No? [he never needed anyone. His mother saw to that, that he was raised to be more powerful than any Grisha before him, and that he knew how to wield that power. How to build allies and how to burn enemies to the ground.

That he would be alone, always.

Aleksander had walked Ravka and the surrounded countries for longer than he would admit to, searching for answers to the one question that burned through even his own wants.

But there had been a time here, when he had wanted to turn to Finn. To reach out and be sure to find a hand reaching back.]

While you were gone, Kovach tried to change his regret. Again. But the price for a change of heart is-- enormous. He attacked the station, transformed in to some kind of monster, and he tried to kill us all. There was blood on the walls, the heavy scent of fear and terror in the recycled air.

I didn't kill him for that. And I didn't vote to have him thrown in to space. Executed. [He had been sorely tempted to.] He was judged by Viveca and Degar, and I'm sure they made sure his punishment fitted the crime.

Because I made a promise.