Disclaimer: I don't own the Grisha Trilogy and its characters – it belongs to Leigh Bardugo. I do not own the Shadow & Bone TV series, which was developed by Eric Heisserer for Netflix and based on Leigh Bardugo's books. Any recognisable dialogue is from the books or TV show – some lines may be included verbatim, others in an amended form.

In this story, Alina is discovered by Grisha examiners when she is eight. She therefore meets the Darkling as a child rather than as a seventeen year old. Even in canon, this relationship has plenty of issues (manipulation, abuse of power and him constantly trying to kill all her friends being just a few) and this is heightened even further by the fact that Alina will now be influenced by the Darkling as a child. To try and keep the issues to a minimum, Alina won't have too much interaction with the Darkling when she's younger (he doesn't strike me as the type to enjoy spending much time with children anyway), though of course his power and influence will be felt even when he's not physically present. Alina might have crush-type feelings for the Darkling when she's a younger teenager (he is handsome and charismatic after all) but there will not be shift to any kind of romantic intimacy between them until she is about seventeen. While he will be aware, in the back of his mind, that Alina is likely the only one who could spend eternity with him, he has no romantic / sexual interest in underage Alina. There are still countless issues here but this is fiction. While the Darkling will always be much older and with much more life experience than Alina, my plan is to try and get Alina to a similar power level so at least they're on a more even footing there.

This fic is mostly from Alina's POV, so there will be plenty of things going on in the background she may not be aware of and ulterior motivations behind characters' actions. There will be some interludes from other POVs to give some other points of view.

This is an AU based on the books with elements of the TV show mixed in. Alina will be half-Shu as she is in the show. Mal won't play much of a role in this fic and he will be more like book!Mal than show!Mal (they made some changes in the show, because book!Mal is fairly anti-Grisha). Everyone matches their book ages except Ivan and Fedyor, who I've decided are respectively 12 and 10 years older than Alina – this is older than they seem to be in the books, but better matches the fact that the actors playing them are in their 30s.


I would have gone to the Little Palace and been spoiled and pampered. I would have dined off golden plates, and I never would have struggled to use my power. It would have been like breathing, the way it always should have been. And in time, I would have forgotten Keramzin.

Ruin & Rising – Leigh Bardugo


Beginnings

Alina was eight years old.

Mal was her very best friend. Her only friend, really.

Life was not idyllic – the orphanage was not a particularly cheerful place, many of the other children disliked her for her Shu heritage and she was rarely strong enough to get involved in the more active games that went on – but with Mal around she usually felt like things would be ok.

Then the Grisha examiners arrived and everything changed.

She and Mal tried to hide. Neither of them thought they were Grisha, but they didn't want to take the chance that they would be separated. Ana Kuya caught them, though, nudging them into line with the other children and sternly ordering them to behave.

When Alina's turn came to be examined, she was terrified to feel a roar of power from deep within her, desperate to escape.

She'd never felt anything like it before, and yet she knew somehow that it had been there all her life, waiting to be called.

Her first instinct was to push it down, to hide it somewhere no one would ever find it.

If she was Grisha then she would have to leave this dull but predictable life for the unknown. Worse, she would have to leave Mal.

And yet … something about the power felt right in a way nothing else ever had. Alina pushed it down and tried not to react, but she could feel it building up, wanting to be free.

All it took was one moment of weakness and then the room was bathed in a soft, warm light.

The three Grisha examiners gasped, a hushed conversation springing up between them as they spoke with an air of excitement she didn't quite understand.

Everyone knew a little something about the Grisha orders, even an orphan from Keramzin, but Alina had never heard of anyone wielding light before.

She started to panic. Had she done something wrong? Was she going to be punished? She eyed the door, trying to work out if she could make a break for it before the examiners noticed.

Before she could move, though, two of the examiners stood and left the room in a hurry, leaving Alina with a severe-looking woman wearing red and black.

"I didn't mean to do it," she blurted out, "it was an accident."

The woman smiled at her and the expression made her look far less scary, "you need not be concerned, Miss Starkov, you've done nothing wrong. In fact, you've made us all very happy."

"I don't understand," Alina whispered.

"We can explain in the carriage," the woman told her, "we have to leave immediately. My name is Katya. Vladimir and Freya are collecting your paperwork now. Is there anything you would like to bring with you?"

