#zoya saving nikolai in the fold

[is-today-tomorrow-in-nz]

Someone made this comment regarding under a post talking about the book ending and how Alina is labeled as “greedy” for loving her powers;

“To make matters even worse, Bardugo rewards Zoya for her ambition, giving her a kingdom. Why is Alina punished while her bully is rewarded?”

Hello,

Thank you for your question. I apologize in advance for the long explanation.

I believe it all comes down to LB's three major writing flaws: (1)Not defining a proper magic system. (2)Poor character development and (3)Treating your story without respect.

1)Not defining a proper magic system

While I don't agree with LB's regressive treatment of Alina, as an author she is well within her rights to conclude her story as she pleases.

However, the problem with the ending arose when one character, who basically introduced us into to this beautiful world of Grishaverse was absolutely butchered, while the other, who was simply bully in the trilogy, was suddenly propelled into queendom for basically taking the same path. The same magic system which punished one heroine, rewarded the other. Not to mention, LB called Grisha powers are something inherent for a Grisha to live. So how was it ripped from Alina? How does the magic system actually work? Why was Zoya not punished? Why was Alina punished?

A well defined magic system would have had answers to all these questions. But throughout the books we see merzot/amplifiers/parem punishing LB's least favourite characters while allowing her favourite ones to walk away with little to no consequences.

I have discussed more about the magic system issues in my other post.

2)Poor character development

We are introduced to Alina as an unwilling protagonist and to Zoya as a bullying bad-tempered, jealous, social-climber.

In the trilogy, we see glimpses of Alina trying to break free from her own internalized misogyny, ignorance and poor esteem issues. But LB does not allow her grow out of it. Even at the final moment, when she fulfills her 'destiny', LB rips out her achievement and reduces her to the nobody she once was. She claimed that Alina was punished for her 'greed' which is outright idiotic because where was the greed? Alina was stuck in a paradox where she needed the amplifiers to destroy the Fold and the Fold could not be destroyed without the amplifiers. So where is the greed? Also, Alina is unreliable narrator who is afraid of herself. A single kiss from the Darkling sent her on a spiral about her sexuality. So her 'greed' might not have been greed at all. LB's justification was that Alina finally went back to the quiet life she had always wanted. But LB had already established that Alina's character in modern terms would be defined as a 'doormat'. So was the quiet life Alina's dream or her trying to fit into Mal's world? For an author who was hellbent on teaching young girls 'abuse' comes in all forms, she literally pushed a woman in her early twenties with self-esteem issues, right into the hands of her abuser and called it 'love'.

Now coming to Zoya. Zoya was basically a nobody, social climber in the trilogy and a major bully. But suddenly LB slapped a 'sympathetic' back story to her character and made her the queen. Child marriage and abuse are not topics to be treated lightly. But LB does exactly that. The reason I'm saying is that Zoya's backstory did not aid her character development very much. One main example is that she she abolishes the very law that saved her from child marriage. And all her poor qualities are forgiven because she was a 'victim' and Nikolai who was supposed to be this amazing king allows her to walk all over him. All this just makes Zoya LB's attempt to write a girlboss who is a poor imitation of danny(the dragon, the storm, even the backstory matches). Zoya got away with her 'greed' simply because LB allowed it.

3. Treating your story without respect.

LB does not treat her story with the care and respect it deserves. The Grishaverse was about an oppressed minority who wanted to over throw the monarchy who committed atrocities against them for centuries. It's a story about war and genocide. Instead we see the trilogy being nothing but a cheap, abusive love story of a boy and a girl. And the duology being a band-aid fix it for all the all the issues in the form a Grisha Queen.

LB bends her plot to fit around the characters rather than allowing the characters to grow with the plot. She wanted a villain and the man who was fighting for the survival of his kind was made into one. She wanted Alina gone, so she turned her back to ordinary. She wanted to Grisha on the throne, and suddenly a bully is elevated to a queen and Nikolai who had worked years and years for the throne just hands it over to her.

In conclusion, every conflicting and downright problematic thing in the Grishaverse happens because LB said so and nothing more.

[rose-sophia-isabella-rogers]

A Steel That Went Through Hottest Fire: Chapter XII - Holding Out an Olive Branch

Chapter Summary: You wake up and discover Aleksander is gone. You hurry to the Fold, determined to help him, save him or die with him. Will you get there in time? And what do the results mean for you?

Pairing: Aleksander Kirigan/Reader, Ivan/Fedyor Kaminsky, Mal Oretsev/Alina Starkov, Genya Safin/David Kostyk

Characters: Aleksander Kirigan, Reader, Ivan, Fedyor Kaminsky, Alina Starkov, Mal Oretsev, Inej Ghafa, Zoya Nazyalensky, Nina Zenik, Nikolai Lantsov, Genya Safin, David Kostyk, Baghra, Tolya Yul-Bataar

Word Count: 4333

A/N: This chapter contains plot and dialogues from episode eight of season two. Also, we're get into the story from the King of Scars. Not much taken in this chapter, but later on I'm going to take some fragments from the book. Enjoy! https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089684638/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089798515/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089786937/

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added or removed):

@budugu

@intothesoul

@mizelophsun11

@pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy

@zeeader

@marrymonrich

@wonderland2425

@chelseyyouraverageluigi

@thehufflepuffavenger1

When you wake up, you don't open your eyes at first. You lay in it, remembering with a smile the events of last night. You reach to the other side of the bed but you don't find Aleksander with your hand. You frown at the feeling of very cold sheets. You move your hand and suddenly feel a piece of paper.

You sit up abruptly. You grab the letter and scan it quickly with your eyes. Your face goes pale and your heart stops.

'Damn it, Aleksander!' you curse and spring out of the bed. You quickly dress yourself. For a moment you can't find your kefta. You finally notice it, but when you unfold it, you see it's not yours. You freeze for a moment. In some places, grey embroidery turns to black. In another situation, you'd be touched by it, appreciate it and maybe even cry a bit. But now you just put it on and gather your things.

You take a peek outside. In the letter Kirigan mentions that Fedyor and Ivan will look after you. You understand it as making sure you won't run. So, you look for them. You see them with their backs to you and a few feet away, talking quietly.

You quietly sneak away past them to the horses. You prepare yours and mount it. You direct him toward the Fold and urge him forward. It neighs, and galops away.

Ivan and Fedyor's head snap toward the sound. They're eyes go wide at the sight of you riding away. They sprint toward their horses.

'General will kill us!' Fedyor says, cursing under his breath, as they mount their horses.

'If he'll me merciful,' Ivan says gloomily and they ride after you.

But you're riding faster than you've ever had. Your heart beats faster, when you see the Fold is closer. Aleksander has spread it again. You bite your lip, fully believing nichevoy'a will protect you from the Volcras, and ride into the Fold.

You don't have to worry about the monsters of the Unsea long, though. Suddenly, everything is covered in blinding light. When you can see again, you're no longer surrounded with darkness. The Fold is gone. While part of you is glad, you're mostly concerned with what that means for the Darkling. You ride faster, praying to the Saints to arrive in time.

In the middle of the Unsea, Aleksander and Alina face each other. Starkov won, but Mal sacrificed himself, so she could destroy the Fold. Kirigan is wounded, but he still wants to join forces with the Sun Summoner. But when she pushes him away, nichevo attacks her, and doesn't listen to the Darkling ordering it to stop. Inej, the female thief from Ketterdam you've met, throws a sword made by Sankta Neyar at it, destroying it. It's the only thing that can do it and it's been acquired it with great difficulty.

'You can't control them, can you?' Alina asks. 'You can't control any of it.'

She's on her knees. Aleksander is already standing. He offers her his hand. She stares at it.

'I thought I could control it all… once,' he says. 'Find peace. And for a moment… I swear I did.'

He closes his eyes with a soft smile. Memories of you flash in his mind. Your smile. Your laugh. Your teas. Your kisses. The nights you've spent together.

Suddenly, he feels terrible pain in his abdomen. He coughs out blood and opens his eyes. He looks down. The sword is lodged in him, held by Alina's hands.

'Without me… know they will come for you,' he says. She stares at him angrily.

'Let them come,' she says and pulls out the sword with the grunt. Kirigan gasps and falls backward. A moment later Starkov shows up in his vision, blocking out the sun.

At that moment, you arrive. Your heart drops at the sight of General on the ground and Alina above him.

'No,' you whisper, dismounting. 'Saints, no, please!'

You run to them. Alina hears you or sees you, because she looks up. She tenses and gets ready to fight, but you ignore her and fall on your knees next to your lover. He groans as you touch him.

'Hey, hey, hey, hey. Shhh,' you say gently, as you scoop him up in your arms.

Saints, no, please, no…

'… [Y/N]… you're here?' Aleksander asks, trying to focus on you. You manage to laugh, tears in your eyes.

'Yeah. Yeah, of course I'm here,' you say. 'Now don't talk.'

There's so much blood…

'It h- it hurts,' he cries out.

'I know, darling,' you say, brushing the hair from his forehead. 'But don't talk. And don't move, either.'

No, no, no…

'H-hey, [Y/N]?' Kirigan asks. His breaths are rattling.

'Yeah?' you ask.

Stay awake…

'I-' he says and coughs. 'I love you.'

His eyes close. You freeze. You finally heard those words. But he… he's gone.

'No…' you sob. You whine, your shoulders shaking, as you press your head to his chest. You clench his kefta tight, begging him to come back to you.

You're not even aware you have an audience. Zoya and Inej are standing not far, looking at you sadly. You're only pulled back to reality after hearing a relieved laugh.

You lift your head up. You see Alina hugging Mal. The tracker is alive. A Heartrender, Nina, is next to them. Did she save him? But no, she's shocked as well. You focus on Alina… and feel it.

You feel anger. She killed Aleksander for using merzost to save Grisha. And now she's used it to save her lover? What a hypocrite…

You feel something burning inside, begging to get out. The moment you realise what it is, you calm down. You look up and meet Zoya's hesitant look calmly. Everything is gonna to be different now.

*

You don't know how you return out of the Fold. Or what used to be it. You get to an old camp at Kribirsk. You meet the rest of Alina's army there. Including Prince Nikolay. Your eyes meet, but he quickly looks away, finding something unnerving in your look.

You're taken away to a tent. On your way out, you didn't allow anyone to take you from Aleksander's body. Now you hesitate only for a moment.

You sit on a chair, your hands spread and bound. After what feels like hours, Nikolay enters the tent. You don't look at him.

'Baghra claims these bonds won't stop you,' he says after a moment and walks toward you. 'That if you want, you can break them free. You don't need to touch your hands for that.'

'And why would I do that?' you ask, your voice flat. The Prince… or maybe the King, just not crowned yet, sits on a chair opposite to you. You still don't look at him.

'To run away,' he answers. You focus your gaze on him. Once again, something in your eyes disturbs him.

'Where?' you ask.

'Anywhere you want,' he answers, shrugging. You smile bitterly.

'And what would I do?' you ask. 'I used to think I can use my powers to help others. To make this world a better place. How would I do that on the endless run?'

Tears glisten in your eyes. You hastily look away. Nikolay observes you in silence. He knows you were on Kirigan's side. But he can't imagine you approved everything he did. Others told him that as well.

'Are you going to kill me?' you ask.

'Do you want me to?' he asks. 'And that is a serious question. Do you want to die?'

'No,' you answer after a moment. 'I… I've done some things I'm not proud of. I need to atone for them. My death wouldn't do that. I'd be just running away from responsibility for my actions.'

'Did you really love him this much that you didn't hesitate to break your own rules?' Nikolay asks quietly. You look at him.

'I do,' you confirm. He almost shivers under your gaze. He looks down.

'You'll be a prisoner until…' he says but doesn't finish the thought. Until you atone? Until they decide you're not really a villain?

'You weren't with others,' he says instead and looks at you again. 'And you weren't with Kirigan in the Fold from the beginning. If you had been, you'd have stopped Alina from killing him. So, where were you? Why weren't you there?'

'Because he didn't want me to,' you answer after a beat. 'He was protecting me, since I'm not much of a fighter. He didn't want me to get hurt. And he also… didn't want me to bend my morals even more. He already believes… believed… that he had ruined me enough.'

Your look softens. You clench your fists.

'I'm not trying to minimalize what's he done,' you say. 'He committed hideous crimes. But he… he cared. There was goodness in his heart.'

Silence falls. This time you don't try to hide tears in your eyes.

'You know this is my third time in this camp?' you say. 'The first time was when I created my skiff. The second time when… we crossed the Fold that day.'

'Did you know what he's planning?' Nikolay asks.

'I figured it out,' you admit. 'I didn't approve of it, though. And I'm glad the Fold is gone. I didn't believe controlling it would make Grisha safe. Just as now I don't believe it being gone will do it.'

'It won't be easy,' the King says, easily getting back his confidence. 'But the country is united once again. We can do it.'

'The land maybe is reunited, but not its people. It won't be that easy. You lost what could unite them. Because it's easier to unite against a common enemy than under the kind ruler.'

'You think Alina made a mistake killing the Darkling.'

'You know my opinion on that matter. But yes. He could have been someone that could help you stitch this country back together.'

'If you didn't believe in neither controlling the Fold nor destroying him… what did you believe in?'

'Him.'

Silence falls again. Nikolay observes you, thinking how to break certain news to you.

'We have to burn him,' he finally says and you stiffen. 'Will you let us?'

'I know how dangerous it would be to simply bury him,' you say softly and then look at him with a hard gaze. 'But I have one condition. Or rather… request.'

'What is it?' the King asks, actually curious.

'Let me prepare him for it,' you answer and your lip trembles. 'Let me… say goodbye properly.'

Nikolay thinks about it carefully. But finally… he nods.

'I will send someone for you,' he says, standing up. 'But after you're done, your being tied again and in Os Alta you're going to be put in a cell.'

You nod in agreement. The King looks at you for a moment longer, then leaves.

You're not sure how much time pass until it's time of the ceremony. For the burning of the Darkling and the Sun Summoner, which is obviously attended by many people. Because officially, Alina Starkov has died while destroying the Fold. She chose a simple life with her Tracker. You can't really blame her. It's what you would want with Aleksander.

You glare at her. She's here, disguised, of course. But she wanted to see it. See him being burned. And herself. So, since you're present as well, you glare at her, angry that she can get to live the life you want.

You turn your head, not wanting to explode. You glance at your guards and look at his body. In the corner of your eye, you see Nikolay giving the signal. You watch as the Inferni summon the fire to ignite the stake. People around you call Alina's name. No one calls his. Because not many knew it.

'Aleksander,' you whisper. Suddenly, you feel arms around you. Zoya, your friend, who's not sure how to treat you now, puts her head on yours.

'It's over, [Y/N],' she says softly, with a dose of compassion, you think.

'No, you're wrong,' you say quietly, your eyes not leaving the pyre. 'It has just begun.'

*

Two years and a half have passed since the civil war in Ravka. Nikolay is still trying to stitch his country back together. He has help, of course. But some things only he can do. One of them isn't the new threat to Grisha. To deal with that he needs all the help he can get.

Jurda parem. The drug that modifies Grisha's power by changing their perception of the world in an opposite and unnatural direction. It is extremely addictive to them, and rapidly weakens the body of the user. Many want to use this to their advantage. Fjerda. Shu-Han. It seems only Ravka wants this drug out of the market and to save Grisha. But even though they now have the son of the creator of the drug, they're still not closer to finding an andidotum.

Nikolay sits with his Grisha Triumvirate – Genya, Zoya and David – and they have a brainstorm. The Durast is trying hard, but so far, he's getting nowhere.

'It is frustrating,' Zoya sighs, after yet another dismissed idea. 'Why did Bo Yul-Bayur have to die?'

'I'm sure he didn't just decide to die and leave us all in this mess,' Genya says grimly, but suddenly frowns. 'David? I know that look. You have an idea.'

'Well…' the Durast starts but closes his eyes. 'I'm not sure.'

'Share with us, David,' Nikolay encourages him. 'Surely it's not worse than Zoya's idea to set Fjerda and Shu-Han on fire.'

'I still think it's our best option,' Zoya says, raising her head haughtily. She is ignored.

'I have tried many things with that drug to find an antidote,' David says. 'I am skilled… but there is someone whose mind is far brighter than me… who may think of a solution.'

'There is no one smarter than you,' Genya says, squeezing the hand of her husband.

'There is one person,' Kostyk disagrees, staring Nikolay in the eyes. The King slumps in his chair. He closes his eyes and pinches his nose.

'You can't think…' Genya starts, realising what the Durast means as well. 'She won't agree.'

'She cares about Grisha,' David argues softly. 'And she's not… She helped you escape.'

'She's spent two years and a half locked in a cell,' Safin argues. 'She couldn't use her powers. Don't you think that changed her?'

'Surely,' Kostyk agrees. 'But not enough not to help.'

'Can she really find a way we haven't found?' Nikolay interrupts them.

