook finally gives you the information you’ve so desperately wanted since last night.

“Asteria?” You ask, breathless at merely just the name of it.

“You may hear others in the kingdom call it the city of stars. It’s the largest part of the kingdom where most of our subjects reside.” Jungkook leans forwards and looks out the window of the carriage with you. “It’s there, between those hillsides with the cliffs.”

As the carriage approaches the hillsides, you start to see more of what Jungkook is referring to. More lights. Soft and gentle and not too bright. Buildings, so many buildings. Large ones, small ones, some at ground level while others were built into the cliff side.

The closer that you got, the more you could hear. Voices of the subjects who lived here. Vampires. So many vampires. More than you imagined existed walking around the busy cobblestone streets. 

“This…these are all vampires?” You finally turn from the window to look at Jungkook.

“Yes.” He smiles gently. “It isn’t something we go around advertising. Keeps everyone safe that way.” 

You look at him dumbfounded for a moment before turning back to the window as the carriage comes to a stop. Yoongi and Seokjin don’t even have enough time to jump down from the front to open the doors before you’re swinging it open and jumping out, almost tripping on your skirt as you do. 

“Your majesty?” Yoongi scrambles down when he sees you, worry in voice.

You can barely hear him though. Every single one of your senses switching into overdrive as you take in the sight in front of you.

Flowers. There are thousands of flowers with their bright colors and heavenly fragrant smells. They’re lined in almost every windowsill on the main road in front of you. There are also shops and vendors placed throughout selling even more of them. It’s the most beautiful sight you’ve ever seen.

Your feet have adapted a mind of their own, propelling you forward towards all the hustle and bustle happening on the street. You almost forget that you didn’t arrive here alone.

“_____? Are you okay?” Jungkook’s hand comes to your shoulder and stops you from going further. When you turn to look at him you know your eyes must be blown wide as they can get.

“This is beautiful.” You bring your hand up to the one he’s resting on your shoulder and wrap your fingers around his. “Can we please go and see it?”

“As if I would deny you a single thing.” Jungkook smiles, moving your hand down from your shoulder and holding it instead. You look down at your intertwined hands for a moment before you’re taking off in a rush towards the busy market. Jungkook merely laughs at your excitement.

Overwhelmed is an understatement, as you try to take in everything along the busy street. There are large glass windows in front of all the shops, displaying some of the things you might find inside of them. 

Multiple shops are selling beautiful handmade clothing. Gorgeous dresses, embroidered shirts, sparkling skirts and dazzling leather. Your hands itch to run over the materials and feel them for yourself. But you’re too excited to go inside them, you need to see what else there is to discover in this beautifully hidden city.

You see jewelry shops stacked full of effervescent gems, chains of silver and gold, and bracelets made from both. There are also watches and braided leather. It’s absolutely incredible.

“See anything that you like?” Jungkook asks and you suddenly remember he’s still holding your hand as you drag him to all the shops.

“Oh. No, do not even think of it. It must all cost a fortune.” You shake your head at him.

“You continuously forget that you’re the queen of this whole kingdom, _____. Anything you want is yours.” Jungkook tucks a piece of hair behind your ear.

You look down at the blood drop shaped ring on your finger, wondering if this is the shop that made it for you when you married Jungkook. The ring doesn’t feel as heavy as it used to. It stopped burning your skin where it sits against your skin. It doesn’t remind you of the terrible days anymore. Now you only think of the vampire who slid it down your finger all those months ago.

“I have enough jewelry for now.” You squeeze his hand and move to the next shop. As you approach the window, you feel confusion wash over you like a massive wave. 

Toys. Children's toys.

“Why is there a toy shop?” Goosebumps cover your skin. “Vampires are forbidden from biting children.”

“You’re right, darling. We are forbidden from biting children.” Jungkook pulls your hand and brings you to stand at the corner of where one street meets another.

As your eyes focus on what he wants you to see, your breath leaves your lungs entirely. The sight in front of you is so shocking that your ability to think clearly has completely disappeared.

“What…children?” You whisper.

“Indeed. Born, not bitten.” Jungkook takes you closer to them.

“How? Vampires cannot have children.” 

“And who is it that told you that? Old legends and lore perhaps?” Jungkook rubs his thumb over your knuckles. “Vampires are capable of having children with other vampires. Works much the same way it does with humans.”

You can’t believe what you’re hearing, beginning to wonder if anything you thought you knew was true at all. Your chest feels heavy with this new information.

“What other lies have I been led to believe are true?” You can’t take your eyes off of the children running about in the grass kicking around a ball.

“We can debunk them as they come up. There’s no need to overwhelm you more right now.” 

Before Jungkook can say anything else, you’re letting go of his hand and jogging over toward the children. Once you reach them, you lower down onto your knees in front of them and they all stop their game to gather around and regard you. 

Their parents, you assume, all bow to you and encourage their children to do the same. 

“There’s no need for that.” You smile at them gently. “Do you think I could play your game with you?”

One of the little girls amongst the children steps forward, a look of confusion painting her sweet face.

“Don’t you hate us, your majesty?” She asks simply, your heart sinking in your chest.

“No. I could never hate you, little one.” You reach out and gently touch the cool skin of her hand, thankful that she doesn’t flinch away when you do.

“You can be on my team, your majesty.” She smiles, her little fangs poking out and reminding you that even though she’s small, she is a vampire. 

But that doesn’t seem to bother you at all.

“I would like that very much.” You let her take your hand and lead you towards the area where they were playing their game.

Looking back over your shoulder, you see Jungkook standing nearby with Yoongi and Seokjin a few steps behind. His arms are crossed over his broad chest as he watches you with a fond smile. You smile back just before the children begin shouting and explaining the rules of their game to you.

You lose track of time. Not sure at all how long you’ve been playing with the children. Your skin is warm and flushed from chasing the ball around and running about. 

Jungkook still waits for you, he and Yoongi talking as you pick up your fur cloak you had discarded earlier in the game from the ground. His eyes meet yours while you’re watching him, neither of you breaking that eye contact for what seems like forever. 

“Did you enjoy the game?” Seokjin asks, suddenly at your side.

“I had a lot of fun, yes.” You attempt to smooth out your hair to no avail.

“I don’t think many queens would be caught playing games with children of the kingdom. It was rather heartwarming considering how you once felt about them.” Seokjin says, not meaning to be rude. You appreciate the honesty.

“I am not sure how I feel. But what I do know, is that I was far too harsh towards the people of this kingdom. Whether they are vampires or not, I never should have said the things I did.” You sigh, walking slowly towards Jungkook and Yoongi with Seokjin at your side.

“I was the same way, you know. I hated them. Vampires have the worst reputations in this realm. But they’ve never tried to dispel the rumors…makes them seem dangerous. Keeps them safe.” 

“I think that I have a lot to make up for. I have not been an easy person to deal with these past few months.” 

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, your majesty. I think you’ll find if you keep your heart open here, you’ll be surprised by what can happen.” Seokjin smiles, the apples of his cheeks lifting in the cutest way.

“I’ll do my best.” You lift a hand to give his shoulder a squeeze, pulling it back a little too quickly when you feel how warm he is. “Are you okay? You’re burning up.”

“Ah, yes. No need to worry. It’s a werewolf thing, blood temperature is warmer than a humans and far warmer than a vampires.” Seokjin assures you.

“It seems I’ll learn something new around here every day.” 

“That will make two of us, my lady.” Seokjin bows to you as you reach Jungkook and makes his way towards another group of people.

“Did you have a nice time?” Jungkook asks.

“Yes, I did.” You smile at each other, knowing your cheeks are warming the longer that you look at him.

“Shall we return to the castle soon?” 

“If that’s what you wish to do.”

“We can come here whenever you like. I admittedly do not do it enough these days.” Jungkook holds out his hand for you to take and you do without thought. 

“I’ll keep that in mind, your highness.” You let him gently lead you back towards the busy street you had entered the city on.

“May I ask you something?” Jungkook inquires.

“Yes.”

“Do you still have that kitchen knife strapped to your thigh?” His eyes seem to darken slightly as he watches your face.

You aren’t sure what comes over you, but you pull his hand to a stop, looking around to make sure no other eyes will hone in on what you’re about to do.

Swiftly, you lift the slit of your dress a little higher up your thigh, revealing the same kitchen knife that you had come by in Hoseok’s kitchen all those months ago.

“Just in case.” You smirk as Jungkook groans quietly. 

“You’re bewitching, do you know that?” Jungkook stares at your thigh until you let your dress fall back into place. 

“And you are out of your mind.” You laugh with a shake of your head.

“I merely appreciate beauty in the form of a woman with a weapon strapped to her thigh.” Jungkook's smile reaches his eyes revealing his perfectly shaped teeth, along with his own set of sharp weapons. It doesn’t frighten you as much as it likely should anymore.

“Masochist.” You tease, putting your hand back into his.

“Only for you, my queen.” He brings your hand up to his lips, brushing a kiss against your knuckles. 

It catches you off guard, to feel his cool lips against your skin. The contrast is maddening in an unexplainable way. The invigorating touch of his kiss and the burning hot fire that ignites in your belly.

The two of you stare at each other for a moment, letting it sink in that Jungkook has just done something very intimate with you. The most intimate the two of you have been and it was merely just a kiss to your hand.

“Are you okay?” He finally asks. You nod your head yes. “Good. I want to make one more quick stop before we take our leave then.”

“Of course.” You clear your throat.

You walk with him down the street until you reach a shop with leather workings in the window. All sorts of intricate belts and straps with the most beautiful details hang from the displays.

“Wait here a moment?” He asks, releasing your hand as he heads inside the shop. You nod and turn to see Yoongi standing behind you.

“Your highness.” He says, bowing slightly.

“You’re never too far from Jungkook, are you?” You smile tenderly and he does the same.

“He is my king and my oldest friend. I only wish to look out for him.” 

“Was Jungkook born or bitten?” You ask curiously.

“Bitten, my lady.” 

“He was human once.” You say more to yourself than to Yoongi, letting the thought sink in.

“A very long time ago.” Yoongi steps up a bit closer. “He was chosen to be the king because he refused to stand down when the king before him sentenced us all to death.”

“How?” 

“The former king disapproved of making treaties with the humans. But obviously, we require their blood to live.”

“That’s something I’ve been curious about…how do you get the blood?”

“Donations. Humans come to us by their own will and are paid handsomely for their donations. The people of your kingdom have been given this option now as well.” Yoongi looks in the shop window, making sure that he can see Jungkook.

“There are not many human kingdoms left.” You say, sadness evident in your voice.

“Jungkook hopes to prevent any more loss. We need each other to survive.” Yoongi bows once more when he sees Jungkook is walking towards the exit of the shop.

Everything Yoongi has told you just now, has your brain reeling. You were never kept in the loop enough as a princess in your fathers kingdom, it wasn’t your right. You didn’t know half the things going on in this realm that you really should have known.

“Have something for you.” Jungkook says, breaking you from your thoughts.

“You didn’t need to.”

“I rather think this gift is necessary.” Half his mouth rising into a smile. “Come here.” Jungkook lowers down onto one knee in front of you.

“What are you doing?” Your eyes widen in surprise.

“No one is looking, and if they do I’ll kill them. Place your foot here.” He pats the top of his thigh.

“Have you gone mad?” You hiss through your teeth at him.

“Trust me, darling. Aren’t you curious about what I have for you?” Jungkooks tongue slyly licks over one of his fangs as he watches your face.

“Fine then.” You look around once more before lifting your foot and placing it on Jungkook’s thigh as he requested. Your dress slides up and reveals your makeshift knife sheath.

“You are immaculate.” His eyes hungrily roam your exposed skin. Like he could quite literally consume you whole. 

His fingertips come to your skin, sliding up and burning in their wake. It didn’t matter that his skin was cool to the touch, he was setting you ablaze. They stop at the sheath wrapped around your thigh, removing the knife before far too easily ripping the material away.

“Jungkook…” You barely recognize your voice.

“You see, my queen. If you insist on carrying a weapon, and I so hope that you do,” he pauses for a moment, taking something out of the giftbag next to him, “You should at least have a proper sheath.”

Jungkook withdraws a black piece of leather from the bag, holding it up to show you. The leather looks so soft that it could possibly be velvet. Silver threads sewn into intricate designs up and down the surface. It’s an absolutely stunning piece of work.

You slide your foot through the opening, letting Jungkook glide the sheath up your leg until it fits snugly around your thigh. He lets his hands roam your skin and you instinctively feel the need to clench your thighs together to keep the foreign feelings at bay.

“It’s really beautiful.” You whisper to only him.

“You’re so deliciously soft. It’s fucking maddening.” Leaning forward, his nose skims your knee. Your eyes fall shut, lips trembling slightly.

“Why?”

“Every day is a new test of my restraint, my queen.” He moves his face back away from your skin, trying to breathe in air that wasn’t full of you.

“Are you restraining yourself from biting me?” You open your eyes slowly, just in time to see Jungkook rise from his knee to stand in front of you.

“Yes.” He answers, making you shudder. “But I never will. Not unless you ask me to. I would never hurt you.”

Before you had spent all this time with Jungkook in the vampire kingdom, you would have been disgusted by the mere thought of him biting you…drinking your blood. But now the only thoughts in your head are whether it would really hurt. Would he kill you? Would it change you into a vampire as well?

Yoongi and Seokjin return and give you an excuse not to continue the conversation further and decide to return to the carriage instead. 

“Did I frighten you?” Jungkook inquires gently.

“No.” You release a shaky breath. “I think I’ve just begun to forget that you’re a vampire. It must be very difficult for you to be around me.” 

“Don’t do that.” 

“Don’t do what?”

“Don’t start blaming yourself. I would suffer a thousand years before I ever let you do that.” He declares, voice stable and a little stern.

“I just don’t like the idea of making your life more difficult than it already is.” You huff, scooting over across the bench seat to put more space between the two of you.

“It’s very selfless of you to feel that way.” His fingers tuck a piece of hair behind your ear, cool skin brushing over the skin of your jaw until they reach your chin, gently bringing your face around to look at him once more. “But you are the most important thing to me now. I will never do anything you do not ask of me. I mean that. I do not care about the discomforts it causes me.”

“Now who’s being selfless?” You tease, leaning into his touch when his hand slides to cup your cheek.

“Stubborn girl.” He mumbles quietly. 

The carriage suddenly feels very small. And very warm. The look on Jungkook’s face as he studies you, makes you shift in your seat. All of these new feelings for him begin to bubble at the surface and beg to be released. If only you weren’t such a coward.

“Have you gotten any word from Taehyung?” You clear your throat and slowly move your face away from his gentle touch. Jungkook smiles, but it’s more out of frustration than anything else.

“We expect to hear from him in the next few days. I’m sure he will want an audience.” Jungkook sighs, leaning back against the seat and running a hand through his silky hair.

“Will he come to the castle?” A different type of nerve pricks your stomach. You do not know much of Taehyung other than he is a ruthless leader always waiting for the next fight.

“If I allow him, yes. And I think it best to have these conversations with him on my terms.” Jungkooks jaw is tight and sharp as he finishes speaking.

“He wants to bargain for my fathers kingdom, doesn’t he?” 

“Yes.” He turns his body towards you. “But no matter what he says or offers, I will not let him take it. I made a promise to your father and to you.” 

You don’t speak of it any further on the way back to the castle. But your mind continues to reel with thoughts of the merciless werewolf king and his unwavering determination to rule your fathers kingdom. You know Jungkook will do his best to keep everyone safe, but at what cost?

The carriage stops in front of the castle's huge front doors, Seokjin jumping down from the seat at the front to open the door for you and Jungkook. 

“Are you hungry?” Jungkook asks, taking your hand to help you step down from the carriage.

“A bit, yes.” You continue to hold his hand as the two of you ascend the stairs, the doors opening as you approach so that you can enter.

“Shall I have Hoseok make something for you? Seokjin is probably hungry as well.” Jungkook points out something that you had not thought of during your time here. Jin is not a vampire and requires food as well. How silly of you not to think of such a thing.

“Could hear your stomach growling the whole ride back, my queen.” Jin teases as he comes up behind the two of you. 

“Perhaps a little.” You laugh quietly, eyes finally honing in on the group of people standing at the foot of the grand staircase. “Who are they?”

“You need to eat your meal, and I need to have mine.” Jungkook squeezes your hand but you suddenly feel uncomfortable.

A woman in a pale pink dress steps forward as you approach, curtsying to Jungkook but not to you. She’s very pretty, small and petite. Her hair is swept up neatly but the smile on her face is vicious.

“My king.” She says in an overly sweet voice that makes your skin crawl.

“Celeste.” Jungkook addresses her. “Shall I meet with you after you have your dinner?” He’s speaking to you but all you can do is stare at the woman in front of you.

“Will you be long?” You clear your throat, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Not long.” Jungkook smirks, sensing your unrealized jealousy.

“I’ll just head to bed after dinner. Enjoy your…meal.”

“Do not worry your majesty, I will take good care of the king.” Celeste practically purrs. You want to stab her in the neck with your kitchen knife. 

“I’m sure you will.” Grabbing your skirt in your hands you stomp off towards the kitchen to find Hoseok and beg him to talk you out of murder.

You slam open the swinging door of the kitchen causing poor unsuspecting Hoseok to screech and almost drop his mixing bowl. You’re pacing the floor before he even has a chance to recover.

“Did you know Jungkook has a woman that he drinks from? A pretty little thing. He had the audacity to introduce her to me. As if I give a fuck.” You grab a piece of bread off the counter top and bite into it with very little care.

“First of all, could you please stop barging in here like this? You’re going to give me a heart attack.” Hoseok sits the mixing bowl down, wiping his hands on his apron. “Second, don’t say fuck, it’s very unqueenly.”

You glare at him and savagely take another bite off the bread you were eating. 

“Why do you care who he drinks blood from? You don’t even like him.” Hobi laughs and shakes his head before your eyes meet his. “Wait…you do like him! When did that change?”

“It hasn’t! I mean not really…I don’t know! All I know is that I do not like the idea of him drinking from her.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s…I’m told it’s very intimate. Drinking someone’s blood…it’s very intimate.” You can feel sweat forming on the nape of your neck.

“So what you’re saying is that you don’t want him to be intimate with her?”

“Correct. There’s something not right about her.” 

“Then do you want him to be intimate with you?” Hobi stops what he’s doing and stands in front of you to halt your pacing.

The question throws you completely off guard. You should know the answer. You should not want the answer to be yes. You hate the thought of Jungkook being that close to anyone else.

“No! How could you say that!” You smack his shoulder.

“What do you propose he do then? He needs blood like you need food. You’re being unreasonable.” Hoseok rubs his shoulder.

“Who’s side are you on Hobi?” You pout your bottom lip, sad that you know he’s right.

“I’m always on your side.” He hands you another piece of bread before continuing. “But I think you need to tell the king how you feel.”

“Well that’s not going to happen.” You scoff. “I don’t…I don’t know how I feel about the king.”

“Yes you do. You’re just a stubborn ass that doesn’t want to admit it.” 

“You cannot call me an ass! I’m the queen!” You laugh, only slightly surprised at his words. Hoseok has always been honest with you.

“A queen that I have known quite literally my entire life. Would it really be so bad to love him, ____?” 

Love. You were especially unsure of what love meant. You felt the love of your father…from Hoseok as your friend. But you had never been in love. It was something you always assumed you would just know as soon as it happened. You also thought you would marry for love and maybe you hadn’t at the time…but now? Now you still didn’t know.

“I need to get some air.” You tell Hoseok, moving towards the door.

“At least take this food with you.” He hands you a basket with more bread, along with some cheese and fruits. You notice a second basket sitting on the counter.

“Who’s that for?” 

“Seokjin. He has to eat food too.”

“I’m aware of that now.” You look at its contents a little closer. “Why does he have more in his basket?” You raise a suspicious brow.

“He’s a werewolf. He requires more food than a nosy little human queen.” Hobi pinches your side, pushing you towards the door. “Out of here, you menace.”

You can’t help but laugh, still feeling slightly suspicious of Hoseok and his beautifully packed food basket. But you decide to let it go for now, turning to hug him quickly before leaving the kitchen and finding yourself alone in the dimly lit hallway.

It doesn’t take long to find your way into the garden. You weren’t sure where else to take out your annoyance and frustrations. 

Annoyed that you let that blood bag of a girl get under your skin.

Frustrated that you cared.

“Digging somewhere in particular?” Jungkooks familiar voice says from behind you. You don’t turn to look at him.

“I’m not sure what you mean.” 

“The hole you’ve dug has gotten rather large.” 

You roll your eyes, finally focusing on the ground you had been digging at. You’re surprised to see that he’s right, you’ve been so inside your head that you had no idea how long you had been digging in the same spot. This annoys you even more, taking your small shovel and shoving it into the ground in front of you as if it were a sword.

“Do you need something?” You stand from the ground, brushing off your knees in the process.

“You seemed upset earlier. I wanted to know why.” Jungkook stands with his hands behind his back, not coming closer.

“I am not upset.” 

“You are.”

You roughly grab a rake from where it sits against the concrete fountain, walking to a different spot to make more distance between the two of you.

“You are mistaken.” You start to rake some of the fallen leaves that were making a mess of your flower beds.

“Tell me what you are thinking then.” Jungkook comes a bit closer, trying not to smile as he watches you. You don’t answer for a moment.

“I’m thinking about stabbing you.” You throw the rake to the ground and trudge towards Jungkook who stands unmoving. “I’m thinking that you’re probably having sex with your dinner as well.” 

“I love when you threaten me with sharp objects.” Jungkook smiles widely and it makes your blood boil.

“You should have stopped feeding from her when we got married. It’s the least you could do.” 

“Would you like me to?” He asks. 

“Yes!” You throw your hands up.

“Done. You’ll never see her again.” 

“Then you’ll just get another woman to drink from?” 

“Are you offering to let me drink from you?” His infuriating brow raises.

“I…I don’t know.”

“Are you afraid that I’ll turn you?”

“No. I know that you won’t.”

