Trapped | S & B

.1.

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General Kirigan was a force to be reckoned with, everyone feared him. Even the Grisha who acted as his personal guard were afraid of him. It was understandable. As a privelleged Grisha, the General was guaranteed a long life. From the start, under the foresight of the King, Kirigan vowed he would not spend those years as cowering fool. Yet when he stalked through the First Army camp at the news of someone surviving the Fold, the Darkling found one person who wasn't afraid of him. And she was certainly no Saint like him. He was never sure if it was pure arrogance or that the person had nothing to lose, but General Kirigan met his match in Katerina Fahey.

But he found her weaknesses, like he had with every foolish girl before her.

Kirigan tricked her as he always did. He morphed her into something of his own creation. The Darkling helped Katerina achieve any wish she wanted and by doing so, he could play her like a fiddle. He knew her insecurities, her thoughts, her nightmares, even her past. Everything that Katerina had kept close and in the shadows was now known by him. Her problems were eradicated by the snap of his fingers when she signed the dotted line. Everyone in Os Alta questioned his sanity when he employed a "witch" for Katerina was no normal girl and with every chance he had, Aleksander Kirigan swore to exploit her for it .

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Genya tugged on her kefta over the purple shawl she had stolen from Katerina's wardrobe in their absence. It seemed to be the only item of clothing they owned that wasn't black. However, Genya knew she should have already suspected that. Her own wardrobe consisted solely of white. They both served different leaders, but with the same rules.

News had travelled fast from the front lines and Genya found herself walking through the Grand Castle halls with an extra skip in her step, knowing Kat was returning. It had been months since their last meeting and Genya feared she was on her last legs without any support system. Katerina may have hidden any sense of emotion to other Grisha, but their shared secret moments brought out her true feelings. "My lady, if it is not an inconvenience, I had wondered if I may greet the soldiers on their return." Genya developed thick skin after her years in the Little Palace and approaching the queen got slightly easier each time. She had also found that Queen Tatiana was rarely listening to her actual request, but more focused on the image in her mirror. From Genya's handiwork, a large part of the person that faced the queen was fake.

"Oh Genya, I suppose so." Tatiana was a sullen and vain creature. Not much pleased her, besides her equally sullen and vain son Vasily and the queen only beamed a toothy grin when her dear Nikolai was brought up. "That Katerina girl can always fill in for you if I'm in need of anything. Just make sure she's not wearing that awful gown she always does, I do despise it." Genya neither cared nor bothered to correct and remind Tatiana that Kate was also a member of the soldiers party. She opted for a polite bow instead, before quickly fleeing. Genya did not trust her self-control enough to avoid saying something she would regret.

An hour of the final preparations was finally done and Genya raced to the front gates to welcome back her friend. Every other occupant of the little palace was bursting with excitement for the rumoured arrival of the Sun Summoner, but Genya had been given her orders. She would attend to the Saint once everything else was settled. That left her time with Katerina, time Genya was always so grateful for.

"My Lord, is that all?" Genya caught the end of my conversation with General Kirigan before she was strictly dismissed and as Katerina turned, Genya's polite presence was met by a cheeky wink.

They had escaped back into the safety of the Grand Palace and Genya pulled her into a tight hug. She nearly sighed out of relief. She was safe, finally. "Oh Kate, you've been gone too long." Five months felt like a century to Genya. "Not much has changed, but I missed you nonetheless." Genya knew they probably didn't want to listen to her sobs of gratitude or cries of happiness, but her isolation had been unbearable. Katerina was the only other Tailor in the Little and Grand Palace put together. Katerina and Genya truly were two of a kind and without the other, one was destined for pain.