Grisha scatter before the phalanx of guards that parades Rani through the halls of the little palace. Taking her, on the King's orders, to Saints know where.
Ridiculous, this entire thing.
That she would work for him. That he would continue to drag her along in whatever charade he's designed.
Whispers echo after their small party. Eyes following them through the halls. It's clear that prisoners are not often in the little palace and Rani's appearance is an object of curiosity. Especially when she has the face of a fallen Grisha.
She tries not to hear her sister's name in the murmurs that follow her.
Their small party stops abruptly. Nothing seems to distinguish this door from all the others they've passed in the little palace, but one of the guards gestures for her to enter. Rani waits. When it's clear the guard isn't golfing to open the door himself, she rolls her eyes, pushing the door open herself.
Despite the grandeur of the palace, the room before her is somehow homey. Almost every surface is covered in some sort of vibrant fabric. Blankets and curtains, pillows and rugs, all woven in intricate patterns, bright colors making the room feel warm even in the cold winter months.
Cautiously Rani takes a step forward. The air inside is stale, despite the comfortable atmosphere. Each step swirls up dust, dancing in moats of light from the vaulted windows. Even that is bright with color from tinted panes set into the windows. The entire room vibrates with it.
The door snaps closed. Rani doesn't turn. She's frozen in place, her eyes locked on a scarf folded carefully over the back of a chair, the only plane item in the vibrant room. Threadbare and dull and far too familiar.
A standard Shu military garment. She had been given one when she was drafted.
So had Tara.
"Stop fussing, Rani, you'll get us caught."
"It's cold in Ravka. You'll thank me once you're trekking through the snow on the other side of those mountains."
She looped that scarf around her twin's shoulders, tucking the ends hurriedly into her coat.
"There." She shoved Tara away from the edge of the army camp. "Go before they come looking for you."
They had found out about her. It didn't matter how, but they had. Now they'll come. They can't have a Grisha in the Shu army. They would kill her.
Or worse, they wouldn't.
Tara had taken a step toward the darkness, toward Ravka.
And hesitated.
"Go, what are you waiting for?" Rani hissed.
Instead, Tara had thrown her arms around her twin, shaking, crushing her until neither of them could breathe. Whispering the words she had never said before, "I'm scared, kebben."
Rani shut her eyes and pushed down her own fear. She couldn't be scared, not when Tara needed her to be strong.
"You'll be safe in Ravka."
She hadn't been.
Crossing the room in a few short strides Rani tears out the third drawer from the top of the dresser. Reaching into the empty slot, she rips out the bundle taped to the top. It only confirms what she already suspected.
This is where Tara always hid what she didn't want to be found, back in their shared room in Shu Han.
Yanking open the envelope, Rani pours the contents onto the desk. Letters from their parents, pamphlets with news from the Shu Han, and postcards Rani had sent her from Ketterdam. They all cascade over the desk, causing the paper already there to fall to the floor.
YOU ARE READING
heartless | nikolai lantsov
Fanfiction"You enjoy knowing someone in your palace would as soon have a knife to your throat as help you?" "Oh, I count on it, keeps my wits sharp." \\ Kidnapping the King of Ravka was easy. Until it wasn't. When her plan goes awry, Rani is given two choi...