“Not unless you ask me to.” His fingers come beneath your chin, grasping it gently to bring your eyes to his. “I will do anything that you ask of me. But I need to eat.” 

“Does it hurt?” 

“For a moment. But what follows is the opposite.” His fingers move along your jaw, caressing the skin.

“Will you…fuck me when you drink from me?” The words fall from your mouth before you can sugar coat them in any way. Jungkook growls quietly in his chest.

“Such a filthy mouth.” His thumb brushes over your lips. “Do you want me to fuck you, my queen?”

“I do not know.” You breathe, eyes falling shut when he closes the last bit of distance and his nose skims over yours.

“I think that you do know, but are afraid to admit that you may in fact want such a thing.” You can practically feel his lips ghosting yours as he speaks. Your breathing is ragged and the burning in the pit of your stomach is spreading to the apex of your thighs.

The earth feels as though it could crumble beneath you at any moment and swallow you whole. He was so close to you. Breath fanning your lips. All you have to do is lean forward and you can kiss him. Tell him that he’s right and you do want that. You want it so badly that it’s making you feel deranged.

But instead of giving into the desire, you pull back. You need to get out of his intoxicating presence and his addictive smell. 

“I should go.” You try to bow and almost trip, stumbling away towards the back stairs that lead into the castle.

You don’t make it to the stairs though, a strong hand seizing the back of your neck and spinning you back around to face him. He doesn’t give you any time to protest, full lips coming down to cover yours, stealing away the breath in your chest and lungs. Your eyes flutter closed at the gentle way he cups your cheek and neck. 

Jungkook is kissing you. You feel such shock that you don’t realize you haven’t kissed back just yet. When your wits return your hands seize his hair, tangling in the dark locks and pulling him closer to you. He hums against your lips, his tongue begging at the seam to slip inside the cavern of your mouth.

You’ve never kissed anyone this way. You don’t know if you’ll do it right. But you part your lips and let Jungkook take the lead, his tongue skimming your lips once more before the kiss deepens and your tongue is moving with his. 

One of Jungkook's hands leaves your face and travels down your side to your waist until it reaches your lower back, bringing you flush against him. Your own hands come down from his hair and wrap around his neck instead. 

Everything feels so warm. How could a man who is cool to the touch feel so warm when he’s kissing you? 

When Jungkook withdraws his lips from yours, you feel dizzy, afraid to open your eyes. But you want to see his face, see if he has been as affected by the most perfect kiss you had ever experienced, so you will them to amble open.

The way that he’s already looking at you makes the fire in your stomach spread to your muscles and bones. His eyes are so dark, that crimson red ring that surrounds his irises just a bit brighter than usual. He looks as if he wants to devour you and you know that you would let him in an instant.

“Are you alright?” He finally asks.

“I am.” You ache to touch him again. “Are you?”

“I was afraid you would consume me. Steal away the small bit of humanity I have left…but it was so easy.” He smiles softly, reaching out to touch your warm cheek.

“You kissed me that way without knowing if you’d lose control?” You glare at him.

“I told you I would never hurt you. That was not a lie. But my desire…no, my need for you is something I’ve never experienced.” 

“Idiot!” You step forward and push against his hard chest. He doesn’t budge, but it gets your point across. “I should have stabbed you! You could ha-“ Your sentence is cut off by his lips on yours again. 

This kiss is much more bruising than the last. Jungkook wants you to understand that he’s in control of himself and that your life means everything to him. Your blood sings to him, it begs him to drink from you and not leave a single drop behind. But he won’t let that monster win, not when it comes to you.

Your fingers grip at the soft fabric of his shirt, needing something to anchor you to the earth before you float away. 

“I should walk you to your rooms. The sun will be up soon.” Jungkook's lips stay close to yours as he speaks, his lashes tickling your cheek when he kisses it.

“Okay.” You try to breathe in deeply, something to steady your mind. His lips move to your temple, pressing a kiss there before the defined shape of his body leaves yours.

“Come.” Jungkook takes your hand, leading you back inside. He doesn’t let go as you make your way through the halls and up the staircase to your rooms.

“I may have forgotten to say thank you earlier. For showing me Asteria. It really was incredible.” You stand close to your bedroom door, eyes falling to the floor when you feel unable to look at him. But he won’t have any of that.

“We have much to prepare for in the coming days…” His fingers brush your jaw and cup it to bring your eyes to his. “And we must also prepare for your coronation celebration.” 

“My what?” Confusion veils your face. “I didn’t think we would be having one.”

“The kingdom loves an excuse to have a party.” He laughs quietly. “And you deserve a formal welcome as Queen here.”

“I’m still not sure that anyone in the kingdom wants me here.” You step up a little closer, seeking the new found comfort Jungkook’s presence brings you.

“Anyone who has an issue with you ruling as queen here can easily be exterminated.” 

“You wouldn’t do such things.”

“For you? I think you underestimate the lengths I will go to keep you safe, darling.” A soft kiss to your lips that has your knees trembling.

“Masochist.” You smile against his mouth, teeth bumping his when he does the same.

“You should sleep before I throw you over my shoulder and have my way with you in my rooms instead.” One last kiss to your forehead as if he didn’t just threaten to have his way with you.

“I am rather tired…suppose I’ll need to call on my ladies in waiting to help me out of this dress.” You decide to tease him as well, letting the shoulder of your dress slip off slightly when you turn to open the door.

“Your husband is here now, isn’t he?” Jungkook glares, fingers itching to touch your exposed skin.

“You should rest, my king.” You bow to him, knowing your cleavage will spill out and his eyes do not miss it.

“______.” He groans your name, but you’re already slipping into your room.

“Goodnight, Jungkook.” You close the door when he tries to step closer, pressing your back to the cool wood, listening to him whine on the other side before it gets quiet and you know he’s gone to bed.

A few days have passed and Taehyung has not yet sent word of when we will be arriving in the vampire kingdom to discuss your fathers land.

It baffles you each time you think of it. Why would someone want the land of your kingdom so badly? It wasn’t as if it was more special than any other kingdom in the realm. 

You find yourself walking the halls just as the sun has fallen beneath the horizon, the clouds swirling with deep blues and hues of purple. A perfect twilight.

“My queen.” Yoongi suddenly appears, making you almost jump out of your skin.

“General.” You manage to squeak out.

“Are you well?” He asks.

“Honestly…I’m rather bored.” Yoongi smiles at your statement, the endearing gums above his teeth showing along with the dangerous shape of his fangs.

“Shall I teach you something then?” He questions.

“What will you teach me, General?” 

“I’ve heard you’re harboring a knife for safety.” He chuckles quietly. “I thought perhaps you might want to learn how to use blades properly.”

“You’ll teach me to fight?” Your eyes light up at his words.

“To protect yourself.” Yoongi begins to walk down the hall, looking back over his shoulder at you. “Are you coming?” 

“Yes!” You almost stumble trying to move your feet too quickly, but manage to follow him without injury.

Yoongi brings you to a large room downstairs, the walls filled with weapons of every sort. There are mats made of a padded material spread out across the floor as well.

In one corner of the room, you notice a very large pile of silver fur, and said pile of fur seems to be…breathing.

“What is that?” You ask, voice shaking slightly.

“That…” Yoongi smiles, “is Seokjin.” 

“Oh…” You continue to stare, never having seen Seokjin in his werewolf form.

He had taken some time a few days ago to explain that he’s in fact, a lycan, he was born and not bitten. The kind that depends on the moon to change are werewolves that were bitten by a lycan.

Jin hears the two of you approach and lifts his head, ears perked before he bows his large head to greet you. You return the gesture.

“Are you going to stay and watch me teach the queen how to use a blade?” Yoongi directs his question towards Jin.

Jin huffs through his nose once, laying back down with his eyes on the two of you.

“Is that a yes?” You wonder.

“It is. He also said that if I hurt you he will rip out my throat.” Yoongi smiles again, pointing the sword he had just picked up from a table towards Jin across the room.

“How would you know he said that? He didn’t speak.” 

“Because I can read his mind.” Yoongi says so matter of factly.

“You…I’m sorry. You can read his mind?” 

“Yes, my lady. He can read mine as well. It happens between beings like us after we’ve spent long amounts of time together.” Yoongi picks up another sword and hands it to you but you’re too distracted, almost dropping it to the ground.

“Can you read mine?” You’re absolutely fascinated and terrified at the same time.

“No, I cannot. We haven’t known each other long and you are very…human.” Yoongi adjusts your grip on the sword while you barely pay attention.

“What about Jungkook? Can he read my mind?” 

“That’s a question the king will need to answer.” You can hear the frustration in Yoongi's voice as he continues to try and help you hold the sword while you barely acknowledge what he’s doing. 

“Fascinating.” You mumble.

“If you will, my lady, hold the sword.” He finally says.

“Oh, yes. I’ve got it.” You’ve held a sword before, but have never needed to use one in any type of battle. 

Yoongi begins to explain that the movement is all in your wrist but the strength comes from using force from your upper body. He goes over the basics: how to hold the sword, how to step, how to avoid counterattacks and how to do some very simple counter attacks of your own.

You can feel sweat forming on your brow and dripping down your back. You haven’t done this much physical activity in quite some time.

“You’re doing well, your majesty.” Yoongi compliments.

“I wish I could know it all, all at once.” You sigh, leaning against the wall. Yoongi laughs quietly.

“With due time.” He places his sword back on the table. “We can train whenever you like, as long as the king doesn’t have me out and about.”

“I would like that very much, General.” You smile and he does the same as you place your sword into the holster.

As you do, the sheath pinches your finger and makes a small cut. You hold it up with a wince, seeing a small drop of blood form on the tip.

“All that swinging a sword around with no injury only to get a cut from a small pinch.” You wipe it against your thigh, wondering why Yoongi has become so quiet.

It did not click in your mind that this would be a problem.

“You need to get out of here. Right now!” Yoongi half yells and half growls, breathing rapidly through his mouth. The earthy color of his eyes was now soaked in a blood red.

“I’m sorry…” You take a step back towards the exit door, tripping over the table leg and landing on your back.

“Your blood…it’s screaming at me.” Yoongi groans and covers his ears with his hands, trying to stop himself from pouncing on you and draining you dry.

In the next moment, a mass of silver fur appears in front of you, blocking Yoongi from moving any closer. Seokjin growls deep in his chest, the rumble of it vibrating your bones. He turns his head towards you, nudging you with his nose and huffing, silently telling you to get out now.

You don’t hesitate, scrambling from the floor and dashing out the exit door and up the stone stairway. You look back once, only to run directly into the chest of your husband.

“What’s going on?” He asks, hands steadying your shoulders.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…I didn’t even think.” You're prattling on and making no sense you’re sure.

“Shh.” Jungkook hushes you, cupping your face in his hands. “Look at me and tell me what’s happened.”

“Yoongi was teaching me to use a sword…for protection. I just…I nicked my finger a little…I’m so sorry.” You feel as though you’re unable to string a coherent sentence together.

“Did he hurt you?” Jungkook asks, jaw tightening.

“What? No, he didn’t hurt me. Seokjin was there, he stepped between us so I could leave.” Jungkooks face softens a little at that bit of information. You’re about to speak again when Jin comes up the stairs in his human form.

“Are you okay, your majesty?” He asks the question to you, but looks at Jungkook. They’re talking with their minds.

“I’m fine.” You tenderly take Jungkook's hands from your face so you can turn to face Jin. “Where is Yoongi? Is he alright?”

“He could have killed you and you’re wondering if he’s well?” Jungkook shakes his head, a slight smile on his lips.

“It wasn’t his fault. I was bleeding in front of a vampire…and he resisted.” 

“Yoongi will be fine, my lady. He just needs a moment.” Jin bows to you and Jungkook, obviously saying something else with his mind before heading back down the stairs.

“That’s going to get very frustrating.” You exhale loudly, turning back to face your husband who has an amused look on his face.

“I suppose my General filled you in on more than just swordsmanship.” Jungkook takes one of your hands in his, bringing it to his lips and brushing a kiss across the knuckles.

“Can you read my mind?” You ask, trying not to crumble at the feeling of his cool lips on your skin.

“No. That may take time to happen.” Jungkook turns your hand over to inspect the small cut on the top of your finger.

“Why does my blood not bother you?” 

“It does.” He stares at your finger, swallowing harshly.

“Then why are you torturing yourself by being close to me now?”

“Because I will never hurt you.”

“I know.” Gods, you want him to kiss you again.

“I should kill Yoongi for even thinking of hurting you.” Jungkooks mouth was suddenly covering yours. Was he sure he couldn’t read your mind?

You allow the kiss and the rush of warmth that spreads through your body before your mind catches up, pushing Jungkook back from you.

“You will do no such thing. Yoongi is your friend. Promise me right now that you will not harm him in any way.” You look at him sternly.

“Seeing as I’m afraid you may stab me if I don’t do as you say, I suppose I’ll let the General keep his life.” He grabs your waist, pulling you back against his body.

“I’m glad I’ve gotten my point across about the stabbing.” Your hands travel up his chest, fidgeting with the lapels of his jacket. Jungkook smiles as he lifts your chin with his fingers to look at him.

“I came to find you so that I could speak with you about something.” He whispers the words, breath fanning your lips.

“And what would that be, my king?” 

“I like when you call me your king…very much.” He playfully kisses your lips and makes you giggle. An actual giggle leaves your mouth.

“Stop changing the subject! What did you want to speak about?” You hold him at arm's length until he tells you what he needs to. His face becomes much more serious.

“Taehyung arrives the day after tomorrow. He’ll be here at sunset.”

“Oh.” You knew the time to meet Taehyung was coming but it was still surprising to hear the news. “Should we make arrangements?”

“That’s what I want to talk about, _____. I think it would be best if you stayed away while Taehyung is here.” Jungkook's eyes are on the floor as he speaks, he knows this won’t go well.

“Suddenly you want to keep me out of things? How did you think this conversation would go, Jungkook? That I’d be your good little wife and submit to your request? I refuse!” You push past him, starting towards the staircase.

“I thought perhaps you would be reasonable.” Jungkook sighs, his inhuman speed bringing him in front of you again.

“If you wanted a quiet and pliant wife you should have married your blood bag.” You scowl, fully prepared to pull your knife out of the sheath.

“You’re pulling away.”

“You’re pushing me out! Why? I want to know why.” You step up and shove your finger into his chest.

“Because Taehyung is already aware of our marriage. Now he knows that I have a weakness. I want to keep you out of harm's way where he can use you against me.” Jungkook takes one of your hands in his, begging you with his eyes to understand.

“If that’s the case, your highness, then perhaps we should be showing Taehyung that I am not a weakness and will not take his threats.” You yank your hand from his, walking up the stairs without another word from Jungkook.

Once again, sleep evades you. Every time you close your eyes you see the hurt look on Jungkook's face when you walk away and it makes tears threaten to escape.

The sun is still up, beginning its descent to drop below the horizon. You throw off your covers and make your way over to the window. Tiredly, you undo the latch and push open the panes.

It’s a strangely warm day out for this time of year. A comfortable breeze brings the scent of the flowers and trees floating into your room and tickling your nose. 

You breathe it deep into your lungs. It feels good to just breathe.

Out past the gardens, you can see a turquoise colored lake. Willow trees surround it and dangle their long branches across the water's surface. It’s stunning and enticing.

Not having been out in the sun for months, you decide to forfeit sleep and make your way outside the castle to the lake that felt as if it was calling your name.

You wrap a shawl around your shoulders, quietly padding through the halls and down the staircase towards the back doors. Quickly, you check on your flowers in the garden and thankfully they are all taking nicely to the soil and growing.

Looking towards the veranda across the garden, your eyes fall onto the oversized pile of silver fur that you’ve come to know. Seokjin lays in a ray of sun, warming his muscles and bones and soaking it in. You’ve seen him do this quite often. He must miss the sun as well at times.

His head lifts when he hears you begin to walk across the lawn.

“It’s okay, Jin. I’m only going for a walk.” You reassure him. He tilts his head to the side, huffing through his nose. “You don’t need to accompany me. Enjoy the sun.” Jin whines a little and lays his head back against the stones.

You make sure that he doesn’t decide to follow you before continuing the short journey to the lake. The long grass tickles your calves and fingertips when you flatten your palms to feel the silky blades. 

When you reach the bank of the lake you breathe in as deeply as you can manage. Everything smells fresh and earthy. The urge to get into the water is too hard to ignore even though you know it will be cold this time of year.

Gingerly, you slip off your boots and the shawl you had grabbed on the way out of your bedroom. The breeze makes you shiver when more of your skin is exposed to the outside elements, but you ignore it, standing at the water's edge in only a flimsy camisole and sleep shorts.

Unable to resist any longer, you step into the water, pushing away any protest from your body as the cold water rises up your body the farther you submerge. 

You let your body float on top of the pool, tendrils of your hair sticking to your face. Floating here may be the closest thing you can imagine to heaven. Light. Airy. Blanketed. Free. It was almost overwhelming.

As you begin to move your arms to move across the top of the water, something seizes your foot and pulls you back. Jolting upwards, you look around frantically but the surface of the water appears calm as far as you can see. You almost begin to wonder if you had imagined it happening.

But something feels wrong.

Swimming back towards the shore, your heart pounds in your chest. You almost make it before you’re being pulled under completely.

You hold your breath but you’re losing air too quickly. Daring to look down, you see a creature with pitch black eyes and orange fins sticking out in every direction on its face. It smiles when your eyes meet, it’s mouth full of sharp teeth.

You scream. It won’t do any good beneath the water but you scream and thrash and try to kick your foot free from its grasp to no avail. 

Looking up, the sun dances across the surface of the water in the most beautiful way. You’ve never taken the time to see it from this side of the water. And you suppose if this is how you have to die, there could be much worse views to have.

Losing too much air, your body begins to tire and your vision becomes blurry. 

You hope that your father knows that you love him. Even if he kept so much from you, you know his intentions were to protect you. You miss him. You wish you could have the chance to invite him back to the vampire kingdom and see it properly.

You also hope that Hoseok won’t miss you too much. You hope Jungkook will take care of him and make sure he can still cook for Seokjin. You hope he knows how much he and his friendship means to you. You’d be so lost without him in this life.

How you wish you could have at least said goodbye to Jungkook. Tell him that you didn’t hate him if he didn’t already know. That you had started to warm up to the idea of living here with him for the rest of your days. That…kissing him was the single best feeling you’ve ever experienced. If the gods would let you live now you swear you’d tell him.

Your surroundings begin to fade and the last sliver of hope you held onto goes with it. The claws of the creature scratch at your skin and pull you farther down.

A loud crashing sound reverberates around you but you’re unable to open your eyes to see what it is. But what you can feel is the creature releasing you very suddenly. If only you had strength left to swim back up to the surface.

Strong familiar arms wrap around your waist, jerking your body and bringing you out of the water in an instant. Why can’t you open your eyes?

“_____. Look at me. Open your eyes right now.” You recognize Jungkook's voice as it floats into your ears. “Come on, my darling, look at me.”

Water suddenly fills your throat, making you twist to the side to spit it out, coughing and choking slightly. You gasp for air to fill your lungs again and your eyes finally open.

You turn back towards Jungkook.

“There you are, my queen.” Jungkook smiles, softly stroking your cheek. He’s holding you in his lap, an arm behind your head holding you upright.

“You saved me.” Your voice feels hoarse and scratchy.

“I do wish you wouldn’t go swimming with nymphs, darling.” He teases. 

“Thank you.” You cup his cheek in your hand. But when you touch his skin, it’s not the usual cool temperature you’ve come to know. It’s burning hot and blisters are forming in places across his face and exposed arms.

“It’s okay…I’m okay.” Jungkook winces.

“Jungkook…what’s happening? What is it?” It takes your mind too long to catch up with the situation. 

Jungkook is a vampire and he is outside in the sunlight.

“Shit. What should I do? How do I stop it?” Your body aches but you don’t care, you force yourself to sit up.

Jungkook's eyes roll to the back of his skull and he falls onto his back from his sitting position. Panic floods your veins like wildfire.

“Jungkook!” You scramble onto your knees, throwing yourself on top of him. You cover his body with yours to block out the sun the best that you can. “Seokjin!” You scream. “Please hurry!”

You pull Jungkook’s arms beneath you making sure they stay covered from the sun. His beautiful flawless skin is covered in burns and chars. Fuck…how do you make it stop?!

Seokjin comes over the hill in his wolf form, lifting his head up towards the sky and releasing a long howl. After, he rushes towards you, shifting to his human form right in front of you.

You heard his bones crack and watched as his fur disappeared and turned into perfect human skin.

“What’s going on!?” He demands.

“I was drowning…there was a nymph. Jungkook saved me but the sun…” You hadn’t realized that you had started to cry until just now when you tried to speak.

“We have to get him back inside immediately.” Jin states the obvious but you nod your head in agreement. 

“As fast as your legs can take you. Please.” Your eyes meet Jins and he nods. Jungkook begins to shake beneath you, groaning in pain.

Seokjin shifts back to his wolf form, you move just enough to let him lay next to Jungkook and roll him onto Jin's back. The sun is starting to lower more but it’s still too much.  Jungkooks fingers grip tightly into Jin's fur just before the wolf takes off at a dead sprint. 

Your human legs and weak muscles from your near drowning don’t propel you quickly enough but you force them to move you back to the castle, shoving open the door and listening for any sign of where they have taken Jungkook.

Groans of pain take you to the right hallway where you find your husband laid out on the meeting room table, the other vampires scrambling to help him.

“Have one of the servants fetch a human donor right now!” Namjoon shouts at Yoongi.

“There’s no time for that! He’ll be dead before they return with one.” Yoongi tries to cover one of Jungkook's arms with a medicated towel, but he only screams.

“He can have mine. I’m right here.” You announce, ripping open the collar of your shirt to expose your throat as you walk towards the table.

“My lady…you don’t know what you’re doing.” Yoongi grabs your wrist to stop you.

“I’m the reason he’s dying, so let me do this for him now.” You gently touch his hand, you need him to let you go. Yoongi nods once before releasing you.