'We've all been surprised by how powerful she really is,' Zoya speaks up. 'All but one.'

An hour later Nikolay knocks on the door to Baghra's hut. He comes in after the invitation. The old woman is sitting in her armchair. She looks at him.

'Do what do I owe the pleasure of the King himself to visit me?' she asks with sarcasm.

'I need to talk to you about our problem,' Lantsov explains, sitting on a chair.

'Jurda parem,' Baghra says and spits. 'Another abomination. Are the Durast and Alkemi any closer to finding an antidote?'

'No,' Nikolay denies and exhales. 'But David believes someone else may think of something.'

'[Y/N],' Baghra immediately guesses and nods. 'She has a unique brain. One of the reasons he was so drawn to her. Yes, if anyone can find a cure, it's her.'

'Will she do it, though?' the King asks. The old woman is silent for a moment.

'Yes,' she finally answers. 'Her heart hasn't changed. She still would do anything to keep Grisha save.'

'But what will it cost us?' Lantsov asks. Baghra smiles.

'You have to ask her about it,' she answers. 'But don't worry. Without my son, she's not your enemy.'

Another hour later, you hear footsteps coming your way. You know it's not Baghra, who's visiting you quite often, as they don't sound like hers. You look, curious, at the door to your cell and a moment later you see a guard and… Zoya.

'Have you come to kill me?' you ask.

'No,' your former friend simply denies and nods at the guard. He unlocks and opens the door to your cell. The Squaller walks inside and he closes the door behind her, but doesn't lock it. Then, he leaves. Zoya sits on a chair usually occupied by Baghra. She crosses her legs and looks at you.

You're sitting on a chair. You're thin, almost all skin and bone. Your complexion is grey. There are dark circles under your eyes. Your hair is matte. You look like a ghost.

'Then why are you here?' you ask. Nazyalensky sighs… and tells you everything about jurda parem. By the end of her story, you're frowning.

'That is… I've always known Fjerdans are bastards but what they did to those Grisha…' you say and shake your head. 'Still… I don't know why you have come to me.'

'We need to find an antidote,' Zoya explains. 'And you're the brightest person we know.'

'I'm not a Alkemi, though,' you say, frowning. 'And since Bo Yul-Bayur was one… you need another one to create an antidote for his work.'

'We don't have an Alkemi smart enough, apparently,' the Squaller says. 'And since you're a Durast-'

'It's not the same. We have completely different abilities.'

'Maybe. But you're still the smartest person I know. If you can't figure it out, no one can.'

You look away. You think about it in silence.

'Please, [Y/N],' Nazyalensky says quietly. 'David believes in you. So does Baghra. And… I do, too.'

'Trying to use my sentiment, well played,' you say.

'I'm not trying to manipulate you,' Zoya snaps. 'I'm not-'

She stops herself. She goes pale. You close your eyes.

'I still find it funny,' you say quietly. 'He manipulated everyone. I was manipulated by everyone but him.'

'I know he said with his last breath he loved you…' the Squaller says slowly, '… but he still didn't deserve you.'

'Perhaps,' you concede. Silence falls between you two again.

'Fine,' you finally say. 'I can try at least.'

'What do you want in return?' Zoya, who's relieved but also wary, asks. You look at her with a frown.

'I care about Grisha, too, you know,' you say. 'I want them to be safe as much as you all do. But since I can ask for something… there's one thing I want.'

*

A few months have passed since you've been officially pardoned and released from prison. It felt nice to return to your old room and not to have your hands bound. But other Grisha, obviously, don't trust you and look at you with disdain. You ignore them.

Together with David and other Materialki you try to find an antidote for jurda parem. It's not going well. One day, you even throw a mortar at the wall. David stares at it with wide eyes. You exhale slowly and run a hand through your hair.

'You know, I think it was simpler with the skiff,' you say.

'It is complex,' Kostyk says. 'Give yourself time. We're getting there.'

'And how much of that time I have?' you ask. 'The only reason I'm out of the cell is because you believed I can figure something out. When does Nikolay's patience runs out and I go back there?'

'It won't happen,' the Durast promises. You smile sadly at him. He decides to take your mind of this.

'Did you think what will you do after we find an antidote?' he asks. 'Will you… stay?'

'I am not welcome here,' you say after a beat. 'I… I don't know what I am going to do. They say, "follow your heart", but if your heart is in a million pieces, which piece do you follow?'

You blink away the tears. David looks at you with sorrow.

'You know… I miss him sometimes, too,' he admits and you look at him with interest. 'He… had something about him. A charisma. He drew us all in. We felt safe, needed. I believe that he actually cared and wanted to make Ravka better. Or at least better for Grisha. I don't think he was evil. He… just lived too long.'

'Sometimes I think so, too, ' you agree quietly. 'But then I think we didn't have enough time.'

'Did he… tell you he loved you?' Kostyk asks hesitantly.

'They were his last words,' you answer after a beat. 'For weeks I wondered whether he feels what I feel. And when I finally got a confirmation… I couldn't even be happy about it.'

You look down. The Durast wants to reach to you and squeeze your hand. But while you work, joke and spend time together… you're not as close as you used to be. He still wants to comfort you somehow.

'I'm sure you hear others gossiping,' he says after a moment. 'That he didn't and was just manipulating you. I don't believe it. He truly cared about you. I saw it. When he was dragging you away from workshop, so you could rest, for example. He was also more relaxed around you… more cheerful. And yes, it was friendship at first. But at some point, I noticed that he was looking at you differently than he used to.'

You smile at him, grateful for his words. But he's not done yet.

'When he was leading me to the workshop in the mansion,' he continues, 'he said you're there and you're definitely going to be happy to see me. He… he seemed so happy he can brighten your day. He always was like that with you.'

'If you won't stop, I'm really going to cry,' you chuckle, trying really not to break down. 'Thank you, though.'

David nods. You go for the mortar you've thrown and return to work. Your fellow Durast observes you.

'I think, though, that you deserve more,' he says after a moment. You look at him, curious.

'You deserve to be someone's priority,' he explains. 'And while there's no doubt Kirigan loved you… he cared more about the Fold and power.'

'Thank you, David,' you say. 'I… I think I really needed to hear all that you said. About… him… and me as well.'

Just then Tolya Yul-Bataar shows up at the door. He looks at you grimly.

'Speaking of,' you say and pack your things. 'See you in a week.'

'Until next week,' Kostyk says, nodding. You smile at him and leave with grumpy Tolya. You go outside and mount your horses. You set off immediately.

A few days later you reach your destination. You ride through an open space that used to be the Fold for so many centuries. Finally, you stop and dismount. Tolya stays with the horses and you continue on foot for a moment longer. At last, you stop and stare at the ground.

This is your price for helping with an antidote. Every two months, you're to travel here with someone, not always Tolya. To the place where Aleksander died. It's your way to deal with grief. At first, you wanted to come here every month. But since travelling there and back takes about a week, you agreed for two months. You're relieved Nikolay agreed at all.

'So, here I am again,' you start. 'Missing you the same way I did three years ago. I told you, didn't I? That I would never forget you. Three years it's probably not much for you, since you've lived hundreds of years. But I know you'd want me to move on by now. I don't think that's ever going to happen. You'd probably be frustrated by that.'

You exhale slowly. You can hear Tolya pacing behind you, but still giving you some privacy. You know he wishes to go back already.

'To be honest, I'm a bit frustrated, too,' you admit and your lip trembles. 'You were never supposed to mean this much to me. I was never supposed to fall so hard. But you know what? I did and that's the truth. That's what keeps me holding on, because it hurts like hell to let you go.'

Tears stream down your face. You don't stop them this time. You sniffle.

'It's hard without you,' you whisper. 'I feel lost. I don't know what to do. I wish you took me with you that day. Maybe then everything would be different.'

You fall silent. You think of what else to say, as you remember your last moments together. You saved him from merzost. But he died anyway. Still… at least you had that one last night. You smile at the memory.

'I don't know what will I do in the future,' you finally say. 'But I will find an antidote for jurda parem. And protect the Grisha. Because that's what you'd want. You'd want them to be safe and healthy. Mind you, you'd probably want to rip Fjerdans apart for what they're doing.'

You chuckle. Then, you kneel and press your hand to the sand. You focus on the ground beneath it for a moment, remembering how you held Kirigan in that spot three years ago. Your heart breaks, when you remember how he fought for his breath. But he still tried to hold on, wanting to at least tell you how he really feels.

'Until next time, Aleksander,' you whisper and stand up. You turn and return to Tolya. He fails to mask his relief that it's finally time to go. You almost roll your eyes, but you understand that most feel uneasy here. You don't. Not anymore.

'Done?' Tolya asks.

'Yes,' you confirm, mounting your horse. The Heartrender does the same.

'We can go back,' you say and you look at the place where the Darkling gave his last breath. 'I'm done here for today.'

A/N: Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts! Reblog, like and comment if you could. Every comment makes my day!

This can also be found on Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52696933/chapters/134689462

[futurecorps3]

Hi!! Wanted to drop by and say that I love your fics and how you write! I saw that you're taking requests for nikolai and I'm so in the mood for some angst with him after watching season two. So I have this idea where the reader is taken by the darkling as leverage against nikolai (maybe she was one of his grishas before or not) and she tries to escape or something, but nikolai saves her.

Thank you in advance and hope you stay hidrated and happy! 💗

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞

Masterlist<3

Summary: Nikolai is sure he's never been this empty. Pairing: Nikolai Lantsov x fem!reader Warnings: Kidnapping, blood mentions, Nikolai being sad and a bitch to everyone but it's okay bc he's going through something, kinda show!Nikolai for a tiny little second Word Count: 3.2K Requested: Yes

A/N: I added a bit of angsty spice because I'm a SLUT for that good Nikolai hurt/comfort. Sorry for the delay my love and tysm for requesting!!!<3 Hope u like it.

˚ · • . ° .

He wasn't sure how it all came to be. Moments like these made Nikolai realize he was a boy born with tragedy knitted on his skin and calamity running through his blood. His light. His queen. His love. His everything. Kirigan took everything from him.

When in war, everyone knew disastrous things could happen with every coming sunrise. In this specific war, you could wake up with the news that the fold had swallowed the nearest city to yours, or be in the city that was swallowed. Maybe grishas working with the Darkling burnt your house to the ground overnight. Maybe you didn't wake up at all.

The king was aware of the madness going on outside the spinning wheel's walls and all over the country. Kirigan and his army had the upper hand and grew bolder with time, but that wouldn't last, Nikolai was sure of it.

Until they took Y/N.

Not a single guard or grisha seemed to be aware of the enemy taking the one person most precious to the king. She vanished, and he blamed himself. If he hadn't been so stubborn and listened to her, he would've been there.

"There is no clue on where she might be" Zoya asserted, exasperated and scared for her best friend. Saints knew where she was. Tired of seeing Nikolai sitting with a heavy head and puffy eyes trying to work out a way to find his lover. "Time is a crucial matter on these things. But being out there would be a risk. For everyone here." Said Genya, who was standing next to David.

"I can't stand sitting here doing absolutely nothing when she's out there, Genya. Let me go out, it's been three days since t-they..." he couldn't say it. In the past hours, he realized acknowledging the fact Y/N was gone only made his mind run wild over the events that transpired the last time they were together.

Y/N paced back and forth in the grand hall of the royal palace, her heart racing with anger. Nikolai stood in front of her, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression cold and distant. They had been going back on forth for about an hour now, exhausted, but neither of them would give in.

"You're not even listening to me, Nikolai! This is important," Y/N said, her voice rising in frustration. "I am listening, Y/N. I just don't agree with you," Nikolai replied, his tone clipped and dismissive. He came up with a plan to ambush Kirigan, one Y/N considered being ruthless; they knew for a fact he was expanding the fold over some little farmer's village and he wanted to let him just so they could enter to fold and Alina could work her powers out.

The young king was sure that if they were quick enough, the habitants wouldn't immediately turn into Volcra. Still, it was risky and very thoughtless. If it didn't work, hundreds of people would die, which was the last thing the nation needed. Y/N shook her head, her hands balling into fists at her sides. She couldn't believe Nikolai was being so stubborn at a matter like this.

"I can't do this, Nikolai. What if it doesn't work? W-will you be able to live with that in your conscience?" Y/N said, her voice trembling with emotion. Nikolai didn't say a thing, his expression still gone. Y/N took a step back, disappointed.

He knew it was not an easy decision, and had been pondering it for a long time before voicing it to his love. Nikolai, too, battled himself in the classic dilemma he found himself in; was he willing to sacrifice hundreds of people to end a war that had started far before he was even born?

"Y/N, do you think I don't care? It's hard, but it has to be done. Everyone agrees. We'll do our best to get them out of there, but if it doesn't work, they won't die in vain. This could be our one chance to save Ravka," He said, his voice somehow hurt but firm. And with that, Y/N turned on her heel and stormed out of the grand hall, her footsteps echoing off the marble floors.

As she walked through the palace corridors, Y/N couldn't shake the feeling of anger and disappointment that lingered within her. She had always known that she and Nikolai had different opinions on certain matters, but she had never thought it would come to this.

The days preceding the supposed attack were filled with quiet meals, nights sleeping with backs facing each other, and no kisses. Alina and the other grishas knew what was off between the couple, but figured that if someone made even the slightest comment, Nikolai would decide against what needed to be done.

Last thing she said to him was an apathetic "Take care, don't be reckless". Y/N was worried for him but still angry and a bit shocked at them actually risking the lives of breathing, sentient people because of this stupid war. She knew it was a good plan, but either way, lives were to be lost. Nikolai nodded and turned around, mounted his horse and rode down along the other grisha to the border where Kirigan was.

Or was supposed to be.

They waited for hours, even remained hidden for quite some time, and there was no sign of Kirigan. Zoya insisted, against Alina's wishes, to go back to the castle, and they did. They did and Y/N was gone. Maybe the Darkling was more clever than they thought; he figured out the way to weaken the king by taking everything he held dear.

He heard from a friend over in Ketterdam not to love anything, ever. That was his trick and the one thing that kept him alive in many situations while he was working his way up in gangs and gained street credit. He understood that when some minor range inferni approached him with a pale face and trembling hands, saying they had taken the queen and had absolutely no idea when or where.

The king had been too daft, too stubborn to even see through the trap they had set up. It all clicked in that moment, really. The intel on the attack came from an unreliable source, and the former general relied on Ravka's desperation on ending this war. Aleksander knew they'd take anything they could get. He outsmarted the most cunning grishas and royal individuals, hurting the king greatly.

Y/N's absence felt like a never-ending void, and he was plagued with visions of what could be happening to her. No matter how hard he tried to strategize, Nikolai felt helpless, as he didn't know where Y/N was or what the Darkling was doing to her. He ached to embrace her once more, to whisper comforting words in her ear and tell her how much he adored her.

His Y/N was a bold one, and he figured she was putting up quite a fight. He prayed to his saints for her to hold on, to wait and endure until he found where she was. Everyone was working full time, maps scattered in tables with discarded locations, search parties in the land... Nikolai knew this was the time of his ability to find quick solutions to shine. He was going to find her and kill that bastard.

˚ · • . ° .

"Will you stop that already?" Aleksander said exasperated, dodging yet another one of Y/N's blazes being thrown his way. She didn't reply. Hair messy with her gown in shreds inside a cage, all dirty with how much she had wrestled with Kirigan's crew on the way there. Truth is, she had no idea where she was. "He, for once, is right, child. Stop it or he'll put these things on you."

Baghra, in the cage next to her, showed her the iron shackles he had placed. "You'll get sick if you can't use your powers". Y/N sighed, annoyed at everything. She was not scared, not of some coward who caged his own mother out of fear. They were close friends before all of this. With her childhood best friend and boyfriend enlisted in the army, Y/N was left alone. Being one of the most talented Grisha of her age, it was only natural for Kirigan to notice her standing out.

She, of course, knew nothing about his plans and was grateful she had someone to laugh with. "Darling-" "Do not call me that" she spat "Y/N, you know this could've been easier if you allowed it. Your problem is you're too stubborn, too prideful, and way too enthralled by your prince to see clearly." "He's your king, Kirigan. And you're a murderer." Of course, he didn't see himself as such. Everyone with half a brain could see he really thought he was doing the right thing, even when that meant slaughtering countless amounts of people.

The man inhaled sharply and turned around, a certain dramatic flare in his kefta as he did so. Y/N knew he wouldn't dare to hurt her, he needed her alive. But being locked away from everything known in enemy lands was not exactly the ideal situation for her at the moment; even if she scaped she would have nowhere to go. The last conversation she had with Nikolai had been everything but pleasant, and truth be told, she was worried he was worried.

She felt a bit remorseful, her words shot to kill when mad and her soon to be husband's indifference against the fierce words made her even madder, so seeing the situation at hand coolly was not an option when they argued. Also, she knew him well and Nikolai could be too hard on himself most of the time; the speech he was giving himself in that very moment was clear for Y/N.

