#alarkling fanfiction

[burninghoneyatdusk]

little lamb

a darklina fic

complete | one-shot | explicit | 4.6k

post-apocalypse au | religious cults | kidnapping | stockholm syndrome | enemies to lovers | smut

Alina might’ve wanted freedom when Aleksander brought her here, but now she only craves His touch. There is no curiosity left in her. Her light is only for Him: her savior, her protector, her Lord. She was made in his image.

read it here

written for the @darklinaxchange summer exchange for agnethic 🐑🕯️

[filhadoboto]

The chosen one

Summary: During the reading of his mother's will, Aleksander Morozov discovers that, so that his inheritance does not end up in the hands of his hated cousin Malyen Oretsev, he will have to get married within a year.

AO3

chapter 1; chapter 2; chapter 3; chapter 4; chapter 5; chapter 6

Chapter 7 - The summer - part 3

Returning to the Little Palace made Aleksander much happier than he expected he would be. Perhaps because he knew that there was so little time left before his home would cease to exist, he felt even more joy and awe as he passed through the imposing gates and onto the gravel path lined with trees that formed a tunnel of intertwined branches above them and set his eyes upon his residence. Aleksander would never cease to be enchanted by the sight of its golden domes or to feel small when standing before the gigantic and beautiful construction.

Once settled, they received several visitors, including the Kaminsky siblings, Ivan, Fedyor and Sonia, who brought joy and variety to the conversations. Ivan was the oldest and quietest of the siblings, he preferred to listen to conversations and, occasionally, give his opinion on the subject at hand. Fedyor, as the local physician, knew the latest news about most of the residents and shared it with them. And Sonia, with her characteristic good humor and attentive teenage gaze, informed them about everything that had happened in Kribirsk, where they lived, and Novokribirsk.

Their father had been the Morozov family's lawyer, and with his death, Ivan had taken over his father's place in that role. Since Ivan was also his friend, Aleksander trusted him completely and decided to tell him about his decision not to comply with the clause in his mother's will, although he kept the incendiary part of his plan a secret.

Ivan stared at him silently for a few seconds, his expression unreadable, before asking, “Your Grace is telling me that you would rather live in poverty than marry a woman of your choice? What about Miss Morozova?”

“Neither my sister nor I will live in poverty, Ivan.” he replied, and told his lawyer about his personal investments.

“I understand, but it is my duty to remind Your Grace that you are not only the head of the Morozov family, you are also the head of our community.” Ivan said in his lawyer’s voice. “What about your duties to deal with and adjudicate regional issues? Does Your Grace believe that Mr. Oretsev will have the ability, knowledge, interest, disposition or intelligence to be fair, to seek the best solution for all?”

He had expected that Ivan would not approve of his decision, and for nearly half an hour he listened patiently as his friend argued about how so many other lives would be affected and harmed by the change in ownership of Morozov Hall. Ivan was right, there were many lives that depended directly on him, but how could he live with himself if he did not do what he thought was right, what his conscience advised him to do?

“With all due respect, Duke Morozov, do you think that your cousin, who is known for spending substantial sums of money on all sorts of gamblings, will be as benevolent and generous a landlord and neighbor, or even as respected and admired as you are?”

There was no other answer than “No. He will be, at best, a disaster for Morozov Hall.”

Imagining the disaster that would be Malyen running Morozov Hall made his heart ache. Aleksander knew every inch of the estate. He knew everything that was produced there, he knew how many people worked and lived there, he even knew most of their names. He had built a good relationship with his tenants and his neighbors, and he doubted Malyen would bother to do the same.

“A huge disaster,” corrected Ivan. “And I shudder to imagine what his relationship with the royal family will be like!”

“I think Vasily likes him more than me, since they both share some habits and tastes.”

“Perhaps, but it is one thing to share tastes and quite another to accept advice on the administration of the country and its relations with other countries.” Ivan countered “Mr. Oretsev will never be able to advise the future tsar of Ravka like you, Duke Morozov, who was taught and educated for that role since childhood.”

“Luckily for Ravka, I’m not the only one who can perform this function.”

“What about your sponsorships?”

“I plan to continue sponsorships, albeit at lower amounts, after my sister and I settle down in another location.”

The lawyer continued with his questions and arguments and, even though he did not agree and gave him his best advice against that decision, Ivan gave him all the legal advice that Aleksander needed.

By the end of that conversation, Aleksander felt for the first time that he had been selfish in refusing to comply with the clause and leaving Morozov Hall in Malyen's hands. His friend's arguments had shaken his confidence in his decision more than he could admit to himself.

----

About two weeks after their return to the Little Palace, the Morozov siblings were surprised by Nikolai Lantsov. Not exactly by his visit, but by the gifts he had sent them.

Nikolai had secretly bought the black Shu stallion as a gift for Aleksander, and together with the delivery men, he had sent a letter.

My dear friend, Please accept this gift as an apology for my insensitivity to your current situation. I did not understand your hesitation in acquiring the stallion you had so obviously loved until the dinner with Viscountess Komarova where we encountered your unpleasant cousin. It was only then that I understood that there is a possibility that everything could really end up in his hands and that you, wisely, would not buy such a magnificent animal that could end up in the hands of your enemy. The stallion, which I have affectionately named ‘ Darkling’ after the horse you lost as a teenager, is in my name and I will pass him on to you rs once your inheritance situation is settled. Oh, and you can thank me by opening the Little Palace cellar for my inspection on my next visit. I know I will find the finest wines and strongest whiskeys there that you are surely unaware of. From your friend, - Nikolai Lantsov

Aleksander was happy and touched by his friend's gesture and wrote back thanking him for the gift. Along with the letter, he sent a bottle of wine and another of whiskey with the promise that the cellar doors would always be open for him.

To Ulla, Nikolai sent a box containing a collection of sheet music. Ulla's dark eyes lit up as she opened the box, and for a few seconds, her face lit up with happiness as she read the letter that accompanied the gift. He was extremely curious to know what his friend had written to his sister that had provoked such a reaction, but he knew that she would tell him if she wanted him to know.

His sister did not tell him what Nikolai had written, but she explained that they had been talking about songs about the sea and Nikolai had told her about a Zemeni composer who had composed beautiful melodies inspired by the sea and its moods and, fulfilling the promise he had made to her back in the Lake District, had sent her some sheet music.

Not for the first time, Aleksander wondered if something more than friendship was developing between Ulla and Nikolai.

---

A few days later, the painting that Aleksander had purchased from Konstantin Krupin’s studio in Caryeva arrived.

His sister was surprised and demanded an explanation for the purchase, and he assured her that she would understand when she saw the painting. Aleksander had already chosen the place where it would be displayed in the gallery , and after giving instructions to the servants, they carefully installed it in its proper place. Once they had finished, he asked them to call Alina, and when the two siblings were alone, they looked at the painting in silence.

The changes between the unfinished version he had seen in Krupin’s studio and the finished version before him were not great, but they were there. The main one was that the painting seemed even more alive, as if the night wind smelling of decay or the day wind carrying ash would blow over them at any moment. The painting seemed so alive that he expected to see the two figures move at any moment, finally touching and coming together in an embrace, creating something different, new. And the feeling awakened in him now was the same as when he had first seen the painting, only somehow even more intense and vigorous.

“Wow!” was Ulla’s initial reaction.

He smiled, pleased with her reaction.