You climb onto the table where Jungkook is lying, his body shaking. You sit near his head, lifting it to settle in your lap. 

“Jungkook…I need you to bite me, okay? You need my blood to get better.” You press a kiss to his forehead and hold your wrist to his mouth but he doesn’t bite you. “Jungkook…please.” You beg.

He moves his face away from your wrist each time you try to bring it near his mouth. His body still shakes, sweat soaking his white shirt as he lies there in pain.

“I’m asking you to. Jungkook, it’s okay. I promise it’s okay.” You hold your wrist to his mouth once more, hearing him groan before you finally feel the coolness of his lips press to your skin. “That’s it…go ahead.” He presses a very weak kiss to your skin in preparation for the bite that follows it.

You flinch at the sudden feeling of fangs piercing your skin. It’s foreign and strange. Jungkook moans and it makes your head swim. His hands come up to circle your wrist and hold it tighter to his mouth while he takes a long, fluid draw of your blood.

Each time he drinks, your veins fill with liquid fire. It’s too hot. You’re burning up. Tingles shooting from your nerves too many at a time. 

You let your free hand come to Jungkook's hair, brushing it from his face and watching him. He is lust personified. Dark eyes practically flooded with red. His chest rises and falls rapidly while his tongue licks at your skin and catches any drop of your blood that tries to escape him. Deep rumbles of pleasure radiate from his chest.

You’ve never wanted someone so badly. You want him to touch you and feel you and taste. You want him here and there and everywhere. On top of you, beneath you, inside you. You want, want, want.

No, you need him.

“Jungkook…” Your voice sounds weak in your ears but you know he hears you.

“You’re fucking exquisite.” His voice is suddenly in your ear making you reach out to touch his body that’s made its way into your space.

“Are you…okay?” You focus on his face, seeing that the burns and chars have disappeared from his beautiful skin.

“Tell me how you feel…” His tongue is exploring your jaw and throat and you feel too much. 

“I feel like I’m going to explode if I don’t have you.” Your arms slide beneath his arms to hold him around his shoulders.

“How do you want me, darling? I’ll give you anything that you want.” His words slither into your ear and spread until they bloom between your legs.

You grab at the buttons of his shirt, ripping them open to expose a torso sculpted by the gods. All the dips and curves of muscle are begging to be licked by your tongue and stroked by your fingers. 

Jungkook kisses his way from your ear to your jaw until he reaches your lips. Devouring your mouth with his own. He grabs your thighs and lifts you onto his hips, wrapping them around his waist.

“I want you so much.” You can barely get the words out between kisses and strokes of his tongue.

“Take what you want.. Every bit of me is yours” Jungkook drags his fangs across your jaw in the most enticing way.

“Your highness…” A voice that doesn’t belong to Jungkook says. 

“What?!” Jungkook's firm body leaves you as he spins around, snarling at the person interrupting your moment of passion.

“You should clear your head and think about whether you really want to continue this…here.” You recognize the voice as Yoongi now that the fog in your mind has a moment to start lifting.

Jungkook whirls back around to look down at you, your shirt ripped open, blood covering your arm where he had drank from you. You are beautiful beyond words.

You watch as the heaving of his chest begins to slow and the deep brown of his eyes becomes more prominent than the red that was there just a moment ago. His hair is tousled and his mouth was stained from your blood. How was it possible to look like an angel and a demon all at once?

“I’m…I'm sorry.” He bends forward and cups your face in his hands. “Tell me that you’re okay?” 

You try to catch your breath before you answer him, afraid that your voice will shake. The fog in your head lifts more and you suddenly don’t know what has come over you. You were ready to fuck the vampire king on the middle of the meeting room table in front of his most trusted friends. 

You scramble away from Jungkook, pulling at your shirt to cover yourself from all of the eyes in the room.

“I can’t. I need…I should go.” You bite your bottom lip to try and keep the tears from falling.

“______, please don’t go. We should talk about what just took place. My bite…” Jungkook follows you off the table, grabbing your wrist.

“I cannot even look at you right now, your highness. Please let me go.” You don’t look at him, eyes instead meeting Jins as he stands in the doorway. His face shows concern and sympathy that you can barely stand to see.

“Don’t walk away.” Jungkook quietly begs.

You don’t answer him, you simply continue walking out of the meeting room, looking down at the floor the entire time to avoid any more looks from the others. You felt awkward and uncomfortable…but mostly humiliated.

As you reach the bottom of the stairs, the oversized front doors of the castle swing open, a royal guard rushing inside.

“Your majesties.” The guard bows as Jungkook joins you in the foyer. You make sure to keep distance between the two of you.

“What’s going on?” Jungkook asks the guard.

“He’s here, your highness.” The guard seems almost spooked.

“Who is here?” You question. Jungkook visibly stiffens as if he is on high alert. 

“I can smell them.” Namjoon says, his deep voice making the hair on your arms stand at attention. 

Suddenly Seokjin is changing into his wolf form, growling quietly as he comes to stand between you and the open doors in front of you. Your heart begins to beat too quickly as the pieces fall into place and you remember who it is that is arriving earlier than everyone thought he would be.

“I’m not going to tell you to hide away. I won’t do that ever again. But Taehyung is dangerous, a loose cannon at best. I won’t hesitate if he threatens you in any way.” Jungkook is in front of you now, desperation in his eyes as he waits for you to answer him.

“I’m ready. I promise.” You whisper the words and Jungkook nods, thankful that he doesn’t touch you like you thought that he would.

“Ready for what?” A deep, buttery voice that you don’t recognize says from the doorway. You had not even seen them approach. “How sweet of you all to greet us.”

You presume this man is Taehyung. His long, dark hair is half pulled back and his smile is intimidating and full of menace. The long cloak he wears is made of thick fur and drags the ground as he walks back and forth, his golden colored eyes landing on you. 

“Have you come to discuss land or have you come to stare at my queen? Only one of those choices allows you to leave here alive, Taehyung.” Jungkook stands in front of you slightly and Jin lowers his head to snarl at Taehyung.

“So hostile and I’ve only been here for a moment.” Taehyung begins to walk in a circle around the three of you. “I suppose I can’t blame you for marrying a human when she looks the way this one does.” Those golden eyes flash and follow any move you make. 

You can feel his eyes rake over you, your soaked pajamas doing nothing to hide you from him. There’s also blood slowly drying to your arm and to Jungkook’s mouth. You can’t even imagine what all of this must look like to these strangers.

“You’re pushing your luck already, Taehyung.” Jungkooks jaw is wound as tight as it can be.

“Fine then. You want to talk? Let’s talk.” Taehyung practically growls, scowling at Seokjin before he moves to spit at him. “Traitor.”

You’ve had enough.

You reach down to your thigh and yank your knife from its sheath, rushing between Taehyung and Seokjin who was starting to cower and whimper. You can see Taehyung's guards moving behind him but they’re too late, your blade is at their king's throat.

“You have a lot of nerve coming into his home and spitting at him. I should slice you from ear to ear for even thinking such a thing would be allowed.” You seethe through your teeth, watching as the menacing smile returns to Taehyung's face. He raises a hand in the air, signaling his guards to stop.

“_____…” Jungkooks says from behind you, his teeth clenched.

“My king?” One of the guards comes up closer behind Taehyung. He has one golden eye and one pitch black eye. He’s smaller in stature than the others, black hair that falls into his face and full lips pulled into a scowl.

“It’s quite alright, Jimin.” Taehyung puts both hands up when you tighten the blade against his skin. He looks at Jungkook over your shoulder. “Managed yourself a rather feisty one, didn’t you Jungkook?”

Jungkook snarls loudly, his chest pressing up against your back and an arm wrapping around your waist protectively. 

“That’s enough! If you want to talk, I suggest you follow the king's advisor to the meeting room or these negotiations will be over before they’ve even begun.” You look at Namjoon, who is standing with his hand on his sword and a very large werewolf guard in front of him. He nods to you, straightening his stance.

“This way.” Namjoon says and you remove your blade from Taehyung's throat, letting Jungkook move you a few steps back and out of reach. Taehyung laughs quietly.

“It will be in your best interest that these negotiations go well, your highness.” Taehyung let’s Jimin stand in front of him now. You glare at the werewolf king, making sure he can see your distaste for anything that comes out of his mouth.

“We shall see, your highness.”

#jungkook fic #jungkook x reader #vampire jungkook #bts fic #jungkook smut #bts #jungkook #btsdreamcourt #btshoneyhive #btscarnivalnet #btscreatorscorner #bangtansorciere #52hertz #btswritersclub #bangtanarmynet #clubzerooclock #btswritingcafe #Spotify

[rose-sophia-isabella-rogers]

A Steel That Went Through Hottest Fire: Chapter XI - Like an Emerald by Day and Like a Ruby by Night

Chapter Summary: Though angry at first, Aleksander calms down and takes you somewhere you've wanted to go for years. When you come back you start working on a cure for him. Can you save him in time for his fight with Alina?

Pairing: Aleksander Kirigan/Reader, Ivan/Fedyor Kaminsky

Characters: Aleksander Kirigan, Reader, Ivan, Fruzsi, Vladim Gulav, Fedyor Kaminsky

Word Count: 4353

A/N: This chapter contains a bit of plot and a dialogue from episode seven of season two. Smut alert! If you don't like it or are underage, please, don't read from "You undress each other." to "After a few minutes, your lover pulls out of you gently and stands up.". Enjoy! Inspired by prompts: https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089798517/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089798512/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089798539/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089786955/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089794942/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089792241/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389090191272/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089795875/ moya – my (feminine object)

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added or removed):

@budugu

@intothesoul

@mizelophsun11

@pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy

@zeeader

@marrymonrich

@wonderland2425

@chelseyyouraverageluigi

@thehufflepuffavenger1

You and Aleksander ride in silence for some time. Finally, you have to stop to give horses a break. You glance at your lover nervously. His lips are pressed together tightly and his face is grim. He's angry. That's sure. You hesitate whether you should try to explain yourself now or let him cool down first. But you decide he may not cool down at all, and you don't want to argue with him with others present. Again.

'So,' you say after clearing your throat, 'you found the note, then?'

'What note?' Kirigan asks, turning to you with a frown. You blink.

'The one I left on the bed,' you answer, confused. 'If you haven't found it, then how did you know where I am?'

Aleksander stares at you for a moment. He exhales slowly, as he remembers the moment he found out you're gone…

He was in his room, looking over reports. Suddenly, there's a knock and Fedyor walked in after an invitation. Kirigan's really glad to have him back by his side.

'Forgive me, General,' the Heartrender said, smiling slightly. 'But we can't find [Y/N] anywhere. We wondered whether she's with you.'

'She's gone again?' Aleksander sighed. 'She's not here. Who was the last to see her?'

'Actually… no one saw her today yet,' Fedyor answered nervously. 'Vladim was confused by her absence in the workshop, so we started looking for her. There's no sign of her anywhere.'

The Darkling froze. He hadn't seen you today either. When he had woken up, the other side of his bed, the one you had slept on that night, had been cold. He got lost in his head for a moment, remembering the moments before you had gone to sleep. His heart skipped a beat. General cursed in his mind, sure the Heartrender picked up on it.

'Search the whole mansion and the woods,' he barked, throwing the papers on the table. 'I want her found.'

'Yes, General,' Fedyor said, bowing his head slightly. He hurried out of the room, scared of the consequences if they wouldn't find you.

But they didn't. Kirigan was furious. And terrified. He paced around his room nervously, trying to figure out where you could have gone or how to find you.

He stopped. A thought had occurred to him. The moment it did, a nichevo formed in front of him. They looked at each other.

'Can you find her?' Aleksander asked. It felt weird to address it like that, not giving it orders. But to his surprise, nichevo turned into shadows and passed through the window. It materialised there again. Kirigan grabbed his cloak and hurried outside.

'Take me to her,' he ordered, mounting his horse. He rode after nichevo, only stopping to give the horse short breaks.

Suddenly, the nichevo stopped and disappeared. Kirigan dismounted and lead the horse quietly. His heart skipped a beat, seeing your horse. He left his horse there as well and looked around.

Just then, his mother and that tracked came out of some secret place. He stopped in the shadows and listened in. His smile grew the more he heard. According to his mother, the tracker is an amplifier. The Firebird.

'Your nichevo found me,' you say quietly. 'And Mal is the Firebird.'

Aleksander nods. You're both silent for a moment. Neither of you knows what to think about your connection with his nichevoy'a. And that they listen to you apparently.

'What were you thinking?' Kirigan asks, suddenly angry again. 'Why did you leave on your own? And what were you doing there anyway? Whatever that place was.'

'It was Morozova's workshop,' you explain, surprising your lover. 'And you would have known why I went there, alone, if you had found the note on my bed.'

The Darkling exhales slowly, looking up. He'll have their heads for not looking through your room thoroughly.

'Since I haven't… why were you there?' he asks, looking at you again. 'I guess you went alone without telling anyone about it, so no one would have stopped you.'

'Yes,' you confirm. 'And I went there to find a cure for you.'

Aleksander stares at you, stunned. You play with your hair nervously.

'I managed to figure out the place of his workshop from his journal and some books about him I read back in the Little Palace,' you explain. 'From the journal you gave me, I've managed to decipher that he too had similar problems after using merzost. He didn't explain how he had dealt with them in in, but I understood that he did explain it somewhere.'

'You decided to go to a place you believed there may be more journals,' Kirigan guesses. You nod. Your lover sighs, running a hand through his face.

'I appreciate you going this far for me, but I… I don't want to lose you in the process,' he says and looks at you softly. 'It's not worth it. I… I don't want to live at the expense of your life. I wouldn't want it.'

You look at him with tears in your eyes. He has some in his as well. You cup his cheek and he leans into your touch.

'While meeting Alina, Baghra and Mal was unexpected and maybe a bit dangerous,' you say, earning a scoff from Aleksander, 'it gave us what we needed. You found out the real identity of the Firebird… and I found a way to cure you.'

The Darkling stares at you, stunned. You let go of his cheek and reach behind your kefta. You pull out a worn-out journal.

'It's also a scrabbling of a mad-man, albeit not so much,' you say. 'He describes his first pollution with merzost and how he dealt with it. It's all fascinating, really- But you don't want to listen about that. Anyway, I know a way to cure you. Well, more or less. I know what I need, but I have to decipher how to do it.'

'What do you need?' Kirigan asks after a moment. You shake your head.

'It's in my things at the mansion,' you say dismissively. 'I'll explain everything to you once I figure out how exactly I can save you.'

'You are…' Aleksander says, shaking his head at the loss of words. He cups your face and kisses your lips. You gasp and then moan into the kiss. You pull away after a minute, dazed.

'Shall we come back?' you whisper, eager to get to work. The Darkling hesitates.

'Actually… I've had this idea for some time,' he says and looks you in the eyes. 'You know what village is nearby.'

Your eyes darken. You nod after a moment.

'I know you didn't want to come back on your own,' Kirigan says. 'Would… would you like to go there with me?'

You wonder about it. You consider all pros and cons. Finally, you look with determination at Aleksander and answer:

'Yes.'

*

Your whole body is tense as you ride into the village you were born in. You don't even know if it looks the same. You barely remember it. You look at the villagers, not recognising anyone. They all look at you nervously, intimidated by your keftas. Especially Aleksander's. They know who he is, what's done and what he can do.

'I don't even remember which house was mine,' you admit, once you and Kirigan dismount.

'Let's ask someone, then,' he proposes. 'There's someone.'

He points with his head at an older woman, who stares at you with no fear in her eyes. You approach her with a gentle smile on your face.

'Hello,' you greet her. 'I'm looking for Iryna [L/N].'

Sadness clouds her face. She points with her finger silently. You look where she's pointing and your heart drops. It's a graveyard.

'When?' you ask quietly.

'Two winters ago,' the woman answers and looks at you. 'You're her daughter, aren't you? Little [Y/N].'

'Yeah,' you confirm. You feel Aleksander's hand on your shoulder.

'I'm sorry for your loss,' the woman says with sorrow. 'She never forgot you, you know. She wanted to visit you many times. But her husband never allowed her.'

She spits on the ground. Her face grimaces in anger.

'He didn't even wait a month before he married another one,' she says and scoffs. 'We wouldn't be surprised if he had killed your mother. To marry a younger one. And now he has a little girl with her, too. Poor child.'

'Thank you,' you say numbly and start walking toward the graveyard. Kirigan follows you.

'I'm sorry,' he says quietly, squeezing your hand, but you don't answer. 'Do you want me to come with you… or do you prefer it to do it on your own?'

'On my own, I think,' you answer after a moment. Your lover stops you and presses a kiss to your forehead.

'I'll wait for you,' he whispers and lets you go. You enter the graveyard alone. It doesn't take you long to find your mother's grave. The stones lead you to it. It's simple. With just her name and dates of life. You stare at it in silence.

'I'm sorry, Mother,' you say finally. 'I should have been braver and come here. Save you from him. I hope, though, you're happy now. Wherever you are. And don't worry, Mother. Your daughter is a soldier.'

In the meantime, Aleksander walks around the village, searching. He finally finds the house he's looking for. Your old home.

'Katarina?! Is that you?!' he hears a gruffy voice. 'Bring me my kvas!'

'I think it's hardly a way to talk to one's wife,' Kirigan says, stepping out from the shadows into the main room. The man sitting on a chair goes pale. He's fat, almost completely bald and very dirty.

'The Darkling…' he whispers and falls on his knees. 'Please, don't hurt me! I beg you!'

'You know, ever since I've heard about you, I've wondered whether I should kill you,' Kirigan says, walking slowly toward the man. 'You see, you've treated someone dear to me very poorly. You were horrible to her. And yet, if it wasn't for your greed, I would have never met her. But today I found out you may have killed her mother, whom she loved very much. Now, tell me… and don't lie… did you kill your first wife?'

Your father shivers. He stars at the Darkling, absolutely terrified. He pees himself when he sees shadows moving menacingly behind him. He starts blabbing incoherently.

'Aleksander,' a voice startles both men. Kirigan turns and sees you in the doorway. You look at him, your face wet from tears, but then your eyes fall on your father.

'[Y/N],' he says, stunned. 'Saints… you look just like your good-for-nothing mother.'

Your eyes harden. You slowly start walking toward him. Too late he realises he's made a mistake.

'My mother was a Saint,' you growl. 'You are good-for-nothing. Tell me, are you already terrorising your second daughter for being a woman?'

Your father looks down, scared. You scoff. Of course, he does.

'What should I do with him, lapushka?' Aleksander asks, standing next to you. He's absolutely ready to punish this man for everything he's done to you and your mother.

'Nothing,' you answer. Both men look at you with surprise. But then your father starts choking. After a moment his eyes fall on your hands. Your fists are clenched.

'I didn't want to kill you,' you say, crouching in front of him, because he's on the floor now. 'I just wanted to save my mother from you. She wouldn't want me to do it. But she's gone. And while some would probably say that I should be a bigger person and forgive you for everything you've done to me and my mother… I won't. Because I have a right to feel angry. I have a right to hate you for what you've put us through. Others would have said letting you live is a worse punishment. No. You'd just live your life like you did before I showed up. But death? Death is final. You're afraid of not existing anymore. And when you're dead… you can't hurt anyone else.'

Your father's eyes bulge out. He gurgles. He tries to say something. But then blood spurts from his mouth and nose. He falls on the floor, his eyes staring at the wall. You stand down.

'It appears you've spent too much time with me,' Aleksander says after a moment of stunned silence. You turn to him. Your lip wobbles. Seeing what's happening, Kirigan quickly gathers you in his arms. The moment he does, you start crying. He holds you tight, allowing you to let it all out.

You're interrupted a few minutes later, by a woman walking in. She gasps at the sight of your father's dead body. You pull away from Aleksander and look at her pale and bruised face.

'He won't hurt you anymore,' you say and her eyes snap to you. 'You're free.'

You take Kirigan's hand and lead him out. The woman falls back, staring at you with wide eyes. She watches you as you leave her house.

No one stops you from reaching your horses. You mount them and head back to the woods.

'We're coming back?' you ask.

'Yes,' Aleksander confirms and looks at you with worry. 'Are you alright?'

'Yes,' you confirm and give him a determined look. 'I really am. It… it hurts but I barely remember her anyway. And while I couldn't save her, her death motivates me even more to save the only other person this important to me.'

'Just not the expense of yourself,' Aleksander insists. You smile beautifully at him.

'Oh, don't worry, I don't intend to sacrifice myself,' you assure him. 'I still haven't kissed nor had sex with you as much as I'd like.'

You wink at him and ride away, leaving him baffled and flustered behind you. But he chuckles and rides after you quickly. He's so glad you're finally his.

*

Once you're back in the mansion, you hurry to the workshop to work on Morozova's journal. You ignore everyone who wants to greet you with relief and start working. There's no time to lose. You know Aleksander is going to face Alina soon. And he needs to be in full strength to do that.

Hours later, Kirigan, Fedyor, Ivan and Vladim watch you engross with work from behind the door. Earlier, the Darkling have told him about what happened in Morozova's workshop and in the village you were from.

'I can't believe she's acting as if nothing happened,' Fedyor whispers. 'The girl has just found out her father murdered her mother and then killed him herself. And she doesn't seem bothered at all!'

'She's strong,' Aleksander says quietly.

'She's strong, but she's exhausted,' Ivan points out. Kirigan looks at your face closely. He can see the Heartrender is right. You have dark circles under your eyes and you keep blinking. You rub your eyes every now and then, desperately trying to stop yourself from yawning.

'I have an idea,' the Darkling says. 'Leave.'

Three men look at him, then nod. It's hard to pull you away from your work, but Kirigan is the one who actually manages it sometimes. So, they leave and he enters the workshop.

'It's late,' he speaks up and you glance at him. 'Leave this for today. Come to bed. You need sleep.'

'I don't need to go to bed,' you deny, as he stands behind you. 'I'm not tired. I'll be fine.'

'But darling, I'll be so lonely without you,' Aleksander purrs, putting his head on your shoulder and grabbing your waist. 'Come curl in my arms, so I can feel whole again.'

