Crowns and Daggers- Completed

Four.

Wandering these halls alone seemed like the best thing right now. I needed some time to clear my head before going back to the girls waiting for an update in my room. Bash was behind me somewhere, keeping his distance. I turned to face him, crossing my arms as he stopped a few feet away. 

"What?" 

"I want to go to the library. I want to be alone in there though." He nodded, taking slow steps up to me. "I just want to read for a bit alone, in peace before I have to go back and speak about nothing but him for the rest of the night." Bash nodded as he over took me and I turned, letting my arms move back down to my side. 

"Makes sense." He shrugged his shoulders and we turned a corner. If I was to be in there alone, he had to check it out first which would take him a few minutes. He'll look around, make sure no one else is in there. Then he'd come back out, tell me it was fine and then he'd stand by the door, making sure no one went in. But I really needed a drink after today. Some wine and the book by the fire sounded perfect right now. I'll ask him for the wine once he comes back out here. 

I stared into the room from the hall, leaning against the cold wall and playing with my finger tips. I was nervous. Always anxious and on edge when Christopher was around. I didn't used to be. When we were young I'd love when he came around. We'd run and laugh for hours. Hide and seek in the halls and gardens. Made up games, reading, watching the clouds. Now I was hoping the day he dies comes sooner rather than later.

"Okay you're good to go in. No one else in there." I smiled at Bash and tilted my head not moving. "You need some wine don't you?" I nodded and he rolled his eyes making me laugh. 

"Please?" 

"Go in there then and close the doors so no one comes in. I'll be 5 minutes." I nodded and pushed off the wall, walking inside, letting him close the doors behind me. 

I loved this library more than the other, bigger one at the front of this place. No one really came in here so I could just be alone. The fire was crackling away in the back of the room. Bash had pulled the chair an table up closer to it, how I liked it set out. 

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. Fire and old books. The best smells in the world. A smile crept onto my face as I opened my eyes, moving towards the shelves to pull out something to read. What did we want to read tonight?

Jane Austen? Something by one of the Brontë sisters?

Bleak house. 

Bleak House sounds perfect. I ran my fingers along the spines of the books. Stopping on the faded green book, pulling it from it's place and opening it as the doors opened. 

"I'm thinking Bleak House. Thoughts?" I asked Bash as he returned with my wine. This was going to be a good night so long as he just waited outside. 

"Bland. Bit boring but whatever floats your boat Princess."  I slammed the book shut, cringing as my title spilled from the cowards' own lips. I raised my eyes to his sly smile. 

"Christopher." Crossing my arms, tucking the book as I held it in my hand. 

"You always sound so surprised to see me Anastasia." 

"Disgusted is the word you're looking for." He walked further into the room, his fingers running along the books on the shelves at the same side of me. "Why are you here?" 

"Some fight between farmers-" 

"Not here. I know that. Why are you here? In my library." 

"I didn't realise this was yours. Does it have you're name on the door? I must have missed it." He was getting closer. I wasn't backing away. Not showing any weakness. 

"I'm armed Christopher. Stop playing shit again." 

"You're not armed darling. You've got a book in your hand and unless something is under that pretty dress of yours-" 

"Disgusting." I rolled my eyes. He was stood in front of me now "Sebastian will be back in here  any minute." 

"Not if my brother got him talking like I told him to." This fucker. I swear to god. Dead. On the floor twitching, bleeding out. Heaven. 

"So you're tainting my guards now? Good to know." 

"I just wanted a few minutes alone with you." 

"Why so I can stab you again? Because that worked out so well for you the first time around." I chuckled as he furrowed his brow ever so slightly. 

"You know one day, You're going to be up for marriage. And you're dad will just sell you off to the highest bidder. They won't like this attitude." 

"Yeah and pretty soon you're going to be married to an old crone with no other option. Aren't you lucky." I smiled, tilting my head. "How is the marriage hunt going Charming? No one here with you so I'm guessing swimmingly." 

He looked back at the door, biting his tongue. When he saw no one was there, he pushed me back against the shelves, sending books to the floor around us. 

"Don't fucking speak to me like that Anastasia."

"Oh and why not? You don't like it when someone puts you back in your place?" I snarked, my face covered in a smirk. "You're such a coward Christopher. Real men, men worthy of a dignified marriage, they'd never man handle a lady like this." 

"Please. You're not a lady." 

"And you're not a man either." I watched his face as he snarled at me. "I hope your brother gets your throne. Even he's more of a man than you. And he's younger than me." That did it. I'd pushed his buttons like he was used to pushing mine. 

"You're such a bitch Ana." His hand was still in the middle of my abdomen. He pushed me back again slightly, the shelves shaking behind me as more books came crumbling. 

"Aww. Does the baby not like me? Boo fucking hoo. Take it to someone who cares." I put my hand up to my hair, scratching it as a disguise for pulling out the dagger. 

In one swift move it was up under his chin. 

"Get your hands off me. I will not warn you again."  He was a lot closer to me than normal and it was setting me alight with rage. His eyes moved down to the knife then back to my eyes. 

"Are you flirting with me?" There wasn't a hint of sarcasm in his voice as his hand left my body and rested above me instead. "Because if you are, it's pretty bad." 

"You wish I was flirting with you. It's your biggest dream to have me under your grubby little thumb." 

"No. Darling. My biggest dream is to be sat on the throne. Who's beside me is still in your hands." 

"Well I hope the crone has her own cushion, thrones can get pretty uncomfy. Though, I guess she won't be there long before she croaks." I smirked at him. "Are you going to back the fuck up then or?" 

"Such a lady. That language." 

"You taught me it." I pushed the knife into him slightly. He winced as it covered in a small amount of blood. "Back up before it goes in deeper." I lowered my eyes in his and I could swear for a moment. Just a few short seconds, his eyes softened. Maybe the fear of what I could do finally hit him. He stepped back and I put the dagger back in my hair, hiding it as he put his hand to where it had been, pulling back to check it. "You should be more careful with that razer of yours. Someday you might slip a little too far."