“It is.” The deep voice came from behind a nearby stack of books, and Luna jumped.
Crossing over to her, I placed my hand on her shoulder and drew her against me just as the aged librarian stepped out from behind the stacks.
He dipped into a bow, his long, snow-white hair dusting the tips of his feet as his black robe billowed around him. “Prince Sebastian, I did not know I was expecting you.”
“My apologies, Keven,” I murmured, dipping my head in his direction. “The princess and I were just hoping to look over some books that are in your care.”
“I suppose I owe you congratulations, Your Highness.” The librarian raised a brow, lifting his head and smiling in Luna’s direction. “Never has Castle Sanguis been home to a princess as beautiful as you.”
“Oh,” Luna said, her cheeks flushing once more as she brushed the skirt of her black dress. “Thank you… Keven, was it?”
“It was.” The librarian grinned, nodding enthusiastically as he leaned in close to Luna. “I’ve known the prince since he was newly Made.”
Her eyes widened. “I bet you could tell me some stories then, couldn’t you?”
Keven chuckled, but I groaned. This was not why we were here.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I met the elf’s ancient gaze. “Do you think we might save story time for later? Luna and I were hoping to look into the history of Bindings, and I thought my favorite Fortune Elf might know where to look.”
“Favorite Fortune Elf, eh?” Keven raised a brow.
“Absolutely.” I nodded profusely.
The elf chortled. “More like the only one who will put up with you.”
Luna snickered, and I huffed as shadows slipped from my palms. “The books, Keven?”
The librarian pursed his lips. “The history of Bindings is quite ancient.” He turned to Luna, raising a white brow. “Are you certain you wouldn’t like to start with something a little more lighthearted, Princess? Perhaps a ballad or a love story? We have a healthy romance section.”
“No, thank you.” Luna shook her head. “I happen to love all books. The bigger, the better, in my opinion. In fact, I was wondering if you might have some books on botany?”
Keven raised a brow. “Are you an aspiring gardener, Your Highness?”
She lifted a shoulder. “You might say that.”
The librarian hummed, rubbing his thumb and index finger beneath his chin for a moment before he nodded. “I believe you’ve come to the right place, my dear. Come with me, please.”
* * *
An hour later,Luna and Keven seemed to have formed a friendship for the ages. They whispered between themselves, quiet chuckles filling the air as they pulled dozens of books off the shelves and carried them over to a table in the middle of the library. I offered to hold the books for Luna, but she refused, saying something about wanting to spend as much time smelling them as possible.
I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but at least she seemed happy. Her shoulders were loose and a soft smile was on her face as she took a seat at the long mahogany table. Purple orbs cast a warm light over her as the comforting sound of flipping pages filled the air.
Scouring the shelves nearby, I grabbed several books without paying attention to their contents. Every few minutes, I glanced over at the mortal I had married.
Here in the library, Luna was in her natural element. Appearing to be at ease for the first time since coming to Eleyta, her mouth moved silently as she read through a heavy book twice the size of her head. Her long brown hair rested over her left shoulder, brushing the stack of six tomes stacked next to her. A quill and ink pot sat nearby, and a pile of untouched paper was next to them, waiting to be used.
Footsteps came from behind me, but I didn’t remove my eyes from Luna.
“She’s quite interesting, isn’t she?” Keven whispered.
I nodded, watching as her tongue darted out, wetting her lips as she turned the page. “Yes, she is.”
A soft exclamation slipped from her, and I snapped my eyes over to her. Tapping her finger excitedly on an open book, she reached over and grabbed a sheet of parchment. The feathered quill moved with the speed of someone at ease with writing. As soon as she finished, the quill went back into the ink pot, and she kept on reading.
I couldn’t stop watching her.
There was something about her that drew me to her like a moth to a flame. Part of me wondered if this was a side-effect of the Binding, but I had never heard of this happening before. I kept thinking about her, even when she was just a few feet away from me. At first, I thought it was because she was sick. It was natural to be worried about people who were ill. But that didn’t explain why she still haunted my thoughts now that she was alert and well.