The Liberation of the Mages Heart

Library Friendships

For the next few days, the incident in the intimate chamber was left unspoken, buried beneath the weight of their professional engagements. Ruth meticulously attended to his duties, and Bell continued her tasks and assessments.

Yet, the unexplored tension lingered, creating a subtle undercurrent whenever their paths crossed. The almost-kiss remained a silent secret, echoing through memories of their past encounters and their kiss three years ago, which neither of them dared to bring up.

***

Ruth stepped into the hallowed halls of Calypse Castle's ancient library, its towering shelves filled with knowledge spanning centuries. The air carried the scent of aged parchment and history, setting the scene for a clandestine encounter. At the grand oak table, stacks of books and parchment surrounded Belisent, the silver-haired mage's heart skipping a beat at the sight of her. Then, his eyes wandered around the table. His disbelief was palpable as he uttered, "You can't be serious!"

Bell, immersed in her documents and savoring cheese-filled rolls, nonchalantly replied, "We usually say hello first when entering a room, you know."

A growl of protest escaped Ruth as he crossed his arms, indignant. "This is a library, not a dining hall, Bell!"

She offered a defense with a mischievous grin, "I call it increasing efficiency by maximizing performance in the time available through multitasking – I highly recommend it!" Her eyes met his, and a radiant smile adorned her face.

Ruth, caught off guard by her charm, blushed momentarily. Regaining composure, he warned, "Tending to various tasks at the same time can lead to mistakes. Just make sure you don't mess anything up here. I swear I'm going to die if I find grease or crumbs in these precious books!"

Her gaze locked onto his, and with a playful tone, she extended a basket of rolls toward him. "Do you want some too?"

Annoyance lingered in his expression, but he couldn't resist. "Yes," he admitted, reaching for a roll, all the while sensing the triumph in her smile.

***

Watching Ruth immersed in his studies, Bell couldn't help but feel a pang of uncertainty. His focus lay in the complexities of academia, leaving her to grapple with the delicate ache that accompanied the fear of unreciprocated feelings.

The notion that Ruth's heart might be a fortress of intellect, impervious to the nuances of romance, played on her mind. Uncertainty loomed as she considered the prospect that her emotions might be an uncharted territory for him, a realm left unexplored in the tapestry of his life.

In the quiet sanctuary of her thoughts, Bell allowed herself to drift into a daydream, a whimsical realm where the boundaries of reality blurred. In this imagined conversation with Ruth, the air was thick with anticipation, and the books on the towering shelves bore witness to the unspoken desires between them.

Bell, with a soft smile, began the conversation. "Ruth, there's something on my mind..."

Ruth, his silver hair catching the soft glow of the library's ambient light, looked up from his studies. "What is it, Bell? You know you can share anything with me."

Embracing the courage within her daydream, Bell continued, "It's about us, about what might be... beyond friendship. Do you ever feel that there might be more?"

Ruth, his eyes locking onto hers, set aside his studies, fully present in the dreamy exchange. "I can't deny there's something more, Bell..."

As the imagined conversation deepened, they found themselves drawn together, the gravitational pull of emotions too strong to resist.