Sunshine and Shadow - A Darklina Fanfic

The Dungeon

Alina's POV:

I learned a new trick. 

Thinking about what Baghra said, how light is all over us, I figured out a way to bend the light, camoflauging me.

I thought of the light as blankets, covering everything, and if I could bend it slightly, it would hide the object.

I tested it on the piece of strawberry and vanilla cake sitting on the plate in front of me. 

"Hmm. I like this one." Aleksander said, holding up a plate of a chocolate mousse cake.

He extended a fork with a bit of cake on it for me to try. "Here. It's really good." 

I try it, and he's right, the cake it pretty good. 

"You have a little- uh-" Aleksander says, pointing to the corner of my mouth. 

"What?" I say, wiping my mouth with no success.

"A little to the right. No. Up. No. Here, just let me do it." Aleksander says, brushing the chocolate bits off my cheek. 

In that moment, I'm thankful the chefs delievered the cakes to a private room, and we weren't doing the tasting in front of a bunch of chefs who would be watching my cheeks go as red as the strawberry on the piece of cake in front of me. 

Aleksander smirks. "Do you like it? I like it." He says while licking his fingers.

"Eww- you're like, 400 years old and you still lick your fingers?" I say with disdain, but he shrugs it off. 

"It's because the cake is good. I can't let it go to waste." He says, and wipes his hands on a napkin. 

I giggle a bit. "You want chocolate?" 

"Yes. Yes I do. And we're getting chocolate. Don't you dare try to change my mind." Aleksander says, licking the crumbs off the plate. 

"Well, personally, I would like red velvet." I say, bringing over the slice I was saving for Aleksander. 

"You know it's just vanilla with red food coloring, right?" Aleksander says. "We could just get vanilla." 

"But I thought you wanted chocolate? Also, you haven't even tried the slice yet." I say, offering him the plate.

"Nuh uh. I want chocolate." Aleksander says, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

I laugh, "Why are you acting like a little kid? Aren't you supposed to be the evil Darkling who wants to take over the world?" 

"Am I?" He says, his smile slowly fading. 

"I don't know. You act like that sometimes." I say honestly, hoping to talk some sense into him.

"I don't want to. But I have too." He says quietly, putting the plate down.

"And why is that?" 

"I have to protect Ravka. I need to protect the Grisha. And if people aren't afraid of me, they won't respect me. That's why I'm fine with what I sacrificed to become king. Someday, I hope you'll understand." 

I study his expression for a minute. Aleksander seems like he actually thinks what he's doing is right, which is something new. I always thought he was just evil and corrupted.

"Well- why kill so many innocents? They didn't ask to be sacrificed." I say, thinking of my parents.

"It was for the greater good. So many more people would be killed by our enemies, not just Grisha." He says taking my hands. 

Oh wow. He's really not kidding. He really believes that.

"I'm sorry about your parents. I really am. But, people die. People die all the time, and it hurts." Aleksander says, sadness and anger in his voice.