Chapter 14 The Library
Chapter fourteen
The Library
Animals are sensitive to magic as they are innocent in all ways. Even spoiled housecats.
-Tales from Meridea, Volume III
Moonlight poured through the windows of the infirmary as Luci added three drops of concentrated lavender to the glass in front of her, adjusting the flame so that it burned just a little brighter.
Orange- yellow wisps dancing below the glass.
She breathed in the floral smell, letting it waft over her.
It was easy to lose track of the hours in here.
Like a world of its own, free from royalty, princes, and expectation.
She should have checked on Brielle, but if something was wrong, they would have at least called for Noah.
Instead, the healer spent all day with Luci, teaching and critiquing her technique.
Already, she learned that heating lavender and feverfew could increase the duration of the tonic by potentially two hours.
That meant fewer ingredients and more time for Brielle to rest without having to redose. It was all invaluable.
Covering her mouth, Luci let out a long yawn that came from deep within her chest. She’d spent the last hour ignoring the heaviness in her eyes in favor of continuing to read and try to follow recipes. More concerning was the rumble of her stomach.
Noah had brought them dinner, chicken and potatoes, but Luci’s stomach was of the mind it was time to sneak down to the kitchens. The only problem with that was that there would be no sneaking down to the kitchens in a castle. She should have packed snacks.
“It’s getting late,” Noah said, coming up beside her.
“Oh,” Luci said. “I hadn’t noticed.”
Her traitorous body took that opportunity to demand another yawn from her, which she attempted to hide by itching her nose.
Noah’s eyes brightened as he chuckled. “
“There’s always tomorrow, Luci. You are always welcome here,” he said.
The sentiment settled into her, and for the first time in forever, she realized she was looking forward to tomorrow. It was something for her. Something that made her heart race and her mind buzz. It felt like freedom.
A wave of guilt that stole her breath and emptied out her stomach fell over her at the traitorous thought. She was lucky to have Brielle, and taking care of her was a privilege and an honor. It had not once been a burden.
“All right, good night, Noah, thank you for today,” Luci said.
“It was my pleasure. Don’t forget the rosemary for the cat,” he said.
Through watery eyes, Luci stood straight and grabbed the small tincture.
“Calcifer! I forgot about him!” she said.
Was Brielle already in bed? She was probably missing him. Not to mention, he wouldn’t have eaten all day. Poor Calcifer.
With what was left of her mind and tincture in hand, Luci left the infirmary and retraced her steps from there to the library.
Goodness, it was dark. All the lanterns were lit, and humans were few and far between despite being in a castle.
She was beginning to wonder if the Vencias didn’t suffer from a lack of servants.
She didn’t even know where her and Brielle’s rooms were.
Once she found Calcifer, she would ask a servant if she could find one.
If not, maybe she and Calcifer would spend the night in the library, though that wouldn’t do in case Brielle needed her.
Fine, she would just wander until she found her way.
Yawning once more, Luci felt the ache in her bones that said she was exhausted. She longed for a bed to fall into. It would likely take all of two seconds before she fell asleep. With an ache deep in her bones, Luci pulled open the door of the library.
“All right, beastie, time for bed,” she said, through her yawn.
“That’s a strange greeting.”
Her body jolted, energy zapping her enough that she screamed and jumped at least two feet off the ground at the answer. After all, aside from an occasional meow when he was disgruntled, Calcifer very rarely answered it all.
Yet there he was, sitting on top of the desk, eyes closed and giving off giant rumbling purrs as the crown prince of Meridea petted him with a gloved hand.
“You aren’t supposed to be petting him!” Luci said, gripping her heart to keep it from falling out of her chest.
Prince Ira held up the white-gloved hand and grinned.
“I found a solution, and he appreciates the pets very much,” he said.
Goodness, if her heart could stop beating so fast, and also if maybe her feet would stop tingling as well. This is why people died of shock. Crown princes appearing where they shouldn’t be.
“Why are you here?” she asked.
His answering grin was crooked, showcasing a single dimple as he leaned back in his chair, slowly removing the glove one finger at a time.
“Why am I in my own library?” he clarified.
That was a decent point. From a very young age, Luci was quick to startle. As she got older, the problem worsened. Though it was safe to say this was the worst thus far. Expecting a cat and finding a prince was enough to make her head dizzy.
