Queenofdarkestshadows:

queenofdarkestshadows​:

❝Her?❞ Zoya said in a venomous tone. Her blue eyes narrowed, watching emotions change on Genya’s face as quickly as the wind in the storm. Zoya’s own expression darkened and after a moment she recollected smiling at the tailor in a superior manner. ❝So it was true wasn’t it? He lost her? ❞ The raven haired girl sounded amused. ❝And here I thought he was tracking something actually valuable, what a disappointment.❞ In truth Zoya was mad the Darkling had left that piece of information out, but she was not going to show it. ❝I am not heading after any wrenches, I am have an important meeting with some sort of a Captain, if you must know. We have more serious tasks than to look for silly, lost girls.❞

❛ He didn’t lost her. ❜ Genya rectified, sharply, before glancing to the door, making sure no one was near to listen to this conversation. ❛ She got scared when she realized how big the task was and fled the palace. Being the savior of Ravka is a lot of pressure for a young girl. She’s only 17 and still so new to all this. ❜ A lie wrapped in truth. The redhead was a master in this art. The tailor wasn’t blind to how upset Zoya was that the Darkling had withheld such valuable information from her. She knew just how much the brunette longed for his approval and trust (everyone of his soldiers did, honestly), especially when it came to the fate of their country. Genya straightened as she face the squaller again, ambers locking gazes with stormy orbs. ❛ He didn’t want anyone to know, aside from the people actually looking for her right now, because if the news gets to the crown—— we’re screwed. So, i’m counting on you to keep your pretty mouth shut, alright? ❜ Then, she raised a brow, remembering the girl had said something about a captain.  ❛ Wait— Are you talking about Sturmhond? ❜  

couronnez​:

Vasily was aware that the spilling an entire pint of kvas over her sister’s impeccable dress made a MEMORABLE FIRST IMPRESSION of him. Not entirely in a positive way but he could live with it. Besides, he wasn’t always drunk - a lot more often than he’d like but not always. A side effect of the company he kept, sons of counts and dukes who were notorious drunkards.

❝ I can only hope your sister didn’t take it personally. ❞

If only he knew…

Vasily ran a hand through his immaculate blonde hair, exhaling a quiet, almost inaudible sigh. There was a vulnerable side of him no one knew about. His intoxication at the ball had not been the fault of his companions nor the horrible company his parents were during such events but rather his anxiety. HE HAD BEEN AFRAID they would marry him off to some wayward princess without his consent. That they would throw him into the pit for Nikolai’s sake - oh how perfect their second son was, attending the university of Ketterdam to study engineering - so the lovely Sobachka could one day choose his bride or groom. Unlike him. Besides, all those eyes on him - the future tsar of Ravka - had done little to quelch the sickness that had been rising in his stomach. So much to prove, so little he could show off. He was Vasily, he had his horses, he had his kvas and that was that. The prince rarely ever let other people peek behind the façade he kept up with meticulous finesse in fear they might judge him for who he truly was.

❝ A lot of people think that, I won’t blame you for doing so as well . ❞

In their eyes he was just a puppet on a string. Easily pleased, easily entertained, easily manipulated and controlled by the masterful hands. Oh, how blissfully unaware they were of his true strength.

Their eyes met, locked, gold clashing with blue like a treasure sinking in violent seas. Vasily wanted to respond, to answer, to tell her that there was nothing to make up for but his lungs disagreed. A terrifying bout of coughs slipped past his lips, wracking his entire body, the poison flooding his bloodstream, a vain attempt at expelling whatever had caused the irritation in his airways. Vasily barely even registered the maid until she stood by his side, a glass of water in her hands and he reached for it with a thankful expression on his contorted face. A greedy gulp, water almost sloshing down the side of his face as he forced it down his quivering throat, willing it to help.

❝ Spasibo. Spasibo. ❞

He quickly expressed his gratitude towards the maid before refocusing on Ehri, his chest still shaking with the efforts of coughing. Vasily was an expert on downplaying his pain - chest pain in particular was no stranger to him - so there wasn’t the slightest trace of discomfort on his relaxed face.

