Alina held Demetra on her hip as she carried her sister into the Tsar's study in the Little Palace. The girl was peering around curiously, though seemed less confident than usual, clinging on tight to Alina. When she saw Aleksander, the usually bright child buried her face in her neck, uncharacteristically shy in a way that made Alina's heart clench.

She did not want to threaten him in front of her, lest it scare her more, but the look in her eyes no doubt said everything her words would have done and more.

"She's not used to being around strange men," Alina said, taking a seat with her sister in her lap. "She only ever sees me, Mother, Misha, the maids, and mother's friends," A pause, where she just decided to get out with it. "You're not going to know her like you knew me growing up. She is just going to be another child at the Little Palace. She wears a blue kefta, and sleeps in the dorm with her peers. No being paraded around court on your arm, no private lessons in your study, no gifts, no mind games, no private jokes, no secrets,"

He raised an eyebrow, drawling, "You make your own childhood sound obscene, Alina,"

"You wanted me since I was fifteen, and the idea of me even longer than that," She said in a flat tone. 

"And now I have you," He smiled. "Yet you seem determined to think I would throw that away to do unspeakably vile things to a child. Your sister, no less," 

"You haven't had me in years," She scoffed. "And I want to lay the rules out now, so there is absolutely no doubt about what is and isn't overstepping," She smiled too, with no small amount of sardonicism. "I have never been replacable before, you see, and a three-year-old is easier to convince of things than a grown woman who can tear down a mountain,"

She was expecting him to mock her for that.

Instead, his amusement faded. "That is what you think of me, Alina?"

"I'd like to think otherwise," She said, not about to let him make her feel bad for being wary. "But - and I can't believe I'm saying this - sometimes it pays to be cautious. And for once in my life, I will be cautious, when Demetra is concerned,"

Aleksander was silent for a long moment.

"Very well," He said, his expression a mask. "Your sister will reside in the Little Palace. No one but the Grisha shall know she is a Sun Summoner. And I will leave her alone, as per your request. Though, I will ask now that you show me her powers," He smiled in a way he knew would irritate her. "Perhaps you are mistaken, and she is simply an Inferni,"

As though Alina, who knew her powers better than anyone alive, would make such a mistake. She did not rise to it as he wanted her to. Though had her sister not been there, she would have had several choice words to that.

"Of course," She smiled, wide and false. "Demi, you remember what we practiced?" 

Alina summoned a shower of glittering sparkles to demonstrate. Demetra perked up at that, waving her hand about erratically and summoning a smaller collection of her own. The child looked delighted with herself, as she always did when she summoned at all, clapping and laughing.

"Look, Lina! I can do it too!" 

"I know!" She could not help but smile more genuinely at the child's excitement. Now she had gotten over her blind panic, it was quite sweet.

"Three is rather young," Aleksander remarked. "Especially to have any amount of control,"

"Hence why I'd prefer it to not get out of hand," She said. "One childish tantrum and my mother could be Cut in half. She's not the easiest person to live with, I could see how it could happen,"

He let out a breath of laughter. "At least she has a gentler temperament than you. At nine, I could reason with you at least somewhat. You'd have been fully feral coming into your powers at three," He paused, reaching out a hand. "May I?" 

She waved a hand in assent, and he took Demetra's wrist. An explosion of gold sparkles erupted from the child's hands, much larger and brighter than before, and she looked up at him, wide-eyed. 

"Magic," She proclaimed.

Alina snorted at the pained look on his face. "Magic, Demi,"

*

A few days later, Alina was stood in the courtyard bidding Nina farewell. She had got the job with Mila Tarasova and was heading out on her first exercise. Despite her not wanting Nina to work with that woman at all, Alina was slightly envious, considering she could not leave herself until Demetra was properly settled in the Little Palace. Nonetheless, she wrapped her friend in a tight embrace.

"You've gotten over your tantrum, then?" Nina smiled at her, stepping back from the hug.

"Of course," Alina rolled her eyes, but grinned. "I'm hardly one to judge dangerous decisions. I hope you have a wonderful time working for the ghoul herself," A pause. "And if you ever need me, send word. It will get me out of Os Alta, I'd be only too happy to join for the flimsiest excuse,"

"Surely you can't mean to stay here for much longer?"

