IT FELT STRANGE, to just sit utterly still in the palace with the only job to do is to make an appearance and look pretty. She knew that was never Nikolai's intention, she knew he only wanted good things for her, but she was... well, her. Good things never came easily to her.

So when the letter came through to her, and when its sender came knocking on the Little Palace's doors, she was more than happy and eager to listen. She was desperate for anything other than this wretched stillness.

It was after the morning mass when the letter got to her, she was in her assigned chambers that felt more like a choker than anything (but she wouldn't dare tell Nikolai that) and a maid delivered the piece of parchment on a silver plate. Literally.

Svetlana had to admit, she felt her heart jump in her throat as she read the words, and a sense of dread and regret washed through her. She always thought about going back to Kerch, back to Ketterdam, but she never would have thought it would be like this. Nevertheless, this was the perfect excuse to go. This was the perfect ticket to escape.

Svetlana knew that if she played this right, Nikolai wouldn't say no to her. He might even provide her a seat on the first ship out of Os Kervo and to Kerch. But she had to play this right.

She was in the meeting room with the others when Tamar walked in silently and whispered in her ear that a woman is demanding to see her. It made the meeting pause and Zoya glared at her with an expecting raised brow. "This better be a life or death matter."

Lana rolled her eyes and excused herself from the table, "I'll be back."

As she walked out, Svetlana noted the way Nikolai sighed and slumped into his seat, one of his gloved hands going to rub at his forehead in exhaustion. She couldn't blame him, the work handed to him as king was a lot. She's thankful she's not in his shoes, Svetlana didn't think she'd survive being a queen. She's got enough on her plate as it is.

She didn't know what to expect, not a lot of civilians wanted to see Svetlana, let alone demand an audience with her, but Sophia Sevkor certainly was not it.

It was like the world stopped breathing along with her, the last time she had seen Sophia she had promised her that she will be coming back safe and sound. That was about three years ago. Svetlana wanted to kill herself.

"Sof?"

The brunette looked exactly the same; gorgeous raven locks flowing down her back, crystals and pretty rocks glued onto pins pulling some strands off her face, and her trusty navy cloak around her shoulders hiding her clothing beneath.

She smiled, but it seemed cold, bitter. Her usual warm demeanor is gone and replaced with... whatever this is. Svetlana has seen the way Sophia treated strangers she didn't trust, she never thought she'd be on the receiving end of things.

"Karina." She nodded once in greetings, "Or should I call you Svetlana? I don't know who is which anymore."

She definitely was upset with her. To be fair, living in Ketterdam meant going with an alias; it meant surviving and doing everything one can to stay afloat. To keep living. And if you managed to build an empire of sorts, you've got to do what it takes to keep it up.

Svetlana used the names Karina Kozlov from the moment she stepped into the docks in Os Kervos five years ago, maybe before. In Kerch, that was the name she went by. When she met Sophia, that was the name she was called. But ever since she came back to Ravka, Mal had convinced her to go back to her real name, because that's the name that connected them to each other.

She lowered her gaze slightly, then glanced back at Sophia. She felt bad, almost awful. Because Sophia was dressed in common folk clothing like she once did, Svetlana was wearing a dress of silk and velvet. The same as every other high-ranking Grisha in this Saintsforsaken place.

She wanted to apologize but then thought better if it. Ketterdam had to be the second most dangerous place Lana had ever been to after Fjerda. She was simply trying to survive. She wasn't going to apologize for that.

"Lana would be just fine. What are you doing here? I thought you were still in Ketterdam."

Sophia sighed in annoyance, or is it an exaggeration? Svetlana couldn't tell. "Did you get my letter?"

"This morning."

Sofia started mumbling a chain of curses in Kerch and had Svetlana not been worried about the letter she had sent, she might have giggled.

She approached Sophia and grabbed her shoulders, "Sof, what happened?"

Her eyes were wide, brown coffee eyes tinted with fear and horror. This isn't the Sophia Lana had left years ago. She isn't the same person.

"They took her."

The words rang around her skull, repeating over and over, and Svetlana was mortified to know who 'her' was, but she stood still and asked aloud, and watched as Sophia's tears eyes pour.

"Natalia. They took Natalia."

SOPHIA DIDN'T KNOW WHO 'THEY' WERE. But Svetlana wasn't about to sit around until stadwatch announced Nat's body floating by the harbor to be collected to Reaper's Barge. She didn't ask any more questions, instead, she grabbed Sophia's wrist and rushed her up to her room, Sophia watched from the door as Svetlana collected her knives and changes of clothes and stashed them into the very same bag she had grabbed from her room back in Phoenix Bay.

