“That’s perfect, let’s go and find it now!” I declared.
Spinning on my heels, I charged towards the door. But before I could reach it, I was jerked backwards by Raena’s hand grabbing my wrist. She gestured at my tear-stained nightgown, shaking her head disapprovingly.
“You’re not going anywhere until you get dressed. And please, before you decide who your new fiancé should be, let’s have the servants bring you some breakfast.”
My traitorous stomach growled in approval as I scowled. “I suppose my future husband will just have to wait.”
CHAPTER 7
“The library is awfully dull, and youwillget dust all over your skirts, so please, let’s not stay there for too long,” Raena complained as we passed by countless crowds of gossiping court members on our way to the palace library. “Oh, and there are bookkeepers too, who just sort oflingerbetween the bookshelves. You think you’re alone, and then suddenly one will pop up behind you to ask about what you’re reading. It’s so unnerving.” She shuddered.
I tried my best to listen to her as we stepped through the hallways, but all I could think about was how every noble’s attention seemed to be fixed on me. They eyed me like I was a piece of fresh meat and they were wild bears during the hungry months of winter. It wasn’t so bad when they just stared, but when they turned to their friends to whisper and giggle… I just wanted the walls to cave in around me.
“Here it is!” Raena announced as we reached the ironarchway that led into the library. “Let’s make this quick, though. This dress is new, and I’d like to at least get a few days of use out of it,” she huffed, picking up the skirts of her apricot ruffled gown.
We made our way down a small set of stairs and into a vast underground room lit by candles. Rows upon rows of bookshelves stretched back as far as I could see. Raena was right about the dust, too. I had to cover my mouth to stifle a loud cough from echoing off the sandstone walls. Dotted around the room were various people dressed in long, formal-looking robes, with their noses buried into books. A few glanced up at us as we entered, watching us suspiciously.
“Ignore them,” Raena hissed to me. “They’re more stuck up than the nobles outside.”
My eyebrows shot up at her comment, but before I had a chance to respond, she took my arm and led me over to a dusty wooden desk, illuminated by several ornate candelabras. In the centre of the desk was a seemingly ancient tome opened to a page listing new births in the realm. Beside the book, resting in an inkpot was a white feathered quill, clearly used recently as the ink on the page was still glistening in the candlelight.
“Everything you need will be in this old thing.” Raena smiled, patting its yellowed pages. “Every birth of every highborn who ever was is written here, including yours.”
I reached forward and flicked through the book, being careful not to smear the fresh ink on the page where it was left open. It didn’t take long to find the section with my name and the details of my birth.
Princess Naria Alderbrook of Corlixir
Born the 2nd of Midspring, Year 1329
Daughter of King Benedict and Queen Elowen Alderbrook of Corlixir
My fingers stroked the black ink where my parents’ names were. I had no idea I had a last name. None of us in the village did. There weren’t enough of us Corlixins left to even need them.
Alderbrook.
I wondered if it meant anything, or if it was just another thing I would lose if I married Lukas.
“Prince Lukas is a few pages before you,” Raena said, pulling me from my thoughts. She flicked through more aged pages and pointed to another section similar to mine.
Prince Lukas Forgeborn of Drothmore
Born the 28th of Latesummer, Year 1327
Son of King Ikelos and Queen Erissa Forgeborn of Drothmore
“We should search around here if you want to find another noble to marry,” she suggested, waving her finger over the page. “I know a lot about the different powerful families across the realm, so together we should be able to figure out if any are worth pursuing.”
Relief washed over me as I scoured all the different names. “Thank you,” I said, reaching for her hand, “for helping with this. And for everything else you’ve done for me.”
Raena blinked a few times, her deep brown eyes reflecting the candlelight. “Anything to help a new friend.” She squeezed my hand. “Oh, but I am expecting that once you become a queen, you’ll help me find a good suitor too. I’m very picky though. He must be kind, and handsome, terribly rich too, and oh! He must allocate an entire section of his estate just to house my gowns.” She whipped open her hand fan and fluttered it dreamily against her face. “So yes, it might take quite a few dusty library sessions to find him.” We both chuckled before returning to the book to begin searching.
“This is absolutely hopeless,” Raena sighed, letting her head crash against the desk. Hours had passed. In the time we’d been searching, a few bookkeepers had wandered over, offering plush chairs for us to sit on while we read, and some even asked if they could help. A quick look from Raena, however, had sent them scurrying away, though we did accept the chairs.
I sighed too and rested my chin on my open palm. “There are so many people here but none of them could I ever consider. They’re all either married already or not rich enough.”
“Now you see my predicament,” Raena grumbled, her face still smushed against the wooden desk.
I stifled a laugh. While there werea fewunmarried options, Raena didn’t know enough about their family histories to be able to confirm if they’d be sympathetic to my cause. In Honeymeade, everyone was so enamoured with the idea of Corlixir rising again. But here, it seemed that everyone had better things to worry about – like what they would wear to any upcoming balls or which sort of exotic bird they should have for dinner.