She grimaced. "I won't be. For now, I have to stay, so just know I am incredibly jealous of you,"

Zoya was already gone, off to the borders, working her way up through the ranks of the Second Army. Mal was usually busy with his oprichnik duties, or spending time with his fellow guards. Katya and Nikolai spent most of their time in the Fabrikator laboratories. Viktor, whilst not nearly as ambitious as Zoya, was still part of the Second Army and had been sent on an assignment in Kribirsk. And Kasper was setting himself up a practice in Os Alta with several other young Healers. Now Nina was moving on with her life too. Realistically, Alina knew that the moment she asked, she could be sent on some dangerous mission to various places around the world, or take a more active role in government, and she was still involved in the jurda parem problem. But still, she was stuck in Os Alta, and her boredom was growing. 

"At least you get to see darling little Demi in her cute little baby black kefta," Nina said. "She looked the most adorable child I have ever seen," 

"Her blue kefta," Alina said pointedly, then added after a moment. "She did look very cute. She liked that she looked like me,"

Her friend laughed. "This is surreal. Me going off to do something dangerous and exciting, and you staying at home to babysit,"

"Don't, or I'll come with you," Alina scowled. "It really wouldn't take much persuading,"

*

In the latest Grisha Council meeting, Tarasova was giving their first real update on the jurda parem situation in weeks.

"So the timeline as we understand it," The woman said. "Is that Bo Yul-Bayur made his discovery by mistake. Parem got out of hand and attracted the wrong attention. He was captured with his son Kuwei by the Shu government, to deliver to the scientists - presumably so they can refine and perfect the formula to get Grisha to fight for them against the threat of Ravka. However, there was a traitor in the Shu ranks - "

"And you know that how?" Leonid Zaitsev interrupted. 

Even Aleksander looked a little surprised at his nerve. Alina, for her part, respected him slightly more for it, though would certainly not be coming to his assistance in what was to follow. Tarasova's eyes went somehow even colder, fixing on him, unblinking. 

"We know," The woman said. "Because we found him, and made him talk, in the same way we could make you not talk when your input is neither needed nor wanted," 

No need to elaborate on that. Zaitsev swallowed, nodding. 

Her lip curled, amused, and a shiver ran down Alina's spine as she continued. "The traitor was a scientist who defected to Kerch and told them of parem for bribe money. He also told them where and when Yul-Bayur would be transferred, and the Kerch sent men to intercept him. This plan did not work, however, as we followed up and found that the Kerch men never made it back through the ports. They are simply missing. Our rat did not get his money - that was how we found him, by intercepting correspondence demanding payment - and the Kerch did not get Yul-Bayur,"

"So we were right," Aleksander said. "A third party,"

Tarasova nodded. "It is likely that the Shu foiled the plot and spirited him away to some even darker hole in the ground than Tomor Uul, or else the Fjerdans ambushed them. Of course, it could be anyone from a band of highway robbers burying them in a shallow grave, to Yul-Bayur escaping the Kerch himself and lying low with his son. But now we have more than guesswork to go off, we will narrow that down soon enough," 

*

The letter came from Ketterdam, handed to her by an unknown messenger in the early evening. Alina read it with a mixture of emotions, namely, shock, fear and utmost rage. Alina set Kaz Brekker's note down with hands that were considerably calmer than she felt. Last time she had been this angry, she had brought down a mountain. 

Nina's mission for Tarasova, whatever it had been, had not been a success. She had been captured, in fact, along with her partner, by Druskelle. And, somehow, she had escaped and ended up in Ketterdam in the cold arms of Brekker. 

No one had told her. Aleksander had not told her.

A younger Alina would have stormed into his study, uncaring of who saw, screaming bloody murder, perhaps flinging a Cut or two around the room. Whilst that would be extremely satisfying, it would not have stayed the sickening worry and blind panic for Nina she was currently feeling. She kept her temper, and merely threw a nearby glass at the wall instead, with a few hurled curses.

