Knightly (A Reverse Harem)

Chapter 45: Blaise Ending

I stepped out into the hallway and started to walk back towards the party. It sounded like it was in full swing. When I opened the doors, I saw everyone dancing and chatting away.

No one was paying much attention to Princess Ava anymore.

Guests greeted me and asked for a dance, which I politely refused. I had a different mission now. That mission was finding Blaise.

I scanned and weaved through the crowd to try to find him.

But I couldn't see him anywhere.

Perhaps he stepped out. If he did that, where would he go?

I snapped my fingers as I realized where he would go. I left the ballroom once again and headed to the palace library.

Sure enough, the lights inside were on and the fireplace was roaring. Our library wasn't as big as Blaise's but it was big enough to get lost in. I walked through the aisles to find him. I spotted him sitting on the tile floor and flipping through pages.

He seemed to be pretty engrossed in the book. I pulled a light read off the shelves in front of me and looked through it. I wanted to see how long it would take for him to notice me. After a few minutes I got impatient and put the book back.

"That must be a really good book if you're ignoring me."

Blaise jumped and swiveled his head towards me. A blush crept across his cheeks.

"Rion! How long were you standing there for?"

I shrugged. "Long enough to get impatient."

Blaise closed the book and put it back on the shelf. He then got up and began to rub the back of his neck.

"S-sorry. I've never seen these books before. I suppose I got carried away."

"Relax. I'm just teasing." I assured him. "You're welcome to read here anytime you want."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Anytime until I either have to leave or until Princess Ava burns the library down. She doesn't strike me as the considerate and studious type. I'm afraid that she'll end up letting this library waste away unless the maids and servants here are allowed to keep up the cleaning."

His demeanor surprised me a little. The last time he seemed so standoffish was when we first met. I knew it was because he had something he really cared about though. When he had a goal, it was hard to pull him away from it.

"What would you do if you got to keep this library without anyone getting in the way?" I questioned. I was curious to find out how far he would go for a palace room that wasn't his own.

His answer was almost immediate. "I would donate some of my own collection back home to have here and I would renovate this place to be bigger. I would add opening windows to allow a summer breeze in and a nicer reading nook. I would make sure the fireplace was always lit in the winters and keep warm blankets over the chairs. The library would be filled with the sound of my voice as I read aloud to-"

He paused and closed his mouth. I raised my brow. "To. . . ?"

Blaise gulped and stared into my silver eyes. "To you, Rion."

My heart picked up as he finished his sentence. I smiled to myself as I enjoyed the fact that he still liked me, despite me rejecting him. Blaise suddenly took my hand and pulled me close. He kept a tight embrace around me. I could feel his heart hammering inside his chest. "I don't want to get married to anyone but you."

"Blaise. . ." I sighed.

"I feel like you are the only one who sees me for who I truly am. You don't judge me or want me just because of my status. You're the only one that took time to know me. Things were rough at first but you were too stubborn to let me go. Well, now I don't want to let you go." He confessed.