Guarded

The guards rushed after her, their synchronized steps echoing down the hallway. Every time she stopped, they mirrored her movements, surrounding her as if to ensure she wouldn't escape. Their presence felt suffocating, like a cage closing in around her.

Two on her left, two on her right, two behind, and one in front, maintaining a calculated distance to prevent any sudden moves from her which was a good thing because the urge to kick him was growing stronger with every step.

Bel wasn't a violent person and has never resorted to violence her whole life but this entire situation was turning her into someone she didn't want to be.

She quickened her pace and the guards matched her stride effortlessly. All she wanted was to reach her room, she doubted they would be foolish enough to follow her inside, but the thought offered little comfort in the face of her current troubles.

After what felt like forever, she got to the door of her room. One of the guards reached out and turned the handle, holding the door open with a deferential bow of his head. 

Bel didn't appreciate the gesture partially due to her frustration at the situation and she was sure the guard was aware of it with the glare she shot at him.

"I apologize," he said quickly, sensing her irritation. "I may have been a little too forward."

Forward, was an understatement. The entire situation stirred up a lot of negative emotions and she was at a loss on how to deal with it.

Bel merely grunted her response as she stepped into her room. The door shut almost immediately behind her.

She stood rooted to the spot, looking around her room but seeing nothing. The space was where she had spent all of her years. This was her room for as long as she could remember.

It used to seem a lot bigger than this and she would need help getting into bed but now it looked like a regular-sized room to her.

She let out a soft laugh. To think she only had a few days left with her sister's wedding in about a week from now. She still refused to believe that day was also her wedding day.

She walked to her bed and threw herself on it, she had to think of something fast else she would be stuck in a marriage she wanted no part of.

She laid in bed for a long time, enough time to ensure Lord Landon was now in the castle.

She knew he would go to see her father as soon as he got to the castle and then he would either go to the study first or the library and then the archives.

Lord Landon was a fanatic when it came to proper documentation and placement. Only a handful of people were allowed into the archives and she wasn't one of them. Which meant she had to get to him before he went down there.

She jumped out of bed, adjusted her dress, and walked out of the room almost dying of fright when she caught sight of the guards in front of her room.

It was funny how she had forgotten about them when they were the reason why she was going to seek out Lord Landon.

"Princess," they all said simultaneously, bowing down.

Bel narrowed her eyes. Seven was too many, her father was just trying to get on her nerves. She was sure two guards would be able to do the same job.

She started to walk away without acknowledging their greeting, she was a little embarrassed that she had been startled by their presence.

She would have to do something about this. There was no way she would survive with seven people going everywhere around the house with her, she was likely to lose her mind not to mention the fact that they wouldn't let her out of the castle.

She walked briskly, if she wasn't afraid of tripping she would have taken the stairs two at a time as she rushed to the library.

She took a turn going down the path before she came in front of the doors of the library. It was a simple set of doors but compared to the room it held behind it, it was very misleading.

Bel frowned as she looked at the door. She couldn't tell if it had been opened or not. She hoped she wasn't wrong. The study was on the other side and she wasn't about to take three flights of stairs just to get there.

She took a deep breath as she pushed open the doors. None of the guards did that this time, her stare must have scared them enough. She just wished it had scared them enough to leave her alone but she could only dream.

She pushed the door open and winced a little. The library was brighter than the hallway. It only took a second to realize all the curtains were drawn, letting sunlight stream through the stained glass uninterrupted.

It took her half a minute to find Lord Landon and during that time she was worried he wasn't here but rather in the study.

She found him, high up the ladder, almost to the ceiling. He looked engrossed as he searched through the shelf with an open book in hand. He seemed to be looking for some in the book. She was certain he was unaware of her presence.

"Lord Landon," she called out, taking joy in the fact that he was startled.

The open book fell out of his hand as he tried to steady himself on the ladder. She rushed forward and caught it before it touched the ground.

"Bel!" He scolded. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" 

"No," she lied as she slowly watched him come down.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as his foot touched the ground. He adjusted his hair that had shaken out of place as he tried to not fall off the ladder and walked towards her. 

"You know why I am here," she responded.

"I don't," he replied. He stretched out his hand for her to hand the book to him but she refused.

"I am sure you can take a guess," she said.

"Give," he replied instead.

"No, not until you get the guards off me."

"I can't do that."