Shadow Thieves

Chapter 12: Matthias

Matthias woke up to the morning sun blinding his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut, grumbling as he reached for the non-existent blanket. He looked over his shoulder at Nina who was rolled up in the blanket, sound asleep. She was such a blanket hog, but he would hate to wake her. He wouldn't be able to go back to sleep anyway, so he got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Matthias took a shower, the hot water easing his nerves. Brushing his teeth, he stood in front of the foggy mirror, towel wrapped tightly around his waist. The hard planes of his chest and strong muscles in his arms reflected back at him. His golden hair was long and dripping wet. Nina loved his hair long, so he kept it like that. Grabbing the bottle, he smothered shaving foam all over his face. His ice blue eyes stared back at him as he shaved his short stubble to reveal a sharp jaw. He quickly got dressed and kissed Nina softly on her forehead. She didn't stir at all, as he quickly departed. Yesterday, he had asked Kaz for a place that he and Nina could go. They were sort of like friends and no one knew Ketterdam better than Kaz. He strolled to the location, taking in the familiar, polluted, morning air. The city had started to grow on him, but Fjerda would always be his home. He had even started to like Ravka. The country was busy with many cities, but was lacking the Fjerdan ice.

Matthias arrived at the venue. It was a small, enclosed garden that looked like it had been abandoned for years. The cracked cobblestones had tiny flowers growing between them, flowers budded and bloomed in every corner and two long, brown benches sat on either side. A vine-covered fence surrounded the garden with thorny roses scattered about. A broken and bent arch had fallen over, but ruby-red roses still grew upon it. It was a place Nina would love. He started to lift the damaged arch up, try to stabilize it. It would need a few extra wood planks and to be reattached to the ground before it was brand-new again. He would also have to bring in a table for them to eat on and he couldn't forget the decorations. Inej had offered to help him decorate, as he wasn't much of a decorator. He went back to the Slat to acquire his materials. "Watcha looking for?" Wylan asked. He wasn't particularly close with the young merchling, but then again, he wasn't close with anyone here. "I need a table and some building supplies." Matthias answered. "We can help with that." said Jesper, popping up from nowhere. "Great, thanks. You can drop them off at this address." he said while scribbling down the garden's address on a scrap piece of paper. He said his goodbyes, then left the Slat to find a local store.

After endless searching, he found a prominent-looking store that did indeed have what he was seeking. Matthias bought lights, candles, table decor, lanterns and whatever else looked interesting. He paid for his stuff with some kruge, then left the store. He stopped by a little cart selling fresh flowers and bought red roses. He could use them to decorate and give some to Nina. The fragrant, crimson-red, blossoms were Nina's favourite. Perhaps, because of her Grisha status or that they symbolized passion and love. He went back to the old garden and was shocked to see Jesper and Wylan. Jesper was adjusting the arch and Wylan was repainting the aged benches. They waved at him, "We just started." Jesper said, coming over to help me with my haul. "We brought the table and I was thinking that we could reinforce the arch with the wire I brought and then reattached it." I gave him a nod and we got to work.

Hours later and the garden was looking amazing. Wylan and I had cut the overgrown shrubs and pulled the weeds, while Jesper cleaned the ground. We'd fixed the arch that now stood tall and sturdy, adorned with beautiful roses. They had brought an oak table that matched the scene perfectly. The three of them had worked all day, only stopping for a quick lunch. Inej showed up then, hands full of decorations. She got to work, directing orders at us. Jesper and Wylan strung lights around the garden, creating a chandelier-like, light canopy in the center of the garden. Inej hung glowing lanterns from every oak beam, as I set the table. I placed beeswax candles everywhere, giving the place a romantic vibe. "Okay, you guys can finish the rest. I've got to help Nina get ready." Inej said, silently departing. We finished up and headed back to the Slat.

I took another quick shower, then got dressed. I stood in front of the dusty mirror. The sharp black tuxedo accentuated my pale golden skin and icy hair. The tux had been tailored to fit my broad frame and shoulders. I patted my pockets and could feel the nerves and excitement work it's way up into my system. I left the room and Slat, and made my way to the garden.