"I have bored you with my family's histories, have I not?"
"You did not bore me."
"It feels unfair that I did not ask of yours."
She frowned, the book and that image drawn largely over it, blurring out, turning into a mere background as her mind moved to different thoughts from what was in front of her.
All she could think about was how her family had been such a weakness to her, a vulnerable longing that the Bride Thief had easily used and almost gotten away with, if she had not been observant. Her mind centered around that lack and the emptiness fed her brain.
She didn't want to think about it, so she wouldn't say.
"You already know."
"There must be some that you would love to tell me personally?"
"No, Eli. I have nothing to say." She snapped, regretting it immediately. With clumsy hands, she pushed the book back on shelf, making it blend in with the others.
"I"m sorry. I just don't want to talk about them, they are not nice to remember."
"That is alright." He took her hand, turning her slowly to face him, before cupping her cheeks in his hands. "Do not let that ruin the mom--"
The irritable feeling in her nostrils gave way at that moment, and she sneezed, before she could even cover her mouth and her nose.
For a moment, they froze.
Then he chuckled and she busted into laughter.
Eli casually stood up, pulling out a red handkerchief from somewhere she couldn't figure out because of how fast he had been, then.wiping his mask, clean.
"I'm sorry. This place is just really dusty."
"I understand." He took her hand in his, leading her to the door.
"Does this palace serve as the Castle's library too?"
"The Castle has its own library, this place is off limits," he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "but you are allowed."
Belladonna beamed, dusting off her free hand over her gown.
When they stepped out of the room, Eli locked the doors, took her hand again and turned away down the hallway.
"Isn't there any more room you would like to show me?" Even as she asked that question, her heart was pounding. For some one unexplainable reason, she would like to see that blue gem again.
Eli stopped in his tracks, looking at her quizzically.
"I mean look at all the doors." She gestured. Each sides of the hallway had numerous doors next to each other. "Come on, there must be more. Show me?"
His hand tightened around hers and he turned towards the door she had been hoping that he would take her to.
Right in front of it though, he stopped, taking in a short breath.
"Did it belong to your brother?"
"I am curious to know why you would think that?"
"The first was the painting room, must have been for your parents, this one is for you, it makes sense that they might be... your brother's study?"
He let out a short airy laughter.
"Lex was nothing but recklessness. He couldn't handle anything that had to do with orderliness the way it should. My mother didn't think it was wise to get him any. They wanted him older." He tilted his head to the side a little, like he was trying to shake sometning off. "This belongs to Kestra. She stores some of the things she thinks might be of any use in there."
"Oh, they must contain magic stuff." Belladonna's heart leaped at the thought if doing something wrong. "Maybe we should check out other rooms, I don't want to mess things up."
"I am right here with you, that worry is not yours, my Donna."
His hand was tight on the key as he slipped it into the keyhole, his shoulders tensed up, his movement full of hesitation.
"Some of the things in here were made for me. She use them to treat me, and ensure this curse that the Bride Thife has placed on me, does not ruin me too quickly." He ended in an humorous note but something stirred in Belladonna's stomach about that and without a second thought, her mind flashed to the gem she had held the first time she had been here.
Uneasiness settled in her veins like cold ice, prickling against her skin with every contact.
That gem had lured her, just like the thing on the King's hands. She had found herself holding it, her restraint nonexistent to the beauty it was and the mystery it held within.
What if she had done something to that gem on that day and didn't even know it?
It had seem perfect when she had left it though, and she was sure nothing had happened with the gem that night.
If something out of ordinary had happened, Kestra or the King would have noticed.
"We probably shouldn't check it then. I really don't want to mess up anything." She meant it more than how the words had come out.
He shook his head. "I want you to see it."
He turned the key in the lock, then he pulled down the doorknob to open the door but it didn't bulge. He turned the key again and when he pulled opened the door this time, it opened.
With cold voice filled with a certain kind of anxiousness, he declare, "It was not locked."
"Eli?" She asked, finding it hard to hear the words he had had said so lowly undeneath his breath that she could barely make it out, not to talk of how much hindrance the mask he had on was causing.
"This door was supposed to be locked and it was---" he paused, turning back to her abruptly. "Those were not locked too."
Tension seeped in after that.
Without saying a word to her, with one hand folded behind him, he went to each door, pushing down the doorknob and nodding in satisfaction anytime they didn't bolt open.
Done with the checking, he locked the door to Kestra's store. Then, he held her hand like nothing happened, leading her down towards the hallway, quickly approaching the stairs."
"I apologize that we have to cut this tour short, my Donna. I will make it up to you some other time."
"Is this about the doors?" Belladonna couldn't hide the nervousness she felt from this whole situation.
It felt like everything was going wrong and even if it was right there before her eyes, she couldn't see it and no one was telling her.
He paused and brushed his hand over her hair, twirling the curls at the end around his fingers.
"Yes," his voice was cold. "Someone has been to those rooms."
It suddenly felt like all the heat in the world had been directed at her, but the next words he said made her even more terrified.
"They should not have done that."
((I apologize for my recent inconsistent updates. My lectures have resumed and for now updating schedule will be one day on, one day off. I will try my best to make this one consistent. Thank you so much for your support. Special thanks to Pollysgirl for your encouraging comments.))