When We Were Young

Forty-six:

Forty-six:

When Baghra arrived at the hospital, Alina saw her in the waiting room. She walked by her, gave the dirtiest of looks, and then she made her way over to the sign in desk. Baghra talked with the woman at registration and Alina walked over to her. "Have you heard anything?" Alina asked. "Do you know if he's okay?"

Baghra gave her a withering look. "Miss Starkov, do you have any idea why my son is in the hospital, having been shot?"

"Obviously I don't, otherwise I wouldn't be asking."

"He's been working for me," Baghra said, "he works for my law firm, collecting information on people. He's been doing it since he was in high school. He's been following you for the Lantsovs since you were a freshman. Whatever you think you have with my son, it is a fiction he fabricated to get information. He has had his fun, and it is time for him to be serious and start thinking about his future which does not include you."

Alina clenched her fists together. "Maybe he started out working for you, but I know him. This isn't about you, Baghra. It's never been. It's about us. How do I know you weren't the one that had him shot? He told me you have someone follow him. It's how he knew that there was someone following you."

"Someone was following you?" Baghra's eyes narrowed. "Who was it?"

Alina clutched at her locket. "You don't need to know that."

"I work for your family, Alina."

"I have more than one family, Baghra, and I don't trust you. I know what Aleksander feels for me and it has absolutely nothing to do with you."

"Do you know that before it was Aleksander, it was Mal?" Baghra said. "Your little friend? How do you think he got adopted, and you didn't? He agreed to watch you if I could find him a family. I found him a family. There are plans for you, Miss Starkov, and the more you try to fight them, the more danger you will be putting everyone else in danger. You are not some little orphan girl from Keramazin, despite what you grew up believing. You have a future that was carved out for you long before you were even born. Your parents had legacies and obligations that they were supposed to follow through with. They didn't. Do not make the same mistake as them. And it wasn't me that shot my son. I would never kill my most valuable asset. The bullets they found in them were from Fjerda."

"Fjerda," Alina said, "how do you know that?"

Baghra pulled something from her pocket. "This is the bullet that was inside my son. That is the royal crest of Fjerda on it. Your mother was a Princess of Fjerda, before she ran off with your father who was from another...noble family. He was shot because of you, and you only. Stay away from my son. And if I, were you, Miss Starkov, I would keep yourself innocent. You have no idea what's coming, and it will be easier for you if you aren't compromised."

"Compromised?" Alina said.

Baghra sneered at her. "You know exactly what I mean. Fjerda likes virginal brides, Miss Starkov. And that is all I am legally allowed to say on that matter."

Alina frowned. "Brides?"

"You heard me. Go home, Miss Starkov. And stay away from my son. In a few months, it won't matter what happened here. You'll be reunited with your family. And your future will be secure. Don't ruin my sons in the process of trying to ruin yours."

"He doesn't want your future, you know," she snarled, "he told me."

Alina could have stayed, but she was so angry, she didn't know what to do. She walked outside of the hospital, and when she did, she was surprised to see Nikolai standing out there waiting for her. "Nik?" she said.

"Hey, cousin," he said, wrapping her tightly in a hug, "are you okay?"

Alina clenched her jaw, trying to keep from crying, but that didn't work for long. A sob escaped her. "Baghra was in there. She told me..." she hesitated. "Am I part of an alliance with Fjerda?"

"It wasn't Ravka that did it," Nikolai said, "our family has been trying to stop it, but we're not royalty anymore. There's only so much that we can do. Apparently, it stems from my mother's family, and alliance that was supposed to happen with your fathers family."

"Who is my fathers' family?" Alina said. "Are they royalty too? Or are they just rich?"

"I can't tell you," he said, "no one will even tell me. All I know is that they're very wealthy, and very powerful, and they're from the Shu Han. They were supposed to have an alliance with Fjerda and your father was part of that, but he fell in love with your mother instead of following through but your mother was the wrong princess and its caused a huge rift. You got the necklace?"

"I got the necklace," Alina said softly.

"Mom was really excited to get that to you. She's got more stuff, but we've got to wait until you finish college. Those were the terms that were set up based on your mom and dads wills."

"My parents had wills?"

"Yeah. That's part of why you ended up in the orphanage. Someone has been contesting that, and it was decided for your safety that you would be placed there."

"And why no one could ever adopt me?"

Nikolai winced. "Yeah."

"Was Mal working for Baghra?"

"Yeah."

Alina shook her head. "I don't want to be part of a marriage alliance."

"Your inheritance depends on it."

"I don't care about an inheritance. If my family wants to meet me for me, they can. If they don't...I don't care. All I want is Aleksander."

"He lied to you, Alina."

"He didn't have a choice. I didn't have a choice. We both haven't had choices. But I'm making mine now, and I want to be with Aleksander."

"People aren't going to like that."

"I don't care what they like. I've been alone my whole life, and I've finally found someone that makes me feel happy. I want Aleksander."

"What if it wasn't real for him? What if it was just a job?" Nikolai asked. "I mean, this is Aleksander Morozova that we were talking about."

"It's real for him too," Alina said, "I know it is. Maybe he was working for his mom because he didn't have a choice, but everything that happened with us has absolutely nothing to do with her. He told me things and I---"

Nikolai put a hand on her shoulder. "Okay, but you've got to be prepared that there might be a chance that he was lying."

"He wasn't," she said firmly.

Nikolai sighed. "Okay. Okay. Want me to take you home?"

Alina looked up at him. "Can I come to the frat house? I want to be here when he gets back."

"Genya's texted me like sixty times. Go home, Alina. Take a breather. When Aleksander gets back, I'm sure you'll be the first person that he comes to. You need to take a break and calm down and regroup."

"But if I'm not there when he's there, he might think that I listened to Baghra. I don't want him to think that I listened to Baghra. Please, Nik. Let me come to the frat house and stay until he gets back. If I have to wait at my own dorm, I'll go crazy doing it all by myself."

"Okay. Okay." Nikolai sighed. "But if he breaks your heart, I am going to kill him. I might let you help, but it will probably a very fast death that won't have very much left for you to do, I must warn you."

Alina wiped tears from her face, and she smiled softly. "Sure thing, Nikki."

Nikolai smiled. "Okay. Come on. Let's go home."

The two of them left together, despite Alina's overwhelming urge to run back into the hospital and stay there until she knew that he was okay. But Alina had no idea how long it would take for Aleksander to be okay. When she got back to the frat house, she paced back and forth for a little bit, and then she sat on the couch, waiting for Aleksander to come back.