Cassiopeia | General Kirigan x OC

Chapter 41

The First Army guards pushed Alina towards the Darkling's carriage, where Ivan stood holding the door open.

"Get in," he ordered Alina. The girl glanced back towards the entrance of the black tent, where Amina was standing beside General Kirigan.

"Can I go with her?" Mina asked her husband.

"What? no. The carriage is slow and cramped. Your pregnant if you've forgotten."

"Aleksander," she sighed, turning away from Alina to face the man beside her.

"She's alone and needs comfort. I promised to protect and ensure the comfort of all Grisha. If that includes sitting in a cramped carriage, then I will endure it in order to help Alina."

She brushed a hand through his hair making him shiver slightly. He sighed defeatedly.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But please be careful."

"When am I not?"

"I can name several times off the top of my head Mina," Nikolai inputted from behind the couple.

"Shut it Nikolai or I'll shave your head in your sleep," she threatened.

"Over my dead body," the prince grumbled at her.

"That can be arranged!" 

They all turned hearing Zoya's voice a few yards away from where she was eavesdropping on the conversation.

Nikolai put a hand on his chest feigning extreme offense. 

"Oh, how ever will I recover. My own lover has turned on me."

She smacked him upside the head before grabbing her best friend's arm.

"Let's go to Alina's carriage. If you're going, I'm coming with you. There's no way I'm sitting with Nikolai alone for an entire ride without going crazy."

Amina shot her sweet smile, as they walked towards the carriage together, ignoring Nikolai's dramatic crying and Aleks' safety warning.

"Alina, please get in the coach," she stated, taking the girl's hand in her own.

"We must get to the Little Palace as quickly as possible. Although it's unlikely, there's a chance that a spy in the area knows about you and has relayed info to enemies and they'll want a powerful Grisha like you up their sleeves," Zoya stated.

"But Mal-" Alina argued.

"I promise you, I will find him and bring him to the Little Palace. Now, please," she nearly begged, sighing thankfully when Alina stepped into the coach. 

She stepped into the carriage after her, Zoya following, happy to see who else was in the carriage.

"Fedyor!" she happily greeted, reaching out to hug the man.

"I didn't know you came."

"It was a last-minute decision but I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, I'm happy your here."

He gave her another smile before turning to Alina and greeting her politely as Ivan got in and shut the door behind him, signaling the carriage to start moving.