Rakel had, in fact, spotted her most beloved book among the library shelves not two days ago. “I could, but you may find it boring.”
“Never,” Kai said.
“Does it have pictures?” Gerta asked.
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll love it!” Gerta promised.
Rakel wasn’t so sure, but she imagined they could easily find a volume of morally instructional fairy tales when they grew bored. “Let us proceed to the library,” she suggested.
“Yes, let’s!”
“‘A talus isthe sloping surface at the base of a fortified wall. It is constructed to be thicker, which makes it more difficult for attackers to break through because of its great mass’—it is referring to its thickness there. It is reinforced.” Rakel pointed to a sketch in the castle architecture book.
Her reservations that the children wouldn’t like it proved to be wrong. Although the book itself was dry—at least, Rakel expected others would find it dry—it was filled with detailed drawings and sketches that fascinated them.
“Reinforced—you said that means it is strengthened and supported,” Kai recited.
“Like if you took a thin sheet of ice and reinforced it with rock,” Gerta added.
“Correct,” Rakel said.
Kai peered at the illustration. “Did you build a, atalusinto the walls of your ice palace?”
“I did on the towers, but not because I feared an attack, but because it was structurally needed,” Rakel said.
“You had a dome roof on a part of your castle. What is that called?” Gerta asked.
“It was over a small outbuilding, so it is called a cupola. Here.” Rakel paged through the book and pointed out a masterfully rendered sketch. A barely-there smile spread across her lips. The book really was her favorite. It had been one of the most helpful references she had received when she first started dabbling in constructing and architecture. She was surprised at the amount of joy it brought her to share such a beloved volume with others.
Somewhere in the library, a door opened. “Little Wolf?”
“Phile’s back,” Kai remarked.
“We’re over here,” Rakel called, unable to rise due to the children tucked against her sides.
“The Princess is reading to us,” Gerta said.
Phile sauntered around a bookshelf. “How cute is that? You three look—whatare you reading to them?”
“A book on castle architecture and features.”
“You’re reading a book aboutbuildings?”
“It has been quite interesting,” Kai said.
“Yes,” Gerta said. “We were just talking about cupolas.”
Phile shook her head. “You have more patience than I,” she told the children.
“Did you need something?” Rakel icily asked.
“Yes. Granny Hilda sent me—it’s time to go.” She gave Gerta and Kai an apologetic look.
“But we haven’t even gotten to talk about drawbridges,” Gerta protested.
“Next time.” Rakel shut the book with a smile.
