Tumgik
#darklina library
thedarklingxalina · 2 years
Text
Darklina Library 
Married Darklina Fanfic Recommendations 
Fanfics where Alina and the Darkling get married, are married, or have an arranged marriage. 
Out of Time by destinies
Summary: Alina Starkov expected to wake up on a ship sailing across the True Sea, one that would take her far from Ravka, far from the Darkling and his mad crusade. Instead, she awoke in Os Alta to a devastating truth: the war was won nearly a century ago, her first love was dead, and she remembered nothing.Not even that, as part of her surrender, she agreed to a political marriage.
Sequel/Extra: Bedroom Hymns by destinies
The Sun In Splendour by humanmeatpie
Summary: Alina is the bastard daughter of the Tsar. In an attempt to both humiliate and control the darkling, he forces them to marry. Will this change tear Ravka apart or give it a real chance to heal? Also known as: the Darkling simps, Alina gets a character arc and I’m sure I’ll find a way to fit Mal into this.
Vsegda, Always by vuas
Summary: “An heir?” Alina hacks up half her tea, spoiling one of her finer dressing gowns. 
She’s too busy dabbing at the mess with napkins, cheeks warm, to notice the bemused look her husband gives over the top of the newspaper from where he sat reading across the breakfast table.She quickly learns he isn’t joking.
(Or: Aleksander Morozova asks his wife for a baby, and she doesn't find herself opposed to the idea.)
Midnight Prayers by vuas
Summary: “Shh,” he murmurs, cradling her face in his warm palm. “Stay still. No tears now, milaya. You’ll take what you’re given.”
“But—“
“Mercy,” he leans up to kiss her wet cheek. “Is for saints.”
The general's bride by Anuna
Summary:  For months she and Mal had been on the run. She kept her hair and her powers hidden, kept her hands and her face dirty in hope not to be recognized as the Sun Summoner. That is our best chance, you cannot reveal yourself to anyone any more. Mal had convinced her to stay invisible, unnoticeable, plain. But keeping herself invisible after learning how to shine had its cost.
Amnesia by Keira_63
Summary: “Who are you?” she asks again, because it somehow seems the most important question.
“Oh, milaya,” he sighs forlornly, “I’m your husband.”Alina loses a year of her memory and wakes to a world very different to the one she once knew.
the winter after by ellewhile
Summary: “I’m like your little pet,” I said once, when they wouldn’t stop glancing at me. “Have you fed me? Have you watered me? I bet they wonder.”
There was darkness in his voice when he responded, and it rushed through his fingers and into mine as our hands brushed together. “Not for long, Alina.” 
He dipped his head down to my ear, dipped his volume to match. “That I can promise.”
»»————- ♔ ————-««
The winter after the Darkling is defeated, Alina and Mal decide to stay in a cabin before officially settling down. After a fight, Alina is left to live alone. It's not too long before shadows start to follow her.We must all face our demons sooner or later.
Alternative Universe Married
i love you (i'm all you'll ever need) by Keira_63
Summary: A car accident that kills her best friend leaves Alina missing the last three months of her memories. It’s a good job her doting husband Aleksander is around to help. So why does something feel very wrong?
Notes: Alina and Aleks are both artists. Dark. 
AU: Modern/No Powers
The Blacksmith's Daughter by Lalaith_Yamainu
Summary: The strangers are different from anyone who's ever come to their village before: well dressed, with soft hands and fine, chiseled faces. Nobleborns, who pay for six months room and board at the inn with a single comb. Alina resolves to ignore them.
AU: Cottage Core
For alltid, sammen med deg by Madismen
Summary: He sees her in the Cloister garden first, head bent over a book and that is all it takes.All he needs to know she's the one.Doesn't mind fighting a war to get her.
AU: Fantasy/Magic 
75 notes · View notes
metamorfishes · 10 months
Text
Found this on Pinterest 😭
Tumblr media
94 notes · View notes
cindysku · 1 year
Link
A fun library made virtual escape room based on the first book of Shadow and Bone. Free!
11 notes · View notes
ellamaychild · 2 years
Text
It’s true,” I said softly. “You are stronger, wiser, infinite in experience.” I leaned forward and whispered, my lips brushing the shell of his ear. “But I am an apt pupil.
Much has already been said about these books, both bad and good. What is there for me to say?
I was pleased with the story. Its flavor, the dynamics create a special mood. The characters are vivid, each with their own charm.
Darkling is the dark side, not devoid of humanity and affection. He knows how to love, but considers love an incredible weakness. His image in the book kept me hoping until the very end that maybe just about now, well this time - he'll find the strength to choose the good that's left in him. But, alas...
Alina is the very embodiment of lostness and all its depths. This is what happens when you live and do not know who you really are, when you run away from yourself. Judging from other reviews, a lot of people didn't like Alina? They call her weak. But in her weakness is a great strength countered by Darkling.
Both characters are like two sides of the same coin. And when you understand that, when you penetrate that, then every word they say to each other, every look, every understatement takes on a stirring, profound nuance.
And, of course, Mal) Mal is a typical character, blinded by the tinsel of this world. His epiphany comes at a high price. Insight is always expensive for people, both in the real world and in the literary world. Perhaps that's why people and book characters don't want to have an epiphany until the last moment. It is painful, difficult, and it entails change. Once you have an epiphany, you can't stay the same. And Mal didn't stay the same?
The ending? Personally, I liked the ending of the trilogy) Well, the story couldn't have ended any other way.
A great victory always requires a great sacrifice.
And the victors deserve their peace.
And in Lee Bardugo's trilogy, they have found it. ✨
Tumblr media Tumblr media
10 notes · View notes
aimsyreads · 8 months
Text
"Na razrusha'ya. I am not ruined. E'ya razrushost. I am ruination."
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
Rating: 4.3/5
Genre: YA, Fantasy Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Romance
Page count: 480
Review:
(skip the red text to avoid spoilers)
"I am ruination" will now forever be etched into my brain because that is how much I LOVED this series. Reading these three books gave me a sense of comfort that I got when I read Percy Jackson or Harry Potter. I genuinely do not know how to explain this but it is just such a spectacular end to such a beautiful series and I will forever be indebted to Leigh Bardugo for instilling the love of reading in me again with such intensity. Now about the book in itself, personally I prefer the second book more than this one but it is still way better than some books I've read.
I can't really blame the plot though, because there really is no other ending that could've been more satisfying. I just wanted a perfectly happy ever after type of ending but I know deep inside my heart that if this trilogy ended in that way I would hate it forever. I also love the subtle nuances that the main characters have. Especially Alina. Her development was just top tier.
We can also understand it better since it is in her pov. The disadvantage to that point is that while others development is also just as good, it couldn't be expressed as well. Mal, for example seems to be a character with a lot of thought behind him, but (and this could just be me) I did feel like it was not given complete justice, especially in the first half. As the story progresses it did get better though. It might've been due to the lack of communication between Alina and Mal as well.
The lack of communication is truly the only "bad" thing I can comment about this book but even that isn't technically that much of a bad plot point since this lack of communication should have been resolved in the second book or we should've gotten the pov from Mal to understand the situation. Rather what we get is just Alina failing to even try and communicate her feelings completely because a) even she doesn't understand what exactly she feels and what exactly she wants to achieve and is unable to organise her thoughts well enough to communicate and b) she's afraid of the consequences of such words despite being one of the bravest characters during other situations which just makes her all the more relatable.
Thus the one bad trait isn't even a bad trait fully. But I have no complaints. I also love diverse traits of the other characters especially the [‼️SPOILER‼️] death of the Darkling was done so freaking well. Especially when Alina kind of mourns for him. They truly did have a bond, some sort of an understanding. He wholly believed in his goal and he knew his wrongdoings as well, but he believed that it would all be okay if he finally creates a Ravka that he dreams of. His death hit me in the most unexpected places, especially after reading the mini story at the end. I truly sympathise with his character and his development and he is to date one of the best antagonist characters with development worthy of them[‼️SPOILER‼️].
I feel like there are a lot of points I haven't really touched on but I have been lagging this review for a while, because I wanted time to move on and just accept the book. So to just conclude, great book, excellent writing, good plot, intricate and simple characters, and a forever favourite series.
0 notes
lucci-colucci · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Stardust 💫
1 note · View note
marvelmusing · 6 months
Text
Starlight, Star Bright
Pairing: Darklina x Fem!Star Summoner!Reader
Summary: The arrival of the sun summoner - your darling Alina - changes everything for you and Aleksander.
Warnings [18+]: canon level violence and death, mentions of death, nightmares, use of sleeping tonics, anxiety, mentions of Luda x Reader x Aleksander, angst, smut, oral (fem receiving), fingering, mentions of masturbation, smidge of corruption/innocence kink, Alina had a strict and conservative upbringing
My Masterlist
Tumblr media
Alina’s concentration face is rather adorable. Dark brows furrowed together, pink lips parted, and a tiny peek of her tongue can be seen at the corner of her mouth. It hadn’t been intentional - watching her like this. But the library at the Little Palace is one of your favourite places to hide from your duties and seeing her here feels like an unexpected treat.
Her concentration dissolves into frustration, plush lips pressing into a firm line, then emotion seems to overwhelm her. A redness has crept over her throat which bobs rapidly and her dark eyes blink in an embarrassed flurry. When you realise she’s holding back tears, you move towards her without thinking.
It’s only once you spot the mountain of books surrounding her, piled up over the desk in heaps, that you begin to suspect what has caused her distress.
“Good evening, Miss Starkov,” you say softly.
She looks up at you hurriedly and the action has tears filling her waterline which she quickly attempts blink away. A piece of your heart snaps away, quivering in your chest, aching at the thought of seeing tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Good evening, Lieutenant.”
“Shu isn’t the easiest language to learn, but once you understand the basics the rest will follow.”
A bright blush spreads over her cheeks and her gaze lowers to the open book in front of her. When you see her chin wobble slightly, your stomach twists, and you add,
“Can I offer you a recommendation?”
She looks up at you again, nodding slowly.
Moving over towards a nearby shelf, you search for a particular book, pulling it carefully from its place and settling it down in Alina’s lap.
“It’s a book of fables,” you explain quietly. She tilts her head, eyeing the cover. “It might seem a little childish, but I find it to be one of the best ways to introduce someone to a new language.”
She begins to turn the pages with infinite care, her delicate fingers tracing over the illustrations inside.
“Would-”
Her words falter.
“Yes?”
She shakes her head, a pretty blush warming her cheeks.
“No. It’s silly.”
“Alina-” Her eyes snap up to yours at the sound of her name from your lips and your own voice falters. “May I call you Alina?” She nods and you smile softly. “I want you to feel at home here, in the Little Palace. There’s nothing you can’t ask of me.”
From what you’ve heard from her tutors, Alina has been struggling with Grisha theory, alongside her physical training. Judging by the dark circles under her eyes and the way she pushes her food around her plate at dinner every night, she hasn’t been able to summon very well either.
Anything you can do to make her feel better, you vow to do it. Particular memories have concerns stirring in your stomach. For centuries, you had been by Aleksander’s side, masquerading as the Darkling’s otkazat’sya wife.
It was only when Aleksander presented his newest alias at court, General Kirigan, that you revealed your power to the world - Ravka’s only star summoner. The sudden pressure you felt to help your country, alongside the expectations of your fellow Grisha, had made you almost ill with worry. Everyone had hoped your light would have been able to destroy the Fold.
Alina squares her shoulders a little, seemingly drawing some confidence from your encouragement.
“Would you read it to me?” she asks.
There’s a small pause as you look at her, your expression softening at the sight of her looking so flustered.
“I’d love to.”
She smiles and the sight has the breath halting in your lungs. She shuffles back slightly as you sit down beside her, your fingers brushing against her clothed knee as you take the book from her lap.
“Each of the stories are only a handful of pages in length. I could read them in Shu first, then again in Ravkan - if you would like that?”
Her eyes widen, something hopeful glimmering in their dark depths.
“You don’t mind?” she asks shyly. You shake your head.
“Not at all.”
»»---------------------►
Reading to Alina soon becomes one of your favourite things in the world - a guilty pleasure of sorts to escape from the stress of helping Aleksander run the Second Army.
One night, she comes to your door with the book of Shu fables in her arms tucked against her chest.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she admits in a hoarse whisper and you wonder whether she has nightmares too. Instantly you take her hand, pulling her gently into your bedroom.
