Baddie Alina and slightly better Darkling?
What if Alina and stayed the night of the winter fete instead of running away? What if she had chosen the Darkling over Mal? What if the Malina ship sank fast and the Darklina ship sailed?
All these charact...
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The night before, I had met with the Darkling. I had never seen him before that, but I had seen his carriage before Alina and I went into the Fold - before we discovered that she was the Sun Summoner. Supposedly. I had yet to believe it. I had grown up with her! We had been tested for this exact reason! There was no way she could be Grisha, let alone the myth that was the Sun Summoner. He had me sent to a room, which was most likely small and cramped on purpose. I had the impression that he knew me (although I don't know how) and did not like me.
I was lying on the tiny bed with the lights off, the only light coming from the small window. My encounter with Alina that morning was running through my head, making me angrier and angrier. Hearing footsteps, I glanced at the door. Shocked, I heard Alina talking. A million thoughts whirled through my head. Relief, for one. I knew the rumors that surrounded the Darkling, and I hadn't thought that he would actually bring her to me. All were bad. He was cruel, unfeeling, heartless, and immoral. I had also heard a rumor from some of the soldiers who had transferred from the Little Palace to my unit that the Darkling had arrived with Alina. Alone. That they had traveled alone together for days, stopping only to sleep and eat. There were rumors that he had tortured her endlessly to make her summon. There were some rumors that I couldn't even think about because they were so awful. I had been worried sick. I had been so worried that everything had become pointless. So when the officer in charge asked for volunteers to find Morozova's stag for the Sun Summoner, however crazy it might sound, I joined just on the chance that if I did find it, I would be able to see Alina again.
Second, I was a little angry. It sounds terrible, but I was. I had written every day that she had been gone. I sent them day after day, sure that I would get a response. But I didn't. When I was sent to find the stag, I stopped writing them because I was sure I would see her soon and because I had no way of sending them.
So, when I heard her talking, I was glad. By the sound of it, she wasn't scared or hurt. She was fine, and I would get to talk to her. Hopefully, she had food, clothes, and a bed that wasn't in the dungeons. Or a bed that wasn't the Darkling's.
I grinned. I was about to see Alina. I could see it in my mind. She would walk in escorted by palace guards, and tell me it had all been a mistake. The Darkling had forced her to pull that stunt in his bedroom so that he could get on my nerves. We would hug, and everything would go back to normal. The Darkling wouldn't have been hurt or maimed her. She would be fine.
The door opened, and Alina entered, laughing happily. I felt a burst of joy, but suddenly it was shattered. She wasn't laughing at me, or because of me. As she came in, two things occurred to me. First, the Darkling's arm was wrapped around her waist. Not in a cruel, threatening way, but protectively. Second, she was laughing at him - because of him. She didn't even see me yet.
She was laughing. She seemed fine - more than fine.
I couldn't even open my mouth to speak. I sat frozen on the bed. The last time I had seen her she was terrified of Grisha - of the Darkling. Now they come in looking like friends. She was wearing an extravagant kefta paired with expensive-looking boots and gloves. Her hair was freshly washed, combed, and styled. I had never seen her look this alive before.
