Chapter 12
TW: smut (nothing too bad, just making-out)
"Come, we don't have that much time until dinner." I say, dragging Aleksander towards his office.
"You know, if you want I can just ask them to bring the food to my office." He proposes, holding my hand.
I turn around and walk backwards so I can see him.
"And miss out on all the amazing gossip I get from Mila, I think not." I laugh.
I turn my back towards him again, so I won't fall. I'm not so good at walking backwards.
"You may get to talk with Mila, but I have to spend the whole dinner next to the King. And I would so prefer to spend it with you." He says, frowning.
"It can't be that bad, can it?" I ask, while we approach the black doors to Aleksander's office.
"It can." He says simply, before opening the doors for me.
I thank him and walk inside, Aleksander following closely behind.
"So, what do you want to do during all this free time we have." I say sarcastically turning to face him, while he closes the doors.
He walks closer to me and stands so our feet are almost touching.
"I have some ideas." He says, a smirk growing on his face.
Cupping my face, he leans down and kisses me. My eyes flutter shut and I instantly kiss him back and slip my hands behind his neck. Sliding his hands to my waist, he starts walking forwards, without breaking the kiss, and I do the same until my legs hit the big circular table in the center of the room. He leans forwards, making me arch my back, and clears a piece of the table. I hear some thing fall to the floor, before he places his hands under my thighs to lift me up and places me on it.
After a minute or two, there's a knock on the door. I break away from our kiss to look at the door, puzzled. I thought no one knew we were in here.
A soft kiss on my neck, makes me turn from to door to him. The second our faces are in front of each other again, he captures my lips with his. My thoughts immediately drift away from the knock on the door, until there's a second one.
"Shouldn't you go and get that?" I ask against his lips.
"Later." He responds, before continuing what were doing.
I place my hands on his chest, pushing him slightly away from me.
"I don't mind, Aleksander."
He groans, but still walks over to the door.
I stay seated and smooth out my skirt.
After a moment, he comes and stands in front of me, placing his hands on my legs.
"Is something wrong?" I ask concerned, placing my hands over his.
"There was a little... incident." He starts. "But it's fine, don't worry. Okay?" He reassures
me, reading the panic on my face. "I'll leave my guards outside until I return."
He gives me a quick kiss, before walking to the door.
"Be careful." I say, watching him walk to the door.
When his hand is on the doorknob, he turns to look at me. I can just read the longing on his face. He looks from the door to me and back, before taking some long strides over to me and kissing me one last time.
"Okay, now I'm leaving."
I chuckle and watch him leave.
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"I'm back." Aleksander says, coming into the room. "I hope it wasn't too annoying without me."
I don't answer, still seated on the table, exactly where he left me. I just don't know how to start this conversation.
He furrows his eyebrows, concerned by my silence.
"Are you okay? Did something happen while I was gone?" He asks, placing his hands on my legs, comfortingly. I don't push him away.
"Could you please answer all of my questions, before you ask any?" I ask, looking up into his eyes.
He takes a moment to answer, not sure where I'm going with this.
"Of course." He answers, with a kind smile.
I bite my lip, trying to find a way to phrase this.
"Are you the Black Heretic?" I ask, cutting right to the chase.
He stumbles back a bit and his hands slide off my legs, as if my question punched him in the stomach.
"Please Aleksander, just tell me the truth." I plead, looking towards my feet.
He sighs, defeated.
"I am."
"So, you created the Fold?" I ask, looking up at him.
"I did."
"Was it an accident?"
"It was."
I sigh, relieved. At least he didn't do it on purpose.
"How did it happen?" I ask, cocking my head to the side.
And then he explained to me how everything had happened.
About 300 years ago, he became close with a Healer, called Luda. One night, he went to her house and not long after, it was surrounded by the King's Soldiers, demanding Aleksander to turn himself over. He did what they asked, and gave himself over peacefully. However, the King's men had no intention of bringing him in and shot him with arrows. Luda was still inside, healing him. One of the soldiers started searching the house and found her. They took her and killed her right in front of him. He managed to break free, use the Cut and flee.
