Athelinda : The Forbidden Name

Ch 6 : The Ravenette

A week had passed since their meeting with Claude and Claude had also announced that Princess Athanasia would be treated as a proper princess. Which meant receiving proper lessons on etiquette and other necessary things for royalty. Athelinda had been receiving those ever since she entered the Palace.

The two royal 'sisters' would meet often to play together. And they had become closer over time. Athelinda also recieved a nickname by Athanasia : Lin.

The two girls would study together, Athelinda would mostly be explaining things to Athanasia. They would have almost all their lessons together, including table etiquette, dancing, noble ettiquet and so on.

Just like any other day, their dancing lessons just ended and Athelinda headed over to the royal library for her own research. Although Athelinda liked the way things were right now, she couldn't help but be curious about her origins. She would go to the library to look over the Obelian family history. The jeweled eyes and other things that might give her a hint about herself.

She entered the library which was filled with so many books that she could see no end. She already knew which section of the library had the books she was looking for and made her way there after nodding to the librarians greetings.

She had her hair braided from the front sides to the back and wore a simple white dress with butterflies. She looked like a little fairy, as she took small steps.

She looked up the shelves of books and stepped back to see all of their titles.

Ah, it's there!

She saw a thick pine green book on the second top shelf. Her height only reached the third shelf and there were a total of eight shelves.

Should I ask the librarian to get it down for me?

Athelinda thought as she peeked at the Librarian's desk from the edge of the shelves.

The book is about History of Obelia. Specifically the Reign of Emperor Anastacius de Alger Obelia.

Athelinda decided not to ask the Librarian; Since if she was seen reading a book about Emperor Anastacius, the nobles might create some weird rumours and Claude did say he would have her killed if she proved to be the late emperor's child.

Sigh

Athelinda decided to try and reach the seventh shelf. She stretched out her arms as much as she could but it only reached to the end of the fourth shelf.

She tried again. Closing her eyes this time and standing on her toes to enhance her height all while her arms were stretched out.

She peeked with one eye to see that her hand was now reaching the books on the fifth shelf.

Just...a little bit...more-ah!

Suddenly her hand  reached the books on the eighth shelf-no even higher, her hands were now at the top of the whole bookshelf.

huh?

She looked back to see a black haired man holding her up.

"Uh-Pardon me Your Highness, but you seemed to be having difficulty in reaching a book, so I thought I might help." The black haired man said with a smile.

"...Thank You. Who might you be, Sir?" The princess asked as she struggled to escape the man's grasp on her tiny body, seeing which the man let her down.

The black haired man ignored-or rather pretended not to hear her question and ran his fingers across the books on the eight shelf. He hummed as he read the titles. "I see her highness is interested in Obelian History."

"..."

The ravenette then took out the pine green book. "Is this the one you were trying to reach ?"

Athelinda's eyes widened slightly.

"I wanted the books on the whole shelf." Athelinda responded. She couldn't let anyone know she was trying to know more about the previous emperor.

The ravenette gave her a knowing smile and took out all the books on the eight shelf and placed them on a table at the side of the shelf.

"If that was the case, then Your Highness could've simply sent a servant to fetch the books for you. Why come here yourself?" The man asked with a smirk as he turned to face the girl standing in front of the shelf. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was suspicious of him.

He wasn't wrong. Cassandra could've gotten her the books. But if she took any books from the library, the books she took would be written in the record list. She wanted to read the book without anyone finding out what she was reading. That's why she came to the library herself today. To read the book within the library. 

"I wouldn't wanna bother them, and I like libraries." Athelinda lied as she walked up to the table.

"I see, Your Highness is very kind." The man complemented, his words laced with sarcasm. Athelinda walked up to the table, her back now facing the man.

This man...the tone he's using and the way he's smiling. It's as if he knows what I really came here for and is choosing to pretend not to. It's like he's teasing-no testing me...?

"Who are you ?" Athelinda asked the man as she turned back from the table, but the man was gone.

Huh?

Athelinda was confused.

Who was that man? He helped her but also had this strangely dangerous aura surrounding him. Athelinda walked out of the shelves to look around for the man, but he was nowhere in sight.

A suspicious guy helping the princess of unknown origins is definitely not good.

Is he an assassin?

Athelinda couldn't help but think such thoughts. She searched for the man throughout the library, but in vain. It took a while for her to get the ravenette out of her head, she decided she would simply ask the librarian about him on her way out.

Afterwards she went to a corner of the library with her stack of books and began reading the book which she wanted to, all while carefully making sure no one saw her.

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