He had lost everyone he ever cared for. Everyone eventually left him at one point in his life. He had found the sun summoner, but during that quest, he found you. You weren’t a Grisha but just a simple witch without a coven. You had been exiled from your home for being an orphan, and who was he to regret someone with so much potential to be something more than just another tool in this war? The King took a liking to your abilities and used them to his advantage. Just like the Sun Summoner was a weapon used for something, you, too, had no business in part taking in.

You’d always go to him. He understood you; sometimes, it was better to just run to his arms and forget everything. You browsed through the corridors of the Little Palace, and entering the library, you found comfort. Too engulfed in your own bubble, you failed to notice Aleksander’s presence.

”Can’t sleep, milaya?”