He rode back to the sanctuary with Luda's body, wanting to save her, but she was the only healer there. He went and told Baghra everything. She blamed him for making the King afraid and told him to flee west to Kerch and wait for the King to die. Then he could return under a new identity and make peace with the new King. Aleksander refused to leave while Grisha were in trouble. He wanted to teach them how to fight, but with so little time, he decided to make his own army using merzost.
He went to the archives, found Morozova's journals and learned. When he left the sanctuary, there were more of the King's men, armed with arrows. The King wanted him in custody. Using merzost, he turned the King's men into his own army, unintentionally creating the Folds in the process.
"I promise it was an accident, Anya." He says, finishing his story.
"I believe you."
He sighs, relieved.
"What are you going to do with the Fold?" I ask, not done with my questions.
"I want to control it."
"Aleksander, no. It kills people every day, we have to destroy it." I say, trying to persuade him.
"If I can control it, we could make passageways, so that people can go safely through it. we could make it bigger or smaller. Controlling it is the best option. Destroying it will take too much time. And if we can control it, people will fear the Grisha. We won't be killed for the mere fact that we're different." He reasons, taking a step closer to me.
"Well then how come you're not already controlling it? You made it, you should be able to control it as well." I wonder.
"The only real way to control darkness, is if you also control light."
"So you want to use Alina?" I ask. He nods. "You know she'll never help, right? She hates you."
"I know, that's why I was hoping you would help." He says, carefully.
"After tonight, I'm pretty sure Alina hates me too." I sigh, kind off sad that I lost my sister. But it's for the better, we just became too different.
"There are other way than having her on our side." He states.
"So, your only motivation for this is helping the Grisha?" I ask, not completely convinced.
"Most of it, yes."
"What's the rest? Power?" I guess.
"You can't become a General if you don't at least have a small lust for power." He chuckles, trying to lighten the mood. "Doesn't it seem fun?" He asks. "Having power. People respecting you."
That does seem pretty nice, not always being in Alina's shadow.
"How old are you?" I suddenly ask.
His mouth quirks up into an amused smile.
"I don't know. I stopped counting at 367."
"Do you know your birth-year? We could just calculate it."
"1438." He responds smirking, after a moment of thought.
"So you're... 420." I say, after having calculated it in my head.
He chuckles slightly. "Yes, I guess that would make me that old."
"Okay, those are all my questions." I say.
"How did you find out about all of this?" He asks immediately after. He must have been wanting to ask that for a long time.
"Do you want the full story?" He nods and I start explaining.
30 minutes earlier
I was sitting on the table, right where Aleksander left me, dangling my legs, when a piece of the wall opposite me opened like a door. Jumping down from the table, I summon some fire in my hands, ready to fight. I carefully walk closer and see... Baghra?
"Baghra? What are you..." I start, extinguishing the fire.
"No time to dawdle." She interrupts me, changing the lantern she's holding from hand. "Go get your sister and come back here immediately after." She orders.
"What? Why?" I ask, wanting more information.
"There's no time, just go."
I turn around, deciding I could ask her more questions later, and run to the door Aleksander went through only a minute ago.
Once in the hall, I lift up my skirt and run to Alina and I's hallway.
A million thoughts are running through my brain.
What if the 'little incident' Aleksander talked about became more than just a 'little incident'?
What if there's a fire or someone entered the palace ready to kill all the Grisha he sees?
I arrive in our hallway pretty quickly, I guess all the combat training helped, and knock on Alina's door.
"Alina, it's me. Open up please." I yell, when she doesn't answer hoping that she's in her room and not at the party.
"Anya?" I hear a voice ask from the end of the hallway.
I turn and see Alina standing there, confused. I run over to her and grab her wrist, already starting to run.
"Anya, what are you doing?" Alina asks, trying to keep up with me.