She settles at the head of your bed, plush pillows and velvet cushions bundled up around the two of you. With a flick of your fingers, you summon enough light to read by. Alina is entranced by your starlight, eyes wide as she stares up at the miniature constellations swirling above your heads.
As you read stories aloud in her mother’s language, Alina slowly inches her head down onto your lap so that she can watch the tiny stars shining down on you both. This provides you with the perfect opportunity to thread your fingers lightly through her hair. At your request, Genya has been taking care of Alina and her hair is much softer and fuller than when she first arrived at the Little Palace.
The darkness of her eyes offers a perfect reflection of your stars and every time you risk a glance at her you’re captivated by the sight. Some of the tension slips away from her body and a low, sleepy sigh falls from her lips. Her eyes flutter closed.
»»---------------------►
It isn’t surprising that the sun summoner loves to sit in the sunlight. After all, even before you could summon, you’ve always adored a starry night sky. But seeing Alina soak up the sun, her head tilted back, eyes closed, has your steps faltering as you watch her. She’s so beautiful like this, waiting for you at the foot of an oak tree in the grounds.
Aleksander is nearby, tending to the horses used by the two of them on their morning ride. Alina is sitting on his kefta, using it as a blanket to shield her legs from the cool dew of the grass beneath her.
When she notices your presence, a luminous smile brightens up her features. It isn’t long before the two of you have settled into your familiar rhythm. Alina lies down with her head in your lap whilst you read to her. The story you’ve selected for today is an unacknowledged favourite of Alina’s.
Once you’ve finished the story, you take a moment to admire Alina. Her eyes remain closed, lashes fanned over her cheekbones. There’s a sun kissed glow over her cheeks, her skin tone revitalised by her time in the sun - and her increase in summoning.
When her eyes open slowly, she blinks up at you, though you don’t shy away from her gaze. She smiles softly, sitting up slowly to face you.
“Can I ask you something?” she asks quietly, tucking a stray hair back from her face as the breeze drags at her dark locks.
Tilting your head aside, you study the nervous press of her lips and the way her eyes shift over the grass, avoiding your gaze. Then you nod slowly.
“In the story,” she begins, head inclined towards the book lying open in your lap. “The princess and the fairy… they get married.”
A subtle frown creases at your brows before you nod again.
“They… I’m not getting the translation wrong, am I? They’re both girls.”
“Yes, Alya. They’re both girls.”
“And that’s allowed?”
“I’m sure a few more conservative members of the nobility might have something to say about it, but yes, it’s allowed.”
Alina seems deep in thought, staring at a particular leaf as it is carried away by the breeze.
“Nadia flirts with girls,” she states.
“She does,” you agree.
“Sometimes, when I was in the First Army, someone would make a joke about two girls tumbling each other…” Her voice trails off slightly, her cheeks glowing a rosy pink with embarrassment as she adds, “But I didn’t know… girls actually do that with each other.”
You nod with a small smile, a knowing glimmer in your eyes.
“They do.”
The pink on her cheeks burns to a deep red, her mouth open with a question poised on her tongue. She’s adorable, innocent and flustered and curious. The sound of long grass rustling draws your attention over to Aleksander, who seems to be making his way towards you and Alina.
“Enjoying yourselves?” he asks with a tender smile, the affection in his gaze is obvious to you after years of learning to decipher his emotions.
When you glance back at Alina, there’s a spark of alarm in her eyes, widened as she looks almost pleadingly at you.
“I was just telling Alina about the trail around the lake,” you inform Aleksander. There’s a questioning tilt to his head, observing your lie instantly. Nevertheless, he nods and turns his attention onto her.
“Perhaps we could take that route on our next ride around the grounds.”
She smiles softly, shooting you a grateful look before she glances at Aleksander. Her smile widens when their eyes meet and she nods bashfully.
“I’d like that.”
»»---------------------►
“Healer! Is there a healer here!?”
Aleksander’s voice is hoarse, a guttural cry for help that has you stumbling to your feet, hurrying through the makeshift rooms of the Grisha sanctuary. Voices and the sound of frantic movement aid you in your search for him, your heart pounding in your chest as fright fills you.
“The best we have is a tailor,” someone says. “We were waiting for Luda.”
At the mention of your other lover’s name, the tidemaker’s words falter and you rush quickly towards them. Luda is lying limply in Aleksander’s arms, blood staining her clothing. He places her on a cot, smoothing her hair back once she’s settled.
“Luda,” you cry. “No.”
At the sound of your voice, Aleksander stands back, attempting to grasp your arm as you approach - to shield you from seeing her state. His hold is weak and you slip by him easily, sinking yourself onto the bed beside her.
Luda’s eyes flutter, the pain limiting her awareness, though she manages to hold your hand weakly. There’s a sickening twist in your stomach when you see the wound, blood flowing at a frightening speed. Tears fill your eyes as you smile softly at her, trying your hardest to be brave for her.
There are no other healers in the sanctuary. Even if you could staunch the bleeding, she has already lost too much blood and the damage looks too deep for a tailor to fix.
“It isn’t bad, milaya,” you assure her. “You just need some rest.”
Leaning forward, you press a gentle kiss to her forehead, cool to the touch yet damp with perspiration. Hovering over her, you wait for the sound of her next breath. It doesn’t come.
A broken cry catches in your throat, the beginning of a sob, as you sink onto the cold stone floor beside the cot. Hot tears spill over your cheeks, dripping down onto your lap as you curl in on yourself, shoulders shaking with the weight of your anguish.
The two of you had grown up in the same village. She had been the first person to see your starlight. Your first kiss. She’s the one who always soothes your heartbeat when it quickens with anxiety.
Luda had been the one to nudge you towards the mysterious Darkling, stating with flushed cheeks that she would not mind sharing you with such a handsome man. Innocently, you had laughed and shaken your head at her, completely unaware of Aleksander’s eyes on you both.
She had been so determined to gain an amplifier, to stay with you and Aleksander for as long as she could. Deep down, you know some part of her had craved a forever with you both. To see that slip away so quickly has your throat closing up with emotion.
“Just mortal,” Aleksander murmurs quietly.
Lifting your head, you manage to meet his gaze. He looks just as broken as you feel, his eyes filled with a grief so tangible you want to grasp hold of it, take it by the throat and throttle it. A wounded cry escapes you as Aleksander curls his hand around your wrist and you begin to sob in earnest.
Aleksander wakes you, fingers curling firmly around your wrists when you begin to struggle in his arms, still in the throes of your anxious slumber. When you realise where you are, and who is holding you, your body slumps defeatedly against him.
Aleksander lets you cry, allowing your grief to course through your body as you sob. He keeps you close, stroking a hand down your side as he murmurs gentle reminders to you - to continue breathing through your tears and that he’s here for you.
When your sobs relent, you manage to sit up beside him, the two of you leaning against the headboard.
“I’m sorry for waking you,” you sniffle. He retrieves a handkerchief for you, smoothing the soft cotton over your damp cheeks.
“Don’t be.” He pauses, eyeing your features with concern before he asks softly, “Luda?”
Closing your eyes, your expression crumples as you nod.
“First love always leaves it’s scars,” he murmurs, tracing his finger over the jagged skin tissue that curls over the slope of your shoulder - from the tip of your shoulder blade through your collarbone. The scar from the volcra, when you had escaped the Fold during its creation.
There’s a small scar at the corner of Aleksander’s eyebrow, one that you reach for now. He had gained it when he was thirteen, and he still rubs at the spot when he’s been working too long. There’s another scar, from the same incident, that runs over the length of his calf.
“Let me fetch you a sleeping draught.”
“Aleksander, I don’t need-”
“You look tired, my love.”
The concern in his voice has your hand lowering to your lap, your gaze following it as you remark quietly,
“You know I don’t like taking tonics.”
He nods. Aleksander rarely suggests such a solution, since the sleeping draughts put you in an immobilised state, where your limbs become too heavy to move. He knows you hate the lack of control, and the alarming decrease in your awareness.
“I know. But your nerves are overwrought, and a deep dreamless sleep will fix that.” He strokes your cheek gently. “I will watch over you, I promise. We’re safe. No one will hurt us here.”
A warm tear spills down your cheek, which he brushes away tenderly with the pad of his thumb. Breathing in shakily, you nod in consent. As Aleksander leaves the bed, the mattress dips and you bite back a whimper at the loss of his warm presence.
Leaning your head back against the headboard, you allow your heavy eyes to flutter closed as the sound of pouring liquid reaches your ears. Metal clinks lightly against porcelain as he stirs the sleeping draught for you.
He stokes the fire, encouraging a little more warmth into the room, before scooping up some burning coals to fill the warming pan.
With a tender smile at you, he lifts the covers at the foot of the bed, slotting the pan between the sheets to keep you cosy. Affection buzzes in your chest, an adoring smile quirking at your lips as you watch him.
He rounds the bed, sitting down by your side with a tea cup in his hands which he holds out for you to drink from.
“A few sips will suffice,” he says in a low voice.
Holding his gaze, you swallow down a small mouthful of the bitter liquid. He smiles softly when he sees your nose wrinkle at the taste. Aleksander hooks a finger under your chin, keeping your mouth close to the lip of the cup.
“Just a little more, my love.”
Somewhat reluctantly, you drink another mouthful and Aleksander casts the cup aside.
He settles you in his lap, tucking you against his chest as the draught begins to take effect. A haze clouds over your thoughts, filling your body with a limp heaviness. When you whimper quietly, Aleksander strokes a hand down your spine, pressing a reassuring kiss to your forehead as he hushes you. He continues murmuring comforting words to you.
As your eyelids flutter, your breathing shifting into something more heavy and rhythmic, Aleksander pulls the two of you down under the covers.
»»---------------------►
“Aleksander!” you hiss quietly. He slows his pace slightly, turning back to reach for your hand. “I think you’re forgetting I can’t see in the dark as well as you can.”
“Then summon some light.”
“What if someone sees?”
“No one is awake at this hour.”
Sighing, you summon a low twinkle of starlight, faint galaxies billowing like wisps of smoke around your ankles to light your way. Aided by your stars, you follow Aleksander through the darkened corridors of the Little Palace. He stops at a familiar room, releasing your hand as he turns to look at you.
Quietly, you knock against Alina’s door.
There’s a beat of silence and you both strain your ears, listening for any sound of movement from within her room. Slowly, Alina seems to rouse herself from her bed, moving towards the door. Her eyes widen as she looks at you and Aleksander, a frown creasing at the space between her brows.
“Um, hello?”
“I know you were upset that you couldn’t join your friends at the banya,” you say in a low voice.
Her gaze lowers, her feet shifting in her slippers as a subconscious pout puckers at her lips.
“It’s fine,” she says quietly. “I know you were both just concerned about my safety.”
Despite the guilt stirring in your stomach at the thought of Alina missing out on time with her friends, the smile growing on your face is hard to suppress as you consider the idea you’re about to propose to her.
“Well, we were thinking…” you trail off, looking expectantly at Aleksander. He smiles indulgently.
“That there is no one safer for you to be with than us.” Her eyes widen with excitement at Aleksander’s words and you add,
“It’s a warm night and the water at the lake will be the perfect temperature for a swim.”
“You mean…” Her smile is infectious and you’re smiling too as you ask her,
“Where’s your bathing dress?”
She frowns.
“My what?”
“Bathing dress. Genya told me you have one.”
She glances back into her room, eyes darting between her cabinet, vanity table, and her wardrobe.
“Would you like me to help you find it?” you ask. She nods.
It doesn’t take you long to locate the garment, folded carefully in the bottom drawer of the cabinet beside the window. Aleksander sits at her vanity table and you perch yourself on the end of the bed whilst Alina changes behind the folding screen in the corner of her room.
She steps out rather shyly, fidgeting with the hem of the dress while you and Aleksander stare, captivated by her.
The skirt of Alina’s bathing dress stops mid thigh and the neckline dips enough for you to catch a glimpse of her cleavage despite the modest capped sleeves which cover her shoulders. The fabric hugs her body comfortably, though you’re certain once the water has soaked through the material it will cling sinfully to her every curve.
Her cheeks are flushed, her gaze lowered to avoid your gaze as her fingers graze over the hemline of the dress, fingers playing nervously with the fabric. When she finally finds the courage to meet Aleksander’s eyes - then your own - her blush deepens.
