𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 // 𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐢 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐯

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐭𝐰𝐨. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

The End

The doors opened to the royal chamber as Estelle took a bite out of a perfectly-cooked piece of bread with an ungodly amount of butter on it. Estelle glanced over from her previous gaze, what she hoped was the fire, to where the sound had come from. "Who is it?"

Tamar's voice whispered through the darkness. "The Sun Summoner has come to visit Nikolai."

Estelle smiled and stood up. She placed the bread on a side table by her chair and made her way over. "The King is taking a much-needed nap. Anything I can help w—"

She was cut off by a hug. Alina. It was desperate, tight, as if Estelle had died and come back again. "I'm sorry we didn't get to talk in the barn. Are you really...?"

Sadly, Estelle nodded as they pulled apart. "I can't see a thing."

"Have you tried summoning yet?"

"Not yet," she replied. "But it's still there. I can feel it."

"Good." Estelle could hear something was off about the girl.

"What about you? I didn't hear much about what happened out there."

Alina sighed. "I am no longer the Sun Summoner. My power has been snuffed out from me and lit into nearby otkazat'sya."

"Oh," whispered Estelle. "I'm sorry. Are you okay? Is Mal?"

"We'll both be fine." There was rustling around and Alina placed something into Estelle's hand. "Give Nikolai his ring back for me."

Estelle shook her head, taking it and putting it back into Alina's hand. "He would want you to keep it. Even if you're not to stay here, even if you're not to be his queen, you're his friend. Always will be. He'd want you to have a reminder of that. That much I do know."

Alina sniffed. Maybe she was crying too. "I wanted to talk to him about his plans for the Second Army."

"I'm sure you could send him a letter—"

"And you," she interrupted. "I want the Second Army led by you, David, Genya, and Zoya."

Estelle's mouth parted in surprise. "What?"

"The Star Summoner, leading with one from each Grisha order. It makes sense."

Shaking her head, Estelle was in disbelief. "I'd love to, I really would. You know that. But...I can't, Alina."

"Why not?"

"I'm not meant for war, anymore. Look at me. I'm hardly suited to be a queen, but if Nikolai becomes King and I Queen if we marry, I will have to live up to that. I'm not even sure I can. I can't see, I'm not suited to lead anything." The words, even though truth, hurt. She was a useless Grisha now, unable to see. If she was unable to see, she was unable to do anything.