The Secret Library

"HOW WAS THE gift, Your Highness?" Vida asked. A comb was in her hand as she gently brushed Elixane's hair.

"Aren't you feeling particularly gossipy today, Vida?" Elixane joked. "You played a hand in the gift as well, didn't you?"

"Me?" Vida echoed, surprised. Her hands stopped for a while, hovering in the air as she shook her head frantically. "Of course not, Princess. I was merely the diversion. A scapegoat, if you will."

"How convenient," Elixane remarked. "But to satisfy your curiosity, it was indeed a beautiful gift. Look."

Spinning around on her seat, Elixane gestured to the necklace she wore around her neck. She was rather unwilling to remove it even though it would be easier for Vida to examine the necklace. After all, Bertrand had placed the necklace on her with his own two hands. Elixane wanted it to stay as the gifter had intended.

"A free bird," Vida observed out loud, her eyes glued on the silver trinket. "It's beautiful."

"He knows me well," Elixane boasted.

Speaking about Bertrand made her heart flutter delightfully. Even though she was a princess, a lady above many others in social ranking, she still felt strangely validated that Bertrand had gifted her something special. As far as Elixane knew, Bertrand had no other female friends. As a result, a brave thought crossed Elixane's mind.

Perhaps she truly held a unique place in his heart after all? Just like she had yearned so desperately for?

"That's for sure, Princess. After all, the both of you practically grew up together. If it isn't you, who else will Lord Bertrand be close to?"

There was a reason why Vida was chosen to become Elixane's lady-in-waiting. She always knew what words to say to brighten Elixane's day. It could be something so small, so trivial, so minuscule, but it would still work wonders. A happy princess meant the day would also be easier for the servants. She would get into lesser trouble than usual.

"Such a sweet tongue you have, Vida." Poking the tip of Vida's nose, Elixane giggled.

It was indeed a wondrous thought. She was soon to be of age and that meant that her father would soon look for suitable candidates to be Elixane's husband soon. If her father saw the love between Bertrand and herself, he might not think of sending her overseas in a political marriage.

Just maybe. She was, after all, his precious only daughter, the jewel of Louotiem.

"It's getting late, Your Highness," Vida commented. Her eyes flickered over to the waning moon in the sky, glowing a light, chalky yellow against the indigo canvas. "You should get some rest."

"You too, Vida. Get some sleep."

"Good night, Princess."

"Good night," Elixane returned.

With a soft click of the door, Vida was gone.

However, on such a beautiful night like this, there was no way Elixane would be able to rest her eyes. Her mind was fully awake, buzzing with energy, her veins roaring with adrenaline. The dead of the night was the perfect time to go out and play for there were no guards that would especially hinder her. During the day, her brother had assigned knights to make sure Elixane stayed within her boundaries.

Ghosts would only come out to play at night. Every night, Elixane relished being one.

Wrapping a shawl around her body, Elixane crept out of her room and into the hallway. Just a few days ago, she had discovered a secret passageway into a hidden library. Although the library was in one of the towers, the corridor that led towards it was only accessible through an opening in the wall, masked by mechanisms.

Elixane had only found it out through a happy accident. Unfortunately, she hadn't the time to explore it before the knights went around looking for her. Back then, she had to leave the library exploration to a different day. If Prince Enzo had caught her there, she might be barred forever. Who knew what secrets that library hid.

Careful not to make too much sound, Elixane reached for the plain stone walls, her fingers grazing across the cold surface. When she found the uneven bump that marked the switch, she pressed it down, watching as the wall shifted and moved before her very eyes. A cloud of dust sprayed out, dispersing around her.

Just like that, the wall had disappeared within seconds and in its place was a passageway that led into the dark.

This time, Elixane had came prepared. She had brought a lamp of her own as well as a lighter. Igniting a fire, she started used the lamp's light to guide her down the long hallway. Despite only having been there just once, Elixane could still navigate the area well. Down the corridor she went, climbing multiple flights of stairs. Within moments, she had found the trap door above her head.

Pushing it open, Elixane's head emerged on the other side. Careful not to cause a ruckus, she fully pushed the trap door open before climbing out of it and into the library's space. The light from the lamp was minimal but it was enough to allow Elixane to see.

"Finally," she murmured under her breath.

Armed with the lamp, she began to search the shelves. Its soft orange glow was cast against the spines of the books, illuminating the words just enough for Elixane to make out what the story was about. Some were fiction, some were books of truth. There were hundreds upon hundreds of different titles to choose from, a seemingly infinite pool of knowledge to learn. Most of the books available in this hidden library were books that Elixane had never seen before in the royal library.

"History of Dark Magic," Elixane read one out loud. "Politics and War," she read another.

Elixane's fingers trailed down the covers, a small layer of dust slowly gathering at her fingertips. However, she didn't care about that. She had already grown used to the coat of gray that peppered the book covers for none of it was spared. Every corner had a little bit of it, some more than others. The books situated at the corners of the shelves even had cobwebs strung along with them.

At last, one particular title caught her attention. The spine of the book was dark gray, its words a shimmery silver. Her hands automatically reached for it, already curious to know what was in those pages between the ominous covers. Pulling it out, Elixane's fingers traced the words.

"The History of Old Loumotiem."