Saving her from further embarrassment, you extend a hand out towards her which she takes instantly. A smile spreads over your features as her fingers curl around yours.
“Let’s go for a swim.”
»»---------------------►
Alina’s head lifts the moment she hears her door open. The smile that spreads over her features has your stomach flipping and she lowers her pen to give you her full attention from where she’s sitting at her vanity table.
“Good evening, Alina.”
Her smile brightens as she wraps her bath robe tighter around her body.
“Good evening.”
There’s ink smudges on her fingertips and your eyes peek around her to examine the pieces of parchment strewn over the table. When she catches your gaze, you lift a brow questioningly.
“Drawing?”
She shakes her head.
“I was just writing another letter for Mal.”
Sadness creeps into her expression and guilt stirs in your stomach.
“Alina-”
At the sound of her name on your lips, she lifts her head, eyes scouring over your face and your words fade as you lose your courage. But Alina deserves the truth.
“All letters that leave the Little Palace are read by either myself or Aleksander, to ensure that no important information falls into the wrong hands.”
She stiffens slightly, embarrassment touching her features.
“You mean you’ve read my letters to Mal?”
Guilt settles in your stomach as you shake your head.
“No.” She frowns, then you pull out a bundle of letters from the pocket of your kefta. “They haven’t been sent.”
She remains still, eyes fixed on the stack in your hand.
“I haven’t opened them. I wanted to tell you that Aleksander and I check letters so that you wouldn’t be uncomfortable. I was going to tell you… but the days went by and I just kept forgetting.”
Every word is the truth. Though it isn’t the whole truth. In all honesty, your reluctance to tell her about the letters is most likely an attempt at keeping her for yourself. Tears glimmer in her eyes and it sickens you that your selfishness is the reason for her distress. She shifts away from you and there’s a physical pain in your chest.
“I told you he hadn’t written back,” she says quietly, a quiver in her voice as she stares down at the envelopes. “You said he would soon. You told me there had been problems with the mail carriers. You lied to me.”
“Alina-”
She shakes her head, stepping away again, and you force your features to harden, shoving the hurt in your chest deep down. It twists inside you, making you step towards her and place the letters down on her table.
“I thought I should give these back to you. I’m certain you will choose your words more carefully, now that you know Aleksander and I will read every word that you write.”
It’s cruel, throwing the feelings you know she has for you and Aleksander in her face. Her cheeks flush red, anger and embarrassment flashing over her features as she looks away from you. The beginning of tears glisten in the corner of her eyes and you turn towards the door before you can see them fall.
»»---------------------►
A familiar presence lingers at the open doorway to your bedroom as you continue folding your trousers up, placing them in your trunk for the third time this morning.
“Sasha, would you pass me the…”
As you turn, your words are halted by the sight of Alina hesitating at the threshold of your room. She hasn’t spoken to you since that night in her rooms, turning away when she sees you in the grounds and keeping her gaze lowered when she passes you in the corridors.
“Alina.”
“You’re leaving.”
You nod.
“I’m going to oversee the new campaign on the Fjerdan frontlines.”
Aleksander had only casually suggested it but you had leapt at the opportunity, believing you need some fresh air and a chance to use your power productively.
There’s a pause as Alina steps towards you, almost cautiously. Her gaze is lowered, searching over your belongings that have been strewn across your bed.
“Can I write to you?” she asks.
There’s a twinge of guilt in your chest at the mention of letters, though the softness of Alina’s features express no ill will in regards to her unsent letters to Mal.
“Of course. I can’t promise my replies will be detailed or lengthy, but I would love to hear from you, Alina.”
She fidgets with her fingers, nails picking at her cuticles.
“How long will you be gone for?”
“I plan to return just before the Winter Fete.”
Her eyes widen.
“That long?”
“It’s only a few months. I’ll be back before you know it.”
»»---------------------►
The problem with being the person who censors letters within the Second Army is that you find it all too easy to remove what has been written on the page.
»»---------------------►
Alina,
I should have told you about the letters. I know this is a cowardly way to apologise, but seeing so many casualties today - knowing there will be more tomorrow - has made me reflective as it always does.
Please forgive me. I don’t want to lose you.
»»---------------------►
Moi Sashenka,
My official report on the front has been sent and hopefully you will have received it by the time this letter reaches you.
Fjerda is as cold as it always is and I hate being so far from you. Too many times I find myself longing for your advice or your embrace. I miss you, Sasha.
I miss Alina too. How is Alina? I hope her lessons have improved and that she’s feeling more settled. Could you remind her that she can write to me? I’m afraid I’ve ruined us.
Take care, as always
Forever yours
»»---------------------►
One particular letter you set alight with your starlight, watching the paper crumble as the flames remove your words from existence. That night you sleep curled in on yourself, old grief burrowing it’s way into your chest as you remember a girl with hopeful eyes the same colour as the sky.
She slips into your dreams, gentle hands holding you. The bed is warm, soft sheets caressing your naked bodies. Aleksander’s touch is familiar, like being welcomed home. He kisses you. She kisses you. A featherlight brush of her lips, before you’re sinking a hand into her hair to deepen the kiss with a fierce longing to keep her like this. It feels so real.
The tears have scarcely dried over your cheeks as you wake. The sounds of your army rousing itself from slumber draws you out of your bittersweet state, grounding you as you stare up at the cloth ceiling of your tent.
»»---------------------►
Aleksander folds his arms over his chest, drawing his bath robe tighter around his body as he looks over the map on his table. A chill brushes over his skin when his eyes land on the collection of figures placed by the Fjerdan border. Immediately his thoughts fall onto you.
The two of you aren’t often parted from each other; you’ve been one another’s constant companion for the last few centuries and he feels the temporary loss of you in his chest.
It appears he isn’t the only one who feels your absence. He turns at the sight of movement in the corner of his eye, shoulders tensing as the shadows stir at his subconscious command. They dissolve the moment his gaze falls onto her face.
“Alina.”
She tucks her hair back shyly.
“Am I disturbing you?”
He shakes his head.
“Not at all. Come in, please.”
He watches Alina’s eyes bounce over the contents of his table and can’t help but notice that she also lingers on the spot where your camp is. As she approaches him, she keeps her gaze lowered, looking over the pages in front of him.
Then she spies your letters.
“Is this from-”
Aleksander says your name softly, nodding as his fingers trace affectionately over the loops of your handwriting. His eyes skim over the words, reading between the lines of your ink in a manner only he can.
“She misses you.”
“I miss her too,” she admits in a whisper.
He gestures for her to sit in the armchair by the fire which she does, quietly tucking her knees beneath herself, bundling the fabric of her night robe closer around her body. Aleksander watches her, leaning back against the war table, his palms splayed over maps and papers.
He looks at her for a long moment, admiring her features as the firelight dances over them. There’s a contemplative furrow to his brows as he thinks of a promise he made to you before you left for the frontlines.
“Alina, I have something to tell you but I want you to make me a promise first.”
She eyes him somewhat warily. In your absence, the two of them have grown considerably closer, but you had been the one to coax Alina out of her shell.
“What’s the promise?” she asks.
“That you won’t leave.”
Her expression softens.
“Aleksander-”
“I want you to give me your word, that you will listen to everything I have to say tonight. Afterwards, if you would like to leave I will provide you with whatever resources I can to ensure you a safe journey.”
She’s frighteningly still, wide eyed like a rabbit weighing up the threat of a potential predator. He watches her swallow, steeling herself before she nods curtly in agreement. The knot in his chest begins to loosen slightly, though he dreads her reaction to what he’s about to tell her. He can only hope that you are right.
»»---------------------►
Dear Alina,
I know winter has already arrived for you in the capital. Whenever I begin to fear that frostbite has taken my toes, I picture you curled up by the fire with Aleksander. Home has never felt further from me, even as the date of my return inches closer.
I hope you will be happy to see me. I long for you. The silence has been torture.
I have enclosed another letter, which I hope you might be able to pass along to Aleksander. There has been little time to write these days and ink is scarce. Give him my love. I hope you have a happy Yuletide.
»»---------------------►
Sasha,
There is a Yuletide gift for you underneath your bed. Alina’s gift is under my bed. Kiss her under the mistletoe for me.
All my love
»»---------------------►
My dearest Alya,
Fjerda is cold and I miss your warmth.
I hope that I reach you before this letter does. We begin our return to Os Alta today. I’m coming home.
»»---------------------►
As soon as you arrive back at the Little Palace, you find yourself drawn to Aleksander’s room, abandoning your trunk in your bedroom and seeking solace in the war room. The moment you set your eyes on him, the months-long tension leaves your shoulders and you stumble into his open arms.
Aleksander doesn’t have an opportunity to speak, as you grasp hold of his hair and drag his mouth down to yours. As soon as your lips meet, the leftover strain in your body and mind melts. The sigh that leaves you is fuelled by relief.
“Sasha,” you whine against his lips, unable to articulate anything else.
His hands cup your face, mouth moving eagerly against your own. After months of not being able to see one another, without touching one another, you’re both desperate.
“I forbid you from leaving the Little Palace for the foreseeable future,” he says, an edge of command in his tone.
“Yes, moi soverenyi,” you breathe against his lips.
A growl catches in the back of his throat and you squeeze your thighs together at the sound as white hot arousal coils in your stomach. He tugs you closer, hooking his hands beneath your legs to hoist you up into his arms. His next words are breathless, interrupted by your hurried kisses as he carries you into the bedroom.
“If it weren’t for the damned fete tomorrow, I would forbid you from leaving this bed.”
His mouth trails down your body, pressing hot kisses over your skin. A simmering tingle of pleasure shudders down your spine with each firm brush of his lips or stroke of his tongue. Heat creeps over your cheeks, as you realise your moans are getting louder and more desperate.
Once his mouth finally reaches your cunt, a sharp yelp falls from your lips. Holding onto his hair always encourages Aleksander, so your attempts to ground yourself only entice him further into your cunt. Slick arousal smears over his lips and chin as he devours you, leaving no inch of you untouched by his tongue.
He holds each of your hands in his as he works your body into a quivering climax that has tears spilling down your cheeks, relief soaking into your skin now that you’re finally home.
Aleksander’s expression softens as he observes your pitiful state. There’s a tremor in your legs that he attempts to coax out of you, smoothing his palms firmly over your thighs, his fingers squeezing at the sore muscle of your calves.
“Oh my love,” he coos. “You didn’t touch yourself at all while you were gone, did you?”
You shake your head.
“Didn’t feel right without you,” you admit, wiping the tears from your cheeks as they continue to pour. “Didn’t feel safe enough.”
A soft sigh heaves at his shoulders as he lowers himself over you, kissing his way up your body. He knows that feeling all too well, something he had hoped you would never experience again.
He sheds the rest of your clothing, tossing his own down onto the floor until your bare skin meets his. Sheer pleasure prickles through your body at the opportunity to feel his body against yours. Smooth skin, both of you marred with callouses and scars. The trail of hair down his stomach. Lean muscle and soft flesh. A soft moan escapes from your lips as his hips grind gently into yours.
“I have you now, my love,” he breathes out against your collarbone, mouthing over your throat. “You’re safe.” He reinforces his words with a firm kiss to the underside of your jaw. “You’re home.” Another kiss, a little higher. “Let me take care of you.”
“How is Alina?” you ask breathlessly.
He smiles down at you.
“She can summon at will now.” His mouth moves along your jawline. “For her Winter Fete display she plans to split sunbeams.”
He parts your thighs, positioning the head of his cock at your entrance before he eases himself forwards. A rough moan tears itself from the back of your throat as the feeling of Aleksander stretching you open floods through your body.
“She sleeps with your letters under her pillow each night.”
His words make your heart ache and your cunt clench around his cock, drawing a small hiss of surprise from him.
“I’ve missed her. I’ve missed you, Sasha.”
“I know, my love. I’ve missed you too,” he breathes out against your neck. “We talk about you all the time.”
He bites down on the juncture of your neck, teeth dragging on your skin before he strokes his tongue over the mark blooming there.
“You do?”
There’s a shy naivety in your voice, as if you can barely believe that the two people you adore most in the world would spend their time talking about you.
“She- she isn’t mad at me… is she?”
He kisses your cheek, his forehead pressing against your temple.
“No, my love. She isn’t mad at you.”
