#smolina

main masterlist ao3 profile

fluff #, angst *

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ONE-SHOTS

The Little Keramzin Malenchki #* little Alina is only three years old when the testers find out she is Grisha. She is brought to the Little Palace straight away, and from the moment she first sees the Black General, she immediately takes a liking to him

The Little Palace Malenchki # coming soon

"You is a meanie!"# Alina meets the Tsar and Tsaritsa, but, of course, she is merely a toddler, and she doesn’t like the Tsaritsa one bit, which she insists everyone should know…

Alina's fourth birthday #* coming soon

There's nothing better to make tea with the tsarina bearable for Alina than a little bit of mischief.

For Alina Week Day 1 Smolina

Darklina | Rated T | No archive warnings

At one point, Alina looked through the window at one of the Palace's many landscaped courtyards and saw a boy wearing a black kefta standing by himself in the sunlight. Shadows danced in his cupped hands. “Who is that?” Alina asked in a whisper. (Alina and Aleksander grow up together in the Little Palace.)

Written for florisertum for the Spring Fling Darklina Exchange on Twitter

Moodboard by me.

hi!! most of the smolina fics i read don't involve her going to the LP haha but here are a few that i've read where she does and i definitely rec 'em

WHEN THE SUN RISES by ineedyoursway As a child, Alina is taken to the Little Palace and given over to the Darkling to train. But when she comes of age, she is to unite Ravka by marrying heir to the throne Vasily Lantsov.

ANOTHER LIFE by keira_63 Alina fails to hide her powers when the Grisha examiners visit. 'I would have gone to the Little Palace and been spoiled and pampered. I would have dined off golden plates, and I never would have struggled to use my power. It would have been like breathing, the way it always should have been. And in time, I would have forgotten Keramzin.'

SOLNISHKA, MINE by vuas Alina Starkov has always lived in the palace. (Or: a series of vignettes that take place when the sun-summoner is brought to the Little Palace as a child)

IN THE PURE LIGHT OF MORNING by inky_pens A series of vignettes depicting Alina growing up Grisha in the Little Palace, where the Darkling takes his future wife under his fur-lined black cloak.

LETTERS TO MY FUTURE WIFE by anonymous When the Sun Summoner finally arrives at the Little Palace, Aleksander realizes there is nothing more important in his world than little Alina Starkova.

WILD LIGHT by keira_63 Fedyor has been hoping for the Sun Summoner to be found ever since he discovered his own Grisha abilities and went to live at the Little Palace. When he’d pictured them, though, he’d never expected a slightly feral waif of a girl with a penchant for biting Ivan. Still, he can’t deny she makes life more interesting.

masterlist smolina masterlist

summary: Little Alina is only three years old when the testers find out she is Grisha. She is brought to the Little Palace straight away, and from the moment she first sees the Black General, she immediately takes a liking to him. 

pairing: Aleksander Morozova x Alina Starkov

warnings: nothing

genre: angst and fluff

words: 2322

a/n: all the Darklina fics I write are accessible on my ao3 :)

You do not have my permission to repost, copy or translate my work

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Alina had to hide. Mal told her she had to hide. The testers were coming and they were going to cut her open to see if she was Grisha! 

Mal once explained to her how the Grisha test worked, and little Alina had decided there and then, at the bright age of three, that she would never get tested. Yet when Alina went to find Mal so they could go hide, he was nowhere to be found. 

Alina was about to rush out of the dormitory and run outside, but she heard Ana Kuya’s familiar footsteps marching down the hallway. 

Oh no.

She rushed back to her bed and dropped to the ground, crawling under. She put her hand over her mouth and prayed to the Saints that Ana Kuya would not look under the bed. 

Alina had no such luck, unfortunately. 

“Alina?” came Ana Kuya’s familiar voice. “Alina, are you in here?” Ana Kuya took a step into the room, and from her place under the bed Alina could see her feet getting closer and closer. “Alina, come along now. The testers are here. All the children are already downstairs.”

Alina kept her mouth shut, and when Ana Kuya’s feet stopped right in front of the bed, she thought she may go undetected. Ana Kuya would look under her blanket, see she is not there, and leave. 

Instead, Ana Kuya sank to her knees, kneeling on the floor in front of the bed and bending over. And suddenly, Alina was staring right into Ana Kuya’s eyes. 

She sighed. “Come now, child. They will not hurt you.”

Ana Kuya reached under the bed and grabbed Alina’s little hand. She dragged her towards herself and stood, lifting the tiny three year old in her arms. 

“So tiny yet always causing trouble,” Ana Kuya remarked, not necessarily to Alina, but she could hear her nonetheless. Alina whined and struggled in her arms, wanting to be put down. 

“I ‘on’t wan testi,” Alina spoke, fumbling over her words. 

“Hush now, Alina,” Ana Kuya scolded. “It will all be over soon and then we will read a story with all the other children.” 

