The Darkness That Binds Us

Chapter 20: The Chapel

Crowds line the road to the palace chapel like reeds on a froze river bank, swaying in exultation.

Tall, young, rich, poor, grisha or Otkaz'sya. Poeple from all over Ravka have made the pilgrimage to Os alta for this very purpose; to chatch a glimse of the sun summer on her wedding day.

It is snowing. Tiny flakes drift from a colourless sky, catching on the late afternoon light to sparkle like lost stardust. The slightest breeze sends them scittering in diamond-studded  cirlces.

I travel in an carriage, drawn by eight silver horses, covered in funeral basket of white flowers . The darkling's Oprinchi on their jet black mounts flank me, holding back the foaming crowds. 

The path ahead is covered in rose petals, and i am showered in more mistletoe and winter berries as i pass. Every available surface is draped with the black and silver symbol of the sun and moon interlinked. Our symbol. His design. I'd say it were dystopian, if the embroidery wasn't so somehow... beautiful.

I am glad for my vail, it means i don't have to plaster on a smile, but i pluck up the will to wave and the crowd goes wild. Leaning over the barricades, hands out-streached, the poeple clamour for my attition.

"Stankta Alina!" 

"Stankta Alina!"

Their calls rise to a fever-pitch chant. In amongst the brawl i pick out the remanence of the Soldat Sol , tattooed suns upon their foreheads, muttering pray. I am surprised the darkling has spared my cult, let alone invite them onto palace grounds. But i have little time to think about it as a new chant begins.

"Kolovera Sol!"

"kolovera Sol!"

Sun queen.

"Da zdravst'vuyet kolovera Sol!"

Long live the sun queen.

I feel guilt come crashing back down on me and immedately drop my hand.

This was the roll he always wanted me to play. Alina Starvok; patron staint of Ravka. The Sun Queen. A ruler the people could love, instead of fear. I don't deserve to be that person. I feel an unbarable paing of imposter syndrome pass through me and i am forced to remind myself that it is only the darklings image. His puppet sun queen to boost his own popularity. 

Still, puppets had power, perhap it was time to start playing along. If i could get the people, then I could get Ravka and then... My thoughts fall away from me after i remember Mal is dead. 

Then, i didn't know what, but i was done sinking. It was time to start swimming.

The carriage grinds to a hault at the foot of the chapels steps. A chill bites at my cheeks, but i don't hesitate as i step out onto the icey legde, winter-white dress billowing out behind me. The crowd cheers as i catch a bouquet of lillies thrown into my hands. I give my reguards to the sender with a nod that sends six poeple swooning. Then, I lift up the wieghted petals of my skirts, turning my attention to climbing, when  -suddenly- a horroribly familar voice calls out to me.

"kolovera sol..." The voice purrs. I whirl to  face the apparate. There he stands below me at the foot of the chapels steps.

Shrewish eyes, wet black, like a rats. He give me one of his hididous, yellow-toothed, smiles.

I blurt the words before i can think any better of it. " How are you still alive?!?"

The apparate is undiswayed. "I have had great visions!!!" he proclaims making it a point that the crowd can hear him. "This union is written in the stars." He begin to creep up the stairs towards me. I egded back, nearly slipping on the gripless marble. " I now see your desinity so very clear! Stankta Alina! In order to bring light to Ravka, you must first harmonise with the dark. The sun queen must marry the king of shadows! The starless one is your designity! He shall be Ravka's saviour and you shall be his sweet sword, it is as the staints have always written..."