.・゜゜・☼・゜゜・．

There was a knock on the door while Nikolai was getting ready.

"You are expected shortly for the professional" the apparat said while standing on the threshold of the opened doors.

"I'll be there straight away" his eyes once again strayed to his bed where the tanned figure of his fiancée laid still asleep in his crumpled sheets. "Suppose I am the guest of honor. Any words of advice from your time ruling in my family's stead?"

"Some might have cautioned you against staging this celebration on the night of Hringkälla. The most notable Fjerdans festival and some might call it a strong opening salvo" the man answered his question.

"What should I call you?" Nikolai asked politely. "Certainly Apparat is not your birth name. You look very much like a lev"

"You are a drawing a line in the sand. You are demanding to know who has Ravka's back based on the attendance list" the Apparat said with a weird dark tone.

"That's the plane. Yes" Nikolai did not let himself be frightened by the chubby man.

"And you will face scrutiny. Distrust. Could lead to further problems" the Apparat eyed the woman in the bed and Nikolai clenched his jaw at his words not liking what he had just tried to say. "For instance, you claim to the throne might be called into question"

"Any other optimistic words of advice, Leonid?" He turned back around to face the Apparat a bit of warning in his voice.

"Without being betrothed to the Sun Saint, you would not have made it this far, you're only as strong as her, and now you are marrying another woman, that strength will fade"

"For a man of faith, you don't seem to have a lot in me"

"I put my faith in those who have earned it. One more thing, there is no place for secrets when you sit upon the throne"

"Such safe wisdom" Nikolai scoffed.

"I'll see you in the chapel" the man said before leaving the room.

Nikolai turned back to the mirror and grabbed his shoulder in pain. He unbuttoned his jacket to see what was bothering him and then took off his shirt quicker as the pain increased.

He turned away from the mirror for some seconds but as he looked back, a shadow monster was staring back at him. He gasped in fear and tried to cover himself only to realize that the monster was copying him or maybe he was the monster.

"Nikolai?" The groggy voice of his sun brought him out of the hallucination because he looked at her as she rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes and turned back to the mirror to see himself again. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, my sun" he said distractedly.

"You don't sound fine- gods! Nikolai why didn't you wake me up?! It's so late" she stood from the bed covering her naked body with a robe.

"You just looked so beautiful sleeping that I didn't have the strength to wake you" he said with a grin, what had happened in the mirror already in the back of his mind. When he saw her, it was all he could think about, nothing else filled his thoughts but her.

"I would've appreciated being woken up, so I'm not late to my wedding" she reached him and rose on her tiptoes to kiss him.

"You could marry me in only that robe you're wearing and I would not complain" he smiled with love eyes looking down at her.

"Unfortunately the court would, I have an hour and a half to get ready now, wish me luck"

.・゜゜・☼・゜゜・．

"Honestly, I'm surprised you agreed to marry him" Zoya said with a wine cup in her hand.

"Why?" Nira laughed as she fixed the uncomfortable crown on her head. It was a tad bit too much, she would probably change it to the one her mother had sent from Gaeliar.

"Well, you were always very closed up, I mean I understand why now, Princess Deyanira" Zoya marked the last words.

"To be fair I was trying to protect myself" she turned around lifting the dress a bit so it didn't bunched at her feet, the dress white and blue signifying Ravka but with a bit of gold signifying Gaeliar, she had also put a sun golden pin on the top left of her dress for symbolism, she loved the dress it was beautiful. "At first I thought that what Nikolai had was a silly crush, and I didn't want to just be a Prince's one night thing, but then he really showed me-"

"I don't want to hear the dirty details" Zoya interrupted her and the doors opened to Genya and Alina.

"Oh, dear, what did they do to your beautiful face" Genya had an alarmed look when she reached her. "You really could have asked for my help instead of whatever horrible team Nikolai sent"

"Is it that bad?" The blonde asked worried.

"Nothing I cannot fix quickly" Genya started fixing her makeup. She had asked her mother why Genya's magic did not work to save her, and she had explained that a healer's magic did not work on fatal wounds on their bloodline, her mother had said that a 'a god must always have a weakness' and that was theirs.

"I like this, all of us being in the same side" Alina said when Genya finished and slouched on one of the sofas.

"I mean as much as boring as that might be, I'm actually rather pleased about it" Zoya replied.

"I want that to happen with Ravka also" Deyanira turned serious but with a light voice. "Ravka May not be where I was born, but I have spent many years here to know that Ravka needs to be on one side now. And I think the four of us can begin to fix what's been broken"

"You're asking for our help?" Genya asked surprised.

"Of course she is, We're fantastic" Zoya spoke.

"That we are" Nira agreed.

"Where do we start?" Alina asked smiling.

"I'd like you to make allies within and outside Ravkan court, you are the sun summoner, people believe in you" she smiled at Alina and turned to Genya who was waiting to hear about her task. "Genya, I'd like if you oversaw things here at the palace, I'd like it to be a refuge for anyone, Grisha or otkazat'sya who needs a safe haven, like the spinning wheel" and finally sje turned to Zoya who was quickly becoming her best friend. "And you, I'd like for you to be in charge of Grisha training"

"I think I can whip them into shape" Zoya stood up and walked to her side.

"As long as no actual whips are involved" Genya said standing up as well.

"I make no promises" Zoya jested.

"Can I suggest something?" Alina stood up as well.

"Of course" Nira smiled encouragingly.

"I think it would be great progress if Grisha are no longer defined by their orders, no more colored Keftas-"

"That's a lovely idea"

"But I look amazing in blue"

Both Genya and Zoya said and Nira laughed. "I think it's a great idea, Alina, no more colored Keftas it is" she breathed in deeply to get rid of her nerves. "And as for me, I wouldn't be here, if it weren't for my friends, and I think Ravka could do with some too, Gaeliar is on the table of course, but I don't know about the others, we'll just have to wait and see"

"The four of us can do a lot of good together" Genya took her hand and Alina's.

"Our little Triumvirate" Zoya took her other hand and Alina's. "Now let's go, or we'll be late to the King's wedding and Coronation.

.・゜゜・☼・゜゜・．

Deyanira felt an immense sense of proudness as Nikolai finally was crowned with Ravka's heavy crown. He was kneeling as the apparat put it on and touched him on each shoulder with a scepter, and she stood smiling at his side.

He stood up with the jeweled crown on his head, and everyone present including her clapped for him, the new King of Ravka. Nikolai was going to be crowned first and then the ceremony would move on to the wedding.

Nikolai gave to one of the assistant boys his scepter and the orb, and then extended his hand to her, he pulled her to the center with him, ready to start the wedding ceremony, until a red headed woman stood from her seat and started screaming in Fjerdan.

She rose her hands and everyone rapidly fell to their knees, she was a heartrender but a very powerful one if she was controlling the entire room.

Deyanira's knees fell out from under her and Nikolai tried to hold her to him but he was soon weakened by the witch as well. Blood started pouring out of her mouth as the woman neared with a glare, it was hard to breathe and her vision was forming black spots.

But suddenly a loud noise happened and the pain stopped. She finally gasped for air, the cleaned oxygen filling her lungs, but then it quickly left again at the sight.

Everyone turned to Alina who had used Merzost and was smiling.

What had they got them themselves into?

.・゜゜・☼・゜゜・．
She speaks!
That's a wrap, wow, I really loved writing this story. And thank you all for reading it, I really appreciate it.
And I really hope they do a next season because I would love to continue Nikolai's and Deyanira's story.
Well, toodles, until the next time <3