He moans quietly as your nails bite into his hips, clinging to him with an intensity that has you shaking. Aleksander kisses you, his mouth moving leisurely against yours. There is hardly a moment to breathe, with the head of Aleksander’s cock nudging against that sweet, sensitive spot inside you and the way he occupies your mouth.
Pleasure spirals in your stomach, as your cunt clenches tightly around his cock. Aleksander cries out a deep, startled sound. He grits his teeth, pressing his body directly into yours. Arching your back against the mattress, you grip onto Aleksander, writhing as your mind fights tooth and nail to resist the climax that your body is dragging you towards.
“Let go, my love,” he whispers, warm mouth suckling gently on your earlobe. “You’re safe, I have you. I promise.”
The next wave of pleasure that runs through you completely shatters whatever resolve had been subconsciously established in your mind. Another, rather unexpected, bout of tears trace down your cheeks and a small sob catches in the back of your throat as your climax peaks.
Aleksander continues his motions, thrusting into you as he cradles your face between his hands. He kisses your tears away as best he can whilst chasing his own climax. The shaky gasps of his name only entice him further, drawing a wrecked moan from his lips as he pulls out, spilling his sticky spend over your thighs.
The two of you remain in one another’s arms as you catch your breath, trading slow kisses and gentle touches. Aleksander’s fingers dance along the curves and dips of your body, following the path he knows by heart. As your eyes flutter closed, you link your fingers with his, giving them a gentle squeeze which he returns without hesitation.
Aleksander inhales sharply as you press a delicate kiss to his knuckles. In the absence of one another, it has been all too easy to forget the luxury of tender touches. There’s a softness to his features as he looks at you, tilting his head slightly to watch as you continue to kiss over each of his fingers.
“I told Alina about our past,” Aleksander confesses quietly. That has you freezing for a moment, eyes flickering up to study his face.
“How did she take it?”
His gaze lowers, his hand flexing slightly in your hold.
“She looked frightened at first. She had promised to listen to me, but I could see she was waiting to run.”
“What changed her mind?”
“You.”
A frown creases at your brows.
“I told her about you, about everything we’ve been through together. Everything we’ve lost over the years.” Emotion hardens in your throat, though you do your best to swallow it down. His tone grows regretful. “Even after everything I’ve done, you’ve remained by my side.”
“Because I love you,” you say quietly, pressing another kiss to his knuckles, squeezing his digits affectionately. “Because I know that everything you’ve done has been to keep us safe and keep our Grisha safe.” Tears well in Aleksander’s dark eyes. “How could I ever leave you - knowing that?”
He leans forward, cupping the back of your head to kiss you soundly.
»»---------------------►
Alina looks magnificent in black. The colour belongs to you as much as it belongs to Aleksander. To see her wearing your colour, her kefta perfectly moulded to her figure, drives the air from your lungs. She had been pale and gaunt when she first arrived at the Little Palace; it seems that your sun summoner has blossomed in your absence.
Aleksander moves towards her first, the crowd parting instantly for the three of you to meet.
“You were supposed to enter accompanied by palace guards,” he says in a low voice.
She blushes, her eyes bouncing between you and Aleksander.
“I’m sorry. I just… I wanted to see you.”
Her tone is shy, as if she truly hadn’t intended on diverting from Aleksander’s strict schedule for her safety. Aleksander blinks slowly, the corner of his lips twitching into a hint of a smile. His voice softens as he murmurs,
“You look lovely, by the way.”
The blush spreads down her neck and you lick your lips at the sight.
“Beautiful,” you add softly.
Her eyes darken as she meets your gaze and your stomach flips. She inclines her head demurely, a brief curtesy as she stares, seemingly drinking in the sight of you.
“Lieutenant.”
The only response you provide her is a brief tilt of your head.
“Miss Starkov.”
The urge to kiss her claws fiercely inside you, so strong that your lips tingle with a phantom anticipation. Her skin is glowing under the light of the chandeliers, her cheeks flushed prettily. Her lips have been coloured with a dewy layer of gloss that you want to feel smeared over your own mouth. Instead, you say,
“I look forward to your demonstration.”
She worries her lower lip between her teeth, brows furrowed slightly with concern before she manages to smile, somewhat distractedly. Her gaze lowers to the front of her kefta, as she begins to pick at the delicate embroidery there. Instantly, you curl your fingers around hers, halting her nervous fidgeting.
“I am certain it will be wonderful.”
Her inhale is sudden, her lips parted, eyes widened as they flicker rapidly between yours. Taking her hand to your lips, you press a gentle kiss to her knuckles. She swallows hard.
Inferni flame illuminates her features as Polina and Pavel begin their demonstration, fire arching over your heads. As the deep orange flickers over her face, you keep your eyes on her, admiring the soft glow of her skin.
There’s a knowing glimmer in Aleksander’s eyes as he looks at you. He smiles, ducking his head down to murmur quietly against Alina’s ear,
“Let’s give them a real show.”
His lips graze her temple and she shivers.
»»---------------------►
“I have something to confess,” Aleksander murmurs quietly against your ear.
With the demonstrations and dinner done, the royals have long since left the party, as have the majority of the nobility. Now, the people surrounding you are Grisha, which means you feel comfortable enough to sit in Aleksander’s lap. His chest is pressed against your back, the heat of his body warming your spine.
A minute frown creases at the space between your brows, though your eyes don’t stray from where Alina is standing, hiding behind a column with Genya, a flute of sparkling wine in her hand. She giggles and you drink in the sight of her flushed cheeks and bright eyes.
“Confess?”
His hands graze over your sides, his shadows slipping beneath your kefta to caress your body.
“I have been… tutoring Alina. Teaching her how to pleasure herself.”
You blink at him.
“Truly?”
He nods.
“She wants to touch you.”
“She does?”
He nods again, the bulge in his trousers hardening.
“Our darling Alya is rather shy. It took until she was bone limp with pleasure for her to admit it, but yes, she wants you.”
“You’ve touched her?”
“Not intimately.”
His answer has your frown returning.
“The poor girl can’t seem to relax enough without my touch to soothe her. A hand around her wrist, guiding her. Or a gentle pressure against her thighs. It took quite some time to convince her that she was allowed to touch herself.”
“From what she’s told me, the orphanage she grew up in was a conservative household. No doubt she feels embarrassed at the thought of wanting someone.”
From Aleksander’s expression, it’s clear that he is in agreement with you. Then the corner of his mouth lifts, a familiar darkness twinkling in his gaze.
“Now that she is aware of her desires, she is somewhat insatiable.”
The thought of innocent, wide eyed Alina throwing herself at your unflappable Aleksander is equal parts arousing and amusing. Thoughts of Alina touching herself, growing frustrated without him, and seeking out Aleksander to help her has a coil of need curling in your abdomen.
Aleksander smirks, lowering his mouth to graze against the shell of your ear, his voice dropping low so that no one but you can hear him.
“I’ve seen her touching herself, and with the pretty shade of crimson her cheeks gain, I’m certain her fantasies verge on obscene.”
“She’s perfect,” you whisper.
He presses a kiss to the sensitive skin of your earlobe.
“She is.”
His lips lower, trailing down your throat.
“Tonight?” you ask in a soft gasp.
“If you wish so,” he murmurs against your thundering pulse.
“I do. Sasha, I want her so badly.”
“I know.” He kisses your cheek softly. “Would you like her to yourself first?”
“I want her to come undone over my hand, while you watch us.”
He smiles widely.
“One condition.” You nod. “Afterwards, I want to teach Alina how to kiss your cunt.”
At the thought of them both between your thighs, trading slow kisses as they take turns licking and mouthing at your cunt, a small moan catches in the back of your throat. Aleksander curls his hand around your neck.
“She’s watching us.”
The inhale you take is shaky as you flutter your lashes.
“Now?”
He nods, squeezing at your throat gently. His nose brushes against yours delicately as he smiles indulgently at you as he whispers,
“Go to her.”
He releases his hold on you and warmth rushes to your cheeks as you wobble on unsteady feet. There’s a few eyes on you whilst making your way towards Alina, though they look away quickly after one glance in Aleksander’s direction.
Genya’s hazel eyes land on you, pink dusting over the porcelain skin of her cheeks when she sees how your gaze is fixed on Alina. She takes your sun summoner’s empty glass from her, making herself scarce with a knowing smile as you approach.
“Alina.” Her eyes widen, her gaze wandering from your lips downwards, lingering on the loosened neckline of your kefta, and your stomach flips. “I have a gift for you.”
She blinks in surprise.
“You do?”
A smile spreads over your face as you nod.
“Come see me later tonight, in Aleksander’s rooms. I will give it to you then.”
»»---------------------►
Aleksander’s footsteps are smooth and confident as he walks through the war room, his boots echoing over the polished wood. It’s only once he reaches the threshold of his bedroom that his gait falters.
“Where in the name of all saints did you get that?”
Turning from your reflection in the mirror above his vanity table, a coy smile curls at your lips as you smooth down the sheer lace of nightgown.
“To your liking, General?”
He breathes out a sharp laugh.
“Poor Alina won’t know where to look.”
“And you know exactly where to look,” you remark teasingly, adjusting the belt so that the length of your bare leg is on display.
His smile is wide and dazzling as he steps purposefully forward towards you.
“I do.”
Lowering himself onto his knees, Aleksander parts your nightgown, ducking his head between your thighs to kiss over your lace clad mound. A sound of surprise catches in the back of your throat, which dissolves into a moan when his tongue traces eagerly over the crease between your thighs and your hips.
He chuckles when you squirm, his warm hands settling over each of your knees to hold you in place as his mouth moves over your skin.
“Sasha,” you gasp. He smirks teasingly, eyes darkened as he looks up from between your thighs.
“My love, we’ve barely begun.”
There’s a tentative knock at the door.
Aleksander releases his hold on you, smoothing his hands over the knees of his trousers as he stands in one fluid motion. He strolls over towards the door, threading a hand through his hair as he does so. Suddenly conscious of your appearance, you brush down the fabric of your night robe to preserve your modesty.
“Alina,” he says softly.
There’s a small pause, and you know the sight in front of Alina will have her blushing already - Aleksander with bright eyes and flushed cheeks, his hair perfectly disheveled from delving between your thighs.
“Hello.”
“Please, come in.”
She’s dressed in her night dress, silk and lace clinging to her curves, with a velvet robe thrown over her shoulders. Her gaze bounces over the entirety of your body, unable to fix on any particular aspect before another steals her attention. She smiles as she approaches you.
“I actually have a gift for you as well.”
Rather shyly, she hands you a painted wooden box, wrapped in a sleek black ribbon. At the edge of the room, Aleksander circles around the two of you, watching silently.
The box is made of a wholesome wood, carved around the edge of the lid and along the sides. On every side, a detailed scene has been depicted in paint. The Little Palace, the True Sea, Morozova’s stag grazing in a sunlit meadow. Each brushstroke has been created with care and a skill you can only marvel at.
“Alina,” you whisper in awe.
She blushes.
“I painted it myself.”
Opening up the box, you stare at the contents for a long moment. Countless papers. Folded with care. Some of them are in envelopes, sealed with a rosy pink wax. Alina’s handwriting is instantly recognisable, looping ink on the creamy parchment.
“Are these-?”
“I didn’t want anyone but you to read them.” There’s a pause which weighs heavy over the room and Alina grows nervous. “If you don’t like it-”
“No. Alya, I love it,” you insist earnestly, tucking your hands around it protectively. Rather bashfully, you look down, tracing your fingers over the delicate brushstrokes. “My gift feels somewhat lacking now.”
“What… what is it?”
There’s a curious gleam in her eyes as she looks around you. Nervously, she tucks a stray hair back behind her ear as she sits tentatively at the foot of Aleksander’s bed. Slowly, you place her gift on the vanity table, your eyes examining her expression when you ask,
“Can I kiss you, Alina?”
Her eyes widen, and she blushes a bright shade of scarlet, then nods.
“I haven’t done this before,” she admits, a touch of worry spilling into her eyes. You smile at her.
“I know.” Inhaling slowly, you stand and walk over towards her. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything like this.”
Taking her chin between your fingers, you guide her mouth to yours for a tender kiss. The soft press of her lips against yours is better than you could have imagined. Gentle and warm and the shimmering gloss tastes sweet like strawberries.
She gasps out a little sound of pleasure as you cradle the back of her head, while your other hand strokes along her jawline, encouraging the steady motion of her lips. Without thinking, your hands wander down her body, grasping at the silky fabric covering her. She’s panting for breath as you cup her breasts, mapping the curves of her waist with each of your palms.
