The Dual Summoner and the Darkling

Talking with Aleksander

Someone came over saying there was a problem with the other summoners, Aleksander looked like he could care less at that moment yet he brought my hand up kissing the top of it. I knew he'd done it before but I blushed at how much chivalry he could show. More I believe I blushed due to it being in front of my family, some respect I suppose he had instead of kissing me in front of the others.

"Ivan will show you back to your room and your family to some rooms." Aleksander said

"Does it have to be Ivan?" I asked looking past him for a second at the heartrender then at Aleksander. "Do I sense some disdain in your voice for my heartrender?" Aleksander asked. I knew I had quite a bit on Ivan, for one I was always avoiding him because of his behavior. I disliked the heartrender because he was the one who pressured me the most about the fold. I knew Nina was not family and a heartrender as I smiled. "I would prefer Nina Zenik to show us back to our rooms." I said firmly to make sure it was known that I disliked his heartrender.

Aleksander seemed to take my tone of voice and my body language as he was needed elsewhere, he had no idea what Ivan was doing. He looked at Nina as she showed respect to him and I figured it out pretty quickly she was working for him. There were talks of a female heartrender who may or may not have been a spy but she never compromised my location. "Nina, you used to live at the little palace. Show them the best rooms to her family, her guards Marie and Naida have their own rooms and for my fiancé stays in the room meant for my sun summoner in the wing that my war room is in." Aleksander said as he looked at me seeing that I was unhappy he mentioned the sun but he let go of my hand placing it on my cheek "It was meant for the one who was the sun summoner, and I found something better than just a sun summoner. The only Dual Summoner who is a tidemaker and Sun Summoner."

I smiled knowing he appreciated that but I knew that there was so much more than what he was saying. Once he left I relaxed as we went about our walk, Ivan was the least of my concerns when it came to what was going on. Nina led us in and my family took in our location as we walked. Nina seemed a bit confused so I said "Etheraleki are normally in the west wing of the little palace. General's war room and the other room are on the East wing, Corporaleki are behind the red door in the south wing and Materialeki are in the north wing of the little palace. Guest rooms are in the middle or mixed with the Etheraleki." I said

"You seem to know the little palace well." Grandma Catalina said as I nod, "ten years so I know the layout. The Corporaleki and Materialeki have their own color doors as Etheraleki are in blue. The other two are red or purple." I said, Nina nodded as she led the way. "With the exception of the General, he wears black and you being who you are have been allowed to wear it." Nina said

We found my family rooms while Nadia and Marie went to their rooms. I was done with the day already and it wasn't even over. I'd gone through a fight and traveled back here in such a short time but I felt it. The stag's antlers were probably made in to a necklace for me to wear someday. We were almost to my room when we heard running and I looked to see Genya. Genya hugged me and I was surprised as she looked at me.

"The little palace hasn't been the same since you left, who has been working on you? You look awful." Genya said I laughed a bit. "My grandmother's tailor friend, she did well enough so I could enjoy the festival." I said, "ten years of being stuck inside and I finally got to see what it's like to just be normal."

My words struck a chord with Genya and for a moment I felt guilty for leaving the way I did. She'd still been dealing with the king and the rumors she was being bedded by him, I wanted to accidentally blind the royals to help her get revenge but I couldn't. I knew with everything I needed a refresher from a tailor so Genya took me inside my room and then started her work. When I looked in the mirror I looked like myself but the one who I was before I left the little palace.