He most likely was overwhelmed by feelings of guilt, and his head was filled with mean words, whispering that he had been the cause of all this, and that if he had just paid attention, she'd still be there. Of course, there was no way she could ever blame him for the kidnapping/becoming a forceful guest of some lovely little house on the hill, but he could. The demons could be very mean fuckers to the puppy king prince.

That night, Y/N fell asleep on the piles of blankets thinking of those blue eyes. Those blue eyes in the time they spent at sea together. Sunlight danced upon their iridescent sea, unveiling a symphony of hues with delicate glee. Celestial eyes, a glimpse of heaven's embrace, where mysteries and magic interlace. Where she found a place to be.

She hoped she could see them again soon.

˚ · • . ° .

Five days later, Nikolai made search parties go through the country to see if they could find something, anything, all a desperate measure he never thought would pay off. He was wrong.

"We found Kirigan" were the only words Zoya said, already in her kefta ready to head out. Those simple three words had the king sobering up, getting up from his seat as he felt the numbness of his body leave eagerly. Less than fifteen minutes after, he was outside the castle commanding very small teams of grisha with different tasks. There was no need to get there with the manpower they had a few days back in the fold's border. There was one singular purpose that day; getting Y/N out of there.

Nikolai's mind raced, strategizing and planning, his thoughts a whirlwind of possibilities and contingencies. The rhythmic sound of his heartbeat echoed in his ears, a constant reminder of the stakes at hand. Yet, amid the chaos of his emotions, a flicker of hope burned within him. It was the unwavering belief that he and Y/N shared a love strong enough to defy any darkness, a love that would guide him through the treacherous task ahead.

Alina stood at the edge of the hill, her gaze fixed on the horizon where Nikolai and his small army disappeared into the distance. A knot of admiration swelled in her chest as she watched his retreating figure, the determination evident in every stride. Beside her, Mal followed her gaze, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight. "That man's love for Y/N is unparalleled," he remarked, his voice filled with awe. "I've never seen someone fight so fiercely for another person."

Alina nodded, a wistful smile playing on her lips. "It's true. Nikolai's devotion knows no bounds. He'd move mountains, cross oceans, and face the darkest of enemies for Y/N's sake." Mal's gaze softened as he glanced at Alina, his voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia. "Just like we would for each other." She met his gaze, a tender warmth filling her eyes. "Yes, just like us."

The wind rustled through the grass, carrying with it a sense of anticipation and hope. Alina's gaze lingered on the distant figure of Nikolai, his silhouette a testament to his unwavering resolve. "Do you remember when we first met Nikolai?" Alina asked, her voice carrying a hint of fondness. Mal chuckled softly, a reminiscent glimmer in his eyes. "How could I forget? He was all charm and wit, always scheming, but with a heart that burned fiercely for his people. And for Y/N."

"He's always been one to wear his heart on his sleeve," Alina mused. "But it's during times like these, when the stakes are high, that you truly see the depth of his love." Mal's gaze shifted back to the horizon, his voice carrying a note of admiration. "He's willing to risk everything, including his own life, for Y/N. It's a rare and beautiful thing."

Alina's voice grew quiet as she added, "We're fortunate to have witnessed such love. It's a reminder of what we fight for." Silence enveloped them as they stood together, their hearts swelling with appreciation for the love that bound them all. In the distance, the sun began its descent, casting a golden, almost hopeful hue upon the land.

˚ · • . ° .

As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the land, Nikolai and his small, stealthy army approached the Darkling's stronghold. Their destination was a grand, two-story manor nestled within the heart of enemy territory. The imposing structure loomed before them, its dark façade a testament to the malevolence that lay within.

Nikolai's heart pounded in his chest as they neared the manor, his thoughts consumed by the image of Y/N trapped within its walls. The manor stood as a symbol of their separation, a barrier between them that he was determined to breach. The double doors of the building loomed large, promising the secrets and dangers that lay beyond. Nikolai turned to his loyal companions, his voice steady but laced with urgency.

"We enter quietly," Nikolai whispered, his words carried on a whispering breeze. "Our goal is to locate Y/N and bring her out unseen. Remain vigilant and stay close." The members of his small army nodded, their eyes gleaming with a shared resolve. They understood the magnitude of their mission and the risks involved.

With a nod from Nikolai, they entered the manor, their footsteps silent against the marble floors of the grand foyer. The opulence of the surroundings contrasted starkly with the tension that filled the air. Paintings adorned the walls, and ornate chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, casting a dim glow that danced with the shadows.

Distant footsteps could be heard, a day over for all the grishas on Kirigan's side. No one on sight downstairs, but, ever the paranoid, Nikolai made the five soldiers who accompanied him inside stay behind. It was easier, safer, if he wen't by himself upstairs.

He ascended a grand staircase, each step careful and deliberate, his senses heightened. The second floor held a maze of hallways and rooms, potential hiding places where Y/N might be held captive. His path was shrouded in uncertainty, but Nikolai's determination remained unwavering.

As he crept along the hallway, doors lined each side, concealing the secrets within, avoiding any wandering person in the hallways. The air was thick with anticipation, the silence broken only by the soft creaking of the wooden floorboards beneath their feet.

Nikolai pressed his ear against a closed door, straining to catch any sounds that might indicate Y/N's presence. A faint, muffled whimper reached his ears, and his heart clenched. It was the sound he had been longing to hear, the confirmation that Y/N was indeed within the manor. With practiced precision, Nikolai picked the lock, his hands steady despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

The door swung open, revealing a dimly lit room. Y/N was there, her weary form huddled in the corner of a cage, her eyes widening with hope at the sight of Nikolai. The room itself was sparse, lacking the opulence that adorned the rest of the manor. It was a stark contrast, a symbol of the darkness that had enveloped Y/N's captivity next to a sick looking Baghra.

"Oh darling" she whispered, melting the lock that had kept her there for days. The door fell open, and as Nikolai's arms wrapped around Y/N, a surge of emotions washed over both of them. The weight of their separation, the fear and uncertainty that had gripped their hearts, all dissipated in that single embrace. Time seemed to stand still as they held each other, finding solace and strength in each other's presence.

Y/N's body melted into Nikolai's, her fingers gripping the fabric of his jacket, as if she couldn't bear to let go. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling his familiar musky scent, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against her cheek. A rush of relief flooded through her, knowing that she was finally safe in his arms.

Nikolai's hold tightened around Y/N, his voice a gentle whisper in her ear. "I thought I lost you," he confessed, his words laced with a mix of vulnerability and profound love. "But I will always find my way back to you, no matter the cost." Tears welled up in Y/N's eyes as she looked up at Nikolai, her gaze filled with gratitude and devotion. "I never doubted you," she replied, her voice filled with unwavering trust.

"We're getting you out of here," Nikolai whispered, his voice filled with determination and love. Together, they left the room, their steps light as they navigated the labyrinthine hallways of the manor. Each turn brought them closer to the freedom that awaited beyond its walls. Nikolai's small army, now positioned strategically throughout the manor, provided cover and ensured their path remained clear.

As they emerged from the grand entrance of the place, relief washed over them. The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a gentle glow over their escape. Nikolai held Y/N close, their eyes meeting in a silent understanding. The grand, two-story manor now stood as a symbol of their victory, its walls unable to contain the power of their love and determination.

In that moment, as they left the manor behind, they knew that they had conquered not just the physical barriers but also the darkness that had threatened to tear them apart. Hand in hand, they embarked on a journey towards a future where their love would be the guiding light, ready to conquer this war and build a new world belonging to the both of them.

˚ · • . ° .

Hi! Thank you so much for reading, hope you enjoyed:) Hey, that scape seemed a bit too easy... right? 👀

Remember, the best way to support writer’s works on here is by REBLOGGING WITH TAGS. I’d very much appreciate it if you did!

Thanks again, stranger. Hope you have a nice day<3

NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO REPOST AS THEIR OWN/TRANSLATE/OR COPY MY WORK IN ANY PLATFORM OR SPACE WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT CONSENT.

[thebadgerclan]

Over

Pairing: Aleksander Morozova x reader

Summary: It’s all over...

A/N: And here’s the sad-ish fluff!  I have a few ideas for some Nikolai fluff, so I might write some of that too 😂

It was a miracle.  The sun shone down on his face as Aleksander staggered to his feet, the light overwhelming after the darkness of the Fold.  Sunlight had not graced the Tula Valley in over 400 years, and now, thanks to Alina, it shone brightly.  His nichevo’ya rose from the sand, knowing their master was wounded.  But Inej and Zoya managed to kill them, the Neshyenyer slicing them down like they were nothing at all.

When Aleksander got to his feet, Alina was standing before him, tears in her eyes.  “Now,” he said.  “You know sacrifice.”  “Beyond anything you’ve ever known,” she snapped, and Aleksander shook his head.  He knew sacrifice, he knew the pain Alina felt, he knew it well.  He’d felt the same pain when he found you, a gaping wound in your abdomen, a First army issue bayonet lying at your side.

“Aleksander,” you’d cried, clutching your stomach.  “Aleksander, I..”  “Shhh, it’s alright, my love,” your husband said, gently pulling you into his lap.  “I’m here.  Right here, Y/N.”  There was far too much blood, and you were too far from camp to make it to a Healer.  “Sasha,” you wheezed, a trickle of blood escaping your lips.  “I love you.  I love you so much.  I have always loved you.”  You knew you were dying; the pain had stopped and your entire body felt warm.  “I love you too, my darling,” Aleksander said, kissing you softly.  “I’ve got you.”  You died in his arms, your husband’s nichevo’ya howling with his grief and rage.

“And look what it did.”  “Indeed.  Look what it did.  Perhaps you now understand what it truly means to sacrifice, to lose.  You have my sympathy for what comes next.  When you realize that what you’ve done solves nothing.”  Aleksander pressed a hand to the wound in his abdomen, so very near where yours had been.  “The world doesn’t need a Saint to protect it, it needs a monster.  And while I remain, let me be your monster, let me carry the hatred of this world.  Tell me, Alina, who will be there to be your equal, to save you?”

Alina grabbed his wrist when he reached for her. “I will save myself,” she said, pushing his hand away from her.  Aleksander fell to his knees, wracked by cough, and a nichevo’ya formed from his body.  It surged forth and took Alina by the neck, lifting her into the air.  Aleksander tried to call it off, but it smacked him back, ignoring its master’s command.  Inej threw the Neshyenyer, the blade arcing to destroy the shadow demon, letting Alina fall to the sand.

“You can’t control them, can you?” she asked, her voice raspy.  “You can’t control any of it.”  Aleksander smiled softly.  “I thought I could control it all once,” he said, extending his hand to her, in one final attempt.  “Find peace.  And for a moment… I swear I did.”  He lifted his face to the sun, closing his eyes, allowing his thoughts to turn to you.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met.”  “I bet you say that to everyone.”  “No, just you.”------ Your nose pressed to a bouquet of roses, a soft, shy smile on your face.  “General, are you asking me on a date?”  “I am, Miss L/N.”----- Your face, pressed against his pillows, hair a mess, mouth open as you slept.  “Y/N L/N, I cannot wait to make you my wife.”----- The ring he’d made; black diamonds and gold, glimmering on your finger, tears in your eyes, a beaming smile on your face.  “I love you,” you’d repeated.  “I love you, I love you, I love you!”----- You in your wedding gown, shimmering gold shot thorugh with black, your gaze whilly fixed on him.  “Aleksander Morozova, I will love you until I am dust on the wind.”  “Y/N Morozova, I will love you with every part of my heart.”----- You, lying naked in his arms, the sheets draped over your waist, pressing kisses to his chest.----- You, standing before your vanity, fastening your kefta.----- You, curled before the fire, reading.-----You.-----You.-----You

A white hot pain pierced him, and Aleksander looked down to see the Nesyenyer lodged in his abdomen, Alina’s hands wrapped around the hilt.  He sputtered, black blood dribbling from his lips.  “Without me,” he said.  “Know they will come for you.”  “Let them come.”  Alina withdrew the blade, and Aleksander toppled backwards.  She stood over him, her face blocking out the sun.  “You make sure I am buried with Y/N,” he said, feeling himself weaken.  “Please.”  Alina nodded, and Aleksander gasped.

Behind Alina, another figure entered his field of vision, you.  You wore your black kefta and you were smiling at him.  “Aleksander,” you said, extending a hand to him.  You’d been with him since your death, but he’d been unable to see you until now, when death was creeping in.  “Y/N,” he managed, his eyes closing.  But when they opened, he felt a new surge of strength, and he rose to his feet.  “My love,” he said, pulling you into his arms.  “Y/N.”  “It’s alright,” you said, holding him as tightly as he was holding you.  “It’s all over now.”

After several minutes of holding you close, Aleksander looked behind, seeing his body sprawled on the sand.  “I was always with you,” you said, cupping his cheek.  His scars were gone, the Stag’s wound on his hand completely healed.  “Every moment, Sasha.  You fought so hard for so long, my love.  But now you can rest, you’ve earned it.”  Your husband let out a sob and sank to his knees, clutching your kefta.

The month since your death had been the most difficult month of his life.  Going on without you had been next to impossible, and now that you were here, now that he was dead, Aleksander could process everything that had happened: the choices he’d made, the friends he'd lost, the pain he’d suffered.  You knelt beside him, pulling him into your arms.  “Shh, Aleksander, let it out.  It’s alright, I’m here.  Just let it out, my love.”  Aleksander buried his face in your chest, relieved to find that you carried the same smell, the scent that always comforted him.

“I missed you so much,” your husband managed.  “Oh Y/N, every day without you was torture.”  “I know, my darling,” you replied, carding a hand through his hair.  “But you’re here now, and you never have to be without me again.”  “Promise?”  He felt like a child for asking, but the thought of ever leaving your side was unbearable.  “I promise, Aleksander.  I love you, I love you so very much.”  “I love you too, milaya,” he replied, kissing you at last.  For several, blissful minutes, your husband kissed you, pulling you into his lap.  “We have eternity together,” you said.  “And I will love you for every last minute of it.”  Aleksander blinked back tears, kissing you again.  “As will I, my love.”

[ell0ra-br3kk3r-writes]

The Phoenix and the Crow

part eight

pairing: (hinted) kaz brekker x fem!reader

genre: netural... maybe a tiny bit of angst?

el's thoughts: supriseee part eight!! i still can't believe i've written this much so far haha i love this part cause of y/n and zoya! i hope y'all like it too! please remember to leave comments and reblog :)

masterlist

A knocking on the thick wooden door of her room startled Y/N as she was splashing her face with water from the wash basin. “Yes?”

“Downstairs now. Your country needs saving.” Kaz’s voice was muffled through the door. Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed in curiosity, “I’ll be down shortly.” She finished getting ready and tied her hair up before leaving her room and walking downstairs. The moment she spotted Kaz and Nina sitting at a table with two others whose back was facing her, she froze. She’d recognize the back of that head anywhere.

“Zoya Nazalensky. Well, I’ll be damned.” The inferni could feel the dramatic eye roll she received in return as she walked to the table. “Old friend, how are you?”

“Y/N L/N. Thought you’d be six feet under by now.” Her tone held a biting sting to it, but the inferni knew her too well to take it seriously.

“Always a pleasure, Nazalensky.” She pursed her lips in faux disdain before breaking into a smile. 

Nina looked between the two etherealki with a wide smile, “Oh it’s like we’re in the Little Palace all over again. Isn’t this nice?” 

Kaz’s glare didn’t lighten up as he glanced at all three grisha women with the sharpest side eye Y/N had ever seen. She moved to stand behind the Heartrender and placed her hands on her shoulders. “So what’s this I hear about my country needing saving?” She shot a quick teasing glance to Kaz before directing her attention back to the topics at hand.

Zoya cleared her throat, “We need you lot to get us the Neshyenyer.”

Nina scoffed, “The Neshyenyer? Sankta Neyar’s blade?”

“So, you haven’t completely forgotten what you were taught at the Little Palace.” The Squaler leaned back in her chair with her arms folded in front of her. “Just your loyalty to Ravka.”

“Ravka? Or Kirigan?” Both older grisha stiffened at the name. “It didn’t take him destroying a city for me to question my loyalty.” 

Y/N pulled back at the sharp words that fell from Nina’s lips. She knew she should’ve run far before Alina came to the Little Palace, and she was ashamed to say how long it took for her to finally think over her loyalties. 

Jesper cleared his throat, “So, now that we all know that you two have history, what’s the payment for this job?”

The Shu man finally spoke, “Name your price. It matters that much.”

“Who are you?” The inferni questioned.

“Toyla Yul-Bataar. Member of Prince Nikolai’s personal guard.”

Nina opened the letter handwritten by the prince of Ravka himself. Everyone looked over her shoulder to read it. 

“Is that the Lantsov family crest?” Wylan asked.