She knew why it had been kept from her. Diplomatic ties with Fjerda were shaky at best, the only thing keeping their armies from Ravka's borders being the memory of half their forces being mown down by the Fold. Alina sweeping into the country, killing anyone who stood in her way to get to her friend - and woe betide them all if she was dead - would hardly help the situation. As she had come to realise, she was selfish at heart. She would never put a country before her own friends, and in that moment could not care less about diplomacy and tact. All she could think of was Nina, bound in Druskelle ties, beaten and bruised and humiliated, her bright smile dulled, her full cheeks hollowed, shivering in a Fjerdan dungeon, burning on a Fjerdan pyre - 

No. Nina was safe. Well, as safe as a Grisha could be outside of Ravka. Brekker said she was in Ketterdam; she knew Ketterdam, they had lived there for months. How on earth she had gotten away was another story, as was why she was still there instead of trying to find passage back to Ravka.

Taking the time to breathe, she realised there was another envelope within the envelope containing Brekker's letter. Alina grabbed it, seeing her friend's handwriting on the front, tearing it open.

Alina,

I am sure Brekker has told you I am in Ketterdam. He is obsessed with repaying that favour of yours, and considers it paid now, nevermind that I could send this myself. Although, he did promise this letter would be delivered directly to you in record time, so I suppose that is something.

As to how I got here, that is a long story I cannot get into now. It does mean that I can't come home just yet. I'm sorry, I will explain when I see you next. To cut a long story very short, Brekker has been hired by the Mercher Council to break into the Ice Court and kidnap Bo Yul Bayur - found him! - who is currently being held there. I have not told Brekker I am telling you this, as I want you to get there first. The secret of parem should be in Ravkan hands. Not to mention I do not want to go anywhere near that place without a Sun Summoner on my side. 

We leave Ketterdam a week from the date listed at the top of the letter. By the time this reaches you, you will have to hurry to get there in time. Judging how I have heard nothing of untold destruction in Fjerda, I assume no one told you I was missing. 

With love,

Nina Zenika

Well having read that, there was only one course of action. Alina could make it to Djerholm with days to spare, if she left early the next morning and rode fast enough. Not that anyone could know. Her friends would come after her if they knew where she was headed, whilst Aleksander would probably send an army. 

Part of her wanted to leave that very evening, but it would cause too much suspicion, and starting a journey an hour before nightfall was also a stupid idea. Even more stupid than heading to face the Ice Court alone in the first place. But she couldn't just sit around in her chambers twiddling her thumbs. And there happened to be someone nearby whom she was more than angry with for keeping Nina's capture from her. He had known, he had to have known. 

She didn't bother hiding herself as she walked swiftly from the Little Palace to the Grand Palace. The two oprichniki at his door didn't even stop her as she hammered on it with her fist, merely wishing her a good evening and seeming amused at whatever mood she was in with the Tsar. 

"Come in, Alina," He called from inside, knowing it was her without an introduction.

Without hesitation, she went in, slamming the door behind her and marching across to his desk. Sensing a fight was imminent, he rose to his feet, mouth already open to defend whatever he thought he had done. There was no need. Alina could hardly yell at him for what he had actually done, or else he would try to stop her leaving the next day. The next best option to relieve that furious tension, in her mind, was to grab him by the back of the head and crush his lips to her own.

She had surprised him, she could tell. He knew there was more to this than her simply driven mad for want of him, obviously, but despite being centuries old, he was still a man. A man who had been aching for her since she returned from her travels, since she left in the first place. As predicted, he returned her kiss with the same heated passion. 

Aleksander was never one to let her lead easily. Whenever either of them took control, it was not without a struggle. Evidently, having kept him wanting for years, he was in no mood to let her win now. Even as she tried to push him backwards towards the wall in her anger, he was forcing her towards the desk, his larger size working in his favour, relentless and all-consuming. 

Alina, for her part, after years of partners who submitted to her with relative ease - which, whilst still immensely enjoyable, grew stale after a while - was caught off guard. To her shame, it sent a hot flash of wanting through her, in a way that no one else had ever inspired. The younger Alina would have redoubled her efforts, showing him he couldn't push her around like that and bend her to his will. But for the first time, she found that she did not want to fight him so hard. She did not have anything to prove, to herself or to Aleksander. 