Alina only shook her head. Anything an orphan at Keramzin had was borrowed or donated. The only thing she wanted was Mal.

Saints, Mal. He would hate her now. He'd never liked Grisha, always considered them odd.

("They're so creepy, Alina," he would say whenever they were brought up in conversation, "there's something unnatural about them.")

Katya led her out of the room and towards the front door. Alina went with her without a fuss, but when she saw Mal she couldn't help but cry out for him.

"Please," she said to Katya, "I just want to say goodbye."

The woman frowned, unsure, "very quickly," she agreed after a moment, "but we must leave as soon as Vladimir and Freya are finished."

Alina ran over to Mal, who was sat alone on one of the orphanage's faded divans.

He refused to look at her and turned his head away when she sat down next to him.

"Please," she begged him, "please, Mal. I don't have much time – just let me explain."

He remained mute. She had never felt awkward around Mal before, and she absolutely hated it.

"I didn't know," she insisted, "I didn't –"

He glanced at her then and she recoiled at the coldness in his expression.

"Please, Mal," she repeated, "talk to me."

His remained stonily silent, glaring resentfully at her as if she had chosen this, as if this was what she had wanted.

She had only found out that she was Grisha five minutes ago. She hadn't even left the orphanage yet and already it felt like she had lost Mal.

"Time to go, Miss Starkov," Katya appeared at her shoulder.

She almost asked for a little more time, for a couple more minutes to make Mal listen.

What was the point, though? He would barely look at her, let alone talk.

"I'm sorry," she told him one last time, before she allowed Katya to take her hand and lead her away.

-x-x-x-

They helped her into their carriage, settled her against a pile of soft blankets and gave her a spare kefta to wear.

"They are made of Materialki corecloth," Vladimir told her, "to protect against bullets and knives."

Freya glared at him when Alina's eyes widened at the idea that they thought she might be attacked.

"It's only a precaution," Katya added gently.

"What am I?" Alina asked, "what did I do?"

They looked at each other, having the sort of silent conversations adults so often did when they didn't want the children around them to understand. Alina huffed slightly – it wasn't fair to exclude her when she was the one most involved.

"You are hope," Katya told her eventually, "hope for the future. The Darkling will explain it better when we reach the Little Palace."

"The … the Darkling?" she asked, trying and failing to hide the tremor in her voice.

She didn't think anyone in Keramzin had ever met the Darkling, but stories about the Second Army General circulated no matter where you were. If even half of what was whispered turned out to be real, then Alina didn't think she wanted to meet him.

"You mustn't worry," Freya said, "you are Grisha, and the Darkling has always been the Grisha's best protector. If it wasn't for him then I would have been burnt as a witch when I was a child."

Freya was Fjerdan, Alina realised, born in a country where they tied their Grisha to stakes and set them on fire. She remembered what the rumours said about Shu Han – that they performed experiments on their Grisha to try and find the source of their power – and found herself glad she lived in her father's home country instead.

Freya's words gave her a little comfort, but Alina was still worried. She had vague memories of a happy life with her parents, but Keramzin was the place where she had spent most of her life so far, and while it had not been a particularly happy place to grow up it was at least familiar.

"Are you sure I'm Grisha? I've never heard of anyone making light before. Won't the Darkling be angry if you bring me back and it's all a mistake?"

"You are Grisha, Miss Starkov," Katya reassured her, "and, believe me, the Darkling will be very pleased to meet you."

There was something in her voice that made Alina think she was missing part of the equation. She suddenly felt very tired, though, and before she could think to ask any more questions, she had drifted off into a peaceful sleep.


The journey to Os Alta took a few days.

They changed horses only when they absolutely had to, and when they stopped for the night Alina was smuggled into whatever inn they chose with the greatest secrecy.

It was all very confusing to her. Everyone knew the Grisha examiners regularly travelled around all the cities and villages to look for Grisha children. She didn't understand why they would be trying so hard to hide the fact that they had found such a child.

The whole situation made her even more nervous. She was convinced that there was something wrong with her and the examiners were taking her to the Darkling for some kind of punishment.

Katya repeated her assurances that she was not in any kind of trouble, but Alina didn't know whether or not to believe her. Still, she figured out quickly that there was no point trying to make much of a fuss – if she got too worked up then Katya, who she had learned was a Heartrender, used her powers to slow Alina's heart and send her to sleep, apologising the whole time but insisting it was necessary as they needed to go unnoticed by the general population.

