Ambition - Official Story (WIP)

Chapter 13.

     Nikki decided to see what was behind the door after Steve left.

     She pulled the heavy door open and peered her head inside.

     "Whoa-"

     The massive library stood towering above her. A large circular room with stained glass windows and bookshelves at least twenty feet high that climbed to the ceiling. Two wooden ladders with wheels attached to the shelves stood tall.

     A fall from the top would surely crush a few bones.

     In the center of the room stood a large wooden table, and around it sat six chairs with velvet-lined seats.

     Above the table hung a crystal chandelier- much like the one in the ballroom- but bigger.

     The library is bigger than the ballroom!

     Nikki stood with her mouth agape and marveled at the sight.

     "I bet you're new here, aren't you?" a feminine voice suddenly chimed with amusement. Nikki tensed and looked around the room to find the owner of the voice.

      "Up here, silly-" they giggled. She craned her neck and, above her, sat a raised platform across the bookshelf. A figure sat upon it with their legs dangling off the edge. They slid off the edge and landed in front of Nikki.

      An older woman, around her thirties, stood before her. She had olive green hair in ponytails and pigmented purple eyes. Her dark skin complimented the deep red lipstick and freckles on her sculpted face. A fluffy skunk tail flicked up behind her.

     The woman wore a gray and purple outfit with a modified maid skirt.
She held a glass of red wine in one hand.

     "Who...?" Nikki blinked. She hadn't seen this girl in the castle before.

     "Ah, I suppose we haven't met, have we? I've seen you around lately," the woman spoke quietly, sipping from her glass. She lowered the rim of the cup from her lips and cast an eerie glance towards Nikki with her dark eyes. Pupils that held some sort of unknown power. Nikki wondered if there was some sort of special magic in the flame of her eyes.

     She shook her thoughts off and listened to her speak again.

     "The name's Valence," she said with a strange emphasis. "I'm the main gal 'round here, remember that."

     Nikki nodded quickly, not really knowing what to say.

     "I suppose you could call it that," Valence said lazily, sipping from her wine again. "I help organize the chores, plans, or whatever else is important."

     "Hmm. You seem... nice." Nikki paused, trying to think of a polite word to call her.

     In all honesty, she reminded her of a spoiled Persian- the kind that's had a few too many fish for its own good.

     Valence shrugged a shoulder, staring into the wine glass. She swished it around lazily as if she didn't actually want to be here. "Well, I won't keep you any longer. There's plenty of books to read in here," she switched the glass to her other hand and fanned her free one out towards the vastness of the room. "mostly astronomy, science, magic... all the nerdy stuff. It ain't really my thing."

     "I like... science?" Nikki said with an upward slope at the end, a questioning tone.

     "Knock yourself out, then," the skunk hybrid mumbled, walking past Nikki towards the door.