“You know it is because it’s hideous.”

Y/N snorted but collected herself quickly.

“Prince Nikolai requests your services to retrieve and deliver the Neshyener to Alina Starkov in East Ravka.” Toyla said.

Nina looked up, “She’s returned?”

“As has the Darkling. With an indestructible army of shadow monsters.” Zoya stared directly at Y/N as she spoke. 

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Jesper took another sip of his drink.

Y/N shook her head in denial, “That can’t be. We saw him in the Fold. Zoya you were there, he-”

“We didn’t see his body. He’s back, Y/N and he’s stronger now. Or so he seems to be with these new puppets of his. That’s why Alina needs the blade to kill them. It’s the only thing that might work.”

Toyla spoke, “Retrieve the blade and the Prince will pay whatever you ask.”

“I like the sound of that.” Jesper downed the rest of his glass.

Zoya turned from the zemini to Kaz, “I assume the same goes for you?” He nodded, “I’d welcome the chance to help your prince spend his country’s money.”

“I don’t need kruge. I need to get someone out of Hellgate. The Lantsovs, they must be able to pull strings with the Kerch government.” Nina vocalized her thoughts.

“For a certain Fjerdan?” Zoya’s tone held a smugness to it. She smiled, “He must be quite the slab of fur.”

Toyla stepped in, “The offer is the offer. Prince Nikolai is a man of his word.”

“But we need to go now.” Zoya’s voice turned assertive. 

“It’s settled,” Kaz folded his arms, “We’re in.”

“And your Wraith?” The squaller asked, “I was expecting to see her.”

“She’s gone.”

“No, she’s not. Not yet. She’s-”

“Not an option.” Dirtyhands threw the sharpshooter a glare, ending the discussion then and there.

~

“The Neshyenyer at Ahmrat Jen is definitely a fake.” Kaz limped towards the group standing around the bar. Zoya rolled her eyes, “Which we told you. Perhaps now you tell us something we didn’t know?”

“According to my contacts, it’s been stolen by a thief known as The Disciple. He had a penchant for stealing Saint-related relics while on jobs.”

Y/N hummed, “A thief and a collector.”

“And retired.” Kaz made eye contact with her briefly. “But he has since put a few pieces of his collection on the black market.”

Toyla nodded, “So, to get to him, we go to his fence.”

“Ohval Saran. She has a tea shop in Bhez Ju. To speak to her, we’re going to have to order yellow chrysanthemum tea, off menu.”

Nina turned to the shu and repeated the type of tea in his mother tongue. “It pairs well with sesame rice cakes.” He told her. Nina smiled, “Let’s discuss.” She walked to him, “Tell me more.”

Kaz shoved passports into Wylan and Y/N’s hands before walking to Jesper and Inej.

Zoya placed a hand on Y/N’s arm, “You look ill, L/N. Don’t tell me you’ve been holding back on your practicing now.”

The latter sighed, “If only you’d’ve known what we’ve been up to. I haven’t had the chance to use my power lately. I didn’t think it was that noticeable.”

“It wouldn’t be to just anyone, but I’ve seen you at your strongest. No one else here could say the same now could they?”

The inferni smiled, “I’ve missed you.”

“It hasn’t even been a few weeks since you saw me last.” Zoya rolled her eyes fondly, “You’re just dramatic.”

“Only for you, my love.” Y/N threw a wink at her as she got up to go pack her things.

~

Shu Han was a colorful city, always bright and full of light. It was a stark difference from Ketterdam and Y/N was loving it. Walking the streets she could smell all the different street foods and incense floating through the air.

Toyla walked to an altar that had candles and burning sticks of incense. Inej, Zoya, and Y/N followed shortly, all wishing to pay their respects to their lost loved ones. Toyla said his prayers in shu and the girls just knelt before the altar.

“When the fold moved, your aunt…” Nina sat down beside the squaller. Zoya avoided her gaze and that was all Nina needed as an answer. “Zoya, I’m so sorry.”

The suli shook her head, “Who here hasn’t lost someone?”

Both Y/N and Zoya leaned forward to grab the burning sticks and held them to the flame, saying their prayers.

Kaz, Wylan, and Jesper stood at a distance watching the others perform their religious rituals in patience. That only lasted so long before Kaz walked to the four girls still kneeling. “You two, we have a teatime to make.” Nina and Inej quickly stood, following Kaz down the street.

Y/N’s eyes strayed to follow the all-black silhouette before it got lost in the crowd. 

“So, Brekker?” Zoya stood and dusted her skirt off, waiting for Y/N to rise as well. The inferni looked at her sharply, “I don’t know what you're talking about. I hardly know the man.” 

“You don’t have to know him to fancy him.” Zoya nudged the y/h/c-haired girl as they walked from stand to stand looking at all the foods and sweets. 

“I’ve been with these people for hardly a few weeks now, Zoya.”

“But he’s caught your eye, yes?” 

The lack of response caused the suli to snicker. “Well, once this war is over you’ll have plenty of time to get to know him.”

Y/N shook her head, “Who said I’d be going back to the Barrel? You brought it up yourself, loyalties. Ravka is my home. She’s my country, and I’ll serve her till my dying breath.”

“You’ve done beyond enough for Ravka and you know it. No one would blame you even now if you decided not to fight or come back home. You need to go and make a life for yourself. You above anyone deserves that.” Zoya rested her hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“I’m not the only one who deserves peace. I would blame myself for not helping my country. I don’t do anything to meet the expectations of others, you above all people should know that by now.” Y/N turned her head and saw Toyla waving them over to where he was seated. She smiled and nodded before turning back to Zoya. “I’ll think it over though. Making a life for myself, that is.”

The two grisha walked to the table Toyla sat at. “What are we watching?” Y/N followed his line of sight to see Jesper and Wylan talking at a firework stand. He chuckled, “Jesper attempt to get his man back.” Zoya rolled her eyes while Y/N hummed. 

“Toyla?” Wylan walked over calling for him, “Toyla could I get your help?”

The inferni stood on her tiptoes and looked over to Jesper mouthing ‘What happened?’ To which he just shrugged, his shoulders dropping in defeat.

The group got up to keep walking around, all looking at different stands and carts that piqued their interest. Someone shoved into her back, she turned around to tell them off but noticed the familiar black silhouette continue his way down the street, stumbling into people with every step. 

Y/N quickly followed after him, threw herself into his back to stop him in his path, and wrapped her arms under his, around his chest, pulling him into her. He thrashed in her arms as she moved him to a more secluded section of the crowded street. She released him quickly and backed away, giving him space. 

Kaz was breathless as he curled into the wall behind him. Y/N watched him carefully making sure he was alright and noticed his lack of gloves. He turned his head enough to look at her for a split second before he flinched farther away from her causing her to back up slightly and nod to herself. “I’ll be back.”

He barely heard her voice over the panic and buzzing in his mind. Flashbacks of his brother and the bloated, rubbery skin of the corpses plagued him as he tried his hardest to get control of his breathing again. His bare hands clutched the metal head of the cane, holding it tightly against his side as he slid further down the wall. His shoulders ached while the wall dug into his muscles painfully. His lungs burned from the uneven rapidness of his breath. He tried calming it by breathing in through his nose, keeping his mouth shut but that only caused his body to falter and panic more. He closed his eyes and twisted the cane between his hands feeling the metal and wood beneath his fingertips. 

He didn’t notice Y/N’s return till he finally opened his eyes and noticed that she placed his leather gloves beside him, making sure to keep her distance from him. Not sparing her a glance he picked up the gloves and held onto them for dear life, feeling as if he could finally take a proper breath. “Did Inej-”

“She followed Ohval Saran.” Y/N kept her voice low in order not to startle him again.

“And Nina?” His eyes started to clear and he was beginning to gather his senses.

“She’s fine. She’s with the others.”

He nodded and took a deep breath before looking over at the girl beside him. She looked paler than when he first met her, her fingers thinner. Overall she looked weaker. She’s a grisha. He couldn’t recall a time when she used her power since the bomb in the accounting office. He took a mental note to assign her some role so she could use and practice her power again. Despite her physically looking weaker, her eyes never let go of the same kindness that they held from when they first met. Her y/e/c-eyes sparkled with concern and care, but they didn’t smother him, making him want to push her away. No, instead he was drawn to it, and that terrified him. Never before had he felt so comfortable and relaxed in the presence of someone he didn’t know. Never before had he felt the need to constantly look over and make sure that person was alright or just simply to admire them from a distance. 

Kaz couldn’t exactly place a name to what he was feeling, but he had become a master at controlling his emotions and he will learn to rein this one in one way or another. 

~

“Ohval’s not just a fence. She’s The Disciple.” Kaz sat at the table in the center of the room with Wylan and Zoya. Nina lounged, fanning herself, on the couch with Y/N while Toyla stood next to them and Inej sat on a stool behind Zoya. Jesper closed the doors to the room for privacy.

“What… What tipped you off?” Wylan asked.

“Her tea cup. When she set it down, she did so without a sound.”

“And her heartbeat never fluctuated once. It held at one beat a second like a clock.” Nina sat up straight causing Y/N to lean closer and fix her skirt.

“So, she can control her heart rate and her emotions.” Toyla held out his bag of walnuts to the two grisha on the couch, each taking one. 

“Those are useful skills for a thief,” Wylan noted.

“Now’s the part where you tell us where the blade is.” Jesper spoke cooly as he leaned on the wall closer to Inej. 

“Ohval has it. Her signal to the waitress to spill tea on me told me as much.” He clutched his cane a bit tighter. “It’s as if I know you.” The zemmini smirked. Kaz ignored him and continued, “And if she’s not going to sell it to us, we’ll just have to take it. After Nina and I ordered the tea, I had Inej follow the tea shop employee who was sent to notify Ohval.”

“She lives just outside the city. When she stopped at the tea shop, she placed an order at the apothecary that she’ll be picking up tonight. I watched her home for a while and no one came or went except her.” Inej said while twirling her butterfly knife between her fingers.

“So, while she’s out of the house, Nina will tail her to make sure she stays out of the house. The rest of us will go in and grab the blade.” 

Once Kaz finished speaking Zoya scoffed, “You don’t seriously expect me to break into this woman’s house.”

“Uh, why do you think we’re here?” Jesper asked jeeringly. 

The squaller turned around in her seat to face him, “I’m a soldier, not a thief. Why else would I need you, criminals?” 

Y/N chuckled, “There’s much less of a difference there than you think.”

Zoya rolled her eyes and said, “I’ll go with Nina.” Making the heartrender choke on her snack and quickly clear her throat. “Are you sure you don’t need me?” She asked Kaz. “I mean, Zoya can tail Ohval.”

“Nina and Zoya will wait for Ohval at the apothecary. Follow her. If she starts heading home, buy us some time. Distract her.”

~*~

taglist:@rachelcarroll1819 @xcharlottemikaelsonx @khaleesihavilliard @simrah1012 @foulkryptonitepeanut @astridyoo15 @queenofshinigamis @peakyispunk @jahayla-parker @maliciousbrekker @brekkershadowsinger@winstonthecow22 @lee-says-things@bunneex@writingmysanity@sleepynightchild @madnessinwrighting @romanticvampire if there is a cross through your url.. i couldn't tag you, sorry!

[wafflesandkruge]

a/n: missing scene from sab 2x02 where nikolai finds a grieving zoya in the spinning wheel. i really hated how zoya’s first scene is her telling alina she has her back like babe,,,your family just died yet you’re so well adjusted and willing to help like where’s the trauma and anger 😭 anyway this is for all y’all delusional zoyalais out there i see you i am you

The halls of the Spinning Wheel were dark as Nikolai patrolled them, whistling to himself as he walked. Well, “patrolled” wasn’t the right word as that implied he was looking for a threat. There wasn’t much out here in the mountains that could qualify as one. So, it was more of a stroll, he supposed. A saunter. 

It was off putting being back after so long at sea. The air felt stale, the ground far too stable, and the gilded walls seemed to trap him more than any cramped cabin on the Volkvolny could. The stars painted on the hallway ceilings were only cheap facsimiles of what could be seen on the seas. 

It wasn’t that Nikolai hated his life as a Lantsov. It was what gave him the freedom to live as Sturmhond, after all. But every moment, he could feel the weight of Ravka pressed upon his shoulders, a drowning man that threatened to drag Nikolai under the waves along with himself. But if not Nikolai, who would save them all? Certainly not his father’s indifference, nor Vasily’s cruelty. 

And now, with the Sun Summoner, perhaps he stood a chance. 

If he could get Alilna to agree to his proposal, he’d have the power he needed to finally take control of the crown. Then, it’d just be a matter of finding a solution to the Darkling and the Fold. Simple. He’d had mathematics exam more challenging. 

A quiet scuffle from somewhere ahead broke him out of his schemes. He frowned. No one should have been in this wing of the observatory, and especially not this late. He stilled and strained his ears, trying to ascertain where the sound came from. 

There was another muffled whimper, definitely a woman’s voice, from a room three doors ahead. Nikolai’s brows furrowed. He hadn’t stated that refugees should stay in the other wing, but still, he didn’t want people wandering around when he had more volatile inventions and projects hiding here. He crept forward, staying close to the wall so his shadow wouldn’t give him away. 

The closer he got to the closed door, the more apparent the quiet sobs became. Something in his chest twisted. Perhaps it was just someone mourning. There was more than enough loss to go around these days. He found himself hesitating as he gripped the doorknob.

He could offer some comfort, or at least warn her to not touch the cannon he’d been tinkering with the last time he’d used the room. He pushed the door open quietly and slipped inside.

He’d barely caught a glimpse of a figure dressed in blue hunched over on a bench under the window before her head jerked up towards him, eyes wide, and she thrust her hands forward. 

Nikolai slammed into the wall, sharp bursts of pain going off like fireworks all over his body. He fell to the ground in an undignified sprawl. Everything hurt. He couldn’t get enough air into his lungs as he gasped for breath.

Had he accidentally let an assassin in among the Grisha? He struggled to push himself up, head spinning, as he went for the pistol at his waist. His fingers had only just closed around the familiar handle before a heavy boot ground itself onto his hand, the pressure making him swear loudly. He could feel the bones in his hand grinding against each other, the grain of the wooden floor digging into his flesh.

“Stay down,” the woman snarled. He blinked the spots out of his eyes as he moved his head to look up at her. The world spun and danced, but her face was in perfect focus. Saints, her face. She looked a few years younger than him, with light brown skin, windswept black curls, and dark eyes that glared fiercely at him even as they shone with tears. Her blue kefta was torn and stained as if she’d fought an entire war to get here. She looked like a vengeful Saint, equal parts grief and righteous anger. 

If she were an assassin, it wasn’t the worst way to go.

Nikolai raised his free hand in surrender. He eyed her warily, his hand aching and his body feeling like it’d been going ten rounds in a ring with Tolya. 

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, voice rough. She swiped her torn sleeve across her face to get rid of her tears. “First Army soldiers are housed on the first floor.”

She didn’t know who he was, he realized. All she saw was the uniform, not the name. It was a rather freeing thought. He attempted a smile, but from her unchanged expression, it didn’t do him any favors. 

“Same as you, I reckon. Couldn’t sleep.”

He could see the doubt in her face, but still, she removed her boot from his hand. Feeling flooded back into his fingers. He winced as he wiggled them. They’d definitely be black and blue by morning.

“Find another room to sulk in. I was here first.” She didn’t bother helping him up as she turned on him and returned to her former seat on the bench. She raised an eyebrow as if expecting him to beg for her forgiveness and scurry out with his tail between his legs. 

Well, luckily for her, he was made of sterner stuff. He retrieved his pistol and brushed off his jacket as he clambered to his feet. He rolled his shoulders, working through the aches. 

“Misery loves company, wouldn’t you say so?”

She scowled. “Good thing I’m not misery. Get out.”

He studied her once again. Her expression was guarded, any shred of vulnerability locked away behind unscalable walls. She was not a girl in need of comfort, or a soldier in need of a friend. There was a proud tilt of her chin that told him she’d rather march alone than have anyone help shoulder her burdens. 

He could respect that.

He turned to go, but couldn’t help looking back one last time. He didn’t know what compelled him to lower his head. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he said as sincerely as he could manage.

She threw back her head and laughed, sharp and scathing. He stared. “Sorry? For what? There’s nothing you could have done, otkazat'sya. Save your apologies for someone who wants them.”

The moonlight from the window made her glow, ethereal and untouchable. 

He hated losing the last word, but she made a worthy opponent. Nikolai closed the door behind him and went on his way, whistling and thinking of a girl with dark eyes and a sharp tongue.

[mrs-jamesbbarnes]

In regards to the ending of Shadow and Bone season 2. Did I like it? Absolutely not. Do I see what they’re trying do? Yeah. They combined two books into one season and added five extra characters to the story. Things just moved so fast, and the story could’ve been told a LOT better.

