The Dual Summoner and the Darkling

New routine

Glossary: Sol Koroleva - Sun Queen, Moye Serdtse - My heart

When morning came I was still very comfortable laying here in Aleksander's bed where it was just us. We laid there like that for just a bit longer but then we heard the sound of the door opening. I opened my eyes not moving as I felt Aleksander adjust on his side looking towards the door seeing Zoya there with two plates. The smile that was on her face was soon replaced with a frown as if she'd been set up to see us like this in his bed. Then I remembered that Aleksander had talked with Ivan last night before we'd left.

Did he intentionally set her up to see this? I thought

I sat up as I watched her, Aleksander walked, overseeing her shock as he took the plates before she could drop them. Zoya looked like she was going to attack me or something and I couldn't figure out at first why. My hand moved on the black silk sheets and then it dawned on me that he might have kept most women out of his bed. I stood up as I looked at her while I fixed my hair from where I was asleep.

"You can go Zoya." Aleksander said in a dismissive tone, that caught her attention as she looked at him his back to her as she looked hurt. Most girls knew he was never committed to them but that was different with me. I looked at her wrists out of curiosity seeing both were blank that she hadn't found her soulmate yet. Aleksander might have been hope for those he'd convinced with time to give in to him. "So this is really how it is?" Zoya asked

Aleksander sighed as he walked over to me and he took my right hand before showing my wrist. I knew she would never understand that his initials were AM but she looked at it. "Those are not your initials." Zoya said, he was without his shirt and he showed his wrist by mine revealing AS. "I don't need to remind you that there are things I don't share with everyone." Aleksander said to her

The hurt among her eyes was pretty clear and I knew that there was just so much I could do. I wanted to just disappear for a few moments but she didn't seem to be wanting to give up. "So when is the wedding?" Zoya asked, "we haven't decided." I said as I wasn't going to rush soon, "Possibly in a few weeks." Aleksander said

I looked at him knowing that I just said we hadn't decided but then he seemed to be set to send a message to Zoya. "Well the youngest tsarevich is going to be returning." Zoya said as she left. I remember Genya talking about the royals. Prince Vasily was here and the other one that I didn't know his name she referred to as the sobachka which I thought was pretty rude. Looking up at Aleksander he didn't seem bothered by this but he wasn't calm either that I could tell. I got close putting a hand on his cheek which made him look at me as I leaned up kissing him as I felt him kiss me back along with calming down.

"It will all work out." I assured him, he leaned his forehead against mine for a moment. "Moye Serdtse, you seem so confident of this and you haven't even met the sobachka." Aleksander said and I didn't see why everyone referred to this Prince as a puppy. Walking over to the table we sat there just as Ivan came in, setting down drinks and I felt like royalty, not a Grisha engaged to the General but this was normal for him.

"Ivan, have the fabrikators make something presentable for Amira to meet the sobachka when he arrives." Aleksander said to Ivan, "Of course General." Ivan said as he left.

I ate without saying much after all what was there to say when everything was being decided for me except the wedding details. I hadn't noticed if they had the dress done yet or not. Maybe that was what held me back was my uncertainty of what it would be like. Maybe I wanted to make sure Aleksander was truly what I wanted even though we were connected through the stag's bones. Even when I thought about the stag I couldn't shake that feeling of failing to save it but it was with me.