Katya, Vladimir and Freya all seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief when they reached Os Alta without incident.

Alina wished she could have looked out of the carriage to catch a glimpse of the city, but the windows were covered and Freya told her it was best that no one catch a glimpse of her for the time being.

For a while she could hear the hustle and bustle of the city as they travelled through busy streets, but the sounds soon faded away and she assumed they were getting closer to the palace.

When they came to a stop, Freya held her hand up to indicate Alina should remain in the carriage while Katya and Vladimir hopped out and vanished from sight.

A few minutes passed in silence. Alina wanted to ask Freya what was going to happen, but the blonde woman's gaze kept darting all around, her body tensed, and she didn't want to disturb her.

Soon enough, though, Katya called out for them to exit the carriage, and Alina blinked at the sudden light when she stepped out. She'd spent most of the past few days in the darkened carriage or sneaking into inns under the cover of darkness and her eyes had to get used to the bright sunlight.

Two young men in red kefta has joined them. One looked serious, almost angry, but the second gave Alina a friendly smile.

"The Darkling will see you in his receiving room," the serious one said, "follow us."

"That's Ivan," Freya explained quietly as they passed by a pair of guards to enter the gates, "and the other is Fedyor. They're Heartrenders, like Katya."

Alina nodded absently, too busy staring all around her as they were led through a maze of corridors. Everything was so beautiful, nothing like what she had known before, and she felt even smaller and more insignificant than she usually did amongst all the splendour.

They were all brought to an elegant receiving room, simply but tastefully decorated with dark wood and black furnishings, to wait for the Darkling.

Alina twisted her hands together, trying to control her anxiety.

What would he be like, this man spoken of with fear and awe? She'd heard that he had led the Second Army for over half a century, so she expected an older man, perhaps like the First Army General who had visited Keramzin once, wearing a uniform covered in medals and with neatly combed silver hair and a tendency to bark at them all like they were already soldiers.

The Darkling was nothing like what she imagined, though.

She knew it was him as soon as he entered the room. He hadn't called forth any shadows yet, but his power almost emanated from him. He was young, surely far too young to have been leading for decades, and had sharp, beautiful features. With his ink-black hair, his pale skin looked almost white.

Really, he was almost too much to look at and Alina wanted to shrink back into her seat, to avoid the notice of his assessing gaze.

"Katya, Vladimir, Freya," he said, and each of them nodded their heads respectfully.

He looked down at Alina then, "and who is this?"

"Alina Starkov, moi soverennyi," Katya replied.

The Darkling crouched down in front of Alina so that they were almost at eye level, "hello, Alina. Can you give me your hand?"

It was technically a question, but she had the feeling he meant it more like an order. However, with no other option, she reached out her arm and let him encircle her wrist with his hand.

For a moment, nothing happened, but then she felt the same rush of power that she had during her examination and suddenly the room was flooded with bright light.

When the Darkling let go of her and the light faded away she could see an expression of triumph on his face, "Alina Starkov," he murmured, "I've been waiting for you a long time. You and I are going to change the world."

Alina burst into tears.

It was embarrassing. It was childish. It was the only thing she could think to do.

Everything was just so overwhelming. Just a few days ago she had been an orphan girl of no consequence. Now the General of the Second Army, the most powerful Grisha in the world, was telling her that she was going to help him change the world.

She heard him order everyone else out as she cried noisily. By the time she had managed to get her sobs under control and look up, he was sat in an armchair across from her.

"I imagine you've had a long few days," he said, "you probably need some food and a good night of rest."

Her stomach rumbled almost on cue and, while she felt a flush of embarrassment, she saw the faintest smile grace his face.

"My oprichniki will take you to your room," he told her, "I'll send someone to fetch you tomorrow so that we can talk a little more."

She nodded, rubbing her damp eyes.

"I am very glad you're here, solnyshko," he added, as his guards entered the room.

Little sun, she thought to herself as the Darkling's men, identically dressed in charcoal-coloured uniforms, unsmiling and totally silent, led her down the corridor and deposited her in a magnificent suite of rooms.

She felt more like a mouse, dwarfed by the splendour of the Little Palace and ready to scurry away at the first sign of trouble.

Perhaps she should have considered the events of the last few days more. Maybe she should have explored her rooms, checked to see if there was any way to get out (she wasn't planning on an escape, but it was always useful to know such things). In the end, though, she was too tired, too worn out by everything that had occurred.