For instance, we did not get Alina’s struggle. I think the beauty of her story in the books came from her needing to defeat the Darkling without becoming the monster he was and wanted her to be. It was an intense and dark path she took. Ultimately, the third amplifier’s power is shared with everyone to destroy the Fold. But the fact that she had to get to that point where she was okay with dying and/or being completely overwhelmed by the power if it meant saving everyone was the whole point of her struggle. Her reward was Mal, settling down with him to live a peaceful life. And she was ready to be done, to give it all up and just rest with him.

The fact that they skipped ALL of that makes the story so unnecessarily complicated. Because now she’s not ready to rest, she wants to help the Grisha. And she’s got power. But she delved into merzost to save Mal, so now she’s given into this path of darkness. That’s something book!Alina NEVER would have done. Leigh spent three books showing that. So now she’s got that darkness in her. And we know Elizaveta is going to try to resurrect the Darkling because that bee landed on Zoya as the Darkling’s body burned. So season 3 is going to go off the rails.

Also the fact that Mal made this BIG DEAL to the Darkling about how he wasn’t going to make the mistake of leaving Alina again and then the Fold is gone and the Darkling is dead and now he’s just leaving Alina? That’s just poor writing.

I’m hoping Alina and Mal still get their happy ending. Because TV!Mal deserves it, if nothing else.

Also it really bothers me that they just pushed Zoya aside for Alina. They could’ve sent Alina and Mal off into the sunset and let the story take its course. But now Zoya is a side character because Alina is the focus. And that really bothers me that they’re going to start the King of Scars storyline and not give Zoya the attention she deserves. Because Alina needs to be gone for her to embrace her destiny. Otherwise it looks like she’s just Nikolai’s (and Ravka’s) second choice. They messed with Leigh’s beautifully crafted hero’s journey for Alina, and Zoya is going to get screwed over because they did that and I HATE THAT for Zoya.

[atac-agent]

Zoyalai au idea no 2. Canon divergence

Zoya's power did not reveal itself on her wedding day, it happened during her first night with the husband years later. She is 13 and accidently kills her husband before he even lays a finger on her. She is alone (her parents were paid and sent away long ago) with her newly aquired grisha powers, happily the servants help her and cover the death. She becomes a widow, with her late husband's money she doesn't feel the need to join the second army, so she hides her powers.

Years later when the fold is gone, the new king during his travels across Ravka stops in her estate. And one night his demon escapes.

*Genya is probably the general here...🤔

*Zoya's aunt and cousin join her after she becomes a widow

She was only thirteen when she became a widow. Married off to a much older nobleman for the sake of alliances, her fate had been sealed long before she could even understand it. Her parents, lured by promises of wealth and status, had sent her away without a second thought. And on that wedding night, in the quiet confines of her husband's lavish chambers, fear and desperation had gripped her heart.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. She was meant to be a pawn in someone else's game, a tool to be wielded for power and influence. But when his hands reached for her, when the darkness threatened to consume her innocence, something inside Zoya snapped.

The power surged through her veins like wildfire, uncontrolled and raw. She hadn't even known she was Grisha until that moment, when the force of her newfound abilities lashed out in self-defense. In an instant, he was dead, his lifeless body slumped on the bed.

Zoya had been alone then, save for the servants who had heard the commotion and rushed to her aid. Fearful yet loyal, they had helped her conceal the truth, covering up the death as an unfortunate accident. She became a widow that night, inheriting her late husband's wealth and estate.

With newfound independence, Zoya chose to hide her powers. She had no desire to join the Second Army, no need to prove herself to anyone. Instead, she focused on managing her estate, rebuilding her life in the shadow of her past.

***

Present Day

Ravka had changed. The Fold that had once divided the land was gone, thanks to the efforts of Grisha and warriors alike. Darker days seemed to recede with the passing years, replaced by an uncertain peace tinged with hope.

Nikolai was unlike any king Ravka had known before—charming, cunning, and with a darkness of his own. During his travels across the kingdom, he stopped at Zoya's estate, seeking refuge and respite from the demands of his crown.

It was on one such night, when the wind whispered through the trees and the stars twinkled overhead, that disaster struck. A demon, a remnant of darker days, escaped its bindings and threatened to wreak havoc once more.

The air crackled with tension as Zoya and her companions faced the demon. It emerged from the shadows, a grotesque creature with eyes that glowed like hot coals, its form shifting and twisting as if it were made of smoke and darkness. The very ground beneath them seemed to shudder with its malevolent presence.

Zoya's heart raced as she focused her Grisha powers, feeling the electricity hum through her veins. Beside her, her aunt and cousin stood ready, their expressions a mix of determination and fear. Genya, the King's General, with her mastery of illusions, conjured shimmering images that danced around the demon, momentarily confusing its senses. Meanwhile, Zoya's cousin, skilled in elemental manipulation, summoned gusts of wind that whipped through the air, unsettling the demon's ethereal form.

The creature let out a guttural roar, its voice reverberating through the night. Shadows coalesced around its clawed hands as it lunged forward, aiming to strike at the heart of their defense. Zoya reacted instinctively, calling forth tendrils of lightning that crackled and lashed out towards the demon. The bolts of electricity sizzled through the air, striking the creature's shadowy limbs and forcing it to recoil momentarily.

But the demon was relentless. It surged forward again, claws slashing through the air with unnatural speed. Zoya dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a lethal strike. Her aunt's illusions shimmered and flickered, momentarily diverting the creature's attention as it lunged towards a phantom image, only to find itself striking empty air.

In the midst of the chaos, Nikolai's voice rang out, commanding his guards to reinforce their defenses. Armed soldiers moved in around them, forming a protective circle as they launched arrows and spears towards the demon. Some projectiles passed through the creature harmlessly, while others seemed to strike true, causing it to emit a piercing shriek that sent chills down Zoya's spine.

The battle wore on, each passing moment a testament to their endurance and resolve. Zoya's lightning continued to dance through the air, each strike weakening the demon's shadowy form. Her cousin conjured pillars of earth that erupted from the ground, momentarily trapping the creature in a prison of stone before it broke free with a furious roar. Genya's illusions wove intricate patterns around them, creating distractions that bought them precious seconds of respite.

But as the night deepened and fatigue threatened to wear them down, Zoya felt a surge of determination. She gathered her power, drawing upon every ounce of strength within her. Lightning arced from her fingertips in a brilliant display of light and energy, illuminating the battlefield with its blinding brilliance. The demon faltered, its form flickering and wavering as if unable to withstand the onslaught.

With a final surge of will, Zoya unleashed a torrent of lightning, directing it towards the heart of the creature. The electricity engulfed the demon in a blinding cascade of energy, causing it to emit a deafening scream that echoed through the night. Shadows dispersed like smoke in the wind, dissipating into nothingness as the creature's form disintegrated before their eyes.

Silence descended upon the battlefield, broken only by the sound of their ragged breaths and the crackling remnants of dissipating energy. Zoya stood amidst the aftermath, her chest heaving with exertion yet her spirit ablaze with triumph. Beside her, Nikolai approached, his expression a mixture of admiration and awe.

"You are more than they say," he murmured, his voice carrying a weight of understanding that resonated deep within her soul.

Zoya looked up at him, meeting his gaze with a mix of relief and exhaustion. "As are you, Your Majesty," she replied, her voice steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through her veins.

He stepped closer, the space between them narrowing until their breaths mingled in the crisp night air. "Call me Nikolai," he said softly, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from her face.

Her heart skipped a beat at the intimate gesture, her cheeks flushing with warmth. "Nikolai," she repeated, testing the name on her lips, finding a strange comfort in its familiarity.

For a moment, they stood there in silence, the weight of their shared experience hanging between them. Then, Nikolai spoke again, his voice low and earnest. "You've shown me tonight what true courage looks like, Zoya. And I... I am grateful to have witnessed it."

Zoya's gaze softened, her earlier defenses melting away in the face of his sincerity. "I couldn't have done it without you," she admitted quietly, her eyes searching his for any hint of doubt.

He shook his head gently, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "No, Zoya. You have a strength within you that is entirely your own."

Her heart swelled at his words, a warmth spreading through her chest that had nothing to do with the lingering effects of her Grisha powers. In that moment, she realized that Nikolai saw her not just as a queen in waiting, but as a woman worthy of admiration and respect.

Before she could stop herself, Zoya reached out, her hand finding his and intertwining their fingers together. His touch was warm and reassuring, grounding her in the reality of their shared triumph.

Together, they stood beneath the canopy of stars, their hearts beating in unison as the echoes of battle faded into the night. In that fleeting moment of peace, amidst the remnants of chaos and uncertainty, Zoya and Nikolai found a connection that transcended duty and expectation—a bond forged in fire and shadow, bound by courage, loyalty, and the promise of a future yet unwritten.

And as the first light of dawn kissed the horizon, casting its golden glow upon their intertwined hands, they knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.

[aquitainequeen]

Okay, so after much thinking about Shadow and Bone Season 2, I've narrowed down one major issue from which other issues arose, which is: time.

Time affects Shadow and Bone season 2 in several ways, but the four that stand out to me are time allowance, pacing, beginnings, and narrative. Time allowance and pacing rather speak for themselves. Netflix really should have given this season two more episodes, to provide more room for plot, dialogue, character arcs, etc; and others who are far better than me at this have elaborated on the pacing.

In terms of beginnings, Season 2 suffers from the same problem that harmed the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy; the writers had their hands tied about where they could feasibly start it. This impacts the whole season moving forward.

To elaborate: in the Original and Prequel Trilogies there were established periods of time between the plots of the films, so the OT takes place over four years and the PT covers thirteen years, which meant there was at least some room to hint at the building of character relationships between both the protagonists and the villains. Having time skips between the films allowed for hints of backstory to add extra weight; even if you haven’t read any of the (frankly gargantuan amounts by this point) material set between Episodes IV and V, you can still appreciate the knowledge that Vader’s been obsessively chasing down Luke Skywalker for the past three years, and you can understand Luke’s determination to beat the spectre that’s been hunting him across the galaxy.

In stark contrast and by necessity, the creators had to start The Last Jedi almost immediately after the end of The Force Awakens, because they needed to show the fallout of the cliff-hanger that was Rey holding out the lightsaber to Luke; what would happen when Luke began to train Rey, or return to the Resistance, or do whatever; what would happen when Finn woke up from his medical treatment. All of which did occur, but it meant that the first two films in the sequel trilogy ended up covering at most a week to a week and a half, at the end of which most of the characters still barely know each other, and their friendships/enmities don't have as much weight as those in the previous trilogies.

Compare this to Shadow and Bone. Season 1 ended with Alina and Mal leaving Ravka for the time being and Kirigan emerging from the Fold with the nichevo'ya, both of which could have allowed for some passage of time between seasons and Season 2 beginning some months later, as was the case with the books...

...but Season 1 also ended with the Crows planning what they were going to do when they returned to Ketterdam without Alina. And in my opinion this trapped the writers, because by necessity they had to show what happened when the Crows got back and suffered the logical fallout of stealing a job from Pekka Rollins. And since the writers now had to keep both the Ravkan and the Crows narratives in the same time frame, they also had to continue the stories of Alina, Mal, Kirigan, Genya, Nikolai, Zoya etc from this point as well. Which means that barely any time has passed since the battle in the Fold and Alina and Kirigan becoming, to quote Tolkien's Unfinished Tales, 'unfriends forever', and barely a few more weeks pass before the events of the season's final episode.

And the thing about Alina's journey is that it's not a story that can or should be told very quickly, or in a relatively short time frame. Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdoms, put together, is an epic, action packed, violent heist and revenge story. The Grisha Trilogy is a different kind of epic, a struggle to protect and save a kingdom, and even the whole world. It's a story that needs to address the persecution of a entire group of people, across multiple countries. It's a story where there should have been a lot more talking between the protagonists and the antagonists as they try to sway each other to their side. It's a story that should have included resistance fighters and guerrilla warfare, and far more struggles between the opposing forces as they challenge and occasionally dismantle each others' points of view.

It's the sort of story that should be told over months or even a few years, not weeks.

[mx-nii]

The following message is directed to darklina shippers, primarily those of which who have not read the books, those who excuse the actions of The Darkling in the books, and/or those who see the actions and simply accept/ignore them because “he’s morally grey tehe 🤭” or “he’s the same as Kaz Brekker” or “Ben Barnes is sooo hot”.

Let’s start this off strong: The Darkling is ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, BEYOND A SHADOW (ha) OF A DOUBT nothing like Kaz ‘Dirtyhands’ Brekker, and here’s why.

Kaz is a criminal, there is no denying it, and we love him for it. Why, you may ask? That’s because Kaz has two things the Darkling doesn’t.

#1 lines he won’t cross. Kaz Brekker, a man who wants vengeance more than he wants oxygen, still has a hard limit. He’d never do *insert unspeakable things the darkling has done “for the greater good” (they were in fact NOT for the greater good but we’ll get into that later)*. And the reason for that is he actually cares about his friends, his crows. He CARES about their lives more than he cares about his vengeance. Even if he doesn’t show it, he’d never trade one of them for Pekka’s head. Instead, he’d work with them to kill him.

#2 he has an actual reason (now I know, I know: Kaz Brekker didn’t need a reason- but he has one). We all know his traumatic history and how it affects him to this day. We know what happened to Jordie and how Kaz vowed to avenge his big brother. We’ve all read the same chapters, the same Kaz POVs. He was wronged and ofc, it’s a YA fantasy novel so he’s gonna kill the bastard, duh. He’s getting his pound of flesh, and some for Jordie too, and he’ll build his empire off of Pekka.

Now I know what you may be thinking: “THIS SOUNDS JUST LIKE THE DARKLING!!” but does it really? Think about it here. Point #1, lines that won’t be crossed. Kaz has proven to have mercy even when it would have served his plan better to not (that part in CK when he threatened to kill a kid); but has the Darkling?

Let’s start a list:

the fold (and everyone inside). Sounds like genocide and world destruction to me.

Novo Kribirsk - again with that genocide.

Alina. Everything Alina. This includes, but is not limited to: grooming her, putting a collar around her neck to steal her powers and enslave her, torturing her and her partner, kidnapping her, sexually assaulting her, attacking her (x a bajillion times), threatening her, etc.

Genya - put a (I believe) 9 year old in the hands of a KNOWN pedophile to retrieve information, separated her from other grisha so she felt alone, manipulated and groomed her, mutilated her, etc.

Killed Botokin and Anna Kunya, and held orphans hostage.

These are specifics I know off the top of my head and I could get more if I did some research, but just rapid fire here: deaths of countless grisha who stood against him, what he did to Zoya, Fedyor, Sergi, Nikolai (not a grisha but he counts), etc.

All of these actions were supposedly to get to his goal of “a safe place for grisha” (We’ll talk about how that wasn’t what he actually cared about later) and he didn’t stop at anything. Never hesitated, nothing.

The real reason this was all for was because he has a MASSIVE savior complex. He may have wanted (past tense) a safe place for grisha but now, what matters more to him is being the hero. He wants more to be the one who saves everyone than to have everyone be safe. It really reinforces the whole “make me your villain” line bc he doesn’t believe he’s the villain, he wants to be the hero so bad- but he’s not. And he never will be, because somewhere along the line, he lost sight of the goal and started making bad decisions and now we’re here.

Another thing I’d like to add, you can like Ben Barnes and not like the Darkling. You have to remember that it’s a ROLE. I love Ben and hate the darkling. Simply bc they’re NOT THE SAME PERSON. It’s actually quite genius that he was casted bc a big part of his gig was seducing people to his side with his insane looks and charisma so clearly it worked a little too well.

Now to get to #2. He didn’t have an actual valid reason- not that any reason could warrant his behavior but he didn’t even have a fucking reason. He SAID he was doing it all “so grisha could be safe” but it’s a lie. It may have been his reason a few centuries ago but I guarantee it’s not his reason now. If that was his reasoning for ALL THIS, he would not HARM grisha to get what he wants. He wouldn’t KILL grisha for his goals.

In short, the Darkling does what he does because he has a MASSIVE savior complex. He wants more so to be the one who saves everyone, than to have everyone be safe.

[sxnyarostova]

grishaverse rarepair exchange for @foxhanbin!!!

prompt: Zoya/Alina, s1 rivals to lovers instead? so canon divergence, maybe whatever happens differently due to them falling in love?

hello! thank you so much for this wonderful request i sank my teeth into this one and it was such a joy to write this canon-divergent piece. i have a whole au regarding this fic so I'll just do a very quick plot summary. basically, zoya overhears a conversation between baghra and the darling regarding the latter's intent/manipulation of alina and rushes to warn her, but catches her fleeing the little palace. knowing that alina will most definitely not survive on her own (and consequently die, leaving the country without hope), zoya runs away with alina and the two of them hide out in the ravkan woods for a while as they try to get across the fold (they need to get out of ravka so that alina can train and stuff before she wrecks the fold). they eventually bump into nikolai, who offers to help them, and the rest of it is pretty much the same (except some divulgences as the whole amplifier debacle plays out differently). please enjoy this snippet of the beginning of this au! <3

She has got to get out of here.

