𝐁𝛐𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 | Nikolai Lantsov

19 | 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬

𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚

As I say goodbye to the Six of Crows, each farewell is laden with promises and regrets. I pull Nina into a tight embrace, the warmth of our friendship wrapping around us like a protective cloak. "Thank you," I whisper, the weight of unspoken words lingering in the air before I finally let go. Turning away, I make my way towards Nikolai's office, where a different kind of anticipation thrums in my veins.

Nikolai Lantsov: tall, with those striking blue eyes that dance with mischief; a prince always adorned with the gleam of humor, even in the darkest times. He had consistently been my ray of light, though I would never admit that aloud. His cheeky sarcasm always managed to break through my defenses, even when my heart tried to shield itself.

I stand before his door, my heart fluttering with a blend of excitement and apprehension. Mustering a confidence I barely feel, I rap my knuckles gently against the polished wood. When he opens the door, his brows furrow in confusion, yet the moment his gaze meets mine, a smile spreads across his lips. "You promised me a mattress if I made it out alive," I grin cheekily, my heart racing as I cross the threshold into his office.

"Ah, yes," he chuckles, stepping aside to let me in. The room is decorated with cluttered maps, weaponry, and books that are as much a part of him as his golden hair. "Since you made it out alive, and you also saved MY life, how about... a thank you gift?" His tone is laden with playful innuendo, and I can feel the charged atmosphere between us as he moves closer, our bodies nearly brushing against each other.

"You don't think it's a mistake?" I tease, echoing the words from our last encounter. The memory is a flame - bright and consuming, a swirl of passion and uncertainty that makes my breath hitch. That night had changed everything, and yet, here we are, teetering on the edge of something once again.

"Every choice is a risk, Amora," he replies, his voice a low murmur that sends chills down my spine. His blue eyes spark with mischief, but there's something deeper there, too. The shadows of vulnerability dance on his features as if he's weighing the importance of what he's about to say. "But sometimes, risks are worth taking."

I open my mouth to respond, but my words fumble, caught between my heart and my head. "Does that make what we did before... less significant?" I ask softly, my voice barely audible. My pulse quickens, and I search his eyes for a truth that might reflect my own unspoken feelings.

"Not less significant," he counters, stepping even closer. The air between us thickens. "But perhaps it was just a distraction in a world gone mad." He grins, masking whatever truth lies beneath the surface, his usual nonchalance evident.

Just then, the door swings open further. Entering the room is Tamar, her fierce black hair bouncing with her every stride, axes at her sides glinting in the light. She eyes us with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "Are we interrupting something, or do you both just enjoy awkward pauses?"

"Not at all!" I respond too quickly, my cheeks flaming. Nikolai, ever the charmer, casts a nonchalant glance at Tamar. "Just discussing the significance of mattresses in an ever-chaotic world."

"Ah, yes. Comfort first in times of crisis," she replies dryly, rolling her eyes. "I just hope you both know that if you're going to turn this office into a court of romantic entanglements, you'll need to keep it down. And do shut the door next time."

Tamar does have a point, and there's a hint of levity in her words, but as she exits, a lingering tension settles back between Nikolai and me. The moment Tamar leaves, I can almost hear our breaths mingle in the silence, a pressure that builds as he takes my hand in his, intertwining our fingers with a boldness that sends my heart racing.

"I've been thinking about the last time we were together," he says, voice low and intimate, an edge of seriousness cutting through the playful banter. "You make me-"

"Crazy?" I offer, teasing once more, but deep down, I crave to hear him say it. To know it isn't just the thrill of danger or the burden of our lives as nobles that keep pulling us together.

"No. Alive." His eyes soften as he speaks, and I see a glimpse of something real behind his usual sarcasm. "You make me feel alive."

My breath catches. In a world where we constantly faced shadows, losing ourselves in a war between light and dark, my heart aches for the simplicity of this moment-the truth. "What if we dared to live? To embrace the chaos?" I whisper, feeling bold as I draw even closer.

"Then let's abandon the cowardly and instead stand together in the madness," he replies, a serious undertone straining against his jesting manner. There's a flicker in his eyes, a hint of something more than mere camaraderie.

Our laughter fades, and the seriousness of the moment surrounds us like a cocoon. "Together then?" I ask, my voice a challenge wrapped in hope.

"Together," he echoes, and as though in some unseen choreography, we bridge the distance, closing our eyes just before our lips meet. The taste of sweet adventure echoes as the world outside fades away, and for a moment, the chaos of Ravka exists only beyond the embrace of our intertwined fingers-a promise of something beautiful amidst the discord.

As the kiss deepens, I can't help but think about what might lie ahead. One thing I know for certain is this: even in a world shadowed by uncertainty

I had found my spark, my laughter... my madness.

⎯⎯ ୨•୧ ⎯⎯