Aleeza-the Star Summoner

Working with the Darkling

//Optional// I'll try to write one chapter daily! I've been publishing around two, but that's only because I've been editing stuff I've previously written. Now it's going to take me longer. As always, thank you for all your support, and enjoy!

The Darkling thought more about it and realized there was potential, a Grisha parading around with the nobility. It was genius. With the second in line for the throne marrying a Grisha-he would have another spy right in the middle of it.

But he had to be careful he needed her loyalty. He needed her to become Princess under his terms. He thought very little of signing Aleeza onto his staff, figured she wouldn't bother to show up and use it as a source of bragging amongst the Grisha.

He was a little surprised and disappointed when she was showed up eager to help. He had her rejecting ballroom invitations he would never attend. It was ironic, to say the least. It only consisted of her opening the letters and RSVP back a no response. Not something he would usually have a Grisha doing, but he heard things about the ticking time bomb of an accident-prone she was.

Later that day, while The Darkling was collecting the small number of invitations that required him to read, Aleeza dropped them.

They both got down to pick them up-at the same time. When Aleeza managed to elbow him, hard, right in the balls. It was an awkward and painful moment for them both. Aleeza nearly ran out of there when Ivan asked if he was okay.

To make things worse, Bagrah decided it was time for her to wake Aleeza up early again.

"Baghra, not again you do this every month!" Aleeza complained as she was awoken by a cane pounding on her door. "The sun hasn't even finished rising yet!"

Baghra didn't care. She knew precisely what she was doing. Aleeza reluctantly followed Bagrah back to her hut. Where Bagrah was ready to sit in silence for a whole hour. They hadn't trained, or more like sat together, in a month.

Once a month was the perfect interval of time for Bagrah to train her, or more like wake her up early. Baghra chuckled softly to herself.

"You want to know how my first month out of the kitty-corner has been?" Aleeza asked, breaking the silence.

Baghra humped, trying to sound uninterested but secretly was.

"I got assigned to work on the..." Aleeza said, trying to hide her grin.

"Spit it out child."

"Darkling's team! Well, more of an assistant." She said beaming

Baghra took a moment to compose herself. "Oh yeah, and what would he want with a useless Fabricator."

Aleeza was getting tired of her insults. As much as she tried to hide it, her self-esteem was down the toilet. She spent every day ashamed of how awful a fabricator and person she believed herself to be. Baghra was just replaying her self-destructive thoughts.

Before Aleeza started attending court, she refused to do anything and stayed in her bed for a whole week. She wasn't even sick, just upset by her lack of Fabrication skills.

After hearing the news, Baghra suddenly became very talkative, spewing insults and sarcastic comments at Aleeza. When she finally left, Aleeza longed to go out to a ball or meet and have tea with someone, anyone. But she had no one except Genya-who was in a worse situation, apparently handling it much better.

Yesterday morning when they met Aleeza could feel the jealousy of Genya fuming off her when she said she was assigned to the Darklings team. And this morning, Genya wouldn't even see her because of Bagrah's "training."