That perked Alina’s interest. “‘ory?”  she asked, wiping the tears that had started to fall. Ana Kuya nodded, using her sleeve to wipe some of Alina’s snot away. “Yes, a story. Now be good and do as they say.” 

Alina nodded, settling down in Ana Kuya’s arms and laying her head on her shoulder. Maybe, if she was extra good, Ana Kuya would read the story of the all too-clever fox again.

Ana Kuya carried Alina all the way to the sitting room, where three adults were standing, all dressed in a bright coat. One was wearing a red coat, and Alina thought he looked nice when he smiled at her. A lady was wearing blue, and another lady was wearing purple. Alina liked the purple. 

Ana Kuya put little Alina down on the table, cupping her little face in her hands. “Be good,” she said, before she dropped a kiss on Alina’s forehead and left the room. 

“Hello,” the man in red said, smiling at her. “What’s your name?”

“‘lina,” Alina mumbled. The man nodded. “I’m Fedyor. Can I hold your hand?”

Alina nodded, not moving when Fedyor grabbed her little hand in his. “Now, Lina, you are going to feel a little prick to your finger. Don’t startle, okay? It won’t hurt, I promise.” Alina nodded, looking at her hand and how Fedyor gently extended her index finger to the lady in purple. 

As promised, Alina felt a tiny prick to her finger. It didn’t hurt, but it did make her flinch. 

She felt a pull to the sudden sting. A fire under her skin that burned her from the inside out. She was hot, uncomfortable, and she whined and squirmed, trying to get away from Fedyor’s grip. She cried, and then it burst out of her. 

Pure sunlight, flowing from her.

The room was filled with a blinding light. The woman in blue looked shocked. The woman in purple looked intrigued. Fedyor just looked astonished. 

--- --- ---

Alina cried as she was taken from Ana Kuya’s arms. She cried as Fedyor carried her outside and sat her on his lap when they were inside the coach. She cried when Fedyor opened the curtain of the window, and she cried when he told her to wave ‘bye bye.’ 

The lady in purple held a book clutched in her hands. The story Ana Kuya had promised to read to Alina after the testing. The story Alina would want to read before bed, Ana Kuya had told the heartrender after he took Alina away. 

Fedyor promised her he would read it to Alina, and while that soothed Ana Kuya, it did not soothe Alina.

Her wails could be heard for miles as they travelled the roads to Os Alta. She cried and she sobbed and she sniffled and she did not calm down once. Not until Fedyor, very gently, used his heartrending abilities to put the small girl to sleep. 

When they arrived at the Little Palace, the night had already fallen. 

Fedyor carried the small child to General Kirigan’s rooms. He was polite when he knocked, and was polite when he was told to explain why he was at the General’s door at this hour of the night, with a toddler no less. 

“It’s the Sun Summoner, General,” Fedyor proclaimed proudly. The little girl in his arms stirred, but did not wake. 

General Kirigan looked stunned. The Sun Summoner? Could it really? Finally in his possession?

He fought the urge to take a better look at the girl. Fought the urge to pull her from Fedyor’s arms and cradle her to his chest to forever keep her safe. 

Instead, he dismissed him. 

“Bring her to the Zvezda Suite. Ensure she is as comfortable as can be. I wish to meet her in the morning, when she’s well rested.” 

Fedyor nodded. He bowed and left the room, carrying the still sleeping girl. Gently, he placed her on the large bed. Her small frame nearly drowned in between all the pillows and blankets the large bed had to offer.

He left her be, then.

--- --- ---

When Alina woke up, the first thing she did was stretch. She brought her hand up, rubbing the sleepies from her eyes and blinking slowly. The sun was already up? Usually, Ana Kuya would wake the older girls before the sun was up. Had Alina not awoken when Ana Kuya came for the older girls?

Confused, she sat up. Her bed was far larger than anything she was used to, and so much softer than she even knew existed. 

The room was large, too. Alina thought it was basically an entire house! 

She rolled around on the soft covers. There were so many blankets, and she spent a good few minutes trying them all out. Covering herself in them and giggling with delight when she found another tucked under it. 

When she heard footsteps outside the door, she seemed to remember everything. 

The testers, the story Ana Kuya promised her that she never got. The last hug, the waving, the saying goodbye to the only home she had ever known…

Within seconds, Alina was back to sobbing. She wailed and screamed, rubbing at her eyes.

The sounds seemed to be picked up immediately, because within an instant the door to the room swung open. In walked the man from yesterday. Fedyor. He looked concerned, until his eyes landed on the wailing toddler on the bed. 

He sighed and walked over, gently picking her up from the mountain of blankets she had assembled. 

“Shh, it’s alright little Alina,” he soothed, gently rubbing her tiny back while she continued sobbing into his shoulder. “How about we go meet the General, hmm?” Fedyor suggested, and while Alina did not know who that was, she nodded anyway. 

She continued sniffling as Fedyor carried her through the hallway. Continued crying even while he knocked on the door as pushed it open. 