❝ If you really end up marrying me, I am asking you to not let me pour as much sugar into my tea as I did now. ❞

Vasily laughed, a natural, easy, light-hearted chuckle. He was having fun, saints, he was. There was something about the princess that was refreshingly different from all the other he has met and was forced to court before. A flick of his hand, fast, enough to catch his guard’s attention.

❝ Would you leave us? I’d like to have a moment in quiet with you, Ehri, if you may? ❞

❛ I promise. ❜ The royal replied with a soft, genuine, chuckle, tossing waves of dark hair over her shoulder. He was funny. Worthy of interest. He didn’t sound like a boring husband. Good for Ehri, Mayu thought. ❛ Besides, it’d be a little embarrassing for a king to die of too much sugar in his bloodstream. ❜ They teased with a smile.  ❛ And i suppose as a wife it’d be my duty to make sure you take care of your health properly so you may live a long reign. ❜ It was odd how they’d been so tense earlier but now they were making jokes about their engagement. Well, his and Ehri's engagement. Mayu wasn’t marrying anyone anytime soon. Or maybe ever. The Tavgharad didn’t have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Unlike Ehri.

Vasily seemed to be alright, downplaying his discomfort like a pro. Something Mayu wouldn’t have noticed if she didn’t have military training. No doubt Ehri and her empathic nature had taken notice of it too, though she had resumed her spot in the corner of the room, like the humble maid she was supposed to be.   

At Vasily’s request, the maid had shot the princess an alarmed look, which the royal had caught on pretty fast, flashing her servant a reassuring smile. The real Ehri, in her anxiety, had forgotten for a brief moment that she wasn’t going to be the one left alone with the prince. Mayu had been quick to remind her with a single glance that everything was alright, that there was no need to freak out. The maid had scurried out of the room, followed by the Tavgharads the royal had ordered out with a flick on the hand. It felt odd to order her comrades around like that but duty Ehri called and Mayu always answered. 

❛ Alone at least. ❜ The shu princess uttered, gold eyes falling on the prince. ❛ I must warn you though… ❜ A paused as she sips her tea, a smile playing at the corner of their lips. ❛ They will be listening, carefully, and reporting back to my sister. According to her, i’m ill-suited for politics. I’m pretty sure she expects me to fail already. How about your parents? Do you think they have faith in your abilities to make this whole thing work? ❜

I LOVE Y’ALL SO SO MUCH <333

iskron​:

❝ Plants? Are you good with cacti? Because I cannot remember to water them and study at the same time.❞

Not that he studies much anyway, he is blessed with a remarkably good memory. The upside of having a body willing to give out on you anytime. At least he was right in his head. Okay - he should take it back. Drug addiction and alcoholism probably aren’t what anyone would call right and he isn’t proud of his self-destructive habits either. It is what it is.

❝ Right. But you could stay in your room if you do not want to have the pleasure of meeting my loveable cousins. Don’t worry I’d scream if something happened to me. ❞

He is not used to having someone at his tail 24/7, he realizes as he goes through the cupboards once again to look for suitable glasses. Hmm, highball. Four of those and a normal one for Mayu’s soda. He respects her boundaries and he is not going to force her to drink with them. Damn his cousins and their questions, he would let her have her non-alcoholic beverage of choice.

A quick glance on his phone and a hastily replied “Anything for you❤️” is all Nikolai receives as he starts pouring the glasses, one for him, two for Vasily and one for himself. He goes with Stolichnaya just because he doesn’t particularly feel like wasting expensive vodka when he doesn’t like its taste anyway. Booze is booze he takes all he can get. Would he rather have a cocktail? Absolutely. However, they are in Russia where there is an overabundance of vodka and an underwhelming amount of, well, anything else acholic.

❝ I hate all of them equally. ❞ he exhales a laugh before he starts to explain.

❝ My cousins brought me into it. I don’t particularly like strong alcohol. More of a sweet type you know? ❞

Not only with alcohol.

The doorbell interrupted him before he could say anything else.

❝ Oh, it must be them. ❞

—

❝ You better explain it to dad why I left early … ❞

Vasily’s voice could be heard even from outside the apartment as he starts to argue with his little brother. He should be glad he doesn’t have to sit in his office anymore, is all Rasmus can think. But him and Vasily have always been fundamentally different even if they seemed so alike.