With little effort, you move her backwards and she sinks down onto the mattress with ease. It’s only after several more kisses that she seems to realise she’s lying on her back, in your bed, with your body attempting to nestle between her thighs.
“Would you part your legs for me?” you ask against her mouth.
She complies slowly, a smidge of embarrassed hesitation in her movement. Instantly, you begin to move downwards, pushing the velvet robe aside before you slide the silk of her nightdress up over her waist.
“Good girl.” She whines at your praise, which only encourages you further. “What a good girl you are, Alya.”
Her hands cover her face, as you lick a stripe over her bare thigh, heading towards the apex of her legs. As your nose nudges against her clothed mound, your mouth waters at the heady scent of her arousal.
“Has Aleksander ever touched you here?” She peeks at you from between her fingers and you raise a brow at her, a wicked smile tugging at your lips when she nods. “He has?” She nods again, breathless already as you laugh teasingly. “Does he touch you with or without your underwear in the way?”
Her cheeks are inflamed, you can feel the heat of her body burning with arousal against your lips as you kiss across her hips and thighs.
“W- with my underwear on,” she stammers bashfully. “Always with it on.”
“Would you like me to take it off?” She stares at you wide eyed, as if she hadn’t even imagined you wanting to touch her so intimately. “Would you like me to stroke your bare cunt?”
She whimpers your name, dropping her head back against the pillow and you grin at the sight of her so disheveled already - from a few heated kisses and some dirty words.
“I-” She worries her lower lip between her teeth. “Are you sure you want to?”
That has you growing still.
“Alina. Can I show you something?”
She nods hesitantly. Taking her hand, you entwine her fingers with yours. Slowly, you slide your joined hands down your body, slipping beneath the fabric of your night robe. Her eyes widen, lips parted in shock as her cheeks burn bright, though she doesn’t pull away even when you press her fingertips against your dripping entrance.
“Can you feel how much I want to, sweet girl?”
She nods.
“So soft.”
There’s a slight slur to her words, as if feeling your arousal has pushed her into a daze, and the temptation to push her fingers inside you prickles over your skin in a burning need. Her hand moves curiously, dipping into your centre, and you groan quietly at her hesitant touch.
Her gaze wanders down your body, before she becomes fixated on the spot between your legs.
“Yours is prettier than mine.”
“Alina,” Aleksander says sternly from where he’s seated himself at his vanity table. His tone has you clenching around nothing and a small pout puckers at her lips in response to his admonishment. “What have I told you about comparing yourself to others?”
Her pout deepens.
“Not to.”
“And why is that?”
She mumbles an answer that you can hardly hear, her cheeks inflamed with an embarrassed heat. Aleksander raises a brow, before prompting her to repeat herself, his tone remaining firm.
“Alina.”
“Because I’m beautiful,” she whispers, her voice wavering as she squeezes her eyes shut.
The smile you share with Aleksander, unseen by Alina, is devious. It seems you are no longer alone in your mission to improve Alina’s sense of self-worth.
Unable to stop yourself, you reward her with a kiss. Her robe slips easily from her shoulders, pooling over the mattress as you grasp at her body. She gasps at the feeling of your hands wandering, squirming beneath you with small sounds of pleasure that she breathes against your lips.
“Aleksander tells me he’s been tutoring you.”
The hint of a whine catches in the back of her throat, her cheeks hot with embarrassment at your words. She nods.
“Will you tell me what you’ve learnt? Will you tell me what you like, sweet girl?”
She bites down on her lip, the plush skin breaking between her teeth. Instantly, you lean forwards, suckling her lower lip to soothe the sting of her bite. The coppery taste of her blood touches the tip of your tongue and she moans louder when you lick over the sensitive spot.
“Tell me, Alina. Let me pleasure you.”
She whines again, a sweet noise that you want to tease out of her over and over again. Taking her hand again, you splay it between her breasts, using your own hand to smooth it down her body. Her thighs tremble.
“Tell me, sweet girl.”
“I- I like it gentle at first,” she stammers quietly, which has a smile quirking at the corner of your mouth as you slip your hand beneath the waistband of her panties.
“Hm? Like this?”
Her lips fall open into a perfect circle as you dip your finger between her soaked folds.
“Oh,” she breathes out, dropping her head back onto the pillow. “Yes.”
The base of your finger nudges against her clit and she writhes beneath you. Her hand curls around your wrist, squeezing as she pleads softly,
“Faster, please.”
Her hips jerk as you begin to circle her clit with the pad of your finger, your thumb hooked over her mound, the digit buried amongst the dark curls there. Alina squeezes her eyes shut, brows scrunching adorably as she gasps.
“Can I stretch your little cunt open now, sweet girl?” She whimpers, nodding fervently.
Her eyes meet yours, an endless darkness of desire spiralling in her blown pupils. Ducking your head down, you allow saliva to pool in your mouth before letting it drop down onto where your finger is pressing against her entrance. Her mouth drops open at the vulgar action, red blossoming down her neck and chest as it heaves with a shaky breath.
The mattress dips as Aleksander sits down at the foot of bed, his eyes fixed on where your hands explore Alina’s body. With the mess of her arousal and the added lubrication of your saliva, you slide your finger inside her. The heat of her cunt clings to your digit, dragging you in greedily and the feeling makes you groan against her neck.
“Alya, fuck, you’re so tight. Such a warm, pretty, little cunt.”
She shudders beneath you, whining your name as she grasps at the fabric of your night robe. With a few deft motions, you untie the belt and reveal your bare chest to her. A desperate noise catches in the back of her throat, her eyes wide and round as she stares at your breasts.
Curling your finger, you search for the spot that makes her clench harder than ever, stroking her quivering walls as you begin to speak.
“You can touch, Alya.”
“W-what?”
“You can touch me. Anywhere you want. Everywhere you want.”
Expecting hesitation from her, the feeling of her hands on your breasts, squeezing the flesh and tugging experimentally on your nipples, has you gasping in surprise. A soft groan escapes you, as the repression inside Alina seems to break. She grasps at you eagerly, perfectly trimmed nails digging into your skin.
Tenderly, you nuzzle your face into the crook of her neck, kissing over her collarbones.
“Let go, sweet girl. I have you.”
She gasps, her grip on you tightening as she bucks her hips upwards, chasing the motion of your hand. Sweat glosses over her body, her power shimmering beneath her skin. Light dances at the edge of the room, but all you can focus on is Alina as she reaches the peak of her pleasure.
Her back arches away from the mattress, dark eyes widened as she cries out your name, body succumbing to her climax. Her cunt twitches around your finger, pulsing violently around your digit. With her head thrown backwards, you can see each frantic beat of her heart thrumming in the veins across her throat, bared vulnerable to your hungry eyes.
She breathes heavily, pupils wide and sparkling with pleasure as she stares at you, her gaze flickering between your face and your body. Her smile is almost shy now, as she tucks a stray hair behind her ear with a shaky hand.
Aleksander’s hand curls around your throat, squeezing softly as he directs your head backward towards his mouth. It’s easy and well-practised, the way he moves your body so that you’re lying on your back with him nestled perfectly between your thighs.
“Remember what we agreed on, my love?”
“Sasha,” you whine against his lips, imagining Aleksander and Alina kissing between your thighs, their lips smeared with your arousal.
His hands are well acquainted with your body, paying attention to every dip and curve that he knows by heart. He squeezes the softest areas, blunt nails dragging purposefully over the spots that make you shudder as he works his way downwards. He kisses over your hip bones, tongue laving over the sensitive skin there as he traces his way down your thighs.
Aleksander retracts onto the balls of his heels, parting your folds smoothly with his fingers and your body burns at the feeling of being so observed as your arousal sticks to his digits. He leans over to kiss Alina’s flushed cheek, his lips grazing her ear as he speaks in a low voice.
“Kiss her here, just like you’d kiss her mouth,” he instructs Alina.
She takes your hand, brushing her thumb over your knuckles and a previously unnoticed tension slips from your shoulders, allowing you to settle comfortably on the mattress. There’s a determined set to her jaw, enthusiasm glimmering in her eyes as if she has been wanting for months to taste you. Slowly, she leans forwards.
The soft press of her lips against your cunt has you squirming, a keening whine slipping from your lips as her tongue darts out tentatively to lick up your arousal. She hums and your stomach flips at the thought of her enjoying the feeling of your cunt against her tongue.
Aleksander smiles at you both, squeezing your thigh as he pets the back of her head.
“Very good, Alinochka.”
The praise makes her sigh against your cunt and you clench around nothing, wishing she would slip her tongue inside you. Aleksander traces his fingers over your mound, drawing a shiver from you as he directs Alina’s attention to your clit.
“Watch carefully,” he tells her.
He ducks his head down, taking the swollen nub of your clit into his mouth. Instantly, you cry out, writhing over the mattress as you grasp at his hair, tugging on it with carnal need.
When he releases you, Alina is eager to take his place, mimicking the pressure of his mouth whilst lapping at your clit with her tongue. Breathless, you moan brokenly. The two of them are taking you apart, piece by piece, stealing the fractured shards of you for themselves.
Nerves stir in your stomach as your pleasure begins to sharpen into something tangible, almost within your grasp. Nevertheless, your climax evades you, until you can feel your sweat soaking the sheets and glossing at your forehead.
“Sasha, I can’t,” you whisper weakly.
“You can, my love.” He kisses your temple. “You’re doing so well.”
He strokes your hair back gently, reaching out to cup your breast comfortingly as he lies at your side. His thumb circles over your nipple in a soothing motion and you press your forehead against his shoulder as you whine. Taking your chin between his fingers, he turns you so that you’re looking down at Alina.
“Doesn’t she look beautiful like this? Our darling Alina.” At the sound of her name, her eyes flicker up to meet yours, a lustful sheen in her gaze that fills her features as she looks between you and Aleksander. “Don’t you want to spill yourself over her pretty face?”
She seems captivated by you, an awestruck expression glimmering in her eyes. Innocent little Alina, staring openly at you - as you lie splayed over Aleksander’s bed, almost completely unraveled by her mouth.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck- Alina.”
As your climax hits, your curses turn into frantic whines and your hips jerk against Alina’s face. Pleasure blooms beneath your skin, prickling down your spine as your cunt clenches a rapid rhythm that sends you spiralling into bliss.
Eyes fluttering closed, you drop your head back against the pillow, turning to press your forehead onto Aleksander’s shoulder. Each breath you take is a desperate heave of air, your body warm and sated with a blissful satisfaction as your pulse gallops a steady rhythm beneath your skin.
Alina stares at you, pink tongue tracing her lower lip as your eyes lock for a heated moment. Then she scrambles up your body, straddling your waist eagerly as she leans down to kiss you, smearing the remnants of your orgasm from her mouth to yours. Aleksander breathes out a soft groan at the sight of you both as you kiss lazily.
“Sasha,” you murmur against Alina’s lips, reaching downwards with the intention to grasp at his still-clothed cock.
His hand curls around your wrist to stop you.
“I want a clear head tonight,” he says when you meet his gaze.
On occasion, Aleksander denies himself a climax in order to stay fully aware of his surroundings, particularly when he’s feeling anxious about your safety. A rebuke is on the tip of your tongue - after all, the Little Palace is one of the safest places in the world. You and Aleksander ensured it. But with Alina here in your bed for the first time, you can understand why he would be concerned.
Pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, you whisper,
“Thank you, Sasha.”
He smiles, stroking your cheek affectionately with his knuckles.
“Anything for you, my love.”
“Can I wake you with a treat tomorrow morning?”
His smile widens.
“A treat?”
As you settle down by his side, curling up beneath his outstretched arm, you nod.
“Hm. I want to teach Alina how to suck your cock.”
Alina stifles a gasp. The apple of his throat bobs, a muscle in his jaw flaring as his eyes darken.
“My love,” he says warningly. “Your proposition isn’t helping my current issue.”
Biting down on your lip, you feel a touch of guilt as he shifts his hips, breathing deeply through his nose as he attempts to rein in his arousal.
“Sorry, Sasha.”
He hums with a smile, clearly unconvinced by your apology. Then he cups the back of your head, sinking his fingers into your hair as he kisses you.
“Let me clean the two of you up,” he suggests.
He glances at Alina in a silent question, requesting her consent which she gives with a soft smile and a small nod. Leisurely, you stretch out over the mattress as Aleksander stands to retrieve a wash cloth and basin full of water.
