Chapter Ten: Little Palace

                                    

                                          
Isa follows Alina towards the gate to the palace grounds. Standing at the closed gates is a mass of people. Some dressed in the brightly colored keftas while others are dressed as commoners. Palace guards are trying to keep them back. Alina looks at the crowd before them. Her eyes settle on one person.
"Fedyor," Alina gasps. A man steps towards the gate, a smiling growing on his face. 
"Alina! So the rumors are true. You're alive!"
"Let him through," Alina orders. "I want to talk to him."
The guards hesitate for a second before letting him in. Fedyor slides in before embracing Alina.
"Let's talk," Alina tells him. She motions for Isa to follow and the three head walk over to the stretch of woods. There is a gravel path that supposedly leads to the Little Palace. Though Isa hasn't had a chance to see it in person yet. The rest of the travel party has gone that way, but there had been news of Grishas gathering at the gate. 
Isa leans against a tree while Alina looks between the two.
"Um... Fedyor, this is Isa." The red head waves and smiles at him. "Isa. This is Fedyor. He was one of the first I met when came here."
"Pleasure to meet you, Isa," Fedyor tells her.
"Nice to meet you too."
"Kerch? Guessing by your accent."
"Is it really that noticeable?" Isa laughs. 
"It's the way you annunciate," the man tells her. "Similar to most Merchants I have met."
Isa laughs, shaking her head. 
"So who do you have with you?" Alina asks, getting to the point.
"Grisha from all over Ravka. None of them agreed with the Darkling, but commoners still blamed them for what happened."
"And you trust them?"
"As much as I can. I was also surprised by what happened, Alina. I need you to believe me."
"I do."
"Everyone in the group heard that you were rebuilding the Second Army and wanted to join."
Alina nodded her head, processing what she had been informed. 
"You know I am rebuilding the Second Army to take down the Darkling, right?" she states.
"I figured."
"That would mean having to also fight those you trained with."
Fedyor looks solemn at the comment, but nods his head. That would be difficult for anyone to agree to. From what Isa had learned from Nikolai, some of the members of the Little Palace had been there most of their life. They not only trained together, but grew up together. Isa watches the two of them closely, trying to catch any subtle shifts in body language. Alina requests for a moment to think and Fedyor rejoins the other Grishas. Once he is out of earshot, Alina turns to Isa.
"What do you think?" the Sun Summoner asks.
"You're asking me?" the Shadow Summoner quickly responds in shock. "I don't know him."
"That's why I asked. You are separated from the situation."
Isa looks out towards the trees, thinking. A small smile shows on her face. 
"You know, no one on Volkvony knew who I was. Not fully anyway. Except one person. He was willing to take the risk I was like my father when he invited me on the ship."