Kingdoms of old

Chapter 2: The Library

Shixe knocked on Camille's door, they were supposed to head to the library to plan their wedding. Although Shixe found the idea of marriage almost repulsive to imagine (A/N: Aro-Asexual in denial?- Maybe-), he had promised his mother Beatrice he would at least try to make an effort to be nice to Camille.

"Just a moment!" Shixe heard Camille call from inside her room in a sort of sing-song voice. Shixe hear a bit of rustling and then the shuffle of feet as he waited, after a moment Camille opened the door. "Shall we head to library then, Mr. Williams?" Camille asked, but not waiting for an answer as she brushed past Shixe.

Shixe followed after her, "I've told you not to call me that." Camille slowed her pace so Shixe could catch up, "And I said I would call you anything I please as I am your future wife." 

Shixe grumbled, "I think you are letting this 'queen' thing get to your head" (A/N: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen started playing as I write this- Coincidence? I THINK NOT-)

"I am not the one who chose me to be queen, now am I?" Camille said with a smirk. Shixe didn't respond, knowing he was beaten. The rest of the walk was spent in silence.

⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂

Camille pushed against the large wooden doors that lay at the entrance to the great castle library. As the two of them walked inside, Camille gazed at the tall bookcases that nearly touched the glass ceiling, she had never seen so many books in one place. While she stared up towards the never ending shelves, Shixe sat at his favorite table, which was covered in papers, ink, quills and, of course, books. He tried pushing some of his stuff out of the way which proved futile. 

Camille began wandering off while Shixe struggled to clear a space for them at the table. Every now and then Camille would pull a book off of its shelf, flipping through a few pages before setting the book back into the shelf. She stopped looking through the shelves when she saw a row of portraits that displayed all the kings that had lived in Ampindere Fort. 

"Shixe, come look at this!" Camille called to Shixe who was on the other side of the library. Shixe found Camille rather quickly as he had spent so much time in this library he knew the layout like the back of his hand, "What is it?"

Camille pointed at the paintings, "Are you going to get your portrait painted like these?" Shixe nodded, "I have to, but I think I'd rather have you in it with me as there are hardly any books with an accurate representation of the past queens." Camille smirked. "Oh? You would like me to stand next to you for hours as our figures are painted? What happened to Mr. 'I'm grumpy now leave me alone'?" Camille teased.

If Shixe could turn green (A/N: You a frog now?-/j) he would, "That isn't what I meant."

"I know, but who is this? He looks like you do," Camille pointed at a portrait of a demon king. Shixe looked at the portrait more closely, "It says 'Alistair the Half-Demon King'...the dates are smudged out, but I suppose I look a bit like him." Camille nudged Shixe with her elbow, "So what, are you a demon prince?" 

Shixe nudged her back just as playfully, "I don't know, you tell me. Do I look like a terrifying, blood-thirsty creature from the depths of Hell?" He bared his sharp teeth and used his fingers to create fake horns on his head. 

Camille giggled, "Why, Mr. Williams! I didn't know you had a sense of humor; I thought you were all serious and books only!" Shixe smiled, "I guess I just never had someone to tell jokes with. Now, let's go back, I was able to clear a space for us." 

They began their trip back across the vast sea of bookshelves. Camille suddenly spoke up, no longer smiling, "Do you remember our conversation last night before you left to your own room?" Shixe looked at the ground, his smile fading as well, "Are you talking about the part where neither of us wishes to marry the other?" Camille nodded.