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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟗
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐋

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Various conversations occurred between the small group of travelers as they continued toward their destination. But their voices soon faded away when the trees surrounding the path cleared, revealing what could only be described as a palace built into a mountain. Inessa's smile did nothing but grow as she stared at the building, knowing that Nikolai was the only person alive who could come up with something that extraordinary.

"Welcome to the Spinning Wheel. My inventions workshop," Nikolai announced as they brought their horses to a stop as soon as they entered the clearing, "it's become something of a refuge for Grisha."

Not even a second after the Lantsov boy finished speaking passed when two figures came running out of the building. One was wearing a striking blue outfit while the other was in a very familiar red. It wasn't until they made it halfway across the clearing that Inessa was able to make out who they were. Nadia couldn't contain her excitement at the sight of Alina, who was rushing to get off her horse. The Squaller didn't hesitate to charge toward her friend and pull her into a much-needed embrace. Despite how happy Inessa was knowing that Nadia was okay, she was much more excited to see the other person approaching them.

A wide smile instantly broke across the Smirnoff girl's face at the sight of Fedyor. She could hardly contain her laughter as she jumped down from her horse and rushed toward him. The Heartrenders met halfway and enveloped each other in a long-overdue hug. Inessa's head was snugly tucked into Fedyor's shoulder as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She was overwhelmed with joy to see her friend alive and well, especially after everything that had transpired since their last meeting. But that joy soon mixed with dread when the Smirnoff girl realized what she needed to tell the Kaminsky man. He needed to know about Ivan.

"Saints. I'm so glad you're alive, Ness," Fedyor muttered under his breath as they ended their embrace. However, the older Heartrender kept his hands on Inessa's shoulders, as if frightened she'd disappear. "It's been a week since the Darkling expanded the Fold. I was so scared I wouldn't see you or Ivan again."

A lump instantly appeared in Inessa's throat as she stared into the Kaminsky man's eyes. She knew she needed to tell him about what happened to Ivan, but that didn't make it any easier. A confused look soon appeared on Fedyor's face when he noticed Inessa's sudden mood change. But before he had a chance to question her, the Smirnoff girl began speaking. "There's something I need to tell you. It's about Ivan."

All the emotions faded from the raven-haired man's face as he stared at the girl in front of him. "What about Ivan?"

"He stood by the General in the Fold. He...he tried to kill Alina. But one of the Crows stepped in. He shot Ivan in the chest, and the force sent him over the railing. I couldn't...I couldn't see him through the darkness," Inessa explained as tears began streaming down her cheeks. She could no longer keep her gaze locked with his, causing her to look down at the ground. "I couldn't save him, Fedyor. Ivan is dead because of me."

Fedyor let out a shaky breath before doing something Inessa wasn't expecting him to do. He pulled her in for another hug. "Ivan was a grown man who made his choice. It wasn't your fault, Nessa."

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity. And they would've continued, but their moment was interrupted by approaching footsteps. When they turned toward the sound, they found Nikolai walking toward them with a small smile on his face. Neither of the Heartrenders said a word as they watched the Prince until he stopped right in front of them. Nikolai's eyes scanned over the two of them before they landed on Fedyor. He just stared at the Kaminsky man until a wave of realization washed over him, causing his smile to fall. "You were there the day we were tested."

"I was," Fedyor replied, unsure of where the conversation was taking them.

Nikolai wasn't entirely sure himself, but his thoughts were racing through his mind at full speed. He wanted to be angry at the Heartrender standing before him for taking his cousin away. He wanted to blame him for all the pain and suffering the Darkling caused her. But the way Inessa clung to Fedyor's arm and the happiness in her eyes made him hesitate. Even though every part of the Lantsov boy wanted to lash out at the Kaminsky man, he knew that wasn't the right choice. There was nothing Fedyor could've done to stop General Kirigan. And just by looking at the two Heartrenders, Nikolai realized that the older Heartrender meant more to Inessa than he had initially thought.

What felt like an eternity of silence passed until the Prince held out his hand toward Fedyor and broke the silence surrounding them. "Thank you for watching out for Inessa when I couldn't be there."

The Kaminsky man hesitated, but only for a moment. A smile soon appeared on his face as he shook Nikolai's hand. "It was no problem at all. I wish I could've done more."

It wasn't long after that when Nikolai led them toward the Spinning Wheel, somewhere Inessa had never been before. Her eyes instantly widened the second they walked through the front doors. She always thought the Grand Palace was extraordinary, but the Spinning Wheel was even better. Natural light flowed in from the glass ceiling above them, and the pillars looked as though they were hand-carved. Intricate designs covered the walls from the floor to the ceiling. A large grin was plastered on Inessa's face as she took in all the details. Fedyor couldn't help but smile along with her. But it wasn't because of the wonder she held in her eyes. It was because he was happy that the Smirnoff girl was finally free.