"No time to explain." I say, before we continue running to Aleksander's office.
When we arrive in his office, Baghra is standing next to the secret passage way, waiting.
"Took you long enough." She says when she sees Alina and I.
She places her hand on Alina's back, pushing her in the passageway. She turns to me, but
stops, midway her action.
It seems as if she's contemplating something, before shrugging and pushing me after Alina.
"You need to leave this place." Baghra explains to us, while pulling down a lever on the wall, which makes the door close.
"What? Why?" Alina asks, before I can.
"Now, before it's too late." Baghra continues, ignoring Alina's question.
"But, Baghra..." Alina tries again.
"I'm trying to save you from living the rest of your lives as slaves." She says, pushing past Alina and I and descending the stairs.
"We should just go back and wait for General Kirigan. Whatever it is, I'm sure he can help." I say, having to force myself to call him 'General Kirigan' instead of just Aleksander.
"I'm trying to save you from him." She explains.
Why would I need rescuing from Aleksander? He's never done anything wrong to me. Or anyone, as far as I know.
"He intends to expand the Fold and use it as a weapon." She clarifies, when we arrive at the end of the staircase. "That's why he created it for in the first place."
The hallway we arrive in is large and completely made of stone, with torches here and there for light.
"The black heretic created the Fold." Alina corrects.
"Hundreds of years ago and it was a mistake." I continue.
"Maybe your dehydrated from all the heat in your hut. He wanted me to train so I could get stronger." Alina finishes, going to stand in front of Baghra, to get her attention. I stand next to them, creating a triangle.
"Did he? Or did he want you dependent on him, on his Fabrikator's tricky little gloves?"
Alina stays silent, contemplating Baghra's words.
There's no way anything she's saying is true. Aleksander is a good man, he would never manipulate Alina and I.
"Child, Aleksander is the Black Heretic." Baghra says, trying to make Alina and I understand. "He chose a nobleman's name to hide after he made the Fold."
"You're lying." I say confidently.
"Look at me, girl." Baghra orders, before making a small hand-movement and making the room fill with shadows.
"You can... But only Kirigan's bloodline..." Alina says, stumbling over her words.
"You're his mother." I state, while the puzzle pieces are falling together in my head.
"My son tried creating his own army with merzost." She starts explain, while the darkness slowly starts fading. "He didn't think about the people who lived there, what such power would do to them. Turned them into the twisted, evil things that attacked you."
"The Volcra were men?" Alina asks, clearly disturbed.
"And women. Children. I warned him there'd be a price." Baghra says, before pushing past Alina and continuing down the corridor. I follow behind her, while Alina stays rooted at her spot. We pass through an archway and arrive in a large room with things everywhere. Dressers, vases, painting, you name it, it's down here.
"That happened centuries ago!" I reasons, while Alina catches up wit us.
"He's had many names, served many kings, faked countless deaths, waiting for Alina." She starts explaining, while looking around for something. She stops in front of an old painting and lifts the piece of fabric protecting it. The painting is of a young man, who's clearly Aleksander, even though the painter didn't paint his eyes very well. The grey should be darker.
"With you at his command he'll be able to enter the Fold and weaponize it as he always planned. He'll be unstoppable." She continues, while I juts stare at the portrait.
"Well he told me he wanted to help the Grisha." I defend him, moving my gaze away from the portrait. I'll only believe what she tells me when Aleksander conforms it.
"He's had centuries to master lying to naive girls." She shoots back, taking a step closer to me. "Did he tell you how lonely he was? Give you a glimpse of the wounded boy?" She says in a mocking tone, while I glare at her. "He isn't a boy at all." She continues in a more serious voice. "He is eternal. And you never stood a chance. Do you think this was just about you? He's been obsessed with power... with hunting all of Morozova's creatures. You nearly gave him the Stag." She says, turning to Alina. "And I'm telling you, you must hide."
She turns left, with Alina following close by, while I admire the painting a moment longer, before following them.
