You Must Know The Darkness To Appreciate The Light
  • Reads 50,483
  • Votes 1,716
  • Parts 45
  • Time 10h 29m
  • Reads 50,483
  • Votes 1,716
  • Parts 45
  • Time 10h 29m
Ongoing, First published Sep 27, 2021
Mature
When Alina and her loyal followers escaped the royal chapel in Os Alta, they left the Darkling dying buried under the ruins.

Now, he sits on the throne of Ravka, ruling as undisputed Tsar, while Alina and her friends run for their lives from him and his Grisha. 

Alina and her group bring the battle to him, on the Fold, but their ranks are dangerously thin, nearly everyone killed in battle. Those who weren't have been taken to Os Alta to be executed, until the Darkling offers Alina a choice: 

Watch her friends and those she cares about be murdered, as well as her pilgrims and everything she worked for be destroyed.

Or go against what she believes in to save her friends, by marrying the Darkling and being held captive for eternity to be used as his pawn.

Alina sees her opportunity to use her position in the palace to overthrow overthrow the Darkling, but obstacles soon stop her plan.

Will she be able to carry out her plan and kill the Darkling once and for all?



I will primarily follow the books, with bits and pieces of the Netflix show adaption (mostly: Ivan and Fedyor are both still alive and happily married because I ship Fivan, the Darkling/Aleksander is occasionally referred to as General Kirigan/Black General, Baghra and Botkin didn't die in R&R, etc.). It follows canon mostly but there will be some divergence, bits I've forgotten or changed to work something in. It picks up during the battle on the Fold in ruin and rising.

All characters and world belong to Leigh Bardugo. Spoilers for all the books (Shadow and Bone to Rule of Wolves). This is my first fanfic, so take it easy on me please :)

also just psa I suck at english/grammar so I'm sorry if there are mistakes. 

enjoy :)

(Cover photo art by minta.art on Instagram)
All Rights Reserved
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