Alina breathes out a sigh and your eyes flutter open to admire her form draped beside you. Candlelight flickers over her skin, your fingers following the shadows that dip into the curves of her body as you reach out to trace over her figure with a featherlight touch. She hums quietly, eyes heavy-lidded as she looks at you. When your eyes meet, the smile that spreads across her face is luminous.
She blushes when Aleksander parts her legs, wiping a warm cloth over the space between her thighs. Once he’s done, you kiss her lips as a reward. He tells her that she can wear anything she likes to bed and she immediately moves towards your wardrobe as Aleksander’s attention moves to you.
He kisses you softly, hands cradling your face as you both smile at one another. He cleans you with the same care given to Alina, and once he’s done, you retrieve one of his night shirts to sleep in. As you shrug the garment over your shoulders, you turn your attention back to Alina.
She’s wearing one of your cosiest night robes, the soft fabric bundled around her frame. It drags over the floor as she moves towards you and Aleksander, climbing into bed between you both - where she belongs.
Finally having her in your bed seems to be quite the distraction for you and Aleksander; neither of you can keep your hands off her, taking turns to kiss her lips.
Alina giggles breathlessly.
“Aren’t we going to sleep?” she remarks teasingly, gnawing on her lower lip. The sight of her, dark curls askew and flushed cheeks, makes you and Aleksander both sigh.
“Yes, milaya,” Aleksander says decidedly as he reaches for the lantern on his bedside. “We’re going to sleep.”
He lifts the glass, blowing out the candle, and the room descends into darkness. Slipping your arms around Alina’s waist, you pull her backwards and she slots perfectly against your front. Aleksander drapes his arm over Alina, encaging her between you both as he reaches for you. He strokes a hand over your bicep, languid petting as the three of you fall asleep.
»»---------------------►
marvelmusing Tag List: @dreamlandcreations @blanchedelioncourt @idaofinfinity @slytherheign @ellooo0ooo @vixenofcourse @dumb-fawkin-bitch @jane-arthur @ilikefictionmen @budugu @watersquirtpewpewboomm @mysweetlittledesire
S&B Tag List: @motheroffae @daddymaster21
Aleksander M Tag List: @nyctophiliiiiaaa @jazmin2211 @wooya1224 @seronsalk
BB Characters Tag List: @rachlovesactors @noortsshift @aikeia @weallhaveadestiny @two-unbeatable-beaters
170 notes · View notes
qqueenofhades · 4 months
Note
Completely shocking, out-of-the-blue prompt that I've never mentioned to you before, definitely not inspired by work:
Ivan is a grumpy librarian/archivist, and Fedyor is a researcher who comes by looking for information on Darklina and/or their connection to Nikolai, and he finds the background of a love story. Obviously, the main character is Ivan's Disgust at the Perception of Heterosexuality
The light in the windowless back office is dim, grainy, and often gives Ivan a headache within the first few hours of him getting to work, which is not ideal for improving his temper. (Then again, not much is.) And despite its flaws, he does vastly prefer it to actually having to interact with the library patrons, as there is literally nothing worse than that. Especially academics, who come in with their laundry lists and their obscure texts, their pet projects and their insistence that if he just looks harder, he's sure to find it this time. Ivan has entertained many, many happy visions of just walking out, locking the doors behind him, and setting the whole thing on fire. Not that he has done that, and he probably -- probably -- wouldn't. He needs this job. Employment for a notorious ex-special ops soldier is thin on the ground as it is, and especially when it means he can, if he plays his cards right, spend most of the day completely alone. But still.
It is now, however, winter break at Os Alta Imperial State University, which means the throngs of panicked students trying to finish their last-minute assignment have mercifully receded, and Ivan can mostly organize his boxes in peace. Or so he thinks, until the accursed tinkle of the Please Ring for Service bell summons him like a wrathful specter, sweater-clad and glowering, to the front desk. "What?!"
"Uh. Good morning to you too." The newcomer -- young, dark-haired, and holding a large manila folder which portends absolutely nothing good, raises both eyebrows. "Can I speak to the archivist?"
"You're speaking to him," Ivan growls. This welcome has caused more than one quaking undergraduate to flee in abject terror rather than ask for even one book, and he fondly hopes for a similar effect this time. But the newcomer -- too old for an undergrad, so probably an advanced doctoral candidate or junior lecturer -- is made of stronger stuff, and doesn't flinch. "Can I help you, Mr... ?"
"Doctor," the annoyingly handsome interloper (not that Ivan has noticed) informs him. "Dr. Fedyor Kaminsky. I'm the new lecturer in the history department, Modern Ravkan History, and I was hoping that you could retrieve a few records for me? Boxes..." He consults his notes. Ivan contemplates murder. "T-1343 and T-1345 especially?"
Oh, great. Not again. Kaminsky -- yes, he vaguely recalls that name, from a department telegram welcoming the new faculty and staff, but it is absolutely not germane to Ivan's further actions in any part. He knows what is in those boxes, and someone always thinks they'll find something there that hasn't already been found, removed, and/or heavily censored. Ravka's last tsar and tsaritsa, Nikolai Lantsov and his half-Shu queen, Alina Starkov, are a figure of fascination and mystery for plenty of people, even after the revolution and the establishment of the Konsilium and everything that befell them as a result. Especially their relationship with the so-called Darkling, Aleksander Morozova, one of the most enigmatic and controversial figures in all of Ravkan history. Doctor Fedyor Kaminsky thinks he's going to jump into his new job with that? Good luck.
"We don't have those boxes," Ivan says, which is almost true. The Konsilium strongly prefers, in general, that people don't look at them, and any other uncomfortable bits of their history. "Go away."
Fedyor Kaminsky folds his arms. "No."
Saints, Ivan thinks sourly. What has he done to deserve this purgatory? (The Konsilium has also tried to outlaw the Ravkan Faith, since they're all supposed to be modern and secular now and because nobody wants another Apparat, but old habits are hard to break.) He stares at Fedyor, who stares back. This is confounding. Why hasn't he run away in terror yet? Everyone else does.
"Sorry," Ivan says, and turns away. "Can't help. Good day."
Naturally, Fedyor Kaminsky does not take the hint. He's back again the next day, still politely and stubbornly repeating his request for those boxes, and when Ivan loathingly suggests that the library is on winter-break hours and does not have to accommodate him at all, cheerily asks if Ivan's boss, the director of special collections, would agree. The threat of workplace discipline (or Saints forbid, a note in his permanent file) is stiff enough to make Ivan finally, furiously recant. Fine. If Kaminsky wants to get himself fired before even finishing his first year, it's nothing to Ivan. Might be a perk.
So, when they're into the second week of the requests, Ivan gives in, stomps to the back, and angrily hauls down the boxes, which are gathering dust from all the times he has, according to the rules, refused access to them before. It's not wise for Fedyor to look at these materials in the open, so Ivan tells him to take them to one of the backside reading rooms -- which is right across from Ivan's office, and makes him grimly reflect that he should have planned it better. But Fedyor works steadily and mostly silently, which is always a commendation in Ivan's book, and finally, on one dead-silent freezing morning right after the Winter Fete, when they are literally the only two people in the library and probably all of campus, he gives in. "What are you looking for?"
Fedyor jumps, glancing up in patent surprise. They eye each other for a long moment, as if to be sure that Ivan Sakharov actually did, entirely of his own volition, initiate a conversation with another human being. Then finally, warily, he says, "What's it to you?"
Good, Ivan thinks. Good instincts, just in case I was in fact an informer for the Konsilium. "I don't care," he says aloud. "I was just curious. They seemed so important to you."
"I'm just working on something," Fedyor says, after a long pause. "Confirming a hypothesis. It'll probably get me into trouble, but -- " He shrugs, with no small amount of bitterness. "I'm used to that."
Ivan thinks about it. This can't go anywhere good, but they've been made a strange sort of partners in this buried secret, and he's almost gotten used to Fedyor working away outside his door. "What?"
"I think they were lovers," Fedyor says, after a final, reluctant moment. "Alina and the Darkling, that is, and then also Alina and Nikolai, and maybe all three of them together. I think it's a love story. And as for why this matters, well -- it wouldn't change anything about our own history right now, how it all ended. But the narrative has always been that the Darkling was this awful monster who had to be destroyed, and the Grisha were his secret shock troops determined to overthrow the country on his behalf, and that pulled Alina and Nikolai into some regrettable circumstance they couldn't control and that led to their tragic downfall -- you know. It's just..."
"What?"
"I don't think it's true." Fedyor shrugs again. "I think everything we know about our own past, about the fall of the Imperial House of Lantsov, and about the Grisha, is a lie. And if that's the case, then the Konsilium knows it, or has covered it up, and that means -- "
"Shut up," Ivan interrupts roughly. "Saints. Don't talk like that. Someone could hear you."
"You could hear me." Fedyor smiles a little, a shadowed eclipse, and it does something very strange to Ivan's innards. "Does that matter?"
"I... " Ivan's mouth is dry. He can't look away. Not for any reason that means anything. "Never mind," he says, which seems the best and safest option, if it isn't already far too late. "Go back to work."
Fedyor eyes him a moment longer, then nods, a deliberate motion indicating that he knows and understands Ivan is choosing to keep his secret. Ivan himself doesn't know why, or what it is about Doctor Kaminsky, the feckless and foolish and fearless, that's gotten under his skin. It could be -- but no, it's not, it can't be that. From time to time, the very brave or very stupid actually think that Ivan himself is good-looking and try to flirt, and once a woman actually asked him on a date, which was the worst moment of his entire life (does he look like a heterosexual?!?!) But it's just shallow, surface-level, not like they're seeing him. Not like they know what monstrosity lies beneath. I think it's a love story. As if love matters. As if love, and the simple truth of it, can change the course of history.
Ivan shudders, once and then again. He looks at Fedyor for a very long moment, allowing himself -- just for that short and fleeting instant -- to imagine something he can never, never have. He grieves for it as if it was real, and then he lets it go. Turns, and walks away.
28 notes · View notes
farrahda5hywrites · 1 year
Text
Superposition
Pairing: Alina Starkov(a) x Grisha!Reader, Past!Darklina, Implied!Unrequited Aleksander Morozov(a) x Alina Starkov(a) x Reader
Summary: After the Darkling’s death, you seek to avenge him, but instead you confront some repress emotions.
Warning: It’s all angsty, baby. Vague-ish Spoilers for Season 2, Me, making shit up because I can. 
Taggies: @marvelmusing (Sorry to do this to you.)
“Very convenient of you to leave me out of your plans, Alina.” You appear in the middle of her bedroom as she removes her crown from her head.
She says your name gently, but you swear there’s a hint of malice or perhaps grief.
“You were missing.” She sits down still facing away from you. As you prepare to summon shadows to choke her, she is on her feet in the same stance.
“How?” She gasps, finally looking you in the eye. She hesitates to attack, and you are already close to her, grabbing her by the neck and tossing her against the wall. You are far from surprised that she has his shadows. She was his Sun Summoner, his Alina, his favorite. You were and still are just one of his shadows in the darkness.
“You killed him, and you didn’t even let me say goodbye.” You hiss. “It’s the least you could have done for me.”
“He was a monster.” She wiggle out of your hold, and she attacks you almost knocking you on your feet.
“He was our only hope, and now you’re helping the Royal family.”
“I’m doing the right thing for Grisha.”
“You’re misguided, and you’re helping the enemy.”
“Nikolai is different!”
“Isn’t that great for you? But what about everyone else? The other orphans, the other Grisha who have been tortured for decades under his family rule. You killed their hope! Some of our friends and allies are missing. Or should I say your former friends.”
She grabs you, pinning you on the ground, putting a hidden dagger to your neck. Her hair is disheveled, and you remember the first time she bested you during your training at the Little Palace. You were excited for her finally embracing her powers. Both of you were relatively new to embracing both of your powers, and while you stayed somewhat close and friendly, it was clear you somehow were eclipsed by both the General and Alina.
“You only listen to what you want to believe.” You mumble. “You’re so afraid of being a tool, but you let anyone use you. I shouldn’t have helped you. I wouldn’t have helped.”
You wrap your legs around her, and you roll her over pinning her down. The dagger has left her hand a long time ago, but you’ve just noticed, not to mention she hasn’t screamed for help. She wiggles a hand free and reaches up to touch your cheek. 
