The Fae Princess' Hidden Fate

15.

Layla.

"Your Highness."

I ignored the greeting from the servants and walked on alone in the hallway, lost in my own thoughts and still trying to figure out everything. I was still sore all over from the incident, but I didn't have the strength to care about that right how. I had pressing questions that needed to be answered.

I could see the library at the far end of the hallway now, and I quickened my pace before I reached the doors. The guards bowed as they opened the doors for me, and I stepped in with my eyes already scanning the large, cavernous room. If Abigail was here, she’d have definitely tried to stop me from going to the library. Somehow, I was glad she was occupied with planning my things for the journey to Cornia.

Much like father's study, every wall was lined with shelves filled with books. But here, there were even more shelves right in the middle of the room. They stretched on as far as the eye could see, and they towered above me so much that they were like wooden giants which would collapse on top of me once I stepped between them.

It was eerily quiet, mostly because nobody ever came in here. Whenever father needed a book from here, he would just send for someone to fetch it for him. And as for me, I had lost interest in spending hours in the library a long time ago. I used to be so fascinated by the books in here that I would slip into the library as soon as I had breakfast, and I would spend hours in here until someone came looking for me. I mostly lost interest because I had read almost every book that was worth even glancing at in here. Thousands and thousands of pages were burned into my memory, and even though I could barely remember all of them, I distinctly remembered reading something about enchantments in a very large book sometime in the past.

Billie, the mage who served as one of father’s advisor, stopped me from reading much into spells and enchantments. She should be the right person to answer the questions I have instead of Reggie. But as it is, she does not stay in the palace much now and only comes over when father calls for her.

I was reminded of how suffocating the palace walls were. The last time I had left the palace was on my birthday.

I sighed as I took a single step forward, Sir Raimi emerged from between the shelves with a delighted and pleasant smile on his face. He was the royal librarian, as old and ancient as many of the books which lined the shelves. Bent over a bit due to an accident in the past, which isn’t that much evident, he was always to be seen walking around with his back curved inwards, garbed in a plain white robe and with a hook or two beneath his arm.

"Your Highness," he greeted with his head still bowed. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here today."

"Good day, Master Raimi," I greeted with a smile of my own. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything by my appearance."

"Oh, not at all, actually," he smiled. "Why, I have so much free time on my hands that quite frankly, I don't even know what to do with it sometimes. No one ever comes in here anymore, and I am left roaming between the shelves for hours on end, dusting the many collections and browsing through a few when I have the time. Gone are the days where the library would be filled with many young people seeking knowledge, in one aspect or the other. But the culture of reading has left us, and it seems the younger generation are more interested in nature and all its appealing sensationalism. They would much rather practice with spears and magic than open a page or two, and many of them do not even know about the great works of Gregham Bartiland, or the collections of Marland Rowman."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Master Raimi," I stated, "I have read all fourteen books you speak of, and I must say that they were quite interesting to read. ‘The Turn Of The Tide’ was a particular favourite of mine."

"Oh, bless your soul, Your Highness," he whispered in a tired and raspy voice, but with a brilliant smile on his face. "I miss the days when you would spend nearly every waking hour here, and you would keep me company while I did my work. If only I could go back to that time, then perhaps this loneliness would not have been so daunting."

"I promise to make more of an effort to come and see you everyday, Master Raimi," I assured him, taking his hand in mine. He proceeded to kiss my knuckles, which I found very touching as he stepped back slowly and looked up at me.

"What can I help you with today?" he asked. "Will it be another fictional romance, or some more historical fantasies?"

"Actually, I was hoping for some books on enchantments, if you have any," I asked politely, trying to keep my voice as casual as possible. I didn't want him to suspect anything, or even figure out my true purpose for coming here. The less people who knew about my true intentions, the better it would be for me. I didn't want any one of them to run off and inform my father of what I was up to.

Master Raimi furrowed his brows, and he pursed his lips as he tried to think carefully about what I had just asked. It seemed to take him a long time to finish thinking, and I wasn't sure if it was merely because he was old, or because he found my request to be strange and unnerving.

"Of course," he finally said. "But you must forgive me for asking, is your training so advanced yet that you would be required to read about enchantments? I would suggest that if you are looking to practice some or know about them more, you should speak with the King and have him summon Billie so she can help you with a more practical approach to things."

"Actually, it has nothing to do with my training," I confessed. "I was merely curious about what types of enchantments exist, and the differences between them. It's purely for personal purposes."

