TRIGGER WARNING: in this chapter of Eclipse there are descriptions of deaths and mutilation. Please, procede with caution.
"WHAT DID BAGHRA SAY?" Alina asked a few minutes later after they stopped holding each other.
Yelena tensed and moved away. She stood in front of the table and admired the map as she bit her lower lip. How was she going to tell Alina, who had pleaded her to speak with the old woman for weeks, that she indeed haven't been brave enough to knock on the hut's door?
Senior Starkov took in a deep breath before answering, "Funny story," she started, "I might've forgotten to talk to her."
"You don't just forget stuff." Alina said, as her dark brows furrowed on her forehead. "You are avoiding her, aren't you?"
"Avoiding? Me?" Yelena chuckled but she didn't find the situation not a bit funny. "Not at all."
"Yelena." Alina stood at her side now, piercing her older sister's profile face with her dark brown orbs. "Why are you so afraid of her?"
"I'm not afraid." Yelena turned to look at the summoner, her tone slightly higher than usual. "I—" she took another deep breath before speaking again, this time more calm, "It's my fault that she's... like that."
"It's not." Alina said firmly. "It's his fault."
"Yeah but—"
"No."
"Alina!"
"No, Lena." her little sister fought her. "If you are at fault then me too. I was the one who decided to go after the stag instead of crossing the Fold as you and Baghra said." Yelena shook her head, ready to speak against junior Starkov's words. "But we weren't the ones who took her eyes. That was the Darkling. So we don't get to feel guilty. But we need to make it right."
Yelena pursued her lips and stayed silent for a minute or so. Then, she spoke in a whisper. "I know. But— it's not only that." She said as Alina gestured her to continue. "I think there's something wrong with me..."
Alina's eyes glimmered after her words. "What do you mean?"
"What we know about the Moon Summoner it's mostly from stories, right? But there isn't one that could explain why the amplifiers affect me too. Actually, it says that I cannot be corrupted by them. This, Alina, it isn't supposed to happen." Yelena pressed her lips together. "And the stag..., the sea whip. Saints, we ruined two mythical and lost creatures already. Now the fire bird? I don't think I can look at her in the face and tell her that."
After a pause, Alina chuckled. "I already told her, and she said pretty much the same." she mumbled, and shrugged. "Lena, weirdly enough— Baghra likes you. I don't know why, and it may be related to Kirigan but you out of everyone could be the one to get something out of her." Alina's face was tilting to the side. "Just try." she pleaded.
* * *
"I rang for tea, breakfast in your room?" Nikolai said as he caught up with the General when she came out of the room a few minutes later.
Yelena barely acknowledged him as she mumbled with an edge on her voice, "Yes, sir."
Yelena wouldn't deny it— she was slightly mad at the fact that he completely denied her in front of people, no matter how close they were. She understood now, Nikolai wanted her to be safe and she wanted the same for him but Saints, did he really need to shut her down like that? It made her blood boil. But it wasn't about Nikolai, no— she always hated it when a man interrupted her, or went above her head when she had as much power as them. It didn't happen once, it happened to her all the time. In Keramzin, in the First Army, and now in the Little Palace. Yelena had a voice of her own, and she was going to use it.
The prince stayed silent for a few seconds. "Is that sarcasm that I note on my beloved's voice?" he asked with a teasing grin.
Starkov stopped walking to turn around and give him her full attention, "You need to stop bossing me around, honey."
"Alright." he paused, "do you wish to have breakfast with me, Miss Starkov?"
"Nikolai." she warned him, "What you did in there was not okay."
"I know, but—"
"No buts." Yelena cut him short, her index finger pointed to the prince's chest. "How old do you think I am?"
Nikolai looked her up and down, then he pursued his lips slightly. "Twenty, give or take."
Yelena rolled her eyes and sighed as she passed him to walk back inside the Little Palace. The prince followed quickly behind. "It was rhetorical. I'm not a child, I can take care of myself."
Nikolai hurried his steps until he stood in front of the girl with his arms raised in surrender and blocking her path. "I know, I'm sorry." his head hanged low as he pressed his lips together. "I won't do it again. But you cannot tell me I was wrong. You are needed here and—"
"But I'm not, Nik." Yelena furrowed her brows. "We meet with the council for a few minutes every day because we've already been over everything, every corner, every option, every strategy. I don't have much to do but to check on the Grisha training and that's pretty much Botkin's field. I'm not needed here, at least not now."
"I need you here." he looked away as he replied.
