As if watching a falling plate and knowing that nothing could stop it from crashing to the ground, Naiari watched as the hand came down. She closed her eyes at the very last minute and envisioned the pain she was going to feel while she wondered what kind of place she had stumbled on where body parts of people could change seemingly at will.
Instead of the anticipated pain, Naiari heard a male voice say, "Now now Marcela, this is not how we welcome guests. The crime of attacking the future queen is treason."
Naiari cautiously opened her eyes and stared directly into a pair of beautiful violet eyes fringed by long dark eyelashes. The owner stared intensely into her eyes with amusement dancing around while his hand held the hand of the girl and before Naiari's eyes it slowly morphed back into a slender human hand.
The girl whose name appeared to be Marcela wrenched her arm out of the man's hold and glared at him before turning to look at Naiari with a scoff then she said.
"This is not over!" Then she flounced away, the girl behind her bowing to the new comer before hurriedly running after her mistress.
Naiari and the young man stared after the girl as she walked away and disappeared out of sight.
"I must apologize for my sister's actions, she can't accept the thought of anyone else other than her being the center of attention." The young man said and Naiari turned and look at him.
She stared at him and realized that if she had been paying attention to him she would have realized that he was the masculine version of Marcela.
They had the same vivid blue eyes, the same black hair and a similar bronzed healthy complexion.
"I am Ara Darius, cousin to king Kael and brother to Marcela." He said with a gracious bow before he lifted his head and lifted Naiari's hand to his lips.
Naiari blushed from his attention, she had never been in such close quarters with such a handsome man and as she stared at him she wished that he was the one she was getting married to, not that brusque king who obviously liked to play with people for fun.
"I am Yvette—"
"I know who you are," he interrupted with a mischievous smile, "Everyone has heard of the human princess."
When she eyed him warily he chuckled then he said.
"I am quite surprised by your courage, I would expect that a human would be shocked at the sight of my sister's mid transformation." He said and peered quizzically at her. "Or have you ever seen a Lycan before?"
"No." Naiari answered simply.
She did not bother to tell him that she had been more than shocked, she d been frightened to her wits ends and had thought she was going to die and had almost peed herself.
As she examined her feelings closely and wondered why she had not run away screaming after seeing the princess's arm transform, she figured it was probably because she had almost died earlier and she was just too tired to run shrieking from danger.
"Interesting…" Ara said thoughtfully then asked, "What are you doing here, where are you off to?"
"I just wanted to take a look at the library." She answered and he tilted his head and looked at her then smiled so brightly that Naiari felt lost in the brilliance.
"Excellent choice, all your questions will be answered there." He said and nodded as if what she had just said made sense to him then he added, "why don't you let me show you the way since I am already here."
"Oh no, I could not bother you that way." Naiari said even though she secretly wished that he would come along with her.
Out of everyone she had met so far in this strange kingdom he was definitely the most charming and he seemed so kind.
"There is nothing more important than being an escort to the most beautiful woman I have had the fortune of seeing." He said then extended his arm so that Naiari could hold before turning to Marie.
"Why don't you run off to the kitchen and get some snacks for your mistress, I have no doubt that she will be spending quite a while in the library."
Marie bowed to him and turned the way they had come, leaving Naiari in the company of Ara.
As they walked together along the corridor Naiari had a brief moment to wonder if this handsome man would feel the same way about her if he she had come as herself. Not many people were fair like she was and it had been a constant issue, causing her to be reviled.
They came before double doors done in oak and the guards in front of the door opened it for them to pass through. Naiari stood transfixed and in awe at the sight of rows and rows of books. The library was not a room, it was a hall full of books.
"I see that you have met the most charming man in all of the kingdom." A sardonic voice said and Naiari whipped around at the unexpected voice.
Ara however did not seem surprised at the presence of someone else in the library.