IT TOOK FOUR EXTRA DAYS TO GET TO OS ALTA. In those four days we hadn't stopped once, not even to sleep. I'd figured the Darkling had ordered it though since it was for my 'protection'. It was early the next morning when we had arrived at the Little Palace. The Carriage door was thrown open and the Heartender from days before grabbed at my arm yanking me out. Once my feet made contact with the ground, I had to steady myself. I glared up at the Heartender before I even looked around to notice my surroundings. My mouth hanging open in awe.
It was larger than any building I had ever seen, its terraces had been crowded with statues, three stories wide with gleaming windows rows after rows. Each ornamented extensively in real gold. I had only even heard stories of the Little Palace more so less drew it or seen drawings. I knew it would be more different in person, but I didn't think it to be as beautiful as people usually described it. In the distance you could even make out the manicured lawns and, gardens. The garden was filled with roses, orchids, purple irises, dahlias, and daisies. Golden fountains surrounded the area. Water glistening in the early sun.
"Come on I don't have all day." He sighed his eyes traveling to the overly large set of golden framed doors.
I blinked before nodding following after him as we walked the gravel pavement until our feet made contact with the stairs that almost glistened in the sun. The golden set of doors were thrown open as soon as we reached the top by guards in shining armor. The kings symbol printed into the chest. It had always been one eagle in black façades, our feet clanking the grounds as we walked through. A cold chill going up my spine. The first thing I noticed was the chandelier bathing in gold overhead fire light glistening. The floor was a beautiful, tiled grate of black and white. As we walked through the long-narrowed halls that had portraits of the Previous rulers of Ravka, I realized that the Heartender had turned down another hall. I huffed running to catch up with him as he began walking up a large set of stairs a few minutes later. By the time we had reached the top I was out of breath. I was most certainly going to have to get use to that. The Heartender didn't stop to wait for me but continued on walking around the golden stair well that lead to another hallway. I growled silently a curse before running to catch up again. We continued the walk down the hall for a couple more minutes until he stopped at a set of doors. Two guards stood outside before opening it and awaiting my entrance. I looked back to the Heartender but he was already departing down the hall without another word spoken. I watched out after him before looking ahead into the chamber.
I sighed before stepping slowly through the doors. It was a large room I had noted in head with golden curtains, a fire burning in the center atop of the brown tiled polished grounds. In the center of the bedroom lied an overly large, canopied bed. The doors shut loudly from behind making me jump back but I ignored it, before continuing further into the bedroom.
My eyes landed onto the bed in the center of the room again. I knew I had only been in a carriage for a week but I barely had gotten enough sleep in the last five days since I had been taken. I had been overwhelmed and exhausted, but the thought of sleeping right now just sounded like the best thing in the world.
Realization hit me then, this wasn't just some weird dream. It was reality and everything in the last couple of days was no joke. I was expected to know how to use this so called gift in Grisha reality versus in real life I had no idea how to even create that so called power. Thinking about it caused my brain to fog up and every fiber in my body just couldn't take it.
Just a few days ago I had been normal. I hadn't been a Grisha. And now I wasn't. If anything, I knew from the start of my life that there was just something off about me. Even my father saw it, but he had done everything in his power to keep me from being taken. And I had loved him too much to leave him; and that's why I held myself back. Kept away the real me. I didn't want to believe that I was Grisha, I wanted to wish it was all a dream but i couldn't. I was compelled to force it from thought as a child. I had done it for my father. Because I would have done everything for him.
I didn't know how long I had lied there for before the doors flew open again to the room. I sat up quickly only to find the Heartender.
"The General wants to see you." He looked me over before turning to the door. "You have one hour." And then he was gone.
Continued........
846 words
Arthur's note:
—Shorter but I wanted Genya and Maira's meeting to be a separate Chapter. Also I'm really bad at describing what a place looks like lol. But other than that all credit goes to Leigh Bardugo. She's the one who inspired me to write this fanfic.
Let me know what you think of this chapter and the rewriting. I'm liking this version better than the first a lot. I'm so much more confident with the writing. Thank you for the feedback!
—Ella\Elena
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𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃, aleksander morozova 1
Fanfiction- Maira Costov had only ever known one life. A life where she was nothing more than a cartographer in the first army and second army. But what happens when she unleashes a power the whole world knew about? A power that was written in Sankt Ilya's pr...