She toed off her boots, draped the kefta over a divan and fell asleep fully clothed on top of the softest bed she'd ever come across.

Her dreams were a mess of Keramzin, Mal's glare, the rattle of a carriage, a warm rush of light and an echo of the Darkling's words.

"Alina Starkov, I've been waiting for you a long time. You and I are going to change the world."


Alina was woken the next morning by a light knock on her door.

For a moment she panicked. Was she allowed to let anyone into her room or did she need to check with the oprichniki?

Before she could figure it out, the door opened and one of the guards allowed a girl who appeared to be about ten years old into the room.

She was the most beautiful person Alina had ever seen, dressed in white and gold, with long, silky auburn hair and lovely amber eyes. Alina was immediately conscious of her travel-stained clothes, greasy hair and sickly pallor.

The girl's expression was warm, though, as she approached the bed.

"My name is Genya Safin," she told Alina as the guard shut the door behind her, "the Darkling sent me."

"Oh! Did he want to see me now? He's not angry is he? I can be ready in five minutes, I think."

Genya's laugh was like the tinkling of bells, "Saints, you need to relax. We have enough time."

"Sorry," Alina ducked her head, "I just don't want to do anything wrong."

Genya's look softened and she stepped forward to grasp Alina's hands with her own, "we're all very happy to have you here, Alina Starkov. There is no need to be afraid."

That remained to be seen, of course, but Alina was glad of Genya's reassurance.

"And now," Genya added, "you are in dire need of a long bath. I'm sorry to say this, but you really do smell quite awful."

Alina wasn't insulted. She hadn't bathed since she was at Keramzin, so Genya's words were certainly true, and the older girl spoke with a good-natured smile that showed she wasn't trying to be cruel.

"A bath would probably be a good idea," she agreed.

-x-x-x-

The bath was not just a good idea, it was a fantastic one.

Ana Kuya had always ensured the orphans under her care were kept neat and relatively clean, but she had few resources and lots of children to watch over. A bath lasting more than five or ten minutes was a luxury Alina had never experienced. She thought she could spend hours relaxing in the hot water in this huge sunken tub, surrounded by sweet smelling bubbles.

"Alina," Genya sounded fondly exasperated, "the bath isn't going anywhere. You can have another one tomorrow, or even later today if you really want."

She nodded reluctantly and exited the bath to be wrapped in a soft velvet robe. Part of her felt like this was a dream she would soon wake from, to find herself back at the orphanage, and she wanted to revel in all the grandeur while she could.

Genya guided her to the dressing table and sat her down, running her fingers through Alina's hair and untangling it more easily than anyone else ever had.

After few minutes Genya moved her hands away from Alina's hair to brush her fingers over a scar on her chin. When the scar vanished without a trace, she gasped out loud.

"You're a Healer?"

Genya shook her head, "I am a Tailor. I can fix, but I can also modify, though those effects are temporary."

"I've never heard of a Tailor."

"We are a rare thing … almost as rare as a Sun Summoner."

Alina tensed. While she had accepted that she had somehow managed to light up a room, the title of Sun Summoner seemed far too grand for her.

"The Darkling will explain it better than I can," Genya said, "I'm to take you to see him in an hour. For now, I'll help you get ready."

The time passed quickly.

Breakfast was delivered by the oprichniki. The fruit, yoghurt and pastries were a feast compared to the bland fare that had been served at the orphanage, and it took a great deal of self-control not to finish the whole lot off, even after she was completely full.

Genya showed Alina her small box full of items to assist her with Tailoring – "not a full set yet," she explained, "I'm still in training" – and worked miracles on Alina's hair and skin.

"It's nothing fancy," the Tailor told her, "nothing like what I'll do for the Queen. We just want to smooth things out a bit. Besides, you'll find your health will improve once you start using your powers regularly."

Genya, it seemed, was being trained to work for the Queen of Ravka. She smiled, called it an honour and said that the Queen was very fond of her. Still, there was a shadow behind her eyes that worried Alina a little.

They chatted while Genya worked. By the time the hour was up, Alina had been given a basic idea of how things worked at both the Little and Grand Palaces, and a rundown of the various Grisha orders and the keftas they wore.

She didn't ask why Genya wore a kefta in servant colours. She was curious, of course, but she didn't want to upset or accidentally insult her new friend.

