“I shall be happy to escort Miss Rosalina,” Alastar said with far more authority than I thought wise to direct towards a royal, but Prince Liam merely smiled as he settled back in his seat.
“I shan’t deprive you of the opportunity; I do want to live another day.” He winked cheekily. “I hope you feel better, Miss Rosalina. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
I gave Prince Liam a curious look before offering a grateful smile to my rescuer, who was giving the prince a rather fierce glower like he was on the brink of challenging him to a duel. Most puzzling.
“Alastar?”
His attention snapped to me and his expression immediately cleared. He helped me from my seat and escorted me from the dining room. The moment we were in the marble corridors I released a long breath.
“It was a long meal, wasn’t it?” he said knowingly.
“The longest.” And the walk back would be just as long. I wasn’t sure how long I could go without bursting into tears.
He took in my crumpling expression and wordlessly extended his handkerchief. “Shall I look away, Miss Rosalina?”
I managed a breathless laugh. “This is the second time this evening you’ve helped a damsel in distress. You sure like to keep me on my toes, Alastar; I never know whether I’m dealing with a villain or a gallant knight.”
“I’ll perform whatever role you need me for, Miss Rosalina, and right now it’s clear you need a knight.” He tried again to hand me his handkerchief, but I waved it away.
“No thank you, that won’t be necessary.” We’d reached the grand staircase, which we began to ascend. If I could just hold on a bit longer…I scrambled for a conversation topic, the perfect distraction from my burning tears on the brink of escaping.
When I couldn’t think of anything to say, Alastar came to my rescue once again. “I know you’re disappointed and I’m deeply sorry about that, but please don’t worry; your story is only beginning. Even if one chapter is going poorly, the next one is bound to be full of unexpected surprises.”
We finally reached my room, where Alastar bowed, a friendly smile in his eyes as he bade me goodnight. I watched him go until he’d disappeared around the corner, leaving me feeling considerably lighter from a mere stroll. When Alastar wasn’t being villainous, he was actually rather sweet.
Chapter 9
Once again I couldn’t sleep, my mind swirling, both with memories of my first royal ball and the fact that I was spending the night in another magnificent palace—and unlike the increasingly familiar Sortileyan palace, the Dracerian palace remained an unexplored mystery. I beamed girlishly into my pillow at the thought.
My smile vanished almost the moment it arrived, and I sighed as the disappointments I’d struggled to keep at bay once again washed over me, the real reason for my frustrating insomnia. Prince Liam was all I’d imagined my prince to be, but not only had our dance been strangely void of any romantic spark, but his escorting me into the feast had merely been to avoid his fiancée. So humiliating!
My misery was on the verge of sinking me into despair when a sudden thought occurred to me—I had been looking at this all wrong. Prince Liam hadn’t used me to snub his fiancée; he’d been drawn to me in his moment of need…and wait! I bolted upright with a gasp—his actions had been a cry for help! He wanted me, Rosalina, to save him from his detested match. It was all so clear now. How could I have missed it?
I fell back against the pillows, my mind now fully awake and swirling frantically. Despite the thrill of realizing Prince Liam’s wishes to be with me over Princess Lavena, he was still entangled within the bounds of honor and contracts, and it would take some doing to help him escape.
I nibbled my nail, considering. There had to be a way for me to get him to override his duty in order to follow his heart…but what? For he needed to; of that I was quite certain. We’d finally found one another, and no matter what obstacles got in our way, we would overcome them. I wouldn’t fail him again.
Unfortunately, this firm resolution chased sleep even further away. I tossed and turned a good deal more, making the royal bedclothes a tangled mess, before I sat up with another sigh. By the moonlight streaming through the window to illuminate the clock, I could see it was extremely late. Did I dare venture from my room and walk the corridors of this palace at night?
I debated within myself for a moment before finally concluding that wandering the Dracerian palace would make for not only a grand adventure but a juicy recounting later. That decided, I pattered from bed and slipped from my room. Unlike the night I’d explored the Sortileyan palace, I had a specific destination in mind. Where did one go when their story wasn’t going exactly as planned? The library, of course.
It took me ten minutes of purposeful walking to realize I hadn’t the faintest idea where the library was, and ten minutes more to conclude that I was completely and hopelessly lost.
“Oh bother,” I grumbled as I glanced around the shadowy corridor adorned with all manner of ornate rugs, tapestries, suits of armor, paintings, and expensive vases that all seemed identical to the ones found in the past several dozen hallways I’d explored. “Must royals collect so much useless stuff that fails to provide adequate landmarks? It’s really quite annoying.”
“Are you really blaming the decorations for your latest plight?”
I shrieked and spun around to see Alastar leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyebrow in its designated position arched above his eye. It raised further at my yell.
“Shh, don’t wake the dragons.”
I pressed my hand against my frantically pounding heart. “You scared me.”
“My apologies,” he said gravely. “It wasn’t my intention to scare you; hence I’ve been trying to be as stealthy as possible as I’ve followed you.”
“You’ve been following me?” My heart escalated at the thought.
