𝑫𝑹𝑰𝑭𝑻 [currently being edited]

chapter 23 - shine

Aleksander had formed a plan, many moons ago. He had watched children, his friends turn on him for his bones. He witnessed the death of his first love.

Grisha forced to starve and hide to protect themselves from the rulers.

But Aleksander would change that, he controlled the shadows. He controlled the darkness in which crime and betrayal thrived.

Darkness in which murder, lust and passion all grew, covered by the darkness of night.

Aleksander was a Morovoza, a line more powerful than any royal, yet the name held little influence other than fear.

So Aleksander would become fear, he would become the darkness of night, he would let his darkness cover everything.

Force the rulers and otkazat'sya to be blinded by the darkness.

Then he would find light.

Let light destroy the darkness. Light where love, happiness and safety thrive. Paint a pretty picture for history.

Let light destroy him.

Yet it was not a bright light that ended up destroying him, no it was the faint glow of the moon that destroyed him.

There were no battles, no wars for painters and historians to tarnish him in. No it was the kind, understanding smiles and welcoming arms, adorable blushes of the moon that destroyed Aleksander Morozova.

And he couldn't find it in his heart to be angry at this change of plans.

He was content to be the villain in the books if it would leave the faint moon glow untarnished. Content to be the monster in the shadows if the moon was the hero, the savour that kept smiling, never letting the shadows outshine her.

But the sun came, she shone brighter than the moon, and perhaps if the shadows had not seen the moon, let its kind smiles and looked upon it's dances Aleksander might have let the sun destroy his shadows.

But the moon had glowed, not bright and suddenly like the sun but slowly over time. The little moon glowed in the war room with new ideas, ideas to feed the poor and direct taxes into helping the people. The little moon glowed in training and glowed brighter surrounded by friends.

But the little moon glowed brightest in the shadows, perhaps it was his darkness that made her shine brighter or the happiness that the shadows allowed her to glow.

All Aleksander knew was that the little moon always glowed and always would, it would rise every cycle just as the big moon in the sky did. He knew that the little moon needed no one to glow, but he also knew that the little moon glowed brighter in his arms, surrounded by his shadows.

Aleksander knew this, he might've been blinded by the sun but he was going to get his little moon back and she was going to shine brighter than ever.

Even if it meant waiting, taking orders from the stupid otkazat'sya king's, hours spent in the war room coming up with more ideas. Everything would be worth it because he knew that his little moon would not glow if he covered the entire map in darkness.

Because while the moon shines the brightest in the night sky, even the moon needs stars to shine.