Once Upon A Lie

Fifty-five:

Fifty-five:

Alina woke up to the sound of the window rattling. There was a shadowy figure out on her balcony that she couldn't make out. Curious, she got up from the floor to go look. After her father had locked her in her room, she had tried her hardest to get out only to collapse in a heap on the ground from being tired.

Aleksander had climbed up her balcony and snuck into her room so many times. Part of her hoped that it was him. That he had come back somehow. But when she went to the door, and opened it, she was surprised to see Mal standing there.

"Mal?" she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you," he said, "I think. Unless you want to marry Nikolai? In which case I can just leave you here."

Alina shook her head. "No, I don't want to marry Nikolai. I don't want to marry anyone! I just want to finish high school."

Mal chuckled. "I think I can help you out with that."

"How'd you get up here without the security noticing?"

He shrugged. "I snuck in with the gardeners. Everyone just assumed I was a servant."

She scowled. "I'm sorry."

Mal shrugged. "Don't be. It made it easy for me sneak in unnoticed. Come on. You can climb down the trellis, right?"

Alina nodded. "I've done it before."

"Good," said Mal, "I'll go first."

He climbed down the trellis, carefully, and Alina couldn't help but wince as she watched him climb down. It always made her nervous. Aleksander had done it like a pro. But for some people it was hard to get down.

"Please be careful," Alina begged.

Mal looked up at her, smiling broadly. "Linnie, I spend my days getting the shit beat out of me. I'm going to be fine climbing down this."

His words didn't comfort her in the slightest. She watched, with frayed nerves, as he made his way down.

"Alina?" she heard her father calling her. "Are you alright? I thought I heard a noise from your room."

"I'm fine!" she called. "I'm....I'm studying. I couldn't sleep. I'll go to bed now."

The trellis creaked. Loudly. Mal winced, and clung to it tightly.

The door to Alina's room opened. "Alina, there's a loud noise coming from inside," said her father, "what's going on?"

Alina jumped, and ran inside, shutting the balcony door behind her.

Her father looked at her suspiciously. "I thought you said that you were studying."

"I did," she said, "I was. I----I went outside to get some fresh air."

"Fresh air?" Leo tilted his head to the side. She could hear the trellis creak again. "Alina, you're lying to me. I know my daughter. What's going on? Have you snuck Aleksander in here?"

"No, Papa, I haven't snuck anyone------" there was a loud crash that came from the outside.And the sound of Mal's yelp. Alina's face fell. Anger flashed across her father's face.

He pushed his way into the room. Alina tried to block him. "Papa, please. It's nothing. There's nothing out there. It was a tree-----"

"Alina," her father said curtly, "get out of my way or so help me, I will move you myself."

Alina moved, reluctantly. She watched as her father made his way to the balcony. "Malyen," he said coldly, "what, exactly, are you doing here?"

"Rescuing your daughter," said Mal, "or trying to. I think I've broken my----fuck."

 Leo sighed. "I'll call an ambulance. You're lucky that I'm not calling the cops."