“Wow!” he mimicked her, nodding. “Now you understand why I couldn’t resist buying it.”

She nodded. “It’s magnificent, brother ! It looks alive !” she commented, approaching the painting to examine it. “The style doesn’t seem strange to me. I have the impression that I’ve seen something similar somewhere before, but I can’t remember where.”

“We saw a painting by the same artist at Count Koslov’s house in the Lake District.” he informed her. “The artist’s name is Konstantin Krupin, and his studio is in Caryeva. I happened to find out his address and decided to pay him a visit.”

She looked at him, and there was betrayal and disapproval in her dark eyes.

“You were very mean not to invite me to go with you to see his work, brother!”

“Forgive me, sister.” he said sincerely. “You already had an appointment that morning and I had no intention of buying anything. But I couldn’t resist when I saw this painting.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you had bought a painting from him?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the maid.

“Your Grace. Miss Morozova.” Alina said in greeting.

He smiled when he saw the maid and said in an excited tone, “Come, Alina. I want to show you my new addition to the gallery.”

Alina looked at him in surprise, her cheeks flushed, and said in a grateful tone, “That is very kind of you, Your Grace.”

Aleksander nodded and gestured towards the painting, drawing her attention from him to it. But he did not look at the painting. No, he had already admired and studied the painting in Konstantin’s studio and could contemplate it some more later. No. He looked at Alina and watched her reaction carefully.

Her brown eyes and mouth opened in surprise and, perhaps unconsciously, Alina moved closer to the painting and her eyes roamed the entire canvas quickly, as if her mind couldn't decide which part to focus on first. She put her hands over her mouth, as if she were trying to keep from making a sound, or perhaps she was afraid of what she might say. As tears streamed down her cheeks, he smiled in satisfaction. This was the kind of reaction he imagined this painting would cause in her.

“It is amazing, Your Grace! The intensity of the colors, the sensation of movement and life, the way one searches, yearns for the other... I... I am at a loss for words to describe it properly.” she whispered and looked at him before asking, “Who is the artist?”

“Konstantin Krupin.” Ulla replied, who, he noticed, was watching them both with attention and interest.

Alina’s eyes returned to the painting before she commented, “I had never seen a painting by Mr. Krupin with my own eyes, but Mr. Stepanov and his master had already commented on him and praised both his talent and his technique. Now I see that they were right when they said that his works were unmistakable.” she looked at him again before asking, “Does it have a name?”

Aleksander nodded and replied, “It’s called Like calls to like.”

Her eyes drifted back to the painting and she smiled before commenting, “Oh, I see!”

Pleased, Aleksander told her about his visit to the studio, commented on the other paintings he had seen and the two of them talked about the painting before them.

And all the while, he could feel his sister's watchful eyes watching them.

---

Later, when they were alone in the library after dinner, Ulla casually remarked, “You bought that painting for her, Alina. It was her you wanted to surprise.”

He put his book down, looked at Ulla, and knowing there was no reason to lie, as his actions had made that abundantly clear, he nodded once. His sister nodded slowly, her eyes scanning him carefully, and he continued to look at her. After several seconds of silence, his sister gave him a small smile and returned her attention to her book.

“What is it, sister?” he couldn’t resist asking. He was the person who knew her best, but it wasn’t always easy to read her.

“Nothing,” she replied, still smiling.

“Ulla!” he begged.

“It’s nothing, brother, I swear!” she insisted, trying not to smile, but added, “I was just curious about your attitude, which, I must say, was very generous and touching on your part.”

“Alina really likes art and I bought the painting as a wedding gift for her.” he heard himself explaining. “You know I plan to do something for each of the Little Palace employees before we… you know.”

What he didn't tell his sister, and what he needed days to admit to himself, was that his impulse to buy that painting for the maid was far more selfish than generous. Yes, he wanted her to look at that painting and remember the Little Palace and its beauty and grandeur. But he wanted Alina to remember him even more. Aleksander couldn’t understand that selfish desire, but his lack of self-knowledge wouldn’t stop him from giving the painting as a gift to Alina.

Ulla nodded before asking with innocent curiosity, “I didn’t know she was engaged. Is it with one of the other employees?”

“It is not. She told me that he lives in Keramzin and is waiting for her.” he replied.

His words seemed to pique his sister’s curiosity even more, for she asked, “May I ask how you came to know so much about her life, brother?”

“Asking, dear sister,” he replied simply.

“Asking.” she repeated, and there was suspicion and amusement in her tone.

“Yes, asking. As I usually do with all our employees.” he clarified. “You can get a lot of answers when you ask a lot of questions. Just like you’re doing now.”

“Please forgive me for insisting on this subject, my beloved brother,” Ulla began, putting down her book and giving him her full attention. “It’s just that, as imaginative as my mind is, I cannot conceive of a situation in which it would be appropriate for a single employer to inquire about the love life of his newly hired, beautiful and intelligent maid.”

He ignored the obvious innuendo in her tone and words.

“Interestingly enough, I was answering her questions about you, dear sister.” he informed her, smiling at Ulla’s surprise. “And she was so impressed by the depth of my affection and love for you that she couldn’t help but comment on how lucky you are to be loved in such a way by me.” he continued, eliciting a smile from her. “So, out of politeness, I asked her if she had someone who loved her, and she told me yes, that he was waiting for her in Keramzin, and that she only took the job here because of him.”

“And you just assumed that she was going to marry this man.”

“And what else could be deduced from this information?” he asked, confused by the direction of his sister’s reasoning. What else could he have deduced from this information? “Alina loves him and is loved by him. He awaits her return and she is anxious to see him again. Although she has enough education to get a much better job, Alina is probably working as a servant to save money for her dowry like many other women in her position do.”

“He could just be a dear brother.” Ulla surmised.

“Alina is an orphan and grew up in an orphanage in Keramzin.” he explained, and then found himself telling his sister everything he knew about the maid and the nighttime walks in the gallery.

By the time he finished, the smile that had started the conversation had returned to his sister’s lips, but she didn’t ask him any more questions.

----

The next morning, after returning from a ride around the neighborhood with the Darkling , Aleksander looked for his sister but could not find her.

“Is my sister resting?” he asked Mrs. Stepanova.

“No, Your Grace. Miss Morozova went for a walk in the park shortly after you left.”

“Alone?” he asked in alarm.

“No, Alina is accompanying her.”

He was surprised by her answer, but did his best to hide it and nodded before saying in a relieved tone, “Tell her I’m in my studio in case she looks for me when she gets back.” he instructed and she nodded.

About an hour later, the sound of knocking on the studio door announced Ulla’s arrival.

“How was your walk?” he asked as she sat down in the chair across from him.

“Quite pleasant.” she replied with a small smile and rosy cheeks from the walk.

“If you had told me you wanted to walk during breakfast, I might have canceled my ride to walk with you.”

“I’m sorry, brother, but I was in need of some female company today.”

Of course. His sister lived with Mrs. Yakovleva and was used to having female company. However, the woman had been given leave to visit her younger sister and nephews during the summer. He felt guilty for not having thought of that. Fortunately, it was something that could be easily remedied.

“We could invite some neighbors to stay with us while you’re here.” he suggested. “I have no doubt that Miss Sonia Kaminsky would be happy to be our guest during your stay.”

“You don’t need to worry about that, Sasha, but I appreciate it. While I greatly appreciate Miss Kaminsky’s company, I want to enjoy my stay with you.”