The General immediately looked up at the sound of the crying child. She looked at him with swollen, red eyes and puffy cheeks. Her entire face was blotched red from all the crying she had done. And she was still not done.

She sniffled when the General stepped closer, and she held onto Fedyor tightly. 

“It’s alright, sweet Alina,” the General said, his voice so soothing Alina thought it might make her stop crying. Might. 

And then he extended his hand. He gently grasped hers, and immediately, all the crying ceased. Alina looked up at him with her big, watery, golden brown eyes. He stared at her with only wonder and appreciation. His Sun Summoner.

Slowly and carefully, he lifted Alina from Fedyor's arms and placed her on his hip. She did not protest, playing with the large ring he carried on his pinkie finger. 

“Leave us be, Fedyor. I will call you back in shortly. And retrieve Ivan, will you,” the General ordered. 

Fedyor gave a small bow before he left the war room, shutting the door behind him. 

Meanwhile, the General walked over to the sofa placed in front of the fireplace. He sat down, Alina in his lap. 

“Now, sweet Alina, let’s see what you can do, shall we?” 

And despite not knowing what was going on, and not even knowing his name, Alina nodded. She wanted him to continue holding her hand. Wanted him to cuddle her. Wanted him to press her to his chest again. He was just so nice and warm. Alina had never felt as comfortable as she did when the General held her.

Ever so gently, he placed Alina’s tiny hand in his own, and there it was. Light. Alina had summoned the sun. 

She giggled and reached for it, yet the moment she let go of the General’s hand, the light disappeared. She frowned and looked at him, still red from crying, small and demanding. 

“Again,” she said firmly. He chuckled. “Alright, sweet Alina, again.” 

And so he grasped her tiny hand, and again the light appeared. It was the most wonderful sight he had ever seen, and the tiny toddler in his lap, giggling as the light poured from her very being, was the cause of it all. 

“Now, sweet Alina, I am Aleksander, and I think you and I are going to be great friends.” 

Alina looked at him, smiling when she met his eyes. She nodded, then let go of his hand and watched the light disappear, giggling when she grabbed his hand again and demanded the light to be called forward. “Again, Al’sandel.” 

Aleksander chuckled, complying to her demands and letting the light come forth. 

“How about you just call me Sasha, sweet Alina. Would you like that?” 

Alina nodded, mumbling a happy Sasha while she giggled at the light spilling from her. 

“‘ook Sasha, ‘ook!” she exclaimed happily, watching the light dance. Aleksander smiled and nodded, bouncing her on his lap while she giggled and played with the light. 

There was a knock at the door, and when it opened, Fedyor and Ivan walked in. Aleksander’s most trusted Heartrenders, and now he had the most important job in the entire world for them. 

Both Fedyor and Ivan gaped at the amounts of light flowing from the little girl, astounded with the abilities the young Sun Summoner already seemed to possess.

Ivan cleared his throat, regaining his posture faster than Fedyor could manage.

“You called for us, Moi Soverenyi,” he said, giving a proper bow. 

“Yes, I did. I have the utmost important job for the two of you. One I believe you will honor to the best of your abilities.”

“Of course, General,” Fedyor responded. 

“Alina is now the most important person in the world. She is the future, and it is important she’ll be treated as such. I want you as her guards. One of you will always be with her, no matter what happens. I trust you will be able to come up with a schedule yourselves.”

Both Ivan and Fedyor nodded, bowing gratefully. 

“Of course, Moi Soverenyi, we are honoured,” Ivan said, looking at the small toddler still perched on the General’s lap. She had opted to play with the buckles on his kefta once the light had faded away. 

Aleksander turned to her, getting her attention with a gentle stroke over her tiny head.

“Fedyor and Ivan are going to be watching you, alright, sweet Alina?” he asked. Alina looked up at him and frowned. Then she looked at Ivan and Fedyor, before she looked back at Aleksander. 

“‘kay Sasha,” she said then, becoming more interested with his hair than the conversation, and starting to run her hands through it, tugging experimentally. 

“I think we shall spend the day together, first,” Aleksander said with wonder in his voice. 

“Ivan, clear my schedule. I shall resume working when the Sun Summoner has retired to bed. Your watch will begin tonight. For now, both of you are dismissed.”

Both Fedyor and Ivan bow, ready to leave the room before Fedyor seems to remember something. 

He pulls something from a pocket inside his kefta and hands it over to the General. 

“The headmistress of the orphanage gave me this, for Alina,” he explained, before he left the room. 

Alina perked up at the sight of the book, making grabby hands towards it while Aleksander held it out of her reach. 

“‘ory, Sasha, ‘ory,” Alina demanded. 

Aleksander chuckled, moving the small toddler with one arm so she would be better positioned to look at all the pictures. 

“You want a story, sweet Alina?” he asks while already flipping open the book. Alina is quick to push his hand away, flipping through the pages herself until she settles on the story she wants.