'O-oh. Well,' you say, flustered, but then frown. 'Hold on. Are you trying to seduce me into healthy sleeping patterns?'

'Is it working?' Kirigan asks after a pause. You laugh and turn to face him. You shake your head.

'Alright, you won,' you say. He grins at you and picks you up. You let out a yelp.

'Hey, I can walk!' you protest. 'Put me down!'

'No, you can always change your mind,' the Darkling says. You laugh as he carries you to his bedroom. You take a quick bath and then Kirigan goes. When he returns, you're already fast asleep on his bed. He looks at you fondly, and caresses your cheek.

'Moya milaya,' he says quietly and looks at you with sadness. 'Even if we can't be together in the end, I'm glad that you were a part of my life.'

Next day, you all set out for Keramzin. You set up a camp nearby Alina and Mal's old orphanage. Inside his tent, the Darkling is plotting his next move, when you suddenly walk inside, your look a bit wild.

'I have it,' you declare. 'I can save you. Come here.'

You walk to him. Determined. You reach out for him, but he grabs your hand. You look at him, surprised. He looks at you seriously.

'Explain to me what you're going to do, first,' he says. You sigh but oblige and say:

'Many crystals have healing, cleansing and purifying abilities. Morozova tested many of them, using his Durast powers to amplify that and use them to drove the merzost from his body. It worked better or worse, but one crystal was perfect for this purpose and he used it every time after he used merzost since then.'

'Which stone?' Aleksander asks. Your lips twitch.

'Alexandrite,' you answer, baffling your lover. 'Quite fitting, don't you think? It has a purifying and renewing powers. It balances all levels of life. It brings strength, when needed most. And also good luck, good fortune… love. So, I'd say it's quite perfect for helping you, wouldn't you agree?'

'Where can we find it?' Kirigan asks. You reach inside your kefta and take out a small crystal. It seems to be changing colour when you move it around.

'It has an ability to display a change of colour… which is called an alexandrite effect… dependent upon the nature of ambient lighting,' you explain and smile slightly. 'And I have it with me, because it reminds me of you. You renew my power, always try to balance my life. You bring me strength, make me feel loved. And you can also change, depending on the circumstances.'

Aleksander looks at you softly. He reaches out and caress your cheek. You lean into his touch.

'May I?' you ask. The Darkling hesitates.

'Will it hurt you?' he asks.

'Don't you believe in me?' you ask, your look serious. Kirigan sighs and relents. He nods and sits down when you point him to a chair.

'Close your eyes,' you ask him. He does so and for a moment you observe him. Then, you shake yourself off and take his hand. You place alexandrite on his palm and clench it around it. Then you take his hand in your hands and close your eyes. You focus completely on the crystal and use your powers to manipulate it.

Aleksander groans, feeling merzost moving in him. He doesn't open his eyes nor pulls away. He trusts you. Even though it hurts. But you gently caress his hand with your finger, soothing him.

You're so focused on your work, you don't even notice when Ivan, Fruzsi, Fedyor and Vladim burst in, alarmed by wind flopping General's tent around. They stare at you two with wide eyes. Black substance is leaving the Darkling's body and is absorbed by the alexandrite in his hand.

A moment later he takes in a deep breath. He opens his eyes wide, surprised to suddenly feel so well and… free. He looks at you, amazed.

You let go of his hand. He opens it and is stunned to see the alexandrite is completely black. He looks at you with awe.

'I've done it,' you whisper with a wide smile and Aleksander's eyes go wide when blood dribbles from your nose. 'I've saved you.'

Your eyes roll back and you fall forward into Kirigan's arms. He catches you and checks for your pulse, panicked.

'Get me a Healer!' he orders, knowing about others' presence. 'Now!'

Fedyor rushes out, while Ivan walks to check on you. When you wake up some time later, you're lying in the Darkling's bed by his side. His eyes are glued to you.

'How are you feeling?' he asks you. You stretch.

'Better,' you answer. 'But I'm going to lay down a bit more. And you?'

'I haven't felt this good in weeks,' he replies and you beam at him. 'But you nearly exhausted yourself completely. Lapushka, never do that again. Please. I was so scared.'

You caress his cheek. He gives you a sad look.

'It was a bit harder than I assumed,' you admit. 'It's just… there was so much chaos inside you.'

'I felt it,' Kirigan says, nodding. 'And in the middle of my chaos there was you. You really saved me, [Y/N].'

You smile at him bashfully and he kisses you. The kiss becomes more passionate with every second. You moan into it, pulling him closer to yourself.

'I need you,' Aleksander whispers in your mouth. Your answer is taking off his kefta. But you freeze when you notice something. His kefta no longer has golden embroidery. But purple and grey. You look at Kirigan's face, stunned. He stares at you softly.

'I ordered to have it made after Miss Starkov attacked me,' he explains. 'I should have done it sooner, to be honest.'

'I didn't expect you to wear my colours at all,' you admit, caressing his face. He leans into your touch, closes his eyes and smiles.

'The whole world is going to hell and we have blood on our hands, but once you touch my face, I am clean of all my sins,' he says. You chuckle, blushing furiously.

'Let me show you how much you mean to me,' the Darkling says, opening his eyes. You undress each other. Your lips barely come apart.

'Aleksander, please…' you whisper. Your lover starts kissing your neck, as his fingers prepare your entrance for him. Soon you're gasping and moaning. You're not far behind, as your fingers find his hardness and you stroke it gently. He grunts and pants, joining your lips once again.

'Tell me you need me, lapushka,' he pleads. You cup his face and look him in the eyes.

'I need you,' you say. Kirigan attaches his lips to your neck. He kisses and sucks it, making you gasp. But it quickly turns into a moan, when he finally enters you.

'You feel so good, ' your lover groans, thrusting in and out. You'd answer him, but his actions have made you currently speechless. You answer him with moving your hips instead. He moans and moves faster. He puts his hands on your breasts and massages them, causing you to moan as well.

'Aleksander…' you whisper. His name falling from your lips urges him on. He thrusts harder. You don't complain. You put your arms around him and press him closer to you.

'[Y/N]…' he says and starts repeating your name like a prayer. You do the same with his. Eventually, you both scream each other's names as you reach your peaks.

After a few minutes, your lover pulls out of you gently and stands up. He cleans you both, then walks to the table. Your eyes never leave him, taking the sight of him with pleasure.

'Here,' Kirigan says, handing you a cup of water. You both drink and he gets back to bed with you.

'We're going to attack soon, aren't we?' you ask. The Darkling is silent for a moment.

'Yes,' he finally confirms.

'Did you send anyone after Mal?' you ask hesitantly.

'He's not to be touched by anyone by me,' Kirigan answers. You sigh.

'And how do you know he hasn't already sacrificed himself to amplify her?' you ask.

'I believe she would die before allowing that to happen,' Aleksander answers. You think about it for a moment, then shrug.

'You're probably right,' you say.

'Of course, I am,' Kirigan says. 'Because I'd rather die than allow you to sacrifice yourself for me. You have a place in my heart no one else could ever have.'

You smile and stifle a yawn. Kirigan kisses your temple.

'Sleep, moya milaya,' he says. 'You're safe here.'

You nod and close your eyes. In a moment you're asleep. Aleksander caresses your cheek and stands up. He dresses himself and puts a note on his side of the bed. He looks at you with sadness. He kisses your forehead.

'Forgive me, [Y/N],' he says quietly. 'I only ever thought there were two types of love: the kind you'd kill for and the kind you'd die for. But you, my darling… you were the kind of love I'd live for. Forgive me.'

You don't even stir. Aleksander moves away and leaves the tent. Outside everyone is already ready to march out. Kirigan walks to Vladim and hands him a vial.

'Are you sure this will work?' he asks.

'Absolutely, General,' Vladim confirms. 'She'll be asleep for hours. Nothing will wake her.'

The Darkling nods with satisfaction. He turns to Fedyor and Ivan.

'Guard her with your lives,' he orders.

'Yes, General,' Fedyor says, both of Heartrenders nodding. Kirigan nods. A moment later Grisha leave to attack their enemies.

'He's sure he's going to win,' Kaminsky says to his lover. 'And yet he acts as if he wasn't to see [Y/N] again. Makes her stay here, as if he was to die in that fight.'

'He believes she's not going to forgive him that,' Ivan says. Fedyor scoffs.

'She'd forgive him genocide,' he says. 'Oh, wait. She did.'

'But this is breaking her trust, it's different,' Ivan argues. His beloved says nothing to that. He glances behind himself at General's tent.

'She's not going to be happy when she wakes up,' he says.

'No,' Ivan agrees and sighs. 'No, she won't.'

A/N: Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts! Reblog, like and comment if you could. Every comment makes my day!

This can also be found on Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52696933/chapters/134553829

#aleksander kirigan #aleksander morovoza #the darkling #general kirigan #reader #aleksander kirigan x reader #aleksander morozova x reader #the darkling x reader #general kirigan x reader #aleksander kirigan/reader #aleksander morozova/reader #the darkling/reader #general kirigan/reader #aleksander kirigan & reader #aleksander morozova & reader #the darkling & reader #general kirigan & reader #aleksander kirigan x you #aleksander morozova x you #the darkling x you #general kirigan x you #aleksander kirigan/you #aleksander morozova/you #the darkling/you #general kirigan/you #aleksander kirigan & you #aleksander morozova & you #the darkling & you #general kirigan & you #shadow and bone

[readerinsertsaremyguiltypleasure]

An Unexpected Taste of Love: Chapter One

Pairing: Darkling x Female Reader

Rating: Teen and Up

Summary: You are a servant at the Grand Palace, but when a threat to the Second Army’s General leads to the King assigning him a taster, you are forced into a new role that just may be the starting point for a whole new journey.

Author’s note: I haven’t read the books but there may be a couple of small references to them that I have picked up from other sources (other fics, the grishaverse wiki, etc). Other than that, this fic is solely based on the TV show version of the Darkling.

Warnings: Near death experience, The Darkling is his own warning

———————————————————

Masterlist | Chapter Two >

You were in the kitchen polishing the silverware when you were summoned. It was not uncommon for you to be pulled away from various tasks throughout the day, there was always something else to do in the Grand Palace - Lords or Ladies who could not wait another second for you to cater to their every need - but a direct audience with the King and Queen was a rarity.

Not rare enough, you thought to yourself as you bowed to the two royals sitting at their thrones.

‘How may I be of service, moi tsar?’ you asked, polite and professional and not at all betraying the growing sense of dread you were feeling.

‘There has been talk amongst our enemies,’ said the King in his usual pompous tone that made sure everybody else knew he was more important than them. ‘A plot that threatens our Second Army. More specifically, their General.’

You frowned, confused. What did this have to do with you?

‘Serious as such a threat is,’ you said, choosing your words carefully, ‘General Kirigan is a very capable man. I’m not sure how I can be of use.’

The Queen tsked disapprovingly but did not comment.

‘The General is our most powerful Grisha and one of our greatest assets in the war,’ said the King. You fought back your grimace at hearing him refer to a person as an “asset”, as if they were property and nothing more. ‘We can take no chances. Which is why you will be reassigned to the Little Palace as his personal taster to ensure that even a threat from within would fail.’

A cold shiver of fear washed over you at the announcement. There had been enough attempts on the King’s life throughout the years for you to know that poison was a favoured method of assassination… and a very nasty one. You didn’t want to die that way.

But you also knew you didn’t have a choice in this. To refuse the assignment would be akin to treason.

‘Of course, moi tsar,’ you said with another bow. The movement made you feel nauseous. ‘When do I start?’

‘Straight away, so you had better pack your things quickly. You are to taste every meal until this threat has been discovered. No exceptions.’

You recognised the dismissal for what it was and gave one final bow before leaving the room with as much dignity as your nerves would allow. What you were nervous about most, you weren’t sure. Not only did your new role carry the possibility of a painful death, but it would also bring you in direct contact with the most powerful man in all Ravka. Sure, the King had a higher status, but General Kirigan’s power was of his own making and could not be stripped as easily as a title. Even from just the few times you had been in the same room, you could tell that he had intelligence and patience way beyond that of the royals.

And it didn’t help that he was incredibly handsome as well.

It was sure to be an interesting assignment, even if it ended up being your last.

----

It did not take long for you to pack up your things, and soon you were being shown to a new room in a new palace. ‘The General very rarely eats with the other Grisha,’ said your escort, Mina, a fellow servant. ‘He mainly has his meals in his rooms, and they can be at irregular times.’

You nodded along, trying not to get distracted by your new surroundings. The Little Palace was not as glamourous as the Grand Palace, but new environments were few and far between for you. Serving the royal house did not leave you with much free time.

‘Here we are,’ said Mina, opening a nondescript wooden door. The room beyond was much the same as your one at the Grand Palace, and you felt silly for thinking it would be different; a modest bed, one chair, a small table, a chest of drawers, and a clock. It had no character whatsoever, but it was warm and dry, so you counted yourself lucky.

‘Dinner is in three hours,’ said Mina. ‘But it’s best to be early. Especially tonight.’

‘What’s tonight?’ you asked.

‘They are celebrating the union of two Grisha. It’s not a big party, but a party nonetheless.’

You nodded, nerves rapidly returning. You always hated serving at parties, but at least the servers blended into the background as they did their tasks. Tasters were watched.

‘Thank you for your help,’ you said, putting on a polite smile even as your stomach tied itself in knots. ‘I won’t keep you any longer. I’m sure you have lots to do.’

Mina nodded gratefully before scurrying out of the room, no doubt off to help prepare for the night’s festivities. It was only once she had left that you realised that you didn’t actually know how to get to the dining hall.

----

The dining hall, as it happened, was not hard to find. People were already starting to converge there and all you really had to do was follow the crowd. Once inside, you stood at the back of the room with the other people dressed in white and waited for the food to arrive.

While waiting, your eyes scanned the room, looking for black amongst all the reds, blues and purples. It didn’t take long to find your target. General Kirigan was already sitting at his designated seat, looking over the festivities without joining them. Even while comfortable and content, he looked imposing, leaving no doubt that he was the one in charge. He would have reminded you of the King if it hadn’t been for the fondness in his eyes as he watched his people celebrate.

There was a scurry of movement beside you, bringing you out of your thoughts with a start, and you tensed as the servers began fetching refreshments from the kitchen.

Showtime.

You closed your eyes and took a moment to will your heartrate to go down, reminding yourself that your job was a precaution and that it was unlikely that the food was actually poisoned. Once you had managed to convince yourself that you were not going to die that night, you opened your eyes and made your way to the General’s table, grabbing a spare stool as you went.

‘General,’ you bowed before placing the stool opposite him and sitting down. He raised a questioning eyebrow at you, but a second later, the food arrived and he seemed to realise why you were there.

‘I did try and tell the King that this was unnecessary,’ he sighed, irritated.

You tried your best to ignore the looks you were getting from those seated around you and kept your focus on the General. ‘The King is a hard man to sway,’ you said, making sure to keep your expression neutral.

The General made a noise of annoyed agreement before picking up his fork. ‘Well, I am quite capable of eating my own food, so you are free to leave. I will tell the King that you are doing your duty.’

‘With all due respect, General,’ you said, making him pause. He raised his eyebrow at you again, but you continued anyway. ‘If you are poisoned, the King will have my head. If he even found out that I had not been doing as he ordered, I would most likely be locked up for treason. I’d rather not take that chance.’

For a few agonising seconds, General Kirigan said nothing, and you fisted the fabric of your dress at your lap, hating that your fate was in this man’s hands. You couldn’t force him to let you be his taster, and if he refused, it was only a matter of time before the King found out.

Eventually, however, he held his fork out to you, a silent invitation for you to proceed. You let out a breath of relief and took the utensil, your fingers accidentally brushing his as you did so. You quickly looked down at the food in front of you, hiding your blush.

Saints, you were already messing this up.

More people were watching you now and you tried not squirm under their gaze as you stabbed at a random vegetable. The food was better than what you knew was usually served – most likely due to the celebratory nature of the event – and you did your best not to seem like you were savouring the crisp taste.

Remembering that it could very well be poisoned helped with that.

The minute long wait to see if you’d drop dead seemed to take hours, and by the end of it, you were so fidgety, you were sure the whole room was judging you.

When you were sure that the food was safe, you put the fork down and pushed the one that had been allocated to you towards the General, seeing as he had given you his. ‘Should be safe,’ you said, finally meeting his gaze. He was watching you with an amused smirk. You didn’t know if that was good or bad, but it did remind you of just how attractive the man in front of you was, and you looked away again, this time blushing for a completely different reason. Thankfully, you only had one more thing to do before you could escape until the next course.

You reached for the goblet next to the General’s plate to test the wine that had just been poured, but suddenly a hand was around your wrist, stopping you. Your eyes followed the black sleeve up to meet the General’s gaze. He no longer looked amused.

‘The wine was opened at the table,’ he reminded you, stern but not angry like you had expected him to be. ‘It is no more poison than any other wine.’

If people weren’t judging you before, they certainly were now.

‘But what of the goblet?’ you asked, forcing yourself to hold the General’s stare.

His eyes bored into yours for a few moments, assessing you, before he looked to his goblet and then back to you. His lips twitched as he released your wrist and sat back in his seat. It almost looked like he was impressed.

You let out the breath you had been holding and finally allowed yourself to break eye contact. You couldn’t believe that you had just stared down the Darkling and won, even if it was over something as small as a sip of wine.

The wine, naturally, was not poisoned, but you didn’t allow that to sway your opinion that you had been right to test it. Thankfully, the General did not berate you for any “unnecessary” actions; he simply dismissed you so he could carry on with his meal in peace.

You happily left him to it, returning to your place at the back of the room and hoping it would be a while until the next course. Every now and then, the General would glance over to where you were standing, and if it wasn’t for the fact that you were just a servant, you would have said that he looked intrigued by you.

But you were just a servant, and you were hardly interesting enough to garner any attention from noblemen or generals

No, you doubted you would make much of an impression on anyone at all.

#darkling x reader #the darkling x reader #the darkling #darkling x female reader #general kirigan x reader #general kirigan #aleksander morozova x reader #I still haven't quite finished #but I've made a lot of progress the last few days #and it's given me the boost of overconfidence I needed to start posting

[naushtheaspiringauthor]

~Child Of The Storm~

Nikolai Lantsov x OC

Image by - @brokendreamtale2

Warnings- none

A/N- Let me know if you'd like to be added or removed from the taglist!

Taglist- @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @sirisuorionblack @nadeleine123n @marauders-wife

Ch-35 ~Big decisions~

The three of them stood there, unsure of what to do next. They hadn’t been dismissed, but hadn’t been told to stay either. The King’s advisers studied them with blatant curiosity, while the courtiers tittered and whispered.

 At one point Anaya heard shouting coming from the hall. and it seemed Alina had aswell. Maybe they were arguing about how long to leave them standing there. Anaya was truly fighting the urge to get out of the doomed hall and run to her chamber at the Little Palace

Finally, after what must have been the better part of an hour, the royal family returned. The King was beaming. The Queen’s face had gone pale. Vasily looked livid. But the most notable change was in Nikolai. He’s probably told them that he’s Sturmhond, Anaya realized.

The King and Queen reseated themselves on their thrones. Vasily went to stand behind the King, while Nikolai took his place behind the Queen. She reached up, seeking his hand, and he laid it on her shoulder. 

Anaya suddenly remembered her own mother. How she would teach her the mechanisms of a newly designed cannon or anything she'd be working on, with immense passion. How she would braid her hair each day before her classes. She ushered the memories away.

The King spoke to Alina, “You’re very young to lead the Second Army.”

She bowed her head in acknowledgment. “Yes, moi tsar.”

“I am tempted to put you to death immediately, but my son says that will only make you a martyr.He thinks you can be trusted,” the King quavered. “I’m not so sure. Your escape from the Darkling seems a very unlikely story" his attention suddenly turned to Anaya. "Nikolai tells me you've knowledge of what happened on the fold"

"Yes, moi tsar" Anaya responded, bowing to the king

"Is it true that the Sun Summoner ran foul of the Darkling?" he asked her

"Yes, moi tsar" she responded, folding her arms behind her back

The king quickly lost his interest in her and turned to Alina once again, "I cannot deny that Ravka does have need of your services.”

“It would be my greatest honor to serve the Ravkan King,” she responded

Either the King loved flattery or Nikolai had done a remarkable job of pleading the girl'scase, because the King grunted and said, “Very well. At least temporarily, you will serve as the commander of the Grisha.”

 “I ... thank you, moi tsar” she responded

“But know this,” he spoke, wagging a finger at Alins. “If I find any evidence that you are fomenting action against me or that you have had any contact with the apostate, I will have you hanged without plea or trial. The people say you are a Saint,  but I think you are just another ragged refugee. Do you understand?”

She bowed as deeply.

The King gave a vague wave of his blue-veined hand, they were being dismissed. Alina glanced at Mal.

Nikolai cleared his throat. “Father,” he said, “there’s the matter of the tracker.”

“Hmm?” said the King, glancing up as if he’d been nodding off. “The...? Ah, yes.” He trained his rheumy stare on Mal and said in a bored tone, “You have deserted your post and directly disobeyed the orders of a commanding officer. That is a hanging offense.” 

Mal went very still and Alina appeared extremely anxious An excited murmur rose from the crowd around the dais.

“Moi tsar, forgive me, but the tracker did aid the Sun Summoner in evading what would have been certain capture by an enemy of the Crown.” Nikolai spoke humbly

“If she was ever really in any danger.”

“I saw him take up arms against the Darkling myself. He is a trusted friend, and I believe he acted in Ravka’s best interest.” The King’s lower lip jutted out, but Nikolai pressed on. “I would feel better knowing that he is at the Little Palace.”

“What do you have to say for yourself, boy?” he frowned

“Only that I did what I thought was right,” Mal replied evenly.

“My son seems to feel you had good reason.”

“I imagine every man thinks his reasons are good,” Mal said. “It was still desertion.”