He smiled and said, “Mail has arrived for you.”

But Ulla didn't seem very interested.

“Aren't you going to ask me what Alina and I talked about during our walk?” his sister asked, and the return of the same smile from the night before made him see that the question was a trap.

Aleksander loved seeing this more relaxed and exposed side of his sister that reminded him of the child she had been.

“Something tells me that even if I don’t ask, you’ll tell me.”

“Aren’t you curious?” she asked, seeming offended by his apparent disinterest in falling into her trap.

The truth was, yes, he was curious. Although he didn’t understand why, he was curious to know every detail of their conversation. So he took a deep breath and gave in.

“What did you two talk about during the walk, my sweet sister?”

Ulla gave him a satisfied smile and replied, “I was curious about the things you told me about her, and so I invited her to walk with me. The two of us had a pleasant and lively conversation about music and art and about love. Please don't get me wrong, Sasha, I didn't doubt what you told me about her, but it was only after listening to her that I realized how right your opinion of her was. Alina does indeed have a great knowledge and a burning passion for art and could have gotten a job in a much better position than that of a simple servant. The way she spoke about the moments you two shared in the Little Palace gallery touched me, and I must admit it was bittersweet to hear her praise the family's art collection knowing that in a few more months it will all be consumed by fire.”

Aleksander understood his sister’s feelings perfectly and nodded before commenting, “It was indeed a sad experience to show her the gallery, but her genuine interest and fascination with everything she was seeing and hearing made me proud of what our ancestors built.”

“And as you said, asking a lot of questions gets you a lot of answers.” she continued. “Perhaps you’d like to know, dear brother, that you were partially right about her situation.” He frowned and she explained, “Alina is not currently engaged. She implied that a future commitment, and even marriage, depends not only on her and the man she loves. They both depend on the willingness of other people to stay together.”

Why did that information lift a weight from his heart that he hadn’t even realized was there?

“So, in that case, the painting won’t be a wedding gift, but a farewell gift.” he corrected in the calmest tone he could muster.

Ulla seemed disappointed by his reaction and his words, but added, “Did you know that Alina gave piano and drawing lessons to the children at the orphanage where she lived before coming to work here?”

“No, I didn’t know.” he replied, and was pleasantly surprised by that information.

“She didn’t say anything, but from her sad expression as we discussed the matter, I gathered that she misses practicing.” his sister continued, “I would like her to practice the piano with me while I’m here. I have grown accustomed to Mrs. Yakovleva’s presence and would like to have someone who has musical knowledge while I practice the new sheet music Nikolai gave me. What do you think of the idea?”

“If Alina agrees, I see no problem at all.” he replied sincerely.

She nodded before continuing, “I really enjoyed talking to her, and I would also like to keep in touch with her when we leave Morozov Hall for good. Do you think that is appropriate?”

That question took him by surprise, but it pleased him. He couldn't imagine asking his maid to correspond with him, but it wouldn't seem inappropriate if his sister did.

“I see nothing wrong with two people who have so many interests in common maintaining correspondence if it pleases both parties.” he replied in a tone that was meant to be indifferent, but even he could hear the slight anxiety in his voice.

Ulla gave him a satisfied smile and said in a tone that was a mix of teasing and amusement, “Oh, I discovered something even more interesting about our maid that you probably don’t know, my dear Sasha.”

“Is that so?” he commented, knowing that she wouldn’t continue talking until she got a reaction from him.

She nodded and continued, “Alina has the worst sense of direction ever! If I didn’t know every path in our park and was trusting her to guide me back home, we would still be wandering around, completely lost!”

For a few seconds, he felt alarmed by his sister's words, but, as she herself had said, Ulla knew every path in the park and could return to the Little Palace with her eyes closed.

Ulla took a deep breath looking sad before adding “It’s a shame there won’t be much time for us to venture out and for her to become familiar with the paths.” she looked at him and asked “Remember when we were little and we decided that we wouldn’t return home until we found the legendary Morozov stag and he granted our wish?”

Aleksander laughed and nodded.

“It was a few months after our papa died. You were five and I was eight and we were determined to find Morozov’s stag and ask him to bring papa back to us.” he recalled. “Our mother had the whole Little Palace looking for us, and when Mr. Sokolov found us, we were comfortably asleep by our fire. He was so relieved to find us that he laughed when we told him what had been the reason for our escape. I can still remember the look of pity on his face when we told him we wanted to bring the papa back. He was very sensitive in telling us that it would be impossible, even for a being as powerful as the stag. He was also very generous in hiding our reasons from mama and saying that we had lost the trail because we were playing explorers.”

She smiled at the memory and thought, “Oh, so that’s why she didn’t punish us when they took us back?”

“I believe so.” he replied. “But we were forbidden from leaving the servants’ sight for a long time and that only changed because the family suffered yet another loss with the death of our grandmother Maryia a few weeks later.”

At that time, months after the death of Ilya and Andrey, sadness and mourning prevailed in the Little Palace. Their grandmother was wasting away with grief over her husband's death, and Baghra was focused on fulfilling her duties. Aleksander missed their father, and his sister, seeing him so sad, had given him the idea of ​​looking for Morozov's stag and asking him to bring their father back to life. In his childish mind, that plan made perfect sense, and that's what they did.

“Do you think we could make it to that clearing again?”

As he had already returned to the place several times, he did not hesitate to answer, “I know exactly how to get there. As incredible as it may seem, it is less than a kilometer from here.”

“Less than a kilometer! At the time it felt like we had walked halfway across Ravka!” she commented and gave him a mischievous look before adding, “You know what we need to do, don’t you?”

He nodded, and the next morning after breakfast, the two of them went out to explore with the same joy and enthusiasm as when they first did so in childhood.

----

In the following weeks, Aleksander and Ulla continued to live their lives normally, as if the deadline given by their mother was not running out and there was no insane plan to be executed at the end of said deadline.

Ulla, in fact, invited Alina to help her practice the new scores, and on several occasions, Aleksander witnessed his sister giving the maid advice and helping her to perfect her playing. His sister's generosity did not surprise him, and when Ulla invited him to hear the two of them perform a duet, he happily accepted.

It was obvious to any observer, especially one who knew Ulla as intimately as he did, that the two girls were comfortable with each other and that perhaps, if they were given time, they would become great friends. Aleksander couldn’t help but feel happy for his sister. Ulla was usually reserved and didn’t make friends easily, but here, with Alina, his sister seemed more relaxed and her smiles were genuine and warm, rather than polite and cold.

Although he tried his best to keep his eyes away from Alina, he ultimately failed in his attempt. Fortunately, neither of the two girls were paying him any attention and he felt safe to observe her. There was something about her that always drew his eyes to her, something that had caught his attention since the first time he saw her. It was as if she was the sun and he was a plant seeking her light.

It was during one of these occasions that Aleksander remembered the conversation he had had with Genya in Caryeva and could not help but wonder, as he watched Alina, whether or not he had fallen in love with her.

I enjoy her company, I enjoy talking to her, and I feel comfortable with her. And I have no trouble imagining what it would be like to live the rest of my life with a woman like her by my side., he thought, If I'm honest with myself, the truth is that I consider her one of the most beautiful and intelligent women I've ever met, and I'm attracted to her like I've never been attracted to any other woman. But does that mean I'm falling in love?

However, if that were true, if he was in love with Alina, what could he do about it? Even if there wasn’t a huge social gulf between them, Alina loved another man. Even if they weren’t currently engaged like she had told Ulla, Alina’s heart belonged to someone else and could never be his.

