The Grisha Diaries (A Darklina Fanfic)

Chapter 5: Sweet Creature

"There's one more thing, Ms. Starkov," Inessa says after putting down the morning coffee tray in front of me, our now official morning routine. "A child came to the doorstep of the orphanage late last night."

"A new orphan?" I inquire curiously. "How old? What or who brought them here? They were dropped off in the middle of the night?" I rattle off my questions, realizing my childish excitement. Having only been here a short time, I hadn't witnessed the ingest of a new orphan. From my experience here as a child I know that older children have a harder time adjusting to the change than younger children. I also know that the circumstances resulting in a child ending up here are never easy to inquire about. So, I am dedicated to making sure that any new children we take in have the best transition into the orphanage that can be provided.

Inessa is acting suspiciously cautious. She's likely skeptical of the role I will take as the estate's mistress in this process. Does my questioning make my youth and inexperience in being a mistress to an estate too evident?

"An orphan, yes" she states slowly like she's explaining an obvious fact. "But, She," said with an emphasis so that I would gather the gender of the child, "doesn't seem to want to be here."

"She was dropped off by force?" I inquired. "What happened to her parents?"

"It would seem I'm not explaining this fast enough" Inessa remarks dryly.

It is surely odd for Inessa, a woman in her early to mid 30s who commands orphan children, to report to a 20 year old orphan such as myself.

"I'm sorry, sit down, please" I ask, more conscientiously.

Inessa takes a moment to situate herself in the chair across from mine, pouring a cup of coffee for herself, not that I minded. I take a sip of my own coffee, an action showing I'm ready to listen to what Inessa has to say about this new orphan girl without interruption.

"Her name is Sasha. I believe she is around 8 years old. And, I'm speculating that she has been living on her own or ran away from her family. She did insist she was not an orphan. A stubborn girl really. That was about all I could gather from her before she started insisting to meet with you."

"Me?" I ask dumbly. "Why would a child come here alone in the middle of the night to see me."

"I'm not sure, I'm pretty curious myself, but I have a theory that she may be Grisha."

"Ah" I murmur. "Well, where is she? I shall go talk to her myself then and from there we can decide whether or not to admit her as an orphan here."

Inessa seemingly approves that course of action with a polite nod of her head. "She is sitting on the couch downstairs in the receiving room. I caught her dozed off there earlier this morning."

I immediately down my coffee, excited to meet this Grisha girl. I rush downstairs only to find her still asleep on the couch, exactly as Inessa said. As a late riser myself, I could relate.

Dirty blonde hair chaotically surrounds the child in knots and frizz with so many leaves stuck in it that I'm certain she lived in a tree before this. However, an adorably round face with rosy cheeks and a dash of freckles peeks out from under the pleats of hair.

"Sasha" I whispered, shaking her softly to wake her up. "Wake up Sasha."

Her small body immediately bolts upwards. "Sankta Alina!" She exclaims with a splendid smile showing off a full set of teeth. "I can't believe it's you!" She rubs her large green groggy eyes that slowly open up like she expects me to disappear any second now.

"Yes, it's me," her excitement brings a giggle out of me. "I do believe you came a ways specifically to see me. But, Sasha, I am just Alina. Not a sankta."