The corners of Yelena's mouth twitched upwards, "Oh, I know, azel. You'd fall apart and all that, wouldn't you?" she teased him back.
It was rather amazing how just a few sweet words from Nikolai could change her whole mood. It was so hard staying mad at him. To not say impossible.
"Liefde," he whispered, taking a step closer to her as his nostrils took in her sweet vanilla scent, making his mind spin and his heart beat faster. "stop putting yourself in dangerous situations when you don't have to."
She hummed, staying a minute or so in silence as she thought. "I know that it's better if Tolya or Tamar go anyway. They'd draw less attention to themselves. You could've reasoned with me instead of bossing me around."
"I'll have that in mind for next time." He nodded, his eyes going around the gardens and noticing there was no one around. "So, tea and waffles?" he offered, as a smile reached his lips.
"Tea and waffles." Yelena smiled back.
She went to circle him, but Nikolai blocked her path. Now they stood so close to each other that if Yelena was to tiptoe, they'd be kissing. Nikolai brushed his nose with hers, his hazel eyes glued to her rosy lips.
"I want to kiss you." he whispered softly.
His warm breath brushed with Yelena's skin. "We're in the middle of the garden."
"There's no one here." Nikolai replied.
"There're windows."
"I don't care."
Yelena sighed. Lately, she felt like a little introvert teenage girl in love with the cool kid. She shook her head and placed both her palms on Nikolai's chest, she tiptoed to the part where their lips were almost brushing but vaguely pushed him at the last second, before they could touch with the other's. Nikolai stepped back, not much as Yelena wasn't actually going with much strength, just to get him to back down a few steps.
"Go to your big Palace, prince charming, and bring me my waffles. Then, I might think about your offer." she teased.
"Oh, you're evil, Yelena Starkov." Nikolai added, but he was smiling to the point where a small dimple was shown on his left cheek.
That was the last time they spent together before Nikolai's birthday dinner two nights after. Yelena had been most of her time in the Fabrikator's pavilion with David, helping him with the mirror gloves and in the training hall, where she sparred and trained with the Durast's invent, alongside her guards.
An invitation popped up on her door a day before, adding a note from Nikolai himself that said the aristocracy and other's from Ravka's high society'll be present, but her presence was the most important to him. Some other sweet words and quotes from books that they'd read in their night dates at the library were written on the quill, which spread a warm feeling on Yelena's chest.
If the General was completely honest, she'd rather stay in and maybe pop up later at Nikolai's door with a gift on her hands, but he had insisted on have her there, and the Saints knew she couldn't say no to that man. Besides— her absence would offend the King and Queen, and she wasn't about to be kicked out just for missing an event.
When Tolya and Jasmin came to escort Yelena, she was wearing a light blue midnight kefta with glimmering silver panels and embroidery that followed up on the smooth silk. It looked like a thundering night sky, and she was the moon. Her black thick hair fell down her back as it shone with the light on the hallways, her eyes looked lighter and clearer that day, almost resembling clouds. But behind her unreadable face, she was nervous. It was the very first time Nikolai and Yelena were going to be in public after the situation that changed their relationship. They'd been around people, but that they already knew and trusted not to say anything about the unsubtle glances they threw each other from the other corner of the room. But around the nosy and judgy high society? She was scared of being careless and them noticing. What if she ruined Nikolai's chance to the throne?
Yelena was also representing the Grisha. So she needed that dinner to be a success. After all— and if it everything went according to the plan, they'd defeat the Darkling and continue to be in the Little Palace as there wasn't anything to go back to now, not for Yelena at least. She was the Moon Summoner, the Grisha's great General, she was meant for that position. And they probably wouldn't take her back in the First Army. Sometimes, she even wondered what Trevor or lieutenant Bohdan would say to her if she came back after tearing down the Fold. Would they congratulate her? Welcome her with open arms? Then ask her to stay or sent her back to Os Alta?
Yelena shook her head to get rid of those thoughts as anxiety crept on her stomach. It wasn't time to panic, not now. She just needed to keep her distance and be formal.
Her crescent moon moonstone necklace shimmered brightly when she stepped into the Eagle's Nest chamber in the Grand Palace where dinner was held, as it matched the sapphires decoring her dark locks and the rose quartz ring that Nikolai had given her alongside the invitation and letter.
Every head turned to look at her.