Your heart flutters remembering the small talks in the library you had and the fruit you shared during the few walks you took together between Alina learning to ride a horse. The General...he...always had made time for her, and the time you tried to take moments for yourself and Alina were interrupted by his need to be the only one in her orbit. Somehow, she did the same when you attempted to seek him out. She was always in need of something from him: approval, touch, comfort. Eventually, you made yourself scarce knowing you would never penetrate that orbit. 
Alina leans her head in for a kiss, and you can’t help but kiss her back. You immediately pull away, but she pulls you back for another kiss cupping your cheek. Tears start to stream down your face, but the hunger and grief keeps you close to her lips.
You sit up quickly as does Alina, and she holds the hem of your cloak as if she can sense your desire to flee.
“Please stay.” Alina begs, her plea barely hitting your ears. Before you can respond, she’s pulling you to your feet by your shadows, and you can’t break out of her grip. The look in her eye is almost feral, and it is nothing you have ever seen from her.
You pull on the shadows seeming to yank her towards you, and you can’t help fight back. She tugs you harder with what you can assume is hungry smirk on her face, and you pull her close to you.
“Come with me.” You mirror her plea.
She pulls you back to her, and your lips crash against hers. The both of you hold each other close, the kiss deepening.
Alina lets her hair fall to her shoulder, and you can’t help but play with a few strands. Kill her. Avenge him. Kill her. Kill her. Avenge him. She betrayed your people. You don’t have to live in her shadow anymore. You don’t have to compete with him anymore. You don’t have to…be.
You repress the thoughts and pull away, and Alina looks you up and down.
“I am sorry.” Alina wipes tears from her eyes. “I should have…known you loved him, too.”
“I suppose we were all blinded.” You clench your fist, trying to muster the courage to strike.
Someone knocks on the door, and Alina turns toward it. You flee leaving the same way you came.
When you get to your hideout, you press your back against the wall and slump down to the floor fingers touching your lips. You ignore the pull calling you back to Alina along with the regret of not killing her then and there. Another pull urges you, but you can’t place it as Alina’s pull is only slightly stronger from the other one. You won’t be surprised if she chases you until she finds you just as the General did when you attempted to help her flee.
Damn. You touch your lips again closing your eyes. You swear feel lips on yours again, but they’re different this time, a beard scraping against your cheek.  You are up on your feet again, and you sigh, having lost yourself in the grief again.
71 notes · View notes
Note
Lmao don't tell the show darklinas this coz they're all OBSESSED with dad darkling 😭 at one point show Darkling and Alina (or how show fans write them) look completely different characters when compared to their book counterparts.
Re: this ask
Oh yeah, I think they’re fully different characters beyond the most superficial similarities in plot important choices and motivations.
First of all the show made everything so generically and stereotypically gendered? Alina is sanded down dramatically. She’s meek and quiet, we see her primarily spending her time sketching or reading in the library for fun. Those are traits book!Alina has too, but the show makes them more prominent and we never see her be mean, grumpy or snarky. They try to make her more superficially active in the story, but she delicately faints away during the climactic sequence of season one and has Mal fight her battle. It frankly drives me insane that the show runners (and JML…) talk about book Alina not having a personality and that they had to fabricate one for her when her characterization in the show is the blandest and most generic thing possible.
Meanwhile the Darkling is just a completely different guy yeah. He’s also stereotypically gruffer and angrier? We see him raise his voice a lot. The kefta design is a glorified coat. I don’t know they just put so much effort into make him look and seem rougher around the edges in a distinctly masculine coded way. Which is not what I signed up for! I’m here for a melodramatic vampire twink who announces his presence anywhere with a smoke machine and billows of glitter.
He’s also just… more normal and in touch with his feelings. I’ve complained about this a lot but him telling her to call him Aleksander on like day two is such a perfect microcosm for the differences of the character. Show!Darkling has no reason to hide his name, he’s not a shriveled enough husk of a person for that to feel like a vulnerability. He’s in touch with his feelings! He’s Just Some Guy.
I’m in the minority where I reasonably liked both their characterizations in season two. Alina.. just… barely got anything. But her scenes were fun. The Darkling finally got some cartoon villainy going on, and giving him victorian wasting disease was truly an inspired choice! I didn’t enjoy the nichevo’ya being out of his control, it felt like part of a general move to woobify him. But eh I think it was better than season one, like at least it was entertaining and making choices vs leaning on generic traits.
But yeah that is all to say, they’re both completely different. And I have a chip on my shoulder about it because the book characterizations are so much better!
TLDR show people are wrong!
19 notes · View notes
thedarklingxalina · 2 years
Text
Darklina Library 
Pregnancy/Darklina Children Fanfic Recommendations 
The Son In Splendour by artemisscribe
Summary: Pasha has always lived at the Little Palace
or
A look at a very damaged Darklina dynamic through the eyes of a very innocent child
Sinners and Saints by expositorbeauregard
Summary: Sorry this is a little delayed - it's the last week of school and I've been swamped with grading final essays. Next few chapters may be slightly delayed, but will try my best to stick to a weekly posting schedule!
Terrible, Beautiful, Unsaid Things by Orlissa
Summary:  He takes her on the table and worships her on the bed, not leaving an inch of skin untouched, unkissed, until pleasure mingles with glorious pain and she feels transcendent.
Mere hours later she is fleeing from the palace.
***
But the fleeting passion leaves Alina with consequences she was not ready for, and when she is eventually dragged back to the Little Palace, both she and Aleksander find things they are unable or unwilling to say out loud, making it nearly impossible to reach an understanding.
Series: Terrible, Beautiful, Unsaid Things
Vsegda, Always by vuas
Summary: “An heir?”
Alina hacks up half her tea, spoiling one of her finer dressing gowns. She’s too busy dabbing at the mess with napkins, cheeks warm, to notice the bemused look her husband gives over the top of the newspaper from where he sat reading across the breakfast table. She quickly learns he isn’t joking.
(Or: Aleksander Morozova asks his wife for a baby, and she doesn't find herself opposed to the idea.)
haunted & holy, made in glory by goldcranes
Summary: The missive bounces off her thigh into the dirt. Alina reaches for it, her hands already shaking. It's the thin, yellowed paper carried by the scouting groups. There's blood on one corner.
“Another whole town.” Zoya doesn't give her time to read. “Three of the scouting group were killed on-site. They had to put down a fourth in the night. He tried to hide his bite.”
“We need another sun summoner,” says Genya, more gently. “Think how much we could do, Alina.”
-A different type of terror has come to Ravka. One sun summoner will not be enough to hold back the tides forever. And everyone knows the best chance for a child to be a powerful Grisha is for it to have two powerful Grisha parents.
heavenfaced by larry_hystereks
Summary: “We don’t need to have a child now, it’s not safe for them, we don’t even know-”
Alina shakes her head sadly.
“We don’t even know they’ll be like us,” she says, voice low.“Grisha?”
“Immortal.”
or: alina and aleksander finally have a child.
(Don't You Ever) Tame Your Demons by arianakristine
Summary: Alina has drawn the line in the sand, and Aleksander will try not to cross it.
27 notes · View notes
juuls · 1 year
Text
Juulna's 2022 reading stats - fics and books too!
Wow, so many statistics and so little time! Let's see... what are the most pertinent and interesting ones...? Thanks to the @fanfic-reading-challenge I got to read some pretty interesting things this year! The new one starts soon. :D
How many books did I read?
177, wow! My goal had been to read 100 (you can set a goal for yourself and keep track on Goodreads, which is awesome) so I definitely surpassed that. I used HowLongToRead to get an approximation of how many words I read in books, and it totalled 16,700,982 words. Nearly 17 million! It's actually more than my total in fics, hah.
Do I have any favourite books I'd recommend?
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan
The Women's War by Jenna Glass
Shake Hands with the Devil by Roméo Dallaire (genocide trigger)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes
Heck yeah I do! These books were amazing and had me reading any sequels I could, ASAP. For those with a limited budget, check out this free online library, Library Genesis, or your own library's resources!
Now let's talk about fanfiction...
In total, I read 15,832,562 words, 4,017 chapters, and 589 fics. That works out to about 26,880 words per fic on average. But what's the monthly breakdown of all that? Some of those words, chapters, and fics are ones I did not finish (yet), but I did count as finished those WiPs which I'd caught up with.
The least I read in a month was 470,293 words in April, with 22 fics read. Not even sure what was going on with me back then. The most I read in a month is actually December! I attribute that to me finishing off or at least reading as much as I can of some long fics on the back burner. Also, there were a lot of WiPs which had updates in December, and fics I'd been reading a little at a time month after month, which I finally completed. So yeah, I read 2,030,497 words in December, fairly closely followed by October. Pretty sure I was just drowning out the lack of light these last few months. :P 7/12 months I read more than a million words, and 4/12 months were over 1.5 million, plus those labelled incomplete for both those stats.
I read 137 different romantic pairings which were the main relationship(s) of the fic. I also read 49 distinct fandoms. I definitely dug into my past and some of my favourites from when I was a kid! It was quite neat, actually!
But okay, so this is definitely getting a little dry. Here are some of my favourite fics from this year (and I may make a few rec lists from my much larger 'favourite list')!
How about some fic recs?
Red are the BEST of the best.
Knock Three Times by Jellyneau, TenRose (Doctor Who)
I sung of chaos by Sadhippie, Sansa & Cersei frenemies (GoT)
This Time, We'll Do Better by LadyTP, SanSan and others (ASoIaF)
Conqueror by mardia, Darklina (Shadow & Bone)
The Empress, Robed in Sun by Anonymous, Darklina (Shadow & Bone)
And all that's best of dark and bright by kaaterinapetrova, Iron Family (MCU)
System ID: J.A.R.V.I.S. by valdomarx, Stony (MCU)
Kudos by StonyFan1918 by RiaRose, Stony (MCU)
she swallowed the shipwreck between her ribs by justanotherpipedream (Marvel x The Witcher)
It's the Little Things that Matter by TunaFishChris, Wanda & Tony (MCU)
create / detonate by pprfaith, WinterIron (MCU)
ink and paper prayers by kitsunerei88, Chedric (Potterverse)
Three Wizards and a Baby by Lizzie_carlile, Dramione (Potterverse)
Bring Him to His Knees by Musyc, Dramione (Potterverse)
Phoenix Rising by Peanutbuttertoast, Dramione (Potterverse)
Chronos Historia by In_Dreams, Dramione, Bloody Baron/Helena Ravenclaw (Potterverse - Founders era)
Love In A Time Of The Zombie Apocalypse by rizzlewrites, Dramione (Potterverse)
Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Falling in Love by isthisselfcare, Dramione (Potterverse)
A Marauder's Plan by CatsAreCool (Rachel500), Harmony and Sirius & Harry (Potterverse)
What Would Matilda Do? by hansolo, Harry & Hermione (Potterverse)
Face On the Milk Carton by dyslexic_penquin, Theomione (Potterverse)
The Shattered Marque by Kryptaria, Johnlock (BBC Sherlock x Kushiel's Legacy)
The Intergalactic Scuttlebutt Club by Moonbeam (luvsbitca), Spirk (Star Trek: AOS)
Living in the Now by Alethia, Michael Burnham/Christopher Pike (Star Trek: Discovery x Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)
Gotta Love The Little Things by AquaWolfGirl, DarkJediStormPilot (Star Wars)
It Takes a Village by rightforlife, Reylo (Star Wars)
Sky Marked Souls by AnonymousMink, Reylo (Star Wars)
This Bolder Life by darkrose, Telesilla, Teyla/John/McKay/Ronon (Stargate: Atlantis)
Pegasus Non-Verbal by igrab, McShep (Stargate: Atlantis)
Written by the Victors by Sperenza, McShep (Stargate: Atlantis)
we are the raven and the ghost by Itar94, McShep (Stargate: Atlantis x His Dark Materials)
How Rue Became the Mockingjay by aimmyarrowshigh, Everlark (The Hunger Games)
Value by didoandis, Geraskier (The Witcher)
We Drift Inside Each Other (All We Need is One Another) by newtypeshadow, Stuckony (MCU x Pacific Rim)
An Unexpected Malfoy by RiverWriter, Dramione (Potterverse)
The Black Family's PR Nightmare by elphabalives17, The Black Family (Potterverse)
Heart on my Sleeve, Joy on my Cheek by freyjawriter24, Geraskier (The Witcher)
Sorry for the lack of Tumblr handle tags, I can only link 50 things a post now!
