𝐀𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭'𝐬 𝐋𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲 - 𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐯

𝟎.𝟐 - 𝐌𝐨𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐚𝐭

✧・❉・✧

Valeriya had been training in Os Alta at the Little Palace from the age of seven, courtesy of the Darkling. And yes, he was right, she never had to long for companionship again.

She was provided it even when she didn't particularly want or need it.

She had been trained to be a perfect little soldier in the Second Army and was one of the few Fabrikators who were given extensive training under Botkin. The Darkling had realised her talents would be wasted away in making steel and keftas, so she was one of the few in his guard.

As for the loneliness and companionship issue, Valeriya had struggled the first few years, as her imagination grew more vivid and her subconscious failed to suppress it. Her nightmares took the form of her wretched tetya selling her to the Fjerdans, and getting burned at a Fjerdan pyre. On particularly difficult nights, she often dreamt of her tetya managing to sell her to whoever it was, and those nights usually resulted in nausea and sleepless nights.

Even though it was all long ago, Valeriya still had a hard time trusting anyone, resulting in the lack of friends and adding on to the stereotype of Materialki social awkwardness.

The sole person she talked to regularly remained the Darkling, and Valeriya did so only because she didn't want him to think she was ungrateful for what he had done.

"Baranova," Ivan, the Darkling's right hand and a very powerful Heartrender, barked at her. "The General wants to see you."

Valeriya simply nodded, abandoning the First Army gun she had been experimenting with. Generally, an Alkemi was kept around to manage the explosion when it happened, but Valeriya wore her purple kefta with the embroidery of both a Durast and an Alkemi.

Knocking on the door of the War Room, she peeked her head in as she waited for the black robed man to give her permission to enter. "Come in, Valeriya, please, and shut the door behind you," he said softly, tracing a finger down one of the maps.

As she felt the lock slide into place and the oprichniki's weapons settle in front of the door. "You summoned me, General?"

"I wish for you to travel with us to Kribirsk tomorrow," he said, turning around to look at her. Even though he had phrased it as a wish, she knew it was really an order.

She bowed her head. "Of course, General. May I ask why?"

The Darkling chuckled softly and gestured for her to take a seat. "I have told you before, Valeriya, that you needn't do anything you do not wish to, just because I have asked for it. You retain the right to deny me as you see fit."

Valeriya clenched her jaw. Now, see, that wasn't fair. How was she supposed to think straight when he said things like these? "Of course, General," she simply said, looking in his quartz eyes.

His eyes sparkled. "I also want you aboard the skiff that will cross into the Fold."

"I'm sorry?" Valeriya asked with an unusually haughty raise of her brow.

The Darkling's smile deepened. "Fold. Tomorrow. Yes?"

He was baiting her. Valeriya knew it. He wanted her to refuse, because he knew she would never say yes to going into the Fold. All her life, she had never refused an order, never fought back to him and as much as that pleased the Darkling, he always wanted to see how far he could push her.

Not today, sir. Valeriya was not going to break her streak today. "Of course, General."

The Darkling positively grinned. "Are you sure, moy soldat?"

Valeriya fought the urge to grimace and the Darkling's eyes twinkled, as if sensing that, too. "Of course, General," she said, her stomach twisting into unpleasant knots.

The Darkling waved a hand. "Not to worry, Valeriya, you are welcome to back out any time you feel you cannot do it. The offer shall stand until the moment the skiff disappears into the Fold. You have permission to stop the skiff on your command, and if you choose to go, the people shall be sailing under your command."

Valeriya felt her breath loosen. "Thank you, General." Yet another debt she would owe him. "General," she paused, stringing her next sentence together as the Darkling tilted his head and looked at her. "I wish to speak to you about something."

"By all means, Valeriya, I always welcome what you have to say."

Valeriya swallowed and lightly jumped and sat on the map table, prompting the Darkling to brace his forearms next to her. No matter that she had known the man since she had been seven, and no matter if he was her General and she, his soldier, there was some comfort in the company of the Darkling that Valeriya never found with anyone else.

"You know how in the dining room, training and just about everywhere else, the Grisha are divided into Corporalki, Etherealki and Materialki?" The Darkling nodded, the fire highlighting his cheekbones in an ethereal glow. "But we've all seen from our field excursions that Grisha work best when they are in a team. Heartrenders can stop a man's heart, but what will they do if someone lights them on fire?"

The Darkling tilted his head to the side, a strand of hair falling onto his forehead. "These prejudices have been given life among the students themselves, Valeriya," he said softly. "I believe in all Grisha, and every Grisha is powerful, as you have so evidently proven," he said, eyeing the phoenix feather amplifier embedded into her collarbone.

"Thank you, General, but the younger Grisha, and older as well, look up to you greatly. If you could perhaps encourage teams of a Heartrender, a Squaller, a Tidemaker, an Inferni and a Materialnik, then we'll be hitting two birds with one stone," Valeriya said, pursing her lips, staring into the Darkling's eyes.

He hummed. "Do you think the change will go over well, though, Valeriya?"

"We are your soldiers, General. We will obey," Valeriya said firmly. She stared deep into the eyes of the man who had saved her time and again, initially from slavery and over the years, from herself. Then he had taught her to save herself.

The Darkling smiled a small, but earnest smile. "I have an army with me, yet you remain my favourite, Valeriya."

✧・❉・✧

hello omg thanku sm for waiting

this story reached 1k reads!!

i was actually waiting for the show's arc for nikolai, and to see if i should involve the crows or not because i absolutely ADORE book!nikolai and kaz interactions

but unfortunately, i do not see s2 coming any time soon, so i have decided to fuck it and write acc to the book

so here we are! i cant promise regular updates but i promise i will try.

loveu, and check out my sirius black book!

cheers <3