The other side of library

Mircea didn't know the royal library had so many fiction novels. The library had almost every kind of genre out there and apparently Urban had read a huge amount from them. He took a good half hour to show her different kinds of novels present here. Urban told her he had visited this library every day since he came here. It cleared Mircea's doubt on why he was so sensitive about the reading and the novels.

"You certainly know a lot about…all this," Mircea states, padding side by side with Urban as they explore the last aisle. She had discovered one more thing about Urban, he was a neat person who liked to do things in a particular manner. Hence, they had started from the first aisle even if they were initially standing in the aisle. 

Mircea didn't mind it, as long as he wasn't expecting her to do things according to him. The last aisle of the library was for fantasy novels. It was bigger than the others. It delighted Urban that they designed it like that.

"All this? As in novels? Yes, I spend most of my time reading." 

"Oh, that's nice."

"You don't like it, do you? Doing this with me?" He asked. There was a hint of fear in his eyes. It was not as if she hated it; she just never gave it a thought. The library was just a quiet place for her. A place where she could easily get time to figure out her emotions without disturbance. 

"Why do you feel so? I am enjoying you…your company." Saints! What is wrong with her? Urban stared at her intensely without saying anything; Mircea looked away inspecting the books. He was gazing at her the same way he did when she stood high in the crowd and declared herself the Queen of Slyve.

Mircea didn't know how to handle his heavy green-eyed stare. 

"Why are you so riveted by fantasy books?" She asked to divert his attention.

"Fantasy books are surreal but then they are real at the same time. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" He simpers. 

"Yes, I understand. Just because I don't read novels doesn't mean I know nothing about them."

"You do come to the library to just sit and do nothing." He laughs loudly. Mircea nudges him hard in the stomach.

"It's a task in itself. You wouldn't know about it." She places the books she had removed in their original place.

"Perhaps, we should do it sometimes." Mircea continues, mischief dancing in her eyes as she suggests it to him. There is no way he would agree to do that. She dramatically blinks, waiting for his answer. He chortles again then stops abruptly and gazes at her.

"You are not serious are you?" He queries, Mircea cracks up at him. 

"I knew you wouldn't do it!" She giggles, "I figured that much in the last hour." 

Urban side-eyes her, "That is not true." 

"Oh, but it is." 

"Then let's try it next time." Mircea proposes.

"Only if you read a novel and tell me how it was." Urban arches an eyebrow. 

"Hmm…" She acts as if she is thinking about it.

"Okay. Deal. You cannot ask out when I fulfil my side of the condition." She warns him. 

"Yes, Mircea I know what a deal is." He huffs bringing his hand in front of her to shake it. She slowly picks her hand to close around his large one. He is certainly warm for a witch. His hand fits perfectly around her. 

"However, you have to finish reading within a week." Urban withdraws his hand leaving Mircea with little or anything warmth. 

"Why?" 

"Leigh decided he wants to go home." He announces as if he is telling the weather or his favourite hue of violet. Mircea's face dulls at the sound of his words.

"Oh" She is all she manages to say, Leigh wants to go home. 

Of course, Mircea should have seen this coming. This is not home. Even if King Diomedes promised he would gift him, she had told him, he was free to go whenever and wherever he wanted. 

No one will move kingdoms for no reason. What would happen to his sister if he suddenly decided to move here only because that dumb piece of king decided it would be appropriate to gift a living, breathing being so he could marry his son off and take over her kingdom? 

Fortunately, the chances of that happening are slim to none, Mircea cerebrates wryly. 

"I actually wanted to ask you about that. Is there any ship going to the East of Gyyza?" 

"I will ask Athos to find out and tell you." Mircea gazed at the stack of books that he sorted out earlier. 

"So… which book should be my first?" She asks, still staring at the books. 

"What do you want it to be? Tragedy? Fantasy? Romance?" His eyes follow her stare.

"Perhaps a fantasy romance but with some action?" Mircea glances up at him and simpers.

Urban smiled affectedly at staring down with an emotion Mircea couldn't decipher. 

"I think we were soul mates in our last lives." He chuckles softly as Mircea squints her eyes. Saints, his faint grin makes his face look ten times better. 

Mircea lips spread wide on their own accord and set into a smirk. "That's just…I do not believe there is any such thing as a soul mate and I certainly don't believe in having multiple lives." 

Urban turns around and gives Mircea an incredulous look. "What is wrong with you? You do know that werewolves and dragons have mate bonds right? You share a border with them!" 

"You are a hopeless romantic, Urban." Mircea tries to hide a smile and fails. 

"And you are going off the topic here, Mircea." Again the troubled look is back on his face. Mircea couldn't believe him. Not only he enjoyed reading romantic books but he also believed in soul mates. 

She had heard tales about how werewolves and dragons had mates and bond and whatever it was. However, she had never seen a couple bound by the bond and hence, she refused to believe it. It was plain stupid in her eyes. 

When Faustina and Pyron married, it was not because they miraculously fell in love with each other. Their marriage was well-played politics by her father. A small voice in her mind said Faustina tried to do the same with you. 

Even so, the situation now was different. If she were to marry someone, he would not only be her husband but, Slyve's king. She had to make sure it was the right choice for her people and if it was fair to them and her.

"No, I am not. You read romantic novels, you believe in soul mates and you take strangers into your house. You are a hopeless romantic." Mircea answers thin-lipped.

"Yes you are, you don't believe in soul mates and mate bond. It's…unreal."

"Do witches experience mate bonds?" She questions sincerely.

"No." Urban voice comes out small. 

"Exactly, humans and witches and vampires don't experience these things and therefore for them, it does not exist."

"I don't want to discuss this…with you." Urban walks to the stack of novels and picks the third one. 

"You are acting like a child, Urban." She walks up to him.

"It's that big a deal, you know. I am allowed to have my opinions; you cannot force me to believe in something." She continues.

"You, Mircea. Of course, you are allowed to do that. It's just that…you are young Mircea, you shouldn't be this sad." Urban states it as a matter of fact which catches Mircea off guard.

"What?"

"I can see the sadness in your eyes. I see no hope in your eyes and you stating you don't believe in mates' means you certainly don't believe in love. And that means you believe you are never going to fall in love. I believe love gives everyone hope and I don't know, I just don't want to see you this hopeless. That is why this means so much. I don't know I have any right to, you know." Urban stumbles on his words whilst Mircea finds herself speechless.

"One sad person can see the sadness in another person's eyes, Mircea. And you won't believe me but I have been hopeless for a long time. And moreover, it's simply stupid…being hopeless. I am sorry if you felt I am forcing you to do something that is not what I meant. I truly am sorry." Urban stares into her eyes as if his soul is saying sorry to her. He hands her the book he picked up for her. 

"I will not be here for long. So, I guess you won't get into as many fights?" He tries to smile.

"Uh…yes. I…I" 

"You don't have to say anything. Come find me when you complete reading the book or get any news from Athos." 

"Yes." Mircea hugs the book and muses it would be better to keep it short. They have been talking for more than two hours. Certainly, it would be awkward if they leave the conversation at this. However, it would be more awkward if Mircea stays here long. 

Mircea didn't believe in many things but most important of them all, she didn't believe in talking out her sadness. 

She didn't want to deliberate how he had figured this little part of her so fast in the same space as him. 

"Goodnight," Urban says, breaking her train of thoughts. 

"Goodnight." Mircea nods at him and starts marching out of the library and towards her chambers.