Taking a long, cleansing breath, Luci leaned against the door and shut her eyes, counting to three.
“Are you all right?” he asked. “I didn’t mean to scare you.
Everyone retired for the night, and I thought I’d make sure you grabbed Calcifer, but when he was here, I worried you didn’t eat, so I thought I’d wait with him.
I was actually just about to head to the infirmary to see if you were being held hostage. ”
Oh. That was a lot to process.
“Noah doesn’t seem like the holding women hostage type,” she said.
It seemed like a safer topic than the rest of the words he said.
Underneath her rapidly beating heart came a new fear.
Did Max tell him? Was he waiting because he knew it was her, and this was all a lie?
He didn’t appear mad, but then again, there was a flash in his eyes a moment ago that could have been irritation.
“Did you eat, Lucinda?” he asked.
The way he watched her, well, for a moment, she felt very much like she was a mouse and he was a cat, but that wouldn’t do it all. Lucinda Blackthorn was many things, but prey was not one of them.
“I forgot,” she said.
Sure enough, her stomach growled in answer. Living at Blythe, she was used to three meals a day, but mostly she was spoiled. She often snuck snacks throughout the day and, of course, her midnight trysts.
Prince Ira stood, and though her heart was no longer in danger of ending up on the floor, it still leapt a little, which was inconvenient at best.
Removing a small red towel from the table, he revealed a plate full of roasted chicken, potatoes, and vegetables with what appeared to be a rich sauce overlaying it all.
Immediately, Luci’s mouth watered and went dry all at once.
How she hadn’t smelled it the moment she entered was a mystery because all she could think about was the scent of garlic and salt.
“I worried that might be true, so I had a plate prepared in case,” he said, “Please sit.”
That was alarmingly thoughtful. Both Noah and Luci were far too focused on their craft to remember to take a break. In fact, Luci was fairly confident she would have gone to bed starving. Yet the crown prince was here, waiting for her, with a meal.
Not the crown prince—Brielle’s fiancé.
“Thank you,” Luci said, dipping her head.
It would have been rude to refuse, but more than that, she was hungry.
It was a rumble deep in her stomach that refused to be ignored.
Taking the seat Ira occupied previously, Luci lifted the fork provided and delicately stabbed at a carrot.
Prince Ira watched her as she ran away, so in answer, she narrowed her eyes and shoved the vegetable into her mouth.
Her defiance melted like the butter-based sauce on her tongue as she let out an inappropriate sound and leaned back in her chair.
It was butter, garlic, salt, and goodness, was the gruyère cheese as well? It was rich, decadent, and it exploded in her mouth like a symphony of taste.
Squeezing her eyes closed, she savored every note of it. When she was through, she found Prince Ira staring at her with a book open in his hands. His mouth was slightly agape, and a flush to his cheeks. The bliss of the carrot was quickly replaced with mortification that flooded her.
“Sorry,” she whispered and cleared her throat, trying for her most abject approval, “It’s— it’s very good.”
For a moment, she thought he wouldn’t stop staring at her, and she would have to crawl under the desk and hide— preferably taking the plate of food with her.
Luckily, he closed his mouth, swallowing hard before clearing his throat.
His eyes were darting to the book before him like he couldn’t stand to look at her any longer.
“Good, I’m glad you like it,” he said, “Calcifer tried to swipe the chicken earlier, even after I fed him his dinner, so watch out for him.”
Luci busied herself with stuffing a few bites in her mouth while his attention was diverted. A part of her screamed not to eat in front of him, but mostly her stomach was far louder.
“You fed the cat?” she asked as his words caught up to her.
He nodded, turning the page. “He was hungry.”
What a strange sort of prince. To be fair, Luci only ever met Prince Lucien, who was a terrible human, so her experience with princes was limited. Yet, Prince Ira was entirely unexpected. Considerate of both servants and cats alike.
Her heart beat a little faster, and she was a firm no.
“How was Brielle tonight?” Luci asked.
That was safe. Brielle was home. Brielle was everything.
He took a long breath and turned the page once more. How anyone could read so fast was a feat worthy of accolades.
“She was perfection.” He smiled. “Her ability to disarm and charm everyone around her is remarkable. Even my father, who has been a beast lately, laughed and smiled tonight. It’s been months since that happened.”