The only conclusion he could come to was that, in love or not, the best thing he could do was go ahead with his plan.

---

He and his sister received more visits from other families during the rest of the summer, attended several social events and also visited their neighbors and tenants' families as a farewell.

Their days were spent together exploring and saying goodbye to everything, sharing memories worth sharing. But the truth was, even if they didn't speak, their decision weighed heavily on their consciences and in their hearts. This was obvious in the way the siblings wandered through the corridors and rooms of the mansion, their eyes examining every detail as if they wanted to memorize every corner, every detail.

Aleksander had deeper roots in the place than Ulla, but she had them too. During her two annual visits, the two of them explored every nook and cranny of the mansion and had incredible adventures witnessed only by the furniture and paintings. As they grew older, their adventures took place outside the Little Palace and, despite Mrs. Stepanova and Mr. Sokolov's warnings to stay away from the lake, they would often go there and pretend to be sailors hunting the legendary Rusalye, the sea serpent.

The day they fell off the horse during a storm, they were hunting the Firebird, because Ulla wanted one of its tears, which, according to legend, turn into diamonds. And after the accident, they began visiting the tenant farmers when they went out riding. They enjoyed knowing their names and the names of their children. They also visited their neighbors and the rectory and greeted everyone who was part of their little world.

However, it wasn't just happy memories that the siblings found walking through the corridors, halls and rooms of the Little Palace. There was a specific place near their mother's quarters that was a source of bad memories and nightmares, especially for Aleksander who was not only older and had clearer memories, but was also the one who suffered the most from their mother's punishments. When he was a child, Aleksander was very afraid of the dark. So afraid that he could not sleep unless a candle was left lit in his bedroom. His will was done while his father was alive and this was always a point of friction between his parents. Andrey said that it was normal for children his age to be afraid of the dark and that this fear would go away when he grew up. But Baghra said that he had to face his fear and overcome it and that doing what he wanted would only make him spoiled and weak.

After his father's death, it was his mother's opinion that prevailed. Baghra, claiming that she was doing it for his own good, so that he would grow up to be a strong and fearless man, would lock him in one of the dark closets at night and leave him there for hours alone, crying, shaking with fear and begging her to let him out. Ulla was his emotional support when this happened. His sister would sit outside the closet and talk and sing softly just for him to hear, to let him know he wasn't alone. One time when nothing Ulla did or said could calm him down, his brave little sister stole the housekeeper's master key, unlocked the closet and hugged him. When their mother found them together in the dark, she was extremely angry, but did nothing immediately.

However, some time later, without any warning, Baghra sent Ulla to live in Os Kervo. Feeling guilty for what had happened to his sister, Aleksander forced himself to face his fear in the vain hope that if he showed courage, if he proved to his mother that he was no longer afraid and that he was as strong as she wanted him to be, she would bring Ulla back. It would be many years before he understood that his mother had used Ulla's disobedience as an excuse to send her daughter away from her and the Little Palace.

As was fitting for someone of her social class, Ulla had everything money could buy. She attended a great girls' school, had the best tutors in painting, singing, and piano, and everything else she wanted to learn. But she had no contact with her family except during her two annual visits to the Little Palace. Aleksander was very happy when his sister was with him and did everything he could to show his affection for her during the weeks they were together.

So, as his father had said, Aleksander lost his fear of the dark as he grew up, but the nightmares caused by his trauma of being locked in a dark closet never left him. And it was a nightmare that woke him up and made him lose sleep that night after revisiting such painful memories. Knowing that lying in bed would only serve to make the past play an endless parade in his mind, Aleksander decided to get up and try to distract his mind. His feet took him to his father's room, the one he and Ulla had found during their explorations earlier in the summer.

In the darkness, he sat down in one of the armchairs and stared out the window. Outside, the sky was starry, and the moonlight that came through the window bathed his body. Inevitably, his thoughts turned to his mother. Baghra Morozova was a cold, emotionally distant, and strict woman. She educated him by using everyday events to show him the consequences of his own actions and the actions of others. She taught him to observe and analyze the world and the people around him. She taught him to use that knowledge to benefit himself and their family.

However, during the lessons, despite Baghra's coldness and emotional distance, he saw hidden aspects of his mother. She showed him her hidden caring side when he gave her a satisfactory answer and hugged him or gave him a tender kiss on his forehead or stroked his hair affectionately. After Ulla was sent to the girls' school, he lived in the company of his mother, his tutors and the servants. So Aleksander practically lived for those moments when his mother revealed this side of herself to him, but as he began to grow up and have his own opinions, she showed him this side less and less.

After the accident he and Ulla suffered and were helped by one of the tenants, he never saw this side of his mother again. Baghra became even colder and more controlling and began to dictate practically every aspect of his life. It was only when he became the manager of Morozov Hall that he began to have some freedom. It was nearly impossible not to think about how happy they would have been if his mother hadn't suppressed that side of herself and been a loving mother to him and his sister.

He was lost in these thoughts when Ulla found him.

“Nightmares?” she asked in a worried tone and placed the candle she had with her on the small table next to him.

He nodded and asked “Did I wake you up?”

“No, I was reading when I heard you walking down the hall and thought I’d check on you.” she replied.

Ulla offered him her hand and helped him up. She wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head on his chest before saying, “Forgive me, Aleksander, I shouldn’t have insisted on seeing that place. She’s dead and I should have left that part of the past in the past.”

He hugged her back and whispered, “My nightmares aren’t your fault, Ulla. They’re hers. It doesn’t matter if she’s dead, I’ll always carry with me everything she did.”

She nodded slowly and said in a choked voice, “I wish I could erase all those bad memories from your mind, brother.”

“I know.” he said and hugged his sister even tighter.

Ulla began to hum a sweet melody like she used to do when their mother locked him in the closet and he wished he could get rid of his bad memories when he set that place on fire.

---

At the end of the summer Aleksander received a letter from his aunt Margosha proudly informing him that her son was engaged to Miss Zoya Nazyalenskaya.

That announcement did not surprise him. From what he had witnessed in Caryeva, he had guessed that a compromise between them was a possibility, for he had never in his entire life seen two people more compatible than Malyen Oretsev and Zoya Nazyalenskaya. And, considering that half of the deadline given by his mother had passed, in his eyes that was a very smart move by Viscount Nazialesnky, because if Aleksander did not manage to marry by the end of the deadline, Malyen would inherit everything and Zoya would become Duchess.

Aleksander could not help but wonder whether the speed with which Viscount Nazialesnky accepted Zoya's engagement to his cousin was due to the fact that he thought that Aleksander wouldn't be able to get married before the deadline. Or perhaps the Viscount had suspected his intention not to marry and, wanting to ensure that his daughter would become Duchess Morozova, had not missed the chance to marry her to Malyen at once.

His sister, who shared his opinion of the new couple, stayed with him until the end of October and then returned to Os Kervo. She had met one of her school friends in Caryeva and accepted her invitation to spend a few weeks at her friend’s house in Balakirev. But the siblings made plans to spend New Year’s together in Os Kervo, when they would start thinking about possible places to settle in the spring.

[darklesmylove]

enemies to lovers be like

[aleksanderscult]

Your favourite darklina fics?

"Start a War"

It was GLORIOUS!!

