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🌸 A N E E L A 🌸
The large hexagonal hall near the entrance took Aneela's breath away the second she stepped through the front door. Build with the finest materials, the building was the image of the Grande Palace but with much more character. It wasn't cold or empty like it's big sister, the Little Palace was full of life and warmth.
Aneela's eyes were wandering around as they strolled through the entrance hall. "This place is so beautiful."
"Unfortunately, it was partially destroyed during the Darkling's attack on the capital. There was a lot of rebuilding to do but we managed to make everything look like it did before. A few years later, the Fjerdans bombed Os Alta and the fabrikator workshops and corporalki laboratories were completely destroyed. Just recently, they were rebuild, we had an opening ceremony just a few days before you and the others arrived."
"Your workers are truly gifted," Aneela said as she kept looking around. "You wouldn't believe this place was damaged two times."
Nikolai pointed to the right that led down a corridor. "They redid the library recently and build more shelves for the growing stock of books. You're going to love it."
How right he was about that, Aneela thought as they entered the huge room. There seemed to be thousands of bookshelves standing on different levels, carrying over a million books. Tables to work at where splattered around in little groups where Grisha worked at in concentration.
"I could spent hours in here," Aneela mumbled as she took everything in. "And I couldn't even grasp all of it."
The prince smiled at her. "The section about flowers is way bigger than the one in the Grande Palace."
She chuckled softly. "That's good to know."
Calm silence filled the air, only the steps of people walking around echoed a bit up to the twenty-meter-high glass roof. Grisha who were passing them bowed their heads with a smile on their face, eyeing Aneela curious. The sitting fabrikators and corporalki followed the passing couple and started whispering to one another.
"I assume you don't often bring somebody for a tour?"
Nikolai linked her arm with his, which sparked even more looks and excited whisper. "Sometimes when we have foreign guests but they know you're not just a guest."
"Because of the courting season?"
"Because of what you did earlier today." Nikolai said softly. "How you saved me and how you and your family working alongside with the Grisha to heal the ones who got injured."
"It just felt natural, neither one of us thought about it," Aneela explained. "Was that weird to them? Was that too invasive?"
"No, no, they just ... aren't used to that. Many of them got discriminated by foreigners, had bad experiences on missions and your family helping today was a good reminder that people with kind hearts do exist outside of Ravka."
