"Maybe I should get it?" Eiden said below the ladder that he held still as Lily ran her finger along the spines of the books on the shelf. Lily had set out that morning to do some research and bumped into Eiden who then led her to the library. They had spent a good couple of hours scanning through catalogue cards trying to find some history books of worth. Had she been back at the Tree Mansion, it would take her no less than a couple of minutes.
"Was it the green cover or the blue one?" she asked above him.
"Green," he replied.
With a gentle tug, she pulled the large book free, causing the other books to lean in and fill the gap. She wobbled uneasily as the heavy book rested in the crook of her arm as she slowly descended the ladder. She hopped down the last couple of steps and passed the book to Eiden.
"Is this the last one?" he asked as they turned back to the large table in the center of the library that was already stacked with several books. Scrolls were bunched on one side, volumes of books on another, and every other bit of random history books took up the last bit of space.
She placed her hands on her hips and huffed, "I think so,"
"And you're going to read all this?"
She nodded. The longer it took her to come to an answer, the longer she would get to stay here.
"Very well," he dropped the book on top of a pile of skewly stack tomes, "I'll find a servant to bring you some snacks," he said as he walked out the room.
Lily spent the rest of the day reading. In all honesty, none of the books held any valuable information. Her eyes were starting to sting as she struggled to keep them open. The candle beside her was nearing the end of its wax, sputtering slightly as it struggled to remain alight. She rested her head on her arms and watched as the candle extinguished, taking with it her consciousness.
Lily awoke the next morning in her bed. With a moan she stretched her arms above her and sat up. The sun had just begun to rise, casting a golden glow into the room. She hopped out of bed and got dressed, wrapping a lightweight scarf around her neck to hide the darkened bruises of Kieran's fingers. A light tap at the door made her walk toward it. She opened it and found Tieran standing there. She hadn't spoken to him since London. She'd been avoiding him. She pouted and leaned against the door frame, avoiding eye contact.
"Join me for breakfast?" he said.
She huffed, "I only have breakfast with civil people. How do I know you won't just toss the table aside if I look at you funny? Or that you won't suddenly command Eiden to take my plate away? Or that-"
"Lily," he interrupted. Her heart fluttered. It was the first time that he used her name. She slowly looked up at him.
She blinked and looked away, clearing her throat, "I'm just saying, do you have to resolve everything with violence? What's wrong with just talking?"
"You're referring to our encounter with Evrin?"
"Yes, I'm talking about our encounter with Lord Evrin!"
He nodded. She walked out the door, pushing him back slightly as she closed the door behind her and began making her way down the hall.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
She turned back to him, "Breakfast. I can't let the chef's hard work go to waste. I'm not completely unreasonable, unlike you,"
He smirked slightly and pointed behind him in the opposite direction of the hall, "This way,"
"Oh," she stomped back down the hall and passed him. He turned on his heel and followed after her.
The terrace was bathed in warm golden sunlight, with a gentle breeze ruffling the leaves of the trees and vines that grew twisted around the pillars. The terrace itself was made of weathered stone, with comfortable outdoor chairs arranged around the table.
The table was adorned with a dark tablecloth, porcelain dishes and sparkling glassware. A small vase filled with fresh white roses sat in the center, adding a bright pop of colour.
On the table, a delicious breakfast spread was laid out. A steaming teapot, a basket of freshly baked pastries, and a selection of juicy fruits. There were plates of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and toasted bread accompanied by golden butter and a jar of sweet jam. And beyond was a few of the mountains.
Lily made her way to one of the chairs and took a seat.
They ate in silence. Lily occasionally glanced up at Tieran, who sat on the opposite end of the table, as he helped himself to more food. She cleared her throat causing him to look up.
"Have you ever dated anyone before?" she asked. He choked and reached for the glass of juice beside his plate.
"What?" his voice strained.
"Well, Dana said-,"
"You shouldn't listen to anything Dana says," he placed the glass back down on the table.
Lily squinted her eyes in annoyance. "But it's not just Dana," she dropped her cutlery, "Kieran has also warned me about-"
"I'm sorry, Kieran what?" his eyes snapped up at her. He watched as she slowly sank further into her seat. His eyes turned to the scarf around her neck, "Since when do you adorned yourself with scarfs?"
"Well, i-it's cold," she replied, fixing her scarf.
"Lily, take off the scarf,"
She pursed her lips into a smile, "Breakfast was lovely wasn't it?"
Tieran stood, making her shoot out of her seat as well.
"Lily," he warned.
"Thanks for the food, but I've got somewhere to be," as she turned Tieran appeared in front of her. She grabbed her scarf and backed away.
"I see the stories are true," she manoeuvred around and past her chair, Tieran crossed his arms and approached her slowly, "about h-how the night fae have no regard," she bumped into banister, using it as a guide to continue backing away, "for the privacy of-of women," her back hit the pillar and she gasped as he came to a stop in front of her.
He placed his right hand, against the pillar, beside her head, trapping her between his arm and the balcony rail. His other hand reached for the scarf and pulled it free. On her neck he saw four bruises on one side of her neck and one on the other side. There was a certain shine to her neck, like she had used an ointment to treat it.
His eyes flicked back to hers, "Did Kieran do this?" When she didn't answer, he pushed himself from the pillar and was about to leave when she suddenly grabbed his hand. He licked his lips with a frustrated sigh.
"Bear, look, I know you want to protect me and I appreciate that, but Kieran was just protecting you,"
"Protecting me?!" he turned to her, "I don't need protection, from any of them,"
"So you say," she mumbled, "but fighting with him won't solve anything. Remember? We spoke about being civilised earlier,"
"I am the King of Darkhaven, little fairy, there is no being civilised,"
"Look, just, think of the repercussions," she took a step forward, "You've just managed to make peace with everyone concerning your return, causing conflict now over something as silly as this is nonsensical. Besides, I'm not important here, this'll just make everyone doubt you again,"
He closed the space between them and leaned down a bit, "You're important to me,"
Her body tensed, "Right," she let go of his hand, "because I have to read that book of yours," he blinked, slightly caught off guard, "I'll get right back to it," she dashed past him as her eyes stung.
Tieran turned to follow her when Eiden suddenly appeared.
"My lord," he bowed, "The council is about to convene,"