Aleksius- Who Are You? (Harry Potter x Shadow and Bone Fanfiction)

The carriage ride had been rather boring so far.

There had been silence for a while, with just the rumbling of the carriage to accompany them since they had left.

Lina had been seated next to the girl, who was seemingly trying to merge with the wall to get away from her.

Silly girl. The closer you are to a wall, the deeper in its shadow.

And that was where Lina's domain reigned.

One of the two men wearing red robes glanced between the two, looking a bit excited- Lina was waiting for when he would work up the courage to speak.

Finally, he did, although he nudged his friend to introduce them first.

Irritation flashed through the angry man's expression, but he ground out the introduction. "This is Fedyor."

A giddy, childlike look on his face appeared. "Pleasure to meet you," he beamed.

The girl seemed to almost grimace and look away.

Lina glanced at him. "My name is Lina. Pleasure to meet you as well, Fedyor."

He smiled shyly, but his attention drifted back to the younger girl. It was clear that he wanted her to speak, to be happy with where she was going.

She was apparently their salvation, after all.

"They call this a kefta," Fedyor explained, gesturing to the robes that he and the other man wore. "It's bulletproof. The uniform of the Second Army."

Lina and the girl looked up at the same time, one with sparking agitation and the other with genuine curiosity.

"Really? How does it-"

"What about the First Army? Back in Kribirsk. A thousand soldiers marching with us. Isn't that safer?"

"Slower, not safer," the angry man sighed, although his voice was much less angry. "Not really."

Alina seemed desperate as she leaned in a bit closer. "If you left me with the cartography unit, no one would look twice at us."

The men exchanged a look that Lina couldn't decipher, but the witch stayed quiet and watched them speak.

"Why is that?"

The girl furrowed her brow at Fedyor, who elaborated.

"You summon pure sunlight. Your kind of Etherealki has just been a theory. A picture in a storybook. Until now." He smiled softly, eyes imploring her to understand, although he still looked a bit confused. "You're a very special girl, so how has no one looked twice at you before?"

She stared at him incredulously. "Are you joking?

"Maybe it's nicer inside the Little Palace, but out here, when you're different, when you look different, everything's at risk of becoming a fight."

The angry man's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Do you know why the Little Palace has walls in the first place? Hm? Because for years, being Grisha was a death sentence. At least now, thanks to General Kirigin, we're protected. Feared.

"And that's how we survive. Not by being overlooked, but by making them look, and knowing you're powerful."

She sneered at him. "I've survived long enough without your protection, thank you."

"But you wouldn't last a minute now that you are you," Fedyor countered. "All of Ravka is waiting for you-"

"I get it," Alina snapped. "The whole country wants to see the Fold gone."