lorelast, alina starkova.
the subtle elegance of the ravkan palace gives alina the most profound impression of its too-muchness; the extravagance of furniture inlaid with gold, surfaces emblazoned with the double eagle everywhere the eye lands, and even the luxuries of the palace’s fetes and precessions pass before an orphan of keramzin with acceptance that is easy enough. but the carelessness enjoyed by the royalty during ordinary affairs: the dinner table each night and the leisurely moments before and after every event, smooth hands clutching lace fans and pristine forks in stark contrast to a nation torn by war and ravkans clutching talismans astound her to silence ( it is better than endeavoring politeness, for the king and queen and prince vasily, who made the most delicious food she’d had in her life unappealing. ) alina’s mind even drifts to the first army, the barracks and tents and the warmth of the cartographer’s tent under lantern-light, conditions which were valued soldiers who could only anticipate the fold in their future, and not much worse or better.
the sole saving grace of the royal family is prince nikolai, his charm but a guard and his endeavors good-seeming. while trust does not yet blossom in her heart there is understanding, perhaps partially borne out of their shared experiences, and another part that is as resonate between them as people rarely are and find yet somehow during their lives. he walks her back to her chambers and the conversation is not stilted or careful as it was during the meal. he had concocted an artful excuse she cannot recall to carry her away from the additional duration which would have been spent in the ladies parlor, and she is grateful, and gratefulness ought to be repaid as much if not more than any debt, so the sun summoner indulges nikolai’s teasing. the mantle of her title falls on her shoulders like a yoke: she cannot decide whether it is a burden necessary or earned, or if she wears it well or wants it, for to be a savior in the place of a pawn is perhaps just another chain she will wear.
❛❛ oh, you like something about me ? do tell, ❜❜ she returns, faint heart in the humor behind a close lipped smile. ❛❛ spare no detail, as you would not when describing yourself. i will then be merciful when i contradict you. ❜❜ yet his words are a wave of gradually-building caution, cause for pensive thought shifting over her features as she turns an eye to the prince at the threshold of her door. the lights of the hall glitter in his hair like darkly burnished gold, a crown in the place of the red crop she’d first noted of his appearance, and the desire to trust nikolai despite it all fills her with dread. ( it is at once what makes me think the better of it. ) ❛❛ your brother wants to use me politically, that’s all, and i know you do too … but i cannot decide whether it is power or something else you want. ❜❜
ravka was a child, always in need of nursing, a guiding hand. something that was heavy on his mind, weighing down his royal shoulders. he knew his brother would be incapable of doing so, that he would be as weak a leader as his father. the one thing that gave him hope these days was her. she was a beacon, shinning a light over his darkened days. as if a halo had been placed over her head, as if she was meant to guide them. meant to guide him. to make him a better person. maybe nikolai wasn’t what ravka needed on his own, but perhaps with the sun summoner by his side, with her hand in his, they could be ravka’s salvation. they could save the country he had bled for, the country he’d keep bleeding for. as if his chest was an open wound.
he enjoyed the evenings with her, enjoyed the walks even more. he knew she had the sun soldiers to guard her, she did not need the simple protection of a ( hopeless fool ) soldier acting on his own, with love and pride in his heart. he admired her, he was certain that with time, he could love her. and he feared it, he wasn’t sure alina was ever meant to be tamed. she was something wild, something that was supposed to burn brighter than the actual sun. maybe that was what was so tempting, maybe he was a little boy, aching to have his fingers burnt. he slides off his golden jacket, wrapping it around her slender shoulders. the chill of the night wasn’t something he wanted to put her through. hoping she’ll accept his gesture. he looks down at her, admiration clear in his eyes. a golden curl sneaks loose, dropping down to his forehead.
of course he liked things about her. all of ravka did. but ravka did not know alina, they only knew the hope of salvation, a savior. something so cruel to put on her shoulders. there’s a chuckle from his lips when she speaks, he did like to be expressive when describing himself. was it to shelter himself for the thoughts he truly felt ? maybe to prove himself worthy of their love. of ravka’s love. ❛ i like that you are impossibly stubborn. you don’t do what you’re told, you’re a constant trouble. ❜ but none of the words hold any heat, it’s the exact opposite and there’s a gleam in his eyes when he speaks. but it almost fades away when she speaks again. he stops in his tracks. he reaches his hand out to brush a strand of dark hair behind her ear. he didn’t feel like he was using her. maybe he needed her for his hope. ❛ i don’t care for my brother, but . . . you give me something i haven’t had in a long while. hope, alina. i think you would make a great queen someday. i’d want you by my side. if i ever came to rule. ❜ he just needed to find the right time to challenge his brother. but hopefully it’d be with alina starkova by his side.
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