A darklina story~How would the story end if the battle at the climax of Seige & Storm between Alina and the Darkling happened at a different place and time-After the Darkling became the reigning king. What would have happened if the Sun Summoner sur...
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TᕼE ᗪᗩᖇKᒪIᑎG SEᑎT his men to escort everyone on the long journey out of Ravka. It pained me to see everyone's faces sad with defeat. Aleksander stands there for a while for the sole purpose of making me watch my friends leave the battlefield. After he is content with watching my anger and sadness, he leads me to his black carriage.
The ride to the palace was lengthy, mainly because there was not much conversation between us, and he had bound my hands together before we departed. He didn't trust me enough to allow access to my summoning. We both knew that I would take every chance that I had to get away from him. I will get back to Mal. Whatever it takes. I already miss Genya, Nikolai's pretentious remarks, and even Zoya.
The carriage stops for the first time in hours, indicating the end of our travel. The tinted windows make it difficult to tell how much time has passed. My wrists are raw from the ropes' unrelenting friction on my skin. When I step out, I am surprised to see the sunset disappearing behind mountains. We must have traveled for half the day. I hadn't realized how far we strayed from the Little Palace. That turned out to be a good thing. There was fewer people to get hurt in the crossfire by getting as far away as we could manage.
My gaze transitions to the palace once owned by the Lantsov family. A presence of shadows and gloom hangs over the Grand Palace, although maybe it was just my imagination and impending fear. The gates are guarded by volcra, which snarl at everyone walking by. The stairs leading up to the vast doors are just as intimidating as the first time I was here. I was so oblivious to everything about Grisha and the Darkling. He was my only friend when I arrived at the Little Palace. If only I had known how dangerous and consumed with greed he was.
I sense the Darkling's eyes on me when I hesitate to go inside. If I enter the palace, I may never be able to leave. I escaped from him once, and there are no second chances with him. Knowing the Darkling, he will line each room and hallway with guards to watch me.
"No harm will come to you once you're in the Grand Palace." He places a hand on my back, leading me through the double doors and into the great hall.
"That's reassuring coming from the man who has taken away all the people I love." I retort passive-aggressively. I smirk in satisfaction when his hand tenses on my back, indicating that he got the message.
The Grand Hall is an incredibly large and intricately designed room. It has a carpet that extends from the entrance to the back of the room, which has two staircases curving up to the second level. Servants scurry in every direction while clearing a path for us. I can only imagine what they are thinking as we walk by. The Darkling leading the Sun Summoner through the palace with her hands bound together. Not to mention the state I am in after the battle. My hair is disheveled and muddy to match the rest of my appearance. I was sliced open on one cheek from the Darkling's Cut. Once dripping blood is now dried on my arms and stomach. I have never felt more helpless than at this moment.
I notice that the walls are lined with decor added by Aleksander. Banners that used to have the Lantsov symbol have been replaced with black silk ones, embroidered with a crescent moon.
The Darklings symbol as King of Ravka.
As we climb the stairs, I look out of the tall windows to see the sun has disappeared completely, letting shadows blanket the hills and mountains—another reason for me to feel powerless.
"Where are you taking me?"
The Darkling studies me for a minute before answering. "I'm leading you to your bedroom. You will need rest for tomorrow."
"What's tomorrow?"
"In the morning, we are scheduled to meet with the wedding planners."
Wedding planners? How soon are we getting married?
"Are you that much in a hurry to get the marriage over with?" I question.
"The people of Ravka are anxious to see a union between the two most powerful Grisha. It will give them something that has been missing in Ravka for a long time. Hope."
Before I have time to question him any further, we arrive at a door at the end of a hallway. He opens the double doors to reveal a dark room. The bed is large and covered in black silk. A fireplace is crackling with warmth in the corner. It faces a couch and a matching black armchair. The bedroom has mostly mahogany wood with occasional crescent moons carved in it.
The Darkling's room. My cheeks blush as I fume with rage.
"I am not sleeping in your room!"
The Darkling is not amused by my outburst. He looks down the hall before yanking me inside. I barely have time to react before he shuts us in and locks the doors. Forcefully, he traps me against the wall with his hands gripping my arms. His chest leans against mine, making me blush.
"You can't be trusted to be alone. I will not let you run off to your little tracker as you did last time. Also, you should get used to this arrangement. We will need to be seen using the same bedroom once we are husband and wife." The Darkling releases me and runs a hand through his dark hair.
He unties my hands, revealing red, painful abrasions underneath the rope. The skin around my wrist bone is raw with fresh blood.
"I hope someday, I will trust you enough not to tie you up," the Darkling says in a bitter voice. His expression looks pained when he says it, almost making me believe he cares about me. He only cares about the power I give him.
"I doubt it," I reply too softly for Aleksander to hear. The truth is we will always be enemies. He can't take back what he has done to me.
We both get ready for bed as we slip out of our blood-stained clothing to get into nightclothes. I stare at my reflection in the mirror, surveying the damage caused by the fight. I have bruises the size of baseballs on my back and upper arm. There is a slash from my side to below my belly button.
I wince in pain as I lift my shirt above my chest. Aleksander notices this and walks over to me. My arms are too tangled in my shirt to stop him. He lifts the shirt above my head and begins to fold it. I secretly appreciate the help, but I don't show it, as my expression remains in a scowl. The Darkling does not go away after helping me. Instead, he steps closer, looking at my bruised, fragile body in the reflection.
"I'll send a healer for your wounds before we go to bed," he says softly. He pulls me to his side with a hand at my waist. The Darkling's other hand gently traces over the slash on my stomach. Somehow, the pain is soothed by his touch.
How dare he try to act as if he cares about the injuries that he caused. As he continues to stroke my abdomen, I try to speak, but nothing comes out. I want to pull away, scream, do something, but all I do is let him hold me. One touch, and I've already fallen back into Aleksander's hands. I have to be stronger than this for my plan to work. ______________
Thanks for reading! Let me know what kind of story you want this to be. (whether you want it to be romantic, slow-burn, or whatever other suggestions.)
