The Lantsov Princess || Shadow and Bone

No more hiding

"To prince Pyotr! Long live the Prince!"

Aethra smiled tightly raising her glass high and then downed it all in one. There was no way she would make it through the event without being at least a little drunk. The event was to commemorate the princes' war effort, everyone believing that he had worked hard at the front line fighting for his country.

In reality, he most likely spent his time complaining, showed his face for royal appearances and drank so much kvas that woke up in a ditch ready to do the same thing all over again that night.

Aethra, unfortunately, knew her brother well.

Her brother bowed gracefully, or she thinks that was what he attempted to do, he seemed to bow too low and lost his footing slightly. Anyone could see his flushed cheeks from the alcohol a mile away.

"Now, now! I only did what any other young man would do and fought for his king" He started looking to his father with his hand in a loose gesture, "You should not praise me too much! After all, there is still work to be done. With the shadow fold still separating our great nation and the war with the Fjerdans. Hold your applause for when I find solutions to those problems!"

His over-confident smile unnerved Aethra, he could barely tell his left from his right. If you asked him to point in the direction of Fjerda he would probably point in every direction until someone told him he was correct.

"Not a fan of his speeches?"

Aethra was broken out of her thoughts as another glass of champagne was held in front of her face. She followed the hand, up the arm until she met the eyes of her friend.

"'kita!"

She threw her arms around him. The liquid in the glass he was holding sloshed around as he rushed to keep it steady. Nikita was a tall man with dark hair and the most beautiful hazel eyes she had ever seen. He was a member of the Grisha Corporalki as a heartrender and a very talented one at that. The general had sent him on a mission, the details were classified. Aethra had no idea where he was and when he would return.

"Watch the drink! I don't want it spilt on my kefta, I have a meeting with general Kirigan later and he'll give me that look of judgement if it's dirty!"

"Sorry, sorry! I'm just excited!" She beamed, she wasn't allowed to make friends unless it was political alliances but her parents could never say no to her. She had met Nikita in the palace grounds when he had first arrived in Os Alta and they quickly became friends, entrusted with each other's secrets.

"I noticed your brother is back. Not enjoying Pyotr's speech?" Nikita laughed, Pyotr was still chattering on in the background about how he would banish the fold, which was quite unlikely considering he wasn't a sun summoner.

"All he's spoken about is about when he will be king and how he will banish the fold, but father is still very much alive and well and unless he can summon sun all of a sudden or has any redeemable talents, it will be a long wait."

It wasn't that Aethra didn't like her older brother. She just didn't believe he could rule all of Ravka, he wasn't exactly kingly material. Nevertheless, as the male heir, he would ascend to the throne, and someone like her could never be queen. Not in the eyes of Ravka.

"Did you hear? He's due to get married in a few weeks, to Tatiana, a Fjerdan princess. Pretty but dull. Trying to keep the peace, but while we allow Grisha in our borders there will never be peace." Nikita hummed looking at the prince, he had heard rumours, "How hard would it be to convince the Darkling to make a fold in Fjerda like the Black Heretic?" Nikita looking aghast snapped his head to look at her and quickly glanced around to see if anyone had heard them.