There is nothing but trouble at the Little Palace, nothing but daggers carefully veiled and tucked away in the smiles of the people around her. The very thought of her being wielded as a blade by the very man she’d trusted– by the man she’d poured her trust into like water into a jug– manages to chill her to the bone despite the woolly kefta wrapped around her shoulders. The biting wind seems to spread from Alina’s insides, threatening to freeze her blood if she isn’t careful. She shivers despite herself and finds her gaze shifting downwards. 

Spread out beneath her dangling feet is one of many gardens within the Little Palace’s sprawling structure; from the second-storey window she’s currently leaning out of, everything looks miniature; as if it’s part of an ant colony. She despises everything right now and wishes that Mal had never been drafted to go on that sandskiff, but now is not the time for hindsight and wishful thinking. 

“It’s all in perspective,” she whispers, slowly inching off the ledge. Trust is what has driven her to desperation; desperation is what’s currently driving her to climb out of this stupid window, fear seizing her rabbiting heart. Shifting her weight so that she’s free to take a ginger step onto the roof shingles, she tries her hardest not to scrabble as she slides down the brickwork, one meticulously placed step at a time.

Alina has never been great at climbing: she guesses that’s why she loses her footing and all but scrabbles down the slanted surface, hands desperately clawing at the brickwork. She’s going to die here, she thinks, with hardly a single friend left in the world; she’s going to fall from this roof, break her neck, and–

She has never believed in miracles. Alina had learned a long, long time ago that hoping and believing and praying would never work in her favour: the Saints weren’t real, and the only… thing that she could rely on was her pluck. That’s why she decides that what happens then is not a miracle; it’s an act of goodwill from a person, not a Saint. A living, breathing person with a kefta of blue, her hands pushing a cushioning gust of wind upwards.

Landing in an undignified heap on the ground, Alina does not dare look up. She doesn’t want to see Zoya’s blazing eyes, her curled lip: Alina Starkov wants with all her heart to leave and never look back at the Little Palace. Fold be damned, she thinks: there is nothing left for her here. But life and fate have never been particularly kind to her, and Alina braces for the worst when Zoya opens her mouth.

“Well? Where’s my thank-you, Starkov?”

Alina blinks, and her eyes narrow. “I’m sorry?”

“I just saved you from certain death,” Zoya says slowly. “I think that deserves a thank-you of some kind; don’t you?”

“You’re not going to ask–?”

Zoya exhales and gives her hair a toss. Her outfit for the fete is nothing short of a feast for the eyes; dressed in a lightning-blue kefta trimmed with mink fur, Zoya looks like a queen. Something in Alina tells her to genuflect in some way: it takes everything in her not to crumble on the spot.

“I heard something,” Zoya admits, wringing her hands together. She glances over both her shoulders, and as if she’s letting Alina in on the darkest secret in the world, leans in and says, “The Darkling– he’s not what–”

“I know. He’s been—” Alina hesitates because it’s not real unless she says it aloud: nothing is. She takes a deep breath. “He’s been using me.” 

“Oh, but you don’t know; not all of it, at least. Do you really think Baghra would've told you the whole truth?”

“No, but I’ve got to work with what I’ve got, don’t I?”

Zoya bites her lip and does another scan of her surroundings. “Have you a clue of where you’re going, Alina, or what you’re going to do?” A pause. “Don’t look at me like that. Tell me, before I make the mistake of sending the only hope this country has to her death.”

“I’m not–”

“You are. Don’t stand there with sunlight threaded in your hair and tell me that you’re not the lone candle in the rippling dark, Alina.”

“And so what if I am?” Alina exclaims. “It’s not like anyone else– they all see me as nothing but a weapon, Zoya, and since when did you stop thinking like that?” 

“I never thought of you as a weapon,” Zoya says quietly. “Jealousy is a monstrous creature, Alina: I hope you never have to brush heads with it.”

It’s a funny idea to entertain, the thought of Zoya Nazyalensky being jealous of her. Animosity is a concept easier to understand; jealousy, on the other hand, is notched with nuance and partiality, a grey area that Alina doesn’t quite know how to navigate. She has been jealous of many people in her life; being the seed and origin of the feeling, however, is novel to her.  

“You keep dodging my questions,” Zoya observes suddenly, before stating quite frankly, “You don’t have a plan.”

“I’m adaptable,” Alina argues. The beads of sand are rollicking down the hourglass, each one sliding downwards faster than the one before, and she needs to go; she won’t be able to breathe properly and rest her fraying nerves until an ocean separates her from Ravkan soil. “Zoya, if you’ve got something to say– let it out.”

“I’m coming with you: you’d be as good as dead, going off alone.”

Alina wants to be offended, but she feels more relieved than anything. Zoya is, to Alina’s chagrin, clairvoyant in her predictions. The two of them will be okay together; Alina’s never acknowledged miracles or saints, but what she does believe in is fate, and strings the colour of trickling blood. 

“All right,” Alina finds herself saying. “All right.”

(A storm ravages through Ravka that night, one of fantastical proportions. Later, there are rumours of daylight gracing the darkest evening sky– some dismiss them as searchlights angled in the wrong direction, or shooting stars that’ve strayed from their trajectories. Others believe it to be the second coming of the Sun Saint, the one that the Darkling claims to be mourning. 

Somewhere, the woods are aglow with the mingling brilliance of thunder and sunlight.)

[mery-cm99]

Vixen ~ Nikolai Lantsov (Chapter 4)

Masterlist

Description: Vixen is one of the Crows. Kaz saved her a long time ago. He’s the only one who knows the truth about Vixen. He’s the only one who knows her past, her secret. That’s until a certain privateer shows up in Ketterdam looking for a living Saint. 

Pairing: Nikolai Lantsov x fem!OC

Warnings: Mention of trauma, blood, war and sad stuff in general. English is not my first language, so sorry in advance for any grammar or spelling errors. The sign language used in this story is made up and does not correspond with any official one. The story is based on the series, not the books.

Rating: Teens and up

Chapter 4/6

Word Count: 2,257 words.

The journey to Os Alta was even more tense than the one that had taken them to Shu Han. Vixen had managed to avoid being asked about her grisha identity, but only because she had spent most of her time away from the rest. Her demons stirred stronger than ever, as if the water she had used with her powers had shaken them. She saw her mother more often, saw how she used her powers to create a wall of water between them and the men of the Second Army. She watched as her expression of love as she looked at her turned into one of pain as her heart began to fail. She saw her father pulling her while the column of water crumbled as her mother’s lifeless body fell to the ground. And she saw the grishas dressed in their red keftas chasing after them, trying to repeat what they had done with her mother with her father and herself while they ran through the streets of Ketterdam, streets that they knew by memory. It was clear to Vixen that she and her father had only survived on that occasion because their city gave them the advantage. They had lost them in the maze of streets that made up the Barrel and had hidden in a small space between two buildings that only those who lived in the worst part of the neighborhood knew. Their hearts had pounded loudly, but they were camouflaged among the other twenty hearts that were in that refuge of people fleeing their countries of origin.

And her father, she also saw her father more often. The three-year period when she had seen him lose his head over the death of the love of his life. She remembered having to pick him up at the gambling joints and drag him out while being barely twelve years old. And then watch him slowly rot in Hellgate. 

She also remembered all the times she had gone into hiding as soon she had seen keftas in the city. The grisha frightened Vixen, but she was especially terrified of the Heartrender. Nina had been the first one she had had so close to in the five years since one of them had killed her mother. And Tolya now.

So now she had to use all her willpower to join the rest in the ship’s main hall to talk about how they would act when they reached Ravka. As soon as she entered the room, she noticed the look of Tolya and Nina, but the rest were busy talking over a map. Kaz was explaining that they were going to split. Inej, Nina and Zoya would go with the ship to The Fold to bring the sword to Alina. The rest would stay to help the prince and his men protect themselves from General Kirigan and his grisha.

Everyone went to get ready, but when Vixen was going to go back on deck, Tolya called her.

"I’m sorry about what happened to your mother, Vixen. But you can’t run away forever. At some point you’ll have to stop running from your past. You’re grisha, you have a gift the world should know", he assured her. Vixen nodded slowly and climbed the stairs.

When they reached Os Alta, those who stayed to help in the fort got off the boat and the others continued towards the Fold. Tolya went on one side, claiming that it was best to split up into two sides. Kaz, Jesper, Wylan and Vixen went on the other. 

“We’re going to need your grisha power, Vixen” Kaz told her when they were alone.

“Did you know?” asked Jesper, so Kaz gave him an obvious look.

“I found her at the docks. She was unable to control her power and I gave her a way to do it: controlling her pain,” explained the boss of the Crows. That had happened right after watching her father die. In the boat back to the city her power had gone out of control and Kaz had found her crying hard as the water swirled around her like a human-sized tornado. Both were grateful that it had been night, because it would not have been good for neither of them to call the attention. “Now let’s focus on the present. Wylan. One of your bombs,” he asked, indicating that he should throw it to where the group of grisha were dressed in colours. 

It exploded next to an inferni, which flew at the feet of the other two. 

“Where did that come from?” a voice asked. So the crows peeked over the roof where they were hiding.

“My demolition expert,” Kaz replied calmly.

“Expert?” Wylan asked quietly. Vixen was nervous because her worst nightmare had come true. She was in Ravka facing Grisha. But at the time she could not help but smile whens she heard the redheaded. She pointed at him and then made a fist, with which she hit her other hand and faked an explosion. “I mean... Yes. Expert” corrected Wylan, pretending security.

The four went down and Jesper used his grisha power over the doors to open them. Jesper and Wylan went into the trench on the right, with two people in blue keftas, who looked like the good guys, if their position served as a guide, and a girl dressed much like Tolya. It must have been the sister the man had told them so much about, Tamar. Kaz and Vixen went into the trench on the left. As soon as they hid in it, Vixen noticed the other person crouching to her right and felt the air leaving her lungs. Her memory did him no justice. His blue eyes were more vibrant than she remembered, and she could see them very well because they were fixed on her, as if he couldn’t believe they were really there. Considering that the four were the only ones they had seen on their way, Vixen assumed that the situation was not very favorable for that side, and that they did not expect reinforcements. The arrogant smile she remembered seemed distant, behind a worried expression and his blond hair was more disorganized. He had an ugly wound on the side of his head. He didn’t look his best, but that did not mean that he had lost a shred of his handsomeness or prevented Vixen from recognizing Sturmhond. Only it wasn’t Sturmhond. She knew when she saw his uniform, and a voice from the next trench confirmed it.

“What is Sturmhond doing here?” asked Jesper with his weapons ready.

“Around here he goes by Nikolai“ replied Tamar.

Vixen looked back at Sturmhond/Nikolai. It was him. The prince of Ravka who had hired them was the same pirate who had saved them from ending up in Hellgate. That’s why Tolya referred to her as <<Kaz Bekker’s shadow>> because he worked for him. Part of her told her to stay away from the prince. He was Ravka’s royal family. They had sent the grishas to kill her mother. She had to get away from him. But on the other hand, Kaz and her people were there. Their job was to save Ravka, and to do that they had to save the prince.

Her stream of thoughts was cut off when they saw the whirlwind of water generated by the grisha on the other side of the trenches. Under the watchful eye of Nikolai, who kept looking at her, Vixen fixed her attention on Kaz, took her hand to her neck and ran her fingers up her throat, towards her chin. His boss nodded. Vixen took a deep breath and before Nikolai could stop her, comprehending what she wanted to do, the girl stepped out of the safety of the trench and took two steps to get in the middle.

She put her hands together on her chest and focused all her attention on the other Tidemaker. From what she could see, she had an amplifier, but Vixen didn’t care. It didn’t affect what she wanted to do. When the other grisha looked into her eyes, Vixen separated her fingers and used her power to make the whirlwind of water spin in the other direction. She couldn’t help the smile on her lips as the other grisha lost focus in surprise. She might have grown up learning all about her power, but Vixen had learned to use her power and distract her preys to steal their wallet. 

As her concentration had diminished quite a bit, Vixen controlled the water so that it pushed the other man and threw him a couple of meters back. Jesper took advantage of that moment to leave behind the trench and shoot at the enemy. But the other tidemaker froze his shooters. Vixen looked at her in surprise. That was new. She couldn’t do that. Jesper didn’t seem too upset, because he used his buttons as projectiles. Vixen, on the other hand, was blocked. All her life she had thought her grisha condition was a curse. Her parents had fled Ravka before the testers discovered her. Her mother had died because she was grisha. She had had to learn to control it when it became impossible for her to hide it —her mother had taught her to—, but she had never seen her power as positive. And now she was back in Ravka, surrounded by grishas that used their powers without fear, like a sixth sense, something completely natural.

“Vixen!“ she heard someone screaming, just before a body crashed into her and threw her to the ground just as a lightning bolt struck the ground where she had been. When she came back to reality the first thing she noticed were the blue eyes that looked at her very closely. They were certainly brighter than she remembered, and blue like the ocean. Though at that distance she could pitpoint little golden specks, as if his royal blood had affected his irises as well. Then she noticed his body, which was on top of hers, holding her to the ground. Vixen hated feeling cornered, but on that occasion all she could think about was the warmth of the body above her and how pleasant the feeling was. She didn’t feel cornered, rather protected. And only her father had made her feel that way before.  

The sound of the electricity ended up bringing her back to reality. She squirmed to shake him off her. He was Nikolai Lantsov, the royalty of Ravka. She could not forget that again.

Nikolai had almost forgotten the enemy. Vixen’s lost and desolate gaze had made him wonder what had made her feel that way. She seemed paralyzed by the power of Kirigan’s grisha, but Nikolai wondered why, considering that she herself was a tidemaker. That’s why he had not hesitated to take her away from the path of the lightning bolt when he had noticed that she had not seen the man prepared to attack her.

“Are you okay?” he asked after getting up awkwardly because of his injured leg. Then he offered his hand to help her up. Vixen looked back at him, but this time she frown at him again, as she had the last time they had met. Nikolai wondered if it was his own appearance that caused the girl’s anger. Now she knew who he really was, but she kept looking at him the same way, as if his own person was what insulted her.

Vixen did not reply. Instead she rose without accepting his help and, without taking another look at him, separated from Nikolai and approached Kaz to stand by his side and face the enemy. Kaz looked at her and nodded. After three years, they were able to communicate without words or signs. Vixen crossed her hands over her chest again and focused her attention on the man who had tried to fry her with a lightning bolt.

The trick she was about to do was the only one her mother hadn’t taught her. The woman had always considered that the power of a grisha should be used for good, and never to harm another person. That’s why she always used water as a help or for protection. But at the time, Vixen knew she had to use it differently. She focused on the water running through the man’s body and spread her fingers. She felt how the man’s blood was losing moisture and all the water in his system accumulated in his throat. There was still not enough to drown him, but just enough to make him lose his concentration and the ability to continue using his power. 

“Wylan. The poison,” Kaz said to her left, but Vixen did not see what was happening around her because all her attention was on the man. Then a cloud of poison floated towards him and Vixen noticed how it slowed his blood even more. Her power was cut off when Tamar stood in front of the man, preventing her from maintaining eye contact with her target. But she knew it was no longer necessary when Tamar threw her ax at the grisha’s head, without him doing anything to prevent it. 

Everyone’s attention turned to the other tidemaker and Vixen saw on her face that she didn’t have many options. She tried to use her grisha power on them, but she couldn’t do it because all her fingers were missing. Vixen assumed it was Jesper’s work. It all ended with a bullet from Nikolai’s pistol.

[rose-sophia-isabella-rogers]

A Tide That Turned Everything: Chapter I - Separated, Hurting, Broken

Summary: Aleksander is alive but he paid a price for surviving. Because of his actions Grisha are hunted and executed. They find a place where they can be safe. There you meet with Alina, Mal and Prince Nikolai. They plan to bring the country back together and destroy the Fold. In the meantime Aleksander gathers his own army. The question is, on which side will you be?

A/N: Here is another fic about General Kirigan and Reader! It's the third part in series about Reader being a Tidemaker. It concentrates of the events in season two of the show. I hope you will like it! As usual, I don't own anything from "Shadow and Bone". But I've almost finished reading the books! The only one that remains is the "Rule of Wolves". But this story still only focuses on the TV show. Also, English still isn't my first language, so if you see some mistakes, let me know. Enjoy!

Chapter Summary: Kirigan is searching for you and nothing will stop him from finding you. Nikolai tries to save his country. Alina tries to gather Morozova's amplifiers. And you? You try to mend your broken heart. Which may be difficult with everyone not trusting you and news you hear from David.