It can be found here (😉):

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10465609/1/Start-a-War

[idaoftheburningmind]

Dawn Greeting Dusk Falling

A reimagining of the events after ‘Siege and Storm’ and a coping mechanism for the SaB S2 ending we would rather not have…

She had kept a little of his shadow, he enough of her light. This is what made it possible, this meeting at the roiling edge of the Fold where Alina knew she would one day find herself.

Fifty years did he say? She knew it had been more, and still it surprised her as the seasons dragged on that love had endured — the love of so many, and the love of one above all. Even if she had to watch each one shrouded and laid in the ground. Each and every one.

What she means to do here now is neither a reckoning, nor a reconciliation. The moment is simply right. She looks into the shadows, and lifts her hand. The globe of light is muted, as though in a fog; but she knows he will not fail to see it.

“Alina.”

There is no rage in the way he says her name, not even a question. They are past that, she supposes.

One who was too young, and one who lived too long; they were here now, nearly unchanged but for her white hair worn unbound. He did not expect her to come sooner, he knew time well enough. He might have thought he knew her as well.

She did not destroy the Fold.

Thought dead after the collapse of the Chapel, legend had it that her spirit guided skiffs as they made each journey. For not a soul has been lost to the Fold since.

That was how she knew that he wasn’t lost. And the knowledge, when she realized it, caused her that day to weep with joy.

The two of them lived because they could not let the other die; when his humanity was burning away, she held on blindly to what remained and he … she could not name what he did, but in the end she knew he had kept her from falling into darkness.

He had kept — some essence, some hope? Light either way.

And a resolve not to lose her to the void.

What was left of him that day was drawn to the Fold, the only place where he could still exist.

A shadow among shadows.

“You might have left me with a fresh set of clothes. An eternity disheveled is its own unique torture.”

She startles with laughter, the unexpected joy at the even more unexpected attempt at humor freeing the tension in her shoulders. She lets herself smile at him, and his smile is genuine as he smiles back.

“Are you angry?” she asks.

“What is anger for?” is his reply.

Flame sputtering to life in sunlight has more purpose.

A silence heavy as the weight of loss they now share settles between them.

“I could not bear it if you turned from me now.”

He spoke the truth. It was the same truth she would always understand, no matter the centuries left to them, no matter their choices that will always hang in the balance.

She reaches for him with a tendril of shadow.

He holds out his hand in welcome.

————-

A/N: For my AU sister @becauseicantthinkwritings who has been putting up with my not-fun era for longer than she should 😅

[mlsfrvr]

Stop! It’s Darklina Time!  Part 2

Hello guys!

Are you ready for part 2?

Let’s go. :)

Thank you to the wonderful authors of these beautiful stories. You really did a great job! I love reading your work. ❤️

I have indicated the places where there may be spoilers for you, but still read the tags of the dear authors before you open the story.

And if you see🔥you know what it means. :)

Kaleidoscope by Permanent_Reverie: alternative. Aleksander and Alina are getting married.

The CEO and the Helioseismologist by orphan_account: alternative. Aleksander is getting sick.

So Hold My Hand, I'll Walk With You, My Dear by UnderATrillionStars: Alina is visiting Aleksander. if you haven't read rule of wolves, it may contain spoilers for you.

Testament to Time by melfires: Aleksander lets Alina go. 

Start a War by nymja: alternative. fate brings Aleksander and Alina together once again. if you haven't read ruin and rising, it may contain spoilers for you.

Out of Time by destinies: another alternative that i love.

Having You by destinies: Aleksander and Alina are not disturbed in the war room. 🔥

Surrender by aleksandermorozova: alternative. Alina and Aleksander are having a daughter.

Aurora by KoreRosemarinus: alternative. Alina and Aleksander have a son.

for you I would ruin myself by fkevin073: Aleksander returns to the war room.🔥

A cold heart by Weisse_Rose: what happened from Aleksander's pov.

give you my wild, give you a child by fkevin073: alternative. Alina brings up the baby topic. 🔥

keep the light from passing through by starwarringavengers: alternative. Alina runs away and Aleksander chases her. 🔥

I Look Inside Myself (And See My Heart Is Black) by Ceris_Malfoy: alternative. Alina chooses a different path.

My Needy Little Wife Under The Table by orphan_account: alternative. 🔥

Fever by SheepOfIce: Alina is getting sick.

Give Me Love by starwarringavengers: Aleksander is ambushed. 🔥

I'll Stay With You by Nightstorm: alternative. Alina convinces Aleksander to come to bed.

I wish you would (Morozova's version) by stealing_jasons_job: alternative. 🔥

never knew I could feel that much by Stella959: Alina and Aleksander's life in the little palace develops a little differently. 🔥

fool me once, fool me twice by amplifierverse: alternative. Aleksander wants Alina to wear amplifiers. 🔥

No Minor Miracle by orangegreet: alternative. Aleksander can wait another century for Alina. if you haven't read ruin and rising, it may contain spoilers for you.

Only the Dead Have Seen the End of War by 221BB: alternative. Aleksander and Alina are fighting together. 

Conqueror by mardia: alternative. Alina destroyed the fold long ago.

Drunk on the Dying Light by ViaLethe: alternative. Aleksander is having a scar on his chest. if you haven't read ruin and rising, it may contain spoilers for you.

When evening shadows and stars appear by Anuna: alternative. Aleksander is getting sick.

Lightweight by artemisscribe: alternative. Alina is getting drunk

Alone by Anuna: alternative. Aleksander wants to get married.

Brittle Thorns by mzladybird: alternative. Aleksander hires a gardener for his garden. 🔥

Tell Yourself You Can Always Stop by nightowls28: Aleksander sees the scars on Alina. if you haven't read the ruin and rising, it may contain spoilers for you.

Scars by LiteraryFaerie: Alina sees the scars in Aleksander. if you haven't read the ruin and rising, it may contain spoilers for you.

Me and the Devil by esssteee: alternative. Aleksander is back.

Hope Springs Eternal by FormerlyIR (Irony_Rocks), Irony_Rocks: alternative. Alina is bringing Aleksander back.

[greensaplinggrace]

Summary:

Aleksander Morozova may be the worst person Alina has ever met, and the only thing she wishes to do about it is pour sweet syrup over all of his sharp, vicious edges. After all, why would she ever blunt them when she could lick them clean, instead?

Chapters: 1/1 Words: 7,911

Relationships: The Darkling/Alina Starkov

Rating: Explicit

Additional Tags:

Fluff and Smut, Porn with Feelings, Feeding Kink, Hand Feeding, Sex and Chocolate, Service Top, PWP, Dom Alina Starkov, Sub The Darkling, Woman on Top, Femdom, Praise Kink, Dirty Talk, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Multiple Orgasms, POV Alina Starkov, Public Sex, Light Masochism, Light Degradation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Service Kink, Courtesan The Darkling

[darklinaforever]

So friends ! We were treated to modern Reylo fanfiction and fantasy fanfiction with literal light and dark powers (which my heart of Darklina looks forward to), published in real novels ! So I say ; When will the Reylo mermaids fanfic be published in a true novel ?!

[stupidlyentangled]

mercy, i implore: a Siege & Storm oneshot (teaser)

“Now, Alina,” the Darkling murmurs low, tone dipping to one of pure sin that makes her insides tighten longingly, “Won’t you let me see how sweet you look when you come?”

Set somewhere during Siege & Storm. The Darkling interrupts Alina in a rather intimate moment. Alina learns there isn't much moral high ground left once she came with his name on her lips.

coming soon on my ao3!

