The Little Palace is the residence of Ravka's Second Army. It is located near the Grand Palace in the Ravkan capital, Os Alta.
History[]
The Little Palace was built over 400 years ago by the Darkling as a safe haven for Grisha. In exchange, Grisha would form the Second Army in service to Ravka. It took two years between the Darkling offering his services to Yevgeni Lantsov before construction could begin on the Little Palace.[1]
Shadow and Bone[]
Alina Starkov is taken to the Little Palace by the Darkling after discovering that she's a Sun Summoner.[2]
Siege and Storm[]
After the Darkling's attempted coup and his escape, the Little Palace is seized by the First Army, armed soldiers guarding its perimeter to prevent the few remaining resident Grisha from escaping.
The palace is partially destroyed during the Darkling's attack on Os Alta.[3]
Rule of Wolves[]
The Fabrikator workshops and Corporalki laboratories were completely destroyed during the Fjerdan bombing of Os Alta.[4]
Description[]
Although the Little Palace is smaller than the Grand Palace, it is still huge. It is located near the Grand Palace and is accessed via a gravel path through a tunnel of trees with the branches intertwined overhead. The Little Palace is located down a slope from these woods.[2]
Interior[]
Much of the Little Palace interior is constructed based around a hexagonal shape.
Dome room[]
A large hexagonal hall near the entrance of the Little Palace is one of the central locations in the Little Palace. There is an enormous gold dome overhead and echoing stone floors.[2] It contains four large tables arranged in a square shape—one for Etherealki, one for Corporalki, one for Materialki, and one for the Darkling. In the corners, there are samovars, divans, and tiled ovens for relaxation and socializing.[5]
The Darkling's rooms[]
Located off the Dome Room are heavy doors carved with the Darkling's eclipse symbol, vines, and animals. These lead to his council room and chambers.[5]
Library[]
The doors to the library are carved to look like the cover of an old book. It is two stories tall with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on the walls. There is a balcony along the second floor. Overhead, there is a glass dome. Beneath the dome, there is a round table lined with benches. There are other chairs and tables throughout the library.[5]
Anatomy rooms[]
Red lacquered doors lead to the anatomy rooms, where Corporalki learn and practice. There are no windows on the walls; all of the light comes from an overhead skylight. This is one of the few places in the Little Palace that is not intricately carved for decoration.[5]
Fabrikators' workshops[]
The Fabrikators' workshops are accessed through light wooden doors carved with birds and flowers, with yellow diamonds and amethysts set into the carvings. The door handles are in the shape of hands. Inside the workshop, the walls are made entirely of windows to allow light in. There are large worktables covered in fabric, glass, metal, and rock. There are terrariums in one corner of the room containing flowers, insects, and snakes. Fabrikators' also have another workspace outside of Os Alta, where they work on blast powders.[5]
Alina's bedroom[]
When Alina first arrives at the Little Palace, she is given a bedroom in one of the towers, on the third floor. The room is large, with heavy gold curtains, a tiled fireplace, and a large canopied bed with intricate carvings.[2] There is an attached bathroom covered in bronze tiles with a large copper tub. One wall is covered in a mosaic of shells. There is an ebony screen with mother-of-pearl stars for changing clothes.
Dormitories[]
There are dormitories for other Grisha on the first and third floors.[5]
Infirmary[]
The infirmary has many beds, though all the rest are unoccupied during Alina's stay in the infirmary. Healers tend to those in the infirmary.[6]
Exterior[]
The exterior of the Little Palace is comprised of dark wood walls and golden domes. The exterior walls are covered in carvings of birds, flowers, vines, and magical beasts. The carvings are inlaid with mother-of-pearl.[2]
Lake[]
There is a lake on the Little Palace grounds with a small island in the center. When the lake freezes in winter, Grisha at the Little Palace go ice skating on it.
Summoners' pavilions[]
The Summoners' pavilions are located near the lake, a good distance away from the Little Palace so that Summoners can practice safely. They are made of white stone.[5]
Children's school[]
On the far shore of the lake, there is a school for young Grisha children. They wear the colors of their orders.[5]
Baghra's hut[]
Baghra's hut is located in the woods on the far side of the lake. It is a small, round stone hut, with no windows. Inside, the hut is completely dark except for a blazing fire in a tile oven, which keeps the hut uncomfortably hot. There is a narrow bed, basin, stove with kettle, and two chairs by the fire.[5]
Banya[]
The banya is a system of steam baths and cold pools located in a birch grove beside the Little Palace.[7]
Stables[]
TBD
Hothouses[]
The hothouses keep the Little Palace supplied with fresh fruit and flowers even in winter. Grisha control the weather within the hothouse.[8]
Known residents[]
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References[]
- ↑ Rule of Wolves, chapter 33
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Shadow and Bone, chapter 5
- ↑ Siege and Storm, chapter 22
- ↑ Rule of Wolves, chapter 18
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Shadow and Bone, chapter 8
- ↑ Shadow and Bone, chapter 11
- ↑ Shadow and Bone, chapter 9
- ↑ Shadow and Bone, chapter 12