Nikolai raised his eyes heavenward. The boy was thoroughly troubled

The King’s frown deepened. They waited.

“Very well,” he said at last. “What’s one more viper in the nest? You will be dishonourably discharged.”

“Dishonorably?” Alina blurted.

Mal just bowed and said, “Thank you, moi tsar.”

The King lifted his hand in a lazy wave. “Go,” he said petulantly

                                     ...............................................................................

Anaya waited near the doors for Alina and Mal to come along. She gestured to them when they finally began to move.

Fedyor and his Grisha were waiting by their horses. They’d cleaned up as best they could, but their brightly colored kefta still seemed a bit bedraggled. Tamar and Tolya stood slightly apart from them, the golden sunbursts Alina had given them sparkling on their roughspun tunics. 

The white gravel path led them through the palace grounds, past the rolling lawns and follies, and the high walls of the hedge maze. Tolya, ordinarily so still and silent, squirmed in his saddle, his mouth set in a sullen line.

“Something wrong?” Alina asked.

“It smells like weakness here. Like people getting soft.” he responded

 “Everyone is soft compared to you, Tolya.” she glanced at him

Tamar could usually be counted upon to laugh off her brother’s moods, but she agreed with her brother. “He’s right. This place feels like it’s dying"

Anaya realized that the twins were speaking the truth, the whole place had lost its loudness and bustling activity of grisha, soldiers and servants alike. Their surroundings were eerily silent. "You're right, it doesn't feel the same" Anaya agreed with them

They soon entered the wooden tunnel. The trees pressed in on them and, above, the branches wove together in a canopy of green. They emerged into bright sunshine. Below them lay the Little Palace.

Anaya couldn't quite comprehend how much she'd actually missed this place. The shine of its golden domes, the walls carved with every manner of beast, real and imagined. She'd missed the blue lake gleaming like a slice of sky, the tiny island not quite at its centre, the white flecks of the Summoners’ pavilions on its shore. It was the closest thing Anaya had for a home

But not everything was as it had been. First Army soldiers were stationed around the grounds, rifles on their backs. She doubted they’d do much good against a force of determined Heartrenders, Squallers, Tidemakers and Inferni, but the message was clear, the Grisha were not to be trusted.

A group of servants dressed in gray waited on the steps to take their horses. They climbed the steps, the others trailing behind. The servants flung the doors open wide, and they stepped inside. They passed through the cool dark of the entry chamber and into the Hall of the Golden Dome.

There were four tables arranged in a square at the center of the room, and that was where the Grisha waited. Despite their diminished numbers, they still kept to their Orders, sitting or standing in tightly clustered groups of red, purple, and blue.

They walked forward, and most of the Grisha rose. It was a young group, Anaya realized how many of the older and more experienced Grisha had chosen to defect to the Darkling. Or maybe they’d just been wise enough to run.

Not many Corporalnik remained as they’d been the highest-ranking Grisha, the most valued fighters, and closest to the Darkling.

There were still several familiar faces. Sergei was one of the few Heartrenders who had decided to stay. Marie and Nadia stood with the Etherealki. Anaya could see David slouching in his seat at the Materialki table. The Darkling’s ebony chair had been removed. His table sat vacant.

Sergei was the first to step forward. “Alina Starkov,” he said tightly. “I’m pleased to welcome you back to the Little Palace.” 

“Thank you, Sergei,” Alina responded, deliberately informal. “I’m glad to be here.”

Tension swelled and pulsed in the room.

The Corporalnik's attention turned to Anaya "Anaya Nasrazeen, I'm glad to find you alive and back" he spoke with a small smile, "You as well miss Esfahani" he turned his gaze to Rabeah. She returned his gesture and smiled

“There have been rumors of your return,” he said, his attention once again turning to Alina “But just as many of your death.”

“As you can see, I’m alive and as well as can be expected after weeks of travel on the Vy.” She responded

“It’s said you arrived in the company of the King’s second son,” said Sergei.

“That’s right, he aided in my battle with the Darkling.”

A stir went through the room. “On the Fold?” Sergei asked in some confusion.

“On the True Sea,” Alina corrected. A murmur rose from the crowd. She held up her hand and they fell silent.

 “I have plenty of stories to tell and information to impart, but that can wait. I’ve returned to Os Alta with a purpose.” she said

“People are talking of a wedding,” said Sergei.

“I didn’t come back here to be a bride, I’ve returned for a single reason. I’ve returned to lead the Second Army.”

Everyone began talking at once. There were a few cheers, some angry shouts. Sergei exchange a glance with Marie. When the room quieted he said, “We expected as much.”

“The King has agreed that I will hold command.”

Another wave of shouts and chatter broke out.

Sergei cleared his throat, “Alina, you are the Sun Summoner, and we’re grateful for your safe return, but you aren’t qualified to run a military campaign.”

“Qualified or not, I have the King’s blessing.”

“Then we will petition the King. The Corporalki are the highest-ranking Grisha and should lead the Second Army.”

“According to you, bloodletter.” a voice rose from among the crowd

#grishaverse #shadow and bone #nikolai lantsov x reader #nikolai lantsov #nikolai lantsov fanfiction #nikolai lanstov #nikolai lanstov x reader #nikolai lantsov x oc

[aglaean]

L'ARACHEL GRACES FÓDLAN!

template taken from @shadoll

PERSONAL INFORMATION

GENDER. Female (she/her)

AGE. 20

HEIGHT. 5'10"

BIRTHDATE. 785

CREST/HOLY BLOOD. None [unless you count the holy blood of the heroes of Rausten, which well, she definitely does].

CLASS. Blue Lions Student!

AFFILIATION. The Theocracy of Rausten

BIOGRAPHY. 

PERSONAL HISTORY

785 ~ Born in Rausten.

790 - Lost both her parents after they attempted to fend off an attack from Darkling Wood.

803 ~ Joins Eirika in the fight against the Demon King.

805 ~ Is welcomed to Garreg Mach with great pomp and splendour, as befitting her station! Obviously.

INTERESTS. Religion, Chivalry and Heroism, Fame, Her Allies. LIKES. Formal dance, her carefully maintained hair, flashy faith magic, novelty, Dozla's hand-knitted jumper, tea parties, riding, divine providence, being quite literally holier-than-thou, attention, general too-much-ness / pomp and circumstance. DISLIKES. Being dismissed, ignored, or unrecognised, monsters, villains and general evil-doers, isolation, loneliness, loss, mundanity, 'weakness'. Rainy days. STATUS. Inheritor to the Pontifex of Rausten, and a prodigous Blue Lions Student!   CLOSE ALLIES: Eirika and Ephraim.

DINING HALL PREFERENCES

LIKES. grilled herring, saghert and cream, fish and bean soup, vegetable pasta salad, small fish skewers, spicy fish and turnip stew, onion gratin soup, sweet and salty whitefish sauté, sweet bun trio, fruit and herring tart, fisherman's bounty, pheasant roast with berry sauce, country style red turnip plate, peach sorbet, pickled seafood and vegetables, two-fish sauté, sautéed pheasant and eggs, cabbage and herring stew, vegetable stir-fry, bourgeois pike. DISLIKES. beast meat teppanyaki, sautéed jerky, garreg mach meat pie, cheesy verona stew, fish sandwich, pickled rabbit skewers, super-spicy fish dango, daphnel stew, gronder meat skewers, gautier cheese gratin, fried crayfish, derdriu-style fried pheasant.

DINING HALL NOTES

FAVORITE DISH.  ✧

“Heavens! This meal.. it's a close match to my darling Rausten's cuisine!.”

LEAST FAVORITE DISH.  ✧

“Surely, this is some jest. You forget who you dine with!”

TEAM TIME GUIDE

FAVORITE TEA. Rose petal blend. CONVERSATION TOPICS. Your ambitions, Evaluating allies, Mighty weapons, The melody of words, Fashion, I'm counting on you, Favourite sweets, Tell me about yourself, You're doing great work, I heard some gossip, Overcoming weaknesses, Gifts you'd like to recieve, Heart-racing memories, Cooking mishaps, The opera, Cute accessories, Thanks for everything, Cats, The existence of crests, Shareable snacks, Stargazing, Dreams of a throne, Someone you look up to.

TEA TIME QUOTES

GREETING.  ✧

(1) “Well, I see you finally worked up the courage to request my shining presence here. I commend you! The divine will continues to flourish.” (2) “Do you suppose that all these sweet little dainties are for us? Come, try this one!.” (3) “You ought to know, I only partake in tea time with people dear to me.” (4) "Please, remain seated! There is no need to rise or bow in my presence. Though if the mood does take you.."

FAVORITE TEA.  ✧

“Why, I would be happy if this was the last thing I ever tasted! I wonder if Eirika would enjoy it...”

FIVE STAR TEA.  ✧

“Uncle and I used to sample brews like this all the time in Rausten! But, please, I am merely mortal, just a divinely sactioned peerless princess! There is no need to make such indulgent gestures. Seconds? Oh, yes please.”

BEING OBSERVED.  ✧

(1) “I understand. It is hard to take in someone as blinding as I all at once.” (2) “You would tell me if I had something in my teeth, right?” (3) “Such is the problem of the renowned, we are always subject to examination! The spotlight isn't for everyone...”

QUIPS.  ✧

“Ouch! Too hot! Too hot!” “Hmm, it smells delicious.” “How pleasant!” “I must say, you blow on your tea with remarkable poise!” “Would you like to hear a fanfare Dozla and I devised?” “Haha!” “I see!” “Lala laaa~” “How fare you?” “Leisure time is essential!’ “How ridiculous!” “A jest?”

ENDING.  ✧

“Do not hesitate to call on me again if you find yourself in need of scintillating conversation! You have given me plenty of ideas for my next tea time.”

FINAL COMMENTS.  ✧

(1) Hold! The most egregious error has come to me! I do believe you have yet to be regailed with my many daring exploits! This might be righted immediately, please, allow me to begin with the time I fought off legions of monsters alongside Dozla... ANSWER. Laugh, Sigh. (2) Whilst Garreg Mach is pleasant, you simply must be recieved for tea at Rausten! I promise you, all else will dull in comparison henceforth! ANSWER. Nod, Blush. (3) Rennac used to say that I was 'noisy' and 'a nuisance'. Poor thing, he did tend to have a habit of wittering in situations of stress. ANSWER. Laugh, Admonish. (4) Do you suppose my parents would be proud of the progress I've made? ANSWER. Nod, Commend. (5) My uncle doesn't permit gambling halls in Rausten... Even though I'm really good at... oh what was that silly card game called? I wonder if the Archbishop would be more receptive...? ANSWER. Admonish, Disagree. (6) Being a favourite of the Gods is tiring work sometimes - the weight of beautitude is not for all to bear! ANSWER. Sigh, Sip tea. (7) Learning to wield a lance is difficult... I wish I could just use my staff to bludgeon foes instead! Answer: Admonish, Disagree. (8) Suppose you were granted eternal fame, at the cost of your life. What would you do? I think it's utter twaddle. If death could be traded for fame, my parent's names would... Death is not the price of renown, I will make sure of it. ANSWER. Nod, Sip tea. (9) Don't tell him, lest he drown you in tears, but I miss Dozla more and more everyday. He was such a good retainer. It's so hard to find someone willing to risk life and limb for you nowadays. Hmm? My eyes? If my eyes are gleaming it's my inner radiance shining through. Nothing more. ANSWER. Sigh, Commend.

MISCELLANEOUS DIALOGUE.

GIFT GUIDE

FAVORITE GIFTS. Tasty Baked Treat, Stylish Hair Clip, Legends of Chivalry, Dapper Handkerchief, Gemstone Beads, Ceremonial Sword, Rose. DISLIKED GIFTS. Training Weight, Whetstone, Blue Cheese, Smoked Meat, Arithmetic Textbook.

GIFT QUOTES

DISLIKED GIFT.  ✧

“As a gracious lady, and ambassador of Rausten, I shall accept. But know you have gone down in my estimation.”

LIKED GIFT.  ✧

“This is quite lovely! Do tell me where you found it? I wish to purchase more for my darling retainers.”

FAVORITE GIFT.  ✧

“Ah, the first of many tributes made in recognition of my splendour! You have secured my everlasting favour.”

LOST ITEMS

Hand-Knitted Jumper. A garishly green jumper that's slightly lumpy, with various straggling threads. The label inside declares it's a gift, signed off by a single 'D'. This probably belongs to someone who enjoys loud clothing. Location found: Dining Hall Diary. It appears to be a diary, but the title, dubs it 'The Chronicles of the Beautiful Princess of Peerless Beauty' in an incredibly flowery hand. The entries stop adbruptly about a week in. This probably belongs to someone who seeks fame, and not consistency. Location found: Second Floor Hallway Hairbrush. A hairbrush that feels expensive to even handle. There are strands of green hair around the bristles, which are slightly worn down with use. This probably belongs to someone who tends to their hair religiously. Location found: Blue Lions Classroom

LOST ITEM QUOTES

OWNER.  ✧

"I had no fear that it was lost for good! Divine providence ensured it was only a matter of time. But I appreciate your acting as an agent of the Gods.”

NOT OWNER.  ✧

“Do you honestly suppose I would have use for such a thing?”

BATTLE QUOTES

MOCK BATTLE RETREAT.  ✧

“This is but a footnote in my legend!” [Byleth specific] “Professor, do not fear for me! This will not be my end, let it not rest on your conscience. I shall arise anew!”

FIRST KILL.  ✧

“So, such is the cost of everlasting renown.”

MONASTERY QUOTES

CHOIR PRACTICE.  ✧

(1) “You've chosen well! I have a voice that can reach the heavens itself! ” (2) “What, leave? I suppose it wouldn't do to drown everyone else's voices in my own lyrical splendour... But, are you really certain?”

COOKING.  ✧

(1) “Come, come! We musn't dally, there are grateful mouths to supply with our beneficiance!” (2) “But of course it's supposed to turn that colour! That means it's... hm... well-done.” (3) “Behold, hungering souls! Feast upon this veritable cornucopia of cuisine!”

TUTORING

INSTRUCT

BAD.  ✧

“Mm. Apologies, did you say something?.” Critique: Well, there is really no need to take such a tone with your favoured student. The gall! Console: Allow me to try again, this time you will witness my grace!

GREAT.  ✧

“Ah, merely the expected outcome.” “Did you see that?.”

PERFECT.  ✧

“Take my hand, we shall hail in a new of era of light in tandem!” PRAISE. “I appreciate your cultivating my inherent refulgence.”

TASKS

STABLE DUTY. ✧

“Augh! Be so kind as to release my sleeve this instant, please. Divine clothing is not for unrefined palates.”

WEEDING.  ✧

“Perish under the governing hand of your scourge, weeds!”

SKY WATCH.  ✧

“From here, we see as the Gods do!”

FAILED.  ✧

CERTIFICATION EXAMS

“This is of no concern - divine providence will direct me.”

PASSED.  ✧

“Hah! Haha! To possess such devastating beauty AND intelligence in a human form, is it even possible?”

UPDATE GOALS

REASON.  ✧

“There's something so... intoxicating about magic, wouldn't you say? When I use it, I can feel the God's favour flowing through my blood, through my bones. Besides, it is of utmost priority that my attacks reflect the radiance that dwells within. I already have many ideas of how to use these spells to spread my fame...”

LANCE.  ✧

“I know, someone as dainty and gentile as myself with such an ungainly weapon? It seems improper. And yet, I must confess that the allure of bludgeoning my foes is growing harder to deny. Why the lance? Well, I suppose you could say I was inspired.”

FAITH.  ✧

“Are you injured? Oh poor soul! Please, flee to my gentle embrace! Follow the saintly glow of my eyes, and I shall utilise the best of my abilities to nurse you. It is essential to be well-versed in the art of healing. You never know when you'll be encountered with dire straits. With something that seems beyond all hope. ”

LEVEL UP

0 TO 2 STATS UP .  ✧

“Ah, the Gods joy in trials.”

3 TO 4 STATS UP .  ✧

“Please, refrain from excessive applause!”

5 STATS UP .  ✧

“My heroic apotheosis approaches ever closer!”

6 STATS UP .  ✧

“I should not be surprised. The Gods inhabit my every step.”

UPON REACHING LEVEL 99 .  ✧

“Now, onto even greater heights!”

BUDDING TALENT

“Trying something new sounds fun. Naturally, I will excel.”

NEW SKILL

“Ooh! I shall incorporate this into my daring exploits post-haste.”

RECLASSING .  ✧

(1) “Let's try this for today!” (2) “Hee hee- Now, how best to display this new-found splendour?” (3) “The Gods will I change, and so I do.”

BATTLE QUOTES

WHEN SELECTED

FULL/HIGH HP .  ✧

“CHARGE!.”

MEDIUM HP .  ✧

“I will not falter!”

LOW HP .  ✧

“Haah, this is no concern to one as grand as I.”

ENEMY DEALS 1 OR NO DAMAGE OR MISSES .  ✧

“Whoops! My gleaming eyes must've blinded you!”

CRTIICAL ATTACK .  ✧

“Were I not a holy woman...” “[Imitating Dozla] GWHAHAH!” “Die, and be ennobled by my hands!” “The Beautiful Princess of Peerless Beauty is here!” “Sing my praises!”

GAMBIT .  ✧

“I am not alone!”

GAMBIT BOOST .  ✧

“My darling forces, we shall prevail with appropriate spectacle!”

DEFEATED ENEMY .  ✧

“You shall be remembered as the vanquished foe of L'Arachel!” “Latona forgive you.” “Don't return.”

ALLY DEFEATS ENEMY .  ✧

“Woohoo! Again, again!” “Are you challenged by my eminence?” “You need not risk yourself needlessly.”

ALLY HEALS/RALLIES .  ✧

“Well, how unusal!” “A thousand thanks!” “You shall be remembered.” “Come to me if you are harmed, yes?” “To think I would need healing!” “No hero walks alone.” “The Gods restore me!”

DEFEAT QUOTE

CASUAL .  ✧

“This is not how my story ends.”

CLASSIC .  ✧

“Dozla... Rennac... do not forget me.” “Ahhhh, Mother and Father, forgive me for this failing. I shall see you soon.“

THE ADVICE BOX

“Greetings! I have no need of "advice", if I may speak with complete honesty, but such a gimmick intrigued me. Do you suppose I would be permitted to assist? As a princess of the people, I should aid those in need! ” >Uhhhhhhhhhhhh.... > Perhaps aiding people face-to-face is the place to start. (Correct answer) >I doubt anyone would take advice from you, L'Arachel.

#game: Huh? I won? Well of course I won! #in character: lights laughter alliteration! #((this took. so long. no one look at me)) #((my love for L'Arachel grew with every quote I wrote tho she's so fun my beloved :"])) #((it's late if there are mistakes. well. pretend they're part of the experience.))

[feveredblurs]

@apaise​​​ | ( continued. )

elinor would be lying if she said there wasn’t a small part of her that enjoyed the terrified look on the soldiers’ faces. there was once a time where she resented the way people kept their distance, avoiding her eyes but keeping her name on their lips as they whispered behind her back. with years of practice, she’s learned to accept it as a sign of power.

yet, for all the times elinor has reveled in her solitude, she finds she’s come to enjoy having beth at her side. the princess, despite her timid air, did not shy away from her as others did. she was always graceful and sweet when addressing even the darkling – never fearing her dark armor or the blood on her hands.

elinor wishes she was half as brave and dared to show beth all of her. the idea of her toll of death and destruction proving too much for the princess makes her breath falter, weak when faced with the possibility of finally losing something she holds dear.

despite her resolve to steel her features around the crown’s army, they soften easily at beth’s quiet remark. she holds elinor in too high regard – it’s addictive and dangerous, the darkling realizes as she attempts to will the warmth in her chest to go away. never did she want to be seen so desperately, knowing it could cost her everything.

she almost points out beth is the only one to think it a loss, but deems it a disservice to the other’s kindness. elinor gives a smile and a grateful bow of her own head instead. what must the soldiers see when they watch them from afar? two dignitaries exchanging pleasantries? would they be able to spot elinor’s subtle fidgeting, suppressing the urge to take the princess’s hand in her own?

brows raise at the remark that follows, surprised beth mentioned the bluebirds. it had been an afternoon in equal parts lovely and terrifying, with elinor offering her a secret so close to her heart. no one knew of her birds, not even her father. it was something she had always believed she’d carry to her grave, a softness she was not allowed. yet beth didn’t even spare it a moment of judgment – and there’s nothing if not gentless in her features when elinor dares meet her eyes now.

“ – i miss them dearly as well, ” she confesses, voice low and tentative. “ they’re quite independent, but i do regret not being able to ask one of the maids to look after them. ” despite being otkazat'sya, harys could command fear into the royal staff as well as any grisha general. they’d tell him of anything they saw out of place – including elinor’s own behavior. she’s lucky she can pass her meetings with the princess as mere courtesy.

“ i may stay a few more weeks, depending on how everything goes. ” as far as everyone knows, the general is here to oversee operations regarding the recent fjerdan attacks on the northern border. her letters to her father will detail whether the search for the sun summoner has proved fruitful after hearing hushed reports of a nearby sighting.

“ and yourself, your highness? ” elinor turns the question to beth. “ i’m sure your sisters will be happy to see you, but the soldier camps may grow quite dull after a day or two. ” she reckons the princesses are allowed to leave their post based on status alone... but elinor finds herself selfishly wishing for stricter rules, if it allows her to accompany beth during her stay instead.

#apaise #i am not immune to the elibeth hyperfixation #brainrot for them always #it's just *chef's kiss* such a good flavor #elinor is so weak for her tho :||| not even subtle abt it smh #( thread ; elinor frey ) #( starter ; elinor frey ) #( v. grisha )

[nothingvfancy]

Blight and Blood-- Chapter 8

Chapter 7 | Chapter 9

Word Count: 4420

Warnings: mentions of sex, the King, vague depictions of emotional abuse and a generally creepy father.

Please let me know if I miss anything!