When the guards came to collect her, Alina looked in the mirror and smiled.

She looked healthy in a way she never had before. Her dark hair was glossy, her skin clear and the dark circles under her eyes were completely gone. She was wearing a black dress, simple in design but clearly made of expensive material.

"You'll get a kefta soon," Genya promised, "the Fabrikators just need a bit of time."

"Thank you," Alina murmured, "really, you're a miracle worker."

Genya's mouth quirked upwards into a pleased grin, "I do my best … and my best is extremely good."

"Are you coming with me?" she asked, as Genya began to pack up her things.

"I've got to go to my lessons, but the Darkling has asked me to show you around the Little Palace this afternoon, so I'll be back then."

Alina felt a flash of disappointment. It would have been nice to face the Darkling with a friendly face by her side.

"You'll be fine," Genya promised, "the Darkling might be a little … intimidating, but he's been looking after the Grisha for decades."

-x-x-x-

The oprichniki escorted her the short distance to the Darkling's receiving room and she tried not to fidget when they closed the door behind her.

"Good morning, Alina," the Darkling said from his chair, gesturing for her to sit on the divan in front of him.

"Morning," she mumbled as she sat down.

"Did you sleep well? Is your room satisfactory?"

"Yes, thank you, it was very comfortable," she said, trying to sound polite and grateful.

"I know things must be confusing for you right now, Alina. Has anyone explained what you can do?"

"Kind of," she replied, "Genya said I was the Sun Summoner."

"Yes," he agreed, "there has never been anyone like you before. As a Shadow Summoner created the Fold, so it is believed that a Sun Summoner can help control its power."

He paused a moment before speaking again, "what do you know of the Black Heretic, Alina?"

"They taught us about him at the orphanage. He was a Shadow Summoner hired by the King hundreds of years ago. He grew so much in power that the King worried, so he put a bounty on his head. Because the Black Heretic was outnumbered, he tried to create his own army using Morozova's forbidden science. He failed and created the Fold instead, which killed him and lots of others too."

It was a story she knew by heart, one taught to all the children in the orphanage when they were very young.

"The Black Heretic was my ancestor, Alina. I have spent my life trying to learn to control the Fold, so that I can protect our country. However, I have never managed it."

"You need a Sun Summoner," Alina realised, "that's why everyone keeps telling me how pleased you are that I'm here."

She faltered then, "but … but what if I can't do it? I can't even call the light without help. What if I fail? They'll turn on me too."

"I will not let that happen, solnyshko, I promise."

Alina's life had taught her that promises were not always kept, that trust should not be freely given. The Darkling seemed sincere, though, and she remembered how Genya and Freya had both reassured her that he had the best interests of the Grisha in mind.

"Is there anything else you want to ask me, Alina?"

There were countless questions she wanted the answers to. What kind of classes would she take? Would someone be able to help her learn to call the light on her own? Did she really get to stay in the wonderful bedroom? Could she take baths every single day in the sunken tub if she wanted to? Was there a library and could she use it?

Instead, what came out was "how old are you?"

It was a rude question, really, but it was something she'd wondered ever since she saw him for the first time. She had heard that powerful Grisha had extended lifespans and she was interested in whether it was true.

Thankfully, the Darkling didn't scold her. However, his answer just left her with more questions.

"I am older than I look, solnyshko. Using our power makes us stronger, so most Grisha live long lives. The greater the power, the longer the life – and for an amplifier like me …" he trailed off and said nothing further.

She hadn't realised that the Darkling was an amplifier as well as a Shadow Summoner, but it explained how he could call her power out, and why he seemed to be so much younger than his true age.

She wasn't brave enough to enquire further, although she wished he would have given her a slightly less vague answer about his age.

She had more luck with other questions. Genya would apparently explain what subjects she would be studying. She would train with a woman called Baghra to learn to call the light. The bedroom was hers and she was free to use the bath as frequently as she liked. The Little Palace had a large library that was open to all students.

"Am I allowed to tell others what I can do? On the way from Keramzin, Katya told me we had to go unnoticed and I should stay out of sight."

"Genya has been informed, as she will help you adjust to life here. The older Grisha will also be made aware," he told her, "and it is your choice whether you reveal your gift to other students. If you do not want to tell them yet then you do not need to. Baghra is the only one of your instructors who will need to see your power for a number of years, and she is as likely to tell other students of your gift as the King is to stop drinking."