Pairing: Aleksander Kirigan/Reader, Ivan/Fedyor Kaminsky, Alina Starkov/Mal Oretsev

Characters: Aleksander Kirigan, Reader, David Kostyk, Genya Safin, Fruzsi, Fedyor Kaminsky, Alina Starkov, Nadia Zhabin, Mal Oretsev, Nikolai Lantsov, Zoya Nazyalensky, Tamar Kir-Bataar, Adrik Zhabin

Word Count: 4428

merzost – magic, abomination, unnatural creation, something from nothing moi tsarevich – my prince, son of tsar milaya – sweet girl There is a slight plot from third episode of the second season and also a bit more from the fourth episode. Inspired by prompts: https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089683705/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089584620/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089683695/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089684424/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089559821/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089683637/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089559895/

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added or removed):

@budugu

@intothesoul

@mizelophsun11

@pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy

@zeeader

Aleksander and his followers have set up a base in a house of an aristocrat family. Yes, he has survived. But paid a price for it. He created creatures of shadows with merzost, but because of that his health is falling. He's coughing, often with black substance, has headaches and has scars on his face that can't be healed. His condition deeply worries him. But something troubles him even more.

One day another group of recruits arrives. Aleksander immediately goes to greet them and looks at their faces. He's happy to see David and tells him that. Then, he returns to looking around. However, he doesn't see what he wants.

'Was [Y/N] with you?' he asks David, who's retreating with Genya. They stop. The Durast shakes his head with sorrow.

'I haven't seen her since the day we left the Little Palace after…' he doesn't finish. But Aleksander knows what he wanted to say. He nods. He walks to Fruzsi, another Tidemaker.

'Ask everyone who has arrived whether they have seen [Y/N] [L/N] during the last weeks,' he orders her. Fruzsi is surprised by this, but nods. She comes to his room an hour later.

'And?' he asks, expectant, hoping.

'No one has seen her,' Fruzsi answers. Aleksander's shoulders slump. He sighs, and runs a hand through his face.

'Tell the search parties to look specifically for her,' he orders. 'I want her found. As soon as possible.'

'I know she's close to you,' Fruzsi says, frowning. 'But shouldn't we focus on-'

'She's not close to me,' Aleksander interrupts her. 'She's everything to me.'

Fruzsi is surprised, guessing what he means. He turns away from her.

'With all due respect, sir…' she says slowly, '… why her?'

Aleksander turns to her. There's something in his eyes Fruzsi has never seen.

'Why anyone else when she exists?' he asks. The Tidemaker lingers only for a moment longer. But her place is quickly taken by someone else…

'Fedyor!' Aleksander says, happy and relieved. The Heartrender smiles and bows his head to his general. Kirigan walks to him and the two shake hands. The Darkling notices the tiredness and sadness in his friend's eyes.

'Ivan…' he says, his smile falling.

'Is alive,' Fedyor says. 'That's why it took me so long to get here. He's wounded and scarred. Healers are putting him back together at the moment.'

'I'm glad to hear it,' Aleksander says. 'He… he did well in the Fold.'

Fedyor nods. He bites his lip, hesitating.

'Any news of [Y/N]?' he asks. Sorrow fills Kirigan's eyes. He shakes his head.

'Not yet,' he answers and sighs heavily. He walks to his armchair and falls on it. He runs a hand through his face.

'I need her, Fedyor,' he says. 'Every time I turn my face, I expect to find her there. And I find nothing. It physically hurts. I've never known I'd meet a girl like her.'

'[Y/N] is one of a kind,' Fedyor agrees. Aleksander shakes his head.

'It's more than that,' he says and smiles softly. 'When I told her about my past, what I did, what I fear… she looked my demons in the eye and… smiled. She fell for the very thing I thought she'd fear.'

'I haven't met a kinder heart,' Fedyor says with a smile.

'Kind,' Aleksander says. 'Compassionate. Understanding. Gentle. That's who she is. That's why I fell for her. And I failed her. When she needed me the most, when they were throwing Grisha out of the Little Palace, I wasn't there. I even insisted she stayed there. She should have gone with you, like she wanted. But now she may be dead. And it's my fault.'

'She's not dead,' Fedyor says strongly. Kirigan looks at him with doubt.

'How can you be so sure?' he asks.

'Everyone knows she's important to you,' Fedyor answers. 'I think that if they had managed to kill her, they would have made every Grisha aware of it.'

He has a point, Aleksander must admit it. Hope reignites with him once more. Fedyor smiles.

'Fear not, General,' he says. 'She might look like a fragile flower, but her stem is made of steel.'

Aleksander can't help but smile. He nods. Fedyor's eyes suddenly light up.

'What about the gift you gave her for her last birthday?' he asks. Aleksander instinctively touches a ring on his finger. He sighs deeply.

'The problem is, I gave it to her so she would call on me if she needed help,' he says. 'Until she says my name while touching the necklace, I can't use my matching ring to track her. Believe me I… tried.'

'Well, we have David now,' Fedyor says. 'Maybe he could think of something.'

'He'd need something that belongs to her,' Aleksander explains, remembering how the Durast made the ring and necklace.

'And we don't have anything,' Fedyor sighs. Kirigan shakes his head.

'We will get her back, General,' the Heartrender assures him.

'I know,' Aleksander says and a look in his eyes darkens. 'I promised her. That the world can't keep us apart. And that there's nothing I wouldn't do to keep her by my side. I fully intent to keep that promise, Fedyor. No matter what.'

*

In the meantime, Alina and Mal have teamed up with a privateer, who's just turned out to be Prince Nikolai Lantsov. Together, they hunted the Sea Whip for Alina. She now has two amplifiers. She tried to destroy the Fold, but failed. After that, they head for the Spinning Wheel, a place where apparently Grisha have found a safe heaven – the Spinning Wheel. There, Alina reunites with Nadia… and Zoya. But the conversation with Zoya goes well, to Alina's surprise. They are now allies. After they walk their ways, Nadia joins Alina's side, uncertain.

'Someone else is in here you might be interested in,' she says.

'Who?' Alina asks, frowning. Nadia simply grabs her arm and drags her somewhere. A few corridors later the Sun Summoner sees a familiar back.

'[Y/N]!' she exclaims happily and runs forward, freeing herself of Nadia's hold. You turn around, surprised. You huff, when Alina falls into your arms. You hug her back slowly.

'Saints, I'm so glad you're okay!' she says, pulling away. You force a smile.

'Thank you,' you say. 'I'm happy you're alive as well. After I heard what had happened in the Fold…'

'I made it,' Alina says, smiling, and looks over your shoulder. 'Thanks to Mal.'

You turn your head and see a young man, looking both familiar and unfamiliar. He notices you and his frown tells you he has the same situation with you.

'Mal, look who's here!' Alina calls him, waving at him with enthusiasm. The man joins you, looking at you with interest.

'I hope you remember our dear friend from Keremzin, [Y/N] [L/N],' Alina says, looking between you two. Mal's eyes spark with recognition. He smiles broadly.

'How could I not?' he says and chuckles. 'You almost cracked my skull open once!'

'You definitely deserved it!' you laugh and go in for a hug. You hold each other tightly, then pull away. In a moment Mal's brows cease with worry.

'No offense, but you look awful,' he says. You smile wryly. You're well aware of the dark circles under your eyes, puffy eyes, pale face and so on.

'Well, I sleep with my one eye open,' you say. 'I'm not exactly welcome here.'

'Why?' Alina asks, frowning. You give her a look.

'I was one of Kirigan's most loyal Grisha,' you explain. 'No one here trusts me.'

'But you didn't know what he's planning,' Alina says vehemently. The corners of your lips lift slightly.

'How can you be so sure?' you ask.

'Yes, how can we?' a voice asks. You turn your head and see a young man in a uniform. You bow your head.

'Moi tsarevich,' you greet Nikolai. He stops by Alina and Mal's side.

'So?' he asks, eyeing you. 'How can we be sure we can trust you?'

'Nikolai!' Alina scolds him. You look tsarevich in the eyes.

'I didn't know Kirigan had planned to expand the Fold,' you declare. 'In fact, we haven't been close for a long time.'

'Why?' Nikolai asks, frowning. You smile wryly at him.

'I've been asking myself this question for months,' you answer. Nikolai eyes you again.

'I trust [Y/N],' Alina says strongly. Nikolai looks at her and they exchange a look. Finally, he nods and smiles at you.

'Alina's friends are mine friends,' he says and takes your hand in his, then kisses it. 'Pleasure to meet you, Miss [L/N]. And I'm sorry for the suspicion.'

'Charmed,' you say, smiling slightly. 'And it's perfectly alright. I understand.'

'Come, we have a lot to catch up,' Alina says, taking your arm and you start walking. Soon enough she tells you what happened to her. She tells you how Baghra warned her about Aleksander. How she escaped. How she met with Mal. How they found the Stag. But then Kirigan found them. He killed the Stag and joined Alina with its bones. He tried to harness her powers for himself. He used them to expand the Fold. But there Mal and three rouges from Ketterdam saved her. She and Mal escaped to Novyi Zem. There they met Nikolai.

'And that's about it,' Alina finishes her story a moment later.

'You've certainly been busy,' you comment. Your friend sighs. There's sadness in her eyes.

'I still can't believe I let him fooled me,' she says. 'I… I honestly thought we share some sort of connection, you know?'

'Yeah,' you answer quietly, now sad as well. But Alina quickly becomes angry.

'I still can't believe how cruel he really was,' she says with venom. 'All those people he murdered… because he wanted more power. How could someone be so cold-hearted?'

'Behind every cold-hearted person there is a kind heart which has been treated with coldness for a while,' you say quietly. Alina looks at you with surprise. But you don't say anything more.

'What about you?' your friend asks. 'How did you escape from the Little Palace?'

'I didn't,' you answer after a moment. Alina frowns at you. She looks you up and down, no doubt wondering how you can be here if you hadn't escaped from the Little Palace. You avoid her eyes.

'When the First Army raided the Little Palace, I focused on getting everyone else out,' you start. 'Especially the children. So, when I was about to evacuate myself… it was too late. I was caught.'

'[Y/N]…' Alina says, horrified. You force a smile and shake your head.

'It wasn't really for a long time,' you say. 'I escaped.'

'How?' Alina asks. You're silent for a moment. You try not to think about the time you were a captive. About what they did to you…

Darkling's whore… Filthy witch… Stupid serving girl…

'They were careless,' you answer. 'Thought they broke me. I used it against them. Then I found out about this place. Others weren't exactly thrilled to see me but they took me in. I guess my sorry state made them pity me.'

'[Y/N]… what had they done to you so they thought they broke you?' Alina asks with worry.

'Hurt me,' you answer after a moment and force a smile at her. 'You should rest. You've had a tiring journey.'

'But-' Alina starts, frowning.

'I'll see you later,' you say, hug her briefly, then walk away. Your heart is hammering in your chest. You don't look back. You don't think about what you told Alina. You don't think about it so much, you bump into someone.

'Sorry!' you apologise. The person turns out to be Zoya. She looks you over.

'How are you looking worse and worse every day?' she asks. You smile wryly.

'It's my hidden talent,' you answer and attempt to walk past her. But she grabs your arm. You look up at her. There's seriousness in her eyes.

'You're not alone,' she says, confusing you. 'Kirigan had us all fooled. I know it's hard for you, you were his personal servant and then his trusted Grisha. I know you must have certain attachment to him but… you have to let it go. He murdered innocents. And would do it again.'

'You… "Attachment"?' you repeat with disbelief. 'Zoya, I… He was the first person who saw I'm more than just a plain serving girl. Every time I struggled, he was there to help me. He saved me every time I was in danger. Do you remember Tsybeia? Even before it turned out I'm a Grisha he was always kind to me and protected me. And now… everyone tells me what he did, who he is. But I can't just forget about all the good stuff he did.'

Zoya looks at you. Suddenly, her eyes go wide. You stiffen. You know she realised your secret.

'And you love him,' she guesses and crosses her arms. 'Tell me, if he handed you a bloodied hand, would you take it, only because it was his?'

You stare at her. Tears well up in your eyes. You smile sadly, a bit brokenly.

'I honestly have no idea, Zoya,' you whisper and turn. You walk away, trying to blink away the tears. And you definitely don't think how much you miss Aleksander. Nor how much you wish he was alive.

*

The night falls. It is a relief to you, because you finally are away from the judging eyes, hurtful whispers. But the sleep never comes easily. Your thoughts are always a mess. Today as well.

You lay down in bed and try very hard to fall asleep. Your thoughts drift to everything that happened that day. You sigh and hesitantly grab the necklace on your neck. Pain clenches your heart.

Aleksander…

Suddenly you find yourself in Kirigan's chambers in the Little Palace. Everything is just like you remember. You look down at yourself and see the clothes you were wearing as Aleksander's personal servant.

'I did miss the sight of that band on your arm,' you hear. Your heart stops. Oh, how you longed to hear that voice. You turn around and see Aleksander leaning on his table. He looks just like he did when you last saw him.

'Yet I still preferred to see you in your kefta,' he says, slowly walking towards you. 'It suited you. It was meant to be yours.'

'Sometimes I wish I've never discovered my powers,' you admit. 'Then I would just admire you from afar. I wouldn't feel this pain now.'

'Do you really?" Aleksander asks. You think for a moment. You smile sadly and shake your head.

'Not really, no,' you answer. 'Because it was worth it. Being with you was the happiest time of my life. Even though you insisted on hiding it from everyone.'

Aleksander stops in front of you. He hands his head.

'Will you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?' he asks. You're quiet for a moment.

'I don't know,' you answer honestly. Aleksander nods, understanding. He looks up and reaches toward your face, but hesitates. His hand hangs in the air.

'I hate seeing you sad,' he says.

'Then come back to me,' you say, tears filling your eyes. 'I just want to see you. Hold you. Hug you. Touch you. Kiss you. Cuddle with you. Love you. Then I'll stop being sad.'

Aleksander looks at you with pain. He hates to see you like this.

'I want this too, milaya,' he says. 'So much.'

'I waited for you,' you say. 'Like I promised I would. Part of me still does. Even though it's impossible for you to return to me.'

'[Y/N]…' Aleksander whispers. He slowly reaches out to you again. When you don't flinch away, he cups your cheek. The moment he does, your clothes change into your kefta from the winter fete. He smiles softly.

'I didn't even tell you that you looked magnificent that night,' he says quietly. 'Beautiful. And your performance… You were extraordinary.'

You smile. You waited so long to hear those words. You lean into his touch.

'It's hard without you,' you say.

'I know the feeling,' Aleksander says quietly. You touch his hand that is on your cheek. You turn your head and kiss it.

'Everyone is sad to be gone from the Little Palace,' you say. 'They say their lost their home. But I lost mine before the First Army attacked us.'

'Because I was your home,' Aleksander says quietly. You nod. Kirigan presses his forehead to yours. He closes his eyes.

'I wish I was kissing you instead of missing you,' he whispers, his voice shaking from pain. You close your eyes, fighting with tears. You fail, obviously. You can feel them falling down your cheeks.

'Did you think of me?' you dare to ask. 'When you were in the Fold?'

'Yes,' Aleksander answers, clenching his jaw. 'I wanted you to be by my side. And then I wanted to come back to you.'

'Why didn't you tell me?' you ask. 'About your plans about Alina and the Fold? The real ones.'

'Because you have a compassionate heart,' Aleksander answers after a moment. 'You'd disagree with my plan. Maybe leave me.'

'You don't know that,' you say, shaking your head.

'Wouldn't you?' Aleksander challenges you. You're silent.

'I don't know what would I do,' you say and look him in the eyes. 'You robbed me of that choice.'

Kirigan looks down. Maybe he's actually ashamed a bit.

'But I know I wouldn't leave you,' you add. Aleksander's head shoots up. You cup his face.

'I promised you to be with you for better and for worse,' you say. 'No matter what would happen, I would be with you.'

'And then maybe you would die in the Fold,' Aleksander says flatly. 'This one time I wouldn't have been able to save you.'

'Maybe I would have saved myself,' you suggest with a small smile. Kirigan sighs and shakes his head.

'Sometimes I really can't with you,' he says. You grin at him. But then your smile falls.

'Kiss me?' you plead. You don't have to ask twice. Aleksander cups your face and kisses you.

'We shall be together again, my darling, I promise,' he whispers.

'I want this more than anything,' you whisper back. 'So much.'

'Be patient, [Y/N],' Aleksander pleads. 'For me. Please.'

'I'm waiting,' you whisper. 'I'll be always waiting for you.'

Kirigan opens his eyes. He's met with the wall of his room in the residence. He sighs heavily and sits up. His finger caresses the ring on his finger. Then, he lifts it to his lips.

'Please, [Y/N],' he whispers. 'Call for me. Call for me and I'll come for you. I swear. I will always come for you.'

*

You, Tamar (a Heartrender) and Nadia watch Alina training her new abilities. She thrusts light at her target… but even though it's impressive, it doesn't even reach it.