19 notes · View notes
bloodyrakshasi · 1 year
Text
I just saw a post that said that fictional characters cannot be abused- they absolutely can. These fictional characters are representations, and the trauma they face can more often than not, in some way or another, be replicated in real life.
On that note, I fully believe in shipping whatever you want to. Why? Because although fictional characters can undergo abuse, they are also not real. If you are shipping abuser x abused irl then yes, we need to have a talk, but in the fictional realm the world's your stage.
I genuinely do not get why people feel the need to police the media that other people consume- that's their own right. I definitely don't agree with certain ships and can't read fanfics of them but how the hell am I supposed to judge someone enjoying that? You know nothing about this person. For all you know, this could be the only light in their life- are you really going to shame someone for having this?
And besides, shipping something problematic is not the cause of problematic behaviour. It never will be. Perhaps it might be the result of it (i disagree, but for argument's sake), and if so, what effect will that ship have on them? It's only a symptom, attacking it will have no effect.
ALSO, how is this any different to the libraries in america banning books?
There's a difference between disliking something and attacking someone. For example, as someone into the grishaverse, I've noticed that a deeply polarising subject is darklina (I don't care about darklina or malina, so consider me a neutral party). Some people like it, some don't. I know people who have gone as far as to block that tag from their dash, which is totally! okay! Encouraged even. But the trouble comes when you attack another person for liking it.
Now that's for consuming, onto producing.
The ethics of fanfiction are wildly different than that of original fiction. Firstly because, as a fanfic author, you are writing for fun. You are not commercialising your craft, which also means you don't have that much of a responsibility towards what you are spreading- it's only going to reach a small percentage of people anyway. This is why published authors get bashed for toxic relationships but fanfic authors generally get a pass for it- because fanfic is primarily for indulgence. It is primarily written "for fun".
(By the way, I don't mean to trivialise fanfiction, i love fanfiction)
This is why if someone ships a problematic ship I will not care. But if this ship becomes/is canon, then I will criticise the author. It's not that deep.
There's a fine line between it's just fiction and let's critique the values and messages this piece of work espouses because it is harmful and fanfiction or any fanwork will lie safely in the territory of the former. Try criticising fanfiction and you will feel like a fool. Why? Because these authors of fanfiction are not making money off of their work. It's that simple.
9 notes · View notes
millennialgrandma · 2 years
Text
June Wrap Up
Hello, and welcome to triple digit temperatures and oppressive humidity. I did a fair bit of reading this month, a tiny smidgeon of writing, a delightful amount of beta reading, and altogether too much adopting of plunnies.
Things I Wrote
I wrote a little Twitter drabble for my dear friend Cait's birthday, and have since cross-posted to AO3 under the title Indulge Me (dramione, M, 1.1k). If you feel so inclined, I highly recommend checking out the quote retweets of the birthday drabble prompt - several friends with disgusting amounts of talent contributed to the birthday celebration.
Things I Read
Word count this month is going to skew a little higher as we finished DMATMOOBIL, so all those words are being recorded for June. Also...ummm...I read a couple darklina fics this month and uh...I'm intrigued and I don't go there, but maybe I want to go there?
Fiction:
Nonfiction:
Fanfiction:
Complete: (approx. 374.2k)
Benefits with Friends by @indreamsink (dramione, E, 32.2k)
O for Outstanding by @thatblondebitvh (dreomione, E, 10.7k)
Get the Girl by @gloivy (dramione, E, 3.4k)
Group Read: Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love by @isthisselfcare (dramione, E, 199.7k)
Unsatisfied by vivian_middlebury (jamione, E, 2.3k)
future problems by elle_reads (darklina, E, 4k)
Lifestyle Change by rubykrishna (dramione, E, 14.3k)
Quarter to Midnight by @megan-p-cook (dramione, E, 4.5k)
Bread and Buttons by Astrangefan (dramione, NR, 2.5k)
The Science of Sex by rockthecasbah18 (dramione, E, 2.7k)
No Distance Left To Run by sarsalvachester (dramione, M, 2.4k)
Stained Glass and Library Stacks by @one-equaltemper (dramione, E, 18.5k)
never give you peace by @futurerustfuture-dust (darklina, E, 5.7k)
On a Platter by @pia-bartolini (dramione, T, 2.1k)
She's All Yours by @roseharpermaxwell (romione/dramione, E, 3.8k)
Group Read: I'm Never Lonely When I'm With You by @pacific-rimbaud (dramione, M, 5k)
Flat(Mates) by @whimsymanaged (dramione, E, 3.4k)
Going Down? by @mrsren (dramione, E, 5.1k)
Rolling In The Sleep by art_prongs (dramione, E, 1.3k)
Lover's Sleep by art_prongs (dramione, E, 2.1k)
my brother's best friend by @mrsren (dramione, E, 19k)
Ask Me by @eveningstruggle (dramione, T, 1.5k)
The Black Bugatti by @catmintandthyme (dramione, E, 1.3k)
Practical Punishment by rockthecasbah18 (harry/draco/rose, E, 3k)
For Lack of an Extension Charm - or, The One with Meddlers, Pining, and Only One Bed by @they-call-me-megs (theomione, M, 6.6k)
Group Read: Chasing for Keeps by @indreamsink (dramione, E, 5.1k)
Saints and Sinners by @icepower55 (dramione, E, 12k)
WIPs: (approx. 79.1k)
The Curse of 100 by @rosedevents - Chapter 14 - (dramione, E, 2.4k)
Where There's Smoke by @whimsymanaged - Chapters 2 & 3 (dramione, E, 3.5)
The Absolute and Total Defeat of One Draco Malfoy by @saveourskinship - Chapter 13 (dramione, E, 9k)
Probably a Scam by @catmintandthyme - Chapters 10 - 12 (dramione, E, 5.3k)
Bound by @thelashjedi - Chapters 2 & 3 (dramione, E, 12.5k)
IN THE ARMS OF MORPHEUS by calico_writes - Chapter 2 (dramione, E, 1.7k)
Ten out of Ten by morriganmercy - Chapters 1 - 12 (dramione, E, 35.9k)
Season Pass (To This Ass) by @mightbewriting - Chapters 1 - 3 (dramione, E, 8.9k)
Things I'm Currently Reading (Heading into July)
Now that we've finished our group read of DMATMOOBIL, the group read crew over in the RoR have started in on Love and Other Historical Accidents by @pacific-rimbaud. I'm five chapters in and having the goddamn time of my life. I've got a couple other WIPs I need to catch up on, and another couple that I'd like to start. Also telling myself I need to cross off at least two more things from my TBR list this month.
Happy July, friends! May you all stay sufficiently air-conditioned, so that you might avoid having to share the same experience of my nephew on Saturday evening, when he loudly declared, "my bits are stuck to my bits!"
16 notes · View notes
the-element-siren · 2 years
Text
Darklina Prompt
TVD/SAB fusion crossover
Tell me that Klaus and Aleksander wouldn't be best friends and the ultimate wife guys. Assume that Ravka is Russia, Shu Han is China, and Fjerda is Norway, the Mikaelsons' birth country. Also, assume that Grisha are a very rare subclass of witches. So the show/book technically is guessed to be set around the 1700s, so this starts about the 1300s when Aleksander created the Shadow Fold. Assume that the Mikaelsons are traveling through Ravka for the first time.
After creating the Shadow Fold, Aleksander wanders for about a decade in very bad state. He's depressed, barely using his powers so suffering a case of wasting sickness, and is alone. One day, he wonders onto property just recently bought by a Fjerdan born family, the Mikaelsons. He gets a job on the estate as a gamekeeper and starts to notice things about the family.
He and Lord Niklaus form a friendship, each seeing something in other. Aleksander gains enough of Klaus' trust that he tells him that he and his family are vampires. Aleksander doesn't truly believe him at first until Klaus shows him proof; his speed and vampire face. At first, it takes a moment to process this new information. Aleksander takes a few days to truly process this before sharing his own secrets with the Mikaelsons. They embrace it, they had already liked Aleksander. He was a good worker, always willing to help with an odd favor or two, and didn't have to be told to not try anything with Rebekah despite her attempts.
Aleksander teaches them all about Grisha and actual events that lead to the Shadow Fold's creation. They in turn, teach him all about the supernatural world that they came from, how they became vampires, and their Mikael problem. One day, after viewing some of Aleksander's shadow tricks, Elijah comes up with a solution to benefit both parties. They will buy some land in their name but allow Aleksander to create his sanctuary in secret and if Mikael comes for them, Aleksander can use his shadows to contain him.
One hundred years later, Mikael sets foot in Ravka. During that time, Aleksander's sanctuary has been created and he has been able to help hundreds of Grisha. After some prodding from Rebekah, he also takes in orphans from overcrowded orhpanages. All of them are educated and the otkazat'sya children are taught not to fear Grisha and help them. The surrounding villiage becomes an example of unity, made up of otkazat'sya and Grisha who live in harmony, though the Grisha are an open secret but still secret.
When Mikael does come, he is discovered quickly by some heartrenders, who are able to send messages to Mikaelson estate very quickly and thankfully, unnoticed. When Mikael arrives at the mansion, he quickly finds the family in the library with Aleksander. Before he is able to do anything, he is paralyzed. Secret chambers with fabrikator soundproofing, even a vampire can't hear through them. Aleksander uses shadows to subdue him and one of his heartrenders even manages to get his plans out of him. The shadows destroy him quickly and painfully, and the Mikaelsons are finally free.
I'm assuming that they overthrow the Lanstovs, though I'm not sure who they put on the throne, Aleksander or Klaus. But the other stays on as their main advisor. Caroline is a fabrikator and one of Aleksander's best. Also, Klaus has an extremely obvious crush but Caroline is resisting. She thinks he's not serious and that she and Tyler are meant to be together. Aleksander is supporting it but won't force Caroline into anything she doesn't want. Skip to events of the canon. I want to say that Caroline and Genya are best friends and take Alina under their wings.
8 notes · View notes
katherineholmes · 2 years
Note
🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh? 💖 What made you start writing? 🎃 Do you write fics for certain holidays? Which is your favorite holiday inspired fic? 🧠 Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them. (Klaus and Elena) 💔 Is there a fic of yours that broke your heart?
🤡 - What’s a line, scene or exchange you’ve written that made you laugh?
I’ve mentioned some others, but this makes me laugh sometimes:
It was his fault, if he knew he was going to end up torturing and maiming and killing, then he shouldn’t have gotten Italian marble for the flooring.
This sends me sometimes, because I feel like this is exactly like Elena, just trying to normalise the horrific things around her because she has to do them sometimes.
💖 What made you start writing?
This is a bit generic, but my sixth grade English teacher. I wrote an essay just cause it was compulsory and while it didn’t get selected, it was actually something I was good at and that I enjoyed doing. Spurred on by this, I attended a writing workshop the next year, and it was the year I got complete access to the school library. That’s when I started really getting good at it.
🎃 Do you write fics for certain holidays? Which is your favorite holiday inspired fic?
I have a Darklina holiday fic in my drafts that I need to complete. It’s gotta be my favourite and it’s based around Christmas, hopefully I can post it this Christmas.
🧠 Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them. (Klaus and Elena)
Klaus - My favourite headcanon for Klaus is that he can’t sketch or paint Elena. He can sketch anyone else - Cami, Caroline, Aurora, Tatia, Katherine even. But not Elena, because he can never quite get the intensity of her eyes right. Or the light in them, or the shape of her lips. He’s just woefully frustrated with every painting or sketch of hers that he makes because it just isn’t perfect, because he can never quite capture her.
Elena - Of course, that she frequently imagines replacing the Salvatore brothers with the Mikaelson brothers 😂
But another favourite of mine is that she’s just as possessive and obsessive as Klaus is (and I feel canon supports this). I’ve read a lot of fics where Klaus is very insecure, jealous and possessive, but I think Elena is equally so, and it scares her just how intensely she feels these emotions. She hides them away because it isn’t healthy, but they rear their head when she isn’t careful.
💔 Is there a fic of yours that broke your heart?
Yes, The Monster In Her Head. I don’t know of any other fic I’ve written that is as heartbreaking as it is, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to write anything that’ll be more painful than that.
Thank you so much for the asks 🙂🙂
2 notes · View notes