(the idea of a siege & storm oneshot was inspired by the lovely @lightning-strikes-twice “Reflections Of A Saint” because Never shall a siege & storm au be written again without having to mention that MASTERPIECE <3)

[remiferia]

ashes to ashes, dust to dust

shadow and bone/grishaverse | incomplete (1/?)

[ ao3 ]

ships: the darkling/alina starkov

characters: the darkling, alina starkov

genre: alternate universe, pre-canon, angst, romance, pining, yearning, soulmates, sexual tension

words: 1,874

summary:

Later Alina will think that it’s poetic, that everything begins in the blanket of night, on the roads of the Vy near Kribirsk under a star-speckled sky.

In which Alina and Aleksander find each other before the creation of the Shadow Fold, and everything is different—for her, and for him.

[cultofthestarless]

A special thank you to our sister site @darklinadaily for hosting 2020′s Darklina Secret Santa exchange! 

Going Home by @danaanruhn for @nyenke

Stolen Lullabies by @destiniesfic for @darkalinas

Darkness of the Gentle Kind by @darkalinas for @kkastle

and the waltz goes on by @nyenke for @mel-street 

[burninghoneyatdusk]

bite

a darklina fic

wip | multi-chapter | explicit | 18k

a/b/o | arranged marriage | guardian-ward relationship | age difference | mating bonds | tether | smut

When Alina fails to go into heat, she is sent to live with her Alpha five years prior to their arranged wedding. Her Alpha, who is the King of Ravka and who she has shared a dark connection with since he marked her a decade ago.

read it here || listen to the playlist

[filhadoboto]

The chosen one

Summary: During the reading of his mother's will, Aleksander Morozov discovers that, so that his inheritance does not end up in the hands of his hated cousin Malyen Oretsev, he will have to get married within a year.

AO3

Chapter 1 - The will

Aleksander Morozov had already lost count of how many times he had reread his mother's will since it's reading that morning.

Reread more exactly the excerpt that said that, by Baghra Morozova's will, her only son and heir would only have access to and full control of the Morozov family fortune if he married within a period of one year after the reading of her will.

Frustrated, tired, and irritated, he emptied the glass of whiskey in his hand. Although he rarely drank, the occasion called for an urgent end to his sobriety, and although he was already nearing the end of the first bottle, he still felt as sober as when he had started drinking.

Even from her grave, Baghra Morozova still wanted to interfere in his life. And the worst part wasn't even that he was forced to get married to avoid losing his inheritance. No. The worst part was that if he didn't comply with that ridiculous clause, everything would go to his hated cousin, Malyen Oretsev. Malyen! Aleksander and Malyen hated each other since childhood and his mother knew that very well.

And in case that wasn't enough to pressure him, his mother didn't leave a single penny to his younger sister, Ulla. In fact, Ulla's name had not even been mentioned in the document, as if she did not even exist. Baghra knew how much he loved and cared for his sister and this put additional pressure on him to comply with the clause in order to ensure the financial security of both himself and his sister.

Not that he and his sister were the first in the Morozov family to face problems like those, after all, their family's recent history was not the happiest. Their mother hated her younger sister her entire life and never hid it. And his aunt was too spoiled and selfish to care about anyone else's feelings other than her own.

Margaretha Morozova, or Margosha as everyone in the family called her, was the youngest daughter and was also the favorite. Both Ilya and his wife, Maryia, showed a preference for their second daughter from the moment of her birth. While Baghra was educated and treated with strictness and coldness by her parents, her sister was free to do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. Nothing Baghra did or said, no matter how brilliant and precocious she was, seemed to be enough to please her parents, but her sister seemed to just need to exist to be considered perfect in every way. But, as much as her parents admired their youngest daughter, Baghra was the most beautiful, the most intelligent and the one who was most respected by other people. And she learned from an early age to read, use and manipulate people, since she did not believe in the sincerity of human relationships.

While Margosha was allowed to marry for love, Baghra had to marry the man her parents had chosen for her since she was a child. And the chosen one had been none other than Baghra's cousin, Andrey Morozov.

Andrey was the only son of Ivan Morozov, Ilya's younger brother. Ivan had used much of the inheritance he had received to invest in maritime trade and acquired two ships. As soon as the business became profitable, he moved to Novyi Zem with his wife and newborn son and used the profits to buy new ships. In the first few years business went well, but the Saints wanted Ivan's small fleet to be destroyed by a violent storm and he ended up going bankrupt a year later. Olga, his wife, had died during childbirth along with their second child in the first few months after the disaster with the fleet and, devastated by so many losses, Ivan ended up putting Andrey on a ship to Ravka along with a letter to Ilya explaining everything that had happened and then took his own life.

Andrey was just six years old when all this happened. Ilya had taken in and raised Andrey as his son, and for him and his wife it was natural to marry Andrey and Baghra when they both reached marriageable age, even though the boy was two years younger than his cousin. As Andrey had no inheritance from his father, Ilya wanted him to take care of the Morozov family legacy by marrying his firstborn and heir. Andrey, who was grateful to his uncle who had welcomed him and raised him like a son, did not have the courage to deny his desire and agreed to marry Baghra.

Although they grew up together and felt brotherly affection for each other, Andrey and Baghra had a loveless marriage. The same couldn't be said of Margosha's marriage to her husband, Kirill Oretsev. He was a rich and successful merchant in Os Kervo, but Ilya and Maryia did not approve of the union, as they wanted their daughter to marry someone from the same social class as them. However, Margosha was used to having things her way and after threatening to disappear into the world and never speak to her parents again, they ended up consenting to the marriage and Ilya invested part of what his youngest daughter would receive as an inheritance in her husband's business. The other part of her inheritance was used to buy a property near the village of Keramzin where Kyrill had grown up. Until she got married, Margosha lived in Little Palace with her parents, sister and brother-in-law.

During the first three years of marriage, Baghra had had several miscarriages and one of the babies had been stillborn. There may have been no romantic love between Andrey and Baghra, but there was mutual respect and familial affection, and he sought out doctors both within and outside of Ravka to care for his wife, and so she was finally able to give birth to Aleksander, their first child. Coincidence or not, Baghra's successful pregnancy coincided with the period in which Margosha had met Kirill Oretsev and spent a long time at the family home in Os Kervo. Just under two years after Aleksander was born, Margosha gave birth to Malyen. And a year later, Baghra gave birth to Ulla and Margosha gave birth to Anna on the same day, hours apart.

Although Aleksander remembered how happy his father had been at his daughter's birth, Andrey did not live long enough for his daughter to remember him. Before Ulla even reached her fourth year of life, an outbreak of typhus occurred on Ravka, and over the course of a week, the disease killed Andrey, Ilya, and Kirill. And his grandmother Maryia followed her husband to the grave less than a year later. With the death of both parents, the relationship between Baghra and Margosha became almost non-existent. They met at court and, rarely, at the homes of mutual friends.

Ulla only lived with them until she was six years old and their mother sent her to the same girls' school where she and her sister had studied in Os Kervo. Duchess Yelena Petrova, Aleksander's godmother, had told him that the reason Baghra kept Ulla at a distance was that the girl looked too much like Margosha and Baghra had ended up resenting her own daughter for looking like her sister. Aleksander felt it was unfair that his sister paid for their mother's hatred and resentment towards Margosha and did his best to maintain and strengthen the brotherly bond with Ulla.