Alina knew she should be shocked by the Darkling's obvious disdain, but even in Keramzin they had heard plenty of stories that did not paint the King in any kind of positive light.

Satisfied about all the Grisha related questions she could currently think of, Alina turned to her final query.

"My friend Mal, back at the orphanage," she said, "I wondered if I could write to him."

The Darkling frowned and Alina worried she had upset him somehow.

"It's just I had to leave so quickly," she explained, "and he was angry with me. He thought I'd hidden that I was a Grisha, but I just didn't know. I'm sure if I could just write to him and explain then it will all be fine."

"It is only that letters are easily intercepted, solnyshko," he told her, "and it is safer if no one outside the palaces knows that a Sun Summoner has been discovered yet."

"Mal won't tell anyone," she insisted, "he's my best friend."

However, even as she spoke she worried that her words might be wrong. Mal really didn't like Grisha, and the memory of his glare was clear in her mind.

The Darkling looked grave, "it might put the orphanage and your friend in danger if you wrote to him regularly."

Alina felt tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She knew she and Mal were on very different paths, but she felt she owed it to their friendship to try and make things right if she could.

He sighed softly, "perhaps you could write him a short note, to let him know you arrived safely. You mustn't put anything in about being a Sun Summoner, though, or he could be in grave danger. Do you understand, Alina?"

She nodded, "thank you. Thank you so much."

"Give the letter to Genya when it is finished and she will arrange for it to be delivered when one of our Grisha are next visiting the area. But there must be no other letters to your friend – you wouldn't want to put him in danger, would you?"

She shook her head. The last thing she wanted was for Mal to get hurt. She only wanted to let him know that she was sorry.

"Now, Alina, I want to introduce you to some of my oprichniki," the Darkling told her as six of the guards filed into the room.

"The oprichniki are my personal guards," he explained, "they are not Grisha but they are some of the most highly trained otkazat'sya you will find in Ravka. These six are going to look after you, so I don't want you to be alarmed if you notice them close by."

It seemed bizarre to Alina that she would warrant such a guard, especially in a building as secure as the Little Palace.

"Will they be around all the time?"

The Darkling nodded, his expression solemn, "they will always be nearby, and it is very important that you don't try to run away from them, or go somewhere without them. Do you understand?"

She frowned a little at the idea of being constantly watched. She had been supervised at the orphanage, but there were never enough eyes to watch all the children, so she and Mal had often roamed freely around the grounds.

"I am only concerned for your safety, solnyshko," the Darkling added, "there are those who would seek to use or hurt you. I do not wish to scare you, of course, but you deserve to know these things."

"I understand," she agreed.

He nodded, clearly satisfied by her answer, "I'll let you go back to your room now, Alina. I know Genya will be visiting you this afternoon to give you a tour. I'll be leaving tomorrow but I wanted to make sure you were settled in."

"Where are you going?" she asked.

She half expected him not to respond, since the General of the Second Army certainly wasn't answerable to a child, but she found herself curious about him.

"I must tour quite a few of the camps so that the First and Second Armies can plan the next year's defence plans. I'll be gone for a number of months, perhaps half a year."

"Oh," she sighed softly.

She couldn't help but be a little disappointed. She knew he was very busy, but he'd been so good about answering all her questions that she was sorry he would be leaving for so long.

"I will see you once before I go, when I present you to the King this evening."

"I'm to meet the King," she gasped out, "but I can't, I haven't learnt to call the light yet."

"Do you think I would embarrass either of us that way?" he asked, sounding a little insulted.

"No, of course not," she began, "it's only that –"

"You will be fine," he interrupted, "I will help you call the light tonight. And I am sure that, once I return from my tour, you will be more than capable of lighting a room on your own."

Alina thought it was nice that he believed in her, that he didn't hesitate to state his belief that she would soon learn to summon light without assistance.

"Now, off you go back to your room. I'm afraid I have some very tedious paperwork that needs completing today."

She stood immediately, not wanting to delay him. He'd been so accommodating that she had forgotten how much important work he probably had to do.

"Genya will help prepare you for the meeting," he said as she moved towards the door, "everything will be fine, Alina, do not worry."

As she left Alina found that, despite all her worries, she really believed him when he said things would be alright.


Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter should hopefully be out next Saturday.