“No need to be accusing; it wasn’t for any vile purpose—although knowing you, you’ll undoubtedly construe it as such.”
“Then what are you doing up? Are you meeting someone?”
He titled his head. “Am I?”
My settling heart flared to life again. He wasn’t, was he?
He chuckled. “I spotted you several minutes ago when you stomped grumbling and cursing past the gallery on the third floor. I knew you were lost and would need my assistance when it finally occurred to you that whatever scene in The Story of Rosalina you were currently experiencing wasn’t going according to your careful plotting.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “How do you know that getting lost in the Dracerian palace wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for tonight’s adventure?”
Cue his eyebrow lift once more. “Forgive me for misunderstanding; I had no idea you were bent on becoming victim to the labyrinth of these treacherous hallways. I’ll leave you to it, then. Good evening, Miss Rosalina.” He bowed and walked away, whistling as he did so. It took me a dazed moment to get over the fact that the serious Alastar was whistling before panic set in.
“Wait! Please don’t go, Alastar.” I ran after him and tugged him to a stop. “I lied. Of course I didn’t plan on getting lost. Please don’t leave me here alone.” A strange thrill rippled over me when I touched him, an almost frightening feeling. Alastar stared at my fingers curled around his elbow before raising his gaze to mine.
His lips twitched. “I figured as much.”
His gaze lowered once more to where I held him, his expression puzzled, as if he couldn’t figure out why I clung to him for dear life, despite my reason being obvious: he’d certainly vanish the moment I let him go, leaving me to my own devices.
“Are you seeking an escort back to your room?”
“That would be lovely, but first may we take a detour?” I tugged him down the corridor. “I want to go to the library.”
To my surprise, he obediently followed. “What prompted this spontaneous late-night visit?”
“If you must know, I’m researching story elements.�
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He cocked his eyebrow. “Oh? The Story of Rosalina not going as planned?”
“Obviously not, considering Prince Liam isn’t in love with me…yet.”
“Perhaps love doesn’t always come immediately,” he said. “I believe love happens gradually. Perhaps a single portion of one’s heart can be taken at first sight, but it seems to take repeated moments of obtaining one another’s heart piece by piece before anyone can finally have the whole of it.”
I paused a moment and allowed that rather romantic picture to fill my mind before I shook my head. “That’s not how it works in stories.”
“This may come as a shock—perhaps you should sit down—but life doesn’t play out the way it does in books.”
“Then you need to read different books,” I said.
“Hence a midnight trip to the library for a bit of research in this latest scheme of yours?”
“Finally, we’re on the same page.”
“Hmm.” He was silent for a moment, as if pondering something deep. “Well, if it’s the library we’re heading to, is this a bad time to point out that we’re going in the wrong direction?”
I glared at him, but the effort was half-hearted. “Why didn’t you tell me so earlier?”
He chuckled. “For being thoroughly lost, you seemed quite determined to be the one leading. I was getting the impression that the library was a red herring and you were really luring me to the dungeons to feed me to the dragons, considering that’s the direction we’re currently headed.”
“You can’t fool me with that story again; there aren’t any dragons in the palace,” I snapped impatiently. “And even if there were, feeding you to them would give them indigestion.”
He snorted, and for that brief moment he was almost smiling. He rearranged his expression almost immediately, leaving me yearning to see his almost-smile again.
“Good call, for dragons are rather cranky when they’ve eaten something that doesn’t agree with them. They’d likely burn up the entire palace in their rage.”
I finally succumbed to the battle I’d been fighting from the moment I’d encountered him tonight and smiled. I wove my arm back through his, nestling a bit closer than I meant to, but unable to pull myself away from his cozy warmth as he turned around and led me up the hallway we’d just come down.
We walked in silence, but it was surprisingly comfortable, as if walking through the palace corridors on the arm of a royal guard in the middle of the night was a perfectly normal thing to do. After several rather pleasant minutes, Alastar glanced down at our connected arms.
“Is there a particular reason you’re massaging my arm?”
I startled, noticing too late my fingers had been unconsciously rubbing the crook of his elbow. My cheeks flamed. “I—oh, I had no idea I was doing that.” I started to withdraw my arm so that I could cut off the offending body part and bury it and myself alive, but Alastar seized it in order to rewind it back around his.
“It’s quite alright; I was just checking. You can leave your hand there.” His own hand lingered on top of mine long after he’d put my own back.
Our silence now became unbearable. My face burned as my mind scrambled for an explanation for why I’d been caressing Alastar’s elbow of all things. While I was properly mortified, Alastar himself seemed perfectly at ease, which only made my embarrassment more acute.
A distraction—I needed a distraction. I grasped on to the first conversation topic I could think of midst my humiliation. “Why are you awake at such an hour?”
“To act as your escort. Every heroine is in need of a gallant knight to protect her from the perils of the palace after midnight.”
I tilted my head skeptically. “Is that really the reason?” A strange thrill rippled over me at the thought he’d stayed up this late for me.
He glanced down at me with his typical emotionless expression before he sighed and returned his gaze straight ahead. “In truth, I am often awake at night, considering I usually find it difficult to sleep.”
