sunlight and shadow

chapter 3( The Darkling)

I gave the guard orders to have Nikolai in Alina's rooms before the hour was up I sent him maids and clean clothes then I headed to Alina's rooms myself. I did have a country to run but it would be of no use to me if I didn't have Alina at my side. When I went into her room she was dressed and sitting at her vanity staring blankly at her reflection. She was dressed in a black and gold kefta I had designed for her my kefta was mostly black with gold embellishments hers was the o opposite I also changed my crest it used to be the sun in eclipse but now it was a sky half dark half-light, the sun, and the moon, the sunlight and shadows, me and Alina. I only wish she could be by my side ruling as queen. Alina had never believed me when I said I wanted her to be my queen she always thought I wanted to put her In a gilded cage. With anyone else it would be true I would never share my powers with anyone else but Alina... If I hadn't been so good at hiding my emotions the pain on my face every time I hurt her would have given me away months ago but even I couldn't hide the pain on my face at the sight of her like this. An empty shell of the girl I loved, the smart determined hopeful powerful, and slightly naive Alina. One of two people I ever loved and my mother was long dead at my hands no less. The only other person posed with the challenge and madness of eternity and if I didn't get her back eternity would drive me mad.

soon there was a knock at the door and I knew Nikolai was here. there were about thirty guards escorting him and he was in shackles. I told the guard to remove them and stationed them outside the rooms. If Nikolai tried anything I could knock him out in less than a second. I hesitated before opening the door and walking in remembering why this was such a bad idea but as soon as the door swung open and I saw her sitting there I knew there was no other way so I slowly walked in and stood in one of the corners from which I could clearly observe. Nikolai was frozen at the door. His face the portrait of agony and heartbreak.

-Alina

He croaked his usual charm and grin nowhere o be seen. His voice was barely a whisper, a broken sound. He slowly walked over to her not even glancing at me and knelt before her. He gingerly picked up her arms from her lap and held them with both hands he stared at their joined hands for a long moment before looking up at her face.

-Alina 

he said again this time firmer and to my surprise and almost knee-buckling relief, she glanced at him. her expression still vacant but at least she was there, in the back of my mind I had wondered if she obtained a head injury during our battle on the fold that lead to this. but now I knew she was in there somewhere and I would stop at nothing to get her back.