A Dove's Tale

Chapter 1

"You will be in charge of the library," the head maid stated as I followed her down the hall. "Dusting, polishing, sweeping, mopping, window washing - whatever needs to be done." We reached a grand wooden door, carved with intricate floral designs. "Through here," she said, pushing the door open.

"It's beautiful," I said with a gasp as I stepped in after her. Bookshelves lined the walls of the massive room from floor to ceiling. A few free-standing shelves in the center of the room divided the floor space into sections, each with their own ornate sofas, chairs, and coffee tables. One large chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, with several smaller chandeliers radiating around the centerpiece. The shelves along the southern wall wrapped around windows, some small, some large, at varying heights but symmetrically aligned and all drawing the eye toward a large alcove in the exact center. Here, a window stretched from floor to ceiling, the uppermost part consisting of stained glass depicting red roses, while the window seat at the bottom afforded a wonderful view of the palace's rose gardens. Several rugs around the room, imitating roses in bloom, completed the overall effect.

"Prince Chevalier's personal library is through this door," the older woman continued, unaffected by the grandeur around her as she led me to a much more ordinary wooden door hidden behind a free-standing shelf. "It used to be a storage room, but the prince has taken it over, and there's no telling princes what they can and can't do - especially Prince Chevalier." This room was much less ornate but no less impressive, as bookshelves again lined all the walls from floor to ceiling. Several boxes were pushed up against the back wall, all overflowing with more books, and a single chair accompanied by a small table and lamp in the center of the room provided the only decor. "You will be in charge of this as well. Any questions?"

I shook my head as I looked around. "No, I don't think so. Maintaining all of this will definitely keep me busy."

"Well then, have at it and good luck. If you need me, check the kitchens or ask around." She turned on her heel and left me alone.

Good luck? What did she mean by that?

As beautiful as the library was, it had clearly been neglected for a while. Before I knew it, the morning had gone and noon had come. I set down my dust rag and straightened up, surveying my work. The main room was now filled with the sweet smell of wood polish and, although my careful dusting may not be noticeable at a casual first glance, I could see the difference and was pleased.

The head maid informed me that my lunch break would be from noon to one o'clock, but she hadn't told me that I had to stay in the kitchens with the rest of the staff for the entirety of that time. I ate quickly and hurried back to the library to take advantage of that beautiful alcove and a good book until one o'clock came. It wasn't often that I got the chance to read. Being assigned to the library was a dream come true.

At one o'clock, I resumed my dusting, this time in the back room. The sheer number of books in Prince Chevalier's private collection was astounding. Most of them were true literary works of art, too, instead of the official documents and records that took precedence in the main library. Prince Chevalier had a reputation for being cruel, cold, and calculating, but I'd never heard that he was a book lover. I'd heard him called the Brutal Beast and the Bloody Tiger, and yet his collection spanned all genres, including romance and humor. In fact, it seemed that romance predominated. He'd organized the shelves into distinct categories, so it was fairly easy to make that determination. Maybe people had misjudged him. I could sympathize with that all too well. Gossip and rumor could twist a person's image into something completely different from the truth. Well, I would reserve judgment until I met him. Strange to think I would meet a prince, but this was his library, and clearly he enjoyed reading. We were bound to cross paths eventually.