"Amazing, isn't it?" the Kaminsky man said, drawing Inessa's attention toward him, "I got word that Nikolai was using this as a Grisha sanctuary. It's been a saving grace for so many."

"I didn't expect to see this many Grisha here," Inessa admitted after they stopped beside one of the walls.

"The First Army raided the Little Palace," Fedyor explained, the joy in his voice gone as he thought back to the stories he had heard, "those who made it out had a choice. Join the Grisha trying to rebuild the General's Army, or find a safe place to hide. You'd be surprised by how many chose the former."

The Smirnoff girl remained silent as she scanned the Grisha walking through the Spinning Wheel's halls. It wasn't long before she found herself thinking about Ivan, who would go to the ends of the earth for the Grisha General. She was lost in her thoughts for another moment before she finally responded. "Even though I would never go back, I don't blame them for joining him. General Kirigan always had a way to make Grisha feel safe...and some feel powerful."

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Later that day, Inessa found herself standing on one of the indoor balconies that overlooked the entrance of the Spinning Wheel. She stood by Mal as the two of them, along with Nikolai and Alina, looked over the map messily laid out across the table. The Smirnoff girl's eyes scanned over the marks covering the maps, unsure of what to make of them. Lucky for her, the Lantsov boy didn't do well with silence and began explaining what they were looking at.

"We've received accounts of First Army units found massacred here, here, and here," the Prince said while pointing to three of the map's marks.

"Too far from the border to be Shu incursions," Mal noted without taking his eyes off the map.

"Or Fjerdan," Inessa added, surprised by the fact that she was defending their enemies from the North. It seemed as though she was warming up to Jens more than she realized.

"There's good evidence these units were holding Grisha captive," Nikolai stated before glancing at Inessa. The cousins just stared at each other until the Lantsov boy's attention landed on Alina. "Some reports say soldiers were mutilated. Some cut in half."

The Starkov girl hesitated for a moment before speaking the words bouncing around in everyone's heads. "It's Kirigan, isn't it?"

"We haven't been able to find his base camp, but-"

"No," Mal interrupted, drawing Nikolai's gaze to him while Alina kept their eyes glued to the map, "there's no way he survived the Fold."

"He survived it before," the Sun Summoner pointed out after finally looking up to meet their eyes, "besides, he's the only one who can do the Cut. Well, Baghra, yes, but this is him."

Inessa simply stared at her friend in silence before gathering enough courage to voice what was on her mind. "If he's alive, it's only a matter of time before word reaches him about your attempt to destroy the Fold."

"'Attempt,'" Alina scoffed while looking away from those surrounding her.

"You know I didn't mean it like that, Alina."

"No, you're right. That's what it was. An attempt. You all saw my light. It was strong and angry and dangerously off-kilter," the Sun Summoner responded before letting out a long sigh, "I can train to master what I have, but I'm afraid it won't be enough."

"We need to find the third amplifier," Mal declared as his eyes scanned over the map on the table in front of him.

"The Firebird?" Inessa questioned, earning a nod in response from the Oretsev boy.

"And while we search for it, we are at the mercy of your protection in this country," the Starkov girl declared while looking at the Prince, who had his back toward them.

Inessa watched as he tightly gripped the balcony's railing. As his eyes scanned the people walking through the halls below them, she could tell a plan was forming in his head. It wasn't long before he was turning back around to face them with determination in his eyes. "Well, until then, a proposal. We can try to stop this country from falling apart and tell the Fjerdans to shove their bounty up their *ss in the process."

"How do you propose we do that?" Alina asked, unsure of what to make of the gleam in the Lantsov boy's eyes.

"I bring you under the wing of the Royal Family, my name becomes a shelter to you and a banner under which we can enact change," Nikolai answered while keeping his eyes locked with the Sun Summoner.

"Your name?" the Starkov girl repeated, earning a small nod from the Prince, "wait...this is a 'proposal' proposal. You're suggesting marriage."

"Nikolai-"

"I'm not proposing a love match," the blonde boy interrupted his cousin, knowing she would try to change his mind, "just a political alliance of Grisha and otkazat'sya."

"Yeah, well, that's just what royal marriages are, aren't they? Strategy," Mal said in an emotionless tone as he glanced between his oldest friend and the Prince.

"Precisely," Nikolai said before his attention returned to Alina, "and maybe we never get to marriage. An engagement signals a strong commitment to cooperation, and it will allow us to enact meaningful change for Grisha and Ravka."

A long sigh passed over Inessa's lips after listening to her cousin's words. As much as she wished she could say his plan was insane, she knew it was actually pretty sound. "I hate to say it, but he's right, Alina."

