13 year old Alina sat the Grisha tester's carriage looking like the happiest girl on earth. Why wouldn't she be. She had everything, she was going to a literal palace for one and would be treated as princess there. And best of all she didn't have to leave home do it. For her home, her true north, A.K.A Mal, was coming with her. She had fought like hell to have him come but it had worked out, after all they couldn't say no to the sun summoner, could they?
Mal and Alina had punched them, kicked them, but it was no use against multiple Grisha. But then Alina had reached for her light and blasted them all but Mal away. After that they had no choose but to take them both.
Mal didn't know what would happen to him once they reached the palace. But for now, all he would worry about was getting sick off the candy the testers gave them. For all he knew Mal could be Grisha too, if Alina was.
After a few days trip to Os Alta the friends had finally made it. They walked into the palace hand in hand, willing them not to be separated again. A tall man dressed in all balck greeted them when they walked in.
"Welcome you both must be Alina an Malyen. I am the Darkling, it's very nice to meet you both." said the strange man. Mal simply waved and Alina said nothing but give a small smile.
"Do you both know why you're here?" The Darkling asked.
"Yeah, Alina's the sun summoner and I'm her friend." Mal anwsered. The Darkling only chuckled seeming amused.
"Come with me, I'll show you to your rooms." The Darkling said with a cool smile. He lead them up grand staircase then down a long hall.
"This is your room Malyen." The Darkling said while opening the door. When the door was fully opened the friends jaws had found permanent home on the floor. Inside was a grand bedroom with a stunning high ceiling and pale green wall paper with sheets in the same shade. The walls as well as the bed frame had golden accents. It looked fit for a king.
"Where's Alina's bed?" Mal said very confused. We're they meant to share the bed? But that didn't make sense, in a whole palace they couldn't find another bed, no that didn't seem right.
"Oh no Malyen this is your bedroom, You don't have to share. Alina's room is across the hall, this room is all yours for the time being." The Darkling explained. " Speaking of wich, Alina your room is over here." He lead them back out the door, then opened the door directly across from Mal's room. The Darkling opens the door wide to reveal the same style room but in beautiful pale blue instead. But other than the color it was the same room.
"You both must be tired?" He asked. They both nodded their heads. "We'll begin training tomorrow, so you both should get some sleep." Alina didn't waste any time jogging into her covers. They were the softest thing she'd ever felt.
Mal walked back to his new room once he saw Alina had gotten comfortable. But he still had one last thing to do.
"Hey, Darkling" He said with all the confidence he could muster. "I'm not leaving."
"Excuse me, Malyen?" He said with confused.
"You can't bully me into leave, no matter hard you try to make me-"
"I do not intent to get rid of you, Malyen. I think you will be a good motivation for Ms. Starkov.... but she is not the only reason you're here." The Darkling said with a light smile on his lips. Now it was Mal's turn to be confused.
"I had given up hope of finding the sun summoner a few months ago, but I was still looking for ways to defeat The Fold so I did some digging into my family's history. It turns out my mother had a sister, who decided to move from Os Alta to Dva Stolba to raise her family and for 2 generations that branch of my family has stayed there until the border wars, I'm
not quite sure if they left or were killed there but when I did my research I found that one orphan matched that exact description." The Darkling explained. "Does that sound a bit familiar?" That's when it all clicked in his mind.
"You think I'm your cousin?"
"I strongly do, but there's one thing I need to ask to be cer-"
"Yes" Mal said feeling impatient.
the Darkling chuckled at his hasty response. " When you touch Alina, hold her hand, hug her, do you hear something in the back of your head. A hig-"
"A high tone?" Mal asked hopefully.
The Darkling smiled a real smile before walking away while saying "Your trading will begin tomorrow...cousin."
~*~
He was definitely an odd man but not enough for Mal to care, because for the first time in his 13 years he had a family but not like Alina. He had a blood family now.
He couldn't wait to tell Alina, so he didn't. He simply slid into her room silently. He walked over to her bed and crawled under the covers with her.
"Alina...Alina wake up." He whispered softly. She finally stirred after a few moments, turning over and rapping her arm around his waist and nuzzling her face into his neck.
"Mmmm what is it?" Alina mumbled into his neck.
" I've got something big to tell you,"
~*~
4 years later
Mal and Alina were finally at peace, at least for one night. At seventeen they were the youngest to be wed. Many had said said they should be fixated on taking down the fold but how many years would that take maybe even decades. But they had never been good with patience so they decided to wed before The Fold could tear them apart again just like it had their parents. Becides they their whole livs ahead of them, to destroy the fold, move to the country, start a family, grow old. They of course were already planning on doing all of that but now they would do it,
Together.
