Chapter Text
Alina hasn’t had a birthday present since her parents died.
The orphanage barely had funds for the basics, let alone personal gifts. And Mal has never been much good at remembering dates.
But her first birthday at the Little Palace, she wakes to find a neat stack of presents wrapped in black silk and tied with gold ribbons, as well as a plate of her favourite flaky pastries.
“Thank you,” she says later when Aleksander comes to invite her for a ride, “I didn’t expect anything.”
Certainly not a sun pendant and soft silk scarf and a fascinating book of world maps.
He smiles at her softly, “I told you, Alina. You’ll never be alone again.”