The backs of her legs hit the desk, and he was lifting her, easily, on top, sweeping aside his papers and documents. A rough jerk of his knee had her legs forced apart in a way that made her gasp, and then he was pressed up against her, looming over, hand fisting in her hair and tugging her head back. He was not gentle with her, breath hot and heavy, teeth nipping at her neck and tugging an obscene noise from her throat; he had no reason to be gentle, and knew what she liked, for much of it was what he liked too. 

Rough, large hands were undoing the fastenings of her clothes, shoving them off her shoulders, pulling her slip over her head, so she sat there completely bare before him, whilst he was fully clothed. When his hand found its way between her legs, the intensity of it almost made Alina weep. He had caught on, now, to what angle she was playing, and she had the satisfaction of knowing it drove him wild. 

Having left her breathless and gasping after her release, Alina slipped off the the desk, offering him a wicked look as she slowly dropped to her knees. They had done this before, of course, but never like this. Never with her in such a position of supplication. It was usually the other way around, in fact. But she was more than good at this. So much so, after less time than she expected, he dragged her to her feet. 

"Too close?" Alina laughed, staggering slightly, deliberately wiping the corner of her lips with her thumb.  

A moment of hesitation, which made her eyes flickered to his. He smiled, not particularly kindly, though there was a hint of question in his expression, as though he was wondering how far he could push it.

"What?" 

"Turn around,"

That was pushing it. Alina had not let anyone (for want of a better word) take her from behind, especially not him. She had always considered that position demeaning and too submissive. Never mind that she was certainly not going to follow his order.

"Make me," She said instead, an order of her own. 

No sooner had the words left her lips, his hands were gripping her shoulders, and she only half-heartedly resisted, laughing as she pushed against him. Alina wasn't truly trying, however, and really should not have felt as turned on as she did when his hand pushed her forwards over the desk. Her laugh turned into a humiliating noise as he finally sank into her, and after that, she did not have enough coherent thoughts in her head to comment.

*

Alina left the Tsar's chambers at the first hint of daylight on the horizon, slipping out from under the sheets without waking him; or, if she did, he thought nothing of it. She mentioned idly to the yawning oprichniki that she was going riding for the day, but aside from that, said goodbye to no one; not her friends, nor her sister, nor Aleksander. She had packed minimal supplies, and tacked up a sturdy, thick-furred bay gelding rather than a horse that would draw more attention. This, she thought, was truly the stupidest thing she had ever done. 

"Alina?" Dasha called across the courtyard, hurrying over to her. Alina cursed under her breath. Why in the name of the saints was she up so early? "I didn't know you were going out today?"

Shit. "I'm going mad, stuck inside these walls," She said, like she normally would. It was not techincally a lie. She paused, lowering her voice. "There's a letter, in the top drawer of my bedside table. In three days time, I would like you to give it to - " She broke off, about to give his real name without thinking. " - the Tsar,"

Even Dasha could tell something was off. "Why can't you give it to him? Where are you going?"

"Three days, Dasha, no sooner, no later," Was all she said, then paused, giving her friend a quick hug, nodding at her swollen belly. "You'll name the demon spawn Alina, won't you?"

"Absolutely not. Alina, what - ?"

"Goodbye!" She ignored the Queen and vaulted onto the horse's back, turning to wave at her with a grin. 

Alina set off out of the gates with the familiar reckless thrill of anticipation settling over her on a fresh spring breeze. She imagined it blowing the smell of pine trees, melting snow and burnt ashes down from Fjerda. In a week or so, there may quite possibly be real ashes blowing down into Ravka. There may or may not be an Ice Court still standing.

*

I truly think that this chapter is the filthiest thing I have ever published. Far more mild than the standard for Darklina fanfiction, I'll admit, as it's still a fade to black, but for the standards of this story it's practically obscene haha. This chapter is a little more brief than a lot of the others as I had a great deal of writers block, so solved that by simply cutting out the scenes I was struggling with (they didn't matter much anyway, and I'm sure you'd all rather see an update with a few less words than no update at all). It does, however, set up the next (and probably last) big plot point for this story. Hope you enjoyed, do tell me what you think.