The first thing Katya remembers from her childhood are the towers of the Grand Palace, furbished in ivory and gold and reaching for the heavens above. She used to always wonder when they would slide off and finally clatter to the floor in a mess, very much like her toys.
The second thing are the rumors, the questions – about why a toddler had somehow been adopted into the Little Palace. It didn't matter that Katarina had shown an affinity for Summoning even as a baby, only that their frightening leader had a small army of nannies looking after this child.
The Grisha look at her as if she is some other, a thing from the making at the heart of the world, or rather a freak of nature. They watch longingly as she walks past them, this child of less than ten, and into the Darkling's chambers – everybody knows the general has dedicated part of his evenings to his little protegee, and then whisper amongst themselves when she has disappeared behind the black doors.
In training they watch them from afar, her and the other horrible girl, who had the ambition and the spite to put them all on their asses. The other Grisha never come close, so she learns to enjoy the silence, and, every once in a while, even Zoya's annoying rants about the way everything should definitely be more Zoya-centric in the world.
These are all little luxuries, and Katya knows she owes him everything – the Darkling had made sure she was clothed and fed, had kept a close eye on her training and education, and he had saved her life multiple times. This man, who is not her blood, has done more for her than her own mother had, and she trusts him with her life.