Without Andrey's influence, Baghra had raised Aleksander in the same rigid, emotionally distant way that her parents had raised her. His only consolation was his sister's two annual visits. They corresponded weekly and kept each other updated on their lives. Ulla had great musical talent and, in addition to playing several instruments, had the voice of an angel. In one of the letters she had sent him when she was thirteen, Ulla had told him that she had received a marriage proposal from one of the other girls' parents after a performance at school. That hadn't surprised him. She always caught everyone's attention at the events they went to together with her voice and her beauty.

Just as his mother hated her sister, Aleksander and Malyen also hated each other, although he had great affection for his cousin Anna. When Anna died of a fever when she was nine, Aleksander was very sad. After losing her husband and daughter, Margosha had become reclusive and extremely protective of her only son and Malyen was spoiled and did what he wanted when he wanted, just like his mother.

People used to compare the cousins' behavior since they were children and that displeased them both immensely and strengthened their mutual hatred. While Aleksander had been a quiet and observant child, Malyen had been a real pest who always blamed others for his misdeeds when he was discovered. And, during the Oretsev family's visits to the Little Palace, it was Aleksander who reported Malyen's inappropriate behavior to adults, which only made their relationship even worse.

If they had been different during childhood, the differences as adults were even greater. Malyen liked to frequent places of ill repute and liked to gamble and fight. He was a known frequenter of the bars, brothels and gaming rooms that proliferated on the outskirts of Os Alta and other larger cities in the country such as Os Kervo and Caryeva. Aleksander preferred to frequent places suited to people in his social position and befitting the type of person he was, especially those where he could enjoy art, good music and good food and he was the patron of several painters, singers and musicians. While Malyen was known for being a womanizer, Aleksander was known for being a gentleman and was rarely seen in female company other than members of his family.

Everyone in Ravka knew of the enmity between them, and very rarely were the two invited to the same event or the same place. Only when they were in Os Alta during the winter were they forced to attend the same events, as they were both Ilya Morozov's grandchildren and had a close relationship with the royal family, people liked having them around. Aleksander still kept in touch with his aunt, perhaps because he was the only one she could talk to about her daughter Anna, and the two used to correspond at least twice a year, always on Anna’s birthday and on her death anniversary.

He felt a lone tear run down his cheek and wiped it away angrily. He looked at the portrait of his mother on the wall in front of him and wanted to throw the glass in his hand at it, but instead he filled it once more and drank half of its contents. The reading of the will had taken place in Kribirsk in the office of Ivan Kaminsky, the family lawyer. Aleksander had been as shocked by the existence of the clause as his aunt and son had been when they learned that Malyen was in Baghra's will.

Aleksander had been so upset by what he heard during the will reading that he barely remembered the three-mile drive home. Along the way, his mind was filled with his mother's words and his feelings had ranged from disbelief to blinding hatred. According to his mother's will during that one-year period, he could continue managing everything as he already did, enjoying the money and living in the mansion, but he could not make any money transfer or change of ownership of any family property or investment. He was basically a guest in his own home.

Aleksander was feeling helpless. None of it was fair. He had been a good son and made practically every choice his mother insisted he make. He was on good terms with the royal family, as was expected of a member of his family. He was respected and well-liked by people in his social circle. He had dedicated himself to learning everything about the family properties and had practically managed everything himself for five years.

He was everything an heir in his position should be! And now there was a risk that he would lose everything, because, not for the first time since that morning, he thought about refusing to comply with the clause, leaving Ravka and living a simple life elsewhere.

Contrary to what his mother supposed, he wouldn't be so helpless if he weren't his mother's heir. Some years ago he had listened to the advice of his godmother, Duchess Yelena Petrova, and invested money in sugar and jurda, in warehouses in Os Kervo and bought some properties in Novyi Zem. If he was careful, he and his sister could live comfortably off the profits. And his godmother most likely wouldn't mind hosting them in her home for a few months until he redeemed his investments and got established.

Yes, he could do that, but he didn't think it was fair to have to give it all up after the years he spent looking after the estate, preparing to manage it, and putting up with his mother's abuse and machinations. His mother, an authoritarian, possessive and manipulative woman, had died, but even dead, she was still trying to decide the direction of his life.

He glared at the list of names of suitable suitors his mother had left for him. Even dead, Baghra Morozova still wanted to rule his life, she still wanted to take part in choosing his future wife, something she had tried to do in life, but had failed. The first two names belonged to the women he wouldn't choose even if they were the last women in the world.

“Elizaveta Medvedeva and Zoya Nazyalenskaya.” he commented out loud, looking with a mix of anger and contempt at the names on the paper. “Of course you would put on the list a woman like you and another who idolized you.”

No matter how beautiful, well-born, well-educated, and wealthy each of those seven women on Baghra's list was, marrying any of them would be like marrying his own mother. At least she hadn't said in her will that he was obliged to choose a name from that list she left. His choice was between not getting married and losing everything or marrying someone of his choosing within the deadline given and receiving his inheritance and ensuring his sister's financial security.

Aleksander felt another wave of anger flooding his body, he got up and went to the wall where Baghra Morozova's portrait hung.

“Do you really think I would choose to court or marry any of them knowing your preference for them?” he asked, facing the portrait of his mother once again and shaking the paper in front of him as if the portrait could see it.

Of course the portrait wouldn't respond, but even so, he could hear his mother's harsh, emotionless voice calling him a fool.

“Do you really think I will make your wish come true?” he couldn't help but ask the portrait once again "Do you think I'm still that little boy you could control?”

He poured another shot and stopped in front of the portrait again. He studied his mother's face, which, despite her severe and unfriendly expression, had always been beautiful and not even time and death had taken away her beauty.

His mother had raised him to be a great man. She had raised him to believe that he was better than others because he had money and was a descendant of an old, wealthy family. She had taught him to be proud, that he didn't have to bow down to anyone. She had taught him to be strong and merciless. She had taught him that he shouldn't depend on anyone and walk his own path. She had taught him that love was something fragile, fickle and ephemeral. She had taught him that there was nothing more important than power and that there was nothing wrong with being ambitious, with wanting more and being proud of who he was.

For many years he had believed in his mother's teachings. But everything changed when he was thirteen and he and his sister had an accident. Morozov Hall, his family estate, also known as the Little Palace, was located in the Tula Valley, the most fertile and productive region in the entire country. But when he was eleven there were two years of drought that had prevented the harvest from growing properly, followed by two years of rain so intense that almost all of the harvest rotted in the fields. This had caused families to consume all their food stores and then there was famine in the Tula Valley.

In the first year of heavy rains, he and Ulla were riding a horse when a sudden storm hit them. Their horse had been frightened by lightning and knocked them over. When they fell, he had grabbed his sister's body to protect her from the impact with the ground, but he had twisted his ankle. Somehow his little sister managed to find help in the middle of the storm and the two were rescued by one of the tenant farmers. The man, Mikhail and his wife, Irina tended to their wounds, warmed them, and shared what little food they had with him and his sister. They dressed them in their children's best clothes, put them to sleep in the softest beds. And when the storm passed, the man had taken them back to the Little Palace.

