the shadows ballad ° kaz brekker

chapter 6

chapter 6:
always.
Nyx

a few years ago. . .

"You're engaged?!"

The door to my room practically exploded open as a familiar redhead stormed in with complete and utter joy upon her features.

I stood up from my vanity with a beautiful crown upon my head and showed off the giant diamond upon my finger.

"You're looking at the future Queen of Ravka."

"Yes! I'm so happy it's you!" Genya hugged me, and I was so relieved. When I got here, it was obvious that Prince Vasily had eyes for me and it was also a way to finally get that sick bastard called King Pyotr off the throne.

"Oh, Zoya must be enraged."

"No one knows yet. Officially, at least," I shut my doors.

"He proposed last night in his quarters. The official proposal will go off at tonight's dinner, so this is just a decoy," I tossed the ring on my vanity.

"Pretty nice decoy," Genya chuckled.

Of course, I much preferred someone like Prince Nikolai, as he's much more handsome and far more humble than his borish brother. Unfortunately, Nikolai isn't legitimate, and they'd do everything in their power to prevent him from becoming King. The Queen and King had arranged our engagement the very second I had stepped foot in the Little Palace. She liked me, said that Ravka needed a strong Queen if we're to take down the Fold one day and reclaim all of Ravka.

"How does your brother feel about this?"

"He's the first one I told last night. He's so happy about it," I expressed, but then the doors opened and normally, Genya would say to knock and usher them out.

But it was Baghra.

"Baghra, good morni-"

"Leave us," Baghra waved her hand and Genya nodded before walking out, giving me a worried look before they shut.

"Did you hear-?"

"Why didn't you say no?!" Baghra grabbed my shoulders and I let out a sharp gasp at her grip.

"Wh-what?"

"Why didn't you turn him down?!"

"Baghra, I couldn't! Don't you know what this means for Grisha? They'll finally have someone who actually cares about them on the throne," I explained and she let out a sigh before letting me go.

"I know you don't love the boy," She stated.

"What does love have anything to do with this? I'm doing this for my people!" I expressed, perfectly fine with the fact that I didn't love Vasily.

"You have a choice, girl! Why did you even agree in the first place? Let me guess, your dear brother planted the idea in your head?" Baghra questioned.

Aleksander?

"N-no-"

"He said that you'd make a great Queen, that all of Ravka deserved to have a Grisha as powerful as you to stand up for them? Was that it?"

"How did you-?"

"General Kirigan does not care about you, girl. If he really was a kind brother, then he wouldn't have suggested that to marry someone you don't love. He's lost so much, yes, and it's a sad life, but that doesn't mean he can use you as his pawn," I couldn't believe anything Baghra was saying. Yes, Aleksander may have said things similar to that, but he'd never trick me.

"You don't know him. Just-just stop, and go. Please-" Just as I was going to prepare myself for the day, and attempt to forget that any of this happened as to not doubt my brother, Baghra told me the truth.

It hit me like the Fold, all at once with no warning and completely truthful and brutal. I didn't want to believe that he had raised me into thinking that, that he tricked me all this time but when Baghra showed me that she too was a Shadow Summoner, I couldn't deny it. If not for her, then I would be completely numb and accepting that I'd never be in a marriage filled with love. I learned that trust and love mattered so much more than power when Kaz took me in - when he took a chance on me.

I just hope he can forgive me. . .

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Hope you've enjoyed! Queen Nyx of Ravka was almost a thing. Do you think if she was going to become Queen of Ravka, she should have married Nikolai or still left Ketterdam and found Kaz?