"I see," he muttered. Clearly he didn't believe a word I'd just said, but he had no way of arguing with me over this. I was the Princess after all, and he had to respect my wishes. Even though I did not like playing the Princess card, it was useful enough in getting me out of sticky situations sometimes.

"I'll fetch a few books I'm sure will contain what you are looking for," he said, gesturing to the table beside me where I usually sat down to read whenever I visited. As he hobbled off, I made my way to the table and sat down, tapping my feet impatiently on the ground.

Soon, he emerged with three massive books underneath his arm, and I was absolutely stunned by how he was able to manage that without falling over. It was almost as if carrying the books gave him strength, and he was able to fulfil his duties much faster because of this.

"These are all the books I could find about enchantments, Your Highness," he said. "I'm sure there should be enough for all your personal research."

I thanked him before I settled down to read, but I was irritated as soon as I opened the first book which was titled 'The Origin of Magic in Nature'. I realised that it was a book about the history of enchantments, and how magic was connected to the earth in ways which it somehow still failed to explain. The first chapter talked about the existence of magic in the world, and how it had been used to shape life in every corner of the earth. This was far from what I was looking for.

The second, 'Spells and Speciality' spoke about the distinctions between magical spells and magical potions. I continued to read this one for a while, hoping to at least find something valuable in it, but I gave up after the third chapter opened with the many uses of mushrooms in making potions and elixirs.

But it was in the third book that I finally found what I was looking for. It was titled 'Magic: A Proper Study of The Truth Behind The Most Powerful Force In Nature.'

I had barely opened the first page before my eyes fell on the exact sort of paragraph I had been looking for. It read:

‘Magic, a fundamental part of our very lives and way of existence, is the most powerful force in nature. Magic laid the foundations for life to exist, and it can be said that all life belongs to the creators of it. But for all it's glory, some have treated magic like it is a disease; one which is spreading throughout our existence. While some of nature’s gifts comes in shape of beings like Faes and Elves, it also has a different side of its gift as well.’

‘Magic, as it turned out, was not as pure as everyone thought it was. There was a darker side to it, and one which no one had ever considered. This was the manner in which black ...’

It just stopped there. The second page had been ripped out, along with several more pages which went on for at least five more chapters. I found that incredibly suspicious. The rest of the book was intact, and I couldn't help but feel that someone had ripped them out on purpose, trying to hide a secret which they clearly considered precious. But who would be so cruel as to rip up pages upon pages of the book just to hide information?

Heavy footsteps suddenly came from behind me, and when I whirled around, it was to find father standing in front of me as the guards threw the doors open for him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be having your wounds checked out?"

"I'm fine," I grunted. "What are you doing here also?"

"Raimi informed me that you were snooping around for information on spells and enchantments. Naturally, I had to come see you.”

"Of course he did," I snapped feeling betrayed by the fact that he went behind my back and spoke to my father even when it was clear that I did not need his help. The betrayal stung, and every vestige of pity I'd felt for him disappeared almost immediately. Clearly, there was nobody in the entire palace who I could trust to keep my secrets. Father had made that incredibly hard already, and I was feeling the effects now more than ever.

"What do you think you are playing at by running off and asking questions about enchantments?" he whispered with a snarl. "Are you trying to spread panic and unrest throughout the entire kingdom? What has gotten into you?"

"I was merely trying to find out more about the spell which I know he's under," I argued. "There is more than enough evidence to prove that he is not himself, and I am merely trying to get to the bottom of this matter."

"Layla, he is a human," father spat. "We should not concern ourselves with their actions in whatever manner, as long as they don't affect us. Sebastian's treachery has exposed him f or the liar he is, and if it weren't for this stupid law which you have invoked, I would have had him chained and locked away a very long time ago. But your little stunt is going to make things difficult, and now I don't know what to do anymore."

"Maybe you should trust me for once," I pleaded. "I know what I'm doing here, father. I promise you that Sebastian is not what he seems. Once I get all the evidence I need, then I can prove to you that he is innocent, and none of the accusations levelled against him are true."

"Layla, I forbid you from pushing this matter any further," he suddenly barked. "Humans were never to be trusted in the first place! The law you invoked was the only reason that human still lives. Enchantment and spells are for the mages and not you, a Fae royalty. So you will leave this matter be, and I will not hear another word about black magic or spells again. That is my decision, and my decision is final."

With that, he turned around and stormed out of the library, while I was left with nothing but a burning anger in my heart.

I guess it is time I try things another way.