World of Magick

Three: The Library

Chapter Three: The Library

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"Sir Xavier. Your apple tart and your wine, just as you like it."

Valaric turned away from the window in time to see Elizabeth, one of the friendly and older maids, walking towards him holding his requested tart and a bucket of ice nursing his wine. He grunted in silent thanks and waited until Elizabeth slipped out of his door until he finally bit into his tart.

It tasted the same as always, sweet, honey-glazed and filled with soft raisins and cinnamon. He rested his fork on the plate before pouring himself a full glass of glittering red wine. Looking out of the window at the prince fraternizing away with that Maelin girl, he knew that he needed it.

Althea was suspicious as to why the King was being such a generous man, and she had every right to be. The King was anything but a generous man. He was malevolent and conceited and haughty and made Valaric want to pierce Leo through his chest every single time he gave a new order.

His plans for the girl were unclear to even him, despite being the one that supposedly knew everything that happened with the King. "Keep her in the palace, and for the sake of your job, make sure she doesn't think anything other than what she's supposed to," the King had said to him harshly just before marching out of the palace to Elliare.

He watched his ruler go stiffly before leaving to train in the barracks until his knuckles bled and his shirt stuck to his skin with sweat. It was his only way to stop thinking about how much he would love to rip the King's head from his neck and hang it on his wall like a tapestry.

Valaric downed his wine in two goes, relishing in the rich flavour that flooded his tongue before sliding down the back of his throat. He sat back down in the chair beside the large window and gazed into the gardens. Bayden and Althea were nowhere in sight. Valaric's eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

He moved out of the chair and walked across the room to gaze out of the window on the other side of his dining room. Sure enough, there was Bayden and Althea, talking as they walked around the large garden with begonias and lilies. Althea grinned at something Bayden said, and Valaric couldn't help but think about how radiant she looked.

She was all scowls and insults when they first met. He gave her a reason to be, though, acting so very annoyed with her so she didn't notice how he couldn't stop staring at her. How was it possible to look like her? Like such an angel? She was stunning, but she didn't seem to notice, or just did not care.

Valaric sipped his wine and ran his fingers through his hair in mild exasperation. It was almost time to go and train the guards. He really shouldn't have had alcohol right before a training session, but he was never one to follow rules.

~*~

The moment Demi stepped in through Althea's doors with Jonny in tow, Althea dropped her brush and jumped to meet them halfway. She picked Jonny up and off the floor and twirled him around in his arms, laughing. He kissed her nose in his way of greeting before wrapping his small arms around her neck and snuggling into her chest.

Althea held her arms out to Demi. "Get in here, Dem," she said with a grin. Demi rolled her eyes but wrapped her arms around Althea and Jonny anyway. They embraced comfortably until Jonny whined and squirmed uncomfortably between his two older sisters.

Althea laughed and dropped Jonny onto her bed. She jumped on next to him, delighting in Jonny's squeal of surprise when the bed bounced and threw him into the air.

"I missed you so much, Jonny-honey!" Althea said as she rubbed her nose against Jonny's.

Demi laughed somewhere beside her and sat on the bed with them. "When was the last time you called him that?" she asked "You're in a good mood, Allie," Demi commented. Her eyes brightened and she leaned in. "Has it something to do with Prince Bayden, sister dear?" she asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.