❝ I wasn’t even working for … 14 hours today and I am not even halfway through the reports … ❞

Rasmus opens the door with a wide grim before his cousin can continue his rant.

❝ Could you two stop bickering for once? ❞

❛ I can water them. ❜ Mayu had said with conviction. ❛ I used to do it when i was living with my brother. ❜ Shit. Did she really say that last bit out loud? He doesn’t need to know about such trivial matters. He doesn’t need to know about her life, about Reyem, about what happened to him. The matter of plants seemed to have been settled quickly though. Thank god. Rasmus was about to get visitors and was making sure the drinks were ready for when his guests arrived. His answer to her question earns him a questioning glance. They hadn’t expected this, honestly. She’s confused but her interest has been piqued. He explains. His cousins got him into vodka, apparently, and he doesn’t like strong alcohol. Mayu has a hard time believing it, judging by how many bottles of strong alcohol there are in that cabinet. More of a sweet type you know? he then says. 

I don’t know, i’ve never been called SWEET. But before she could actually answer something substantial, the doorbell interrupts them. Let the fun begin. 

❛ Sure, sure. ❜ Nikolai replies, as if he’s a dad indulging a child, while he pats his brig brother’s shoulder heavily. He rolls his eyes behind Vasily’s back but, really, having his brother work so much worries him. More than 14 hours a day? That can’t be healthy, right? The door opens, revealing Rasmus. ❛ Us bickering? Pff! I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, cuz. ❜ He winks at his cousin before letting hazel eyes widen at the sight of him. ❛ Oh! And look at you miraculously recovered from your very recent fall into the staircase of your building! That’s a m i r a c l e ! We should definitely drink to that, shall we? ❜ He enters, dragging Vasily with him into the kitchen area. ❛ Look, Vasya! There’s two glasses of your  f a v o r i t e  vodka waiting for y— Oh! ❜ He stops dead in his tracks. There’s someone leaning against the countertop. A rather short yet very attractive someone. He let go of his brother’s arm to run a hand through his hair, giving the person a charming grin. ❛ Pardon my manners. Ray didn't tell us he had someone over. ❜ 

❛ I live here. ❜ They replies, bringing their glass to their lips. They don’t drink though. Their head tilts to the side midway as eyes like molten gold study him. Intently. ❛ You must be Nikolai Lantsov. ❜

Nikolai almost blinks at that. ❛ You do? ❜ He utters, eyeing Rasmus, intrigued, before hazel eyes goes back to his cousin’s r o o m m a t e. ❛ As a matter of fact, i am! The grumpy one here is my brother Vasily. I’m guessing you heard of us. ❜ He replies, straightening, proudly, before narrowing his eyes. ❛ Should we be worried we haven’t heard of you? ❜ It’s his turn to tilt his head to the side, observe the person’s features with his clever hazels.  

❛ I’m Mayu Kir-Kaat, not that my name should ring any bells. ❜ Mayu says with a shrug before taking a sip from her soda. This one’s clever, they think. Could be dangerous. They take a few steps closer, looking at him over her dark lashes. ❛ Well—— Ray can be quite secretive at times. ❜ The bodyguard exchanges a glance with Rasmus and a knowing smile. ❛ That’s a quality I appreciate. I’m not much of a socialite. ❜ She adds, with a well-placed nervous laugh ❛ Meeting you guys is kind of a baby step. ❜ Those are no lies. Only half truths. She’s great at that. There’s something  e e r i e  about the way she acts now, compared to when they were in private. They seem more relaxed, in control, approachable, even friendly. No doubt she’s adapting to the people around them like a chameleon to its environment.   

queenofdarkestshadows​:

❝Of course he didn’t…he must have simply misplaced her.❞ Zoyas tone was mocking, her blue eyes amused at Genya’s quick reaction and defending Alina. She rolled her blue eyes as she leaned against the door frame, acting all bored and uninterested. When Genya finally stopped talking, Zoya took a pause before she finally spoke. ❝ Oh, are you done? Sorry I wasn’t paying attention once you started to ramble of our scared, whinnying Sun Summoner.❞ She shrugged, as if that was a normal reaction. Of course, in truth, she did memorize every single word Genya said and it only made her more annoyed she was out of the secret.

