Secret PenPal within the little Palace

the sorting bag

I've been in the little palace for years, every year the 2nd army soldiers take turns putting their symbols and first initial in a bag and choose from it. I hear that the General refuses every year due to he's working so they choose among themselves. This went on for ten years and every time the General refused not that I cared since I couldn't participate anyway. 

Last year, someone said they almost convinced the General to join in but he refused once again. I didn't join in with being the outcast of the 2nd army. One who hides as one thing when she's two so like the General I bowed out. Baghra said it was for the best but I can't hide myself forever as just a Tidemaker. Marie and Nadia all liked the idea of getting to know their fellow Grisha better and I was glad for them. 

This year, the year I turned eighteen was the year I decided to join in with everything going on and when Fedyor came he handed everyone a paper. "Rules are simple, you write your Grisha symbol on the paper and you put it in the bag. I'll shake it and then we'll randomly choose." Fedyor said but then he showed an already folded paper. "This year is special, one of you will get the chance to write letters to the General. Hopefully the one you chose has your paper and has been the one writing to you." 

To the General?! Why this year! I thought 

I'd already drawn my two symbols and put my first initial on my paper folding it before he'd even said anything about the General. I knew that it was not going to do me much good if I couldn't hide myslef. I purposely bent the corner of my card because there were other tidemakers who had the initial A and when I looked up I saw Fedyor notice that. "You can make yours unique Amira, that way I know your card and I can bring you the letters." Fedyor said 

Next we had to drop them into the bag as we watched Fedyor shake the bag well as he went around letting people draw one of the folded cards out. I watched as everyone picked one and noticed none of them were the one I had. As I watching soon it was Nadia and Marie's turn as I had insisted going last as I wanted to see who would get mine. 

As I waited till Fedyor was infront of me, I got nervous but I reached in the bag and I could feel that there was only two within the bag. I felt mine so I reached for the other one and brought it out. Fedyor looked as he saw there was one in there and closed the bag and walked to where he stood in the middle. I knew that no one here had my card..that meant the General was getting mine. 

"You may open your card to see who you'll be writing to. This is a good exercise to know your fellow Grisha." Fedyor said as I noticed he had a paper himself and so did Ivan. 

Please don't be Ivan..I can't stand him. I thought 

When I opened my card my heart about dropped into my stomach out of nervousness and slight fear on what to write. There on the card was the darkling symbol with the letter A. While I was nervous and slightly in fear, I wanted to know what the A stood for but refused to ask due to he was our General. 

"Starting today, you'll be writing the person you have two days to get your first letter out. You may talk amongst yourselves now." Fedyor said as he walked away with Ivan. 

The Saints are playing a joke on us...was it truly random chance that I got the Darkling's symbol and he will get mine? Did everyone else get the opposite person or is it all random? Amira thought

When everyone int he room moved off, I was just looking at mine as I covered the initial knowing the symbol alone was going to tell. Nadia and Marie both came over with a smile excited to share what they had. I looked up at them with a smile. "So who did you get?" I asked them casually as Marie showed me. It was the Heartrender symbol with S on it.  "Nice." I said as Nadia showed an Inferni symbol with a P on it. "You have an inferni." I smiled for Nadia

They looked at me expecting me to share but I blushed slightly as I laughed. "Don't freak out or make a big deal...the other Grisha girls will probably make me regret picking last." I said as they were curious. I lifted it up and opened it only partially revealing the darkling symbol on the paper. Nadia and Marie both were shocked but they nod without saying much and then we walked away the three of us to talk. 

"So two days to write your first letter. What will you say?" Nadia asked as I shrugged and knew he hardly knew of my existence. Not to mention I put my true nature on the card. "I..I wrote my true nature on my card." I admitted 

The gasps were loud enough as they looked at me knowing I'd hid for years but this was an opportunity to share my secret with someone. Someone I could be myself with instead of trying to figure out what to do. Only problem is my letters were going to the person Baghra kept me away from now. 

"Well...he has to guess your name. You can't write it." Nadia said as I was surprise but they had done this before so they would know. "I see. Alright." I said 

Aleksander's POV: 

I was busy trying to figure out what to do about everything that had happened. I'd spent years away from Fedyor's idea of letters to know 2nd army better but this year felt different so I gave in. I was looking over my maps when he walked in. "General" Fedyor said as I was still looking at them. "Yes, Fedyor?" I asked

Fedyor walked over handing me the paper "This was the last one, it's one of our Grisha girls who declined last year." Fedyor said as I took it. Fedyor excused himself as I looked at the paper. All the Grisha girls I figured I already knew so what would make this one different? They all fawned over me with everything that I had done to gain their loyalty and trust. 

I opened it expecting the usual thing of one symbol, as that was what a normal Grisha had was only one. Instead my eyes landed on two, one that caught my attention the most. 

Sun Summoner I thought

I looked over all the records of the Grisha at the little palace but none of them were ranked as Sun Summoners. I then looked at the paper again seeing Tidmaker and looked at our Tidemaker list. Most of them I knew but there was only a select few I didn't know and on this list there was one name in particular that was familiar to me. Amira Silina

I can't spoil the rules but let's see. The person is a Sun Summoner and Tidemaker it seems with the first letter of their name being A. A two class summoner how rare...but if they're hiding they must feel isolated. I thought knowing now I just had to come up with something to write and have Fedyor take it to them.