“Really?” What a most unexpected dialogue response.
“Let me guess: you believe I was cursed as an infant by an evil witch.”
“That’s exactly what I was going to say. Perhaps it was the same curse that made it so you couldn’t smile.”
He chuckled, and it fascinated me just as much as the first time I’d heard it. I found myself smiling again.
“Why can’t you sleep? Was it really the curse of an evil witch?”
He shrugged. “It’s as good an explanation as any, although I suspect it’s because I keep such sporadic hours as a guard that my internal clock has become skewed. I used to try and fight it, but now on nights when sleep eludes me, I go on long walks instead.”
“That’s a rather dull reason. I much prefer thinking that you were cursed by an evil witch.” I tapped my lips thoughtfully. “Or perhaps you wander the corridors at night because you’re a secret spy against the crown. Your current quest: steal a stone from the Dracerian vault, a stone that allows you to manipulate the minds of others. Your target: the Prince and Princess of Sortileya themselves…”
I launched into an epic story, complete with all manner of obstacles and grisly details. By the time I’d finished, Alastar was grinning.
“That was spectacular, Rosalina.”
His praise made me feel light and fluttery. “Why, thank you. I promise I won’t inform Aiden and Eileen of your secret quest.”
“I would appreciate that, considering I don’t want to lose my post guarding Her Highness. Ah, it appears we’ve arrived at our destination.” He paused outside some double doors and held one open with a bow. “After you, Miss Rosalina.”
I stepped into the vast library and tipped my head back with a contented sigh as I took in all the books stretching from the floor to the domed-glass ceiling, where moonlight tumbled through to bathe the shelves in silvery light. A balcony twisted around the second story to provide access to the volumes on the upper shelves.
“Libraries are one of my favorite places,” I breathed. “So many books. I’m itching to explore.”
I wandered up and down the rows, stroking the spines reverently, as if a mere touch would allow me to hear each book’s whispers of the stories contained within its pages. Alastar eventually appeared beside me with a flickering candle. I smiled my thanks and returned to browsing the books.
“Aren’t books wonderful? It’s so magical how each volume contains stories written with the same twenty-six letters, yet the tales of adventure, mystery and romance are so varied. One never knows quite what to expect when one turns the page, but whatever it is––and no matter what obstacle the heroine encounters––she experiences a happily ever after in the end.” I sighed contentedly.
I glanced at Alastar to gauge his reaction to my monologue; his serious expression had softened to one that was quite tender. “Is that why you believe life is a story? You want a happily ever after?”
“Life is a story,” I said. “Each day we live adds another page to our tale, each bringing unexpected surprises. Everyone you interact with is a character, each adventure a chapter, and to receive a happily ever after, one must do all in one’s power to seize it. That’s what I’m quite determined to do, despite there being an unnecessary complication.”
“You mean the fact that Prince Liam didn’t instantly fall in love with you?”
“Exactly.” I sighed. “I don’t quite understand it. After all, we’re perfectly compatible, not to mention I’m cute, sweet, charming…everything a hero can expect from a heroine. Did I do something wrong?”
I shyly peeked up at him through my lashes. His expression softened further as he reached a hesitant hand out and rested it on top of mine, causing a strange flutter to fill my stomach.
“No, Rosalina, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that love can’t be forced.”
“I’m not forcing it,” I said. “Prince Liam has given me enough glimpses of his true feelings for me to
know that the seed of love has already been planted. It just needs to be nourished in order to blossom, allowing us to be together after I save him from his betrothal.”
“Just remember that even if your story doesn’t go as you expect, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not a happily ever after.” He squeezed my hand before releasing it, leaving my fingers itching for him to touch them again.
Silence settled over us as I continued perusing the shelves, but it was difficult to concentrate with my awareness of Alastar’s presence as he dutifully followed me with the candle, not looking the least bit sleepy or impatient.
“Have you read this?” I pulled my favorite book from the shelf and tipped it so he could see its title.
“Tales of Magic and Romance to Enchant the Heart?” Up went his eyebrow as his gaze met mine. “Must have missed that one.”
“Oh Alastar, that’s the most tragic news I’ve heard all day.” I slammed the book into his chest. He oofed. “Your current quest should be to become less stuffy, and your first assignment in attaining that goal is to read this.”
He flipped it open and scanned the contents, his expression twisting as he did so. “These look…delightful.” He didn’t sound the least bit enthused.
“They are. This one is my favorite.” I traced my finger down the page to point to “The Tale of a Princess and a Magical Wishing Well.”
“Princesses and wishes. That should keep me on the edge of my seat.”
I whacked him. “Stop sounding like you’re about to be tortured. It’s a delightful story.”
He appeared doubtful. “Is it sappy?”
I wrinkled my forehead. “Meaning…?”
“Is there a lot of ridiculous staring into each other’s eyes and kissing and whatnot?”
I twisted a lose strand of my golden hair around my finger and avoided his eyes. “I don’t recall.”
He groaned. “That means there is.”
“Stop complaining and just read it,” I said.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to fulfill that wish of yours, or do you really intend for me to steal this from the Dracerian royal library?”
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