❝Scared girls have no place in a war. Maybe it’s time for Darkling to see that. ❞ She staightened up. ❝Well, yes. I believe that was his name. We have a more serious mission that look for little girls. Why are so surprised, jealous Safin? It must be exhausting to forever stay in the Palace and playing dress ups while the grownups actually do something important.❞

Genya frowned, hands on her hips, at Zoya’s bored look. She knew the girl was listening to her still so there was literally no point of acting this way. A good soldier knew when to shut up and listen. Especially listen and act like you didn’t bother nor deem the information of interest when in fact it was. A huge part of those war games started with unintentionally spilled information during daily conversations with people you thought you could trust. ❛Like it or not, Alina is needed for Ravka to prosper. ❜ The redhead replied before frowning as Zoya said the captain was indeed Sturmhond. Why would the Darkling work with a man like this? What was it that he needed from a bloody privateer? She rolled her eyes, trying to appear unhurt but Zoya’s last words had stung more than expected. ❛ I’m done playing dress-up. ❜ She said, her voice soft but confident. ❛ I’ve done my part for my people. ❜ She proudly smoothed her bright red kefta with her hands before looking up to the squaller. ❛ We all have our part to play, do we, dear Zoya? I have good faith in your abilities to get what we need from Sturmhond. ❜      

iskron​:

❝ I’ve had hotel rooms bigger than this. ❞

He huffs though a tiny sliver of sarcasm is seeping through his words. He doesn’t mean it. The apartment is much better than anything he’d hoped for. As long as he didn’t have to share a tiny dorm with some random classmate he would be fine. If only the threats against his life hadn’t been so frequent, so vocal or else he could have lived on his own.

❝ They’re nice. You’ll love them. ❞

Rasmus watches her search the kitchen cabinets to find nothing but expensive booze in them. No wonder, considering his rather lush lifestyle. As long as she doesn’t find the cocaine …

❝ I haven’t seen them in so long to be quite honest … ❞

He finds himself rambling out of instinct, out of decency, anything to keep up the conversation. It is hard to keep talking when they are rarely responding to his questions. He still doesn’t know if she drinks at all. Well, some wine will be fine he guesses.

❝ It is my home as much as it is yours. ❞

Honest. He was being honest with her. He would never invite someone over if she wasn’t content with it. He started typing away on his phone, to Nikolai and Vasily.

Drink at my house? In 10 min? Yk the address.

Hotel rooms b i g g e r   t h a n   t h i s  penthouse? He must be joking... Right? Mayu doesn’t know him well enough yet to be sure though. He is spoiled after all. That definitely sounds like something a rich kid would say. 

❛ I’m sure they are. ❜ They say, petting Mr fluff who nuzzles her neck, front paws pressed on their shoulders as if to give her a hug. Small talk. She hates this. She never knows what to say. Reyem was better than her at this. He was better than her at e v e r y t h i n g. And he’s gone. He’s been gone for almost a year. Wow. Time flies. Mayu frantically smooths the pomeranian’s fluffy fur. 

❛ I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you. ❜ She blurts out. Their own words startles them. That’s stupid. You don’t even know these people are, how can you say that? She looks down on Mr Fluff, their comfort. To his eyes, they’re the best person in the world. All they have to do to be appreciated is feed him and pet him. He’s easy to please, easy to be around. And Rasmus—— Well, they don't know him. She holds the dog tighter against her heart, eyeing the hallway as they contemplate the idea of going back to their room for the rest of the evening (Or for the rest of their life). Though they’d have to come out to go to the bathroom eventually, right?

It is my home as much as it is yours. Head jerks up at that. She blinks twice, not sure if she heard this right. They decide that yes that’s exactly what he said. 

❛ Maybe... ❜ They replies, slowly. ❛ I—— don’t feel much at home. ❜ She confesses. Not here, not anywhere, she whispers inwardly. Home is nowhere anymore. The warmth, security... G O N E  and It has been for a while. The only place they’d ever felt at home has become  A   T O M B. Her twin’s tomb. And sometimes she wonders if she didn’t die there as well the day where they—— 

Rasmus’ phone buzzes a few times in a row, stopping her from getting dragged into the darkness. His cousin Nikolai has responded to the text he sent. 【ＫＯＬＹＡ】

𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘩! 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘺𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 ;)