'Absolute rubbish,' she grunts. Nadia scoffs and gives Tamar a look.

'It's the second amplifier,' the Heartrender explains. She walks to pick up a mannequin. You three follow her.

'With the Stag, summoning came like breath,' Alina says. 'This is like… reining chaos. Crossing the Fold was a disaster.'

'Hey, we'll get you there,' Nadia comforts her. 'If it helps, I could hit you with a switch and call you "stupid girl".'

'It may come to that,' Alina sighs. 'How is it I'm overwhelmed by the second amplifier and at the same time feeling the lack of a third?'

'Well, for now, let's focus on what we can fix,' Nadia says.

'Your aim, for starters,' you suggest. Alina gives you a look and scoffs. You all go back.

'As leader of the Second Army, I need more,' she says. Ah, yes. You had a dinner with the Lantsov family (you were so not happy they've arrived). During that Nikolai announced he and Alina are engaged (yeah, because you didn't see how she and Mal look at each other) and that from now on she's the leader of the Second Army. Not everyone was happy about it (ekhm, Zoya).

'I need to learn the Cut,' Alina says, turning to you. You stiffen.

'That was Kirigan's way, to lead with fear,' Nadia protests. 'You can lead with your heart. The Second Army will be better for it.'

'You make a good point,' Tamar agrees. 'But I wouldn't completely reject fear. Can't tell you how many have taken one look at my girls and… reconsidered. I don't know how the Cut works, that's a top-shelf Etherialki move, but I do know how to direct power. It's all about intention. I like to picture the face of the person I want to crush. Try it.'

Alina positions herself and exhales. She closes her eyes. Soon light surrounds her. A moment later she grunts angrily, waves her hands and light shots forward. You all look at the effect with wide eyes.

'Well, it's not the Cut, but… it's effective,' Tamar laughs. Nadia suddenly straightens up.

'Wait a moment,' she says. 'We do have here someone who's managed the Cut.'

She and Alina look at you. Tamar looks at you, impressed. You gulp.

'Once,' you say. 'I did it once. And I have no idea how. I… didn't exactly plan it.'

'Well, what did you think about then?' Tamar asks and you stiffen. 'What did you feel?'

You see in your mind Aleksander and Alina talking together, laughing. You remember the pain and hurt you felt. You were so overwhelmed you just had to let it go. And slashed the dummy.

'Anger,' you finally answer. 'I felt anger. The kind that was killing me.'

Before anyone can ask you more, you hear footsteps. You turn and see Adrik, Nadia's brother.

'I know, not to be disturbed, but they need you in the war room,' he says to Alina. She nods and looks at others. Tamar and Nadia turn and start walking. Alina grabs her jacket and follows them. But then she notices you're not following.

'[Y/N]?' she asks. You shake your head.

'My presence will not be welcomed there,' you say and smile. 'Go without me.'

Alina hesitates, but eventually nods and leaves. Adrik is behind her. You turn to look at the dummy the Sun Summoner hit. It has a hole coming from the arm to the stomach. Almost like the Cut.

You leave a few minutes later. You take a few turns, heading toward your room, when…

'David,' you say, surprised. David with his hands spread is being led by Tolya (a Heartrender and Tamar's twin) somewhere. They stop, hearing your voice. The Durast's eyes go wide.

'[Y/N],' he says and goes pale. 'Oh, Saints, you're here…'

'Why are you…?' you start but then remember. David was the one who made the collar for Alina. They don't trust him here.

'Come,' Tolya says and continues to take David away. You're left there, stunned and shocked. You can't believe your dear friend is here. And that he is a prisoner, while you walk free…

Later you come across Alina on the corridor. She smiles at you. You look at her, troubled.

'I need to ask you a favour,' you say.

'Anything,' Alina says at once. You gulp.

'I need to see David,' you say. Alina blinks.

'And you need me for…?' she asks. You sigh.

'For getting through the door,' you say. 'Alina, just because you trust me, doesn't mean others do. Please. I need to know if he's okay.'

Alina nods and walks with you to Nikolai. The prince isn't happy but he grants you your request. A moment later you enter David's cell. Alone.

'[Y/N],' he says, straightening up at the sight of you. You smile.

'How are you, David?' you ask.

'I'm… fine, thank you,' he answers. You frown. He's terribly stiff.

'And not exactly thrilled to see me,' you point out. David sighs.

'Forgive me,' he asks. 'Of course, I'm happy to see you. But if he finds out you're here…'

'Who?' you ask, blinking. David stares at you. He stares at you with disbelief, when he sees you're not fooling around.

'You… you don't know?' he asks.

'About?' you ask, confused. David shifts, uncomfortable. He doesn't know if he should say it. But you won't let it go, he just knows it.

'Kirigan is alive,' he finally says quietly. You stumble back and hit a table with your back. You stare at David, shocked.

'No,' you say, your lip trembling. 'You're lying. He can't be.'

'I would never lie to you about this,' David says softly. You stare at him. And see no deception in his eyes. He's telling the truth.

You bring hands to your mouth and let out a sob. You close your eyes and cry. You cry for the first time since the raid. These are tears of anger, sadness, pain, sorrow… and joy.

'How?' you whisper, looking at David again. 'How did he survive?'

'He created something in the Fold,' he answers, wincing. 'Creatures made of shadow. I guess they helped him. But he… he paid a big price for it.'

'What price?' you demand.

'He's troubled by coughs, headaches, pain,' David answers. 'I… I fear only merzost could cure him.'

Your heart aches. You don't know how you feel about all that.

'[Y/N]… that necklace I gave you… where is it?' David asks. Your heart speeds up.

'I don't know,' you lie. 'I lost it when the Little Palace was attacked.'

'Are you sure?' David asks. 'Because if even by accident you call him… he will come here at once for you.'

'Me?' you ask, raising your eyebrows. The Durast looks at you. He hesitates again.

'The priority for him and his Grisha is finding you,' he finally says. 'He… Every day with no news about you is making him more agitated. He insists that he needs you by his side. He more or less admitted that there was something going on between you two.'

You're quiet. You shake your head.

'I'm not the one he needs,' you deny and leave. You stop a few turns later. Your hand reaches to the hidden necklace under your kefta. You stop your hand mid-air. You shake your head and resume walking. You must let go of Aleksander. For your sake. And for others'.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts! Reblog, like and comment if you could.

This can also be found on Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49965037/chapters/126151432

[helenvader]

"Now... you know sacrifice."

"Beyond everything you've ever known."

This scene takes place where LUDA died.

Why did he never try to tell her about it? I know, because the writers didn't write it. But it makes no sense. Everybody WOULD try to explain.

...

Tamar is so annoying. And she doesn't even look like she belongs to the show, she looks weirdly modern?

...

Plot armor in the interior fight with the shadow monster was incredibly strong...

...

"Let me carry the hatred of this world." - ok, at least SOMETHING. But Alina doesn't get it. Of course.

Why couldn't they make him sympathetic BEFORE his dying scene?

...

Not the meadow again...

...

Sasha is dead for a minute and Alina already used merzost. Notice that he didn't use it to resurrect the woman he loved when he created the Fold. He used it so as to SAVE GRISHA. He used it for others. She used it for herself.

...

"I don't want any heretics to find his body and make a martyr's relic of it"

WHAT? She's such a self-important bitch. He ASKED you to do it. You have to twist everything, don't you?

...

How can Kaz know poetry that Tolya quotes? Do they teach it on the streets of the Barrel?

...

Genya really was reduced to a victim. But is David dead? People killed by the shadow monsters do not disappear. He might be alive. And I hope he is!

...

"You both have every right." What bloody right do Zoya and Genya have to burn Sasha? Burning him is not revenge, it's what he bloody wanted to avoid his body to be misused.

I feel so sad for him. Finally. Finally something made me feel something.

...

Oh no, a speech? Please no.

...

Fjerdans looking at the Fold that is no more. Yay! Now they can enter Ravka from anywhere.

...

Ha! A bee! Ha!

...

Isn't a privateer basically a pirate licensed by the government to capture enemy ships, allowed to keep the spoils in return? Why do they need one?

...

No. Don't spoil Kanej. Taken out of the book context, what Inej says sounds like she only cares about the physical part of love. :-(

...

Mal being Sturmhond is like Dread Pirate Rogers from Princess Bride. 🤣

...

Oh I see, privateer as in "spy". Maybe slaver ship hunter, too? I can accept that!

...

Mal in teal frock! 🙃

...

Ah, yes. Slaver ship hunter. I do like that!

...

How can King of Ravka give pardon to a Kerch prisoner?

Except it didn't work anyway.

...

The Apparat!

...

Sobachka is a monster, as expected. :-(

...

Alina *so* doesn't deserve Nikolai.

...

Enter Zoya and Genya, the new nobility as it seems. Including shallow conversations. Oh wow, a refuge. That has been done before, hasn't it? Oh, but that doesn't count. It was evil when Sasha did it. At a much higher risk.

Doing away with coloured keftas is important, yes.

So Shu Han is suddenly just "estranged"?

WHAT DRUGS DID THE WRITERS TAKE?

...

Triumvirate indeed.

...

Isn't the Lantsov banner light blue? But maybe it's just a coronation thing.

...

Jurda parem.

Impressively gory.

Alina, that was some smirk. Not walking the same path as Sasha? Just look at your face.

A great ending. Too bad so much of the show was meh.

[sanktagenyas]

making mal this supportive boyfriend who doesn’t have a thought to voice and just watches the supposed love of his life get ready to marry another man (even if its a non romantic and only political alliance) and alina be distracted by the first pretty face whenever mal isn’t around makes them seem resigned and with an inferiority complex and fickle respectively.

the fact that alina is so insecure about herself that despite declarations, makeout sessions, the fact that this man is willing to follow her on hunts for mystical creatures even though he clearly worries she could die in the process all because it’s what SHE wants she still doubts his feelings and is mad that he isn’t throwing a jealous fit while ravka is at war. the ravka she keeps insisting she needs to be the one to save. all of it is ridiculous.

even before mal dumps her i couldn’t root for malina even though jessie and archie have decent chemistry. they don’t have the same chemistry ben and jessie do or even jessie and daisy have. because yes i was rooting for genyalina, a fanon ship more than i was for the central romance of season 2. but it’s not about chemistry being lacking or even about mal being a piece of shit anymore because that’s book!mal! it’s book mal who shames her for everything she does from her sexuality/romantic endeavours that don’t involve him, to the use of her powers, to her body. in the books it actually makes sense for alina to bond with nikolai and be charmed by him. the guy she’s in love with treats her like shit so whether it’s the privateer persona or the prince of course she’s gonna gravitate towards him especially when he’s more respectful towards her and more understanding.

in the show though? she’s high and mighty. she doesn’t understand why nikolai had to lie to her, she doesn’t understand why the alliance is beneficial until mal of all people explains it to her and she only likes nikolai because he’s a) charming and attractive and b) he sucks up to her. it’s not about connection anymore. you take away the reason why she was even open to it and turns out nikolai and alina don’t make sense.

and now they wanna give part of zoya’s storyline to alina on top of it. i have yet to read KoS or RoW but i know alina isn’t in the first book. and she certainly isn’t the protagonist anymore. that would be nikolai and zoya. if they insert her into a love triangle i will lose my mind. at this point i’d rather she get her happy ending with mal even though i don’t ship it. they left it open ended that whole part about next time if they cross paths again it will be about choice not destiny. honestly i’ve seen some malinas complain and why? you guys won. just because the endgame has been delayed doesn’t mean it’s not happening eventually. it’s just that if it does it will involve alina also grappling with her new grisha powers. i just hope she isn’t forced to sacrifice those like she did in the books, that if she loses her powers this time she chooses to do so maybe because she sees how they’re turning her into someone who murders in cold blood and likes it. maybe. she’s supposed to be different from the darkling actually and yet she was really quick to use the shadow cut. i hope they explore that if she sticks around and that she isn’t forced to choose between love and powers that are integral to her very being. don’t change the book ending just to backtrack, show!

but for the love of god do not put her in another love triangle and not with nikolai. it does not work. and we’ve already been paid dust with zoya she’s meant to be our lead female role if they ever adapt KoS and RoW. do something different find something for alina, the hero of the first trilogy to do that isn’t being defined by her boyfriend or ex boyfriend/enemy. her whole healing ravka spiel was only out of guilt and pride both instiled in her by the darkling. she got rid of the fold, yes but she has no political savvy she isn’t meant for what comes next. she doesn’t care for her country above all. that would be zoya. i said i like jessie’s acting and i do but i love sujaya’s in what little she’s been given and zoya promises to have an amazing character arc and growth. i’ve not read the duology yet, i’m late to the party but show!zoya has so much potential and if they waste it to shove alina where she does not belong it’d be such a waste.

[oretsev]

hi helloo, i'd just written a novel in ur askbox about s&b and then tumblr crashed and it was all lost :') maybe for the better because it was a total mess of thoughts lmao so let me try to summarise my feelings a bit (im sorry this turned out REALLY long)

i HATE that they speedran s&s and r&r in the most bullshit way possible. the entire amplifier hunt was basically removed, at least journey-wise - they just. find the sea whip in that one cave and then they go to morozova's workshop and thats it?? wheres the shu han quest. where the fuck is the ACTUAL spinning wheel. and why is alina not hounding everyone to find the firebird??? she's supposed to be obsessively seeking it now, why does she barely seem to care? also where's the actual ending to siege and storm. WHERE is my darkling & alina fight. wheres her being saved by mal... where's her white hair !!!! idk that scene was my favourite and once i knew we were getting a tv show i really wanted to see this on screen :((

all the characters and relationships they cut... harshaw, misha, ONCAT, tamar&nadia (because lbr they basically weren't there), honestly i even missed sergei and stigg (who i'd barely even remembered before), nadia and adrik as siblings even. they just cut all these people and their journeys with alina for what, a fetch quest for a magic sword?

also, where's the apparat and the soldat sol? we hear people call alina 'sankta', sure, but the entire religious part of ruin and rising is just. completely sidelined. which is really weird because it's so important!! tolya and tamar's faith is basically nonexistent and i don't like it at all

the whole firebird reveal was soooo boring. like i'm sorry but that scene in the book? absolutely perfect. but in the show... it's just a story! baghra just tells mal and thats it! honestly this entire season was so much telling and not showing too, soooo much exposition and it just really didnt work

now then. ive put this off long enough but. the fucking ending. dude... i don't even know where to begin. how do you fuck up the rewrite of your book so badly that the entire moral of your book is just. completely lost?? literally the entire trilogy is built on the "what is infinite? the universe and the greed of men" quote. you CANNOT disregard that in this way. the point of the entire story is that alina's greed is punished! she loses her powers and she loses mal (sort of). the fold is destroyed by her power but not by her, because she never should have had that much power! now... she loses nothing. she has her power, she has three amplifiers, she brought mal back with merzost (which is still. insane to me like i legit laughed out loud when that happened) and now she's general of the second army and also soon probably queen of ravka??? she doesnt lose ANYTHING to her greed.

and with the ending too... where the hell are they going to take this next? because theyre sure as hell not following the kos duology storyline, what with alina now being nikolai's general instead of zoya (which im also. really pissed off about because zoya's story is SO important and theyve just. shoved her to the side)

i also have some thoughts about the crows and how theyve been handled of course i just don't feel as passionately about them (also because they shouldnt have been in this show in the first place but thats just my opinion <3) but i do wonder how theyre gonna start the soc spinoff when theyve basically done so much of the crooked kingdom plot already? and inej is literally already sailing and finding slavers like... i have no idea how theyre going to dothis spinoff and make everyone happy

very small last points but im so mad that they did the "an ordinary life full of ordinary things" line and then decided to. include nikolai? what the actual fuck? and then they didnt even GIVE malina their ordinary life... sorry im so so angry about this ending

i'm sure ive got more to say but this is already wayy too long and i don't wanna bother u anymore but ive just been mad for 3 days straight and really needed to get this off my chest <3 im really disappointed that theyve managed to screw up my favourite book series of all time so i'm just going to reread r&r and forget this season exists :D hope u have a nice day and thank u for reading this dump slfksdj

RIP but ty for venting!!! i totally get everything you’re saying. all of this comes down to the writers smashing basically all of the books into one season for NO reason. all of the things that make the trilogy & duology interesting & compelling & complex are gone bc there’s no time to show them. it’s constantly going GO GO GO with the plot, & for what?? nothing got added to these characters this season, i didn’t feel any impact during any of the big reveals, i didn’t get any emotional payoff from these characters’ journeys.

& why change the ending the way they do? eric’s already said that a season 3 would go back & touch on s&s things they didn’t address. so this ending is meant to draw out alina & mal’s stories, but why do it this way? why backtrack like that? you could certainly draw out the trilogy without speed-running the original ending like this, but that doesn’t fit whatever weird narrative he has for the crows ig.