Title: a little gossip
Fandom: Grishaverse (Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo)
Characters: Zoya Nazyalensky & Mal Oretsev
Rating: General Audiences
Word Count: 448
Additional Tags: Past Relationship(s), Banter
Challenge: Written for no_true_pair's 2023 Eight-Character Challenge
Prompt: September Five - Mal & Zoya - a walk in the park.
Summary: Mal and Zoya reminisce at the coronation.
Notes: Takes place at the end of Rule of Wolves, so some spoilers for that.

Read on AO3.

The coronation is an extravagant affair. They’d lost much in the fight against the Fjerdans, and Ravka was ready to put the struggle behind them. Decorated in furs and jewels, a crown atop her head, Zoya knows more than anyone how hard such a simple task can be. But today is a day of celebration, and no amount of planning and plotting will prevent Genya and Nikolai from making sure she doesn’t slink away from her own coronation to work.

If it were up to her, there would be far fewer guests. Less of a security risk. Less niceties too, coming from people who only weeks ago probably didn’t have many nice things to say about General Nazyalensky.

Not everyone is unwelcome, however. Zoya spots a young man in the corner, unobtrusive despite his good looks, his partner nowhere to be found. Zoya glides over, hands Mal a glass, and says,

“I’m surprised you actually made it.”

“And miss this?” Mal takes the glass from her, raising it briefly in a toast. “Congratulations, Zoya.”

Zoya leans back slightly, looking around Mal, who laughs.

“Don’t worry, she’s not hiding from you. Nikolai got ahold of her.”

“How easily you let another man steal her away,” Zoya sniffs.

“I’ve been informed you’re already keeping him on a pretty tight leash.”

Zoya glances at Mal, curious to know what he’s heard but unwilling to ask outright. Likely Genya gossiping again. Or perhaps Nikolai’s letters have gotten…lax.

“A leash is hardly needed,” she replies, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Of course, not for the great Zoya Nazyalensky. Or Sankta Zoya of the Storm, is that it now?”

Zoya fixes him with an unimpressed stare. “It worked on you easily enough.”

Mal grins, lifting his glass again. “That it did, Your Majesty.”

It feels like a hundred years ago when they first saw each other in Kribirsk. The first time she met Alina too. She doubts any of them could have predicted back then where they’d end up.

Zoya drains the rest of her own champagne, then tilts her empty glass toward Mal. “I expect an extremely lavish coronation gift from you two, you know.”

“Here I was hoping our company would be more than enough.”

“Perhaps, if you would deign to save your wife from my…Nikolai so I can talk to her.” She gestures imperiously at Mal, who extends his arm for her to take.

Looping her arm through his, Zoya lets him lead the way through the crowd, not caring about the gossip that will inevitably crop up. Compared to everything they’ve been through, and everything still to come as queen, a little gossip will practically be welcome.