-

Apparently, something was different about Juli the morning after. That morning, she caught the stares of a few Fabrikators as she passed through the hall from her office. A few of the younger Grisha also stopped to stare as she entered the dining hall, grabbing an apple for breakfast on her way to the War Room.

Two hours ago, Aleksander had her on her knees crying with pleasure just two rooms away. He had cleaned them both up, leaving a kiss to her shoulder, neck, and cheek before bidding her good morning and vanishing into this very room. She’d taken the passage back to her office.

Do I look tired maybe? She bit into the apple as Ivan of all people greeted her. Truly a strange morning. It seemed the older Grisha were not meeting this morning, but she’d needed to go over the Alkemi outputs and resupply with the General anyway. Several oprichniki stood around the room, and she guessed they were having a staff meeting. She waved her hand, moving her usual chair to its usual place, and grabbing the most recent accounting book from its place on the shelf. “Is he still meeting with the King, Ivan?”

“Actually, your highness–” Two palace servants burst through the doors from the Darkling’s chambers. Beyond she could see the entourage progressing through the doors that led to the grounds. “They are meeting here,” Ivan finished. 

That explains the guards. She knew better than to ask why– Why does the King do anything?-- and schooled her face into neutrality. The servants scrambled to arrange chairs around the table, and two more entered, carrying a large, obscenely golden chair into the room. Juli counted the heads of the ministers that followed him: not his entire cabinet, but quite a few. No ambassadors in sight. Juli wondered if Aleksander had to argue for them to remain in the Grand Palace. 

She almost protested as the servants moved the Darkling’s chair to the other end of the table, seating the King’s chair in its stead. He’s going to be livid. But Aleksander didn’t own the Little Palace, did he? No amount of work would change the fact the King owned Ravka. 

Or everyone in it. She thought of Genya, her heart rate speeding up and face contorting with anger. She stood as the entourage filed into the room, unsure if she should move the accounting book or leave or both or neither. “Ivan,” she called. The Heartrender gave the barest nod of understanding before flexing his fingers, and calm washed over her. 

Minister Novikov gaped at her from his place in the doorway. Another minister nudged him along, and he came to stand at Juli’s side. The stare was an obvious question, are you and the Darkling truly so obvious? But Novikov only coughed into a hand. “It is quite early for visits, your highness.”

“Nonsense, Minister. I work here.” How many times would she have to remind him?

King Pyotr Lantsov swaggered into the room, taking in the dark shelves along the left side of the table and the huge animal skin map of Ravka on the right. She curtsied and the oprichniki bowed, waiting for the King to speak. “Quite plain,” he finally sniffled. It was not plain at all. Each step he made was an offkey note to the hum of her comfort. Her father was an eyesore of bright blue amidst the comforting hues of the War Room. An imperfection in the diamond of her home and safety. 

“Better to keep the Grisha focused, moi tsar.” Aleksander was beside her father. He didn’t seem livid. She caught the flicker of surprise in his eyes as he registered her presence. Surely, he hadn’t forgotten that they were supposed to meet? He dismissed the oprichniki as the King entered. She still wasn’t sure what to do, except that she spied Novikov leaning toward the ledger in front of her chair. Barely moving two fingers, she willed the book to shut. Her glare toward the minister kept her from seeing the decreasing proximity of the King. 

“What are you doing here?” She and the King were the same height, though he puffed out his chest so he could seem bigger. The image of Genya’s white kefta entered her mind, giving new meaning to the way his eyes raked over her. How long? How long had he been this way? Juli and the King had never been close; in fact, she could recall pulling on her nanny’s hand, asking, “Who is that man with mama?” on the first of the rare occasions the King and Queen bothered to be in the same room. Though when the King bothered to pay attention to her, he could be very doting. She’d received plenty of gifts: dresses, jewellery, and the like. And she knew the Queen was rewarded with his attention whenever she dressed Juli up enough to be complimented. After Nikolai left, her mother had stopped forcing her to attend court events. Juli considered it a blessing to get away from Pyotr. 

“Your highness,” Aleksander gave her a small bow, his words cutting off whatever weak excuse she was trying to build before turning to the King. “I asked her to review the supplies coming in and out of our Alkemi workshops, your majesty. We were supposed to meet at eleven.”

The King reached out to the coil of hair she’d pulled over her shoulder, She’d worn the Lantsov blue kefta today. We match, she thought with no small amount of disgust. “You really take to your hobbies, don’t you, dear?” The King had only called her ‘dear’ a handful of times that she could remember. None of them reminded her of what she considered to be fatherly affection. 

“Is it common for Materialki to do your accounting, Darkling?” Minister Novikov asked. 

“I happen to enjoy accounting, Minister,” she snapped. 

The King laughed, “What a bark!” A few of the other ministers chuckled nervously with him. Her cheeks reddened. 

“I’ll review your report on the Alkemi later, your highness. You can leave it with Ivan.” The Darkling nodded to the door. “If you’ll excuse us, moya tsarina.”

“Right.” She fished out the folded note she’d stuffed into her pocket on the way out of her office and sent it across the room to Ivan’s awaiting hands. “We should also send a party to do inspections of the workshops. It’s been almost a year since any were done, General.” She turned to the double doors.

“Juli, dear,” The King caught her hand before she’d taken two paces. “Why don’t you and your mother plan dinner tonight? Invite Vasily too.” He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, and she knew she would have to thank Ivan for the calm that kept her from jerking out of his grip. 

“Of course, moi tsar.” She could not have left the room faster.

“That’s how you keep them occupied,” she heard Pyotr say as the doors shut behind her, though she couldn’t imagine to whom. “Keep them busy and they won’t look through your wallet!” 

She could barely hear the ministers laugh over the roaring in her ears.

“The War Room?” Cora exclaimed when Juli told her. “The King not only set foot in the Little Palace, but the War Room?” 

“And he asked me to plan dinner.”

“That bastard.” Cora crossed her arms. “Let him starve.” They were sitting in her office, though Juli hadn’t planned any experiments today. Alina Starkov was overdue for a check-in anyway. 

“Speaking of which, has Alina made any progress that you know of?” She stood at one of her standing desks– the one littered with books– shuffling through what Alina would likely want to go over. 

“We weren’t speaking of that.” Cora laughed. She examined her nails carefully before speaking, “Baghra says no.”

“You’ve spoken to Baghra?”

“‘Course, she and I go way back. She’s great.”

“Dumbass,” Juli braced her hands on the table with a heavy sigh. “I know your relationship with Baghra. Tell me what she said.”

“You know Jules, that’s offensive. I might leave you to your dinner planning.”

“You’re amazing and I love you, but you say stupid things.”

“And you’re amazing and I love you, but you do stupid things.”

“Like what?” she challenged.

“Like getting yourself blackmailed by the Minister of Security.”

If anyone else had said it, Juli would have thrown them out. As it were, Cora said it, and she could not fight her amusement for very long. “I’m sensitive about that,” she said, leaning over her desk before she began to laugh. Cora joined her. 

The lieutenant leaned forward on the sofa as she calmed down and said, “Novikov is too,” throwing them into another fit of laughter. Juli heard a knock on the door as she wiped the corners of her eyes, letting her guest know the door was unlocked. Alina quirked an eyebrow at the two of them as she entered. Cora patted the seat next to her. “Alina, come. Sit. We’re telling jokes.”

“Terrible jokes.” She brushed her hair over her shoulders and piled the books she wanted into a stack. The Sun Summoner smiled at the lieutenant before sitting down. Juli lugged the theory books over to the coffee table in the sitting area, flexing her fingers as she set them down to move the tea set and snacks to free up space. “How have your lessons with Baghra been, Miss Starkov?” She took the armchair opposite the sofa, crossing her ankles and leaning onto her hand.

Alina stared as the teapot stopped in the spot Juli willed it to go. Her smile vanished. “Fine.”

“I take it you’re still unable to summon on your own.” She chewed the inside of her cheek in thought. Maybe it was time to put a more concentrated effort into Alina herself. For all Juli knew, Aleksander had only ordered a tracking unit to locate Morozova’s Stag. It will not matter if she can call the power on her own. Once she has the Stag, she’ll be able to do what we need her to, he had reasoned.

Unless she says no to holding the Fold open for you to destroy a city, she responded.

It will not come to that. And they had left it there. Juli wondered now if they should have spoken to Alina personally to see what the girl wanted for herself. It might very well have been that she truly wanted to master the power flowing through her veins. 

Alina scoffed, “I’ve been doing all the training everyone’s asked of me.”

“Have you?” 

“Juli,” Cora warned. She knew the redhead meant to keep her from alienating Alina more than the poor girl already was, but Juli couldn’t help but doubt that Baghra had met her match in training one stubborn seventeen year-old. There’s a piece missing, she thought, And maybe Alina’s holding onto it. 

“Yes,” Alina said sharply. “I have.”

“Very well.” Juli relaxed into her chair. There was a moment of tension as she and Alina sized each other up. Cora helped herself to the little sandwiches Juli had ordered for the meeting. “Did you know that the Little Palace archives go back fifty years before it was built?” 

“No.”

“Occasionally, they’ll send people to collect old Grisha knowledge: books, journals, stories, rumours. And not just from Ravka, either. My particular favourite is Zemeni philosophy, but they call Grisha zowa there.”

“Alright.” Alina could not have been less interested in the words she was saying. 

She wondered if she was developing her brother’s habit of long-winded monologuing, but she kept going, “I have not found a single account where a Grisha managed to survive longer than six months without using their powers.”

That got both of their attentions. “Really?” Cora asked, “None?” 

The princess shook her head. “The closest account I could find was an old autobiography about a Tidemaker hiding in a Fjerdan village with his otkazatsy’a daughter. He never stopped using his power, though. He simply used a few small, inconspicuous amounts every day.” 

They stared at her as if they could stare her into having a longer story to share. Alina finally spoke, “So there’s something wrong with me?”

“I didn’t say that.” Though Juli wasn’t sure she didn’t believe it. “I’ve studied Grisha theory since I was six years old. One important lesson no one is going to admit to you is that it is a lot less predictable than anyone would like it to be.”

Cora put a hand on Alina’s shoulder. “I could summon fire, water, and air by age twelve when it takes most Grisha a lifetime to master one, and yet I knew an Inferni in my company who could barely light a fireplace, then one day he made a flame so hot it burned blue.” 

Juli noted the way Alina’s hands tensed, then relaxed at Cora’s words. She opened her mouth to speak, but there was another knock at the door. “Who is it?” she called as she made her way to the door, finding a familiar set of steel eyes waiting on the other side. 

“Your highness, might I have a word?” Aleksander greeted.

She wanted a lighter mood than where the conversation had gone with Alina, so she said, “Nyctophobia.” He looked thoroughly unamused, which only widened her smile. “That’s a very good word, General.”

“I’m glad you’ve managed to entertain yourself with a dictionary for an hour, but I would like to discuss something important. About this morning.” She noted Ivan standing behind him, the Heartrender’s jaw clenched. Aleksander looked cool tempered as always, but she’d forgotten who they’d been with. 

“No need to take it out on me.” She opened the door wider to let them in, but Aleksander nodded his head to the hallway beyond. He had other plans for this discussion. Juli walked back to the sitting area to let Cora know she was stepping out. She caught the tail end of something Alina likely did not want her to hear. “--feel like it’s all pointless.” 

She elected to allow Alina her privacy. “Please tell a servant to take whatever’s left when you two are done, but don’t leave anyone in here after you.”

“I know, I know, Jules.” Cora wiggled her eyebrows at her, “Have fun.”

She made a rude gesture as she joined Aleksander and Ivan in the hall. 

They walked a little ways in silence, making use of the door past the Fabrikator workshops to stroll into the gardens. “Well,” she said, “What did you want to discuss? The Alkemi?”

He shook his head. “I’ve already had Ivan give the orders for more supplies and arrange for some of the Fabrikator heads to do the inspections, as you suggested.” He added the last part with a quirk of his lips, though it quickly fell from his features. 

“I’m sure Ivan is tired of being your secretary.” She nudged his elbow playfully with hers. Something heavy weighed in his eyes, on his shoulders. Her instincts warned her against pushing him, but she’d never been good at following warnings where it came to him. “What’s wrong?”

“I have never invited the King into the Little Palace,” he said, his hands folding behind him as he stared ahead into nothing.

 Juli tucked her hands into her pockets as the words settled around her. “Why now?”

“We don’t know when my men will find the Stag.” 

“I thought they were close.”

“They are as close as Alina is to summoning on her own.”

“According to you, that’s any day now.” She understood the King’s intrusion on the Little Palace bothered him, but Aleksander seemed…ruffled, bothered by something. “Surely we’re not going to dance around your meaning?”

“We need the Stag. We cannot afford prying eyes without a means to move forward.” He stopped, turning to her and pursing his lips. “If I have to entertain the King’s vanity and self-importance to keep nosy ministers from stirring rumours about my business, then I will.”

Her hands left her pockets, going to the cuffs of her sleeves, her power reaching out to tighten them around her wrists, then immediately undo the stitches. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I do.”  Each syllable hit her ears like sour notes. 

“A… General.” She glanced at Ivan, awkwardly shuffling on his feet just inside her peripherals. They hadn’t often asked the Heartrender to chaperone them. She wondered if he would say anything to Fedyor. “Are you angry with me?”

“No,” he said immediately. He closed his eyes, working his jaw in small circles to ease the tension. A breath. “No, I am not. But we’re going to have to work to keep Novikov and the King away from our plans until we have the Stag.”

Our plans. It was not too long ago she had not even known there was a plan, let alone one as grand as overthrowing the King. Her teeth found her lower lip. “What are you saying?”

“I need a favour, Juliana.”

The planning that she put into the King’s precious dinner involved sending a note to her mother, telling her that the King wanted the four residing members of their family to have dinner together. She made sure to tell the maid to have the Queen send for her once she was ready. Juli spent the rest of the day fuming at Aleksander’s ‘favour’. 

Spend more time at court. Talk to the Queen. Novikov needs a reminder of who exactly you are. You are just as royal as the rest of them. 

Her room in the Grand Palace was just as she’d left it. The Queen and her servants were waiting for her to arrive. “Juli, dear,” she crowed from her place on the sofa. “What an idea, a family dinner! It’s been ages since we all dined together. If only Nikolai were here!” 

If only, she thought miserably as the maids pulled her into a lilac dress. A knock at the door, and a servant carried a velvet pillow into the room, a diamond necklace and matching earrings perched on it. “The King has requested you wear this set, your highness.” 

The silence that followed made the servant shuffle on his feet, but Juli only glanced nervously at her mother, who was trying to hold a serene smile on her lips and failing miserably. Juli turned to him. “Thank you. You may leave it there.” She gestured to the table by the door, and the man scurried away before the Queen could erupt. “It seems a bit much for a family dinner. I don’t have to wear them, your majesty,” Juli said.

“Nonsense. What little girl doesn’t enjoy gifts from her father?” The Queen motioned to one of the servants, staring at the pillow as a maid plucked the necklace from it and placed it around the princess’s neck. Juli didn’t mention the fact she was not a little girl, nor was the King her father. She supposed that her illegitimacy was what had bothered her about Aleksander’s request. Juli had never told anyone what her mother had drunkenly confided in her years ago, and she hadn’t planned on telling anyone. Aleksander’s words echoed in her head. Just as royal as the rest of them… 

She and the King were not blood related, and so the distance between the two of them had never been a problem. The court had whispered rumours about her and Nikolai’s true parentage since they were born, and it had only worsened once her Grisha talents emerged– of course, Juli hadn’t known then. Her mother waited until after Nikolai had joined the infantry to tell her. It would crush him, she’d said. 

Juli had spent so long at arm’s length from her family that their distance could not bother her, yet Aleksander wanted her to turn and join them so he could play revolutionary? The thought sickened her. 

“He’s never given me diamonds.” The Queen said, interrupting Juli’s slow angry spiral. “Not even for an anniversary.”

“Would you like to wear them, your majesty?” 

Tatiana stood with a shake of her head, stepping over to her and petting her shoulder. “Make sure you thank your father. It was very kind of him.” She left without another word.

Juli made her way to the dining room sooner than the Queen probably anticipated, but without her mother’s prying eyes to stop her, she had the maids skip rouging her cheeks and lips. Funny enough, she was the first to arrive at the parlour that offset the private dining room, one of the cosiest rooms in the Grand Palace and therefore hardly visited by the royal family. He probably thought of his ‘favour’ when the King suggested we all dine together. She could not think of another reason to come up with such a foolish idea. Spend time with my family. Who willingly does that?

Juli caught her reflection in the window on the far wall and wondered what everyone had been staring at this morning. She looked no better or worse than normal, except that her hair had been pulled into a golden crown atop her head, and the dress accentuated her curves better than her kefta but was twice as uncomfortable. Her fingers found the glittering diamonds at her neck, the stones calling out to her power. There’s a prettier necklace hidden in the Little Palace, she thought with another pang of anger… and longing. As silly as it seemed and as bitter as the favour made her, she wanted to have dinner with him instead. He and I, at least, would have something to talk about.

The Queen came in next, vacant-eyed. She immediately made for the decanter, finishing a glass of brandy and finding a chair before Vasily came in. Her oldest brother also found the alcohol, though he did not down it as the Queen had. Part of her wondered if she was the foolish one for attempting a family dinner sober, but these were not the kind of people you relaxed enough around to lose your senses. Juli was not going to let her guard down, not with everything she had to hide.

Not that she had too many experiences with being drunk. The first time had been enough. She kept her eyes focused on her reflection in the window, fighting the smile on her lips. It hadn’t been funny in the moment, but looking back, thinking of how her legs had stopped moving and Nikolai and Dominik had carried her back to the Grand Palace, swearing under their breaths that they’d only left her for five minutes. It was one of the only times they’d taken her with them on their nightly escapades to Dominik’s family home. 

She hadn’t thought of Dominik in ages. An old ache swirled in her chest, and the smile dropped from her face. How long had it been since he died? 

“What are we dining together for?” Vasily asked into his glass. “I had to cancel on Dolokov and Meshchersky.” 

Andrei Dolokov, Katya Dolokov’s older brother. Juli didn’t know the other friend. She and Vasily had a strict, unspoken policy not to be seen with one another unless mandated by the King or Queen. He could rot in Caryeva for all she cared. “Isn’t it nice to eat together, dear? I’m glad you decided to join us.” The Queen answered. Decided, she thought, though her mother had a point. If Vasily hadn’t shown, their parents would’ve brushed it off. If her mother hadn’t shown, the King would not have even mentioned it. Juli was the only one asked to dinner, and no one can turn down an invitation from the King. 

The King entered the parlour, eyes glancing at the Queen and Vasily before settling on Juli. “Look how lovely you are.” She wanted to crawl out of her skin. 

Juli stepped toward her mother’s chair. “Good evening, your majesty.” She thought of Genya and prayed that the dinner would somehow keep the King from her. “Thank you for the necklace.”

“We shall have to have these dinners more often, then.” His eyes raked over her again. “Isn’t she lovely, Tatiana?”

The Queen turned to her, seeming to notice her for the first time, and reached her hand up to hold Juli’s chin. “I suppose. You look pale.” 

Vasily snorted. “We really should have these dinners more often, Father.”

“Ah, I see you’ve started without me.” The King asked Vasily to pour him a drink, and the Queen continued whatever conversation she’d started with her older son. Juli gratefully went to the background, watching the three of them interact.

Dinner was served. Vasily stood back as they filed into the dining room, keeping pace beside Juli. “Mother never did say why we were dining together.”

“It was the King’s idea,” she said.

“Father was talking about you to his ministers.” 

“Where did you hear that?”

“At the meeting this afternoon.”

Juli gasped, stopping in her tracks and catching her brother’s arm. “That’s it, Vasily!”

“Don’t touch me.” He pulled his arm away, disgust coating the perpetual pout on his face. “What is it?”

“We must be celebrating you actually working for once.” She walked past him and found her seat, smirking at the angry blush coating his cheeks. “Too much to drink, Vasya?”

Tatiana clicked her tongue at her. “Leave him alone.”

The toe of Vasily’s boot found her shin as he sat down across from her, and she kicked him back twice as hard. “Witch,” he swore, bending down to hold his leg.

“Juliana!” The Queen hissed. Juli’s back straightened, and she folded her hands in her lap, apologising dutifully to her parents. Apologising less dutifully to Vasily.

Neither the King or Queen said anything to the crown prince. 

This was the family Aleksander was asking her to play nice with. These were the people she was supposed to use to back Novikov away from exposing the plan. And Aleksander hadn’t said it, though she knew it to be true– she would have to help carry on the farce of his loyalty. Juli would; she would have without him asking for the favour, without a second thought. But she wondered how close, exactly, she would have to grow with them. How many unpunished kicks would she have to suffer?Let them find the Stag soon, she thought. Please let them find the Stag soon.

-

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I appreciate any and all feedback!

Also I loved writing Juli and Vasily interacting. He's just one of those characters you love to hate, you know?

Chapter 7 | Chapter 9

#aleksander morozova #grishaverse #the darkling #shadow and bone #the darkling x oc #tatiana lantsov #vasily lantsov

[apaise]

❝are you afraid of me?❞ elinor @ chrissy

having spent the past year as captain sturmhond, it’s strange to step back into the heels of princess cristiana for the night. there are some benefits, however. chrissy could enter the ballroom and be confident that only a quarter of the guests want her dead -- a reassuring number,after recently being ambushed in alkhem bay. the crew had only narrowly escaped with the help of risa’s intervention, and now they’re all out celebrating in the greasiest pub in outer os alta. only mai and risa know where their captain truly is, the rest assuming sturmhond had gone to bed with a new friend. 

