Dark Halls, Stone Walls

Chapter Nine

Ever since I was sick, I hadn't been able to leave my room at all. "William" must have known that the maids were helping me sneak out and put more measures in so that I was forced to stay inside. Not that it stopped me from trying, though.

It had been about a day since my initial discovery and I learned even more about how to properly decipher the words. Like before, I had to use context clues of each sentence to get the words in between, but I found that it was even more than that.

If I could guess the events that the pages were trying to say, then words associating with that event would pop up sporadically. For example, I thought about how romances should have weddings or kisses and that must be why I liked the book, and so, words appeared.

It was a tedious task that I undertook for the rest of the book and I properly had it all figured out about an hour ago. The story was about how a lowly chevalier is courting a Princess, but they couldn't be together because the knight was betrothed to an influential Countess, who had a crush on him since they were kids. The Countess in question was mostly influential through social means, meaning that she was both the Rose's bloom and its thorns of France's society. The knight doesn't think of her romantically, but his parents are against him marrying the Princess because although they are social climbers, they hate the royal family and want a "war." Drama ensues, but the chevalier and the princess live happily ever after.

France is one of the many places that is named in this book, meant to be an alias for our neighboring country, Brilane. Others being England for our country Foginland, Germany for Elizan, and so on—that's what the author's notes say, anyway. It also said that this story took place before the Brilani monarchy fell, which is a bit odd to read, since it's supposed to be a thinly veiled reflection of different countries. Obviously, the Brilani monarchy still reigned right along with Foginland's monarchy.

Then again, it was a fantasy story, and fantastic, impossible things are supposed to happen. Still, it seemed a bit of a stretch.

After I'd gotten halfway through 'Shallow Shortcomings,' I asked Noreen for a bunch of books, in which case she simply pointed under the bed, stating that she can't bring anything else.

It was no wonder—when I finally looked thirty minutes back, it was loaded with books off all sizes, colors, publishing years, and thicknesses. I laid some of them out to figure out which one the old me might like best in hopes of coming across another memory, sat down with my back to the bed, and pondered on my choices.

After a half an hour of skimming each book, I still hadn't figured out which one to read.

I opened to the first page of 'Shallow Shortcomings,' where the written note sat, still censored and stubbornly remained an eyesore.

"Elizabeth" was the first word and "William" was the last one. Everything else was unreadable.

I crossed my arms and legs.

It's bad enough that I have to read all these other books, but at least I can figure out what some of them are trying to say. This one little passage is somehow the only thing that barely reveals itself to me. I exhaled slowly. It's not worth it. Just move on.

I threw my legs under me and bent over to look under my bed again and sifted through the rest of the books until one caught my eye.

A worn-out, grey book the size of my hand peaked out from behind several thick textbooks that were in excellent condition. I stretched out from underneath until my fingertips could touch its spine, then I inched it toward me until I could finally grab it.

I immediately opened to the middle of the book.

There's kissing. Nothing happened. There are men in this book. A few "he"s ebbed into existence. It's based in Foginland. The country's name popped up. It went on like that.