Borrowed Time

Chapter 19

Marcella tilts her head to the side but keeps her eyes locked on the words in front of her, "I just heard it one day" she replies plainly to Tommy who pinches the bridge of his nose, unsatisfied with her answer.

"When?"

"I don't know, maybe a year or two ago, what's with the sudden interrogation"

"Are you a stalker?" Tommy harshly accuses.

"Why would I stalk someone as boring and lame as you?"

"Because I'm hot and famous" Tommy retorts with the same sarcasm.

"Ha yeah right" Marcella laughs returning her full attention to the book in her hands.

"Seriously, how do you know it?"

"Like I said I just heard it one day and it repeats sometimes," Tommy squints at her response seeing her face indulged in between the dusty pages, "why are you so interested?"

"Because I-"

"He really didn't find a wife" Marcella whispers sadly to herself as she stops the constant flicking.

"Who are you talking about?"

"My bro- Prince- I mean King Eric"

"I heard he had a pretty lonely childhood"

"How do you know?!" Her face tenses up defensively.

"It's basic history that you learn at school I could just tell you about them instead of reading through all these old books," Tommy gestures roughly at the tattered edges before returning his gaze to an eager girl on the edge of her seat, "Oh, now? Ok well do you just want to know about King Eric?"

"Yes" She firmly nods, never breaking her stare into Tommy's dilated eyes.

"He was an only child and if I remember correctly his parents tried very hard to have children before he was born but failed. They died when Eric was 16 or 17 I can't quite remember but he was basically forced to the throne at that point onwards. Never married, wasn't overly close to anyone in the palace. Historians think it's because of his parents death that he lost motivation in the throne and isolated himself."

Gulping the stone in her throat, Marcella slams the book close and she buries her head deep into the wrinkles of her palm, stretching the skin towards her neck as she stares blankly at the splinters on the table. Slow and hesitant sounds of paper flapping at the corners fill the silent room.

Crossing the room, Marcella places the books back into their unoccupied spaces as her fingertips gently slide off each of their spines, yearning to be read once more. A long arm reaches over her shoulder, pulling the book away from its shelf as Tommy hurries back to his seat, flicking his sharp fingertips over dull paper edges.

Joining him at the table, Marcy pulls out a soft pastry from the bag leaning back as he observes Tommy's curious expression. His hair falls over his eyes as he tucks them instantly behind his ears and returns to his furious page turning.

"What are you trying to find?"

"I remembered Hazel telling me a story about a woman in Elysianair," Tommy begins growing more impatient the further he flicks through the book, "I never bothered to look her up but seeming we are here I might as well check"

"How do you know Hazel?" Tommy's eyes waver momentarily at Marcella's casual tone.

"She used to look after us, not anymore thank God" His harsh whisper near the end quickly silenced Marcella from asking the million other questions in her head.