ARSONIST'S LULLABY ¹ | shadow & bone [ON HOLD]

prelude

( 𝗔𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗧'𝗦
𝗟𝗨𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗬𝗘 )

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

A young girl sat on on carpeted marble floors, contrasting the dark hall around her in her nightgown, surveying the pages of the book that laid in front of her. The night was quiet around her, not a single flicker of noise could be heard. No shuffles of feet, no rustling of wind. Only the sound of her breathing and the routine of pages being flipped. 

But the girl did not seem afraid, even as she sat alone in the huge hall surrounded by walls with shelves stocked to the brim with all sorts of books, with only a few candles sticks to light her vision. Immersed on the texts on the page, she did not notice as shadows started to creep around her, spinning and slipping untill it enclosed all but the her and her book.

"Boo."

A squeal sounded out, disturbing the quiet around. Arms came up from behind her lift her up and a pair of hands covered her eyes.

"I know it's you!" She continued to scramble around in his arms, dragging her elbows against the man's chest.

A pained groan sounded out of him. "What were you doing out so late?" The man asked, adjusting her elbows back to her side. "You know Baghra would be furious, don't you?" He placed her back on her feet.

"Yes," She glanced around her and finally noticed the shadows that were now receding back.

"Rina, you know you're not allowed to stay up so late, none of the children are." Aleksander griped out.

"But I couldn't sleep." She looked up him, a pleading look on her face. Mustering up every ounce of the childish adorableness she could.

"I suppose we can make an exception just this once." He sighed, settling beside her. "Just this once, I won't say a thing. What were you reading?" He asked.

"A book of records on the Saints."

"Ah, the Saints. Why am I not surprised." He exhaled.

Katerina was like any other child her age, except for when she wasn't. Staying up late to read about heros of an age forgotten and always coming back for more. She had been found countless times in the same position in the dead of night. Thankfully, this time it wasn't any of the nursemaids or worse, Baghra herself. It wasn't as if she despised Baghra, it was just that she was a terrifying old woman. Always scowling and pursing her lips as if she would strike down anyone who crosses her path. But she still had a caring nature to her, but it was rare to see her caring for anyone.

Katerina remembers when she was four and had scraped her knee to the bone while playing with the other children at the Little Palace. She hadn't let anyone come within two feet without threatening to burn them. Not even Aleksander. But after two hours of wailing and shunning people away, she had finally grown tired and that's when Baghra had came into her room with a healer and held her hand as her knee was fixed.