This scene was so familiar, too familiar. She almost started crying again. But Sophia knew that Lana was coming home now, instead of feeling the absolute dread she felt last time, she felt hopeful.

When she was finished collecting and grabbed her cloak, a knock came at her room's door. She wasn't given a moment to answer or hide Sophia when the door was pulled open. Zoya. Of course.

She, and Genya, stared at her and Sophia with wide eyes for a good minute, before connecting the fact they both carry bags and Lana was pulling on her midnight blue cloak. Zoya's eyes were immediately pulled into slits as she glared harshly at the Milkovich girl. "Where in all Saints' names do you think you're going?"

Instead of replying to her as she would have done had it been Genya who was asking, Svetlana simply held Sophia's arm and nodded toward the door. "Where's Nikolai?"

"In his study," Genya said simply, a wicked grin eating away at her lips. But Zoya wasn't sharing her amusement, "I asked you a question, Svetlana."

"And I didn't answer, now please leave me alone for five fucking minutes."

Zoya was absolutely stunned, and Sophia had gone almost limp in her grip. No one ever dared to speak back to Zoya Nazyalensky like that, but Svetlana wasn't just anyone. The history Zoya and Svetlana share is a long one, and neither one likes to bring it up nor speak of it, so unless you've lived through it, you're bound to feel all the tension and energy steaming off of them whenever they're in the same room.

Zoya and Genya followed after the girls as they rushed from hall to hall to get to Nikolai's study. Toyla was guarding the door, his big frame almost covering it from view, and Lana knew Sophia cowered into herself at the sight of him. He was huge and intimidating, but he was harmless. Well, almost harmless, to Svetlana at least.

"Morning, Toyla, mind letting us through?"

"I can't let her through," he pointed at Sophia, who flinched back when he raised his finger at her, "but you can go ahead."

Lana rolled her eyes but turned to Sophia, managing to sneak a glare at the redhead and the raven head clutching her arm behind them, "I won't be a minute, just stay out here."

Sophia's eyes widened, and she slowly tugged Svetlana backward with her, "You're leaving me with him?"

Confused, Svetlana glanced into the hallway, finding no one other than Zoya and Genya, then glanced behind her and made a face of realization. "Oh, you mean Toyla? Don't worry, he won't hurt you. Unless you give him a reason to. Maybe you two can bond over being Heartrenders. I'll be right back." And she was gone, out of sight and behind the door in a matter of seconds. Zoya and Genya rushed after her and into the office like two school girls giddy for gossip.

Sophia smiled uneasily at the unusually large man before waving a hand, "Hi." Toyla almost smiled.

Within Nikolai's study, Svetlana handed Nikolai the letter Sophia wrote to her and watched as his face morphed from utter confusion to horror and conflict all in a moment's time. He didn't say anything, simply dropped the latter on his desk and stared at her expectingly. It gave Zoya the perfect opportunity to snatch it up and read it with Genya.

"I need to leave. Now." Svetlana said, she knew she could've easily just sneaked out of the palace and got the fastest carriage to Os Kervo, but she did that once before. She was not going to repeat the same mistakes.

"To do what, exactly?" Nikolai said, "Rescue Grisha? Kill people? What do you plan to do?"

She clenched her jaw, "Three years ago, I left Ketterdam to seek out what I thought was my purpose in life. Warn Alina, take down the Darkling, and keep Grisha safe." She said, her tone solemn. "And I have done all of that, but this?" She grabbed the letter out of Zoya's frozen hand. "This means that I didn't do my job. These people, these Grisha that I left behind when I left, they're in danger because of me Nik. I have to go, I have to help them. I can't sit here and do nothing anymore, please, you've got to let me do something."

Svetlana was desperate and it made her look weak, but Nikolai understood. She felt the same after the Darkling took over his rightful throne after his brother died. The way he had to sit still and do nothing for months was antagonizing him, he was glad to get the bit of action he got.

Zoya stepped up now, her face drained from color as she demanded that she tags along, that "This is a Grisha matter and no offense Your Majesty but Lana won't get this done alone."

"Well, it's a good thing she isn't alone, then." Sophia's voice rang out from the door. Svetlana didn't notice her there, and she hasn't got any idea how long she's been standing there, but she was immensely grateful for her.

Zoya scoffed, "A little girl from Kerch is going to help you? Really?"

Svetlana scowled at her, "Sophia is more than capable, and we won't be alone. Now if you'll excuse us, we have to be at Os Kervo by nightfall."