Aria's POV
I stood by the door, my hand on the knob, and tried to turn it. But it wouldn't budge. I wasn't surprised. The doors were always locked since I was kept in this room. I was a prisoner, after all. A prisoner in a grand, luxurious castle, but a prisoner nonetheless.
I had been here for almost a month now, and I had lost count of the days. Time seemed to blend together in an endless blur of boredom and frustration. I wondered if my father had sent men to search for me, to bring his "beloved" princess home. Or had he made up some lies, told the kingdom that I had been killed or poisoned? With my father, I could never be sure. He was a master of manipulation, and I had no doubt that he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
I shook the thought off, trying to clear my mind. I didn't want to think about my father, or the life I had left behind. I wanted to focus on the present, on finding a way to not get killed.
But for now, I was stuck in this room, waiting for Elara to bring me breakfast. I paced back and forth, trying to burn off some of the excess energy that had been building up inside me.
I decided to take Lyra's advice and go to the library. Maybe I could find some answers there, or at least distract myself from the turmoil that was brewing inside me. But first, I had to wait for Elara to bring me breakfast. She always unlocked the door when she came with my meal.
I paced back and forth in my room, trying to calm my racing thoughts.
As I waited, I thought about Lyra's words and the strange feeling that had been growing inside me. Where is Obsidian, and why was everyone so secretive about it?
The sound of footsteps outside my door broke the silence. Elara. I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. I didn't want her to suspect that anything was wrong.
The door opened, and Elara smiled at me, her eyes lacked their usual shine, her smile felt strained. Probably from yesterday's ordeal, I decided not to bring it up.
"Good morning, I brought you some breakfast."
I forced a smile, trying to act like I hadn't noticed her flighty mood. "Thank you, Elara. I'm starving."
As Elara set the tray down on the table, I dug in. As I ate, I thought about my plan. I was going to ask Elara to take me to the library, to let me browse through the books and maybe find some answers.
I finished my breakfast, and turned to Elara.
I asked her if I could go to the library, and she hesitated, her eyes darting back and forth as if she was searching for an excuse. "I'm not sure," she said uneasily, her voice barely above a whisper.
I tried to appear nonchalant. "I just want to read a book. I'm getting a little bored of the garden."
I raised an eyebrow, surprised by her response. "What trouble could I possibly get into at the library?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light and playful.
Elara's expression turned serious. "It's not that," she said quietly. "It's just…that Kael…." She trailed off.
I stared her down daring her to finish the sentence.
Elara sighed, her shoulders sagging in defeat. "Fine," she said defeated. "I'll take you to the library. But please, be careful. And don't go wandering off on your own, Kael would have my head."
I grinned, feeling a sense of triumph. "I promise," I said, holding up my hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'll be good, I swear."
Elara nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Very well, let's go." Elara said, her voice low and even as she gestured for me to follow her.
I nodded, falling into step behind Elara as we left the room behind.
The corridor we walked through was grand, but in a dark and foreboding way. I've never been to this part of the castle before. The walls were lined with tall, ornate mirrors that seemed to stretch on forever, their reflections casting an eerie glow over the stone floor. The chandeliers that hung from the ceiling cast flickering shadows on the walls, making it seem as though the very darkness itself was moving and twisting around them.
As we walked, Elara led me through the east wing of the castle, which she told me was dedicated to the royal family's private quarters. I was confused about how this castle went unnoticed by my father. He was not one to allow anyone to undermine his rule and this castle was doing just that. The floors were covered in plush carpets that muffled their footsteps, but I could still feel the cold stone beneath my feet.
We turned a corner, and I caught a glimpse of a stained glass window that filled the entire wall. The colors were muted and subdued, casting a somber glow over the corridor. I barely noticed it, my eyes fixed on the path ahead as I followed Elara.
As we walked, the corridors turned into stairs, leading us to the upper floors of the castle. The windows they passed by looked out over the castle gardens, the sunlight that streamed in was brighter than the other parts of the castle.
Finally, we reached the top of the stairs and turned into a long, narrow corridor that stretched out before us. The walls were lined with bookshelves, and the air was thick with the scent of old parchment and leather.
Elara pushed open a large wooden door, and I stepped through it, my eyes adjusting to the bright light within. The library was a vast space, with towering shelves that stretched all the way to the ceiling. The air was filled with the scent of old books.
I followed Elara to the far end of the library, where a large wooden desk sat, surrounded by comfortable chairs and an unlit fireplace.