Mikhail only accepted a small reward for what he had done, claiming that he had done no more than was his obligation. Aleksander was old enough to understand what had happened and to see through the man's refusal. He was proud to have helped those in need and returning him and Ulla safe and sound to their family was reward enough for him, despite the difficult time everyone was going through. Those people who barely had anything to eat helped them and taught him the most important lesson of his life. It was because of that generous family that he understood that it was his duty to take care of all his tenants, as their well-being and prosperity meant his and his family's well-being and prosperity as well. That experience taught him that even the least powerful person could make a difference in the world and that he, the heir of the Morozov family, was not only in the position but had the power to improve the lives of everyone who lived and worked on the family estate. So he started helping that family. At Aleksander's request and insistence, his mother agreed to pay for the three youngest children to receive a good education and obtained positions for the two oldest as apprentices in a tailor's shop.

His mother had taught him to be like her. The world had taught him that he could be whoever he wanted to be and the last thing he wanted was to be like his mother. And at that moment, as he came out of that memory and faced his mother's face again, Aleksander knew exactly what he would do.

He would live that year enjoying everything his family's wealth had to offer him. So in the week that the deadline given by his mother would end, he would gather his personal belongings and those of his sister, dismiss all the servants, pay them a sum sufficient for them to live well for the rest of their lives and set the mansion on fire. He would watch his home burn before leaving. Oretsev could keep the title, the money and everything else, but Aleksander would never allow the Little Palace to be in the hands of an abject being like him.

Happy and satisfied with his decision, he raised his glass to the portrait, as if raising a toast, looked into his mother's painted eyes and laughed. Anyone who saw and heard him might think he was completely drunk, but he had never felt more sober in his life.

“This is what I will do, my dearest mother.” he said sarcastically “I will wait for your deadline to run out and then I will burn the Little Palace to the ground! I would rather see my home reduced to ashes than accept one more order from you or see that idiot living here.”

To punctuate his words, he drank the rest of the whiskey in his glass and dropped it on a table as he left the room.

[darklesmylove]

thanks to @boundtobebookbindery my fanfiction if you’ll let me is bound into an absolutely gorgeous, real book!!

[aleksanderscult]

Ao3 Fic Recs

Just a few book!Darkling stories I've enjoyed, "nocturne" by amplifierverse; a multi-chaptered Darkling wins the war AU, "Call and Response" by dining_alone; one-shot set post Ruin and Rising but Mal stayed dead (as he should), "Villain-to-be" and "To Demand Aim", both by manico_del_lume; short one-shots set during Shadow and Bone showcasing book!Darkling's silky, possessive cruelty (you know we love it), and "Silence" by goblins_riddles_frocks; a one-shot set post Ruin and Rising with a Nikolina marriage of convenience (their other stuff is all amazing too, I just love how creepy this one is). I also found the series "There's something wretched about this, something so precious about this" to be fun, it's a duology in which the authors explore Book Darkling vs Show Darkling via smut.

Ao3 Fic Recs (part 2)

I forgot to add: The Forgotten and the Dead by DreamsAtDusk; post Winter Fete AU, a detour from Alina and the Darkling searching for the stag together. I would ride into battle for this to be canon.

"but Mal stayed dead (as he should)"

Dude, you just get it!😭😭

And, yes, we love Aleksander getting feral from jealousy🥰 (dark romance readers are just built this way🤌).

Thank you so so much for all these recommendations!! 🫶🫶 I'll surely check them out!

But there's one problem. I cannot find "Villain-To-Be", "Demand to Aim" and "There's something wretched about this...". Could you send me the links?

[mlsfrvr]

Stop! It’s Darklina Time!

Hello guys!

While there is little time left for the second season of shadow and bone, I thought I'd take a look at my archives and prepared a list of my favorites for you.

I know that their relationship is not very healthy but, hey! this is just a fiction. So, I guess it's okay to love the bad guy. :)

Thank you to the wonderful authors of these beautiful stories. You really did a great job! I love reading your work. ❤️

I have indicated the places where there may be spoilers for you, but still read the tags of the dear authors before you open the story. 

And if you see🔥you know what it means. :)

Terrible, Beautiful, Unsaid Things by Orlissa : alternative. Alina is pregnant.

The First Star in the Black Velvet Night by Orlissa : alternative. Aleksander becomes a father.

Near successfull assassination by galadriel3562 :  Aleksander feels that Alina is being attacked.

Please Stay by nelliivii4 : alternative. Alina is a time traveler. if you haven't read the siege and storm and ruin and rising, it may contain spoilers for you.

And I Said To The Star, “Consume Me” by goblins_riddles_frocks : alternative. Alina and Aleksander make a deal. if you haven't read the siege and storm and ruin and rising, it may contain spoilers for you.

Comfort by Anonymous : after all. if you haven't read the ruin and rising, it may contain spoilers for you.

a figment by yttan : alternative. Aleksander visits Alina. if you haven't read siege and storm, it may contain spoilers for you.

But we sing it anyway by madcase : alternative. Alina and Aleksander meet. for one last time. if you haven't read rule of wolves it may contain spoilers for you.

The Other Side by darksolnishko : Alina is captured by Fjerdans.

cosmic love by Della19 : alternative. Aleksander waits and this time he does the right thing.

Reunion by cg_writes : alternative. Alina and Aleksander meet once again. if you haven't read rule of wolves, it may contain spoilers for you. 

Confess To Your Heretic by FairyRingsandWings : alternative. Alina runs away, Aleksander chases.🔥

No Star Like Thee by alinamorozova : alternative. Alina and Aleksander have been married for fifteen years.🔥

Between Midnights by vuas : alternative. Alina and Aleksander are married. if you haven't read the siege and storm and ruin and rising, it may contain spoilers for you. 🔥

make it holy by heliocentrics : no one knocks on the war room door.🔥

A Fever You Can't Sweat Out by Val_Creative : on the day of the demonstration, Alina has a headache.🔥

A Battlefield Between Them by Maleficar : if you haven't read siege and storm, it may contain spoilers for you.🔥

All We Need by Violenne :alternative. after the end of the series.

soldiers coming home like shadows turning red by pinuspinea : Aleksander's pov of what's been going on since the very beginning of the series.

One more for the Road by Rist : Alina learns the truth and stays. but until morning. 🔥

the making at the heart of a soul by hippolarium : the famous line in the series and what happened from Aleksander's pov.

the path of saints by vangeaux : alternative. Alina gets hurt and what happened next.

Found a Reason for Me by Shadow_Sky : an alternate ending for the series.

nocturne by amplifierverse : alternative. Alina lost the war. if you haven't read siege and storm, it may contain spoilers for you.🔥

It's Not My Burden to Bear (But I'll Share it With You) by JustALilBookworm : if you haven't read ruin and rising, it may contain spoilers for you. (my favourite)

The Calm Before the Thunder [The Eye of the Storm] by Ceris_Malfoy : alternative. Alina's body does not accept amplifier.

Sealed by RoseAlenko : alternative. Alina and Aleksander are married.

I can’t help but want you, I know I’d die without you... by Miss_Kath90 : alternative. Alina and Aleksander make a deal. if you haven't read the siege and storm, it may contain spoilers for you.

The Silence of Your Touch by goatsandgangsters : Alina visits Aleksander. if you haven't read the siege and storm, it may contain spoilers for you. 

Whatever Our Souls Are Made Of by RoseAlenko : alternative. Alina lets Aleksander. if you haven't read the ruin and rising, it may contain spoilers for you.🔥

Virtue into Pitch by goatsandgangsters : no one bothered them in the war room, and Aleksander got what he wanted.