Her face brightened immediately. “Thank you!” And she meant it with all her heart. Stepping forward, Alina’s arms wound around him in a tight hug. “Thank you, General. I know I can do more.” She’d pushed herself more than any teacher since her arrival at the Little Palace. She hadn’t wanted to disappoint the man who had rescued her from the orphanage where she’d been destined for nothing but the army.
Leaning back, Alina smiled up at him. “When can we leave?”