The long table in the center of the huge and gold room was crowded with the highest ranking Generals of the First Army and their spouses, and the rest of the Lantsov clan. At each opposite end of the table sat the King with a grinning Vasily at his side— the Queen was at the other end, looking like a crumpled flower. Nikolai sat in the middle of the table, he had greeted Yelena with all formalities and invited her to sit at his left, where the last empty sit reminded. Alina was in the next one at her left, which only meant that she had probably planned for her older sister to be closer to the prince. The sisters shared a look, junior was in big trouble.
No matter Nikolai's words to not throw a ball in his honor as they were at war and many refugees were going hungry outside the Palace walls, the King and Queen couldn't help themselves. The meal was long, as the thirteen courses seemed to be infinite to Yelena if it wasn't for the conversation with Alina or one of the First Army Generals who was nice enough to entertain her with his adventures, and the prince's leg brushing with hers once in a while, like checking if she was okay.
The time to open presents started. The King had gifted Nikolai an enormous egg glazed in pale blue that it opened to reveal an exquisite miniature ship set on a lapis sea. Sturmhond's red dog banner flew from the ship's mast, and its little cannon fired with a pop that released the tiniest puff of white smoke. It was beautiful, Yelena almost felt ashamed of what she had given the prince.
One of the last presents was wrapped in cardboard brown paper with a silver and glimmering ribbon around it and had no card attached to it. Simple and small, the exact opposite to the others. It was the size of a book, and indeed, was a book. When Nikolai removed the paper and got a look at the cover, he recognized it immediately and knew exactly from who it was; the book's story followed an adventure-seeking and ambitious pirate who'd have to rescue a princess from the claws of the Crown's enemies and face a war in the seas. It was a book they'd already read together before. The book ended with them falling in love, and the princess running away with the pirate. And of course, they lived happy ever after.
But the graphics had a twist, as the cover wasn't the original one. The ship illustrated in it was a replicated Volkvolny, with two figures standing on the forecastle deck and holding hands. If the others around the prince looked closely enough, they'd noticed one of them had a ruddy shade of red strains, and the other's were long and pitch black.
Nikolai opened the book and his hazel eyes wandered around the first page where it read in a fancy handwriting:
"Dear azel,
you once told me this book was your favorite growing up, and what you wanted to be when you were older. When I read it, I couldn't stop thinking about how you have accomplished it already. So I might've change it a bit to your story—and of course, ours. Hope you like it, and I wish you the happiest birthday even under these circumstances, no one deserves it more than you.
Sincerely yours,
liefde."
The people around the prince started asking what it was, or who could've sent it. Nikolai laughed a little as he teared his eyes from the page and answered that it was probably from a fan, but his hazel ran the room and lingered a few more seconds on Yelena's cloudy orbs. His slightly blushed face was so readable in that moment; she knew he wanted to run and kiss her, and she wanted just the same. Saints, how they hated court.
Once they took their sits again, the nobles raised a toast to Nikolai's health, the Generals praised his military accomplishments and courage as Yelena's wound on her upper arm started to itch and pull again, her fingers trembling with the need for scratching it. She looked around, searching for the Darkling in a dark corner, but he was nowhere to be seen, and she was about to start wondering why when a voice interrupted her.
"You alright?" Nikolai asked her from her right, he was drinking from his white wine that happened to be her favorite. "Already wanting to run away?"
Yelena chuckled, as she mirrored his actions and drank from her glass. "No. I promised to squeeze your other knee, remember? It's my duty now, so I kind off have to stay." she shrugged innocently.
Nikolai smiled, the small dimple on his cheek was visible, "Thank you. For this, and your present." He whispered as his leg brushed with hers. "It means a lot."
"I don't know what you are talking about." Yelena pretendes but her smirk gave her away. She left her glass on the table as the servants started bringing the flavored ices to their plates.
The prince was about to say something when a slightly blushed Vasily rose to his feet and lifted a glass of champagne. Yelena wondered if that was the part were the drunk one ruined the party, but the eldest Lantsov looked impossibly cheery and sparkly to be the one. Almost like everything was going according to his master plan.
"Brother, it is good to be able to toast your birth this day and to celebrate with you when you have spent so long on other shores. I salute you and drink to your honor. To your health, little brother!" he said.
The guests raised their glasses and drank deeply from their glasses before resuming their conversations. But Vasily wasn't done yet. He tapped the side of his glass with a fork to regain their attention with the loud clink clink clink.
Then he followed, "Today we have more to celebrate than my brother's noble birth." Nikolai continued to smile pleasantly as his older brother ginned evily but Yelena was closer to him and she noticed how the air around him changed, and how his left hand was in a fist under the table. Vasily continued talking as Yelena's right hand rested on the prince's tight fist, his fingers relaxed a moment later and the General's thin fingers brushed with his as they held each other's. She refocused then, "After long and arduous negotiations, I am pleased to announce that Fjerda has agreed to join us in our fight against the Darkling. Our fiercest enemy has become our most powerful ally."
