"Hard," Aleksander answered after a moment. His expression turned weary and his shoulders slumped with the memory of the weight of the world he'd carried for far too long. He didn't know Esther well enough to feel comfortable enough to tell her everything but he felt as though she should know a little of the truth.

"It ground me down though I didn't realize how much until I was pulled here. I had made a deal with Yevgeni, you see - the tsar at the time. I'd thought then it was the best way to keep my people safe, to keep Ravka safe. I'm not so sure it was now."