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The Grishaverse


The Grand Palace is the winter residence of Ravka's King and the royal family, located in Os Alta.

History[]

Shadow and Bone[]

When Alina Starkov is first brought to Os Alta, she notes the grandeur of the palace grounds, and that the palace itself is larger than any building she had ever seen, but otherwise does not seem particularly impressed by it. The Darkling remarks that it is "the ugliest building" he has ever seen.

Siege and Storm[]

Although it is an extravagant demonstration of wealth, the Darkling did not think highly of the palace. It was partially destroyed during the Darkling's attack on Os Alta.

Ruin and Rising[]

When Alina uses her connection to the Darkling to visit him through astral projection, she sees him in the throne room of the Grand Palace.

King of Scars[]

When Nikolai Lantsov takes over as King, most of the Double Eagle symbols are updated to include a sun in ascendance. Nikolai also moves into his father's old chambers and has them updated to his taste.

Rule of Wolves[]

During the bombing of Os Alta, the Fjerdans target Nikolai's chambers. A portion of the Grand Palace gets destroyed because of it.

Description[]

Interior[]

The Grand Palace is three stories high, with row upon row of windows ornamented with real gold. The main entrance has a set of white marble steps that leads to a spacious entry hall. The Grand Palace is most often white walls with gold and pale blue ornamenting the space.

Throne room[]

The throne room is the room where King Alexander III and Queen Tatiana conduct court ceremonies and official entertaining. It is three stories high, with many windows. A pale blue carpet runs the length of the room up to a raised dais where the two gold thrones are seated side by side. There is a narrow side door that leads to the hall.[1] During Nikolai's rule, only one throne is on the dais.

Queen's sitting room[]

The queen's sitting room is a jewel-like sitting room where she holds teas and conducts her court.

Queen's dressing room[]

The dressing room houses Tatiana's expensive gowns. It is also a room that Genya has access to.

Eagle's nest[]

The Eagle's Nest is a dining room known for the giant Ravkan double eagle frieze on the ceiling. There are many windows in the room that break during The Darkling's invasion.[2]

Portrait gallery[]

The portrait gallery is a room filled wall to wall in paintings of former Lantsov family members. [3]

Lapis drawing room[]

The lapis drawing room is a drawing room with blue panels veined with gold.[4]

Concert hall[]

The concert hall is a large theater where musicians stage shows and actors stage plays.[5]

Trophy room[]

The trophy room is described as one of the lesser rooms in the Grand Palace's southern wing. Its walls are crowded with stag antlers and the heads of various large game from hunts.

Armory[]

The armory is one of the lesser rooms in the Grand Palace's southern wing. It holds old-fashioned saddles and swords.

Training rooms[]

The training rooms are the rooms used to train Palace guards to fight. On the walls are weapons including some dulled axes and wooden swords.

Conservatory[]

The conservatory is a high-ceilinged room that runs half the length of the southern wing. The walls are made of glass panels that allow sun to shine through. The floors are red tile with steam pipes underneath to heat the floors. There are winding paths in the room lined with potted fruit trees and shrubs that overflow onto the walkways. The hedges are trimmed into arches or lattices. In the center of the room is an artificial stream that narrows and widens to form lily pools. [6] The most notable plant in the conservatory are the miniature orange trees that are mentioned by both Nikolai and Isaak.

Ballroom[]

The ballroom is used as the main demonstration room for the winter fete. It is "larger and grander" than the throne room and is lit by large chandeliers.

Western ballroom[]

A ballroom in the western wing of the palace, it has large frescos on the ceiling with a skylight added after Nikolai blew a hole into the ceiling as a child.[7]

Iris suite[]

Used a cell for Yuri and a temporary sitting and bedroom for Nikolai after the bombing, it was decorated in the color puce by Nikolai's aunt Ludmilla.

Nikolai's dressing room[]

Nikolai's dressing room is a room used during his reign that houses his clothes.

Nikolai's sitting room[]

Formerly Alexander III's sitting room, it is the room in which Nikolai and Zoya get a lot of their correspondence done. It has heavy carpets, brocade curtains, and a fireplace. Nikolai's desk has a locked section that contained the miniature of Magnus Opjer before Zoya threw it into the fire. The room still bears the old Double Eagle heraldry.

Nikolai's bed chamber[]

Nikolai's bedroom is described as his sanctuary. Its walls are painted a deep sea blue and a map at his mantel came from his captain's quarters on the Volkvolny. By the bank of windows adorned with curtains, he has a long glass to look down upon the town. His bed has a series of chains that clamp him down at night and are manned by Zoya every morning and night. Servants are only allowed in under supervision to clean. Nikolai attends no valet.

Exterior[]

The Grand Palace stands above a series of marble terraces, crowded with statues and golden fountains. There is a huge double-eagle fountain located at its base. A gold fence surrounds the perimeter. The paths outside are often white gravel and well-lit.

Old zoo grounds[]

After The Darkling's resurrection, he is held prisoner in an old zoo located in a wooded area on the eastern end of palace grounds. It is a giant circle with a tower at the top that had once housed birds. It had been abandoned generations ago, but there are weathered illustrations of the animals they used to keep there including a leopard, a lemur, and a white bear. The Darkling's cell is entirely glass.[8]

Royal stables[]

Close to an underground tunnel to the Gilded Bog, the royal stables house all the horses used as royal mounts.

Water Gardens[]

Located on the west side of the palace, the water gardens house the secret entrance to Lazlayon. Along that wall is a locked door hidden by vines that leads to Zoya's garden, which was the old vegetable garden before it was moved closer to the kitchens. Zoya's garden does not exist on current palace plans.[9]

Underground tunnels[]

During Nikolai's rule, he had underground tunnels constructed to lead to and from the Gilded Bog, where weapons testing and development takes place. One particular tunnel runs fifteen miles to a manmade waterfall not far from the royal stables.[10]

Trivia[]

  • The Grand Palace is prone to overheating in the Summer which is why normally the King would go to his summer home during Belyanoch. In Siege and Storm, they are unable to due to the King's failing health and the looming threat of war so, the Grisha have to cool down rooms with giant blocks of ice. Even when it isn't summer, Isaak, Alina, and Nikolai all remark on how stuffy the rooms feel with the number of bodies present.
  • A Shu architect named Toh Yul-Gham once declared the Grand Palace "an affront to the eyes of god."[7]

References[]

  1. Shadow and Bone, chapter 7
  2. Siege and Storm, chapter 22
  3. King of Scars, chapter 23
  4. King of Scars, chapter 12
  5. King of Scars, chapter 29
  6. King of Scars, chapter 23
  7. 7.0 7.1 Rule of Wolves, chapter 12
  8. Rule of Wolves, chapter 9
  9. Rule of Wolves, chapter 20
  10. King of Scars, chapter 6
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