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When you began your run from Os Kervo and set sail to a new land you had never before seen, you hadn’t known what to expect. But Novyi Zem was beautiful. All the colors, the smell of food at the street and beautiful handcrafted items and jewelry constantly left you standing in front of stalls, chatting with vendors. And after it had gone on for a few stops, you turned to Mal and Alina, nodding towards the inn. “I’ll catch up.”
“Alright,” Alina replied. “I’ll tell them that you’ll be coming later.” They then smiled at each other before continuing on as you began wandering through the aisles.
“Can I offer you a piece of my family’s hermit cake, my dear?” an old lady asked behind one of the stalls, and you faltered for a moment. In Ravka, you’d immediately think it’s filled with something that would drug you, but something in this lady told you she was being genuine, and you excitedly nodded.
She handed you a piece of it, and you took it, taking a careful bite before you felt like you just stepped into some form of food heaven, raising a hand over your mouth. The old woman chuckled at your heart eyes and you began digging your pouch. “How much?”
“For you? Nothing, we’re just glad to see a foreigner being so enchanted by our culture. If you want another piece, it’s two neredi,” she smiled and you blinked at her before nodding, handing her the two coins and getting a piece on the go.
As you took a bite and turned away, you were collided with something and immediately spit your cake piece out, flailing for a moment before you could register you actually bumped with a man who was standing behind you. “I’m so sorry! I should have watched where I go.”
The man brushed his coat before raising his eyes on you, and before you could sputter out another string of apologies, you were met with the most gorgeous man you had ever seen, and words just got stuck in your throat.
“No harm done,” he replied with a smirk, and you blinked at him for a few times before laughing a little.
“I’m just… so amazed by all these colours. It’s everything Ra- Kerch doesn’t have. I guess I lost my ability to look where I’m going.” You smiled, fumbling with your scarf. His gaze made your face really warm, you noticed.
He smirked. “Well, I'm glad you did. Because otherwise I wouldn’t have seen that beautiful smile of yours.”
Your face heated up even more and you laid your gaze on the ground. "O-oh. Thank you."
You then ended up chatting as you strolled through stalls together, and you immediately felt like you had known him all your life. He just somehow got you, made you feel special without even doing anything in particular - except for a few flirts here and there. He clearly enjoyed having you flustered.
Your little stroll together came to an end sooner than you would have liked as a woman approached him, laying her hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn.
"Captain, she's in the city. They told you the truth," she mumbled, her eyes flicking to you quickly as he glanced at you too.
He placed his hands on his hips. "You're sure?"
"Yes."
"Alright, I'll come to the ship soon."
The woman left, and the man turned to you, his brows furrowed as he sighed.
“You need to run,” you nodded before he said anything. “I understand. It was nice to meet you. I had a wonderful time.”
He nodded, his lips forming a tight line. “I most likely need to leave Novyi Zem tonight, but I hope to see you again one day.”
You smiled at him. “Maybe we will.”
***
A small chase later and hiding from sight until sunset, you were crouching behind some boxes in the harbor, looking over ships. One ship in particular caught your attention, Volkvolny was carved with golden letters to the side of it, two people standing beside the plank.
“What about that one?” you nodded towards it as your eyes traveled up the mast. “It doesn’t have a flag, so…”
“It’s up for rent!” Alina finished for you, smiling as she stood up.
“What are you going to say to them if they recognise you?” Mal asked as he stood up along with you.
“They won’t,” Alina mumbled before clearing her throat, making the shu woman and the man to turn towards you. “We’d like to rent this ship. I can pay, it’s gold.”
They inspected the hair pin for a moment before nodding towards the plank. “Will do. Hurry up then, we’ll need to talk to the captain.”
***
As you were venturing towards the captain’s cabin, your attention got fixed on a small crest on the wall.
“Sturmhond?” you mumbled, looking around as if to wanting someone to confirm. “Huh.”
You then ventured forward, realising you had been left behind, and soon heard voices from the end of the stairs. Alina, Mal, and third voice sounded oddly familiar too.
“...tear down the Fold?”
“Yes, I already have one amplifier, I need two more. Sea Whip and the Firebird.”
You stepped into the room, frowning as you recognised Sturmhond - the man who you had been spending time with at the market earlier.
“All three amplifiers?” Sturmhond’s eyes then shifted on you, who looked at him with wide eyes. “You?”
You blinked. “You?”
Mal frowned, looking between you two. “You know each other?”
Sturmhond scratched his neck sheepishly. “Well, not exactly.”
“We met at the market and… talked.” You nodded along, looking at your toes.
Alina huffed, crossing her arms as she smirked at you. “Talked?” You frowned at her, and she let out a small chuckle. “The way you’re acting feels like you didn’t ‘just’ talk.”
Sturmhond chuckled now too, looking at his map on the table. “That’s quite perceptive of you, Sun Summoner. I might have used my charm with her.”
Your eyes roamed the floor, trying to look everywhere but Sturmhond or your friends, somehow particularly embarrassed that you had been caught with your mini “crush”. If you can call it a crush, it was natural to have short lived crushes on people you talk with for ten minutes, at least that’s what Katja had told you back when you had yet to cross the Fold the first time. She had been trying to ease your fear by telling a story of how she had had a crush on Mikhail once, the same Mikhail who was so bad at flirting that he usually accidentally offended the girl. She had developed the crush and lost it after a few days without anything even happening between them, and you thought the same would happen to you after you wouldn’t see the guy ever again.
All of you were silent for a moment, before Alina spoke up again. “As I was saying - I’m intending to hunt down the Sea Whip and the Firebird to amplify my powers to tear down the fold. Will you and your crew will help us?”
***
Almost a year had gone by. Fold had been destroyed, Darkling had been killed and Nikolai had been pretending to be engaged to Alina. It was all an act, of course - behind the scenes, Alina loved Mal and you and Nikolai had become close in romantic sense. You spent a lot of your nights in his bed, cuddling and kissing with him and leaving before dawn so nobody at the palace would suspect anything going on.
Your feelings had developed slowly, especially after you found out he’s a prince. It complicated things a lot, you thinking nobody would ever consider you being a proper princess. And after Vasily’s death, yet another barrier rose in front of you - if Nikolai ever married you, you’d become the Queen of Ravka. You, an otkazat'sya, a former tracker with no noble blood whatsoever. People would never understand if you were asked. Nikolai on the other hand, told you that the world is changing and people would learn to respect his love for whoever his Queen would be.
That day wasn’t coming anytime soon though. For now, you were content to be in Nikolai’s arms, feel him kiss the top of your head as you drifted asleep. You were happy to know he loved you and dreamed of the day you’d get to put on a gorgeous wedding dress and a tiara on your head as you’d walk along the aisle, finally being united with Nikolai. Someday, you wished for that to be true, for Nikolai to be right and you would indeed be embraced by Ravkan people once they’d see how much their King cares for you, and how gracious you would be to them.
You bumping into him at that market had led to something incredible - and you couldn’t wait what life had in store for you in the future.