. . . that sounds like a pleasant alternative to spending the evening talking about how exciting “university has been.” while her sisters know the truth, it doesn’t save chrissy from having to spin tales about her wonderful classes in art history and literature. thankfully, she can just about cobble together a convincing lie after hearing robin prattle forever with mai ( and more recently, bea ). 

just as chrissy finally finishes greeting the nobles and visiting dignitaries, the orchestra strikes up the music in preamble to the first waltz. wonderful. before chrissy can seek out the beautiful baroness kuzmina, however, her queen mother begins ushering her in another direction, giving the usual lecture on appearances and peace and courtly manners.

and then chrissy finds herself standing in front of elinor frey.

it had been some time since she had last seen the general, chrissy’s exit from her military service into privateering meaning the end of their brief, yet pleasant meetings. now they’re being pushed together to join the first dance -- vasily and some princess off to the side, ash and beth paired with ambassadors -- and chrissy’s stunned by the darkling’s beauty, nearly paralyzed.

she isn’t sure if it’s due to the months that have passed since their last meeting, or if it’s because elinor isn’t wearing her kefta, or . . .  if it’s because they’ve never stood this close together. but likely it’s the deadly combination of all three, and she gives a silent blessing for their distance in the months leading up to chrissy’s departure. of course, nothing could steer her from her path, but she’s always been prone to delays. 

she gives a bow at last, tucking her arm in front of her, forgetting she isn’t a soldier. ❝ lovely to see you again, general frey. ❞ when elinor sweeps her gaze towards chrissy, however -- she’s suddenly struck by the fear that somehow elinor would find her out. as if she could look right past chrissy’s newly returned face and know everything she’s been up to since she left service. it wouldn’t be the first time elinor had somehow wrung the truth from her. 

chrissy’s hand flinches ever so slightly when they touch, afraid her fingertips might pass over the answers themselves. when elinor raises a subsequent question after, chrissy snaps back into her role, close enough to show no seams. she couldn’t be found out now.

❝ not at all, ❞ she chuckles, taking elinor’s hand in all confidence, leading her into the first steps. ❝ i was just worried about stepping on your dress. it’d be a shame to snag such fine fabric. ❞ her shoe comes teasingly close to elinor’s hem after -- before safely sliding it aside. 

❝ how are you, general? has your work allowed for more free time yet? ❞

#( not helping the betrayal allegations but alas :) CAN'T HELP IT....THEY INTRIGUE ME... ) #( tried feebly to beat back feels that are too early but :) you know how it goes.. ) #( IT'S CHRISSY TOO it's always simpin o clock for her!! lbr !!! and it's elinor1! ofc it's like this!! ) #feveredblurs #( c: chrissy ) #( v: grisha ) #( HOPE THIS SCENARIO IS OKAY TOO!! LMK )

[luxmaeastra]

//I figured out Bryce for ACOTAR and its

heartbreaking!!//

Jurian wrinkled his nose at the vomit, her hair

was tangled. Whatever luxurious clothes was dull and frayed. The gold and diamonds had begun to flake and break off. She looked like a broken doll in this cell.

He glanced to Aleksander.

"Remind me what you saw in her again?"

He was just glad Anastasiya wasn't here. As broken as Bryce looked Anastasiya looked worse. He didn't want to be in the middle of another one of their duels (he still maintained Bryce won by cheating).

He knew vaguely of the state of the new world order that was established 500 years ago. Cassandra still held the Daglan that remained in

check. But she could only do hold on so tightly and had given the reigns to the Asteri, Rigelus and his siblings.

Rigelus hadn't wasted time in making the other kingdoms of Rask, Vallhan, Vaalbara, Avallen, and Montesere bow to them. Tithes were ratified and the fae and witches were allowed to keep their kingdoms.

What he didn't understand is how Amarantha roped Bryce into being her little spy, engratiating herself into the courts and Royals.

Was it the Autumn blood in her that had helped? Or was it whatever remnant of Cassandra's blood they all shared through their grandfather Rook the first High Lord of Autumn?Jurian rubbed at his jaw and squatted by the cells.

"Bryce what -"

The figure hissed at him lunging for the bars.

"Do not call me that. She - she died when her sister did! B - I am Briata! I -"

She whimpered reaching for hin through the bars. Her nails once something she took pride in were cracked and had dirt and blood under her nails. The figure hissed at him lunging for the bars.

"Do not call me that. She - she died when her

sister did! B - I am Briata! I -"

"Do - do you have it? Do you have the

Lightseeker Yura?"

She whimpered reaching for hin through the bars. Her nails once something she took pride in were cracked and had dirt and blood under them.

Jurian swallowed and stepped back looking to Lorcan as he walked toward him.

"You find her then? Can you believe we gave her refuge on the eve of Amarantha's demise and she had the gall to go through my Layla's

things?"

Lorcan spat on the ground before Bryce's cell.

"She is yours to do with Jurian or Aleksander if you think Anastasiya would appreciate the present."

//LOOOK AT THIS MAEE//

A slow sigh came from Aleksander as he looked back towards the cell, letting her stay and rot in that place would probably be the option he would have taken. Yet the sensation he felt, the weight of what could happen if he walked away.

As much as he embraced the title of the Darkling, as much as he was feared, he also had a level head on his shoulders. The actions she took were that of someone who was desperate, she had nowhere else to turn, like many during the reign of Amarantha.

"We should take her," he finally responded before he looked towards Jurian. "She may have done wrong, but who hasn't in this world? Leaving her like this would make us worse than our worst enemies."

#Muse | Aleksander

[ask-sparklingcooki]

“My company will be to DIE for.”

#event : a shot in the dark 2 #darkling : take your final bow #: text post : #: mun’s art :

[lantsovsupremacist]

nikolai lantsov: currents

warnings: nikolai lantsov being the best man ever wouldn’t you know 🙄☝️

spoilers: set during king of scars but no major spoilers!!!

you looked up from the paperwork strewn about the desk situated in a far corner of the war room. tucked away here, you would never be the first target. some might call it paranoia or chalk it up to the trauma of the civil war, but you simply preferred a spot to observe quietly in the shadows.

toyla and tamar followed the king inside, nodding at zoya, genya, and david surrounding you.

“oh. it’s you. it’s all of you. i...” the man, or more likely boy, who skittered into the room spoke in a squeaky tone, “an absolute honor. a dream, really.”

briefly meeting nikolai’s eyes as he turned around from shutting the door behind him, you transferred your line of sight to the figure now bowing at your feet. zoya scoffed, eyes rolling to the heavens. genya and david shared a cohesive frown.

dropping the pen from your hand, you pushed your hair over your shoulders and straightened. you listened thoughtfully as he gave an introduction to each of your fellow grisha, recounting his apparent conclusions of them. when he treaded the sparkling waters that were genya, your face began to drop into anger.

“the first tailor, who bears the marks of the darkling’s blessing.”

her flinch did not go unnoticed by you. and as the only one whose temper rivaled yours kept hers in check, you failed to. the pressure immediately began to decrease in the room and the air dry of any moisture. nikolai’s head whipped up, perhaps the one most familiar with your temperament (other than zoya in your shared youth—never happy to be on the receiving end of a soaked kefta in class).

his hands flew up, taking a step towards you, bartering with any position he could gain. your fierce protection over genya was not unknown to those close to you, a flaw in the monk’s faulty perception. you let your shoulders fall, calming any potential downpour.

if yuri noticed your show of power, he made no move to address it, “ravka’s most powerful tide maker. oh the stories of how the darkling sanctioned you with the power to drown men on land.”

you froze but not because of a lie. his words were all true. the darkling hand selected you for this special training at age eleven. you allowed the legend to transpire, protecting you much like kaz brekker, dirtyhands of ketterdam. this was not a lore you would repeat with starry eyes and dreams of an otherworldly fantasy. none of the lives you had been forced to take before jumping ship to join sturmhond during the civil war could be washed away.

for all of your hard edges and brutal words, there were chinks in your armor that could not be hidden. tamar and toyla brought a hand to their weapons in startling unison. zoya’s eyes called out for yours.

nikolai’s features immediately darkened, an eclipse shadowing the usual light in his eyes. he rose from his chair slowly, exhibiting all of the power that he had inherited.

the shameless monk managed to hold himself upright but the unchecked tremble of his fingers exposed the fear instilled by the king’s actions.

“if i ever hear of her name—any of their names—leaving your mouth again,” nikolai began, his words sharper than the edge of his sword, “for any purpose in any country,” nikolai paused to watch yuri shrink under his steady gaze, “there will be nothing left for your believers to mourn into martyrdom.”

you held your chin high, your eyes twin daggers poised to launch across the room and eagerly embed themselves in a target. the ire in your chest began to subside upon witnessing yuri’s response to your boyfriend’s threats, only to be readily replaced by a flush of desire as his hazel eyes sharpened.

breaking eye contact with the monk who could not decide where to offer his, you glanced about the room. zoya had steeled herself beside you, radiating enough anger to address each of yuri’s mislead and misspoken opinions. even david’s face appeared from behind the book in his hands, though he kept his page by leaving it open to rest on his lap.

“am i correct in my assumption that you have heard me clearly,” nikolai’s voice carried across the walls, not quite commanding any longer but instead demanding the attention of those stood inside.

“y-yes your highness,” yuri stumbled out weakly as he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his wiry nose.

after finishing up matters with your friends, nikolai took off out of the room, glancing back to make sure you intended to follow. you fell in step behind him, remaining quiet until you reached the stairs leading up to his chambers.

“i could have handled him, you know,” you pressed nikolai, hands repeatedly flexing and unflexing as they brushed against the sides of your blue kefta. your tone held no anger, simply indicating a truth.

nikolai drummed his fingers against the railing, pausing before turning back to face you, “of course you could have, love, but where’s the fun in that for me?”

you appreciated his willingness to defend your honor but the playfulness in his tone felt forced. he did not even make an attempt at his trademark smile imbued by charm and confidence. you decided in that moment that you would do to see it’s safe return.

“nik,” you spoke, repeating yourself after the absence of an answer, “nik.” your hand finding its way into his own hanging limply at his side.

“do you really see yourself in that way?” his voice shook, nearly choking on his final words.

any time the topic was brought up, nikolai was reminded of your stance. you had broken down to him the night after the darkling fell at the hands of alina starkov. no matter any of your friend’s persuasion, you stood firm in your position. you deserved to pay for the harm you inflicted on so many innocent. you were a monster, one who had given in to being handcrafted by another.

the untroubled nature with which he typically carried himself had vanished. your own expression faltered. his particular kind of magic, knowing smirks and careful quips that were like incantations for smiles, vanished.

and while it was normal for nikolai to drop the facade of a charming king around you, the pain held in his eyes plummeted your heart into your stomach.

“i think i did once,” you replied airily, not wasting your breath on a lie that nikolai could surely detect before the sound waves settled, “right after the war ended.”

nikolai chewed on the inside of his cheek anxiously, “but you’ve intentionally chosen past tense to describe these feelings.”

“yes,” you nodded, drawing your lover closer to you by the lapels of his jacket, “always so observant. it’s only of the many things i admire about you.”

nikolai sighed, closing his eyes and letting his blonde curls fall upon your forehead. you brought a hand up to stroke his cheekbone, soaking in the warmth of his skin pressed up against own.

“your strength,” nikolai said after a moment, drawing a hand to your waist, “your perseverance.”

“hmm?” you hummed quietly in question, content to reside with him inside this moment only belonging to the two of you.

“qualities i admire in you, my love,” he smiled after a moment, not entirely to be described as filled with confidence but surety nonetheless.

the flush of color in your cheeks always reminded nikolai of the pink dahlias planted in his favorite corner of the garden. maybe it was because it was where he had first kissed you. he decided that was probably his reason, although he never needed one to justify the beauty of either the memory or girl in front of him now.

too caught up in the memory, nikolai’s lips dipped to yours. you could always grasp a lingering taste of saltwater no matter how far away he was from sea, how many weeks removed. it reminded you of home. it was home.

“i love that you protect me, sobachka” you whispered against his lips, down his jaw and neck.

you did not need the exaggerated tales of your terrifying capabilities to destroy to wear as armor anymore, for you had the best man you had ever known to guard you.

as his hand wove into your hair and the other spiraling lower down your back, your breath hitched in your throat when he answered, “i can do so much more than that, my sea.”

nikolai settled on a simple quip, something guaranteed to make you smile. as a boy, he dreamed of a girl who would laugh at all of his jokes. when he grew, he figured many would be forged, a fallacy to fall in good graces with the king. he had yet to detect a lie within the giggles that left your lips.

the golden haired king would do anything to see you smile. he would pour hours into chasing perfection for you. once, he had even allowed toyla to confer with him about romantic poetry. despite the recitation being quite dreadful, you had laughed the most you had in a long time that day. now, just to catch up with the smallest piece of that magic again, he brought a new poem to you each night.

“i thought that i had seen the most gorgeous sights as sturmhond,” he began, unable to help biting his lip at your smallest quirk of a smile, “the volkvolny showed me how to fall in love with the endless waves at sea.”

you sucked in a breath, immersed in the way he spoke so intentionally. he was entrancing. you loved to hear about his travels before you met him, immersed in his storytelling.

“but none of them were every as beautiful as the ones you make,” he finished with a grin.

instead of reaching up to smack him at the cliche, you ignored your first reaction and instead pulled him closer to you. with your hands tucked against the back of his neck, you allowed your thumb to ruffle his lose and unruly curls. here, he was soft and gentle, untouched by his role.

“our ship had four other tidemakers,” you voiced softly, recalling your betrayal of the darkling after sturmhond’s crew imposed a mutiny, “but you chose me to lead the crew. you told me that was because i was the most powerful, but i certainly wasn’t with the waves. my power was not as practiced with currents.”

“but they were the prettiest,” he chuckled with puppy dog eyes honoring his nickname.

you gaped at this confession, “are you telling me you picked me as a leader during a war because the waves i created were pretty?” the initial seriousness in your tone melted away with every breath.

“i remember calling them the prettiest,” he twisted your hips, swaying you with him, “didn’t help me that the girl that could make them was the most gorgeous one i had ever seen. darling, i’m a prince, so i will inform you now that i have met a lot of people.”

your laughter was more delicate now, trailing off as you found direction in his eyes, “i had not been trusted with currents in years,” your voice softened, “he wanted my power elsewhere. i hated all of it. do you know the only memory i have of my parents is my father guiding the currents with me while we fished outside of town as a child? i was so excited to create like that with my power but all i did was destroy,” fighting back any moisture building in your eyes, you continued, “you gave me that back, nikolai.”

nikolai felt his heart stir inside his chest. he caught up to one of his most favorite smiles of yours. a rarity it was, reserved for the quietest and most understated moments that you could hardly share due to the both of your occupations and temperaments.

“i love every part of you,” nikolai dictated, “every drop of saltwater in the sea could not compare.”

you repeated the phrase before stilling, “well, now you’ve gone and ruined this with another one of toyla’s fictions.”

“ah, ah,” he tsked, “i made that one up myself, love.”

#nikolai lantsov fluff #nikolai lantsov x reader #nikolai lantsov imagine #nikolai lantsov #shadow and bone #storm and siege #rule of wolves #sturmhond #zoya nazyanelsky #shadow and bone fic #nikolai x reader

[luciadiosa]

A long time ago.

Masterlist

You were send through the shadow fold. You made your way to the little palace and you found a place to stay and be safe there. But what are you? More then anyone here but you decided that you an inferni. One who can bend fire. You have to fit in, to not stand out of all because you will. It was Fedyor who dragged you in. They found you in a camp of the Drüskelle. They thought you were captured but in real you wanted rescue the other grisha.

Now you are here. After months you wear the blue kefta with honour and you have inserted yourself into the order. Even more, you got very well along with Ivan and Fedyor. All of you three can often be seen together. Drinking, dancing, laughing. Yes even Ivan.

It was the one fight since they really saw you. They saw you kneeling over the body of a Grisha. Until you look up at them and shout to Ivan: "Slow down his pulse, or he'll die!"

Perplexed by the announcement, Ivan did what you asked and at the same time witnessed how you began to heal the wound. “I thought you a inferni!”, he shouted, his hands crossed. “Y/N?”, he spoke your name “Does it matter? I am on your side, so help me finish my work!”, you replied.

You remember the scene. Since you came back to the little palace, you now stands befor the big door if his war room. Ivan next to you, give you a strict look. He knocked and opened the door, so you and him can enter the door. The general turns around and inspect you too. He knew Ivan wanted to speak with him, so he look directly to him.

“She is a healer.” You look at you friend. Wow, direct way to the point. Typically Ivan. Kirigan didn’t look particuarly surprised. “So?”, he asked.“She is an inferni too. Y/N, tell him what you told me.”, Ivan explained and then pushes you forward. Your arms circled for stiffness before you stop, before you fall in the arms of the darkling.

As if he caught you. He just stood there with lowered arms and penetrated you with his dark eyes. You are clearing your throat and look down. “I know every little scince….except shadow or light summoning. And I am no Materialki.” You quickly add the final words when you saw Kirigan's mouth open. He closed it again without saying anything and nodded to Ivan towards the door. He went and left you alone with the darkling.

“So you say you are an Etherealki and a Coporalki?” he asks you. “How was your testing? It should have been noticeable.” You shake your head. “I never was tested. It is more complicated and it is my past. I was running my whole life. Someday I trained myself to help other grisha. Till the day Fedyor found me.” Kirigan steps closer. You feel his right hand on your chin. The sharp steal of his ring cutting trough your skin of your cheek. Your eyes reflect the float of clours. Immediately he put his thumb on the wound. The sharp ring on it. He take a deep breath. “What?” you asked him because he didn’t release you. “What a pity.” He whispers and then pulled back. “You are really no sun summoner but with your skills you can be very powerful and precious to the second army and our people. You can choose between the kefta.” Kirigan said. “I would like to wear a black with red applications.” You try and smile. “I take the coporalki one.” Even if the general smiles back at you for the comment, you will not risk his rage. “Maybe you can be one of my oprichniki someday.” He says in prospect. You imply a little bow, turn around and left his rooms. Part 2

#darkling #shadow and bone #short fiction #darkling x reader #aleksander morozova x reader #fedyor kaminsky #aleksander morozova #general kirigan #general kirigan x reader #ivan

[readerinsertsaremyguiltypleasure]

An Unexpected Taste of Love: Chapter Two

Pairing: Darkling x Female Reader

Rating: Teen and Up

Summary: You are a servant at the Grand Palace, but when a threat to the Second Army’s General leads to the King assigning him a taster, you are forced into a new role that just may be the starting point for a whole new journey.    

Author’s note: I haven’t read the books but there may be a couple of small references to them that I have picked up from other sources (other fics, the grishaverse wiki, etc). Other than that, this fic is solely based on the TV show version of the Darkling.

Warnings: Near death experience, The Darkling is his own warning

———————————————————

< Chapter One | Masterlist | Chapter Three >

The party went on long into the night, but it at least went by smoothly. There were no more mishaps or altercations, and for the most part, you were left watching the guests enjoy themselves. You were a little jealous that you couldn’t join in, but even without your commoner status, you knew it was impossible. You didn’t know any of these people and would be an outsider in more ways than one… but seeing everyone celebrate the love of two of their own, it made you yearn for something similar. Having a social life as a servant was complicated, and most parties were held in secret in small quarters away from the judgemental eyes of royals who thought you did not deserve such festivities.

It was almost midnight when the General retired, meaning you were finally free to return to your room. Mina was kind enough to show you back there, the palace looking much different in the dark, and you tucked yourself into your bed just as the clock struck twelve.

You didn’t go to sleep, though. This was your favourite time of night – the only time you ever got to yourself – and you rarely wasted it on sleep. Instead, you spent the next hour reading your favourite book until your eyes were drooping too much to keep them open.

Your last thought before you succumbed to sleep was of the General’s amused smirk and wondering what the next day would bring.

----

The next day ended up coming a lot sooner than expected; the sun was not even up when you were being summoned to test the General’s breakfast. You were so tired that you barely even managed a polite bow before unceremoniously stabbing your fork into his food. You would probably be embarrassed later, but Early Morning You didn’t care too much about your behaviour.

Your barely half-awake state also meant that you missed the amusement in the General’s eyes and the way his lips twitched from trying not to smile, just as you missed the chuckle in his voice as he dismissed you, telling you to go back to bed.

Two hours later, when you woke up again and were feeling a little more like yourself, you were indeed embarrassed. So, in an effort to distract yourself, you decided to explore the Little Palace while you waited for your next summoning. Mina had told you that while most of the palace was out of bounds for servants unless on duty, there were a few areas you were allowed access to, including the library and the entirety of the palace grounds so long as you didn’t go too far to find if you were needed. It was more freedom than had been granted to you at the Grand Palace, and you were eager to make use of it while you could.

You started with a quick stroll around the outside of the palace, briefly stopping to watch the Grisha train from a distance, and then you retired to the library. The books were much the same as those in the Grand Palace library (which you had snuck into many times in the dead of night), but there were still plenty that caught your eye so your giddiness at something new remained untarnished. The Grisha history section, for instance, was a lot more expansive, and you couldn’t wait to look through it.

You glanced over the titles, taking note of the ones that pertained to your interests, and then picked a couple of books at random. A few of the Grisha who were also in the library gave you curious looks, but no one told you to leave, so you found yourself a comfortable spot and settled down to read.

You were about two chapters through a book on the Black Heretic when Mina arrived to let you know the General was ready for lunch. You eyed the clock, surprised at how late it was considering how early he had had his breakfast. You hoped he wasn’t sneaking meals without you. If the King found out, you would likely never see beyond the inside of a prison cell.

Mina must have sensed your worry, because she was quick to reassure you that such a long stretch between meals was normal for the General. Apparently, he got too caught up in his work and usually forgot to eat for hours at a time.

Indeed, when you arrived at what you assumed must have been the war room, the General was nose deep in important looking papers. He barely even glanced up at you or the server who arrived seconds later with his food. It gave you the chance to properly examine his profile up close, and you were once again struck with how handsome he was. Even with his brow furrowed in concentration, his facial features were beyond comparison to any other man you had ever met. His eyes were so dark you could get lost in them forever, and his hair looked so soft-

‘Are you going to eat or stare?’

You startled at the General’s voice, and heat flooded your face as you realised you had been caught staring. He hadn’t even looked up from his papers, so you doubted he had realised the full extent of your admiring gaze, but it was still enough to make you flustered.