The guest broke out into an excited conversation, the King embraced his eldest son. But Yelena and Nikolai were still, the latter surprisingly frowning. The first wasn't sure how to react. She never thought the Fjerdans could've gone over their judgement to join forces. It all sounded to good to be truth. The skin on her arm itched again. Something was off.
"An extraordinary achievement, brother. I salute you," Nikolai said, lifting his glass. "Dare I ask what they wanted in return for this support?"
"Nothing too onerous. They sought access to our ports in West Ravka and requested our help policing the southern trade routes against Zemeni pirates. And once the Darkling is defeated, they expect the cooperation of the Summoners in our joint efforts to push back the Fold." Vasily grinned broadly at them, his chin as high as his ego.
Alina nodded, but Yelena reminded still, trying to figure it out the catch. The bad feeling on her stomach growing painfully slow. She could taste the strawberry pudín dessert on her tongue as a knot formed on her stomach.
"Which roads?" asked Nikolai, his voice sounded hoarse and it had a weird edge Yelena couldn't quit put her finger on. If the prince was loosing his cool, something was real bad. But she kept her negativity down, hoping it was nothing.
"They're somewhere south of Halmhend, west of the permafrost. They're sufficiently defended by the fort at Ulensk if the Fjerdans get any ideas." Vasily waves his hand dismissively and drank from his glass.
Yelena, who's eyes were wide, let go of Nikolai's hands as he stood up from his chair, "How long have the roads been open?"
Vasily shrugged, "A little over a week."
The wound on Yelena's arm started to throb and pull painfully now.
"Did you ever stop to consider why they might concern themselves with a logging route?" Nikolai asked.
The older prince gave yet another disinterested wave. "I assume because they're in need of timber or maybe it's sacred to one of their ridiculous woodsprites."
There was nervous laughter around the table.
"It's defended by a single fort," Nikolai growled.
"Because the passage is too narrow to accommodate any real force." Vasily fought.
"The Darkling doesn't need a battalion of foot soldiers or heavy guns. All he needs are his Grisha and the nichevo'ya. We have to evacuate the palace immediately."
"Don't be absurd!", Vasily said, "You are spending too much time with them, for Saintsake. She had brainwashed you." he pointed at his brother's left side, where a shocked and frozen Yelena sat, her heart hammering on her chest. "You make yourself look ridiculous."
Nikolai slammed his hands down on the table. The dishes jumped with a loud rattle. "Why isn't the Fjerdan delegation here to share in your glory?"
"They we not able to travel due—"
"They're not here because there's about to be a massacre. Their pact is with the Darkling."
"All of our intelligence puts him in the south with the Shu."
"And you think he doesn't have spies? He laid a trap that any child could recognize, and you walked right into it."
Vasily's face turned red from rage after Nikolai's words. The Queen tried intercepting their fight, but one of the generals spoke first.
"The fort at Ulensk is manned by a full regiment"
"A regiment against an army of nichevo'ya?" asked the young prince with an edge.
"Everyone at that fort is already dead," Yelena spoke for the first time. Her face was pale, her hands trembled.
"Sacrificed to your pride and stupidity." Nikolai followed, his hazel eyes were slightly darker now as he looked at his older brother.
Vasily's hand went to his sword hilt. "You overreach, you little bastard."
The Queen gasped as the guests jaw's dropped. Meanwhile, Nikolai laughed harshly at Yelena's right, it almost looked like a madman. And the black-haired girl was glued to her sit, she knew exactly what Vasilys doings meant, but her attention stayed on that table and the fight between the two princes.
"Look around this table," Nikolai followed. "Every general, every nobleman of high rank, most of the Lantsov line, and the Moon and Sun Summoner. All in one place, on one night."
A few faces went suddenly pale, and a freckled boy sitting across them was the only one to speak up, "Maybe we should consider—"
"No!" Vasily's lower lip trembled, "This is him being petty and jealous! He cannot stand to see me succeed! He—"
The eldest Lantsov son was interrupted by the warning bells ringing in the distance that started getting closer one after another, echoing up the streets of Os Alta through the upper town and over the walls of the Grand Palace. The alarm hit Yelena like a thunder, it rang loudly on her head as if they were just besides her ear.
"You've handed him Ravka." Nikolai finished.
