TANGLED, genya safin

chapter thirteen.

chapter thirteen.
The Rise of a Grisha

AFTER GENYA WAS DONE GETTING ME ALL fancied up, we met up with Alina, who was in fact wearing black as well, the only difference in our Kefta's was mine had three colors, black, gold, and pale blue, and Alina's having black and gold. Her hair had two knots at the bottom of her head, but she looked as beautiful as ever.

Our Black Keftas caused quite the stir in the domed hall as Marie and Nadia and a group of other Etheralki dressed in blue velvets and silks swarmed around us. Genya had managed to slip away, as she usually did, but we held fast to her arm. If we were wearing the Darkling's color, then we intended to take full advantage of it and have our friend by our side.

"You two do know that I cannot go into the ballroom with you. The Queen would have a fit," she whispered to Alina and me.

"Okay, but you can still walk over with us," Alina said and Genya beamed.

As we walked down the gravel path and into the wooded tunnel, I noticed that Sergei and several other Heartrenders were keeping pace with us, and I realized with a start that they were guarding us— or probably just me and Alina. I suppose it made sense with all of the strangers on the palace grounds for the fete, but It was also still disconcerting, a reminder that there were a lot of people in the world who wanted Alina and me dead.

The grounds surrounding the Grand Palace had been lit up to showcase tableaus of actors and little tropes of acrobats performing for wandering guests. Masked musicians strolled the paths. A man with a monkey on his shoulder ambled past, and two men covered from head to toe in gold leaf rode by on zebras, throwing jeweled flowers to everyone they passed.

Costumed choirs sang in the trees. A trio of redheaded dancers splashed around in the double eagle fountain, wearing little more than seashells and coral and holding up platters full of oysters to guests.

We had just started to climb the marble steps when a servant appeared with a message for Genya. She read the note and sighed, "The Queen's headache has miraculously disappeared, and she has decided to attend the ball after all."

She gave Alina and me a little wave, promised to find us after the demonstration, and then slipped away.

❂♕

Spring had barely begun to show itself, but it was impossible to tell that in the Grand Palace. Music floated down the marble hallways. The air felt curiously warm and was perfumed with the scent of thousands of white flowers, grown in Grisha hothouses. They covered tables and trailed down the balustrades in thick clusters.

Marie and Nadia appeared somewhere throughout the crowds and dragged Alina and me through groups of nobles, who pretended to ignore us but whispered as we passed by with our Corporalki guards. We held our head high and even smiled at one of the young nobles men standing by the entrance to the ballroom. I was surprised to see him blush and look down at his shoes.

I glanced at Alina to see if she had noticed, but she was gabbling about some of the dishes served to the nobles at dinner— roasted lynx, salted peaches, burnt swan with saffron. I was suddenly glad that we'd eaten earlier.

The ballroom was larger and grander than even the throne room we'd passed earlier, lit by row after row of sparkling chandeliers, and full of a masked orchestra seated along the far wall. The gowns, the jewels, the crystals dripping from the chandeliers, and even the floor beneath our feet seemed to sparkle, and I wondered how much of it was Fabrikator craft.