"How is this supposed to work?" "It's not."

The Age of the Grisha had long since passed; first-hand accounts & golden memories slowly evolved into stories of legend over time. The tides of war throughout the course of the following centuries had left Ravka in turmoil. The royal family fled the country; their rule had been taken up by many a conqueror. With the Grisha so few in number & scattered across the continent, no one was left to take a stand against the coming armies. The mighty capital, Os Alta, was left to desertion. No one had set foot in the Grand Palace, nor the Little Palace in over a hundred years. The refined & wealthy grounds were abandoned long since then. That is until a young summoner finds herself sneaking through the forgotten halls of the Little Palace to discover truth to many rumors she's heard about the palace itself. Is it truly possible that Grisha still live on in Os Alta? ------------ Contest entry for "Winter Ball." 1500 words for #dec2k16

Aleksander had been alive for too long, in his opinion, staring bleakly at the Fold he created, seeing without seeing.

He swings her around, dancing with no purpose other than to torment her.

She looked back at the shadow of the palace in Os Alta, illuminated by the high moon, and shivered with the sudden cold, feeling the first snowflake fall. Then, turning her back to the palace, Alina went on her way.

THIS IS A CLEAN FAN FICTION! IT DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY MATURE CONTENT! (Like Smut cause I just don't do that) Has a villain from a book ever haunted you? Have you ever thought they could be...real? No? That's the same thing Lassie Andrews thought about her favorite book. Sure, millions of girls fawned over the mysterious Darkling, even though he was the evil villain. Lassie just didn't understand. She always leaned in with Alina. When a mysterious man dressed in a dark robe that looked like it belonged in Imperial Russia shows up in her life, Lassie is forced to take a closer look at her beloved book and the characters that seemed all to real. Because this time it might not just be Alina's freedom on the line. It could be hers. **** THE REWRITE IS UP! JUST GO TO THE PART CALLED Who is my mother, really? Rewrite. IT'S THE SECOND PART! THE REST OF THE PARTS AFTER IT ARE PART OF THE REWRITE! Enjoy. -Anna

~ A Grisha Fanfic ~ Where there is light, there will always be darkness. It has been five years since the battle on the Fold, when Alina had done what she thought was right. The only problem was that she had failed. The Darkling had survived their battle on the Fold, and was now readying his forces for yet another war. For the second time Alina will be faced with war, but this time she has no idea what is coming. She doesn't know that he's alive and coming for her. She doesn't know that darkness never dies. Meanwhile, Nikolai Lantsov sits atop the Ravkan throne, queenless. He is a patient man, but it is an impatient country. He needs his people's support and to get that he needs Alina. Though she still grieves Mal, can she move past her lost love and find sanctuary in another? Can she marry Nikolai and be happy? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain; like calls to like. ~~~ This story is in no way perfect and there may be some slightly inaccurate parts, but I promise I'm a devoted fan so you can trust that I'll work my hardest to make it acceptable. Note, I don't own any of these fabulous characters, they were all created and are owned by the amazing Leigh Bardugo! *Cover picture belongs to a very talented artist, not me

[ON HOLD] As the years pass, Alina understands the Darkling more and more- and begins to regret killing him. When the last of the otkazat'sya summoners die, her power slowly begins to return to her. Then, she receives a message- Aleksander, her Aleksander, may not be dead after all. [POST- RUIN AND RISING]

THIS IS REALLY REALLY OLD!! I WROTE THIS WHEN I WAS SUPER YOUNG SO BE WARNED!!!

A Shadow and Bone short-story fanfic about the Darkling's past life. In a time when the he carried a different name, the Darkling had been in love once. A tragic tale that changed his life forever