"I won't help him. I'll fight back." Alina says determined. She's clearly already made her mind about Aleksander.
"You're far from strong enough to face him."
"I could do it with Anya." She proposes, looking at me for the first time since we've been in here.
I just look back at her confused. I'm not fighting him.
"Well because you didn't want to train with me and ran to him instead, I'm pretty sure you only know half of your true abilities." She says, while opening a wooden door and handing Alina the lantern.
Alina accepts it, with furrowed brows.
"Stay on the main path until the fork. Take the path to the right. You'll find food storage. Wait there. There are some Grisha who are loyal to me. They will help keep you safe until I find a plan."
Alina steps into the small hallway, with me close behind her. Once we're both inside, Baghra closes the door. I look around at the corridor, while Alina places the lantern down and summons a ball of sunlight in her hand. Show-off.
She starts walking and I follow. When we arrive at the fork, Alina doesn't turn right, she just continues straight.
"What are you doing?" I whisper-yell, making her stop walking and she turns to me.
"I'm not staying here any longer than I have to." She answers in a normal tone of voice, so I guess we don't have to whisper.
"So you're just going to go outside? Where at least half of the population wants you dead or captured. Really smart move, Alina." I say sarcastically.
"I can summon pure sunlight, I'll be fine."
"Fine, but I'm going back." I say determined.
"What? Are you crazy? You can't go back to him."
"I would argue that going outside, where half of the people you'll meet want you dead or captured, is even crazier."
She sighs, frustrated.
"You have to come with me. He's not a good person, Anya."
I laugh, but there's no humor in it.
"He's the bad one. Really? When all he's ever done to me is be a good, kind and considerate person, who listens to my opinions and emotions. Not like you. Who kept saying I was overreacting and disagreed with everything I said." I take a breath, trying to calm myself down. I doesn't really work. "You have an amazing gift Alina." She scoffs. "You could save millions of lives, but instead you're just complaining that Mal forgot about you. And who's fault do you think that is, huh? Maybe you saying you hate Grisha every five minutes, rubbed off on him. And now he hates us, because we became the thing he hated."
Alina's just standing there, staring at me. I've never really snapped at her before.
"And what if he admits to it, huh?" She asks, once she regained her composure. "What if he admits to everything Baghra said? What then?"
I think that's the easiest question she could have asked me, because I knew my answer since the beginning of this whole thing.
"Then I'll stay."
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Present day
I'm laying in my bed, looking up at the ceiling. After I told Aleksander what happened, I told him I would sleep on it and give him my answer tomorrow.
So, that's what I'm doing and because of it, I can't sleep. I turn and lay on my side, facing the window.
The sky is clear and you can see all the stars. I just admire them for a second, before going back to the problem at hand.
A small voice in my head says that Baghra and Alina are right. He manipulated Alina and I, so we could help him control the Fold and rule over all of Ravka. And I should just leave first thing in the morning, find Alina and try to overpower him together.
But a louder voice says that he's never been anything but kind to me and Baghra and Alina haven't. I should believe Aleksander. And it doesn't make any sense that he would admit to everything if he were manipulating me. I should just go to him and tell him that I'll help him.
I want to help the Grisha as well and having some power is always a nice plus. Alina would be yelling so hard if she knew I was even considering helping him. The thing she doesn't know is that every time she told me to not do something these past couple of weeks, I just wanted to do it more. I'm done being in he shadow. It was already like that in the orphanage. Mal always preferred Alina over me. The only person who chose me over Alina was Aleksander. And of course Mila and Dimitri. I wonder what they would tell me to do. Dimitri would tell me to stick to the facts, the things you know are true. And Mila would tell me to go with my gut, do what makes me happy.
I sigh. This isn't a small decision, this could change my whole life.
My eyes start becoming heavy and sleep starts overtaking me.
I fall asleep knowing exactly what I will do tomorrow.
A/N: Anya knows! I personally love this chapter. Hope you enjoyed