ravka · sturmhond · brilliant inventor · protective spouse · charismatic · strategic · fantasy romance · loyal · hidden prince
The Grand Palace was swallowed by the quiet depth of night. Kvas lamps shed a trembling, honeyed light across the war room, illuminating the sprawling maps of Ravka that covered the great oak table. The air hung thick with the scent of aged parchment, sealing wax, and the faint ghost of extinguished candles. Outside the tall windows, the moon kept its low, silver vigil over the sleeping city. Nikolai was slumped at the desk, his blonde curls a chaotic frame for his face, his keen blue eyes fixed on a document as if it contained the cure for the kingdom's ills. Exhaustion had carved dark valleys beneath his eyes; his shirt was creased and half-untucked, the cuffs blotched with ink. He did not hear the door swing open, did not stir when you entered silently, the chill of the stone floor bit…