In the secluded roads that connected the countryside to the city, a carriage could be seen driving through the bumpy roads. Though the wheels were slightly broken and looked as though they were about to fall off, the carriage didn't stop.
After several days, the carriage finally came to a halt. Her eyes shimmered as she peered at the world outside of the carriage. Narrowed streets that passed through houses. Intersecting roads which carried passengers of all social standings, and down the streets came tourists. In the centre, dwelled the Filliendia Library.
From the carriage, a young countryside girl stepped out with long hair that blew in the wind. She was a count's daughter only in name, with no money and wanted to find a job.
Lilac had roamed the lands, looking for a library that would accept her as a librarian. Unfortunately, in the Medieval times of knights and social heritage, women were found to be inferior, so none of the libraries accepted her.
Each time she got rejected, she would lose more and more hope until she had finally gotten used to the fake kindness of the librarians as they apologised to her.
Throughout her journey, she had made many friends and connections which allowed her to hear of the royal library in the capital.
Although it had been the first time Lilac had heard of it, the Filliendia library was well-known throughout the lands as it was the only library that welcomed both men and women.
Hearing about this library, she felt that it was her last hope of leading a steady life and becoming a librarian.
Her final stop was the library where she would apply for a job. In her hands, she held a letter. It was clean white and had a large red wax seal on it. Lilac was holding a letter of recommendation from her tutor. Although she had never planned to use it, after being rejected so many times, she decided to use her trump card.
Beyond the grand door, lay thousands upon thousands of books, all neatly aligned. Lilac walked in with her letter held tight, feeling nervous from the pressure. As she walked into the library, a woman stood out in front of her.
"Good evening madam, would you like any help with anything?"
Lilac felt that she wasn't like the attendants at other libraries that wore fake smiles and carried an air of superiority. This attendant seemed to be genuinely kind which she did not expect.
"I would like to apply...for a job here", Lilac hesitantly answered.
The attendant looked at the papers in Lilac's hands and smiled at her, taking the letter of recommendation and the application.
Checking the papers, the attendant looked Lilac up and down, replying, "We will send someone to inform you about your application. Please have a good day."
In that moment, Lilac heaved a sigh of relief. Her application had been accepted! Now she just had to find out if she got the job or not.
The next day, a letter was sent. A letter with a large blue wax seal, the Filliendia library crest. Fearing that she didn't make it in, Lilac with her trembling fingers opened the letter. She got accepted. Squeals could be heard from the whole building.
"Yes!!! They accepted me!!!", Lilac screamed in joy whilst her neighbours banged their walls loudly to tell her to stop screaming.
On that same day, Lilac rushed to work with a grin on her face. Organising books and helping customers was all she did. No joy. No excitement. Everything was the same.
Although it was boring, this was what Lilac was looking for. A change of pace compared to helping in the farms, where she could just relax and take her own time to do things.
One day, a peculiar customer caught her eye. A tall yet slim lady, covered in black from head to toe.
Her face couldn't be seen because of the lace veil and no skin was left uncovered. It was that same lady who would stop by every week without fail. She would walk to the same bookshelf, in the same dress with the same shawl in her arms.