‘Apologies, General,’ you said, voice rushed and a few octaves too high, and you hurried over to where the server had left his meal. You didn’t even bother to check what you were eating, too focussed on having embarrassed yourself twice in one day, and you had to hold in your dry retching as you realised you had just bitten into an olive.

‘Are you alright?’ asked the General, looking up from his desk with a small frown.

You nodded, forcing yourself to swallow. ‘I’m not a fan of olives, I’m afraid,’ you told him, hiding your mortification behind a laugh.

‘Then why did you eat it?’

‘I guess I was distracted,’ you said before realising how it sounded. You closed your eyes, silently wishing for the floor to open up and swallow you whole. When you opened them again, you could see the General was trying not laugh.

Just great.

Oh well, it wasn’t like he wouldn’t be used to women being flustered in his presence, you thought. Surely there had been others before you.

‘Was there anything else, General?’ you asked, noticing a half-drunk pitcher of water on the table.

‘I fetched the water myself,’ he said, following your gaze. ‘Rest assured, it was not tampered with.’

You nodded, satisfied, but did not leave until he dismissed you. He looked you over, assessing you as he had done the previous night, and then let you go with a wave of his hand. You gave a little bow before scurrying out of the room as fast as polite decorum allowed.

You silently vowed that the next time you saw General Kirigan, you would not make a fool of yourself.

----

The rest of the day passed without you being called upon, so with having so much free time during the day, you decided you could afford to have an earlier night, settling under the covers at 11 o’clock. You had gotten about six hours of sleep that morning, a whole hour more than what you usually got, but the brokenness of it meant that you still felt the exhaustion that all servants felt – the kind that came with working day in day out for years with no end in sight. You expected your new role would bring some relief in that regard; you had had more free time in your past day than you had had in the past month working at the Grand Palace.

The perks of risking your life, you supposed.

And with that comforting thought in mind, you decided to skip your reading and try and sleep. In retrospect, that was a bad idea. It felt like you had barely closed your eyes before there was a knock on your door, startling you awake. You looked at the clock and sighed. You had only been asleep for half an hour. Not that you were too surprised; you hadn’t seen the General since his late lunch and had spent a lot of your night waiting around for him to have his dinner.

You had given up too early it seemed.

Still, there was no use complaining about it, so you quickly got dressed and made your way to the war room. He didn’t appear to be there, however.

‘General?’ you called out, though not too loud. Most of the palace would be asleep at this time of night.

There was a noise from inside a joining room you hadn’t noticed before, and you made your way towards it. Peering inside, you realised that this must have been his bedroom, and the “war room” was in fact part of his private quarters.

Either space was short in the Little Palace, or the General was very dedicated.

Said General was sitting at a table littered with what looked like journals. His dinner was sitting to the side, untouched, but you couldn’t be sure if he had waited for you or if he was just so engrossed in his work that he hadn’t even noticed it was there.

‘General,’ you said again, this time a little quieter. He looked up from his journals, brow creased. ‘Are you ready to eat?’

His confused gaze travelled from you to the food before realisation struck him. Yep, he had definitely not known it was there. After a moment of staring at the food, he sat back in his chair and scrubbed his hands over his face. He looked exhausted.

‘I suppose so,’ he mumbled, and you took that as your cue to come further into the room. This time when you chose something to take from his plate, you paid more attention and chose a small potato. Much safer.

After a minute had passed and you were still alive, you bowed again and were just about to leave when the General’s voice stopped you.

‘Stay,’ he said, gesturing to the seat opposite him. ‘Please. I’ve been going over maps and mission plans for hours and am in need of a distraction.’

Your nervous trepidation at being asked to stay turned to all out suspicion in an instant. ‘A distraction, sir?’ you asked, voice a tad squeaky. You were well aware of what happened to some servants in the dead of the night, forced to please bored and powerful men.

Vile men.

You had not pegged the General to be such a man, but appearances could be deceiving. Maybe he had noticed you admiring him at lunch and now he wanted to do something about it?

The General was seemingly oblivious to your unease. ‘Yes,’ he nodded. ‘I think talking about something other than war and politics for a while may do me some good.’

You breathed a sigh of relief. All he wanted from you was conversation.

‘Of course, General,’ you said, taking the offered seat.

You sat there awkwardly for a moment before the General spoke again. ‘What’s your name?’ he finally asked. You happily gave it and he hummed thoughtfully as he picked at his food. ‘You’re new here, aren’t you? I don’t recall seeing you at the Little Palace before.’

‘You memorise all the servants’ faces, do you?’ you asked. It was said lightly, almost teasingly, but it brought a frown to the General’s face, and you suddenly realised how your joke must have sounded. ‘Apologies, General,’ you said quickly, looking down. So much for not embarrassing yourself. ‘I didn’t mean to speak out of turn. I was trying to be funny. As you can tell, I’m not very good at it.’

You risked a glance up at him and saw that his frown was gone and he was now fighting a smile. ‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘I don’t memorise all their faces. Just the pretty ones.’

You blushed at the unexpected compliment. Much to his delight it seemed, as he was no longer even trying to hide his smirk, even as he ate his food. It was most unlike the usually stoic Black General.

Or perhaps this was more like the real him, you pondered. A side of him that he had to keep hidden to preserve his fearsome reputation.

‘You haven’t seen me around the Little Palace before,’ you told him, steering the conversation back to his original question. ‘I’ve always worked at the Grand Palace.’

‘And how are you finding the change?’

You thought about it for a moment before answering. ‘Well, I only started yesterday evening, but it’s a nice breather to be honest. I mean, my old duties were not quite so… terrifying-’ you chuckled awkwardly ‘-but there were many more of them. It’s nice to have just the one for a while.’

For a brief second, you worried that your admission would lead to him giving you more duties, but the thought didn’t seem to even cross his mind.

‘So you weren’t a taster before?’ he asked, popping a grape into his mouth.

You shook your head. ‘I guess all the usual tasters were already spoken for. You’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.’

He didn’t comment, but there was something in his eyes that told you that he didn’t mind being stuck with you too much. Considering that he hadn’t wanted a taster at all, the thought gave you a much-needed confidence boost.

‘Do you have any leads on who is threatening you?’ you asked.

‘Why? Eager to get back to the Grand Palace?’

‘No,’ you answered quickly. A little too quickly. But if the General noticed, he didn’t say anything.

‘None as yet,’ he said, answering your question. ‘So far, all the assassination attempts have been done through… well, assassins. And they didn’t give up any information of worth. I doubt they even knew the real identities of those who hired them.’

Your eyes widened; you hadn’t realised that the “threats” the King had spoken of had already begun to come to fruition.

Your job just got even more terrifying.

‘There have already been assassination attempts?’ you asked, trying not to let your anxiety show.

The General nodded and pushed his plate away, meal done with. ‘Only two. Well, recently anyway.’ He said it so casually, and you felt a small pang of sympathy for him. How many times had someone tried to kill him for it to become so blasé?

‘If I may say so, General,’ you said, being careful with how much he was willing to let you speak freely, ‘you don’t seem overly concerned.’

The General smirked and sat back in his chair, his hands joined together at his chest. Behind him, the lights of the lanterns disappeared as a darkness crept along the room. You couldn’t deny the sight was unnerving, but you weren’t afraid.

‘Point taken,’ you said around a chuckle. Of course he wasn’t concerned; you doubted there was an assassin alive who could take him out directly.

The shadows receded but the General’s smirk remained. ‘The true perpetrators will show themselves eventually,’ he said with confidence. ‘Until then, I carry on as always.’

You nodded solemnly. You hoped that whoever was behind this threat showed themselves soon, for both of your sakes.

You both sat in silence for a few moments, each lost in your own thoughts, but not uncomfortably so. You took the chance to subtly look around the General’s bedroom. It was quite understated compared to those of the Grand Palace, but still far more spacious and inviting than any you had ever slept in. You couldn’t help but feel that it suited him, with its dark woods and darker curtains.

You didn’t let your gaze linger however, vividly remembering your embarrassing altercation at lunch. Instead, your attention fell upon the bookshelf, noticing a copy of the same book you were reading at the library that afternoon, albeit a much older edition.

‘Do you like to read?’ the General asked, obviously noticing where your attention had drifted to.

You turned back to him and nodded. ‘When I get the chance.’

‘You know, the servants are permitted to use the library here at the Little Palace.’

‘I visited it this afternoon,’ you said, a bit too much excitement creeping into your voice. ‘I’ve already made a list of books to borrow.’

‘Well, if you ever need any recommendations, let me know. I feel like I’ve read every book in there at least twice.’

You smiled warmly at the gesture. ‘I will keep that in mind. Thank you, General.’

From there, the conversation delved into you both sharing your favourite genres and opinions on certain texts. He seemed pleased with your fascination of the Small Science, and even recommended a few books about it, while you were surprised at his fondness for fictional novels. By the time you realised how much time had passed, you had almost forgotten the power dynamic between the two of you.

‘I suppose I’d better get back to it,’ said the General, looking at the papers on his desk with displeasure.

‘I’m sure they’ll still be there in the morning,’ you said, softly. ‘You should get some sleep.’

The mere mention of sleep had you suddenly remembering how tired you were, and you muffled a yawn behind your hand.

‘So should you,’ said the General. Maybe it was your sleep deprived brain, but you could have sworn there was a hint of affection in his voice.

You nodded and rose from your seat, only to stumble as your foot caught on the bottom of your skirts. You caught yourself on the table, but even if you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have fallen. General Kirigan was suddenly right next to you, holding you steady with one hand at your waist and the other on your shoulder, his fingertips just brushing your neck.

You felt your whole body heat up, at both the embarrassment and his proximity.

‘Thanks,’ you mumbled, straightening your skirts as an excuse to hide your face. Now sure that you were not going to fall, the General removed his hands, but you couldn’t help but notice how the one at your shoulder lingered for a moment.

Or perhaps it was just your imagination.

‘Are you alright?’ he asked. You looked up to find that he had only moved back one step and was still very much in your personal space. You swallowed thickly, suddenly realising how tall he was.

‘Yes, thank you General,’ you said, trying to ignore the now very different heat coursing through your body. You took a step back, hoping the distance would help. ‘Just a bout of clumsiness, that’s all. I guess I was more tired than I realised. I’ll just clear these dishes and be off to bed, I think.’

‘You don’t have to do that,’ the General protested as you gathered his plate and cutlery in your hands.

You waved him off. ‘It’s fine. No point calling someone else to do it. And the kitchens are on the way to the servants’ quarters anyway.’

At his reluctant nod, you gave a small bow and shuffled past him. You paused at the door, however; it didn’t feel right to just leave. ‘Goodnight, General,’ you said, hoping you weren’t pushing the familiarity between you too far.

The General smiled back at you, relieving you of your worries.

‘Goodnight, Y/N.’

#please let me know if you spot any typos #the darkling #the darkling x reader #darkling x reader #general kirigan x reader #aleksander morozova x reader #darkling x female reader #general kirigan

[thebadgerclan]

All Of Eternity

Pairing: Aleksander Morozova x reader

Summary: You’re his for all of eternity, his scars don’t change that...

A/N: I used Ben Barnes’ picture of Aleksander’s scars for a description reference, it’s here if you haven’t seen it

“Where is he?”  Your voice made every Grisha within a 20 foot radius snap to attention.  Your oprichniki followed close behind you, weapons cocked and aimed, on edge after the incident in Novokribirsk.  The people were acting openly hostile towards Grisha, no risk would be taken where you were concerned, on the Darkling’s orders. The news had travelled quickly to the Little Palace, within a day of the incident itself, and you, accompanied by your guards, had set out on horseback for Kribirsk, where Aleksander had stumbled out of the Fold.  The small camp was only meters from the Unsea, the noises plainly audible from your position, steadily moving closer to the black tent, where you knew your lover was.

Fedyor jogged up to you, brows knit together.  “Moya soverennyi,” he said, bowing his head.  You weren’t married to Aleksander, not yet, but his soldiers used the title at his insistence, elevating you above your fellow Grisha.  “Fedyor, where is he?”  You needed to see him, to know that he was still alive and breathing.  “He’s in the tent, moya soverennyi, but you should know-”  “Know what?”  “He’s wounded, and badly.”  “Alive?” you demanded, and Fedyor nodded.  You took off towards the black tent, Fedyor on your heels.  

When you arrived at the entrance, you held up a hand, halting Fedyor and your guards.  “Remain outside,” you ordered, and pushed the tent flap back.  It was dark inside, and you blinked to adjust your eyes to the darkness.  The tent was mostly barren, but you spotted a lump on a cot in the corner.  “Aleksander,” you said, hurrying towards the man you loved.  “Aleksander, are you awake, can you hear me?”

You crouched at his side, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.  He was facing away from you, curled in on himself, nowhere the confident, foreboding man his soldiers knew.  “Y/N?” he questioned, his voice hoarse.  “Yes, it’s me, Aleksander, please look at me.”  “No.”  “Darling, please, I’m worried about you.”  “Leave me.”  You shook your head though he couldn’t see, rubbing your hand up and down your side.  “We both know that’s not going to happen, Aleksander.  Please, love, please look at me.”

He shifted so he was now facing you, but his face was hidden from sight.  “You shouldn’t have left Os Alta,” he said.  “It’s dangerous out there now, you’re safe at the Little Palace.”  “You really think I wouldn’t come to you?”  “You’ll wish you hadn’t.”  You cocked your head in confusion, slight frustration building in you.  “Aleksander, why won’t you look at me?  And why is it so dark in here?”

Candles were lit, but they were only pinpricks of light, smothered by Aleksander’s shadows.  “Did Fedyor tell you what happened to me?” he asked, voice bitter and angry.  “He told me that you were hurt.  Aleksander, please, let me see you.”  Your voice was pleading, and you found his hands where they were held to his chest and took them into yours, squeezing them in a way you hoped conveyed your concern and worry for your lover.

Aleksander sighed, squeezing your hands back, before lifting one and drawing the shadows back.  Light filled the tent, both from the sun and the many candles lit.   Finally, you could see him, and you couldn’t hold back the gasp that left your mouth when your eyes landed on his face.  Three scars cut across Aleksander’s face; black rather than red, one dragging from the center of his forehead to his left cheekbone, a gap over his eye, one slashing between his brows and cutting to the middle of his left cheek, and the third beginning below his right eye, pausing its trail only to pick up on his lower lip, stopping at his chin.  They were angry, inky slashes, shadow rather than flesh.

“Oh Sasha,” you said, reaching a hand out to Aleksander, but he shied away.  “Don’t,” he said, eyes shut tight as if in pain.  “Please don’t.”  “What happened?  Who did this?”  “My own creations,” he said, shame in his voice.  The volcra, you didn’t need to ask, you knew.  “Oh darling, do they… do they hurt.”  “Not so much anymore.  But they’ll never heal.  This is who I am now, a broken, failure of a man.”

“Don’t say that, please,” you almost begged, grabbing his hands and pulling them towards you.  “Aleksander, please.”  “You should leave me.”  His voice cracked when he said it, and your heart shattered.  “What?  Are you out of your mind?  Why would you say that?”  You were bewildered, and you held his hands tighter.  “You deserve to be with someone whole, Y/N,” Aleksander said, completely convinced that his words were true.  “Someone not broken like I am now, someone who-”

“Stop, stop, stop,” you said, shaking your head, silencing him.  “First of all, you are not broken, Aleksander.  Scarred, yes, but not broken.  Do you think that I think less of you or are any less in love with you than I was yesterday because of this?”  To your horror, Aleksander nodded, and you let out something between a laugh and a sob.  “No, Aleksander, no.  Sasha, I love you just as much as I did yesterday, if not more, and I could never think less of you because of this.

“And if you think I would ever leave you, especially because of this, you’re insane, Aleksander.  I can’t willingly or unwillingly ever bear to leave your side, my love.  This changes absolutely nothing, darling.  I am yours for all of eternity, there’s nothing that can change that.”  He sniffled, and you realized that he was crying.  You reached out to wipe his tears, fingers trailing over his scars, making him shudder.

“Did that hurt?”  Aleksander shook his head.  “No, not when you touch them.”  Aleksander winced at the memory of Ivan closing the wounds, the excruciating pain it caused.  “Will you….” he began, trailing off.  “Yes?”  “Will you hold me?”  “Of course, Aleksander, of course I will.”  He moved over on the small cot, making room for you.  You laid down next to him, holding your arms open to your lover, who buried his face in your chest, arms tight around your middle.  You held him close, peppering his forehead, temples, and head with kisses, rubbing his back comfortingly.

“I love you, Sasha,” you said.  “I love you so much.  I’m so relieved you’re alright.  When I heard… what happened, I feared the worst.  I thought you might be dead.”  Aleksander shook his head, cuddling closer.  “I’m alright, sweet girl, I’m alive.  And I love you too, I love you so much, Y/N.”  After a few moments, you asked the question that was burning in your mind.  “The Sun Summoner?”  “Escaped,” Aleksander replied, eyes heavy, sleep tugging at them.  “We’ll find her,” you said, kissing his head.  “Rest for now, Sasha.  I love you, I’m here.”  “Love you too,” he said, letting sleep take him.  The road ahead was certainly long and arduous, but Aleksander had you, despite his injury, you were still here.  And you would be his, for all of eternity.

#aleksander morozova x reader #shadow and bone fanfiction #the darkling x reader #general kirigan x reader #shadow and bone reader insert

[imkylotrash]

The Things I Did

Pairing: Aleksander Kirigan x reader

Request: It takes place before the S&B trilogy where during the Winter fete she caught the eyes of the king who wants to spend time with her alone leading to a protective/jealous Darkling because he knows what it truly means to spend time alone with that man. Anonymous

A/N I haven't read the books so I'm not entirely sure how the king acted but from what I read, I just made him as gross as possible.

Tagging: @bitchwhytho @music-of-melody @shadowhuntyi @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @sanktaesperanza @alice-the-nerd @glowingatdawn Let me know if you want to be added or removed.

"His Majesty," you greet with a smile and bow. You don't care for how he looks you up and down as if you're something to be devoured. In fact, you didn't even want to attend the fete but you are Grisha, and Grisha doesn't have the option to deny an invitation from the King himself.

"Don't wander too far off. I'll be needing someone to dance with me later," he growls with a sickening smile that makes you feel queasy.

"Of course, my King." You bow one more time before turning around and mixing with the people dancing. In the shadows, a certain dark haired man watches you. His eyes follow you across the room before he follows you himself.

"What did the King want?" he whispers, his lips almost touching your ear. It makes you shiver for completely different reasons.

"He wanted me to save a dance for him." You don't even have to turn around to feel him relax. A dance he can handle - or perhaps the right word is endure. He can endure a dance and so can you.

"I don't like his hands on you," he admits keeping his voice low. If anyone heard your conversation, the King would do much worse than a dance.

"He can't do much in a room full of people. I'll be yours when the night is over," you say finally daring to turn around and face him. You have no doubt that the dark corner conceals you from the party going on only a few feet away. But he still keeps his hands to himself. None of you can afford a mistake in a room full of Grisha. You can be seen talking but no one can suspect that the two of you are anything more than a General and his trusted soldier.

"I think he's looking for me," you say watching the King over Aleksander's shoulder. He dares to squeeze your hand gently and briefly before letting you go. As you make your way through the dancing couples once more, you feel your feet growing heavier with each step. The corset is suddenly way too tight but you move forward nonetheless.

"It's just a dance," you breathe slowly as you place yourself in front of the King.

"I was thinking there isn't enough room to properly dance here. Perhaps we should find a more private quarter," he proposes but you know you don't truly have a choice in the matter. You do not deny the King.

"My King, I am sure the people have no problem giving us plenty of space on the dance floor," you smile keeping your eyes on the ground right in front of him. He grunts a little but agrees. Your dress is big enough to keep him from getting too close as you dance, but it seems to only agitate him. There's no doubt what he actually wants to do to you and there's no one to save you if he decides to act on it.

"I'm bored of this party. Walk with me," he says after only one dance and fear freezes you. Your eyes find Aleksander's in the crowd but he's only a general. He can't help you. It doesn't stop him from attempting it.

"Your Majesty, leaving so soon?" he asks all of sudden right next to you. His smile is pleasant but you see right through it.

"I was just going to show this beautiful Grisha around the grounds," he laughs placing his hand on your lower back.

"May I speak freely?" he asks not even looking at you. When the King nods, he places a hand on the King's shoulder and leads him away from you.

"I wouldn't bother with that one," he starts but you don't hear the rest and frankly, you don't want to hear the rest. Whatever he says, the King decides on another victim and while you feel horrible for her, you also feel incredibly relieved you narrowly escaped his wandering hands.

"Let's get you out of here." Aleksander is by your side once again and this time, he doesn't keep you in the shadows. He hurries you outside where a carriage is waiting.

"I can't leave yet but I'll find you once this ridiculous thing ends." He doesn't kiss you goodbye but his eyes do. He makes sure you're far away from the grounds before he returns inside. Your hands are shaking but you don't fall apart before you're back in your room at the Little Palace. Tears are already making their way down your cheeks as you lean against the door. You place a hand over your mouth in an attempt to stop the sobs desperately trying to escape.

"Y/N." His voice is soft. Far too soft and gentle compared to a normal day but you still don't open the door. You don't want him to see you like this. You're supposed to be stronger than this. Nothing even happened at the Winter Fete and still, you're bawling your eyes out as if it did.

"Please." A word you never thought you'd hear Aleksander utter and somehow that's enough for you to get up and open the door.

"By the Saints," he breathes pulling you in and hugging you tightly. His touch chases away everything that happened tonight but it lurks in the back of your mind.

"You have my word, he will never touch you again. I'll kill him before that ever happens."

"You can't kill the King," you say almost laughing at the absurdity.

"You have no idea what I'm willing to do to keep you safe. All the things I've done already. No harm will come to you as long as I live." It's a promise to you and a threat to anyone else. For the first time tonight, you're able to lean forward and kiss the man you love without worrying about the repercussions.

"Stay with me tonight." And he does.

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