How to Guard a Castle

7. Combat

A/N: I haven't written anything at all in ages (read: a month) and I'm not gonna lie it's been a month filled with CaptainSparklez Among Us streams, so there is a CaptainSparklez Easter egg in this chapter. Youre gonna need to be a big fan of him to find it tho.

Anyway, people have been asking me to update this book, and this chapter is dedicated to them. I love you all.

Kun awoke with a start to the realisation that he had fallen asleep in the library. He looked around him quickly, and discovered two things. The first, was that the sun, which had been high in the sky last he'd checked, was now well on its way to setting. The second,  was that Gabi was nowhere to be seen, and there was still a gaping tunnel in the wall of the library. Kun groaned, as he realised what must have happened, and shook his head.

"Surely not," he muttered, hurrying over to the staircase, and clambering over the books that were scattered on every step, made his way up to the tunnel, to peer down into it.

He could see almost nothing at all. Whatever was down there, it would be very difficult to see one foot in front of him if he didn't take a torch. Sighing, he turned back to find one, and was met with the Brazilian princess entering the room. She glanced up at him casually, as she hopped awkwardly towards her seat, collapsing down on it when she finally made it there. Kun stared at her as though he'd seen a ghost.

"Can you see anything down there?" She asked, picking up Pride and Prejudice from the table, and turning it over to read the blurb.

Kun shook his head in disbelief, and climbed slowly back down the ladder.

"I thought you'd gone whilst I was asleep," he said quietly.

He reached the floor, and turned to meet her gaze. She looked a little hurt, but there was also quiet understanding in her eyes.

"I wouldn't," she told him, honestly. "Not anymore."

"Where did you go then?" He wondered.

"To get food?" She shrugged. "I was hungry, and also a little bored, and you were asleep."

"You could have woken me," he told her.

"Well clearly you're not getting enough sleep at night, if you were able to sleep for so many hours during the day."

Kun shook his head, and chuckled at her.

"I'm proud of you, Gabi. I thought for sure you'd have run for it as soon as you felt sure I was asleep."

Gabi was quiet, for a moment.

"I guess you could say I'm learning a thing or two from you," she told him, before tearing her gaze away to focus on her book. Kun watched her for a minute longer, before moving to tidy the rest of the books up. Again. He needed something to occupy his mind, or it was going to drive him crazy.

The following morning, Kun had another letter from Bernardo, and he spent a pleasant while reading it over his breakfast. He and Gabi had decided to eat breakfast in the dining hall, which, whilst not as cozy as the library, being a much bigger room, it's windows let in the morning sun that was pleasant, and heated the room in a different way to the library fire place.

"What are you reading?" Gabi asked him from across the table, after watching him smile at his letter for some time.

"Bernardo writes me letters," Kun told her, glancing up at the Brazilian. "I can read you some, if you like. It's just what's going on at the palace, nothing too exciting."

"Yes please," Gabi nodded. "I miss Bernardo."

"You and me both," Kun sighed, ruefully. "Alright, let's see..."