The Kingdoms of Blue and Green.

Part 23

"So what did you think of it?" Evelynn whispered putting her book on the side table to her left, observing Azrael as his green eyes grazing over the words as he read.

Azrael continued to read the book. He bit his lip. His teeth pressing into his lower lip. Turning the page, he chewed onto his lip. Evelynn lent closer to him, trying to see the words printed onto the page that he was etching to read. It read;

' "I hoped that someday when I was gone someone, somewhere would pick up my broken soul up off the pages and would think. 'I would of loved her' , Arthur." She looked up at him in his tear welling eyes. "I would tear my soul apart for you to find me the way you did," Arthur grasped her hands in his and smiled though his tears. "I would sell my soul to the devil to make sure I would find you again, Pearl," Pearl smiled as she held him close, until the waves engulfed them on the slipping cliff, drowning them in the ocean.'

Azrael bit his lip again, harder. Making it turn a crimson red. Evelynn rested her head on his shoulder as Azrael closed the book, placing it on the table. Azrael chewed on his lip again.

"If you bite your lip again I will do it for you," Evelynn tongue clicked, sarcastically.

"Oh really Princess?" Azrael question raising his eyebrows, chuckling at her.

"So what did you think of it?" Evelynn repeated, wanting an answer this time. She placed her hands in her lap. Looking up at Azrael. Her head still placed on his shoulder. His green eyes scanned her as he looked down at her. Azrael smiled displaying his teeth, looking down on the princess.

"It made me feel very sorry for the King's romantic life," Azrael spoke, a general truth in his raspy voice. "As he has little to none," Azrael smiled, at Evelynn. He brushed her hair behind her ear as she continued to look up to him.

Azrael swore that Evelynn hitched a breath at his sudden touch. Her warm breath a breeze on his plated shoulder. Evelynn sat up and grabbed onto her book. The binding tightening in her grasp.

"I feel sorry for him too," Evelynn laughed at the attack on Azrael. Azrael jumped up from his seated position and stalked towards Evelynn,

"Oh no you didn't just insult me, did you?" Azrael laughed, pointing his index finger at her, his other hand on his hip.

"Well you can't stop me if you don't catch me," Evelynn laughed taking off in a jog down the center hallway of the private library.

Azrael sucked his tooth and mumbled to himself. "I'm going to get her," Azrael felt his cheeks turn red as he ran off after her in the library, butterflies growing in his stomach.

Evelynn rain with her white dress trailing behind her. Swiftly ducking and sliding down the corridors, filled with rows of books, as high as the ceiling, laughing the entire time.

"You, know what?" Evelynn shouted across the private library. 

"What?" A distant echo between the bookcases.

"If I was you I would hurry and pick a princess to marry, speaking about romantic lives." Evelynn yelled, jogging down the book isle. The tall bookcases blocking her view from the lounges they sat in, and the coffee table their books where placed.

"Well your here, so your love life isn't much better than mine, is it?" A snapped back response that was closer to her ears. Followed by soft chucking.

Evelynn halted at the sudden response. Clutching her white dress in her hands, memories flashed back. The vivid emotions and sounds that she had experienced. The dancing and childhood love she felt. A long time ago.

 Evelynn couldn't help but envy him, and the tapping and patting of toddler steps. Evelynn hummed and picked up her pace again. Wiping her valued memories away. Like a rag over a wooden table.

Azrael jogged around the bookcases awaiting the white dress to brush past his vision. His placed his hands on a bookshelf and swung around the corridor, expecting Evelynn to come past. It was empty. This moon the only light in the dark corridor of books.

"Well I am currently running around in a dark library, late at night. Great isn't it?" Her voice echoed over the bookshelves. The voice to his left laughing and then a soft ruffling of fabric followed the sweet laughter.

"Well keep on talking Evelynn, You'll expose yourself," Azrael snickered, jogging down the hallway. His green cape lapping at his feet. He heard her laughter again. But it was even closer than before. Azrael snuck to the nearest corner and ceased his silent steps. 

The books hid the white dress. The subdued corridor hid Evelynn behind the bookcase. Grinning Evelynn hid behind the corner of a bookcase. Waiting for the King to expose himself. Her soft huffing echoed in her ears. She placed her hands on the side of the bookcase and peered out to the center hallway.

A sharp force grabbed her hand and spun her into the bookcase. Her back pressed into the bookcase, the books moving backwards as Evelynn was forced onto them. Her hands were placed above her head. Resisting, Evelynn felt the rub of the dagger strapped to her thigh.  Thoughts sprinted though her head. Softly panting Evelynn looked up to her hands above her head. The moon had drifted thought the clouds and shone though the high windows. The white light shining on her hands. A pair of hands gripped onto her wrists and pressed them high in the bookcases. Evelynn lowered her gaze and saw him.

Azrael grasped onto Evelynn's wrists and held them high above her. Looking at her as the moonlight lit up her face. Her soft features were flustered with a light pink. Evelynn's eyes locked with his. The bright blue eyes were covered with strands of her raven black hair. The knot in her hair slowly falling out. Her black hair covered her cheekbones, but displayed her jawline. She huffed at him, trying to move out of his grasp.

Evelynn raised her eyebrows to Azrael. The redness in her cheeks disappearing. Azrael's green eyes darted from feature to feature as she came into the moonlight. Evelynn stared at him.

His dragon green eyes piecing her warm skin. His cool honeyed skin. Sprawled with small freckles over the bridge of his nose. Marks covered his lower left cheek. The small divots and thin lines, suspect of cuts and grazing. Evelynn bit her cheeks as she continued to stare at him. His exposed neck and collarbone tensed as he spoke.

"Caught you," Azrael panted. 

"Took you long enough your highness," Evelynn huffed at him. She clicked her tongue and felt her cheeks turn red again as he stared at her.

Azrael hovered over Evelynn his nose near touching hers. He lent down as he felt her breath on his jaw. His arms ached as he held his high holding Evelynn's wrist. Her soft warm beige wrists loosened in his grip. A tightness grew in Azrael's stomach, like it wanted to fly out of his body. The bookcase groaned at he pressed her harder against the wood, pressing himself closer to her.

Evelynn neared herself closer to Azrael. Leaning forward into his chest, eyes still locked into his. Azrael looked down on her not in dominance but in submissiveness. Evelynn looked up at him as if she was the one looking down on him. But a growing angst in Evelynn made her pull away from him. The butterflies dying in her stomach.

"It's late your highness," Evelynn whispered to Azrael, being submissive she still remained in his grip. Azrael lowered her hands and let go of the warm grip around her wrists.

"Well, let me walk you to your room," Azrael responded placing his hands in hers, wanting to contain the warmth of her hand in his, looking at their hands in each others for a moment.

"As you wish," Evelynn responded squeezing her hand in his.

"Do you want the book I read?" Azrael questioned looking back at her. 

Evelynn nodded. "Sure," They started walking back towards the private library, hand in hand. "I would like to see what all the fuss was about," Evelynn faked coughed, nudging Azrael in the rib.

Azrael hummed in annoyance back at her but then his lips poked upwards as she retrieved the book and held it as it was a newborn.