Dark Prince & the Doe

Chapter Sixty-one: The Royal Library

Part 5: The Challenge

Chapter Sixty-one: The Royal Library

Calden:

Nocturn unrolled his carving kit, knocking a few files he'd spread out on his battered table to the floor.

"Just pick one already," Kiren complained as he lifted a small file and held it out. "How about this one?"

Nocturn snatched it out of his hand and put it back, adjusting it till it was perfectly realigned with the others. Pulling out two different sized files, Nocturn held them up and compared them, finally adding one to his kit.

"You good?" Gale asked.

Nocturn nodded.

"Now we need to find a place where the Overlander won't feel uncomfortable. I thought the King's Hall would work, but after that dinner, I don't think the Duke would be comfortable."

"Drunk, angry crowds," Nocturn muttered.

The welcome feast last night had been one of the least welcoming feasts Calden had ever experienced and tonight had been the second-least welcoming. The Labyrinth representatives' empty seats sucked all the life out of the room. Both Calden and Cezanne had tried to lighten the mood but it only made things tenser.

The emotionless manner of the king and the queen's not-so-subtle quips hadn't helped. Everyone who entered that hall was strangled by a toxic aura. Calden wished the feast would have devolved into a massive brawl; it would have alleviated some of the stress building like a storm on the horizon. Returning to the King's Hall – where those that remain have been drinking since the Overlanders left – wouldn't be wise.

"How about the library," Calden suggested.

"I'm sure the Bookmaster will love us loudly filing through silvre, chatting, and not reading books," Kiren said, flipping one of Nocturn's knives into the air and catching it. "He loves when people talk in the Royal Library."

Nocturn snorted. Kiren and the Bookmaster despised each other. Before he'd been named Bookmaster, Baynir had been one of their tutors. Aria bless the poor man for trying to make an absolute terror like Kiren pay attention. Calden lost count of how many times Kiren had been dragged out by his ear for not respecting the quiet of the library.

"I've already gotten permission to show the library to the Overlanders. It would be a neutral meeting place, no one is going to pick a fight in the library."

"Only because Baynir would annihilate them," Gale said – Baynir's second least favorite person.

"Library," Nocturn stated, tucking his toolkit under his arm. "Let's go."

Kiren groaned, but followed them into the hallway. "What about the kitchens? Grimory wouldn't mind," Kiren said, sticking his hands in his pockets. He knew full well Grim would very much mind. Toxic silvre dust and food do not mix. "Or..." he stared up at the ceiling. "The training room?"

No one said anything. Calden smiled, maybe being in the library would keep Kiren from talking everyone's ears off.

"Where are you four going?" Larken demanded, eyes narrowing as he stuck his head out of his open doorway. Wet hair clung to his forehead. A towel was tied loosely around his waist. He'd barely said anything today. He appeared to be in a better mood now, but it was always hard to tell with him.

"Library," Gale said. "We're going to invite a few Overlanders."

"Give me a second. I need to view documents Baynir collected for me, I will go with you."