"I understand if you decline, but I hope you weigh the options and consider the benefits," the Lantsov boy continued without taking his eyes off the Sun Summoner. When he was greeted by nothing but silence, Nikolai sent them all a forced smile before walking out of the room.

No one said a word until they heard his footsteps fade. That was all it took for Alina to look over at her friends. "I need a moment alone to think over his proposal. I'll be in my room if anyone needs me."

Despite receiving nods from both Inessa and Mal, the Starkov girl hesitated as she continued to study them. That lasted for another moment before she walked out of the room, leaving the Heartrender and the tracker alone. Neither of them said a word at first, both unsure of how to start a conversation. Especially since Nikolai's proposal left some tension in the air. So instead of starting a conversation right away, Mal moved to look over the maps on the table. Inessa kept her eyes glued to him as she watched his fingers run over the illustrations, wondering just how many lives had been lost in just a few weeks.

"I'm surprised your cousin walked out of here without Alina breaking his nose," Mal commented, breaking the silence and earning a small smile from Inessa.

"I'm just as surprised as you are, but we both know he isn't wrong," the Heartrender responded, drawing the Oretsev boy's attention toward her. The two of them just stared at each other before Inessa continued speaking. "Too many lives have been lost on both sides. This marriage proposal can show Ravka that Grisha and otkazat'sya can live in harmony. I know you're trying to protect her, Mal, but she's-"

"A living Saint who has a lot of enemies," the tracker finished for the Smirnoff girl before letting out a long sigh, "I know I won't be enough, and I know she needs all the help that Nikolai can offer. Good people have crawled through the muck next to me, and they don't deserve to be Vasily's pawns or Kirigan's fodder."

"So, how do we convince Alina to see it that way?" Inessa asked, even though deep down she already knew the answer.

"We can't. Marrying the Prince of Ravka is life-changing. She needs to decide for herself," the Oretsev boy told her as he turned his body to fully face Inessa. They were both surprised to find that they had gotten closer to each other since their conversation began. Instead of being at opposite ends of the table, they were standing a foot away. Mal couldn't help but stare into Inessa's eyes, making a feeling she had never experienced before flow through her veins. That continued for another moment before the tracker broke the silence surrounding them. "She just needs to know that we're with her no matter what she decides."

Because Inessa and Mal were too focused on each other, they failed to notice Fedyor enter the room. He had been trying to find the Smirnoff girl for the last ten minutes so they could start their planned sparring session. But he didn't expect to find her staring at a boy with a gleam in both of their eyes. A look that he knew far too well.

A small smile soon appeared on the Kaminsky man's face as he cleared his throat, causing Inessa and Mal to jump. They instantly backed away from each other before looking over at Fedyor, who still wore a large grin on his face. "Am I interrupting something?"

Inessa let out a forced laugh as she looked over at Mal, whose face was as red as her kefta was. She soon turned her attention back to the older Heartrender. "I didn't realize it was time for our sparring session."

"I could come back later."

"No, it's alright. We were just finishing up our conversation," Inessa said before looking over at the tracker once again, "see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow. Good luck with your sparring session," Mal responded with a small smile on his lips. After receiving a matching grin from the Smirnoff girl, the tracker walked out of the room.

When the brunette girl turned to face Fedyor, she found him staring back at her with the mischievous look still very prominent in his eyes. "Is there something we should talk about, Ness?"

"Nothing that I can think of."

The Kaminsky man couldn't help but laugh before leading her out of the room. They walked side by side in silence through the Spinning Wheel, which was oddly calming. Along the way, the pair of Heartrenders passed by not only otkazat'sya, but Grisha having discussions with them. Everything seemed completely normal despite their differences, and that was how it should be. That was why they needed Nikolai to take the throne rather than Vasily. Because if her elder cousin becomes King, Grisha didn't stand a chance at surviving.

It wasn't long before they finally reached their destination. The sparring area wasn't nearly as nice as the one back at the Little Palace, but Inessa had a feeling that was because it wasn't meant for sparring. Yet, that didn't bother her in the slightest. She was just happy to have some normalcy back in her life. However, what the Smirnoff girl didn't expect was to find Maxim Agapov standing in the middle of the room. It looked as though he had been waiting for them. She never socialized much with the Healer, mainly because simply hearing his name brought her too many bad memories.

Inessa studied the Agapov man for a moment longer before looking up at Fedyor. "What is Maxim doing here?"

The smile on Fedyor's face did nothing but grow. "You've always wanted to be a Healer. I thought it was time for you to start learning how to be one."

A matching smile instantly appeared on the Smirnoff girl's lips as she pulled him in for a hug, something that the Kaminsky man didn't hesitate to return. "Thank you, Fedyor."

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