But I couldn't.
I couldn't put my mind at ease.
I tossed and turned all over my bed. The covers were rumpled and it didn't make it any easier. You think after an exhausting couple of days my body would like to rest on a silk, comfy bed.

My heart dropped, I miss Mal. I miss how he would kiss me before I slept. I missed how he would carry me to bed when I refused to sleep though he always knew when I was tired. His touch. Smell. Kisses on the neck. I missed all of them. He was in the Darkling's grasp now. If I want to free him I should sleep. Playing the Darkling's game so I could get to the Boy I love. One things for sure, I'm not the naïve little girl I was a month ago.

Eventually my body gave up and I finally slept.

***

Waking me up was a nightmare for Riya. She had everything ready for me, my dress, my hair, my bath.

All she needed was me. Since I was young, if I ever slept late it would take me a long time to get out of bed, i think this is the same with everyone else. Riya somehow convinced me, more like dragged me, out of bed.

"At least tell me what I'm getting ready for!" I asked getting into the bathtub. Riya closed the bathing doors and sat down on the chair beside the tub. "Not sure Sun Summoner, the General only mentioned for you to be dressed and ready within the hour."

By my outfit choices, I know we weren't going on the skiff to some town, which he would use the fold to devour it or worse enslave the people of the town. "Riya, please do not call me Sun Summoner directly, you could just call me Alina." I asked for-it felt weird for someone to call me the Sun Summoner or Sankta these days.

"Yes Su-Alina." She corrected herself.

I wonder how long has she been in the Palace for.

"Riya, do you know anything about the Mad King?" I asked her. Recalling last nights story. Riya came beside me and helped me out of the tub. "Only a little. He ruled the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and was very cruel to many people, particularly Grisha kind." I looked at myself in the mirror, my naked body, inflicted with many small wounds and scars. Riya used her powers to change the appearance of the scars but they were still there. Some over my arms and some on my back. Her words were very similar to what was mentioned in the book from yesterday.

"Anything else?" Riya wrapped me in a towel and helped me to my bed where my dress was. She continued telling me what she knew on the mad King. "Not much but-oh his children. His son was born human but his daughter was Grisha born."

That surprised me.

"The Princess was Grisha?" I slipped on my dark purple gown.

It had black embroidery all over it and showed off my curves. Full sleeved, V neck and reached my ankles. It had padded breasts and was thick towards the bottom. "Yes she was" Riya continued. Holding up my wet hair, that slightly dampened the back of my dress. She sat me down near my dressing table and started to do my hair. She used a small towel on my hair and continued to talk.

"The king was married to a beautiful Shu woman, who wasn't from Shu Han. And she definitely wasn't Grisha. But when the Princess was born, she was born Grisha, it made no sense to anyone. The mad King knew the Kingdoms would turn against him if they found the child was Grisha. So he had her gone." Riya finished, curling the ends of my hair.

That's upsetting and strange. How could the princess be born Grisha? "What happened to the Princess?"

"She was sent away as a baby, from the kingdom's and nobody has heard about her since."

Riya did know a lot about the mad Kings daughter. I wonder if it would be in the book. I need to find time later to dig it out.

"Come, the General is waiting!" Riya escorted me out of my room and down the hallway. She led me to the outside of the Palace where many people stood. Two black carriages were in sight. Ivan and Fedyor could be seen but no Darkling. Riya stayed by my side, as though she knew what she was doing.

Where are we going?

Ivan came up to me, scaring me out of my thoughts. I saw the black carriage behind him. Without a word he extended his hand and helped me inside. Closing the door he sat opposite me. Saying nothing. No grunts, no anger or irritation. Nothing.

I wonder did the Darkling talk to him about how he should treat me.

I had to break the ice.

"Where are we going Ivan?"

He simply replied. "Far, the General does not want to waste anytime or in your case, anymore time."

With that he silenced himself.

"Far? From what, the Little Palace?"

No reply.

Time went on. And I could feel the lack of sleep kick in. I tried to keep my eyes open but my body demanded sleep.

Ivan picked up on this.
"Sleep, Starkov!"

I squinted my eyes at him and I eventually fell asleep on the side of the carriage wall.

***

I woke up. Ivan wasn't there and the carriage had stopped moving. I stretched out my arms, with a black quilt falling off me. Ivan must have draped me with it when I was asleep.

Aww, maybe he does care.

I stepped out of the carriage, it was dark. Night had come fast. But wait didn't we set off a couple hours after sunrise. There's no way I could have been asleep for so long. A Corporalki must have put me to sleep. I held on to the quilt around me and saw the scene before me. Many of the Darkling's people were setting up for the night. I felt something knock into me. I lost my balance.

"whoa" I thought I was going to land on the ground but instead a soft arm was around my waist and another holding my hand. I thought it was the Darkling or even Ivan. But it wasn't. I opened my eyes to see a boy, in tattered clothing with dusty red hair. His muddy green eyes were enchanting.

"Sorry!" He apologised helping me stand. "It is alright, who are you?"

He quickly looked at me up and down. "I'm Sturmhond and you are?"

"I'm Alina, Alina Starkov!" I have out my hand. He said, "Alina" stretching the 'ah' of my name. His eyes sparkled for a second. He took my hand and kissed my knuckles gently. "Pleasure to meet you love !"

I smiled, a little flattered. He ran off into the dark.

I'm surprised nobody saw that, with all the Darkling's men around. I wonder why that boy was running and what was he running from? Riya came by and took me by the hand to my tent.

Where a strangers name was on my mind, 'Sturmhond'

***

Published:19:12pm 16/10/21