And it was like the last straw for Yelena. She rose as fast as the guests did but, unlike them who where pushing each other in a moment of panic, the General reminded calm and moved like a serpent between their bodies. She reached for Alina and pulled her to the side to meet Mal halfway, Jasmin was on his side.
"Get her to the Little Palace." Yelena said, then she looked around. "Where's Tolya and Tamar?"
The windows exploded and glass rained down on them. Yelena turned around to shield her face and Alina with her body, but Mal and Jasmin were already on it. The guests screamed and huddled against each other as the nichevo'ya swarmed in through the broken windows with their huge bodies and wings of molten shadow.
On top of the cacophony of sounds and screams, Yelena heard Nikolai's words clear, "Get the King to safety!" he unsheathed his sword and ran to his mother's side.
A shadow lifted one of the Generals from the First Army and threw hin against the wall. He slid to the ground, his neck broken. Alina raised her hands to summon, but Yelena stopped her immediately and said:
"It's too crowded, we can't risk it!"
In that same moment Vasily who still stood at the table, spoke, "You did this!" He pointed at Nikolai with his sword, then to Yelena who was close to him, "You and the witch were plotting against me since the beginning!"
He lifted his saber higher and charged to them. Jasmin and Mal stood shoulder by shoulder, protecting the Summoners but it wasn't necessary, as a nichevo'ya grabbed hold of the eldest Lantsov prince and tore his arm from its socket before he could reach them. Vasily stood for a moment swaying as blood came out of his wound like a waterfall, then dropped to the floor with a lifeless heap. The Queen shoved forward trying to reach her son's body, shrieking hysterically when Nikolai held her back and muttered a few words on her ear.
Yelena's gray eyes were wide while looking at Vasily's extremity a few meters from him, with sword and all. The Eagle's Nest room was bloody, dead bodies and parts of them lay in every corner. And the nichevo'ya fell upon the one's who were still breathing. It was a bloodbath.
The Grisha's General decided to risk it as she raised her hands when more shadows entered the room from the broken windows and made their way towards the prince and Queen, the cut shone brightly before slicing the dark creatures in a half, barely missing one of the Generals. At the next moment, Yelena felt a hand tugging on her arm and she turned to look at Nikolai before being pushed out of the room by him. The hallways weren't much different from the Eagle's Nest; panicked servants and footmen were running towards the exit, some trying to lock themselves in the empty rooms. In the distance she heard wailing, the sound of breaking glass. A boom. A thought popped in her mind— the Fabrikators.
Yelena and Jasmin were leading down the path towards the Little Palace, Alina, Mal, Nikolai and the royal guards trailed behind them, slightly slowed by the latter's frail father. Their heads turned to the Grand Palace golden gates as they were being blown off their hinges by a wall of Etherealki wind— the Darkling's Grisha streamed onto the grounds in their brightly colored kefta.
The King bent double at the entrance of the wooded tunnel, he wheezed as the Queen wept and held tight to his arm.
"I have to get them to the Kingsfisher," Nikolai said as he got closer to Yelena who had stopped too.
"Take the long way. He'll be coming to the Little Palace first. He's coming for us." She answered, a little shiver went down her spine at the realization— she was about to see Kirigan again.
"You are coming with me," the prince commanded.
"I won't leave the Grisha. But Alina—"
"No. I'm staying too." Yelena looked back at her sister's face, and she knew she wouldn't change her mind, so the older nodded. After all they were family, the stubbornness ran on their veins.
"Go, get Baghra." She turned back to the prince.
"I'll come back. I promise." Nikolai took a step closer, not caring about the eyes of the people around on them.
"Don't. You go, save them, and don't come back." Yelena mumbled. Her eyes locked with Nikolai's glimmering hazel that looked about to rain down on her. Without breaking eye contact, she quickly put her hand above Nikolai's heart, feeling the organ pumping quickly under her touch. "You and I are not done yet, azel. We'll see each other again, I promise you."
The prince nodded, his big palm rested on top of Yelena's hand on his chest for a few seconds. "Be careful, liefde. I want you back in one piece." He mumbled before squeezing her fingers gently and giving her one last look before stepping back.
The last Lantsov heir grabbed his father by the arm and helped him walk towards the aircraft direction, followed by a few Grisha and guards. Yelena looked at his back before turning around and motion the rest to follow into the Little Palace. The dark scars on Yelena's arms pulled harder. He was getting closer.
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a/n: HI, so excited for act two finale and act three !!! what do y'all think is gonna happen? hope you're having a great day/night! ily, stay safe <3