Love And Fate

★six★

"Love is the hardest, love is a battle. Love brings out the best, the worst in my shadow"
~By Sia from Sing For My Life

The household was quiet, everyone had left for for one reason or the other. Serene descended the stairs slowly as she thought of what to do or where to go, she thought of doing some pastries in the kitchen but she brushed the thought off, she still hadn't seen the whole mansion and she finally knew exactly what she had to do to keep her busy.

She quickly descended the stairs. When she first came, she had passed the large living room to the hallway that led to the main door, she turned to her left seeing there was another hallway of that kind but led to a different place, she begun walking, not long she had reached an open door, she saw servants in white uniforms working, some sat idly chatting away since they still hadn't noticed Serene.

Dhe realized the large room was a kitchen, a modern and elegant kitchen, since no one had noticed her, she continued her walk, she reached another door, but the door was closed and she hesitantly stood there not knowing if she should continue moving or open the door.

She chose the former moving ahead but halted when she realised there was yet another hallway to her right, the walls were covered with portraits, and she noticed some of them were portraits of the old lady in her younger self with her grandfather, she slowly walked as she moved from one portrait to the other observing each of them with keen interest.

Soon she reached a transparent glass door, she didn't hesitate to open it this time, she pushed it open and it revealed a garden, her heart filled with warmth as she stepped into the beautiful garden which held so many flowers, and she loved flowers, any kind, any colour, she plucked one out sniffing it and closing her eyes as she savored the sweet scent.
She snapped them open when she heard a voice, that same mesmerising voice.

"The garden is beautiful, huh?"

She turned around her breath hitching at the sight of him, she looked at him with wide eyes not knowing exactly what to say or how to answer him, she looked at the flower in her hand and then back at the man.

"Yes. It is beautiful" she finally was able to say.
Ivan smiled at her answer, as beautiful as you are, he thought, he watched as she nervously looked away fiddling with the small flower in her hand, he wanted to say much more to her, he felt he had to talk to her, so he spoke again.

"How is your stay here going?"

Her head jerked up at his question, she shifted looking around for any sort of distraction.

"It's okay.. I guess" She answered him again, she wanted to speak to him, maybe tell him about her journey and her former home, her life with her parents, she wanted someone to talk to, she chewed the inside of her cheeks as she didn't know what to say, she had never had a real friend and she didn't know how to start conversations.

"I think I know a place you'd love more, you look like the reading type"

"Hmm. How would you know that? We just met and it's quite difficult to tell the interests of people at first glance"
Serene narrowed her eyes in mock scrutiny making a smile appear on Ivan's face, she gaped at his smiling face, he looked so handsome, he was radiant.

"It wasn't a first glance,  Miss, though, it was a brief observation, I'm I right with my conclusion?" 

"Yes you are, though I enjoy writing more than reading. Perhaps, this place you know of happens to be a library?"
Her eyes sparked with hope, if it was a library then she'd be ecstatic, that meant she'd found her new sanctuary, where she could read away her life and drown herself in an unreal world portrayed by her favorite authors and also write her own world down.

At the thought of writing, her mind begun racing with plots and ideas making her smile to herself.

"Yes it is, and writing? I never imagined"
His words made Serene chuckled lightly, she beamed brightly as she couldn't wait to see the library.

"Please take me to the library"  She said eagerly already moving ahead of him.

"You wish, my command Miss" Ivan said as he followed her into the hallway, closing the door to the garden behind him, he followed behind,  happy he had at least put a smile on her face, he was also glad he knew what she loved doing.

"I stopped by this door when I passed here, I had no idea it was the library"

Serene stopped when Ivan stopped in front of the door, the young man looked down at her petite frame smiling sweetly at her, his heart soared as he watched her big eyes, they looked so innocent, so bright, and he wished he could paint them on his canvas, he turned the doorknob and pushed it open for her, she stepped in happily and in awe at the sight before her.

The room smelled of books and something else, it was pleasant and sent comfort to her soul, shelves upon shelves, rows upon rows of books.
Serene thought she could spend her whole life in there, without a bother, besides her parents were gone, it was only her left, just her and books and her imaginations.

"I could spend my lifetime here"  She turned to beam at Ivan, his breath hitched and his heart filled with warmth at the beauty before him, her smile was like the sun, bright and warm, and it caressed his heart with its warmth.

"I could sleep my life away"
He said to her and she burst out laughing at his words, he didn't know what she was doing to him, but it was good and he wanted more of it.

How could laughter be so melodious?

It was music to his ears, melodious and soft, it was sweet and mesmerising like rich honey,  her tiny and childish voice added to her sweetness and it was hard to ever hate a girl like her, a girl with so much innocence and beauty.

"You look like the type who would shut a book close after just reading a line from the book!"
Serene said, using his previous words at the garden, he beamed at her.

"Yes you are right, though I enjoy painting than sleeping"

"Ha! I never thought you'd be the type to paint, an artist... Interesting"

Serene moved deeper into the library, she let her fingers roam on books as she walked, looking for one that might catch her attention, she almost forgot the man behind her and she turned to look at him when he cleared his throat, he held a book in his hand.

"You should try this, you might like it"
He stretched the book towards her and she gladly took it, their fingers brushing slightly, it was so light yet it was hard for the two to ignore the sensation at the slight touch.