When We Were Young

Seventy-four:

Seventy-four:

Aleksander woke up in the middle of the night to find that Alina wasn't in bed. He didn't like when the space next to him was empty. He got up and he went looking for her. "Alina?" he called out. She didn't answer, and his heart started to pound against his chest. "Alina?" he called out again. He saw the lights were on in the living room and saw Alina on the floor.

The sketches her mother had made of The Fold were spread out everywhere. She was pacing back and forth looking at them, her brows furrowed in concern. "Alina?" he called again. She looked up at him, a bewildered look on her face. "Everything okay?"

He made his way down the stairs to the living room.

She walked over and kissed him. "Did I wake you up? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I remembered something and I could make myself go back to sleep until I looked at the maps."

Aleksander frowned. "What did you remember?"

"When cartographers are part of a society, they typically will mark the back of their maps with their symbol. At least in Ravka they do. I was trying to see if I could find any marks indicating who my mom might have been working with. The Fold is considered a national park, and it's protected, and you can't just get into it without having some sort of government clearance. It's usually research teams that are down there because it's too dangerous."

"Alina, it's three o' clock in the morning. You couldn't have waited until it was daylight to do this?" Aleksander asked.

"I could have," said Alina, "but I was also getting morning sickness again, and standing makes me feel better. A little. It takes the pressure off of my stomach. I'm sorry if I woke you up."

He kissed her again and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "It's okay. But I wanted to make sure you are okay, and you know that stress isn't good for the baby."

"I know," Alina whispered, "but I had a thought..."

"What kind of thought?"

"When Brum came to see me, he used some weird phrasing. He made it seem like it wasn't about me, that it was about something that my parents took from his family that he was after. Meaning it was just a means to an end. The marriage with me. There's something he wants, and maybe if I can find it, I can get him to leave us alone."

Aleksander frowned. "Are you sure that's such a good idea? I mean, your parents weren't on speaking terms with your grandfather, and they made sure that he got these maps and that he kept them hidden. He went to great lengths to get you those."

"He found me at school," said Alina, "and he found me here. He knows where I am all of the time. They're always watching, and it doesn't seem like he's going to go away. I can't stop thinking about it, Aleks. What if something happens, and you aren't there? They're maps. I don't even know what they mean."

"They're part of your family," he said, "and they mean that your parents wanted you to have them. Not anyone else. You're not giving these to that bastard, Alina. You just aren't. Look, I've told you that I would keep you safe, yeah?"

"Yeah," she murmured, "but Aleks---"

He shook his head. "Look, I fell in love with you because I was spying on you. I know how dark your world is and it isn't going to scare me off, because you are my light, Alina. You are everything that is good in this world and I am not going to let them take you away from me. I'm from a world of darkness and shadows. I know how this world operates. I can make us safe. You've just got to trust me. Do you trust me?"

She looked up at him, a small, tired smile on her lips. "You're my everything, and the father of my child. Yeah, I trust you."

"Come on. Come back to bed."

"I made a mess; I should clean it up----"

"The maps aren't going to hurt anything by staying there for the night, and I'll clean them up tomorrow. Come on. Little Starkovoza needs their beauty sleep, yeah?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "Aleks."

"What?"

"Can you carry me up? My ankles are hurting again. They kind of got a little swollen tonight."

Aleksander chuckled. "Of course, sweetheart." He picked her up, carrying her bridal style, and he took her back to their room. He tucked her into bed, and then he got in and wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her neck. "We'll figure it all out, okay? The prince isn't going to do anything to you. I promise."

Alina kissed his arm. "You really think you can make him leave me alone?"

"I know people that are scarier than the prince, and his little emissaries. I'll make certain that he's more scared of you than you are of him."

"I love you," Alina said.

"I love you too, sweetheart. Now come on, let's go to sleep."

"Right. Because baby Starkovoza needs their beauty sleep huh?"

"And mama too," he said.

She chuckled, and then she drifted off in his arms and he lay awake for a while, watching her. He tried to ignore the sense of dread that filled him. And then, eventually, he fell asleep, and imagined himself killing Jarl Brum.